jersey]http://www.thetexanslockerroom.co

Michele Tafoya stood next to Aaron Rodgers on the Lambeau Field turf and saw the mischievous glint in the quarterback's eyes. She knew a good interview was ahead.And it was http://www.thetexanslockerroom.com/authentic-derek-newton-jersey , with Rodgers not only reveling in the comeback he'd led on NBC's first Sunday night telecast this season, but guaranteeing his knee problems would not sideline him for the next game against Minnesota.It was a short conversation that highlighted how a sideline reporter 鈥?perhaps the most thankless job in sports broadcasting 鈥?can bring news and some entertainment to the viewer.That's something Tafoya has been doing for three outlets: NBC, ABC and ESPN. She worked her 250th game when the Cowboys beat the Giants in Week 2 of the NFL schedule."The other night with Aaron, you could feel the air leave that building when he was hurt," Tafoya says. "Are you kidding me? The thought occurred he might be done, and he was done early last year, too. And then to witness the comeback, it was sort of like watching a movie."When he came back on the field and he was on the sideline, Mike McCarthy was saying, 'We will see if he is ready.' Aaron was smiling and had that gleam, and there's nothing like that when it's in his eyes, when he has that little mystery in him. Then to see he was so ticked when they had to settle for a field goal on his first drive back, he was livid."Then the gleam came back, and I thought about it throughout that performance 鈥?and you are standing right there; my eyes were on this guy even if the camera couldn't be.'"As for the comeback to beat the Bears, which didn't surprise Tafoya at all because she's seen it so many times from the Packers star, "He knew it. He has an uncanny ability to focus and seem to be relaxed in the process."There are so many inherent difficulties in the sideline reporters' jobs. The last thing they want to be is superfluous, yet nuggets of knowledge aren't always available. Pro sports teams aren't all that forthcoming with any information, let alone injuries or benchings.By necessity, the time Tafoya and her peers have on the air is limited; fans tune in for the action on the field, not for who is announcing. It's a get in and get out sort of environment, so being concise and precise are essential."The No. 1 job for any broadcaster is 'getting it right.' Michele embraces that responsibility and works extremely hard to fulfill it," says Fred Gaudelli, executive producer for "Sunday Night Football.""A top-level sideline reporter needs to excel in a few areas. No. 1, they should be a reporter first, and possess the skills that go with that job. Second Womens Johnathan Joseph Jersey , they have to be versatile and understand tone. Versatile in the sense that they are equally effective in telling a personal story or reporting on a serious matter. Tone in the sense that their delivery fits the story."And lastly, they must be fast on their feet in what's often a chaotic environment. Things change quickly and they must be able to absorb the changes and report them effectively. Michelle gets an A-plus in all those categories."Probably her most challenging work came when then-Texans coach Gary Kubiak collapsed just before halftime of a Sunday night game in 2013. The coach was wheeled into the locker room on a stretcher, but there was very little information immediately available on his condition.Tafoya did what any professional reporter should do, sticking to what she knew."The Houston head coach collapsed and no one saw exactly when it happened," Tafoya reported. "It happened on or near the 20 (yard line), which appeared to be when he was walking off the field. He was attended, surrounded by medical staff. He was speaking, but he also looked to be in extraordinary pain. He could not open his eyes. ..."It appeared again that he tried to sit up momentarily, could not stay up. They laid him back down. I never once saw him open his eyes, but we did confirm that he was talking as he was wheeled off the field. A situation that we are going to continue to follow. Very frightening down here."Tafoya stayed with the story even as the game continued. She spoke with defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, who took over Kubiak's duties for the second half, and told her audience what Phillips had been told by the medical staff:"Now, what he was told was that this trip to the hospital in the ambulance is purely precautionary for Gary Kubiak, that his heart rate was fine, that his pulse was fine, again, it's precautionary. This is what Wade Phillips told me. He said, 'You know, with coaching, it could be that he's just spent too many nights staying up all night and it's finally caught up with him.'"Tafoya made it clear to her audience that there was no official word from the team. When that word did come, she made sure to interview Texans general manager Rick Smith, providing firsthand knowledge to viewers.Again, precisely the right journalistic approach."I am most proud of the Kubiak situation," she says. "We had to very measured and it is difficult to remain in that state when you are dealing with a situation that could go very badly in an instance. I worked every angle I possibly could in the confines of that stadium. I am very proud of that work." HOUSTON (AP) — With a stirring rendition of “I’ll Fly Away” marking the conclusion of a memorial service for former Houston Texans founder and owner Bob McNair, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones wiped tears from his eyes Friday afternoon.