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EARLY START

NFL's Promo for League's 100th Season Features League Stars; Patriots Capture Record Sixth Super Bowl, Beats L.A. Rams 13-3; Virginia Governor Meets with Minority Employees After Racist Photo of Him Surfaced; Trump Suggests He Might Declare a National Emergency to Get Wall Built; GM to Start Laying Off 4,000 Salaried Workers Monday; ICE Arrests Grammy-Nominated Rapper 21 Savage. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired February 4, 2019 - 05:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


[05:00:00] (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can I have the ball, please?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You want this? Come and get it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYLEE HARTUNG, CO-HOST, EARLY START: It's 14-year-old Sam Gordon who is playing football with the boys as a running back in Salt Lake City. NFL honors actually gave her their inaugural game-changers award at the event, the night before the Super Bowl.

DAVE BRIGGS, CO-HOST, EARLY START: That is a very cool touch. LeBron James tweeted about that ad, it was his favorite of the night, so we'll give them the win. Yes, the "USA Today" ad meter comes out at 8:15 a.m. this morning. EARLY START continues from Atlanta right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How does it feel as it goes by?

ROB GRONKOWSKI, TIGHT END, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: Unreal, man, this is unreal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARTUNG: Rob Gronkowski, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots dynasty rolls on. As New England grabs its 6th title in the lowest- scoring Super Bowl game ever.

BRIGGS: Virginia Governor Ralph Northam under pressure, calls for his resignation intensifying over that racist year-book 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. Good morning and welcome back to EARLY START, I'm Kaylee Hartung here in Atlanta. BRIGGS: I'm Dave Briggs outside Mercedes-Benz Stadium after Super Bowl LIII, February 4th, it is 5:00 a.m. in the East, and Kaylee, 17 million people are expected to call in sick today, Christine Romans is among that 17 million, so we're happy to have you alongside this morning to talk about this Super Bowl.

And, yes, it was boring, yes, it was low-scoring, the lowest scoring Super Bowl in history. But this is a 41-year-old man who is at the top of his game, most of us that age can barely tie our shoes some mornings. Tom Brady is still the best in the game, so let's appreciate the greatness that we have witnessed, we'll never see anything like it again.

HARTUNG: But this was not the great start Tom Brady --

BRIGGS: No --

HARTUNG: Was hoping for, his first pass of the game intercepted by linebacker Cory Littleton of the Rams.

BRIGGS: And that was a great play by Chris Hogan really to break it up because if it wasn't that, it might have been a six points the other way, could have been a pick six, but we get some points finally.

HARTUNG: Right there, that field goal, the first time we saw points on the board, thanks to Stephen Gostkowski.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Gostkowski got nixed of a third-down stop --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARTUNG: But Gronk doing what Gronk does.

BRIGGS: This game oddly dominated by punters for much of the way. This is the longest punt in Super Bowl history, Hekker's 65 yarder, had an awful lot of roll on it, and another record for the Rams, he punted on their first seven possessions.

This is the highest-scoring team in the NFC, the first game ever McVay's team scored not points and half.

HARTUNG: And this might be the play of the game --

BRIGGS: Yes --

HARTUNG: To Ram's fans dismay. Jason McCourty breaking up that pass play, Brandin Cooks not able to bring it down.

BRIGGS: Jason McCourty sprinted across the entire field to make that play. I think Goff got to make that throw earlier, it should have been a touchdown. That's one that will haunt him for a while. Brady being Brady, Rob Gronkowski, barely any room to find that pass with double coverage and a safety over the top, but it is just what they do when they see that coverage, they know where they're going to go. HARTUNG: And the first action that we saw in the red zone, this

touchdown right there from of all people, Patriots rookie running-back Sony Michel; a product of the University of Georgia. If you thought that, that stadium was like a home game for the Patriots, anyone in Atlanta was cheering for Sony Michel too.

BRIGGS: Six TDs for the rookie, and that ball perfectly thrown by Jared Goff, unlike the other one, and it was also to Brandin Cooks and he really should have reeled it in. There are two plays they left out there that would have changed this entire game. Sean McVay hoping his young quarterback can have another shot at it.

HARTUNG: Yes, on the very next flight though, the Patriots blitz and Goff gets picked off, that was just a dagger into the hearts of Rams fans. They were holding out some hope.

BRIGGS: Stephon Gilmore sealed it there, and TB-12 just left to take a knee, and listen to this crowd erupt because as I can tell you as someone who was in that stadium, it had to be a 100:1 Patriots fans to Rams fans. It felt like it was Foxborough and Tom Brady claims his sixth Super Bowl ring at age 41, appreciate the greatness, folks.

You'll never see anything like it again, even though yes, it was the lowest-scoring Super Bowl ever.

