The Football Diner Big Interview:
Woody Paige
interviewed by Michael E Lawrence
October 30th 2010
 
Woody Paige is best known as the madcap, all-time winningest member of ESPNs daily sports roundtable Around the Horn and is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee. The Denver Post columnist spent some time with the Diner to talk television, head coaching hot seats, and all things Wembley.
 
Football Diner: Woody youre a star on both sides of the pond as part of ESPNs Around the Horn – whats it like making the show?
 
Woody Paige: Its great fun, great fun, and people seem to enjoy it because were having such a fun time doing it. One of the most interesting aspects of it – since Ive been over here the last three or four days – is that Ive realised its in a more primetime slot in Britain than it is in the United States, so it has a big following. Ive met a lot of nice people here and I get so many emails and texts from people in Great Britain. I always say in the show that I want to talk more about cricket and soccer and rugby, but British people write me saying: No, no we already have presenters here talking about those sports, we want you to keep talking about American sports!
 
Football Diner: Can you explain the scoring system to us? Is it objective?
 
Woody Paige: I havent figured it out yet and Ive been doing it for eight years. Even now I will look at some of the scoring and Ill think: I dont know what that means! But then I barely understand me, so I certainly have no chance of understanding that. But I think Around the Horn and Pardon the Interruption and those kinds of shows treat sports, for the most part, the way sports should be treated – with less than total seriousness.
 
Football Diner: Looking ahead to Sunday, what do you foresee happening with these two downtrodden teams competing?
 
Woody Paige: Well I think that the National Football League is trying to grow its product – particularly it has been in Britain for the last few seasons – and I think that these two teams coming over here will probably set things back about twenty years! We thought originally that wed have a couple of at least reasonable teams coming here, but the way their seasons have gone weve ended up with two of the worst in the league.
 

Football Diner: Is there any way this game could become a launch pad for one of these teams?
 
Woody Paige: Uh… no! If you see a rocket go up from a launch pad it goes up and up, but these two teams are going the other way, theyre simply not very good. Saying that, when you have two teams of equal mediocrity you often end up with a pretty good game because theyre on the same level, but its not as if this is going to be a preview for if London gets a Super Bowl one day – these teams just arent of that standard.
 
Football Diner: If and when these teams do lose their way completely this season, how do their coaches keep them motivated and playing hard?
 
Woody Paige: Thats really the question about Josh McDaniels right now after last weeks total blowout. Theres a sense that hes lost the faith of the fans and hes a young head coach who really hasnt had a lot of success yet. Hes losing a lot of support in Denver and now the question is how do you keep from losing the players too? If they go into the bye next week on the back of three consecutive defeats then its going to be difficult to really have the players continue to give commitment and enthusiasm, and when that happens they then start to play for themselves rather than the team. Its a difficult situation but McDaniels will have his job for a while, whereas Mike Singletary is already in trouble. I would think in another week or two – if he continues to have a team that plays so poorly – hell be dismissed.
 
Football Diner: Would you care to venture a scoreline for Sundays game?
 
Woody Paige: You know what, I dont know whether this is a phrase you guys have here but I could not pick my mother out of a police lineup so… Ill pass!
 
Football Diner: Keep up the great work on our television screens…
 
Woody Paige: We will – we talk all the time on Around the Horn about how much support we get from everyone in Great Britain – and we really appreciate it.
 

Press Conference:
Wes Welker
interviewed by Michael E Lawrence
24/10/2009
 
Mighty mite receiver Wes Welker is the oil that keeps the Patriots’ slick passing attack running smooth. With 259 career receptions in just two and a half seasons in New England, Welker is one of the busiest skill position players in the league.
 
His return to the lineup in week six after an injury-related absence powered the Patriots to a 59-0 drubbing of Tennessee, and the Patriots hope for more of the same in Wembley. He answered questions posed by a posse of media types including the Diner at length on Friday.

Q. How does it feel to have Tom Brady back this season?
 
I feel really good about it, especially with the way he played last week. It’s great to have our leader back like that, and our best player too. It makes a big difference getting to work with him again; getting everything together in the passing game has been great and something we’ve been missing.
 
