Seven Nation Army
Practice Squad Player
- Joined
- May 9, 2007
- Messages
- 108
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Hey guys, I am having an e-mail exchange with Michael Silver of SI over his recent article about the Patriots trade for Randy Moss. I need your help over a factual dispute.
In his article from May 2, 2007 he blames the 2001 Patriots for shaming every subsequent team into doing group introductions at the Super Bowl.
I e-mailed him when I saw the article. I'd read somewhere that the NFL itself actually changed the way introductions are done at the Super Bowl. Every team for the last four years has been introduced as a team rather than individual starters.
I eventually found my source. Unfortunately it is Wikipedia:
Silver was dismissive when he wrote back:
Now I need your help. I seriously doubt that shame over the way the 2001 Patriots introduced themselves has caused every subsequent team to voluntarily give up individual introductions. It's more likely the NFL simply changed the way introductions are done at the Super Bowl. Is there someone on this board who knows the answer and can prove it? Silver has already opened his mouth, we just need to help him stick his foot in it.
In his article from May 2, 2007 he blames the 2001 Patriots for shaming every subsequent team into doing group introductions at the Super Bowl.
In the meantime, let's take a closer look at the franchise that ruined Super Bowl introductions for the foreseeable future (as we saw in Miami last February, apparently everyone must now emulate the 2001 Pats and run onto the field as a team, lest they risk being labeled as narcissistic heathens).
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/michael_silver/05/02/patriots/index.html
I e-mailed him when I saw the article. I'd read somewhere that the NFL itself actually changed the way introductions are done at the Super Bowl. Every team for the last four years has been introduced as a team rather than individual starters.
I eventually found my source. Unfortunately it is Wikipedia:
Ever since the Patriots' now-famous "team introduction" in Super Bowl XXXVI, the NFL decided to forgo individual player introductions for the Super Bowl ; every subsequent Super Bowl (except XXXVII) has had "team introductions" on both sides.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl_XXXVI
Silver was dismissive when he wrote back:
Dude, now I'm laughing -- Wikipedia as a respected journalism source? It sounds like ONE OF THE READERS WHO POSTS THE INFORMATION may have made a leap in logic. That's a good one.
Mike
Now I need your help. I seriously doubt that shame over the way the 2001 Patriots introduced themselves has caused every subsequent team to voluntarily give up individual introductions. It's more likely the NFL simply changed the way introductions are done at the Super Bowl. Is there someone on this board who knows the answer and can prove it? Silver has already opened his mouth, we just need to help him stick his foot in it.