Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - January 26, 2015, Winnipeg, Manitoba C M Y K PAGE C2 C 2 WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2015 SPORTS winnipegfreepress. com Your Satisfaction Guaranteed 204- 793- 4105 don. tomac@ coldwellbanker. ca Don Tomac We're more than just one building. Whether it's in one of our 55 homes or yours, we're proud to touch the lives of thousands of individuals with developmental disabilities and autism across Manitoba every year. W E ' R E H E L P I N G O U R C O M M U N I T Y B E Y O N D O U R W ALL S STAMANT . CA W Y B S p 204 956 7709 Look and feel more confident with laser hair therapy or hair restoration surgery. Call 204 956 7709 for your free confidential consultation. GET BACK TO THE WAY THINGS WERE confifififififififident F OXBOROUGH, Mass. - Brandon Browner received a Super Bowl ring last year even though he was watching from home 4,800 kilometres from the Seattle Seahawks when they won the title. Now the hard- hitting cornerback has a shot at more diamonds and another title, when the New England Patriots play his former team Sunday. It's a matchup Browner craved after missing last season's Super Bowl while under suspension for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy and then signing with the Patriots in March. " It's crazy, man," Browner said. " I really had that vision when I signed here. Hopefully, we'd meet up with my old boys and it happened to work out that way." While Seattle was pounding Denver 43- 8 in New Jersey to win the championship, Browner watched from his Los Angeles- area home, frustrated he couldn't be on the field. His indefinite suspension cost him the last two regular- season games plus three post- season games. In March, the indefinite exile was revised to four more games. Ten days later, he signed with the Patriots. After serving the suspension, he was inactive for two games then took over at cornerback opposite Darrelle Revis. " He deserves a lot of credit to sit out four games and then come back and fall back right in stride," Patriots safety Devin McCourty said. " He hasn't missed a beat since he's been back." At 6- 4 and 221 pounds, Browner has a physical style that can intimidate opponents, but also hurt the Patriots. He committed 13 penalties while playing in nine regular- season games. But he hasn't backed off. " He's brought an edge to the defence," McCourty said. Now he has added incentive, a chance at a second straight NFL title against a team he has no ill feelings for. " I was blessed and fortunate," said Browner, who served another four- game suspension in 2012 for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy. " I was suspended over there and I was still able to get a ring. That was a decision by the coach and the owner to give me that. They didn't have to." Since joining Revis, McCourty and safety Patrick Chung, Browner has solidified an already strong secondary that has great depth with Kyle Arrington, Duron Harmon and Logan Ryan. McCourty said it's the most complete secondary he's been part of in five NFL seasons, all with the Patriots Next up is Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson, a constant threat to run who can turn busted plays into critical ones - like his two- point conversion pass after a scramble in Seattle's 28- 22 win over the Green Bay Packers for the NFC championship. Browner will try to cover his receiver for as long as it takes to keep Wilson from completing a pass. " Brandon Browner is a great professional," Patriots defensive co- ordinator Matt Patricia said, " a guy that's very intense, has a great work ethic, really studies hard, has a very competitive side and really wants to try to get everything right." Last season, Browner teamed with Seattle's star cornerback Richard Sherman in what became known as a " Legion of Boom" secondary. This season he's partnered with Revis, a cornerback considered by many to be better than Sherman. " Richard was one of the backups. So I couldn't take too much from him, but I've always been a fan of Revis' technique," said Browner. - The Associated Press ELISE AMENDOLA / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS New England cornerback Brandon Browner exhorts Patriots fans earlier this season. Browner will actually play in this year's Super Bowl. Browner gets his wish Pats CB will face former teammates in Super Bowl By Howard Ulman ' I really had that vision when I signed here. Hopefully, we'd meet up with my old boys and it happened to work out that way' - ex- Seahawk Brandon Browner on meeting his old team as a member of the Patriots CLEVELAND - Josh Gordon's troubles have deepened. He may be out of chances - and time. The wide receiver for the Browns has failed yet another drug test, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Sunday. Gordon, who has twice been suspended by the NFL for drug violations, could be banned for one year, said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the confidentiality of the testing. ESPN, citing anonymous sources, first reported Gordon's failed test. Cleveland's patience with Gordon has been pushed to its limits. " Clearly we are very disappointed to hear the latest report regarding Josh," a Browns spokesman said Sunday in a release. " At this point, due to the confidential nature of the NFL's substanceabuse policy, we have not been made aware by the league of a failed test. We are in the process of gathering more information and will provide further comment at the appropriate time." Agent Drew Rosenhaus said he could not comment on his client's situation. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy declined comment. Gordon's latest misstep could lead to the team releasing the 23- year- old. A Pro Bowl selection in 2013, he was suspended 10 games last season because he tested positive for marijuana. He returned for five games but failed to deliver the spark the Browns had hoped. He was then suspended by the Browns for violating team rules before the Dec. 28 season finale at Baltimore. Gordon had missed the team's walkthrough the previous day, and following the season coach Mike Pettine revealed that Gordon had been guilty of multiple violations during the season. Gordon missed the first two games in 2013 but still led the league with 1,646 yards receiving and emerged as the one of the league's top playmakers. Last year, he received a one- year suspension that was reduced to 10 games after the league and NFL Player's Association revised its drug policies. A second- round pick in the 2012 supplemental draft, Gordon signed a fouryear contract worth $ 5.3 million as a rookie. He figured to cash in with a bigger contract following his monster ' 13 season, but Gordon's legal issues - he was arrested for drunken driving during his suspension last season - have clouded a bright future. Gordon failed several drug tests while in college, but the Browns couldn't ignore his talent and gave up a second- round pick to select him three years ago. - The Associated Press Browns' Gordon fails yet another drug test Could be straw that ends wideout's career By Tom Withers Josh Gordon PHOENIX - Seattle Seahawks all- pro safety Earl Thomas pronounced his separated left shoulder " pretty good" when the team arrived Sunday for the Super Bowl. Thomas was injured in Seattle's overtime victory against Green Bay a week ago for the NFC championship. He left the game but returned, and says there is no way he won't be on the field to face New England in the Super Bowl. Thomas also promised he was " still fearless" and that tackling the likes of star tight end Rob Gronkowski will be a challenge he will meet. If his mental approach is strong, Thomas adds, his physical status won't be an issue. Seattle's other All- Pro defensive back, cornerback Richard Sherman, has an elbow injury he also dismissed as a non- factor for next Sunday. - The Associated Press Seahawks safety Thomas says shoulder a non- issue " At that point I was in so much pain that it was a blur. I remember telling our trainer just to call my parents and make sure that they know what was going on. They're back home in Denmark, so it's a long haul for them to come here," said Boedker, who had a career- high 19 goals and 32 assists last season. " I wanted them to call them to let them be aware of the situation, that I was going into surgery. I didn't think it was an emergency. They rushed me to the hospital. I didn't think it was that bad, but now looking back on it, I realize it was an emergency. " Nobody said anything ( about what would have happened if I had got on the plane back to Phoenix). They didn't get much into detail, but I was bleeding on the inside. It was pretty bad. I'm really happy and thankful the doctors made sure I got to the hospital and got taken care of. They made me listen to them, and not just be a hockey player. To be a person and listen to them. It's not about hockey at the time, it's about your health." Boedker stayed in hospital until last Thursday before moving to the house of a friend he did not want to identify. Boedker played junior hockey in Kitchener for the OHL's Rangers before joining the Coyotes. He says his treatment in Winnipeg is typical of what he's experienced in Canada. " I remember the nurse took the bandage off from my scar and she said, ' It looks nice and they did a great job.' I expected 10 stitches, but I didn't realize it was from under my chest to my belly button, with staples. That was interesting. You think something, and then it's completely different," he said. " They did an unbelievable job. The people at the HSC were unbelievable. Everyone in Canada is all about hockey, so they all wanted to talk hockey. They're big fans of the Jets and they were good people. " I think I'll have good memories of Winnipeg. They made my hospital visit and surgery a good one. Again, I can't thank them enough. I know my family back home is appreciative of what they did. It's a scary memory. But when people ask, I'm always going to say it happened in Winnipeg." gary. lawless@ freepress. mb. ca Twitter: @ garylawless Turn head Continued from A 00 ' I think I'll have good memories of Winnipeg. They made my hospital visit and surgery a good one. Again, I can't thank them enough' - Arizona Coyotes forward Mikkel Boedker HANNAH FOSLIEN / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES Coyotes left- winger Mikkel Boedker says he's grateful for the ' unbelievable' care he received in Winnipeg. C_ 02_ Jan- 26- 15_ FP_ 01. indd C2 1/ 25/ 15 10: 37: 43 PM ;