TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -The Pro Bowl will be in Miami next year. At least two players headed to this year’s game in Hawaii have mixed feelings about the all-star event being held in South Florida the weekend before the 2010 Super Bowl.
It’s not that Houston Texans receiver Andre Johnson and Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis have anything against the Sunshine State. After all, both grew up in Florida and played at the University of Miami.
“I love Hawaii,” Johnson, a three-time Pro Bowl selection said, drawing laughter during a news conference also featuring first-time AFC pick Nick Mangold of the New York Jets on Wednesday.
Johnson, a Miami native, quickly changed course.
“It’ll be different … being in a different site,” he added. “It’ll be in my hometown, it’ll be a lot of fun. Hopefully I can go and make it.”
Two-time Pro Bowl pick Portis wasn’t budging, though.
I hope we’re in the Super Bowl next year.”
The NFL announced last month that next season’s all-star game will be held one week before the Super Bowl, with both games at Dolphin Stadium. The Pro Bowl has been held in Honolulu since 1980.
Portis does see one advantage to the game being shifted to the mainland. It could be a much more affordable trip for fans.
“I think for the people in the (continental) states, this is going to give them an opportunity to get to Miami,” the running back said. “There will be a lot going on in Miami for those two weeks preparing for the Super Bowl. Hopefully, I’m preparing for the Super Bowl, too.”
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REMEMBERING PAT: Arizona’s Adrian Wilson only played with the late Pat Tillman for one year, but the former Cardinals safety who was killed in Afghanistan after retiring in 2002 to join the Army Rangers made a lasting impression. Tillman has been on Wilson’s mind as the NFC champions prepare for the Super Bowl.
“You never want, somebody like that, his legacy to die,” said Wilson, the only remaining player on the roster who played with Tillman.
y. … Not every man is going to make that decision, and I think it speaks volumes to the type of person that he was.”
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CHASING THE RABBITS: If Santonio Holmes zigzags like a rabbit in the Super Bowl, there’s a good reason: The Pittsburgh wide receiver grew up catching them.
The speedy Steelers star comes from Belle Glade, Fla. The town right off Lake Okeechobee is known for producing football players, plus a local tradition. Each year when sugarcane is burned during harvest, young boys run after the bunnies that scramble from the fires.
“I chased rabbits up until my sophomore year of high school,” Holmes said Tuesday. “I actually did it a couple of times during my freshman year of college. I came home and had some free time to lounge around, and I went out to chase rabbits just to see if I still had it.
“That was something that we did to pass time and to make money as kids, because jobs were very scarce,” he said. “The opportunity to catch rabbits and sell them to people in the area allowed us to make money and to take care of ourselves. On a single day we would probably get between 30 and 40 rabbits and we would sell them for $2 or $3 and make money that way.”
the playoffs with a 67-yard punt return for a TD.
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BRISK SALES: Tickets for next season’s regular-season matchup between the New England and Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been a hot seller, with 70,000 for the Oct. 25 game at London’s Wembley Stadium already sold.
The NFL announced that a limited number of tickets are available to the general public at www.ticketmaster.co.uk through Super Bowl Sunday.
“We have been delighted with the way fans have gotten behind the game, especially considering today’s challenging economic climate,” Alistair Kirkwood, managing director of NFL UK, said in a statement. “The response is indicative of the must-see nature of our game and the place it has cemented in the UK sports calendar.”
It will be the third straight year the NFL has played a regular-season game in London. The New York Giants beat the Miami Dolphins 13-10 at Wembley in 2007, and the New Orleans Saints beat the San Diego Chargers 37-32 this season.
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CHARITABLE MVP: Dallas tight end Jason Witten was chosen NFL Neighborhood MVP for work he does through the player’s S.C.O.R.E. Foundation, which helps families and individuals affected by domestic violence.
The award is sponsored by The Home Depot, which made a $25,000 contribution to the foundation.
volunteers Tuesday in building a playground for kids in East Tampa.
“I try to bring the same energy and dedication to community service that I do to football. … Giving back to the community has always been important to me, and I appreciate the support for my work to raise awareness of domestic violence,” Witten said.
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EXEC OF THE YEAR: Atlanta general manager Thomas Dimitroff, who helped transform the Falcons into a playoff team this season, was chosen Sporting News executive of the year Wednesday.
Among the moves Dimitroff made in his first year as a GM was the drafting of quarterback Matt Ryan and free-agent signings of running back Michael Turner, kicker Jason Elam, safety Erik Coleman and tight end Ben Hartsock.
After going 4-12 and finishing last in the NFC South in 2007, the Falcons went 11-5 under first-year coach Mike Smith in 2008, who was hired by Dimitroff.
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PETERSON: New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees and Minnesota Vikings running Adrian Peterson won the FedEx Air and Ground NFL players of the year. The company will donate $25,000 to the Safe Kids USA coalitions in New Orleans and Minneapolis in honor of Brees and Peterson. A $25,000 contribution also was made to Tampa Safe Kids coalition.
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