Mike Carey (right, with Roger Goodell) is the first black referee to work a Super Bowl.
(MIKE BLAKE/Reuters)
Football Notes
Regardless of whether the Patriots win Super Bowl XLII, history will be made tonight at University of Phoenix Stadium when Mike Carey becomes the first black referee to work the NFL's championship game.
Now in his 18th NFL season and 13th as a referee, Carey is humbled by the appointment. He also understands the magnitude of it.
"The real impact of this is that it shows to the United States and the world that anybody, everybody, has the opportunity to do whatever you want to do," he said.
For the 58-year-old Carey, it's one of the high points of his lengthy career as an official.
The journey started shortly after he graduated from Santa Clara University, where he played running back.
"Once you fall for this game, it's in your blood and I wanted to be a part of it any way I could," Carey said. "At the same time, I did want to have a life, a family, and a business, and coaching made that difficult to do. A friend of mine said, 'Hey, come be an official.' "
Recalling his initial reaction that day, Carey smiled.
"I'll never forget it. I said to him, 'I don't like those guys, why would I do that?' But it was really the best introduction into the sport. I started doing Pop Warner games, through high school, and worked my way up. Opportunities present themselves and if you perform well enough, you keep progressing."
By 1985, Carey was working college games in the Western Athletic Conference. The NFL hired him as a side judge in 1990.
"I'll never forget that phone call," said Carey, who was promoted to referee five years later. "We were getting ready to go skiing, me and my family, and the phone rang at 6 in the morning. I was just overwhelmed, all those emotions that culminate from all that hard work and desire."
Carey explained that he had similar feelings when he received the call to officiate tonight's Super Bowl. The news was also met favorably by players.
Longtime Buccaneers linebacker Derrick Brooks described Carey as an in-command official who sometimes talks to players during breaks in the action. Brooks remembers that Carey once commended him for his community endeavors, which made an indelible impression on him.
"I think he's probably, in my opinion, one of the most respected referees in the game," Brooks said. "It's just how he treats people, and how he manages the football game. He lets players play but at the same time he doesn't let us cross a certain line of integrity in the game. He's one of the best in my opinion."
Although officials generally like to remain in the background, Brooks believes Carey's presence should be highlighted in Super Bowl XLII.
"To see Mike in this position, making history, in my opinion it's something that needs to be recognized," he said. "That doesn't get enough credit, the job referees in particular do. What he's doing is groundbreaking."
The NFL employed 26 black officials on its 17 crews this season, which was a high for a season. Black officials have worked the Super Bowl at other positions in the past; former player Burl Toler was the first, working some of the league's early title games.
Carey, who is married with two children, was born in San Diego and still resides there. He and his wife Wendy launched their own successful business venture, founding a company that manufactures accessories for snow sports; that takes up his time when he's not working games or studying for them.
Carey noted that today marks the start of what could be a landmark week.
"We have Super Bowl Sunday and we're going to have Super Tuesday, where that social evolution that we've all been looking for is kind of unfolding and blossoming," he said. "We know that we're going to have someone of color, of gender, propped up to lead our country, and on the world stage for sport, the biggest game, the game of life, I've been blessed and honored to be able to make sure the game is officiated safely and fairly."
Carey was also the official for the season finale between the Patriots and Giants, a game he joked was "Super Bowl 41 1/2." While 34.5 million viewers watched that contest, the number will spike higher tonight.
Carey's historic presence will be hard to miss.
"I am proud that some child, no matter what race, what creed, what color, what gender, is going to be sitting in that audience and might say, 'I can do that' - whether it be as a player, an official, or one of our political leaders," he said. "I'm honored to be able to represent that."
Players testy about blood
The NFL recently invested $3 million with the US Olympic Committee to develop a test for human growth hormone, and NFL Players Association officials said last week that players are willing to accept a urine test for HGH. On the surface, it seemed to be significant news coming out of Super Bowl week, but in actuality, it's a diversion from the real issue:
If players truly wanted to rid HGH from the game, they'd agree to a blood test - which is much closer to becoming a reality than a urine test - but don't expect that to happen soon.
"We really believe it should be a urine test," said Gene Upshaw, executive director of the NFLPA. "We got a lot of big tough guys, but they don't even like to be pricked on the finger to give blood."
Dr. Gary I. Wadler, a member of the World Anti-Doping Agency's Prohibited List and Methods Committee, remains a critic of Upshaw's approach, as well as the NFL's. Wadler said a blood test for HGH will soon be valid and he doesn't understand why that option is not under consideration, or even being discussed.
"At the end of the day, I would think you would want to protect the welfare of your members, and that's not just financial, it's health and well-being," he said. "Given the effects of using HGH, he should absolutely be advocating it."
Wadler points out that Upshaw and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell have previously said "there is no reliable test for HGH" but he believes both are "tenaciously holding on to an untenable position." His point is that while there might be no reliable urine test for HGH, the only thing holding back a reliable blood test is securing the antibody necessary to perform the test.
Wadler has suggested that blood specimens could be frozen until the antibody becomes available, but the NFLPA remains focused on a urine test. Because of that, Wadler doesn't see a resolution any time soon.
"That doesn't mean it shouldn't be researched," he said, "but the likelihood of a urine test in the foreseeable future is close to nil."
Did Dillion give this year's team at running start?
