SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The Patriots, set to maintain the identical schedule they observe at residence, were back at observe Wednesday.
Staying within the Santa Clara Marriott, holding media availability in an enormous tent at 8 a.m., and busing 12 miles up the 101 to observe in Palo Alto, at Stanford, is something however odd, nonetheless.
The day by day operating diary from Tremendous Bowl LX week begins Tuesday night time. The EA Sports activities campus in Redwood Metropolis, Calif., hosted the annual media celebration this 12 months. The occasion was a little bit bit extra quaint than previous years, so the Herald crew left round 9:30 p.m. after having fun with some free eats and drinks and catching up with outdated media associates. We shuttled again to our lodge in San Francisco to get ready for our subsequent shuttle at 6 a.m. right down to Santa Clara for media availability. Complete shuttle rely on Tuesday: 4.
Complete shuttle rely on Wednesday: Three. We went from the media middle, which is walkable from the lodge, to the Patriots’ media availability in Santa Clara. I used the shuttle time to transcribe a 15-minute interview with rookie vast receiver Efton Chism III’s college head coach, Aaron Greatest. I’d prefer to thank the invention of Bonine for permitting me to work on a shuttle with out getting carsick. Nobody needs to be the man who throws up on the hour-long media shuttle. Folks don’t neglect.
Tremendous Bowl week is totally different by way of observe availability. Every crew is assigned one pool reporter. Lindsay Jones of The Ringer is dealing with the Patriots, whereas Kalyn Kahler of ESPN will probably be watching the Seahawks. Jones had already touched base with different Patriots reporters but additionally requested Nicole Yang of the Boston Globe and I about something she must be looking for. Pool reporters keep for the whole lot of observe, write up their stories and get it permitted by the crew earlier than they’re despatched out. Shops are free to make use of Jones’ pool report for their very own use.
Wednesday and Thursday on the Tremendous Bowl are the very best days of participant availability that you just’ll get all season.
Head coach Mike Vrabel and vast receiver Stefon Diggs kicked issues off with press conferences at 8 a.m.
Vrabel remarked that “the subsequent 48 hours will probably be crucial for us, as we type of get again into our regular routine right here of a Wednesday and Thursday, after which the households are available and issues simply begin to ramp up.” The Patriots observe Wednesday, Thursday and Friday as they try to get back on an everyday weekly schedule.
Diggs referred to as his quarterback, Drake Maye, a “mini inspiration.”
“To be that younger, be that mature and have the ability to play at a excessive stage is one thing that I all the time wished after I was a younger participant,” Diggs mentioned.
Ten Patriots gamers have been arrange at podiums: DT Christian Barmore, WR Kayshon Boutte, OLB Okay’Lavon Chaisson, CB Carlton Davis IIII, WR Mack Hollins, CB Marcus Jones, RB Rhamondre Stevenson, OT Morgan Moses, ST/S Brendan Schooler and Maye.
Then each different Patriots participant and assistant coach have been sitting at tables and accessible for questions.
Gamers wore their Tremendous Bowl jerseys for Wednesday’s availability.
Maye’s podium was, as anticipated, extraordinarily crowded the whole time. He’s been a terrific quote thus far this week and appears to be having at the very least some quantity of enjoyable with the publicity. The QB, who handled a proper shoulder damage and sickness final week, mentioned Wednesday that he’s feeling good. He gave an attention-grabbing reply when requested who he fashions his recreation after.
“I’m making an attempt to mannequin my recreation after myself,” Maye mentioned. “I wouldn’t say I attempt to mannequin my recreation after anyone anymore. I’m on the stage now the place I’m an NFL quarterback and making an attempt to make a reputation for myself.”
Hollins addressed soccer questions after passing on them on Mondays as a result of he solely makes himself accessible to reporters on Wednesdays through the season and didn’t wish to break his personal precedent. His podium was additionally busy the whole time.
He additionally had a e-book on his desk titled “Pastured Poultry Earnings” by Joel Salatin.
The well-read Hollins mentioned he’s constructing a farm proper now and has additionally purchased books from Greg Judy, Allen Williams and Gabe Brown.
“I believe it’s attention-grabbing that farmers are type of villainized as these people who both don’t work arduous or are dumb, and neither of these issues are true,” Hollins mentioned. “Primary, it’s extraordinarily arduous to be a farmer. Quantity two, half the folks, if no more, in all probability 80% of individuals, couldn’t exit on a area and know what to do at a farm.”
Who wants bulletin board materials for the Seahawks when a beginning vast receiver is offering an unprompted protection of farmers?
I continued gathering quotes for future tales from Will Campbell, Chism, Garrett Bradbury, Harold Landry III, Robert Spillane and extra earlier than heading over the Seahawks’ media availability on one other shuttle to the San Jose Conference Heart. Whereas on the shuttle, I wrote up a narrative about why Hollins believes he’s been on a special crew yearly since 2022 however needs to buck the development by staying with the Patriots in 2026. He’s beneath contract subsequent 12 months.
I wished to get a greater sense of what the Seahawks considered the Patriots, and I’ll write that for a future story.
I wrote most of this on the media shuttle again to San Francisco. For anybody who hasn’t learn earlier entries, Santa Clara and San Jose are about an hour from San Francisco, so you actually should make that point on the shuttles rely.
It’s robust to seek out time to seize meals throughout the entire shuttling and dealing, so I’ve been subsisting totally on David protein bars, FitCrunch power bars and power drinks. I discovered time to seize lunch (a rooster shawarma bowl) and headed into the media middle to do some writing, take a look at what was occurring at radio row and visitor on a Seahawks podcast (Hawk Blogger).
