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Montana chose to be with family
Ex-49ers QB defends spurning pregame ceremony
- Kevin Lynch, Chronicle Staff Writer
Tuesday, February 7, 2006
Former 49ers quarterback Joe Montana on Monday defended his decision to decline an invitation to be a part of a Super Bowl pregame ceremony with past Super Bowl MVPs.
The Chronicle cited two league sources in Monday's editions saying that the three-time Super Bowl MVP wanted at least $100,000 in order to appear. The NFL offered two tickets to the game, hotel accommodations, weekend car rental, tickets to three NFL parties, $1,000 spending money and first-class airfare.
The office of Peter Johnson, Montana's agent at IMG, sent out a statement in response to the media fervor prompted by The Chronicle report.
"Joe Montana was in Detroit for Super Bowl activities on the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday prior to the game, but always had planned to return home before the weekend to be with his family," the statement read. "He fulfilled his promise to attend son Nathaniel's basketball game on Friday night and son Nicholas' game on Sunday, and then be home with his family to watch the Super Bowl."
Montana expounded on that statement on ESPN's "Quite Frankly with Stephen A. Smith." Smith reached Montana by phone at Montana's Santa Rosa home Monday.
"To me, it's more important to be home with my boys," Montana told Smith. "The Super Bowl is a great event, but I've moved on with my life."
Montana expressed regret that he wasn't around enough during his playing days to attend events by his two eldest daughters, Alexandra, 20, and Elizabeth, 19.
"When I was playing, I missed my two girls' (events)," Montana said. "They look up (in the stands) and myself and my wife are not there. I want to be there for the boys." Nathanial is 16 and Nicholas is 13.
When Smith asked why league sources would leak information about Montana's inability to attend, Montana said, "People were trying to find ways to make me want to stay. I try to appease everyone, but it's impossible."
When asked directly by Smith if he had asked the NFL for appearance money, Montana said no.
He went to Detroit to promote a drug that controls his high blood pressure. He said that CNN moved up an interview on Thursday night, so he could catch his plane Friday.
Montana was asked by the NFL to be a part of a pregame presentation with all of the surviving Super Bowl MVPs. Montana, former Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw and former Dolphins defensive back Jake Scott (who was vacationing in Australia) didn't show up.
Reports, including one in The Chronicle, said money was also an issue with Bradshaw. Bradshaw has said that he had family obligations.
Briefly: A 49ers spokesman said that the team hasn't offered a deal to Seattle executive Mike Reinfeldt or anyone else. The Chronicle quoted several sources Sunday who believed that Reinfeldt had been offered a job as the team's president.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2006/02/07/SPG9IH41CO1.DTL
Ex-49ers QB defends spurning pregame ceremony
- Kevin Lynch, Chronicle Staff Writer
Tuesday, February 7, 2006
Former 49ers quarterback Joe Montana on Monday defended his decision to decline an invitation to be a part of a Super Bowl pregame ceremony with past Super Bowl MVPs.
The Chronicle cited two league sources in Monday's editions saying that the three-time Super Bowl MVP wanted at least $100,000 in order to appear. The NFL offered two tickets to the game, hotel accommodations, weekend car rental, tickets to three NFL parties, $1,000 spending money and first-class airfare.
The office of Peter Johnson, Montana's agent at IMG, sent out a statement in response to the media fervor prompted by The Chronicle report.
"Joe Montana was in Detroit for Super Bowl activities on the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday prior to the game, but always had planned to return home before the weekend to be with his family," the statement read. "He fulfilled his promise to attend son Nathaniel's basketball game on Friday night and son Nicholas' game on Sunday, and then be home with his family to watch the Super Bowl."
Montana expounded on that statement on ESPN's "Quite Frankly with Stephen A. Smith." Smith reached Montana by phone at Montana's Santa Rosa home Monday.
"To me, it's more important to be home with my boys," Montana told Smith. "The Super Bowl is a great event, but I've moved on with my life."
Montana expressed regret that he wasn't around enough during his playing days to attend events by his two eldest daughters, Alexandra, 20, and Elizabeth, 19.
"When I was playing, I missed my two girls' (events)," Montana said. "They look up (in the stands) and myself and my wife are not there. I want to be there for the boys." Nathanial is 16 and Nicholas is 13.
When Smith asked why league sources would leak information about Montana's inability to attend, Montana said, "People were trying to find ways to make me want to stay. I try to appease everyone, but it's impossible."
When asked directly by Smith if he had asked the NFL for appearance money, Montana said no.
He went to Detroit to promote a drug that controls his high blood pressure. He said that CNN moved up an interview on Thursday night, so he could catch his plane Friday.
Montana was asked by the NFL to be a part of a pregame presentation with all of the surviving Super Bowl MVPs. Montana, former Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw and former Dolphins defensive back Jake Scott (who was vacationing in Australia) didn't show up.
Reports, including one in The Chronicle, said money was also an issue with Bradshaw. Bradshaw has said that he had family obligations.
Briefly: A 49ers spokesman said that the team hasn't offered a deal to Seattle executive Mike Reinfeldt or anyone else. The Chronicle quoted several sources Sunday who believed that Reinfeldt had been offered a job as the team's president.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2006/02/07/SPG9IH41CO1.DTL
