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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Sixth Super Bowl Title; Governor Ralph Northam, Under Pressure; Super Bowl Half-Time Show; Russia Investigations; CNN Business, Stocks Up 19 Percent Since President Trump Inauguration. Aired 4-4:30a ET
Aired February 04, 2019 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[04:00:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How does it feel as it goes by?
ROB GROWNKOWSKI, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS' TIGHT END: Unreal, man. This is unreal.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYLEE HARTUNG, CNN HOST: Rob Gronkowski, Tom Brady and the Patriots dynasty rolls on. New England grabbed its 6th title in the lowest scoring Super Bowl ever.
DAVE BRIGGS, CNN HOST: Virginia Governor Ralph Northam under pressure, calls for his resignation intensifying over a racist yearbook photo.
HARTUNG: And President Trump refusing to rule out another government shutdown as he gets set to deliver his State of the Union Address tomorrow.
Well, it may be a game that will be remembered for not being memorable. Good morning and welcome to Early Start. I'm Kaylee Hartung.
BRIGGS: Yes, it was. And I'm Dave Briggs in Atlanta this morning. After Super Bowl LIII -- apologies for the voice. No sleep, late night, 4:00 a.m. in the East. You're right, Kaylee, the lowest scoring Super Bowl ever, some are calling it the snoozer ball, disappointing, but really comes down to making plays and the Rams had opportunities to make plays, they just didn't do it. This is why the Patriots are the Patriots.
HARTUNG: At the end of the day, defense still wins championships.
BRIGGS: Did you feel it was boring or do you feel it was just one of those great defensive efforts by the Patriots?
HARTUNG: I thought it was one of those great defensive efforts. Miami Dolphins fans should be excited. Brian Flores, the defensive coordinator for the Patriots -- BRIGGS: This is a good point.
HARTUNG: -- headed to that job. Miami Dolphins, get excited.
BRIGGS: It was a terrific game plan by Bill Belichick who gets another one at age 66. Let's show you how it happened. Tom Brady has his sixth ring, but it did not start that well for TV12. His first pass of the game picked off by linebacker, Cory Littleton, Kaylee.
HARTUNG: To see the first shot that Tom Brady threw down the field be intercepted, not with anybody was anticipating, set an interesting tone for the game when you're watching the greatest of all times.
BRIGGS: Indeed, it was surprised. Stephen Gostkowski, he gets the field goal there to give New England a three nothing lead after missing earlier in the game. Gostkowski, one of the great kicker in Patriots history, and Kaylee, punting really most the story of the game for much of the way.
HARTUNG: And 14 punts in this game. We've seen all season long and how important kickers could be in the NFL. Well, this game no exception.
BRIGGS: This was a record long 65 yard punt from Johnny Hecker, another record for the Rams punting on their first seven possessions, not records they hope to set in the Super Bowl. The play the game, might had been here though.
HARTUNG: It might have been. Jason McCourty breaking up the pass play. How different this game could have been?
BRIGGS: Yeah, Cooks ran straight up the middle and wide open. I think Goff would like to have that one back. Had he seen it coming, he'd have thrown that ball right there. Tom Brady makes that throw 10 yards earlier, and we have an entirely different game. I thought Cooks could have come down with it anyway.
HARTUNG: Yes, you know who probably saw that one coming? Tony Romo.
BRIGGS: Yes.
HARTUNG: And then Brady and company, they took over midway through the fourth quarter. I mean, that's Patriots football right there.
BRIGGS: Gostkowski -- that's brilliant, three Rams jerseys right there in that shot and Tom Brady, this is why he is Tom Brady. There's three Rams in the shot and there's only one place that ball can be, perfect. And Gronk was vintage.
HARTUNG: But when it is Gronk, who's got the hands right there, he is coming down with it. And here the only touchdown of the game, of all people rookie, Sony Michel, a University of Georgia product doing it in Atlanta, Georgia, that is a special moment for the rookie there.
BRIGGS: On this very field just over a year ago, he lost the college football, national championships, so that to your point is a sweet moment for Sony Michel. Six postseason touchdowns for a rookie running back is astounding. He could have been the MVP, if that guy Edelman hasn't been so good, but they still had a chance.
HARTUNG: A chance to tie the score, Jared Goff airing this one out, a 27 yarder.
BRIGGS: Another ball that I think should be a touchdown for the Rams. This ball, I think, on a bad night for Goff was perfectly thrown. He put it right in the bread basket of Brandin Cooks. And yes, there is a play made there by the defender.
