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Sports
Patriots go for perfect 19-0 season in todays Super Bowl; Giants ready to be the spoilers
By BARRY WILNER AP Football Writer

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College Basketball | C4 Scoreboard | C5
Sunday, Feb. 3, 2008

Glendale, Ariz. New England vs. N.Y. Giants Today 5:17 p.m. FOX (Ch. 6)

History or bust
GLENDALE, Ariz. This one is for history. No longer can the New England Patriots ignore it. Beat the New York Giants today and it means more than winning a fourth Super Bowl in seven years. More than reaffirming their dynasty in a sport designed to even the playing field. It means staking an undeniable claim to that most elusive of titles: greatest ever. I think its the biggest game of all of our lives my life, the entire team, our coaches, said Tom Brady, the NFLs Most Valuable Player and the Patriots poster boy for perfection. Were going to be remembering this game for as long as we live, win or lose. Were going to I Go to dnj.com have great memories of this experience, or were going to see expandto look at it truly as a missed opportunity. Theres ed Super Bowl not too many teams in the history of the NFL coverage, innone, in fact that have been 18-0 going cluding blogs into this game. from five DNJ sports writers. The pursuit of an unbeaten season, surpassing the 17-0 by the 1972 Miami Dolphins that stands alone atop the pro football pantheon of unblemished excellence, has turned this Super Bowl into even more of a mustsee or must-attend event. Resale tickets for the first title game in Arizona since 1996 are going for thousands of dollars above face value. TV ratings are expected to challenge the highest for any game. All those elements make this game quite an attraction as if a matchup between two teams that played a 38-35 season finale isnt enticing enough. Throw in all the passing records set by Brady, receiving marks established by Randy Moss, the prospect of another shootout with a fearless opponent that has won 10 straight road games, and its enough to make even the casual fan salivate.

ADAM SPARKS
Staff Columnist

Ten for 22 meant a lot to Blue Raiders

It took IVs, a barbecue sandwich and loads of determination for Kevin Kanaskie to make an improbable MTSU basketball road trip last week. Stricken with the flu, Kanaskie didnt travel with the team on Wednesday for the Blue Raiders game at Louisiana-Lafayette on Thursday night. But when he awoke Thursday morning, the junior guard felt a bit better and told MTSU coaches and trainer Drew Shea he wanted to make a breakneck trek to Lafayette in hopes of helping his team win a key conference game. Kanaskie took some IVs to replenish fluids, then boarded a small university plane. But inclement weather, including tornados sighted in the flight path, grounded the small fourseat plane. No way would I let him get on that, MTSU coach Kermit Davis said. He really wouldve gotten sick then. After several phone calls before MTSUs 11 a.m. shootaround on gameday in Lafayette, coaches secured a spot on an 11:40 commercial flight from Nashville to Baton Rouge, La., with a connecting flight in Memphis. Kanaskie barely made it before take-off, slumped through a short flight westward and then snacked on a barbecue sandwich in the Memphis airport. When he said he had a pork barbecue sandwich in Memphis, I knew he felt a little better, Davis said. But we never knew if he was going to make it.

More Super Bowl Coverage Inside

I A look at the key matchups for todays game. C6 I 72 Dolphins know perfection could be theirs to share tonight. C6 I Super Bowl pop culture quiz. C6 I Rosters for the Patriots and Giants. C7 I The road to the Super Bowl for the Patriots and Giants. C7 I Team statistics for the Patriots, Giants. C7 I A look at University of Phoenix Stadium, site of tonights game. C7

