Sports Redux: Sittin' In the Waiting Room

"Bye-weeks. Bronco Nagurski didn't get no bye-weeks! And now he's dead! Well, maybe they're a good thing." - Moe, The Simpsons

These are the times that try fan's souls. The cavalcade of ridiculousness that is Media Day is long over, but the actual game is still three looooooong days away. But with 564,000 media members stomping around Greater Phoenix, stories will be filed even if there's no story there. And we have to talk about them, since the Bruins and Celtics were both off last night.

Like Plaxico Burress, saying he thought the Giants would win 23-17. Honestly, is he supposed to say he thought his team would lose? Tom Brady thinks that final score insults his offense. Burress isn't even being cocky, yet certain excitable members of the press are dusting off the ancient Joe Namath stories and suggesting that the Patriots need something external to motivate them on Sunday. Whatever.

If you want actual football reading, the Herald profiles Laurence Maroney, while the Globe looks at Kevin Faulk and offensive line guru Dante Scarnecchia.

ESPN takes a stab at solving Randy Moss, and columnist Jemele Hill defend's Moss slacking in Oakland. Hill's column is appended with hundreds of comments, many of which are filled with bombast about work ethic and responsibility, yet seemed to have been posted during standard business hours. Interesting.

Even guys who won't be on the field come Sunday are happy to be in the presence of so many reporters. Cincinnati's Chad Johnson ("Ocho-Cinco" in your program) told a Boston reporter he expects to be playing for New England next year, then made a little prayer gesture towards the sky. It worked for Corey Dillon.

The Bruins play at Ottawa tonight, while the Celtics host Dallas. Everyone who wants to diss the C's points out that they haven't really played the iron of the West yet; well, here we go. Probably without KG again, though. As for the backup PG situation, Damon Stoudamire seems to be off the table, but Sam Cassell may still be an option, depending on how much money he'll sacrifice to flee the Clippers.

Image of a waiting room from MEHOP, which is a Texas health organization, not Maine House of Pancakes.