Falcons, Patriots, Ready For Super Bowl Frenzy

BY ESPN

Cornerback Josh Norman wore a wrestling mask and got into a heated debate with Hall-of-Fame-player-turned-television-analyst Deion Sanders about a regular-season incident with New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham.

Quarterback Cam Newton turned a towel into a bandanna. And when asked if he was the LeBron James of the NFL, Newton said, "Why can’t LeBron be the Cam Newton of power forwards?"

He also defended a comment made the previous week about his success as an African-American quarterback because it "may scare a lot of people because they haven’t seen nothing they can compare me to."

This was the NFC champion Carolina Panthers at Super Bowl 50 media night a year ago.

Don’t expect the same type of colorful comments from New England and Atlanta at Super Bowl LI's media night on Monday, particularly from the Falcons.

Second-year Atlanta coach Dan Quinn tried last week to get ahead of the media circus his players will face in Houston by simulating some of the crazy questions they may get.

"We want to make sure our responsibility is to each other, and that’s one of the fun parts of our team," Quinn said on Wednesday.

In other words, he wanted no bulletin board material and no quotes that will take the focus off the team's preparation for the game.

Judging by the comments players made at the practice facility, Quinn’s message came in loud and clear. You couldn’t have found a more polite -- or boring -- group.

"You don’t want to be that guy [who] gives bullets and bulletin board material," Atlanta defensive end Tyson Jackson said. "You’ve got to understand the question that’s asked, and if there’s anything you don’t feel comfortable answering, you can pass."

"You just want to keep it as even-keeled as possible."

Jackson doesn’t think the Falcons intentionally were boring last week as much as they were careful. He still believes players can show their personality without saying outrageous things or dealing with outrageous topics.

"Everybody will have their own way to approach the media," Jackson said. "But looking back at past Super Bowls, there are some insane questions being asked out there. You’ve got to be prepared."

Jackson admitted it was fun coming up with questions to anticipate, although there were none he wanted to share.

"The questions that have been asked in previous Super Bowls you are [thinking], 'Wow! Why would they ask that? It has nothing to do with the Super Bowl,'" he said. "I’m pretty sure all 63 guys in the locker room are prepared for what’s out there for us. I know I trust them.

“The Super Bowl is a media circus, so you’ve just got to get ready for it."

Patriots' Bennett Not Afraid to Show His Big Personality

Martellus Bennett will be returning home for Super Bowl LI. He goes back to Houston, where he was a two-sport star at Alief Taylor High School. Where he dreamed of catching a last-second touchdown pass to win the Lombardi Trophy. Where he envisioned himself draining an off-balance 3 at the buzzer to win the NBA title.

Actually, this isn't that kind of Super Bowl story. His childhood was nothing like that.

"As a kid, I wasn't thinking about that with my imagination," said the New England Patriots' pass-catching, pompom-waving tight end. "It was more about dragons and wizards."

Bennett, who once compared his mind to a theme park because it's filled with fun and adventurous thoughts, was an atypical kid in the football-obsessed state of Texas. He wanted to be Willy Wonka, not Willie Gault. He's an atypical Patriot because -- how can we put this? -- he's not afraid to show his big personality.

In an organization known for its buttoned-down culture, fostered by a coach who is drier than a Las Vegas weather forecast, Bennett is the wild child. He's so outspoken, so entertaining, that reporters and cameramen will wait 30 minutes for him to show up at his locker. It's all about establishing prime real estate for Marty's musings.

"We all have fun in our own ways," linebacker Dont'a Hightower said, "but I don't think anyone can come close to Marty on that."

It seems to be working.

Bennett gives the Patriots a post-Rob Gronkowski threat at tight end -- a vital position in offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels' system -- and also lightens the ultra-serious mood with his Marty-isms.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick has created an environment that can be stressful for players because of the relentless scrutiny, as Hightower suggested recently, so it's important to have a player such as Bennett who can defuse the tension.

