Football – Page 91 – North Platte Post Archive

Manning Extends Record with 5th AP NFL MVP

Posted on February 1, 2014February 1, 2014

NEW YORK (AP) — Peyton Manning has won his fifth Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player award in a landslide.

The Denver Broncos’ record-setting quarterback, who threw for 55 touchdowns and 5,477 yards in leading the Broncos to the AFC’s best record, earned 49 votes from a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league. New England quarterback Tom Brady got the other vote in balloting announced Saturday night.

Manning won his other MVPs with Indianapolis in 2003, ’04, ’08 and ’09. He also was the runner-up last season to Adrian Peterson.

No one else has won more than three NFL MVP awards.

Manning still trails several Hall of Famers for total MVPs in their sport. Wayne Gretzky won nine NHL MVPs, Barry Bonds owns seven in baseball, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won six in the NBA.

Manning has also won his second Associated Press NFL Offensive Player of the Year award.

The Denver quarterback shattered the league record by throwing for 55 touchdowns. He also set a mark with 5,477 yards passing in leading the Broncos to a 13-3 record, best in the AFC. They play Seattle on Sunday in the Super Bowl.

Broncos executive John Elway accepted the award on Manning’s behalf.

Manning received 33 votes from a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league in balloting announced Saturday night. He also won the award in 2004 and was runner-up last year to Adrian Peterson.

This time, running back LeSean McCoy of Philadelphia was second with 10 votes, followed by Kansas City running back Jamaal Charles with four.

Welker Doesn’t Dwell on Costly Drop

Posted on February 1, 2014February 1, 2014

JERSEY CITY, N.J. (AP) — Wes Welker swears he doesn’t dwell on his costly drop in the Super Bowl two years ago that could have sealed New England’s win over the New York Giants and made up for losing to them four years earlier.

“You know what? I don’t even think about it,” Welker said as he prepared for his third Super Bowl, his first with the Denver Broncos. “The past is the past, what happened, happened, and I’m just looking forward to this one and going out there and playing my best game and doing what I can to help my team win.”

Welker said getting to the big game and coming up short two times is what drives him.

“I think it’s the reason I get up in the morning in the offseason and even now,” he said after helping the Broncos beat his old team for the AFC title, securing a showdown with the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday night at MetLife Stadium.

Welker tied a Super Bowl record with 11 receptions for 103 yards six years ago but the Patriots’ perfect season ended when Eli Manning threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress with 35 seconds left to give the Giants a 17-14 win.

The teams met again four years later in Indianapolis and Welker caught seven passes for 60 yards and ran twice for 21 more, but it was the catch he didn’t make that haunts Patriots fans to this day.

The Patriots led 17-15 with four minutes left and were on the Giants’ 44 when Tom Brady found Welker wide open 23 yards downfield. The pass, however, was high and slightly behind Welker, who got both hands on the ball but couldn’t make the catch.

The Giants got the ball back and drove for the winning touchdown.

“Sure, I mean it motivates you during the offseason. It motivates you when you’re working out, it motivates you through the year,” Welker said. “Just that feeling of losing that game, I mean it’s heartbreaking. It takes a few weeks just to get over it. It definitely sticks with you and motivates you for the future and definitely blessed to have this opportunity again.”

Welker joined Peyton Manning in Denver in the offseason after six seasons with Brady and was Denver’s leading receiver until missing the final 3½ games after sustaining his second concussion in a three-week span. He still ended up with 778 yards on 73 catches and a career-high 10 touchdowns. Wearing a bigger helmet to protect against further head injury, he’s caught 10 passes for 76 yards and a TD in the playoffs.

He had four catches for 38 yards against New England in the AFC Championship and his hard hit took out Patriots top cornerback Aqib Talib on a pick play at the line of scrimmage. The next day, Patriots coach Bill Belichick suggested Welker deliberately tried to hurt Talib and complained to the league about it.

The NFL said no infraction had occurred.

Welker’s teammates said Belichick was just using Welker as a smoke screen and a scapegoat to hide deficiencies in his team’s defense and the fact that Welker’s replacement in New England, Danny Amendola, dropped the only pass thrown to him in the title game.

Welker stayed above the fray, saying he was just happy to be back in the Super Bowl.

“I’m very blessed to have this opportunity again and that’s all you really ask for,” he said. “It’s all you work for during the offseason is to get to this point and now you just want to finish it.”

John Fox Says Broncos Ready for Sunday

Posted on January 31, 2014

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — After putting his team through its final full practice of the season on Friday afternoon, Denver Broncos coach John Fox declared his team ready to go for the Super Bowl.

The Broncos used the indoor field at the New York Jets practice facility for their nearly 90-minute practice after Fox determined that the outdoor synthetic field was too hard.

