DAILY cs HERALD Friday, February 9. 2007 NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE Manning's vacation begins in Hawaii at Pro Bowl Greg Beacham f Until KAPOLEI. Hawaii this season, Peyton Manning was the quarterback w ho excelled in games that didn't matter and no game matters less than the Pro Bowl. Manning would grind through every practice in his six previous trips to Hawaii, even showing up early on , game day for extra work with the NFL's best. His singular dedication earned the MVP award in the 2005 game, but didn't translate into playoff success. After winning the Super Bowl this year with a Associated Press photos playoff performance. Left: looks to Colts to take intends Indianapolis quarterback Manning Peyton things Manning much easier in his seventh trip throw the ball during AFC practice for Saturday's Pro Bowl. to Honolulu. He will hit charity Right: Manning signs autographs after AFC practice for events, spend plenty of time Saturday's upcoming Pro Bowl. relaxing with friends from and won't around the league teammates made the champractice for a chance to get worry about how much he'll play for the AFC on Saturday. pions' customary dramatic autographs and photographs "There won't be a lot of moentrance in Hawaii on Wednes- with the players, yet everybody seemed focused on Manning. tivation going on out there," day, and the Super Bowl MVP was the center of attention. Manning said. "This will be a Though Manning intends cruise-contrto take it easy, he doesn't Dozens of fans finagled their kind of week." want anybody to know about way through security after Manning and his four Colts IV M t ever: They watched the tape 7 win over of Indianapolis' Chicago for the first time. "Not much sleep, I wouldn't but say I'm very it's the kind that you like," Manning said. "Being able to fly out here yesterday on Air Irsay, as I call it, with my it. Minnesota lineman Steve Hutchinson got in a playful shot at his longtime friend when they hung out in a restaurant downstairs at the players' resort on Oahu's west shore Monday night. "He just looks at me and " Mansays, 'You've changed, said there's "Seriously, ning nothing more you could say to me to make me madder. I hadn't brought (the Super Bowl) up one time. People are bringing it up to me, and I'm giving them my Elvis Presley: "Thank you very much, thank you very much.' "My whole goal the whole week is to prove to him how I'm very much the same guy. That's who I am." e After a late night of partying and a raucous rally back home in Indianapolis on Monday, Manning joined receivers Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne and offensive linemen Tarik Glenn and Jeff Saturday for a lengthy chartered flight to Hawaii on Tuesday, courtesy of the Colts' 29-1- well-rested- , teammates, and then to watch the Super Bowl on the plane, that's hard to beat." for Manning was 247 yards and a touchdown d in that win over the Bears, turning in a performance that wasn't exactly spectacular, but more than enough to win. Manning, again the AFC starter, will play for New England coach Bill Belichick, who got this assignment after the Patriots' wrenching loss to Indianapolis in the AFC championship game. Belichick left a congratulatory voicemail message for Manning last Friday, and he joked around with the rain-soake- post-gam- quarterback during stretching exercises before Wednesday's practice. And Manning's teammates also couldn't wait for this week of relaxation. Saturday, owners. They found something to 4,340 miles fly, how make the Bronco players still mourning loss of slain teammate Greg Beacham THE ASSOCIATED PRESS KAPOLEI, Hawaii Champ Bailey and John Lynch had the same idea for their latest trip to the Pro Bowl: They both wanted to wear No. 27 in honor of slain Broncos teammate Darrent Williams. Williams died from a gunshot wound to the neck on New Year's Eve when his stretch $L limousine was repeatedly shot while driving away from a Denver nightclub. He was 24. Most of the Broncos have been in varying degrees of v. V- - J" ' ::iV."K FILEAssociated ' Press Denver Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams, 24, fields a punt during a football game with the San Francisco 40ers in Denver on Sunday, Dec. 31, 2006. Williams was shot in a drive-bshooting early on Jan. 1. y shock since that day, when an overtime loss to the San Francisco 49ers kept them out of the playoffs. Hours later, Williams' murder rendered and such concerns trivial not even another trip to the Pro Bowl could stop his teammates from thinking about their fellow defensive back. "I think about it every day, sometimes every hour," Pro said Bailey, a seven-tim- e Bowl selection. "We still don't know what happened, who did it. It's just tough to think how quick it can all happen." Bailey and Lynch will wear their regular uniform numbers in Saturday's game after the NFL decided to put No. 27 decals on the back of every player's helmet in tribute to the Broncos' rising young cornerback. The three Broncos had discussed someday coming to the Pro Bowl together, and Lynch thought T&girjfc&lfejrr crc rrp QQ cm Williams had a chance to develop into a star. Pro Lynch, an eight-tim- e Bowl selection in 14 NFL seasons, always enjoys the working vacation in Hawaii with his wife and children, who posed with him for photos during the AFC's picture day Thursday. But Williams also wasn't far from Lynch's mind. The veteran safety praised Williams' growing maturity while lamenting the senselessness of his death. "There's no question it's made a big impact on me and my