Of course, if all the Patriots needed was comic relief, they would've signed Chris Rock (probably for the veterans minimum, knowing them). But Bennett has a serious side, too. He does his job, following the Belichick mantra.

"I'm very buttoned-down when it comes to my work," Bennett said. "I'm very diligent with the way that I work and the way that I practice. I don't know, I'm not really like ...

"I just be chillin', bro. I don't really bother nobody and no one bothers me. I work hard. I think everyone appreciates that. I think that's what Coach is really about, just getting our work done. Do your job -- and I do my job all the time."

With a devilish twinkle in his eye, he added, "I just like to have fun doing it."

When the Patriots beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Championship Game on Jan. 22, Bennett grabbed a pompom from a cheerleader and joined the on-field dance party to celebrate his first trip to the Super Bowl. "Dancing with the Stars" will be calling any minute, no doubt.

Before the night was over, Bennett tweaked NFL commissioner Roger Goodell ("Where's Roger?") and told reporters he craved a cake with "You're Awesome" written on it. Sure enough, a local bakery delivered.

The talkative tight end had his cake, and he ate it, too, posting a photo of his big bite on social media.

For the first time in his professional life, Bennett, 29, is playing for a championship. Over his first eight seasons, with the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants and Chicago Bears, he reached the postseason only once (2009, Dallas).

The losing finally got to him in Chicago, where he was perceived by some as a divisive influence in the locker room. He was traded to the Patriots last March, fueling questions about whether he'd conform to The Patriot Way.

Belichick has a knack for converting castoffs and divas into rule-abiding, team-oriented players, and he has had nothing but positive things to say about Bennett's approach. It works because they let him be Marty.

"Each team has its own personality and chemistry," Belichick said. "I don't think there's any way you can orchestrate that as a coach, nor would I try to. Players are all individuals."

By all accounts, Bennett has been a solid citizen under Belichick, although the tight end couldn't resist napalming Halas Hall. In an interview with ESPN The Magazine, which appeared in October, he criticized Chicago quarterback Jay Cutler's leadership and said of the Bears, "We just had a bunch of b------ on the roster. That's why we didn't win games -- and coaches liked the b------."

That's what you call burning a bridge, a mean-spirited remark from a person known for his playful side.

Bennett isn't your typical football player in that he doesn't see the world through his face mask. He's a children's book author, the creator of the "Hey, A.J." series. The words are his, and so are the sketches. He made a 23-minute short movie entitled "Zoovie," and he started his own creative firm called The Imagination Agency.

As a kid, instead of living for football with his brother, Seahawks defensive lineman Michael Bennett, Marty was into writing and drawing and dreaming up his own characters.

"Football is just what we did," Bennett said. "In Texas, if you don't play football, you're a weirdo. I always laugh because I tell people: In Texas, there's oil, then football, then God."

Funny dude, Bennett. He's always quick with a line. Asked what it would take to "slay" the Atlanta Falcons in the Super Bowl, as one of his imaginary characters would slay a dragon, Bennett jokingly said the raccoon is the natural prey for falcons.

What about for patriots?

"Red coats," he said without skipping a beat.

Asked to describe Belichick, Bennett said:

"I think Bill's a pretty cool dude. Very intelligent. It's always fun to be around intelligent people, although I do like my dumb friends. They're always good to hang out with every once in a while. They get into s--- you don't get into with your intelligent friends. They're too smart to do it."

Life is good for Bennett, who could land a new contract from the Patriots. He played well in the regular season (55 catches, 701 yards, seven touchdowns) and has demonstrated toughness by playing on an injured ankle that may require surgery.

He might be hurting, but he never takes himself too seriously. At the end of an interview session, he reached into his locker and pulled out a leather-bound notebook, the size and thickness of a diary -- a Christmas gift. He carries it with him, jotting down ideas for stories and characters. It's a peek into Marty World.

"I like it because I feel like the Indiana Jones of creativity," he said, invoking the name of a famous movie character known for his leather satchel.

Big tight end, big personality.

The size of Texas.