Eli Manning and Tom Brady

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL

MTSU FOOTBALL

More obstacles
Kanaskies flight from Memphis circled the Baton Rouge airport for more than an hour while inclement weather raged beneath the clouds. It was scheduled to land at 4 p.m., but finally touched down around 5 oclock when the weather broke. Kanaskie, weakened by illness and jet lag, hopped into a car with MTSU graduate assistant Brian Burg behind the wheel. They sped toward Lafayette only to get stuck in the same gridlock traffic that nearly kept the game officials from arriving before tipoff. Kanaskie got to the Cajundome about 45 minutes before tipoff, just in time to draw a respectful smile from his teammates, who were unaware of his attempt to make the game. Inspired by Kanaskie, a limited MTSU roster (from injuries, suspension) beat Louisiana-Lafayette 57-51. All told, Kanaskies trip took about 10 hours. He played 22 minutes, didnt score a point and committed four turnovers. But without Kanaskies minutes, MTSUs backcourt may have been too thin to finish the game. He gutted it up, Davis said. We couldnt have won without his 22 minutes. Theres no way. Our players looked at him and said, Heck, if this guy is that sick and he gets here to help us, were going to play our tails off and win this game.
Adam Sparks is the MTSU beat writer for the The Daily News Journal. Email him at sparks@dnj.com.

Oakland boys bounce back, defeat La Vergne

By ROGER GARFIELD rgarfield@dnj.com

On page C8
I Roger Garfield files his weekly Prep Notebook. I The MTCS girls play in the James C. Haile Tournament. Also go to dnj.com to see a photo gallery from the Lady Cougars game.

LA VERGNE Oakland found its groove in a hurry. The Patriots, just 24 hours after a 27-point loss to White County, played once again like the ninth-ranked team in the state, upending District 9AAA champ La Vergne 53-38 Saturday night with the patient offense and sound defense coach Randy King has preached all season long. We played with a lot of energy, which I was glad to see after (Friday) night, King said. His Patriots led 20-13 at halftime and really turned it on after intermission, making 15 of their 20 field goal attempts. They also held La Vergne to zero third-quarter field goals, which prompted Wolverines coach Jeremy Moore to sit his starters for

Fla. duo anxious to ink with Raiders

By ADAM SPARKS sparks@dnj.com

the remainder of the game. Having a mature team thats been through the wars, I didnt really see this coming, Moore said. I didnt think we competed. They were tougher than us. Junior Tyler Edwards scored 18 points to lead the Patriots (19-4), who knew they had to respond after the White County loss. We werent ourselves (Friday) night, senior point guard DeAndre Maupins said. We had to prove a lot today, and we stepped it up. The Patriots shot 62 perSee OAKLAND, page C5

DNJ photo by Aaron Thompson

Oaklands DJuan Epps goes up for a basket in front of La Vergnes Justin Bather at La Vergne High School Saturday night.

MTSU footballs two latest additions may be defined as much by their original college choice as their current one. Florida high school wide receiver Amos Wood recently changed his commitment from defending Sun Belt champion Florida Atlantic to MTSU. Fellow Florida high school safety Derrick Crumpton was bound for Ole Miss until Rebels head coach Ed Orgeron was fired and his scholarship offer rescinded. Now both are anxious to become Blue Raiders on National Signing Day on Wednesday.
See DUO, page C3

Inside
NFL I C2
Class of 2008 Hall of Fame inductees announced

Coming Tomorrow:
Coverage of Super Bowl XLII Previewing the MTSU mens basketball game at Sun Belt foe Arkansas State

MTSU I C3
Adam Sparks files his weekly Blue Raider Notebook

NHL I C5
Predators play Western Conference foe Phoenix

HOLCOMB

Toots 22nd Annual Super Bowl Bash benefiting the United Way of Rutherford & Cannon Counties is today. Kelly Holcomb and Cory Fleming will be on hand to sign autographs for a donation to UW. Holcomb will be at the Murfreesboro store, and Fleming at the Smyrna store. Doors open at 11 a.m.

SCOREBOARD
NBA Scoring Leaders
James, Clev. Bryant, LAL Iverson, Den. Anthony, Den. 30.1 28.4 27.0 25.5 For the big picture, check out the Scoreboard

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Page editor: Corby A. Yarbrough