Something special at work here
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New York's Jacquian Williams mugs for a teammate's camera during media day Tuesday.
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INDIANAPOLIS
Some 7,000 people surrendered up to $35 or some multiple of that on the secondary-ticket market for the alleged opportunity to watch 3,000 journalists jostle to interview 100 football players Tuesday, proving for all perpetuity that Americans will watch anything.
So, yes, officially, Kardashian Law is in effect until further notice.
The frightening thing is, if you can get people to pay to watch the media basically watch other media scavenge for the few audible or relevant quotes that emerge from Super Bowl media day, you can probably find people who'll pay to watch the people who watch the media watch other media ask Eli Manning what's his favorite Madonna song.
In the post-modern NFL, there's a new revenue stream every minute.
The more astute among the friendly civilians inside Lucas Oil Stadium surely noted that football writers and their digitized brethren do not fan out proportionately to preview a football game, Super Bowl or no, which is why the media clot in front of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady threatened the circulatory system of the entire media body.
By contrast, three people were talking to Pro Bowl receiver Matthew Slater.
Three.
That's because Slater made the Pro Bowl on special teams, and, as we all know, these special-teams guys are marginal players who either don't or shouldn't decide football games as big as this.
So how come the Patriots and the New York Giants are in town this week primarily because of the stirring adventures and misadventures of special-teamers?
"Good question," said Slater. "In close games, crunch-time games, we always remember that special teams can win you or lose you two or three games a year. For fans though, I think it's easier to look at Tom Brady throwing for 5,000 yards.
"I'd rather look at that myself really."
But 10 days ago in San Francisco, with everybody looking for Eli Manning to win the NFC championship game, or for Hakeem Nicks to win it or maybe Jason Pierre-Paul to win it with another stunning crescendo of defensive dominance, the game that put the Giants in the Super Bowl was won by two obscure special-teamers -- Devin Thomas and Jacquian Williams.
"I've been so focused on this game that I didn't take time to really embrace that moment," said Thomas, who recovered two fumbles for New York's punt team that resulted in 10 points, three of which ended the game in overtime. "I feel like I made a name for our special-teams group. It was very emotional. Really a thrill to seal the deal like that.
First Published February 1, 2012 12:00 am
