Montana/Bradshaw Missing From Super Bowl MVP's

[gost8]

On the way to work this morning I was listening to Mike & Mike on the fan and they had a guy on there and they said Bradshaw didn't show because he doesn't particular care for the Steeler organization anymore. Basically if the Steelers weren't part of it he would have been there. He also said Montana wanted the 100K or he wouldn't show.

Let's see Kids basketball game vs. $1000 and tickets to the superbowl. Marketing myself to billions of people worldwide, possibly opening the doors to even more $$$$ in the future. The superbowls he played in made him what he is today. He owed it to the NFL to be there.

Here's where the 49er fans will kill me.... I never thought that Montana was that great anyway. You could have plugged almost any QB into that team. Great line, Craig, Taylor, Clark, oh and that one guy on dancing with the stars. (Shut-up.... my wife watches it.):)

 

[BuckNutty]

Aikman was there for the HOF announcement though...not sure it's the same thing, but it could be.

I don't recall seeing any other members of the HOF class interviewed during the pre-game but admittedly I did not watch the whole thing. I guess my point is using the network conflict thing as an excuse is just that, an excuse. Obviously Montana, Bradshaw and anyone else who didn't want to do it weren't obligated to, that particular reason about Bradshaw just sounds like BS.

 

[Thump]

Montana, Bradshaw deny missing ceremony over $$

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<!-- begin text11 div --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top><!-- begin leftcol --><!-- template inline -->When the NFL unveiled its MVPs from the previous 39 Super Bowls, only three living members skipped the ceremony.


Former 49ers quarterback Joe Montana and former Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw decided to stay home, while former Dolphins MVP Jake Scott was traveling in Australia.
Montana, the league's only three-time Super Bowl MVP, and Bradshaw reportedly turned down the invitation over money.

Both denied the reports.

<!-- Add from late Monday -->In a phone interview with "Quite Frankly" host Stephen A. Smith on Monday night, Montana vehemently denied forgoing the ceremony over money and reiterated that his absence was due to his preference to see his son's basketball game.

Montana told ESPN last week that he wasn't going to attend the Super Bowl because his son had an important basketball game he wanted to attend. Bradshaw, according to the Chronicle, told league officials he wanted to be with his family.

Montana said money was never an issue and that he would not have attended the Super Bowl ceremony even if the appearance fee had been greater than the $100,000 he was reported to have requested.
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Former MVPs were given $1,000 for incidental expenses while in Detroit, along with other amenities such as plane tickets, car rental and game tickets.

Sources told each paper that Montana asked for a guarantee of at least $100,000 in appearance money.

When the league balked at Montana's demands, the quarterback declined to be in attendance.

Bradshaw, through a representative, denied the Chronicle's report that there was a dispute over money.

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[Folanator]

Of course they are going to say that. They both are getting hammered and rightly so.
Be with family??? WTF???
Goes to show how these athlete celebs see them selves are different than the rest of the world. If I had an opportunity to continue my career with an an organisation that I owed everything I enjoyed I am sure that my family would understand.

 

[gost8]

not saying Joe isn't telling the truth but how many basketball games do you think were scheduled on superbowl sunday?

 

[AJHawkfan]

I think Montana said something last week that he would not be attending. If the reason was that his son had a big ball game, then good for him. He put his family ahead of himself.

Bradshaw on the other hand, has never turned down a chance to get his mug on TV. His relationship with the Steelers Organization has been awkward at best since he played. I am guessing his refusal to show up had more to do with bad feelings than it did with him wanting to be with his family.

 

[ulukinatme]

Here's Joe's response Monday to the allegations:


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.


So, its not like he wasn't there all together, he was there when he could be Wednesday - Friday. I say don't condemn a man before you know all the facts, and ultimately its his choice anyway. In my opinion, family should come before the Super Bowl anyway.

 

[7 45 33 48]

I think Montana said something last week that he would not be attending. If the reason was that his son had a big ball game, then good for him. He put his family ahead of himself.

Bradshaw on the other hand, has never turned down a chance to get his mug on TV. His relationship with the Steelers Organization has been awkward at best since he played. I am guessing his refusal to show up had more to do with bad feelings than it did with him wanting to be with his family.

I would agree with you if it was 5 years ago but Bradshaw has patched everything up with the Steelers Organization.