New England Patriots players took on a slew of questions – some of them a bit odd – at Super Bowl Opening Night in St. Paul, Minn., Monday.
Media day traditionally brings out a number of wacky costumes and oddball questions, and this year’s event was no exception.
“I don’t think you could ever be prepared for what media night is,” offensive tackle Nate Solder told reporters at Xcel Energy Center.
Coach Bill Belichick and owner Robert Kraft, as well as many players, fielded serious questions, but many inquiries had a lighter tone.
Austrian reporter Phillip Hajszan dressed up in a full Austrian national football team uniform, helmet and all.
Hajszan interviewed players, but he was a popular interview subject himself, taking questions from American reporters.
“From what I have seen so far, people like it,” Hajszan said.
At one point, he took questions from an NBC Sports Philadelphia reporter, who himself wore one of the dog masks popular with Eagles fans.
One media member, who went by the name Dr. Chuck Ells – a self-described “doctor of comedy” – asked players what their favorite television show was.
“The most common answer was, ‘I don’t watch TV,’ which is unfortunate,” said Ells, who works for 45TV in Minneapolis.
Players took the chicanery in stride.
“My favorite part is getting to meet all these faces from around the country,” Solder said.
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“My least favorite part? Having to stand on your feet.”
Kicker Stephen Gostkowski’s favorite part of media day?
“When it’s over,” he quipped.