HARTUNG: You know, nobody has ever accomplished what Tom Brady did last night, six Super Bowl wins --

BRIGGS: It's incredible --

HARTUNG: All with Bill Belichick, and to hear them tell it, it never gets old.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HINES WARD, FORMER AMERICAN FOOTBALL PLAYER: What does it mean to win six, man? You're the greatest of all --

TOM BRADY, QUARTERBACK, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: You know --

WARD: Time --

(CROSSTALK)

BRADY: I don't believe that. I don't believe that. I don't think about that. 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, play a sport I grew up loving, and I'm proud of my team tonight.

[05:05:00] BILL BELICHICK, GENERAL MANAGER, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: It's all about the players, these guys work so hard all year, they just competed every week and they competed today like champions. They played like champions.

(END VIDEO CLIP) HARTUNG: Tom Brady is the g.o.a.t, but defense wins championships as

they say, and in this game dominated by defense. It was still New England's Julian Edelman who took home the MVP honors.

The wide-receiver had 10 catches, 441 yards, and he was the consistent go-to weapon for Brady when they could get the offense going. You know, Edelman now has six career post-season games with a 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, WIDE-RECIEVER, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: It's through his actions and how he is as a football player, as a professional, as a father, as a family man, you know, it's pretty -- it's an honor to get to play with a guy like that. You know, I mean, he's got six Super Bowls now. So that's pretty insane.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARTUNG: Tom Brady known to call Julian Edelman the little brother he never had --

BRIGGS: Yes, it's great --

HARTUNG: Edelman now second all-time in post-season receiving yards. He told reporters though, the MVP award should have gone to the entire New England defense, I don't disagree with that.

BRIGGS: I don't at all, I don't disagree either with the highlight of the night off the field was this brilliant performance by the Empress of Soul, Gladys Knight, her rendition of the national anthem to kick off this game was perfection.

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-SONGWRITER: The home of the brave.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIGGS: I think Whitney Houston still rules in terms of all-time anthems at the Super Bowl, but that was spectacular, given they opened the stadium roof to see the flyover, and just how well she nailed it, and the crowd, boy, did they appreciate seeing her.

HARTUNG: Yes, and all credit to the U.S. Air Force Thunderbird Squadron for that perfectly-timed flyover. Less excitement --

BRIGGS: Yes --

HARTUNG: For the halftime show though, Maroon 5's Adam Levine, he took to Instagram to thank fans after the show. The singer also thanked his critics, there were a lot of them, for always pushing us to do better. Reviews of the band's performance were not kind. Critics called it predictable, trite and even artless.

You also had a cameo from Georgia native Big Boi, Outkast thing, let's give him some credit for making one heck of an entrance to perform his hit song "The Way You Move", rolling up to the stage in that vintage Cadillac, wearing a giant fur coat because why not.

He also got another cameo from rapper Travis Scott and Sponge Bob wear pants, I need somebody to explain to me why Sponge Bob.

BRIGGS: It was one of the big (INAUDIBLE) all week long, everybody knew that moment just might be coming. We'll turn to some politics now though. Embattled Virginia Governor Ralph Northam met with people of color who work in his administration to talk about that racist photo in his Med school yearbook.

While he had first apologized for the photo, he then claimed he was not in it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. RALPH NORTHAM (D), VIRGINIA: I'm deeply sorry. I cannot change the decisions I made nor can I undo the harm my behavior caused then 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. Northam's cabinet is said to have its regular meeting at 9:00 a.m., just a couple of hours away.

Our source says the governor has given no firm indication what he might do next. For more on his thinking, let's turn to Jessica Dean in Richmond.

JESSICA DEAN, CNN 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's not the case.

[05:10:00] 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. Te 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.

HARTUNG: Thanks Jessica. And President Trump refusing to rule out another government shutdown with just 11 days to go until the current Stop-Gap federal funding runs out. In an interview with "Cbs" that aired Sunday on "Face the Nation", the president warned he's 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're going to have to see what happens on February 15th. And --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're not taking it off the table?

TRUMP: Well, I don't take anything off the table. I don't like to take things off the table. It's that alternative, it's national emergency, it's other things. And you know, there have been plenty national emergencies called. You need a wall and anybody that says you don't, they're just playing games.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARTUNG: President Trump delivers his State of the Union address tomorrow night. Cnn's coverage begins at 8:00 p.m.

BRIGGS: And then on Wednesday, EARLY START will air an extra hour early at 3:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Next more from last night's Super Bowl here in Atlanta, we'll hear from the Super Bowl MVP and the one some call the g.o.a.t, the greatest of all time.

[05:15:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRIGGS: Right, time now for the "BLEACHER REPORT", we're back outside Mercedes-Benz Stadium here in Atlanta after Super Bowl LIII. And another victorious celebration for the Pats, still have another duck boat parade in Boston on Tuesday, Coy Wire here to talk about this game.

A lot -- we're disappointed, they feel like --

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS REPORTER: Yes --

BRIGGS: It was a boring Super Bowl, you have a different feeling after sleeping --

WIRE: Yes --

BRIGGS: On it.

