Associated Press
The NFL notebook …
TEMPE, Ariz. ó The man who performed a football exorcism in the desert is keeping his cool with his Arizona Cardinals a win away from the Super Bowl.
Then again, Ken Whisenhunt just about always keeps his cool.
The Cardinals franchise never has been here before, but Whisenhunt has. He was offensive coordinator of the Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers before taking on the formidable challenge of coaching the NFL’s laughingstock of a franchise.
No one’s laughing now, except maybe in disbelief. Whisenhunt brought Steelers toughness and an organized, unflappable style. He didn’t get one vote for coach of the year this season. If the balloting had waited a few weeks, no doubt he would.
“You go how your leader goes,” quarterback Kurt Warner said. “He deserves a tremendous amount of credit, most importantly for bringing in a belief that we could accomplish something that had never been before.”
BOLDIN’S STATUS
TEMPE, Ariz. ó Arizona receiver Anquan Boldin practiced Wednesday, and says he will play in Sunday’s NFC championship game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Boldin, who with Larry Fitzgerald forms arguably the best receiving tandem in football, said a trip to a Dallas chiropractor has greatly improved his strained left hamstring.
“I’ll be out there Sunday,” he said after practice.
CHIEFSKANSAS CITY, Mo. ó If Herm Edwards is on his way out as head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, his new boss isn’t saying.
In his first news conference since being hired as general manager, Scott Pioli would only say Wednesday that he intends to visit with Edwards.
BURRESS UPDATE
LEBANON, Pa. ó Plaxico Burress was suspended when his team was knocked out of the NFL playoffs last weekend, but the embattled New York Giants star scored a small victory on Wednesday.
A civil court jury in small-town Pennsylvania sided with Burress over a local car dealer who sought $19,000 in damages after a vehicle he let Burress use ended up being seized by New York City police in connection with a 2005 shooting incident.
RAMSST. LOUIS ó The St. Louis Rams concluded a two-day interview with Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier on Wednesday, and later in the day began discussions with Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett.
PRO BOWL
NEW ORLEANS ó New Orleans Saints left tackle Jammal Brown was selected to the Pro Bowl as a replacement for injured Washington Redskins tackle Chris Samuels.
Brown started 15 games last season, missing one because of an ankle injury.
REDSKINSASHBURN, Va. ó The Washington Redskins are holding general admission ticket prices steady for the third straight year because of the troubled economy.
The team announced Wednesday that prices ó ranging from $29 to $99 ó will remain the same for the 2009 season.
IRVIN THREATENED
DALLAS ó Hall of Fame receiver Michael Irvin says he calmly chatted with a gunman in another vehicle after the armed passenger turned out to be a Dallas Cowboys fan.
Irvin, who was not harmed, says he was “very afraid.”
A Dallas police report says Irvin was stopped at a red light Monday night when two men in a truck pulled up next to him.
The driver rolled down his window, so Irvin did the same, thinking the two men recognized the radio talk show host and television commentator.
The passenger flashed a gun. Then the retired NFL star heard one of them call out his name and mentioned being a “huge Cowboy fan.”
Irvin says he began talking with the men about the team’s disappointing 9-7 season and Dallas not making it to the Super Bowl.