DETROIT – So, we walked into a big stadium in downtown Detroit this morning for some more press conferences.
Jennifer Buchanan / The Herald
More hype. More pontificating. More of the same stupid questions we’ve been hearing for weeks.
But once we were inside, I noticed something.
It was a little odd.
It was a big green slab of turf, similar to what they play football games on. I looked closer, and it was all painted like a football field. It had end zones, yard lines sidelines and everything.
And that’s when I remembered: There’s a football game on Sunday, right here at Ford Field.
It sounds crazy, but in the midst of the constant babble and the song-and-dance press conferences with coaches and players dressed in their finest suits, you can easily forget the reason we’re all here.
This whole week of madness is leading up to a football game – and it’s a pretty important one, from the looks of things.
But Tuesday was the day for fun. For silliness.
For Mo Rocca of “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno” to try to wrestle Seattle Seahawks’ offensive lineman Chris Gray to the ground and ask questions such as, “Do the people at your regular job get a kick out of seeing you play football on TV?”
For comedian Gilbert Gottfried to draw attention to himself with his high-pitched rattle of a voice while offering game predictions such as, “I believe one of these teams will win.”
And for players to reach out across international borders through the power of satellites, sending messages to Japan, Germany, Brazil, Mexico and Austria.
“I’m huge in Austria,” Seahawks defensive lineman Bryce Fisher said after delivering a quick plug for ORF, Austria’s national broadcaster.
Fisher was one of several players toting handheld video cameras to capture some memories of their own on Media Day, the event where thousands of journalists take to the field for an hour of direct access to every player from the Seattle Seahawks and the Pittsburgh Steelers, who will square off in Super Bowl XL on Sunday.
Each player had his own way of soaking in the flavor of the event.
“It is the Super Bowl,” Seahawks tight end Jerramy Stevens said. “But it’s not just about the game, it’s about everything leading up to it, and taking part in all of that is a big deal, too. It’d be silly not to enjoy that.”
Stevens had one of the more memorable exchanges with Rocca, the former “Daily Show” correspondent now working for Leno’s late-night show on NBC. Rocca shared with Stevens his idea for a new Seahawks cheer:
“The Seahawk is another name for the osprey; it’s got a wingspan of 5.5 feet,” Rocca sang. “ChaREEP! ChaREEP! SEAHAWKS!!!”
Stevens was fascinated.
“I didn’t know that ‘ChaREEP’ was the sound,” he said, prompting Rocca to explain more about the osprey, including background about its nostrils, which can close, and “opposable toes.”
“I didn’t know that birds were able to do that,” Stevens said. “Where does that ‘ChaREEP’ sound come from? Is that, like, a nasal sound or is that from the throat?”
“I think it’s a little more guttural,” Rocca said. “That, I’m not sure about. I’ll have to check.”
It was just one of the more bizarre moments of the day, which included a Mexican TV reporter walking around interviewing players with a hand puppet resembling Troy Palomalu, Pittsburgh’s long-haired safety who you’ll know by the end of the week.
Seattle’s rookie linebacker Lofa Tatupu could hardly keep a straight face while talking to the puppet, no matter how hard he tried.
“We’re just excited for the opportunity that lies in front of us and, uhh,” was all Tatupu could squeeze out of his mouth before bursting into laughter. “I want to know how you came up with that idea.”
“It’s Palomalu’s idea,” the reporter replied.
That wasn’t Tatupu’s only foreign-language exchange for the afternoon.
As the final seconds of Media Day ticked off the clock, a Brazilian reporter asked Tatupu to deliver the nightly closing for “SportsCenter Brasil” in Portuguese.
“A bola a sua,” he repeated into the camera.
Loosely translated, “The ball is yours.”
When Tatupu was excused from his post, he picked up a Super Bowl XL hat that had been sitting on his podium the whole time.
“Do I get to keep this? Is this mine?” the wide-eyed rookie asked a nearby aide, who nodded.
Yes, Lofa. The hat is yours.
Reporter Victor Balta: 425-339-3455 or vbalta@ heraldnet.com.
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