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ENGLEWOOD, Colo. Marquese Chriss Jersey . -- Champ Bailey finally gets a chance to live up to his name. The 12-time Pro Bowler is headed to his first Super Bowl in his 15th -- and most trying -- NFL season, one in which he missed 11 games and parts of two others because of a nagging foot injury. "It hurt not being out there," Bailey said after Denver topped New England in the AFC championship game, "but here I am. Im on the field and my teams still in the running. Thats what its all about." Baileys subdued celebration and measured reaction in delirious Denver stood in stark contrast to the scene in Seattle later Sunday night, where Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman stole the spotlight with his game-saving deflection, his taunting of Michael Crabtree and his television rant on the field afterward. The two contrasting styles will draw much attention in the days leading up to the Super Bowl on Feb. 2. Sherman is the 25-year-old trash-talking leader of the leagues best defence, Bailey the 35-year-old sage of a unit thats been through the ringer this season, but has come on strong over the past month despite injuries that cost them several starters, including Von Miller and Chris Harris Jr. Bailey is one of the leagues top cornerbacks, but hes clearly on the downslope of his spectacular career that includes the most Pro Bowls by a defensive back in NFL history. Bailey was greeted in the locker room by former teammate John Lynch, who was with him the previous time hed come this close to the Super Bowl -- 2,919 days earlier. One week after sealing a playoff win with a 100-yard interception return to hand Tom Brady his first playoff loss back in 2006, Bailey had another interception in his grasp and the end zone in his sights, but Hines Ward somehow came down with the football instead and Pittsburgh went on to beat Denver 34-17 for the AFC title following the 2005 season. "I said hed play really big and I think quietly he really did," Lynch said. "Its been a tough year. Everyone thinks hes old, over the hill, but hes been a great player throughout his whole career and great players, when it matters most, play great." Bailey had no spectacular plays this time, no pick-6s or takeaways or forced fumbles or sacks, just his usual steady play and calming leadership. He was hardly tested by Brady at all and finished with three tackles. "I thought yesterday was his best performance of the season," coach John Fox said Monday. Peyton Manning, who knows a little bit about overcoming injuries and long odds to reach the Super Bowl, said he was "certainly happy for Champ, I know a lot of people are." "Theres a guy -- lets see, Champs one year younger than me so hes in his 15th season -- like I said, its hard to get to the Super Bowl. Its hard to win it, but Im telling you its hard to get there," Manning said. "... Im glad that hes back out there on the field. Hes battled through some injuries and has stayed at it and been committed to his rehab." Bailey started just three games this season, and he finished just one of those, against Jacksonville on Oct. 13. After aggravating his foot injury in his two other starts, he was relegated to slot duty by the time he finally got healthy in mid-December. That changed when Harris got hurt in the Broncos playoff win over San Diego and Bailey started Sunday opposite Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, then moved into the slot on passing downs to thwart the heart of the Patriots offence. "I knew Id be back at some point," Bailey said. "My coaches, teammates, they never gave up on me. They knew Id be back to 100 per cent at some point. Here I am, Im playing probably my best football of the year -- because I havent played much. Im just looking forward to the next one, making sure my body is right for the next game." And dont count on him getting caught up in the comparisons at the Super Bowl between him and Sherman, who represents this new breed of cornerback, the bigger, athletic DBs who trash talk as well as any of the receivers they cover. About the only trash-talking that came out of Baileys mouth Sunday was when he was asked about how the Broncos shut down the Patriots ground game. The Broncos held LeGarrette Blount to 6 yards on five carries a week after scoring four TDs against Indianapolis. "Well," Bailey said matter-of-factly, "they didnt play the Broncos last week." Notes: Fox said RB Knowshon Moreno is day to day after X-rays on his ribs were negative and CB Tony Carter has a pinched nerve but no concussion. ... The Broncos return to work Thursday. Tyler Ennis Jersey . The team said Saturday that the 36-year-old Robidas is expected to miss four to six months, jeopardizing his return this season. He was injured when he slid hard into the boards in the second period of a 2-1 shootout loss to Chicago on Friday. Clyde Drexler Jersey . The mood in Seattle was electrified as the parade featuring the NFL champions began near the Space Needle and made its way to CenturyLink Field, the home of the team. At a ceremony inside the stadium, the team thanked its loyal followers -- the 12th Man -- capping a day of boisterous celebration that drew an estimated 700,000 revelers to Seattle. https://www.rocketsrookiesshop.com/Trevon-Duval-City-Edition-Jersey/ . Off-Season Game Plan examines a team facing some challenging times as GM Bryan Murray tries to put together a roster for next season. Perhaps the first challenge facing Murray is that its expected he will be moving out Jason Spezza, a premier point producer who is about to enter the final year of his contract. NEW YORK -- The Brooklyn Nets acquired guard Marcus Thornton from the Sacramento Kings for Jason Terry and Reggie Evans on Wednesday, removing two little-used veterans from their aging roster and hoping a younger one can rediscover his scoring touch. Terry came from Boston along with Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce but has appeared in just 35 games after a knee injury, averaging 4.5 points on 36 per cent shooting. Evans was a favourite of fans but not coach Jason Kidd, who used him in just 30 of their 51 games. Evans made 56 starts last season and led the Nets with 11.1 rebounds per game, but lost his starting spot when the Nets acquired Garnett, and then fell behind rookie Mason Plumlee in Kidds rotation. Thornton averaged 21.3 points in 23 games with the Kings in 2010-11 after being acquired in a midseason trade with New Orleans. He then led the Kings with 18.7 points per game in 2011-12, but had fallen out of favour under defensive-minded coach Michael Malone, even getting benched at one point to make way for rookie Ben McLemore. "Marcus is a proven scorer in this league," Nets general manager Billy King said in a statement. "He is a young talent who will help us in the backcourt." Thornton, now 26 years old, is averaging just 8.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and one assist in 24 minutes per game this season. He has started 26 of 46 games and is shooting 38 per cent from the floor, including 31 per cent from 3-point range. Its the third move for the Kings since the season started as they rebuild under new owner Vivek Ranadive, general manager Pete DAAlessandro and Malone. Tyler Ennis Rockets Jersey. Sacramento sent Luc Mbah a Moute to Minnesota for Derrick Williams on Nov. 26 and acquired Rudy Gay in a seven-play deal with Toronto on Dec. 9. "Were an unfinished product," DAlessandro said before the Kings hosted Golden State on Wednesday night. "Were just going to continue to try to change and turn it over and try to figure it out until we can get it right. I think change is good when youve lost a lot. You have to change. You always have to change." One of the biggest reasons the Kings made the trade is to give more playing time to McLemore and fellow rookie Ray McCallum. McLemore, the seventh overall pick out of Kansas, made his 27th start Wednesday night. "We have to see these guys play, and not in practice but in NBA games to see what theyre capable of doing so we can make decisions coming in the off-season," Malone said. The Kings, under the former ownership of the Maloof family, signed Thornton to a four-year contract worth about $31 million just before the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season. Thornton is making $8.05 million this season and is due $8.575 million next season. Hell bring some youth to a Nets team that loaded up on veterans in an expensive attempt to make a run at a title this season. But they came out of the All-Star break with a 24-27 record, good for only seventh place in the Eastern Conference. They could still make another move before Thursdays 3 p.m. EST trade deadline, even though they were already slated to pay more than $180 million in salary and taxes this season. ' ' '