ESPN’s Mortensen visits Buffalo Bills training camp
Up until last year, John Madden was the best-known NFL expert who traversed the country on a bus.
Madden, whose fear of flying forced him into the Madden Cruiser, retired in April, and ESPN’s Chris Mortensen stepped in to assume the leading role as the NFL’s king of the road trip.
Mortensen, who has covered the NFL for ESPN since 1991, dreamt of a training camp bus tour since 2006, because he enjoys visiting each camp and because it helps him “keep up” with the ever-changing league.
Around 8:45 a.m. Friday morning, Mortensen’s 44-foot long black coach bus, featuring his oversized caricature on both sides and “Mort Goes to Camp” signs, rolled into St. John Fisher College to visit the Buffalo Bills, his 13th stop on this 24-day, 21-team road trip.
“I was feeling a little disconnected from the NFL, because (attending) training camp is so invaluable. I can learn more about a team and its players in 30 minutes at a training camp than I can in 30 days on the phone,” said Mortensen, who listed his trip to Dallas Cowboys camp in San Antonio, Texas, as his most memorable trip so far.
Before this preseason, Mortensen pitched his idea to ESPN’s executives, but wasn’t hopeful since the country was mired in a recession, and he didn’t know if ESPN would green-light his project, which required renting the bus, hiring a driver and spending between $600-$800 on gas per trip.
Mort’s bus is equipped with Direct TV, Wi-Fi, dual sets of bunk beds, a shower, bathroom, refrigerator and three flat-screen TVs. Climbing up the four stairs leading into the bus’s cabin, pizza boxes, a coffee maker and empty water and Red Bull bottles line the tables, essentials on Mort’s great American road trip. A chart of visited training camp sites with team helmets and host cities is posted along a wall and the back of the bus has a map of all the completed visits, plus a team sticker that’s been placed on the bus by an NFL player.
When the day’s activities die down, Mortensen can rest on his queen-sized bed, which has a flat-screen at his feet so he doesn’t miss an NFL beat.
In between observing Buffalo’s closed-to-the-public walk-through practice, Mort’s cell phone was busy as he appeared on several national radio shows to discuss Michael Vick’s signing.
Focusing on the Bills, Mortensen said he has confidence that Trent Edwards and the skill players around him can be productive. He is not totally sold on the revamped offensive line, which will feature new starters at all five positions.
“They really like the two young guys they drafted (Eric Wood and Andy Levitre) and they love their center, (Geoff) Hangartner,” said Mortensen, who originally was going to make his tour in Tony Kornheiser’s bus before Ozzy Osbourne’s manager purchased it.
Much to the chagrin of Bills’ fans, Buffalo was initially one of 11 teams left off Mortensen’s tour stop. While in Canton, Ohio, to watch the Bills/Tennessee Titans Hall of Fame game, Mortensen received some good-natured ribbing from Edwards regarding Mort bypassing Buffalo.
A scheduling change at the New England Patriots’ camp opened up a slot and Mortensen was able to fit Buffalo in.
“We’ve had to call some audibles, but it’s been a lot of fun,” said Mortensen, who let Edwards post the Bills’ logo on the back of the bus.
After chatting with Edwards and Hangartner, Mortensen prepared for live hits for ESPN’s NFL Live and the 6 p.m. edition of SportsCenter.
So who has the nicer bus, Madden or Mort?
“I was on Madden’s bus once, but only in the front quarters,” said Mortensen, who hopes to one preseason visit all 32 training camps. “I’ve been told by a lot of people that my bus is better than Madden’s.”
Mortensen will cover 6,850 miles during the trip, which began Aug. 1 with Dallas and ends with the Miami Dolphins, Aug. 22 in Davie, Fla.
Next stop: Albany, to watch Waterloo native Tom Coughlin and his New York Giants today.
JBOCCACI@DemocratandChronicle.com
Chris Mortensen
Age/Occupation: 57/NFL analyst/expert for ESPN.
Family: Wife Micki, son Alex, daughter Shannan DiSanto.
Thoughts on Bills’ quarterback Trent Edwards: “For him to jump into the top 12 QBs, which he’s capable of physically, he has to prove his durability to me, number one.”
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