“It’s ironic that I’m getting emotional because the only other time I ever teared up was right on this field when the Texans and Bob kicked our butt in the first game that was ever played in this stadium Womens Julien Davenport Jersey ,” Jones said, recalling Houston’s 19-10 win over the Cowboys in their inaugural game in 2002. “The Texans put it on the Cowboys and it was a glorious night to begin the Texans. Bob was so special.”More than 1,000 of McNair’s friends, members of the Houston and NFL community, players and coaches past and present, gathered to pay respects and say goodbye to McNair, who brought the NFL back to Houston for its inaugural season in 2002 after the Oilers moved to Tennessee.Former Secretary of State James A. Baker, a close friend of McNair’s, opened up tributes by saying the gathering was in the “House that Bob Built.” Baker said he and McNair enjoyed a love of politics, football and quail hunting, and said it was former President George H.W. Bush who converted both of them from Democrats to Republicans.Baker talked about McNair’s determination and told a story of how he only saw McNair give up on a quest once in his life, when the two were quail hunting in sweltering south Texas heat. After a long and miserable day, McNair finally said in his Southern drawl, “Calf rope,” an expression similar to “Uncle” or “I give up.”The Rev. Eric Manning provided a welcome and an opening invocation. Manning is the senior pastor at Mother Emanuel A.M.E. Church in Charleston, South Carolina, the site of a July 2015 race-inspired mass shooting.NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell also spoke, calling McNair one of America’s finest sportsmen and business leaders. Goodell talked about that expansion process and how Houston was a long shot early on, but McNair never wavered.“Bob was not in it for himself. He wanted to return the NFL to Houston because of his tremendous loyalty to the community,” Goodell said. “He knew that bringing the NFL back would help show the world what an extraordinary place Houston is.”Goodell praised McNair for his faith, integrity, patience, honesty and thoughtfulness.“Not to put any more pressure on you and the team, but you know how much Bob wanted to win a Super Bowl,” Goodell said Seantrel Henderson Jersey White , looking to Texans coach Bill O’Brien.Texans defensive end J.J. Watt praised McNair for his philanthropy and generosity in the community. Watt recalled a charity event at NRG Stadium when, at the end of the event after “tons of money” had been raised, it was announced that McNair committed to matching everyone’s combined donations.“That’s what Mr. McNair did. He would do the kindest things at random moments, and he would do it many times when people had no idea that he was doing it,” Watt said. “I consider myself lucky to have known him, lucky to have learned from him, and I can only hope that I’m making him proud in the way that we represent his organization.”Dr. Harris Pastides, president of the University of South Carolina, mentioned a commencement speech McNair did at his alma mater in 1999 and how McNair talked about meeting his wife, Janice, and telling her parents they were moving to Texas for a few years to build some capital before returning home.“He then reminded the graduates to never make promises they could not keep,” Pastides said.Dr. Dave Peterson, pastor emeritus at Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church, talked about McNair’s drive, which he said he believed was instilled in McNair from an early age. Peterson told a story of a young McNair in his small hometown of Forest City, North Carolina who wanted his country dirt road to be paved so badly that he would repeatedly stomp on a strip provided by the state’s transportation department to determine how busy the road was and whether or not it needed to be paved.Peterson said he visited McNair at the hospital on Thanksgiving and said he was saddened to see him suffering. Peterson noted the last few months of McNair’s life were painful, adding that in seeing the pictures and videos paying tribute to McNair, “It’s good to see him smiling again.”McNair died on Nov. 23 at the age of 81. He had battled both leukemia and squamous cell carcinoma in recent years. He died peacefully with wife Janice and his family by his side, the Texans said.Following the tributes, a short video montage highlighted McNair’s life, with a focus on his time as Texans owner.“I’d like to think that I’ll be remembered as an honorable man, as a good Christian man, and that I always did things in a first-class manner and treated people honestly,” McNair said on the video. “I think that would be a good legacy.”