Champions Make Statement On The Road.

By: Larry Fitzgerald
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
Originally posted 12/05/2008

In a span of three days in two different cities and two different professional sports, I witnessed the continuing progress of two defending champions. Friday Nov.21st in Minneapolis the defending champion Boston Celtics made their only appearance in the Twin Cities. 

The much anticipated return of Kevin Garnett, the former Timberwolves NBA MVP,ie the The Kid-The Big Ticket-he has done well. The 2007 NBA Defensive Player of the year. Target Center was packed to the top a rare sellout these days with 19,107 of the beautiful people were on hand to welcome K.G back.

It was not pretty the Celtics dominated the Timberwolves 95-78, Garnett led all Celtic scorers with 17. The Timberwolves actually led at half 39-36. However the Celtics turned it up a notch in the second half outscoring the Timberwolves 35-10 in the third quarter they stepped on the Timberwolves like they were and ant. 

And cruised to the lopsided win. Last year the Celtics started the season 14-2 and went on to win the NBA Championship. By golly they have done it20again, off to a fast start in defense of the NBA crown winning 14 of16 to start the year. 

"Being world champions is nice,but for us it's last year. Said Coach Doc Rivers, It's something that can never be taken away and we worked and we earned it" But for this year we have to make that a memory. You climb a mountain once and then you have to climb a different one. it's not the same trip going back and we're starting to learn that."

On returning to Minnesota as a World Champion, Garnett said," I got a monkey off my back so to speak, definitely a life changing experience winning it. Winning the Championship was definitely and experience for me something I will take to my grave." On playing against the Timberwolves and Al Jefferson, We were obviously the ones in the trade but, I don't even think about that when I come in here.

Al's another opponent that I have to play against. I don't put no more no less than that in to it. He's a competitor I'm a competitor he's trying to make this franchise better I'm trying to win another championship. Two different players at different stages in their career."

Sun day Nov.23rd I was in Arizona when the defending Super Bowl Champion New York Giants returned to University of Phoenix Stadium. You might recall it was the same place they pulled off the greatest upset in NFL history. 

Beating the previously undefeated New England Patriots 17-14 in Super Bowl XLII. New England had not only won 18 straight games, but had beaten thirteen straight against NFC teams.

The Giants are tough maybe the toughest I've seen in a long time mentally. When you impose your will on someone physically your mentally tough. They beat the Cardinals 37-29 the Giants have the best record in the NFL at 11-1 along with Tennessee. 


Larry Fitzgerald Jr Makes NFL History!

Watching my son the way he carries him self and grows and plays has been a treat from the time he was in Pee-Wee football Pilgrim Lutheran, Minnehaha Academy, Holy Angels, Valley Forge Military Academy, and the University of Pittsburgh.

Now he's one of the best in the NFL on and off the field. In this his fifth season in the NFL he has for the thi rd time gone over 1,000 yards in a season. Twice he's been All-Pro and against the World Champion New York Giants he became the youngest player in NFL history to reach 400 career receptions at age 25.


NFC Is Tough: John Madden

After Hall of Famer John Madden called Sunday's 34-14 victory on NBC-TV with Al Michael's, he as always took time to talk football with Larry Fitzgerald Jr's Dad. "The NFC is tough, said Madden' They are playing tough football they do the running, they do the tackling they are fundamentally sound.

We can talk about all these speed guys and all that stuff, but as you know eventually it gets down to fundamentals. If you look at the good teams the good teams are fundamentally sound the New York Giants are that way." 

The Pittsburgh Steelers are that way they are kinda like and NFC team. Minnesota tonight was a very fundamentally sound team." Is it too early to give the NFC to the New York Giants?

"They still have to play, Madden said." If you were to say to me who's the best team in the NFC right now? I would say the Giants, but that does not mean a doggone thing, we proved that last year.

If you were to ask me a year ago at this time, who's the best team? I would not have said the Giants, and then they win the Super Bowl. So that's kinda the great thing about the NFL we really don't know do we?"

"The Vikings took care of this one in all area's, you know that Adrian Peterson's is going to run I don't care you can put seven men up, eight men up, nine men up fifteen men up. And he's going to get his yardage and he's going to get his runs.

" But I was impressed with the way they were able to throw the ball a little an pass protect. I thought that Gus Frerotte did his job, and looked very serviceable, and they're defense I thought was outstanding.

Anytime your front seven can control the line of scrimmage then you can do everything in the defensive secondary and that's what they did. They gave them (Bears) nickle, zone and they really made it tough on Kyle Orton."