Yet the regimen came with another twist: Fox used the outdoor field for the 30-minute walkthrough before the practice, allowing for more exposure to the type of wintry elements that could be in play on Sunday night at MetLife Stadium.

Carroll and Fox enjoying Super Bowl moment

Posted on January 31, 2014

NEW YORK (AP) — As if they were enjoying a morning coffee together, Pete Carroll and John Fox fulfilled their final media obligations leading to the Super Bowl.

Relaxed, self-assured and even charming, the coaches of the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos answered questions for 30 minutes on Friday, joking with each other and the audience.

No grumpy one-sentence responses. No agitated reactions to edgy queries. At one point, Fox wondered if he could say a specific crude word to the audience on hand. Watching on television, he then went ahead and used the word. Carroll immediately quipped: “You can’t say that, John,” eliciting laughs from reporters — and from Fox.

Neither man seemed overwhelmed or even antsy about the biggest game of his life coming up on Sunday.

Utah Ape Predicts Seahawks Will Win Super bowl

Posted on January 31, 2014

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A Utah ape that has correctly picked the Super Bowl winner for six straight years is predicting the Seattle Seahawks will be the next NFL champion.

Erica Hansen of Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City says Eli the ape ran into an enclosure Thursday and swiftly knocked down a papier-mache helmet bearing the Seahawks logo, signaling his pick. She says there was no hesitation.

That could mean bad news for Broncos fans. The 13-year-old primate hasn’t been wrong since 2006.

Last year, Eli charged out and knocked over a papier-mache goal post decorated with the Ravens logo. Sure enough, the Ravens beat the 49ers 34-31.

Spring Game Tickets on Sale on Feb. 5

Posted on January 30, 2014January 30, 2014

Nebraska fans can secure their ticket to get their first glimpse of the 2014 Huskers when Red-White Spring Game tickets go on sale Wednesday, Feb. 5 at 8 a.m. The 2014 spring game is set for Saturday, April 12 at Memorial Stadium.

Nebraska fans may purchase tickets online at Huskers.com, by phone at 1-800-8-BIG-RED or in person at the Nebraska Athletic Ticket Office, located in the Stadium Drive Parking Garage (8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays).

All tickets for the Red-White Spring Game are reserved and cost $10 each. All individuals must have a ticket for the game. Fans are encouraged to purchase their tickets early to ensure good seats for the contest. Each of the past several years, more than 20,000 tickets were sold by the end of the first day of sales.

Nebraska has drawn more than 54,000 fans for the Red-White game every year since 2004, with the exception of 2012 when weather forced the cancellation of the game.

Nebraska will once again conduct the Drug Free Pledge at halftime of this year’s game. Youth (eighth grade or younger) are encouraged to take part in the Drug Free Pledge on the field, and those who do will be admitted to the game for free. Drug Free pledge participants must secure a ticket in advance of the contest by calling or visiting the Ticket Office. Parents or sponsors of the youth taking part in the pledge will need to buy a reserved ticket ($10).

A limited number of $15 club seats will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. UNL faculty and staff will be able to purchase reserved tickets to the spring game for $5. Faculty and staff should purchase their tickets in person at the Ticket Office or over the phone, and will also be asked to show their staff ID at the gate on game day. UNL students will be admitted free to the game, but will need to have a ticket in hand for admittance. UNL students may also visit Huskers.com beginning Feb. 5 to secure their ticket.

2014 Red-White Spring Game
Date: Saturday, April 12
Kickoff: TBD
Tickets: $15 club seats (limited availability); $10 reserved tickets, UNL Faculty & Staff, $5; UNL Students, Free (must secure a ticket) all tickets on sale Wednesday, Feb. 5 at 8 a.m.
Drug Free Pledge: Youth 8th grade and younger are encouraged to take Drug Free Pledge at halftime (admitted for free, but must have a ticket)
Radio/Internet: Husker Sports Network/Huskers.com

Season Ticket Prices Set for 2014 Football Season
Season ticket prices for the 2014 football season have been set. Season ticket holders and UNL faculty and staff will pay the same price per game for their tickets in 2014 as they did each of the past three seasons.

Public season ticket holders will pay $56 per game for seven home games in 2014 ($392 total) and UNL faculty and staff will be charged $53 per game ($371 total). Nebraska students will pay $161 ($23 per game) in 2014.

Single-game tickets prices for 2014 will be $65 each for non-conference contests against Florida Atlantic and McNeese State. Nebraska’s final non-conference game against Miami, and Big Ten home contests with Illinois (Homecoming), Rutgers, Purdue and Minnesota will all be priced at $75 each.