teammates," Lynch said. "He was a guy who I really respected as a teammate and a person. It still hasn't sunk in, I guess. It's hard to believe what happened." Police still aren't sure exactly what happened in the moments after Williams, Broncos receiver Javon Walker and others left a party thrown by Denver Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin. Two other people were wounded in the stretch Hummer limousine in which Williams was killed. Police said there was an altercation at the club before Williams' death, but details remain sketchy despite the Broncos' offer of a $100,000 reward for information. Willie Clark, described by police as a person of interest who might be able to help catch the killer, is in prison after being convicted of an unrelated si oDn D OJ3 . . J his longtime center, spent just enough time at home to wash his clothes Monday night. After throwing them back into the same suitcase he took to Miami, Saturday was off for the islands to play for Belichick. as "Bill even said that much as he hated to say it congratulations," Saturday said "I'm still so excited about it. I don't know if that means it hasn't sunk in yet." "It's still surreal," Glenn added. "What made it a reality was getting the chance to celebrate it with the fans. Now, we're on vacation." The five Colts plan to spend more time hanging out to- gether this week, and they might even watch that Super Bowl tape again. Wayne, the only first time Pro Bowl selection in the contingent, is looking forward to taking the next step in his career alongside several teammates and friends. "I'm a young pup, and these guys have all been here and done that," Wayne said. "I'm just glad I was able to savor the moment with my team." Cowboys Continued from CI Cowboys owner Jerry Jones interviewed 10 candidates before hiring his sixth coach since buying the team in 1989. Phillips was interviewed two weeks ago, and his chances of getting the job seemed to be fading when supposed favorite Norv Turner was among five more who followed him. But Jones chose the nsive-minded Phillips over head Turner, a two-tim- e coach who was the Cowboys' offensive coordinator for Super Bowl titles after the 1992 and 1993 seasons. "We needed to get it right. In my mind we got it right," Jones said, getting emotional as he introduced Phillips. defe- After Jason Garrett RONEN ZILBERMANAssociated Press Denver Broncos' John Lynch signs autographs after an AFC practice on Thursday. parole violation last month. Bailey spent time last month with Walker, who was sitting next to Williams in the limousine when the cornerback died. Walker didn't attend Williams' funeral, and Bailey said the incident still weighed heavily on the star receiver's mind. "It's going to take some time to get back to normal," said Bailey, who has lined up as a receiver in practice with Bill Belichick's AFC squad this week. "We're never going to forget, though." cr cm ODD inter- viewed for the head coaching vacancy Jan. 25, Jones hired him to an unspecified role on the coaching staff. It has been presumed that he will be the offensive coordinator, but Phillips said he didn't want to discuss Garrett's role until he had a chance to talk to the former Cowboys backup quarterback. Phillips' head coaching record includes 4 as a fill-ifor the Saints and Falcons. He is in the playoffs, most notably the "Music City Miracle," when Tennessee used a trick kick return for the winning touchdown in the closing seconds against the Bills in 2000. Besides carrying on his family tradition, Phillips has handled the dubious task of replacing Super Bowl coach3-- n 0-- 3 es Dan Reeves in Denver and Marv Levy in Buffalo. So the idea of following Parcells shouldn't bother him. Parcells, who won two Super Bowls with the New in York Giants, went four years in Dallas and lost twice in the playoffs. The Cowboys haven't won a postseason game in 10 seasons, the longest drought in club history. Parcells, whose tenure included two Super Bowl titles with the New York Giants, implemented the 4 scheme two years ago. He has built a roster suited for it, higlighted by 34-3- 2 ab sflpS&isffi rr cs3 fX i rv--T r-- UE J m v-- ij A i opt. i 3-- Ware. the defense that San Diego plays, and I think our team has guys who could play great roles in it," Ware said Thursday from the Pro "I love Bmtmwfimimr!) Just The Daily Herald is publishing it's 4th An fiuai Babies Page on Sunday, February 25, 2C37 I til! out this form Baby's Full Name Date of Birth Parent's Grand Parent's Send the best photograph of your new baby with $20 and this form to: "Babies of 2003" 1555 N. Freedom Blvd Provo, UT 84503 Entries must be received by Feb. 23rd. 2007 r Favorite Food:. Favorite Tov: Favorite Activity., Please charge my Credit Card: Name CtX Amount Enclosed $ Signiture. ; Fxo. BowL Yet the defense was the weak link last season when Dallas went and lost in the first round of the playoffs. The Cowboys lost four of their last five games, including the last three, mainly because they couldn't stop teams. Phillips, meanwhile, was helping the Chargers go 14-They allowed the seventh-fewepoints in the NFL and were rated 10th in total defense. . Phillips was born in Orange, Texas, and played college ball at Houston. He joined his dad's staff with the Oilers as linebackers coach in 1976 and has been in the NFL ever since, except for 2001. He stayed with the Oilers through 1980. then followed his father to New Orleans 9-- 7 and became defensive coordinator at age 34. He replaced his father as head coach the final four games of the 1985 season.