Christopher Gasper of The Boston Globe explains that, although Bears linebacker and two-time Pro Bowler Lance Briggs is scheduled to be a free agent this spring, he's not likely to fit well into the Patriots scheme. That's because the Bears run a 4-3. "The 3-4 is a whole different scheme," he said. "It's a different scheme. I played in it before. I played in it in college a little bit, in the middle."
Michael Felger of the Boston Herald offers a few reasons why Briggs wouldn't be a good fit for the Pats. Included are Bears notes.
Boston Herald writer John Tomase reports on former Patriot kicker Adam Vinatieri, who once again finds himself in the Super Bowl, this time with the Colts. "He came right in and on his first day with us ran with the tight ends," Colts coach Tony Dungy said. "It impressed everyone on the team. He'd beaten us with kicks before, so we knew what he could do on the field, but he had that attitude that 'Hey, I'm here to work and be a part of this team.'"
Mike Reiss of The Boston Globe also offers a piece on Vinatieri and his presence on the Colts roster. "His experience is something that we draw on," said Dungy. "He spoke to the team, talking about the Super Bowl and what it means and what you have to do to win. Everyone, to a man, was taking notes." Also included are Colts notes.
The Boston Globe's Mike Reiss also features New England's own Ryan LaCasse, who played for Stoughton High. He's a member of the Super Bowl's Indianapolis Colts. "It's pretty crazy being a week away from playing in one of the biggest, if not the biggest, sporting events in the world," he said. But LaCasse's route from Stoughton to the Super Bowl wasn't as direct as you might think.
Jason Tait of The Eagle-Tribune explains that a 15-year tradition may come to an end this Spring. The Boys Club always plays a charity basketball game with Patriots players, but this year the Pats will play the Haverhill Police to raise money for their police relief charity. Organizers of The Boys Club's game are worried spectators will be lost if they hold the fundraiser again this year. "They are taking money away from the kids," said a rep from The Boys Club.
Boston Globe writer Bob Ryan has a piece on Bears Head Coach Lovie Smith. "I think we'd all agree: In a 'Boy Named Sue' sense, it takes a pretty tough man to negotiate his way through life when his first name is 'Lovie.'" writes Ryan.
John Tomase of the Boston Herald features Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy. "Coach Belichick isn't so much intimidating," said Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri, searching for the right words, "but coach Dungy is more of a friends kind of thing. He wants to see you succeed. Coach Belichick is a little more of a figurehead, maybe that's the wrong terminology, but he's more of a scary figure, I guess."
Michael Felger of the* Boston Herald* offers a piece on Bears quarterback Rex Grossman. "It's not that Grossman (23 touchdowns, 20 interceptions, 73.9 rating) was so terrible during the regular season. It's just that he was so terribly inconsistent," writes Felger.
In a related story, Michael Felger of the Boston Herald explains that "for every Tom Brady (in the Super Bowl) there seems to be at least one Trent Dilfer." He lists the last five "bad" quarterbacks to play in the Super Bowl.
Christopher Gasper of The Boston Globe reports on Bears running back Thomas Jones. "It's how the game goes," said Jones. "I'm the starter, so I'm expecting to get the majority of the carries. Whenever [fellow RB Cedric Benson] comes into the game, we expect him to come in and make plays just like he's done."
Keith Reed of The Boston Globe has a piece on Eastern Bank, which is paying top dollar for local advertising during the Super Bowl. Approximately 2 million New Englanders in the area are projected to watch the big game.
Casey Ross of the Boston Herald has a piece listing local celebrities who could potentially end up running for office. Included is Tom Brady, who attended the President's State of the Union Address in 2004.