HARTUNG: Off the fingertips, right. I mean through his hands.
BRIGGS: You have to catch that football.
HARTUNG: No interference call there. Note that.
BRIGGS: You have to look that, Well, you're right. Rams fans were not thrilled with the officiating, I think, there may have been a late hit on Goff that they got away with.
HARTUNG: Take it up with Saints fans.
BRIGGS: Dot cry for me, yes, you are right, but Stephon Gilmore seals it right there with the INT.
[04:05:03] Tom Brady left to take a knee and his sixth Super Bowl championship, 13-3 is the final in Super Bowl LIII. And they celebrate all over the field. And I can tell you, staying next to their hotel, they had not stopped on my way here to work.
Pro-tip, don't stay near the Patriots, if you have to be up early the day after the Super Bowl.
HARTUNG: Yeah, right. Nobody has ever accomplished what Tom Brady did last night. Six Super Bowl wins, all with Bill Belichick. And to hear them tell it, it never gets old.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HINES WARD, CNN SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR: What does it mean to win six, man? You're the greatest of all-time.
TOM BRADY, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS QUARTERBACK: I don't believe that. I don't believe that. I don't think about -- I just think I play with so many great guys on so many great teams and I still get to do it, 41 years old, playing a sport I grew up loving and proud of my team tonight.
BILL BELICHICK, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS COACH: It is all about the players. These guys works so hard all year. They just competed every week and they competed today like -- like champions. They played like champions.
(END VIDEO CLIP) HARTUNG: And oldest quarterback to do what he did, but in a game that
was dominated by defense, it was New England's Julian Edelman who rightly so took home the MVP honors. The wide receiver had 10 catches for 141 yards. And he was the consistent go-to weapon for Brady. Edelman now has six career postseason games with 100 yards or more and he gives all the credit for his success to his future hall of fame quarterback.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JULIAN EDELMAN, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS WIDE RECEIVER: It is through his actions and how he is as a football player, as a professional, as a father, as a family man. You know, it is pretty -- it is an honor to get to play with a guy like that. I mean, he has six Super Bowls now. So, that's pretty insane.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARTUNG: Edelman now second all-time, right, in postseason yards. He told reporters that the MVP award should have gone to the entire New England defense.
BRIGGS: I think that would have been appropriate. I actually would have like to see that.
HARTUNG: In this case, it would have been very promising.
BRIGGS: Yes, I think that would have been cool. All right. Twitter all night long, racing at the empress of soul, Gladys Knight's rendition of the national anthem to kick off the big game. The 74- year-old Atlanta native delivered a stunning star spangled banner, the end perfectly timed with an air force flyover.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GLADYS KNIGHT, SINGER: -- and the home of the brave, the brave.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRIGGS: That may have been the climax of the entire game for a lot of people. I know at least here in Atlanta they were so blown away by that performance.
HARTUNG: And the U.S. Thunderbirds, all credit to them. Could not have been timed more perfectly. You know, a couple years ago, I flew with the Thunderbirds.
BRIGGS: I know, I do remember that. They opened the top of the stadium for that, so we could all see that and I have to tell you, it was a home crowd for Patriots all night long, if you couldn't tell that from the broadcast, 100 to 1 Patriots fans.
HARTUNG: Maybe not many Maroon Five fans in the stadium though, or it held Maroon Five, Adam Levine taking to Instagram to thank fans though after the fans halftime show. The singer, he also thanked critics for always pushing us to do better. You saw reviews of the band's performance, they were not kind. Critics called it predictable, trite and even artless (ph).
And Georgia native, Big Boi though, with the Outkast fame, he made a fleeting appearance to perform his hit song, The Way You Move. He made quite an entrance, rolling out to the stadium in his vintage Cadillac convertible wearing a giant fur coat, because, why not? In the show, it also featured rapper Travis Scott and SpongeBob Squarepants.
BRIGGS: It was perfectly fine. It was just fine. It was solid. Nothing spectacular, perhaps this is exactly what the NFL wanted. They wanted no (inaudible).
HARTUNG: Yes, keep it safe. Play it safe.
BRIGGS: Yes.
HARTUNG: When so many artist turned down the opportunity to perform in halftime because of their agreement with Colin Kaepernick.
BRIGGS: They didn't want anyone to take a knee. All right. We'll turn to some politics now. While you were sleeping, embattled Virginia Governor Ralph Northam met with people of color who work in his administration to talk about the racist photo in his med school yearbook. He had first apologized for the photo, then claimed he was not in it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. RALPH NORTHAM (D), VIRGINIA: I am deeply sorry, I cannot change the decisions I made. Nor can I undo the harm my behavior caused them and today.