Q. Does it feel good to have a big win like you did last week?
 
Absolutely. Any time you can go out there and score points like we did, and the defense play like they did especially in those conditions that’s definitely a positive and something we want to do on a weekly basis!
 
Q. How are you going to beat the Buccaneers on Sunday?
 
Just play well go out there, execute and focus in, make plays when we need to. It comes down to the preparation we put in beforehand. It’s what we’ve been doing the past few days and today, and we’re looking forward to a challenge on Sunday.
 
Q. Will jet lag be a factor on Sunday?
 
You know, I don’t think so. Once we get the adrenaline going and as long as we make sure we rest up beforehand we’ll be ok.
 
Q. Did the team make any special preparations for flying this far east?
 
Not really coach talked to some experts about how to go about it, making sure you get a little sleep on the plane etc. For the most part guys did that and then once we got here we got a little nap in and now we’re here, ready to practice. And I’ve never even seen a stadium like this (Oval cricket ground), this is kind of crazy. There’s a lot of ground to cover round here, it’s definitely very unique.
 
Q. You’re big favourites for Sunday but Wembley games are traditionally quite close do you think this one will be a close one?
 
It very well could be, games in the NFL are that way. Every team’s really good and any team can win in any week, so you just gotta make sure that you’re going out there and giving everything you’ve got, make sure you’re ready to go.
 
Q. What about the receiver question marks with Julian Edelman injured?
 
I have no idea, you’d have to ask coach about that but whoever’s in there, they need to make sure they’re stepping up and doing the right things out there.
 
Q. Are you back in the flow after your own injury?
 
I am, I am absolutely. I’ve had a little bit of bad luck in terms of that to start the season but it’s feeling better each day. I definitely feel much better than what I have the first quarter of the season.
 
Q. The Patriots are clearly improving – do you think you can get back to the level of play you were at in 2007?
 
We hope so. That’s what we’re always striving for. We’re just trying to get better each and every day and we’re always striving to do great things out there.
 
Q. You’re a team that expressly prepares one-week-a-time and that relies on rhythm and routine to get ready for games – does an experience like this disrupt that rhythm?
 
A little bit yes, but we still try and keep a routine to it too – the goal is to keep it the same as usual as much as we can. But we’re a team that has gone on long trips like this – including the Super Bowl a couple of years ago – and we kind of get used to it being different like that, so we just gotta keep preparing and concentrating on what we have to do to win.
 
Q. Do you know much about Wembley stadium?
 
Not really I know the stadium’s pretty big, I know the grass is a little bit thicker, that there won’t be any wind because of the way the roof is but other than that not too much!
 
Q. And the weather’s good
 
I know, it’s nice weather. Any time I’ve watched the game in years past it’s been raining. We feel lucky to be out here with some nice weather.
 

The Wembley Gallery
New Orleans Saints vs San Diego Chargers
22/10/2007
 
FD wants your photos of you at Wembley this weekend!
 
Send us your best photos ( wembley@footballdiner.com ) from this weekend’s matchup and we will post them right here.
 
 
This is what you sent us last year when the Giants took on the Dolphins…

Gary Duarte & Andrea Camazzola	Colin Coyle & Sam Monson
Neil Murphy & Colin Coyle	(Sam Monson)
(Sam Monson)	(Sam Monson)
(Sam Monson)	(Sam Monson)
Dan Davies	(Dan Davies)
(Dan Davies)
Brian Davis	Ben & Paul
Brian Davis	Neil Laws & James Gurd
James Gurd & Neil Laws	(Stewart Mclean)
(Stewart Mclean)	(Stewart Mclean)
David & Abi Munn	Eddi
Rag, Sanj & Karl	Asa & Kate
Darren Foord & Bro’	Umair Din
Fraser Strachan & Umair Din	Jon & Rich Knight
	Mr & Mrs Johnny Edwards
(Johnny Edwards)	(Johnny Edwards)
(Johnny Edwards)	Harry CJ
Harry CJ	(Harry CJ)
(Harry CJ)	(Harry CJ)
(Harry CJ)	(Harry CJ)
(Harry CJ)	(Harry CJ)
(Harry CJ)	(Harry CJ)
(Harry CJ)	(Harry CJ)
(Nat Moore taken by Iain McCallum)	L-R: Chris Evans, John Nelson, Mr-X?, Adrian Rutter. Kneeling: Iain McCallum
Asim Khan, Robin Rance aka ThunderBear, Jamie “JamieG34” Gibson	(Robin Rance)

