LOCAL NEWS:

Medical Examiner Investigates Body In Nooksack River


KEYWORD:
A   A   A

Posted: Friday, 03 February 2012 8:48AM

Patriots Need to Get into the Groove After Madonna Show



By Simon Evans

INDIANAPOLIS (Reuters) - Super Bowl fans will enjoy a halftime concert from Madonna on Sunday but New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is concerned about the impact of the break on his team - so much so that he simulated the extended interval.

"Normally our halftime is 12 minutes and this halftime will be closer to 30, so two and a half times as long. I think it really gets into a whole restarting mentality," Belichick told reporters Friday.

"It's not like taking a break and coming out in the second half, it is like starting the game all over again," he added.

Belichick is known for his attention to detail and said it was not enough to just remind the players about the extended halftime.

"We tried to simulate that on practice on Wednesday where we had the players go through that process of restarting.

"It's the kind of thing you can have a meeting about, you can talk about... but I just felt it was beneficial for our team this year to actually put them through that.

"Go out there and warm up, practice, take a break, shut it down for a half hour, go into the locker room and simulate what a halftime would be in terms of corrections, adjustments and restarting our bodies, both mentally and physically to restart the game," he added.

Lucas Oil Stadium is also an indoor venue, where the noise levels are significantly higher and Belichick has also had his team practice to blaring rock music to make sure they are ready for non-verbal communication on Super Bowl Sunday.

The Patriots coach even made sure to include some Madonna songs on the playlist along with those of his friend, and New England fan, Jon Bon Jovi.

(Editing by Steve Ginsburg)

Story & Photos Copyright 2012 Reuters
Filed Under :  
Topics: Sports
Social:
Locations: IndianapolisNew England
People: Bill BelichickJon Bon JoviMadonnaSteve Ginsburg

Spurs sweep Clippers, advance to West finals


The Spurs steamrolled into the NBA Western Conference finals after a 102-99 win over the Clippers.

Heat overpower Pacers to tie playoff series


LeBron James and Dwyane Wade combined for 70 points as the Miami Heat recovered from back-to-back defeats.

Flame goes out for first time in 2012 relay


The Olympic flame went out on Monday for the first time during the torch relay around Britain.

Phillies Manager Manuel, Umpire Banned by MLB


Philadelphia Phillies manager Charlie Manuel and umpire Bob Davidson were each banned by the MLB following a nose-to-nose shouting match. 

Phillies Hold On to Give Halladay the Win


Roy Halladay finally got some run support from his Philadelphia team mates and won for the first time in more than a month. 

Pacers Give Heat "Butt-Kicking," Spurs Clip LA


The Indiana Pacers have routed the cold shooting Heat 94-75 on Thursday to take a surprising 2-1 lead in their Eastern Conference semi-final series.

Kings Beat Coyotes, Edge Closer to Cup Finals


The giant-killing L.A. Kings move to just one win from their first Stanley Cup finals appearance since 1993 with a 2-1 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes.

Thunder strike late to beat Lakers, Celtics win


The Oklahoma City Thunder scored nine unanswered points in the final two minutes to edge the Los Angeles Lakers 77-75.

Super Bowl winners New York Giants get 'Big Blue' rings


Players and coaches with the Giants football team gathered at Tiffany & Co.'s flagship store in New York City on Wednesday.

Adidas sues Big 5 over alleged sneaker knock-offs


Adidas AG has sued to stop a U.S. sporting goods retailer from selling sneakers with three parallel diagonal stripes.

Rested Thunder rout leg-weary Lakers, 76ers tie series


The Thunder delivered a blow to rival Metta World Peace's infamous elbow by crushing the Lakers 119-90.

Teixeira blasts Yankees past Orioles


Mark Teixeira blasted a decisive two-run homer to help the Yankees beat the division-leading Orioles 8-5.

Star witness takes stand in Roger Clemens trial


A key prosecution witness who has said he gave former baseball star Roger Clemens performance-enhancing drugs took the stand on Monday in Clemens' perjury trial.

Rangers rip 19 hits in rout of Angels


The hard-hitting Texas Rangers flexed their muscles yet again to thump the Los Angeles Angels 13-6 on Sunday and improve their American League-best record.

Lakers oust Nuggets, Celtics hold off 76ers


 The Los Angeles Lakers finally put away the Denver Nuggets while the Boston Celtics got their series with the Philadelphia 76ers off to a nervous but successful start on Saturday.