I believe then and now that I am not either of the people in that photo.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRIGGS: A Democrat briefed on the session tells us not a single person at last night's meeting stood up and said Northam should stay and fight.
[04:10:02] Northam's cabinet set to have its regular meeting at 9:00 a.m. In just a few hours, our source says the governor has given no firm indication what he might do next. For more on the governor's thinking, let's turn to Jessica Dean in Richmond.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JESSICA DEAN, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. Kaylee and Dave. Reporting here from Richmond, we are getting new information from a source with direct knowledge of the governor's thinking about this whole scenario.
And the bottom line is this, as of right now, that source is saying the governor's thinking has not changed, that the governor has no plans to resign, that the weekend's press conference was really put there for him to be able to explain that photo, to explain himself, to offer his thoughts to the public and also give himself some time to think about what the next moves might be.
That source is saying that he is evaluating this minute by minute, day by day, but that the only reason he would resign right now is if he believed he was no longer able to govern effectively. And as of right now, that is not the case.
Now, there have been calls all across the spectrum. Democrats, both locally here in Virginia and nationally, calling for the governor's resignation, a lot of pressure on him to do that right now.
The Virginia legislature is scheduled to go into session later today on Monday, but right now no public discussion, no official discussion of any sort of removal from office. We'll see what the days bring. Kaylee and Dave?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARTUNG: Thanks to Jessica Dean. Now, President Trump refusing to rule out another government shutdown with just 11 days to go until the current stocks up federal funding runs out. In an interview with CBS that aired Sunday on face The Nation, the president warned, he was still considering declaring a national emergency, so he could use military funds to build his border wall.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Would you shut down the government again?
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, we are going to have to see what happens on February 15th.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're not taking it off the table?
TRUMP: And I think -- well, I don't take anything off the table. I don't like to take things off the table. It is that alternative, its national emergency, its other things. And you know, there have been plenty national emergencies called.
You need a wall and anybody that says you don't, they are just playing games.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRIGGS: The Pentagon on Sunday confirmed President Trump's earlier tweet announcing additional forces are being sent to the U.S.-Mexico border. The Pentagon says it will send more than 3,700 additional troops to support its U.S. Customs and Border Protection. They will be deployed for 90 days providing mobile surveillance capability and installing 150 miles of concrete -- excuse me -- razor wire between ports of entry.
President Trump called the Mueller investigation a witch hunt, at least four times during the course of that CBS interview, but he punted when asked if he allow Robert Mueller's Russia investigation to be released to the public. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Would you make the Mueller report public because you say there's nothing in there.
TRUMP: It's totally up to the Attorney General --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Congress, can subpoena it anyway though.
TRUMP: Totally up to the Attorney General.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What do you want them to do?
TRUMP: Even the Mueller report said it had nothing to do with the campaign. When you look at some of the people and the events, it had nothing to do.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You wouldn't have a problem if it became public?
TRUMP: Excuse me. Excuse me. That's up to the Attorney General. I don't know, it depends, I have no idea what it's going to say.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARTUNG: Well, Super Bowl LIII is in the books and you've already heard from Tom Brady, but what did his dad, Tom Senior have to say about his son's record breaking sixth Super Bowl wins? That is next.
[04:15:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BRIGGS: All right. It's time now for the "Bleacher report." Andy Scholes was my wingman inside Mercedes-Benzes Stadium last night, right here in Atlanta, that gleaming Jewel, $1.5 billion stadium, might have been the star of the show, Andy.
And look, we kind a nudge each other all night, trying to stay away during in what some are calling the snooze fest, but let's just appreciate the greatness of Brady and Belichick. Something you will never ever see again.
ANDY SCHOLES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and it's the one good thing, I think, that's come out of this game because the whole time we were like, oh, we need an exciting play, it's going to happen, something got to give, it can't be 3-3 forever. We are going to get a touchdown. It took until the fourth quarter with 7 minutes left until we finally got a touchdown in this game.
This was the lowest scoring game in Super Bowl in history, which is kind of ironic considering this is the second highest scoring NFL season we ever saw. And we didn't get an exciting play until that fourth quarter, Brady hooking up with Gronk, getting inside the 5-yard line for the first time in the game. That set up an easy touchdown for running back Sony Michel. That was the first touchdown of the game, it was the longest time we've ever waited in Super Bowl history, to see a touchdown. Put the Patriots up 10-3. And then this was a very important play. Jared Goff, perfect pass to Brandin Cooks, but he couldn't haul it in. And that was big, because moments later, Goff then threw a horrific pass as Stephon Gilmore picks it off. That sealed the game for the Patriots, they win 13 to 3. Brady his sixth championship, Julian Edelman your MVP, he had 10 catches, 141 yards.
