Associated Press
The NFL notebook …
TAMPA, Fla. ó Larry Fitzgerald would look at restructuring his contract if it would help keep fellow Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Anquan Boldin on the team.
“Someone asked me a question if I would be willing to do something to help the team, and I said, `No problem,’ ” Fitzgerald said Wednesday. “This opportunity right here to be playing deep in the postseason, this is an amazing feeling. I’ll do whatever it takes to get back to this point going forward in my career.”
Fitzgerald and Boldin form arguably the best receiving tandem in the NFL. Fitzgerald caught 96 passes for 1,431 yards and 12 touchdowns in the regular season. Boldin, despite missing four games with injuries, caught 89 passes for 1,038 yards and 11 scores. Both players made the Pro Bowl.
NO HARD FEELINGS
Arizona receiver Anquan Boldin says the well-publicized blowup he had with offensive coordinator Todd Haley during the NFC championship game is a “non-issue” that the Cardinals put to rest before arriving in Tampa.In fact, the four-time Pro Bowl selection has had nothing but complimentary things to say about Haley this week, including thoughts on how the Cardinals assistant would be as a head coach.”He would be a good head coach. Like I said, he challenges players and he has a lot of insight about the game,” Boldin said. “He has been in coaching now for a while, it kind of runs through his family. His dad has been a coach at a very high level for some time. He knows what he is doing.”
BETTIS IS BACK
Pittsburgh is back at the Super Bowl, and so is retired Steelers running back Jerome Bettis.
The Bus broke out his NFL championship ring from three years ago for interviews as part of NBC’s broadcast team for Sunday’s title game. He said it feels a little strange to be here as a pregame analyst rather than playing for his former team.
“It’s kind of weird because you know the experience and you’re familiar with it, and you’re familiar with the guys. But now you’re kind of on the outside looking in, instead of on the inside looking out,” Bettis said.
BIDWILL SPEAKS
A man of few words who rarely grants interviews, Cardinals owner Bill Bidwill shed some light during media day on what he did to celebrate Arizona’s victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC championship game.
“I went home, finished off the morning coffee in the microwave, went to bed and got a good night’s sleep,” said the 77-year-old, known for his thrifty ways in operating a franchise his family has owned since 1932. “Then I woke up with a smile.”
SUPER RINGS
Authorities say they have found 27 New York Giants Super Bowl rings, valued at more than $170,000, stolen last June from a Massachusetts jewelry manufacturer.
The Essex District Attorney’s office said investigators found the rings Tuesday in a bank safe deposit box in Saugus. Prosecutors said 22-year-old Kristen Sullivan, who allegedly rented the box, was being held on a charge of receiving stolen property and would be arraigned Wednesday.
SUPER OFFICIAL
TAMPA, Fla. ó Terry McAulay will referee his second Super Bowl on Sunday when the Arizona Cardinals play the Pittsburgh Steelers.Completing his 11th season as an NFL official, McAulay also worked the 2005 Super Bowl in Jacksonville, in which the New England Patriots beat the Philadelphia Eagles.