32 AMERICANWAY
JANUARY 15 2009
MONDAY,
JANUARY 28
Travel Day
8 a.m.
Treatment (mandatory)
8:15 a.m. to9 a.m.
Breakfast
(mandatory)
8:15 a.m. to9 a.m.
Check
baggage
9 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.
Meetings
11 a.m. and 11:15 a.m.
Buses
depart stadium for airport
12p.m.
DepartNewarkLiberty
International Airport for
Phoenix, Arizona
3:15p.m.
Arrive inPhoenix,
Arizona
4p.m.
SheratonWildHorse
PassResort&Spa
6p.m.
Treatment (mandatory)
7p.m.
Teammeeting
TUESDAY,
JANUARY 29
8 a.m.
Treatment (mandatory)
8:15 a.m. to9:15 a.m.
Breakfast
(mandatory)
9:15 a.m.
Buses depart for
Cardinals practice facility
10 a.m.
Buses depart practice
facility forUniversityof
PhoenixStadium
11 a.m.
Mediadayand team
picture
1 p.m.
Buses depart stadium
for practice facility
2:15p.m.
Buses return tohotel
2:30p.m.
Treatment
(mandatory)
Dinner onown
1 a.m.
Bed check
WEDNESDAY,
JANUARY 30
8:30 a.m.
Breakfast
(mandatory)
9 a.m.
Treatment (mandatory)
10:15 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Media
(all players and coaches)
11:30 a.m.
Lunch (mandatory)
12:15p.m.
Buses depart for
practice facility
12:35p.m.
Quarterbacksmeet
12:35p.m. to2:45p.m.
Meetings
3:50p.m. to5:20p.m.
Practice
5:20p.m. to6p.m.
Buses
depart for hotel
Dinner onown
1 a.m.
Bed check
THURSDAY,
JANUARY 31
8:30 a.m.
Breakfast
(mandatory)
9 a.m.
Treatment (mandatory)
10:15 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Media
(all players and coaches)
11:30 a.m.
Lunch (mandatory)
12:15p.m.
Buses depart for
practice facility
12:35p.m.
Quarterbacksmeet
12:35p.m. to2:45p.m.
Meetings
3:50p.m. to5:20p.m.
Practice
5:20p.m. to6p.m.
Buses
depart for hotel
Dinner onown
12 a.m.
Bed check
FRIDAY,
FEBRUARY 1
8:30 a.m.
Breakfast
(mandatory)
9 a.m.
Treatment (mandatory)
10:10 a.m.
Buses depart for
practice facility
10:30 a.m.
Quarterbacksmeet
10:30 a.m. to 12:40p.m.
Meetings
1:25p.m. to2:45p.m.
Practice
3:15p.m. to3:45p.m.
Buses
depart for hotel
Dinner onown
12 a.m.
Bed check
SATURDAY,
FEBRUARY 2
7:30 a.m.
Breakfast
(mandatory)
8 a.m.
Treatment (mandatory)
9 a.m.
Buses depart for
practice facility
9:30 a.m. to 11:20 a.m.
Meetings
11:30 a.m. to 12:15p.m.
Practice
12:30p.m.
Buses depart for
hotel
1 p.m.
Lunch (mandatory)
6p.m.
Dinner (mandatory)
7:30p.m. to8:45p.m.
Meetings
8:45p.m.
Chapel/Mass
9:05p.m.
Snack
11 p.m.
Bed check
SUNDAY,
FEBRUARY 3
GameDay
Recipe forSuccess
Want to know how towin a Super Bowl? Youmight start by copying the NewYorkGiants’ official
team schedule, generously shared by team vice president of communications Pat Hanlon. Itwas so
effective that theunderdogGiants beat theNewEnglandPatriots 17–14 in last year’s biggame.
with any test: If you overstudy, you’ll get
diminishing returns.
Simms:
Nobody’sunder the illusionyou’llgo
out there and have a big party. One more
week of survival — that’s how I viewed it.
Early in theweek, abunchof uswent to the
movie theateracross from thehotel andsaw
Platoon
. Thatwas aswildas it got.
Long:
The ways the teams are secured and
sequestered toward the endof theweek, it’s
like a jury pool: Don’t talk to anyone. Got
it?
Carson:
Whether or not youhad funupun-
til this point, fun time was over. We went
into seclusion.We saidgoodbye toour fam-
ilymembers.
FRIDAY
OnFriday, the practices andfilm sessionswinddown
for the players and coacheswhowill be suiting up
onSunday. At the same time, friends and family ar-
rive in town, so the distractions begin tomultiply.
Davis:
Everybody wants something from
you. If you’re a single guy, you have to deal
with the girls—which is not necessarily a
bad thing. They’re in thehotel loungewait-
ing for you at the end of the day. The fans
are great, but it takes a lot of energy to go
anywhere that’spackedwith fans.
Sapp:
Honestly? The biggest distraction at
the Super Bowl ismanaging your tickets. I
spent every day counting tickets. I gave out
something like50, 55of them.
Ditka:
Our one famous headachewaswhen
a helicopter was flying over our practice
and
[
quarterback Jim
]
McMahonmooned
it. That was just Jim being Jim; he didn’t
mean anything malicious. As a coach, you
don’t like it.What botheredme was that it
mighthavebeen lookedat asa reflectionon
everybody— the team, the coaches, the city
ofChicago.
Carson:
Everybodywants toget next to you.
Women youdon’t know are trying to reach
you through the hotel operator. People are
handing you notes. They portray them-
selves as long-lost friends. Lots of guys had
aliases, likeMickeyMouse.
Long:
I’d check in as Charlton Heston, El
Cid, JohnWayne, orBobbyOrr. Iwaspretty
consistent.
Davis:
I’d use Jamal E. Pennington, which