Life’s a Brees
by Michael E Lawrence
22/10/2008
 
Saints and former Chargers quarterback Drew Brees spent some time talking with media types such as ourselves after practice, and had plenty to say on his former team, coming to London and the Saints without Reggie B.
 
On facing his former team:
 
Ever since I signed with New Orleans I knew the day would come when I played San Diego, so I guess I was waiting for it in a way, but now that it’s here I’m still preparing the same as I would for any opponent. Certainly I know a lot of those guys on the Chargers and there will be a little extra motivation to win and to perform well, but really I’m trying to approach it as just another game.
 
On whether he thought he’d be play his whole career with the Chargers:
 
I really did think I’d spend my whole career there when I was first drafted, and I think any quarterback dreams of that when they first get drafted, but so few guys have been able to do that guys like Elway and Marino. Even guys like Joe Montana and Johnny Unitas end up finishing their career in another place. I guess that was part of the initial shock when I realised during the off-season in 2006 that I wasn’t going to be coming back to San Diego.
 
On the impact of Philip Rivers’ arrival as a draft pick:
 
I think it made me better on a personal level but I push myself hard regardless and I don’t need somebody behind me to make me work at that level. Obviously he was coming in as the future of that franchise but I wasn’t ready for that to happen yet and I started the next two years before the shoulder injury that propelled me into free agency.”
 
On what it means to be a New Orleans Saint:
 
Getting my release from the Chargers and coming to New Orleans is one of the best things that’s ever happened to me. At the time it was very difficult because I dislocated my shoulder in the final game of the season and I was suddenly without a contract and without a team. Now I look back and with all I’ve accomplished here it’s been incredible.
 
On facing old Purdue teammate Shaun Philips, now a linebacker for San Diego:
 
Shaun and I have known each other for a long time he was a redshirt freshman my senior year at Purdue. We’ve had some battles back and forth even from those days when he was on the scout team. But he loves to talk doesn’t he!
 
On putting week seven’s loss to Carolina behind him:
 
We want to put that one behind us as quickly as possible. We had to jump on the plane here immediately after the game, and so I watched the film on the journey over to figure out what went wrong and make the corrections mentally.
 
On losing a home game for New Orleans but getting a chance to showcase the city on a global scale:
 
This is a great opportunity for our city and our organisation, and for New Orleans itself, because post-Katrina a lot of people have kind of forgotten about it or think that there’s still so much damage there that it’s not worth going. In a lot of ways New Orleans has come back better than ever, and just like London is one of those spots that everybody feels like they need to visit when they come to Europe, New Orleans is one of those spots that if you’re European and you go to the States you have to visit because the culture is unlike any other and we want to share that with the world.
 
On LT’s toe injury:
 
I hope he’s healthy for his sake because I think he’s a phenomenal player and he’s going to go down as one of the best that ever played the game.
 
On the absence of Reggie Bush:
 
Of course we’re gonna miss Reggie because he’s a big part of this offense, but just as we’ve done all season with Marques Colston being out for five weeks and Jeremy Shockey down for three or four, others guys will step in and do a great job so I’m confident that Deuce and Pierre and Aaron will pick up the slack and will do just fine.
 
On the Diner’s suggestion that the Wembley game could be a catalyst to the Super Bowl as it was for Jeremy Shockey and the Saints in 2007:
 
I hope it is a catalyst I know the Giants went on a roll after this game and ended up Super Bowl champs so we would love for that to happen and that’s definitely our mindset.
 
When asked by the Diner if there was any Charger defender he’d rather NOT face come Sunday:
 
You know what I think there’s a lot of them I’d rather not face! They’ve got a lot of good players, some I’ve played with and some I haven’t. But I want all of them to show up and I want their best effort just like I know they’re going to want our best effort. It should be an exciting game.
 
