What do sports journalists do when the team they cover is in the playoffs and they’ve got a deadline to make for their publication? Dig up incredibly unimportant sub-plots involving two players on opposing teams, of course.
Such is the case with Mark Cannizzaro’s article concerning the beef that New York Jets wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery has with San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers.
The way Jerricho Cotchery sees it, he owes Philip Rivers one.
Cotchery, the Jets receiver, and Rivers, the Chargers quarterback, starred together at North Carolina State and also were high school rivals growing up in Alabama.
The two meet again on Sunday in San Diego when the Jets play the Chargers in the AFC divisional playoff game.
“It is a little weird, because we’re very familiar with each other and the chemistry we had at N.C. State was unbelievable,” Cotchery said yesterday. “I still owe him from high school, though, because he knocked me out in the second round of the playoffs my senior year, and that still hurts. I still remember that and I’m sure he still remembers that as well. I’m trying to get some payback for that.”
Indeed, Rivers’ Athens High defeated Cotchery’s Phillips High in football. Rivers, who played quarterback and safety, actually picked off a pass intended for Cotchery in that game.
Cotchery did have some success against Rivers when the two played high school basketball together; Cotchery shut down Rivers in the postseason in his junior year.
Jerricho Cotchery is still pissed about that loss in high school and he’s gonna take it out on you, Rivers! Even though you won’t be on the field at the same time and you played well together in college. DO YOU HEAR HIM, PHILIP?? COME GAME TIME, THERE’S GOING TO BE A PAIN TRAIN RAN ON YOUR ASS BY SOMEONE WHO ISN’T JERRICHO COTCHERY, BUT ON THE SAME TEAM AS HIM!!
[...] Lots of times sports writers are lame, lazy, late, alcoholic and depressed. Trust me. This combo means that deadlines are often hurling at them before they’ve mustered up the energy to even find something to write about, much less do the interviews and write the damn thing. Here’s some evidence from Mark Cannizzaro in his story about a high school game between Jerricho Cotchery and Philip Rivers. <secondstringfullback> [...]