The matchup between Miami and Nebraska is the Hurricanes’ first visit to Memorial Stadium since 1976, while Rutgers and Purdue will both be visiting Lincoln for the first time. Nebraska will enter the 2014 season with an NCAA-record 333 consecutive sellouts.

Renewal Period Begins for Season Tickets
Football season ticket renewal information will be sent to Nebraska fans via e-mail and mail this week. Fans are encouraged to renew their tickets on-line before the initial deadline of Feb. 19. Those who pay by e-check during this renewal period will receive a $25 savings on their total bill.

All fans who renew by Feb. 19 will also be eligible for season ticket renewal prizes that will be given away daily during the month of February. Prizes that will be available will include two free football season tickets, autographed items, Husker apparel and gift certificates from local restaurants and sponsors. Top prizes include a football helmet signed by Nebraska’s three Heisman winners, and viewing the Tunnel Walk from the sidelines.

Fans can check out the full list of prizes at Huskers.com/Memorial Stadium.

New options for season ticket holders in 2014 include FedEx delivery of season tickets for an additional $10 charge, and those that renew on-line will have the option of paying for their season tickets in three installments.

Season Ticket Request List Available at Huskers.com
In addition to purchasing spring game tickets, Nebraska fans now also have the ability to secure their place on the football season ticket request list.

Fans interested in becoming a football season ticket holder for the 2014 season should add their name to the request list by visiting Huskers.com/MemorialStadium. Those who add their name to the request list and pay a $25 charge will get the first opportunity to purchase any tickets that may become available.

The availability of tickets will be determined following Nebraska’s season ticket renewal period. After that time, those on the request list will receive e-mail information from Nebraska Athletics regarding their opportunity to purchase tickets through Nebraska’s new Seat Yourself on-line ticketing option.

Full information on the process is available on-line at Huskers.com.

Getting to the Super Bowl is Not Easy for Many

Posted on January 30, 2014January 30, 2014

JERSEY CITY, N.J. (AP) — They are former kids who played in their back yards and dreamed of scoring the winning touchdown, making the big play on defense and somehow sharing in the spotlight of helping a team win the Super Bowl.

Not all dreamers get to the NFL, and certainly, many who get to football’s highest level don’t get the chance to play in the Super Bowl.

There are at least a dozen who will be participating for the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks in Sunday’s Super Bowl who toiled for at least eight years in the NFL before getting a chance to play for the title.

Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey is their poster child. He waited 15 years. The other included the last XFL player still in the NFL.

NFL: 13 Percent Fewer Concussions in ’13 than ’12

Posted on January 30, 2014January 30, 2014

NEW YORK (AP) — The NFL says the number of concussions in practices and games in the preseason and regular season dropped 13 percent from 2012 to 2013.

Using information collected from team doctors, the league also says there was a 23 percent decrease over the past two seasons in the number of concussions caused by helmet-to-helmet contact.

Speaking at a pre-Super Bowl news conference Thursday, Jeff Miller, the league’s senior VP of health and safety policy, calls the data “positive trends.”

Some players have expressed concern that the NFL’s emphasis on decreasing hits to the head could lead to more low hits and more knee injuries. But Miller says there has not been an overall increase in damaged knee ligaments.

Utah Ape Hopes to Pick Super Bowl Winner Again

Posted on January 30, 2014

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — If you’re still waiting to make a prediction on Sunday’s Super Bowl, you may want to hold off until Thursday when a Utah ape who has correctly picked the winner six straight years makes his selection.

The ape, named Eli, will choose between papier mache helmets of the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks Thursday morning at the Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City. Zookeepers let the full grown orangutan loose in the room with the helmets and the one he touches first is his pick.

Erica Hansen of Hogle Zoo says Eli sometimes waits and thinks it over. Last year, though, he charged right out and knocked over a papier mache goal post decorated with the Ravens logo.

Hansen says interest and excitement about Eli’s Super Bowl pick has increased as his streak grows.

Colorado Governor Renames Peaks for Broncos

Posted on January 29, 2014

DENVER (AP) — Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper is taking Super Bowl hoopla to new heights.

He announced Wednesday that he’s temporarily re-naming Colorado’s highest mountains for each member of the Denver Broncos. The state is home to more than 50 mountains over 14,000 feet, called “14-ers” by locals.

Hickenlooper renamed the tallest mountain, Mt. Elbert, for Peyton Manning, while Zane Beadles and other members of the offensive line are getting the Collegiate Peaks range. Capitol Peak, considered to be the most difficult to climb, was temporarily renamed for Champ Bailey. Longs Peak went to long kicker Matt Prater.

In his proclamation, the brewpub pioneer also takes a dig at Seattle, noting that it makes some “OK beer.”