Further Diner Coverage of Wembley 2008:
Notes and titbits from Saints practice
Sean Payton Press Conference
Saints Practise Gallery
 
Antonio Gates Interview
Legedu Naanee Interview
Antonio Cromartie Interview
Notes and titbits from Chargers Practice
Chargers Practise Gallery
 

Wembley 2007
Miami Dolphins vs New York Giants
Monday
29/10/2007
 
Football Diner at the Giants/Dolphins post-game press conferences
 
Just this morning your intrepid Diner hacks once again found themselves in the conference rooms of Park Lane’s swankiest hotels (Garcon! Where is my egg white omelette?) for the express purpose of witnessing the Giants victorious postgame press conference, and of catching the tail end of the Dolphins’ too.
 
Soundbites, sidebars, pictures etc:
 
First up, we’d like to note that there were no streakers in either press conference, although we were worried when on the way in we passed the Giants’ team priest. Thankfully, he was legit, or, at worst, stripping at a different function.
 
Giants DE Justin Tuck represented the players, and noted the whole trip had been a great experience and that the UK people had been incredible.
 
Let’s do it again, he said, I’m all for it, though noted all the sight seeing he’d had time for had been walking past Big Ben and Buckingham Palace yesterday evening after the game. Was he impressed? Kind of. They looked like they do on TV.
 
Asked if he faced anything he didn’t expect in the game, he answered the streaker. He also noted the hospitality, the warmth of the people. And that the UK fans had such a sound understanding of the game, that gave it an amazing atmosphere.
 
Dolphins LB Joey Porter had called it a playoff atmosphere, Sunday evening.
 
Asked by the Diner if had actually felt like an away game, with Miami playing host, Tuck told us it didn’t, I didn’t feel like the Dolphins had a homefield advantage at all.
 
And with the Giants 6-2 going into the by, Tuck also had some thoughts for us on the remainder of the schedule, particularly after the 2006 Giants were also 6-2 before folding like a napkin down the stretch:
 
It’s a different mindset. But more than that, we’re healthy right now, that’s the biggest difference. This team has a lot of leadership, and it’s the closest team I’ve ever been on.
 
Head Coach Tom Coughlin, meanwhile, had been laughing and telling jokes with the guys after the game, according to Tuck. Something must’ve been very wrong.
 
Coughlin, though, was up next, and was in no doubt about what caused the game to be such a low scoring and sloppy affair.
 
Having looked at the tape, our footing was not good on either side. That contributed to an inability to make plays otherwise, it could well have been a very nice performance, he said, meaning the Giants could have scored handsomely.
 
It rained a lot, he pointed out. That’s why he’s the coach. It’s too bad the weather was an issue because it’s a fast track. But I’ve played in a lot of quagmire games and that’s what happens.
 
It was noted the grass had been cut shorter than a usual NFL playing surface for soccer purposes.
 
His credo before the game was never in doubt. To win is the key. We came to win. We did win, he said, Caesar-style.
 
While generally relaxed, Coughlin did snap at one beat reporter who suggested Brandon Jacobs had confounded national critics who felt he couldn’t carry the load without injury:
 
I never heard that. Why wouldn’t he be able to? he said bluntly. As it happens, he had plenty of good things to say about Jacobs: his size/speed is rare, and I’m impressed with his ability to catch, and to pass block.
 
Coughlin was very praiseworthy of the UK fans and population in general:
 
I can’t say enough about the way we’ve been treated. I spoke to many of the players Brandon was one and they all said that so many British people had been helpful and gracious in giving directions, that everyone treated them really well.
 
Next time Tom and Brandon are here, they should try using the tube in rush hour.
 
But asked if he was in favour of an international game of this kind again, Coughlin was evasive, saying I’m not going to comment on that, I’ll have the chance to sit down and talk to the Commissioner about it when I get back.
 
There was praise for the losers: Give Cam credit, they played hard, he said, also noting that Cleo Lemon, in particular his running, scared me going in, with some of the things he can do against our coverages.
 