And our Hines Ward, caught up with Brady on the field right after the game.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WARD: What does it mean to win six, man? You're the greatest of all time.
BRADY: You know, I don't believe that. I don't believe that. I don't think about -- I just think I play with so many great guys on so many great teams and I still get to do it, 41 years old, playing a sport I grew up loving and proud of my team tonight.
WARD: What about Jules, man?
BRADY: He was a little Hines Ward, wasn't he? Yes, he played his butt off and I knew he was going to play his butt off. He was so focused and we needed him bigtime and he came through.
WARD: Congrats, my brother.
BRADY: Thanks. I appreciate it.
WARD: What is it about the Super Bowl that you just keep making plays, man? Like, I get so geek up when I see you running routes and making play after play for Tom Brady.
[04:20:08] JULIAN EDELMAN, PATRIOTS WIDE RECEIVER: I don't know. I just try to go out and have a good week at practice and, you know, try to make the play when my number is called.
WARD: MVP of the Super Bowl, what does that mean?
EDELMAN: It's pretty crazy.
WARD: So real?
EDELMAN: It's pretty so real, I'm still, you know.
WARD: You're not going to sleep tonight, I guarantee you that.
EDELMAN: I don't know yet. I just want to say hello to my little baby girl, Lilly, I love you. I miss you, and I can't wait to see you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: Tom Brady, 41 years-old, the oldest quarterback to ever win the Super Bowl and I was right there down on the field watching him celebrate with his family and they were so happy, it was like he had just won his first Super Bowl. And I actually talked to Tom Brady's dad and asked him, what has been like watching your son win six Super Bowls?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM BRADY SR., TOM BRADY'S FATHER: I was proud of him. I was proud of him when he didn't have any, but now that he's had six, it is extra sweet. You know, it's just -- it's not something that you could even fantasize with. We just been living the dream for about 18 years now. So we're very thankful.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: And of course, we were all waiting to see if anything would happen during the halftime show with Maroon Five. And I mean, Dave, this is the way I look at it. If you are a Maroon Five fan, it was OK, you know, you kind of liked it, that's Maroon Five for you.
But if you're not a Maroon Five fan, it was, well, at best. They didn't do anything special. You know, Lady Gaga was flying all over the place when she performed. Bruno Mars dancing a lot and he's always an awesome showman. I don't know, maybe just -- it just wasn't for me, but it wasn't getting rave reviews.
BRIGGS: I know Twitter remarked we can see his nipples, but not Janet Jackson's. Twitter thought that was a little inappropriate. Yes, it was just fine. I just thought it was solid. I don't know what he meant when he told Entertainment Tonight, that those people would be addressed, those that wanted to see Colin Kaepernick and those causes addressed, because it was not, in any way he would performed.
SCHOLES: Yes.
BRIGGS: Hey, it is greatness. We saw perhaps the end of a dynasty, but Tom Brady will be back.
SCHOLES: He will be back.
BRIGGS: Tom Brady will be back.
SCHOLES: Gronk, maybe not.
BRIGGS: We'll be right back as well.
[04:25:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. I'm Alison Kosik with your CNN Business. President Trump has repeatedly use the stock market as one of his preferred score card for his administration's policies. Even after the worst December, since the great depression though, stocks are performing well.
The S&P 500 is up 19 percent since the two year anniversary of President Trump's inauguration. Going back to President Reagan, that is the second best performance in a president's first two years in office. The market also wrapped up their best January in 30 years. The S&P 500 and the DOW were both up more than 7 percent in January, those marked the biggest gains since January 1987 and 1989 respectively.
The president took to -- where else, but Twitter to celebrate the January numbers tweeting this, we have by far the strongest economy in the world. So why have stocks been on the rise recently? A combination of strong corporate earnings, continued optimism about the economy and a shift in the Federal Reserve's interest rate plans for 2019. OK, let's head it right back to Dave and Kaylee in Atlanta. Good morning.
BRIGGS: OK, Alison, thanks so much. Good morning to you as well.
HARTUNG: You know, the dynasty continues. Tom Brady and the New England Patriots capturing their record sixth Super Bowl title. Does the 41 year-old quarterback still have the drive to go after number seven? Stay with us as "Early Start" continues in just a minute.
END
