Plenty to write, not cheer, about
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GLENDALE, Ariz. - The man sat quietly in the second row of the press box at University of Phoenix Stadium. He was in seat 113, positioned between the Denver Post and an NFL frequency dynamics official. His press badge indicated he was representing the Minnesota Spokesman Reporter.
The name on the badge: Larry Fitzgerald.
The veteran scribe expressed no emotion when Larry Fitzgerald Jr. caught a 9-yard touchdown pass to put the Arizona Cardinals ahead of the Philadelphia Eagles in the sixth minute of play of yesterday's NFC Championship game.
He was calm again in the second quarter when his son caught a 62-yard touchdown pass on a flea flicker. When Fitzgerald caught his third touchdown pass of the first half, the man from the Minnesota Spokesman Reporter merely scribbled a few notes.
Ever the picture of dignity, Larry Fitzgerald knows that there is no cheering in the press box. He's been keeping his emotions in check since his All-World son was a little boy growing up in Minneapolis.
A longtime sports reporter and radio/television personality in the Twin Cities, Larry Sr. has been covering the Vikings for a couple of decades. His connections helped Larry Jr. get a job as a ballboy for the Vikings. Now the old man sits in the press box taking notes, while his son dominates on the field below.
"It's always been like that," said Larry Fitzgerald Sr. "I've been watching Larry do these things my whole life."
The kid learned decorum from his sportswriter dad. There are no end zone celebrations or touchdown dances for Larry Fitzgerald Jr. He acts like he's been there before.
Fitzgerald has 419 receiving yards this postseason, surpassing the playoff record set by Jerry Rice (409 in 1988).
Wonder what Larry Fitzgerald Sr. will write about on Super Bowl Media Day at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa?