But there was also a weak vote of confidence for K Lawrence Tynes. We’re always aware of players who aren’t on other teams who are available at positions of need, but we’re sticking with him. I’d open that savings account now Lawrence.
 
With the lightning foot speed of a Barry Sanders, the Diner also made the final stanza of the ‘Phins press conference down the road.
 
Running back Jesse Chatman had some thoughts on Lemon too. Asked if his quarterback had been given ‘his fair shake’ as Miami’s starter, he said:
 
Cleo has had his fair shake, it’s his first time leading a team, he’s a good quarterback.
 
Perhaps he didn’t see him play today through all the rain.
 
He just had a bad day, he noted.
 
Ever the team player, Chatman was keen not to point the finger, and showed that Cam Cameron still seems to have control of the locker room depsite an 0-8 record:
 
I’m not pinning the loss on him, we play together as a team, and we lose together as a team, the loss is not on any one player.
 
Heading into week 9 without a win on the books, the Dolphins are flirting with a perfect season of another kind. Only 8 losses to go.
 

 

Wembley 2007
Miami Dolphins vs New York Giants
Game Day
28/10/2007
 
Wembley Report, Game Day
 
Some highlights from the Diner from inside Wembley
 
By now, we all know what happened at Wembley yesterday: a sloppy New York outlasted a sodden Miami in an unexciting tilt on a chewed up playing field.
 
But no-one will tell you they didn’t have a great time at Wembley. There were near misses (red zones passes; field goals), fireworks (in the literal sense), cheerleaders (in the dios mio! sense), a streaking zebra (in the illegal sense), even a close finish, as Miami attempted an onside kick after Ted Ginn’s leaping touchdown catch.
 
Though the game moved quickly because so many of both teams’ play calls were runs and high percentage passes within bounds, there was sufficient time to be impressed by the power running of Brandon Jacobs and the shiftiness of Jesse Chatman alike.
 
That the Giants, in particular, missed on a series of possible big plays with both Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer (twice) just missing out on touchdown receptions was blamed by HC Tom Coughlin on the state of the playing surface in today’s Giants’ press conference (see separate feature on The Diner). With Wembley’s grass cut short for football (soccer) and a wall of rain, the field soon became, as Coughlin called it, a quagmire. It’s something the NFL will want to address should there be another NFL game in London next year.
 
Coughlin went on to suggest that, were it not for the weather, the Giants could’ve scored some serious points because, when dry, it’s a fast track out there.
 
But for those in attendance, the event far outweighed the mediocrity of the actual match. Some fond Diner memories of the first ever regular season NFL game played outside the Americas:
 

• Plaxico Burress just failing to hold on to an Eli Manning deep ball in the end zone on the Giants opening possession.

• Dolphin DE Matt Roth’s vicious, fumble-causing hit on Manning.

• Cleo Lemon somehow throwing a fumble blame the rain.

• An official or so we thought running onto the pitch to streak. FD’s stream of consciousness: Hey, that official’s jogging onto the field from a strange angle; Wait, is he taking his trousers off?; Hang on, that’s not an official; Wow, how come he can moonwalk on a pitch that everyone else is falling over on?; He’s even doing pressups now; He’s been out there a long time without security stopping him I bet Lemon wished he was getting that kind of time.

• Lemon’s patented scrambling. And noodle arm.

• Along with the rest of the Wembley crowd, yelling that’s another Dolphin FIRST DOWN! when prompted by the announcer.

• Modifying this chant to another Dolphin THREE AND OUT and, later on, LOSS.

• Waving to the cheerleaders. One of them was looing right at me, I swear. There was a real connection.

• Listening to the drunk guy next to us chanting get your tickets out for the lads to those same cheerleaders. Wanting to be in any seat other than the one next to him immediately afterwards.

• Lawrence Tynes somehow missing a short range field goal. He just yanked it, said Coughlin this morning while giving him a lukewarm vote of confidence.

• Ginn’s big touchdown catch. The Diner winning 70 on a bet that he would score the last touchdown. See, we really do know what we’re talking about.

• The excitement of that final drive and the failed onside kick.

What about you? If you’ve got some photos of your day then send them in for our Wembley Gallery.