Published: Monday, February 1, 2010
NFL NOTES: Ochocinco, other NFL covering Super Bowl
CINCINNATI — Chad Ochocinco and other prominent NFL players will be asking the questions and giving reports during Super Bowl week.
The media-savvy Bengals receiver plans to attend news conferences and parties leading up to the title game in Miami, gathering insights from coaches, players and celebrities for his array of social networks.
He'll have help in the unprecedented plan. Redskins tight end Chris Cooley, Ravens Pro Bowl running back Ray Rice and Cardinals Pro Bowl defensive lineman Darnell Dockett also will be toting microphones and tossing questions at the Colts and the Saints — and maybe even commissioner Roger Goodell.
It's the first such venture since the receiver formed his “Ochocinco News Network” with Motorola.
“It'll be something new, something never done before,” Ochocinco told The Associated Press in a phone interview from Miami, where he played in the Pro Bowl on Sunday night.
Ochocinco and his three helpers plan to function as reporters, updating a Web site and a Twitter feed during the week. The players have hundreds of thousands of regular followers on their personal Twitter accounts and other social network platforms.
They expect to attend media sessions where players and coaches are available, conduct interviews with guests at the media headquarters, and provide behind-the-scenes glimpses at the nightly Super Bowl parties in Miami.
Security in place for Super Bowl
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has toured the site of Sunday's Super Bowl and says the security plan is ready to thwart any threats. The NFL said Monday's tour of Sun Life Stadium was the first by a Cabinet secretary before a championship game. Napolitano says she considered it important to check out security preparations firsthand.
Thomas returns to Chiefs
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Emmitt Thomas, a Hall of Fame cornerback for Kansas City's Super Bowl teams in the late 1960s, is returning to the Chiefs as defensive backs coach. Thomas played cornerback for the Chiefs from 1966-78 and is still their all-time leader with 58 interceptions.
Ex-Cowboy's wife found dead
BURLESON, Texas — The wife of former Dallas Cowboys tight end Jay Novacek has been found dead in a home. Burleson spokeswoman Sally Ellertson says police in the Fort Worth suburb responded to a call of a possible suicide early Monday. The Tarrant County medical examiner identified the woman as 45-year-old LeAnne Novacek, 45, whose home address was listed in the nearby town of Joshua. Jay Novacek starred for the Cowboys in 1990-96 and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame last summer.
Pro Bowl ratings increase
NEW YORK — The Pro Bowl's new, earlier date resulted in more viewers tuning in to the NFL's all-star game. Sunday's AFC-NFC matchup on ESPN was watched by an average of 12.3 million viewers, the most since 2000. That's up 40 percent from last year's Pro Bowl on NBC, which drew 8.8 million viewers when the event was held after the Super Bowl. This season's game was in a later time slot, when more people watch TV. But it also had to compete against the Grammys on CBS, which attracted 25.8 million viewers, the most since 2004.
Associated Press
The media-savvy Bengals receiver plans to attend news conferences and parties leading up to the title game in Miami, gathering insights from coaches, players and celebrities for his array of social networks.
He'll have help in the unprecedented plan. Redskins tight end Chris Cooley, Ravens Pro Bowl running back Ray Rice and Cardinals Pro Bowl defensive lineman Darnell Dockett also will be toting microphones and tossing questions at the Colts and the Saints — and maybe even commissioner Roger Goodell.
It's the first such venture since the receiver formed his “Ochocinco News Network” with Motorola.
“It'll be something new, something never done before,” Ochocinco told The Associated Press in a phone interview from Miami, where he played in the Pro Bowl on Sunday night.
Ochocinco and his three helpers plan to function as reporters, updating a Web site and a Twitter feed during the week. The players have hundreds of thousands of regular followers on their personal Twitter accounts and other social network platforms.
They expect to attend media sessions where players and coaches are available, conduct interviews with guests at the media headquarters, and provide behind-the-scenes glimpses at the nightly Super Bowl parties in Miami.
Security in place for Super Bowl
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has toured the site of Sunday's Super Bowl and says the security plan is ready to thwart any threats. The NFL said Monday's tour of Sun Life Stadium was the first by a Cabinet secretary before a championship game. Napolitano says she considered it important to check out security preparations firsthand.
Thomas returns to Chiefs
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Emmitt Thomas, a Hall of Fame cornerback for Kansas City's Super Bowl teams in the late 1960s, is returning to the Chiefs as defensive backs coach. Thomas played cornerback for the Chiefs from 1966-78 and is still their all-time leader with 58 interceptions.
Ex-Cowboy's wife found dead
BURLESON, Texas — The wife of former Dallas Cowboys tight end Jay Novacek has been found dead in a home. Burleson spokeswoman Sally Ellertson says police in the Fort Worth suburb responded to a call of a possible suicide early Monday. The Tarrant County medical examiner identified the woman as 45-year-old LeAnne Novacek, 45, whose home address was listed in the nearby town of Joshua. Jay Novacek starred for the Cowboys in 1990-96 and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame last summer.
Pro Bowl ratings increase
NEW YORK — The Pro Bowl's new, earlier date resulted in more viewers tuning in to the NFL's all-star game. Sunday's AFC-NFC matchup on ESPN was watched by an average of 12.3 million viewers, the most since 2000. That's up 40 percent from last year's Pro Bowl on NBC, which drew 8.8 million viewers when the event was held after the Super Bowl. This season's game was in a later time slot, when more people watch TV. But it also had to compete against the Grammys on CBS, which attracted 25.8 million viewers, the most since 2004.
Associated Press
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