El Paso Times from El Paso, Texas • 32

6C Paso Tiroes Sunday, Fee 3. 2008 NFL etpasotmes.com Patriots allegedly taped '02 Rams practice The Patriots were accused of Press. Citing an unidentified source. the Boston Herald reported that a Patriots employee recorded the Rams' walkthrough at the Su- New Orleans before the game on Feb. 3, 2002.

After the Patriots took a team picture, a member of their video department stayed inside the stadium and taped the Rams' session. It was not known whether the cameraman was told by the Patriots to film the practice or what he did with the tape, the Herald said. The Rams were two-touchdown favorites, but lost on Adam Vinatieri's last-second field goal. "The suggestion that the New England Patriots recorded the St. Louis Rams' walkthrough on the day before Super Bowl XXXVI is absolutely false.

Any suggestion to the contrary is untrue," Patriots spokesman Stacey James said. Rams spokesman Rick Smith, reading a statement from team president )ohn Shaw, said, "At this point, we have no comment." The unbeaten Patriots will try to win their fourth Super Bowl in seven seasons Sunday when they play the New York Giants. Early this season, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell fined New England coach Bill Belichick $500,000 and docked the team $250,000 and a first-round draft pick after the Spygate scandal. Associated Press PHOENIX A member of the New England Patriots' video staff taped the St. Louis Rams' last walkthrough before the 2002 Super Bowl, a Boston newspaper reported Saturday.

The NFL, however, said it was satisfied this was not another Spygate. "We were aware of the rumor months ago and looked into it. There was no evidence ot it on the tapes or in the notes produced by the Patriots, and the Patriots told us it as not true," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told the Associated Goodell videotaping New York lets defensive coaches as they signaled to players. New England did not have a walkthrough Saturday. The Giants held one at the Arizona Cardinals' practice facility.

A walkthrough is done without pads or helmets, giving teams a chance to practice their formations. Goodell said he did not think the Patriots used such tapes to win previous titles. "There was no indication that it benefited them in any of the Super Bowl victories," he said. perdome in the New Orleans a day before the Super Bowl. New England beat the heavily favored Rams 20-17 for its first NFL title.

The Herald reported that a source close to the Patriots in the 2001 season said the team held a walkthrough at the Superdome in Hall of Fame Green, Monk, Dean head new inductees In 'jfcH By Notebook Tippett hopes election is a good omen for Pats PHOENIX Former Now England linebacker Andre Tippett hopes his election to the l'ro loot-ball Hall of Fame will be a gcnd omen for the Patriots today. As New England's executive director of community affairs, Tippett had plenty of support from the Patriots' Super Bow trav eling party as he aited to learn whether he was headed to Canton. "Even. body, from day one when we got here, they were like, 'Hey, we're looking to do something special you on Saturday and us on Tippett said Saturday. "It couldn't have happened at a greater time." It was a big change from a year ago, when Tippett was passed over after reaching the finals.

He retired in 1993 and waited 10 years for election. Red state, blue state: While his home state is hosting the Super Bowl on Sunday, Republican presidential candidate lohn McCain will be in the heart of New England Patriots territory. The Arizona senator planned to arrive in Boston on Sunday shortly before the Patriots play the New York Giants in the Super Bowl in Glendale. Massachusetts is the home state of McCain's rival, former Gov. Mitt Romney, and is among the 21 states holding its primary on Super Tuesday.

But McCain said his schedule is more about the election than his football allegiances. "I'm reasonably confident about carrying Arizona. There are some states that I'm not that confident about," McCain said when asked why he wasn't flying home to see the game. Inspiring the Giants: Lt Col. Greg Gadson, who lost both legs to a roadside bomb in Iraq, watched the Giants' practice with his son, Jaelen, at the Arizona Cardinals' headquarters in Tempe on Saturday.

Gadson has served as an inspirational figure this season for the Giants. The elder Gadson served as an honorary Giants team captain, along with Hall of Earner Harry Carson, for the NFC title game. Tomlinson honored: San Diego running back LaDainian Tomlinson on Saturday won the Bart Starr Award for serving as a positive role model to his family, teammates and community. Tomlinson's Touching Lives Foundation promotes youth football camps, and it helps provide Thanksgiving meals for needy San Diego families and Christmas gifts for sick children. It also presents scholarships to 30 college-bound students each year.

Named after NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Bart Starr, the award is voted on by NFL players at the end of the regular season. Times wire reports aHUH'A Matt York Associated Press Matt York Associated Press perfect season at a news conference Friday in Phoenix. Former Miami Dolphins running back Eugene "Mercury" Morris talked about his 1972 team's Sharing perfection 'Perfectville' may get another resident today By Barry Wilner Associated Press PHOENIX Like the two old friends they are, Darrell Green and Art Monk chatted about the latest news in their lives: making the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Never mind that thousands of people were listening to the conference call after Saturday's announcement. This was simply two former Washington Redskins sharing verbal hugs after receiving the sport's highest honor.

"May I just say to you when I first came to Washington, you had just won the Super Bowl, you guys worked me over for nine weeks and I hated all of you," Green told Monk, drawing laughter. "I appreciate your words," Monk told Green, who covered Monk in practices for years. "I was trying to hear some of the comments that you made and I feel the same way." For the second straight year, former commissioner Paul Tagliabue failed to elected. Other players joining Green and Monk included New England linebacker Andre Tippett, San DiegoSan Francisco defensive end Fred Dean, MinnesotaDenver tackle Gary Zimmerman and senior committee choice, Kansas City cornerback Emmitt Thomas. Monk finally was chosen in his eighth year of eligibility.