It's been almost a year since running back Corey Dillon closed the book on his NFL career, and as he watched the Patriots blaze through an undefeated regular season, he still felt as if he were contributing to the team's success. How so?
Mainly, Dillon wonders whether the Patriots would have traded for receiver Randy Moss had Dillon had not spent three years with the club, 2004-06.
"In some ways, I probably redefined the way they think about acquiring players," Dillon said from his home in California. "I wouldn't call it an experiment, but there is a Patriot Way and in many ways I didn't fit that Patriot Way.
"But I came, did what was asked of me, was a stand-up guy, and didn't cause any problems. I think ultimately that probably opened the door for other 'high-risk' players."
Always quick to crack a joke, Dillon added that because of that, the Patriots "can shoot me a piece of that Super Bowl trophy they're about to pick up."
Dillon kept tabs on the Patriots from California over the regular season and has watched more intently in the playoffs. He said he is not surprised by the team's historic run.
"It's like a movie, and fast-forwarding to the good parts," he said. "I'm very happy for the organization and the players. Despite all the drama and all the madness that went on this year, they deserve to be where they're at. I don't think it matters who is there, that organization is built on winning.
"I'll always feel tied to them. They'll always be my favorite."
Dillon is particularly pleased for running back Kevin Faulk, whom he called "the most underrated player on the squad."
As for Dillon himself, he said this is the first time in ages that his body doesn't ache. He carpools his children to school each morning and has been a regular on the golf course.
Dillon added that he never considered a comeback this season.
"During the season, I had no itch," he said. "I am at peace, I am comfortable. I am content with how my career started and ended. I have no regrets."
Etc.
Survey said . . .
Coaches are often critiquing their players, but the tables will be turned as part of a new survey implemented by the NFL Players Association that asks active players their feelings about their coaches and their organizations. The study was conducted through the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. "We had the greatest participation of any survey that's ever been done in the organization, with over 1,500 participating," said outgoing NFLPA president Troy Vincent. "We had some alarming results about how players feel about their head coaches, their coordinators, and their organizations." Results will be released in the coming months.
Reconsidering positions
Commissioner Roger Goodell said he spoke to officials from the Colts and Titans and came away convinced the teams did not conspire in their season finale to ensure a Titans victory that helped them clinch a playoff spot. The Colts were locked into the No. 2 seed and could not improve their position, so they rested some top players and made a few in-game decisions that raised some eyebrows. The situation highlights an aspect of play that concerns Goodell, who noted there were nine games in Weeks 16-17 that involved playoff teams that couldn't improve their seeding. That's why the league's Competition Committee will discuss the idea of playoff seeding based on overall record, so it would be possible that a wild-card team could host a division winner. If that was the case this year, two games would have been flip-flopped - the Jaguars would have hosted the Steelers, and the Giants would have entertained the Buccaneers.
Dropped kicker
When the Colts signed Adam Vinatieri as a free agent after the 2005 season, they made him the NFL's highest-paid kicker. But in a sign of how fast things change, Vinatieri has slid down the pack as more and more kickers have trumped him by signing contract extensions. In terms of base salary, Vinatieri was the seventh highest-paid kicker this season, at $2.07 million.
Can't win, baby
Raiders linebacker Kirk Morrison admits he's bothered by reports of a divide between owner Al Davis and coach Lane Kiffin, which is the latest turn of events that has some wondering whether Oakland ever can win. "You think about the organization, and all that history and tradition, but now when people see us, we've been on the decline since 2003. You try to laugh those stories off, but I take them to heart," said Morrison, who just concluded his third season and totaled 120 tackles. On a different note, Morrison played two seasons with Randy Moss in Oakland and called him one of the best teammates he's ever lined up with. "He was a guy who came to work every day and kept the guys loose, just a great guy to know," he said.
Special case
Count Patriots assistant Brad Seely among those excited for longtime special teams coach John Harbaugh for landing the Ravens' coaching job. It's rare for special teams mentors to be considered for head jobs, and that's part of the reason Harbaugh switched roles to work with defensive backs in 2007. "We're all accustomed to the way it is," said Seely, the Patriots' special teams boss. "People don't look at a special teams coach the same way they do as an offensive or defensive coordinator. I knew a long time ago when I started coaching that position that was the way it was. I'm fine with it, but it's good to see a guy who really wanted to be a head coach reach that goal from that position."
Extra points
Dolphins kicker Jay Feely relayed a story of the team's first meeting with new executive vice president for football operations Bill Parcells, and he was struck by the presence of Parcells, noting that "everyone seemed to sit up straighter and listen a little more intently." . . . It's been 13 years since Los Angeles had an NFL team, and Goodell said the league hopes for a return at some point . . . The league is considering hosting rookies on a day at the Pro Football Hall of Fame to expose them more to the history of the game . . . The Dolphins hired Arlington High graduate David Puloka as assistant strength and conditioning coach last week. Puloka, who attended Holy Cross, held the same position with the Falcons last season . . . Punter Danny Baugher, who was with the Patriots in 2007 training camp but was cut before the season, had a tryout with the Bills last Thursday . . . Next year's Super Bowl is scheduled for Tampa.
Did you know?
Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer had the highest base salary of any NFL player in 2007, $13.4 million.
Mike Reiss can be reached at mreiss@globe.com.
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