MONDAY NIGHT NOTES

FOR USE AS DESIRED		FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION,
NFL-63 9/17/04		CONTACT: MICHAEL SIGNORA, 212 450 2076

CAN YOU FEEL THE BROTHERLY LOVE?

VIKINGS FACE EAGLES IN MONDAY NIGHT SHOWDOWN

Following scintillating performances in Week 1, the Philadelphia Eagles and Minnesota Vikings each aim for a 2-0 start this week as ABC’s NFL Monday Night Football heads to the City of Brotherly Love.

The Monday night stage has been especially kind to the Eagles in the ANDY REID era. The club has won six of seven Monday night games. Minnesota returns to MNF for the first time since 2001 owning a 21-20 (.512) record in the series.

PROVEN PASSERS: Among the many headliners of the Eagles-Vikings matchup are the men under center – Minnesota’s DAUNTE CULPEPPER and Philadelphia’s DONOVAN MC NABB.

Both first-round draft choices in 1999, the pair started this season in fine fashion. Culpepper completed 17 of 23 attempts for 242 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions in a 35-17 win over Dallas, posting a league-high 147.1 passer rating. McNabb was equally impressive in a 31-17 victory over the Giants, completing 26 of 36 attempts for 330 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions for a 137.5 passer rating.

The two were so outstanding that Monday’s game marks only the fifth time since 1990 that two passers with 135.0 ratings the previous week face each other. A look at the previous four contests:

Date	Game	QB/Previous Game Rating	QB/Previous Game Rating	Result
10/14/90	Washington at NY Giants	Stan Humphries, Wash – 136.2	Phil Simms, NYG, 137.9	NYG, 24-20
10/04/92	Chicago at Minnesota	Jim Harbaugh, Chi – 141.0	Rich Gannon, Min – 147.7	Min, 21-20
10/05/92	Dallas at Philadelphia *	Troy Aikman, Dal – 149.3	R. Cunningham, Phi – 146.7	Phi, 31-7
10/6/02	Oakland at Buffalo	Drew Bledsoe, Buf – 141.7	Rich Gannon, Oak – 138.9	Oak, 49-31

*9/20/04*	Minnesota at Philadelphia *	*Daunte Culpepper -- 147.1*	*Donovan McNabb -- 137.5*	*???*

* Monday Night Football

MONUMENTAL ON MONDAYS: While both teams’ quarterbacks look to be in midseason form, their game-breaking wide receivers aren’t doing too badly either.

Philadelphia’s TERRELL OWENS enjoyed a sparkling debut with his new team last week, posting touchdown catches of 20, three and 12 yards. Owens was the first Eagles player with three TD receptions in a game since IRVING FRYAR on October 12, 1997.

Minnesota’s RANDY MOSS picked up where he left off in 2003. His two touchdown receptions helped the Vikings break open a game they led 14-10 at halftime.

Both Owens and Moss have been prolific touchdown scorers under the bright lights of Monday Night Football. Owens has 11 touchdowns and Moss 10. A look at the top 10 all-time in MNF touchdown receptions:

Player	MNF Games	TD Catches	Player	MNF Games	TD Catches
Jerry Rice	44	33	Cris Carter	23	10
Mark Clayton	20	15	Brent Jones	27	10
Andre Reed	26	13	*Randy Moss*	8	10
Tony Hill	21	12	Multiple	--	9
*Terrell Owens*	16	11

MONDAY NIGHT MUSINGS – MINNESOTA VIKINGS AT PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

RANDY & KASSI

Vikings wide receiver RANDY MOSS has received the same visitor for the past seven training camps. In 1998, KASSI SPIER of Kimball, South Dakota and her father CRAIG got Moss’ attention before a camp workout. Then a two-year-old, Kassi used her small voice to win over Moss, instantly hitting it off with the Vikings’ star. She and her father returned the following year to renew their relationship with Moss.

In 2000, Kassi was diagnosed with leukemia. Despite her illness, she did not miss training camp. Kassi and Moss regularly walked the 200 yards from the locker room to the dormitory where the two ate lunch in the cafeteria.

"Randy loves that girl to death," says Vikings quarterback DAUNTE CULPEPPER. "They have that connection, and I think it's beautiful."

SHELLY BARTLETT, a fan from North Mankato, Minnesota, was so moved by the relationship that she wrote a letter about it to the Mankato Free Press in August 2003. Bartlett was particularly touched with Moss’ affection for Kassi. She concluded in her letter, "Thank you, No. 84, for being a true friend to Kassi.”

Moss and Kassi quickly found out that they share two things in common: both have small-town roots and the same birthday, February 13.

A PASSIONATE VIKINGS FAN

Actor JIM CAVIEZEL, who starred as Jesus in the Passion of the Christ, is the brother-in-law of Vikings offensive coordinator SCOTT LINEHAN. He is also a passionate Vikings fan.

During filming of the hit movie, Caviezel would often find himself thinking of the Vikings.

“You’re out there filming in hypothermic-like conditions,” says Caviezel. “I would start thinking about the Vikings back in the days before the dome. Everybody was wearing parkas in those days. I had a little loincloth on.”

PROFESSOR CARTOON

Philadelphia Eagles running back THOMAS TAPEH grew up in Liberia. When he was nine, Tapeh moved to St. Paul, Minnesota with his mother CICELY and his two sisters.

It was a difficult transition for him to the United States. He credits cartoons with helping him learn English.

“Cartoons helped me a lot,” says Tapeh. “There was ‘Tailspin’ and ‘Thundercats.’ All those cartoons, that’s what I watched, and I mimicked how they spoke. Later on I figured out how the words were put together.”

UP NEXT, A CAREER IN POLITICS

Philadelphia Eagles running back BRIAN WESTBROOK received several write-in votes in the 2003 Philadelphia Mayoral election. Westbrook also got write-in votes for supreme court justice, superior court judge, traffic court judge, and registrar of wills.

“That’s great,” says Westbrook. “Maybe one day I’ll decide to switch careers, but for now, I’m happy as an Eagle.”

Many NFL notables have entered the political arena after their playing days. JACK KEMP and STEVE LARGENT are examples of NFL performers who successfully made the transition to politics.

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