He concluded his career after the 1995 season with Philadelphia, but spent 13 years with the Redskins as one of the NFL's premier receivers. Monk held records for most consecutive games with a reception (164) and career catches (820). Both have been surpassed, but Monk didn't play in as wide-open an era on offense as many other receivers. He was one of the most consistent possession and third-down receivers in the league throughout his 14 pro seasons. "Whether I deserved to play in the NFL or deserve even to be in Hall of Fame, I just loved the game, loved to play, loved being out there," Monk said.

Former Washington Redskins cornerback Darrell Green looked at a photograph of himself Saturday in Phoenix. Green, one of the NFL's speediest and most skilled cornerbacks for two decades, spent his entire career (1983-2002) with the Redskins. He holds the record for consecutive seasons with an interception (19), and had 54 picks for 621 yards and six TDs. A member of the 1990s All-Decade team, Green made seven Pro Bowls. "This is so special," Green said when informed of the vote.

"This is out of this world. This literally transcends football, everything I have gone through to do what I was able to do. It was more than the ability to run and cover. It just goes so far beyond that." The other player in his first year of eligibility, receiver Cris Carter, was not elected. Carter finished his 15-year career second on the career list in receptions and TD catches.

Inductions will be at the Pro Football Hall of Game in Canton, Ohio on Aug. 2. "I looked forward to the day we are going to Canton," Green said, breaking up with emotion. "Hopefully, there are several hundred thousand hotels there, and several hundred thousand tickets." season has progressed, the debate has emerged who would be the greatest team of all time if New England finishes 19-0? "The 1972 Dolphins were No. 1 in offense, No.

1 in defense, No. 1 in special teams, they had the fewest giveaways, the most take-aways, Morris said. On the other hand, they had a weak schedule and won six of their games by a touchdown or less. Kiick asked what rules would be in effect for that fantasy meeting between the teams. Would it be the 1972 set that allowed defensive backs to mug receivers all the way down the field and offered no special protection for quarterbacks, or the current-day set that promotes offense? It's all part of the debate that will continue only if New England wins Sunday to make it 19-0.

By Eddie Pells Associated Press PHOENIX The 1972 Miami Dolphins could be enjoying their last few days alone on that so-called mountaintop, as the Nil's only perfect team. Contrary to what many people believe, running back Jim Kiick says they aren't a bunch of bitter old men sitting around waiting to pop open a bottle of champagne if the New England Patriots lose. "We are old, though," Kiick said. "And I prefer Jack Daniels, anyway." Kiick, Garo Yepremian, Larry Little and Mercury Morris gathered Friday in what could be their last media briefing as the NFL's only undefeated team. If the Patriots win Sunday, these '72 Dolphins will have company, and the champagne they usually uncork every November or December will remain in the deep freeze.

They are, indeed, walking a fine line, trying to be magnanimous as the game approaches, hoping to sound a different note than Don Shula did earlier in the season when he suggested that New England's 'Spygate' controversy might taint a possible perfect record. To many, that comment, which Shula later retracted, reinforced an image of this group as a bunch of has-beens unwilling to part with the past. Morris said he doesn't take anything away from New England because of "It means absolutely nothing," he said. He argues that Miami's perfection 35 years ago is something to celebrate, and the longer that record has stayed in tact, the more impressive it has become. Not that they're willing to give up their status easily.

As New England's perfect The average price for a 30-second commercial in this season's Super Bowl will cost $2.7 million. Average price for a 30-second Super Bowl commercial $3.0 million Buffalo to play annual game in Toronto Goodell said in Phoenix. But he other year starting this season in By John Wawrow FBbMbh aa a al BBBL 2008: 2.5- 2 0 Af 1967: 0.5 $0,042 jf Toronto during that stretch. The NFL has played games outside the United States, most recently when Miami faced the New York Giants in London in October. But the Bills will be the league's first team to do it annually.

In his pre-Super Bowl address to reporters, Goodell said the Bills' plan, first presented to league owners in October, "was done thoughtfully to help regionalize the team even more broadly." Goodell sidestepped questions regarding the NFL's interest in basing a team in Toronto. "That's not our focus right now," didn't rule out the possibility of playing more games in Toronto. "We'll never take out the idea it could lead to more, but that's not our plan," Goodell said. "This is a deal for five years. We're going to focus on the next five years." The games will be played at the downtown Rogers Centre, a domed stadium with a retractable roof that's home to baseball's Toronto Blue Jays and the CFL Argonauts.

The Bills' bid is their most ambitious attempt to secure the small-market franchise's long-term future in Buffalo by tapping into Toronto's vast corporate base. Associated Press BUFFALO, N.Y. The NFL map will include Canada now that the Buffalo Bills will play an annual regular-season game in Toronto starting this year. 1 Citing the "tremendous amount of interest" the Bills generate across neighboring southern Ontario, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced Friday that the team will play a regular-season game in Toronto in each of the next five seasons. The plan also includes three Bills preseason games one every 70s '80s '90s '00s Associated Press 0, and then 1 tJjIBt came to wBBP jmm Ufa MWi Mas Jam BffB HP Register now for the "Big Cash" Poker Tournament Feeling lucky? Then be sure to register for Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort and Casino's Satellite Style Poker Tournament! Register now, the tournament begins Friday, February 22.

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