SANTONIO EXPLAINS “STICKY LOMBARDI” LINE

On Monday, Aaron Wilson posted an item on a short blurb from Rich Cimini of the New York Daily News regarding the apparent fact that Steelers receiver Santonio Holmes twice referred to the “Vince Lombardi Trophy” as the “Dicky Lombardi Trophy.” The official quote sheet released by the NFL changed the term to “Sticky Lombardi,” which without the proper context makes no freakin’ sense. Well, somehow, we’ve obtained the proper context via an “exclusive” interview with Holmes. (It’s “exclusive” because we were the only media company talking to Holmes at that specific moment in time -- which is how most media companies interpret and apply the term “exclusive,” even when the subject of the interview is otherwise talking at various moments in time to anyone who’ll listen.) Holmes told me by phone tonight that he indeed used the term “Sticky Lombardi,” but only because that’s what Mike Tomlin has called the thing ever since arriving as the team’s head coach. “When you touch that trophy, you get the fingerprints put all over it,” Holmes said. “That’s what [Tomlin] wanted us to do.” We talked with Holmes about a couple of other subjects. But it’s rare that a cow of this quality parks in our barn. So we’re gonna milk it into three or four separate posts.