WIRE: Well, you know, as a former defensive player in the NFL -- BRIGGS: That's right --

WIRE: I say what an incredible game.

BRIGGS: Incredible game.

WIRE: There were nearly as many punts, 14 as there were points in this game. Think about that, 16 points total, lowest-scoring Super Bowl in a Super Bowl history. So that is something, and from a defensive perspective, it did start off with Tom Brady, his first attempt, an interception.

The game ending essentially with an interception by Stephon Gilmore, sealing the deal. But we do have to focus in on Tom Brady.

BRIGGS: Yes --

WIRE: Because unprecedented sixth Super Bowl title. He now needs to -- his second hand go for this new ring. What he's done simply outstanding. And to think about how he has led this team -- they won this game without him throwing a single touchdown pass.

And that's saying something, it shows his leadership, that it trickles down through the rest of the team who was able to get the job done despite him not having a stellar game. Hines Ward caught up with him afterwards to say, hey, now that you have six trophies, can you call yourself the g.o.a.t? Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WARD: What does it mean to win six, man? You're the greatest of all --

TOM BRADY, QUARTERBACK, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: You know --

WARD: Time --

(CROSSTALK)

BRADY: I don't believe that. I don't believe that. I don't think about that. 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, play a sport I grew up loving, and I'm proud of my team tonight.

WARD: What about Jules?

BRADY: He's like little Hines Ward tonight, wasn't he?

WARD: He fell down, man --

BRADY: Yes, he played his butt off, and I knew he was going to play his butt off.

WARD: Yes --

BRADY: He was so focused, and we needed him big time, and he came through.

WARD: Congrats my brother.

BRADY: Thanks, man.

WARD: MVP of the Super Bowl, what does that mean?

EDELMAN: It's pretty crazy --

WARD: Is it surreal?

EDELMAN: It's pretty surreal, I'm still, you know --

WARD: You're not going to sleep tonight, I guarantee you that.

EDELMAN: I don't know yet.

(LAUGHTER)

But 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)

BRIGGS: How about Julian Edelman?

WIRE: Yes, you remember last year he missed the Super Bowl, he had an --

BRIGGS: Sure --

WIRE: ACL injury. He's a guy who was a quarterback in college, he was offered no scholarships out of high school and here he is, coming back and helping the Pats get that historic Super Bowl. We want to show the front page of the "Boston Globe", "The Dynasty Rolls On".

And look at the picture, this is what it's all about. At the highest level, sport is not about what you play for, the trophies and the rings, it's about who you play for. Tom Brady there with his daughter, that sums it all up for Tom Brady and the rest of the Patriots feeling good this morning.

BRIGGS: Yes, Tom talked a lot about his family immediately after the game, how important and how supportive they have been. That is one of the great sides of the Super Bowl. And the guy is coming hard to imagine he won't get another one. How about Gronk, is he coming back or was that it?

WIRE: I asked him personally, several other reporters, of course asked him, he said he's going to take a week, maybe two to think about it. I don't know, Dave, I mean --

BRIGGS: What's your gut?

WIRE: My gut tells me he's coming back. I mean, the guy is just too good, he was actually healthy for the most part this year. BRIGGS: Yes --

WIRE: He does play a physical position, we'll see.

BRIGGS: He played a spectacular Super Bowl --

WIRE: He did --

BRIGGS: He really got better as the season went on.

WIRE: Yes --

BRIGGS: Coy wire, good to see you my friend --

WIRE: You too, bro --

BRIGGS: All right, coming up ahead from Atlanta, Grammy-nominated rapper 21 Savage in custody this morning, arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Why authorities claim the entertainer is in the country illegally, next.

[05:20:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, I'm Alison Kosik with your Cnn business. Thousands of General Motors employees are beginning their week without jobs. Layoffs for about 4,000 salaried workers at GM are due to start day.

The layoffs are part of a 15 percent reduction the automaker first announced back in November. At the same time, it had announced plans to close four U.S. plants as well as a fifth in Canada. The job cuts and plant closings are part of ongoing cost reductions to free up $6 billion annually to invest in electric and self-driving vehicles.

The layoffs come as President Trump is due to tout his economic successes during Tuesday's State of the Union address. A senior administration official said the speech's theme would be "Choosing Greatness". Overall, the president is presiding over a strong American economy.

Friday's jobs report beat expectations, showing more than 300,000 jobs were created last month, but trade tensions and worries about the global economy, that has all led to some companies kind of rethinking their business plans and strategies and has sparked concerns about the risk of a slowdown. I'm going to throw it back to Dave and Kaylee in Atlanta. Good morning to you again.

[05:25:00] BRIGGS: Alison, thanks, good to see you. Grammy- nominated rapper 21 Savage in custody this morning after his arrest by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC)

(END VIDEO CLIP) ICE says the rapper is a British citizen who is in the U.S. illegally, and that he was arrested in a targeted sting. The agency alleges he entered the country legally in July 2005 as a child, but failed to depart when his visa expired one year later.

An attorney for the rapper says his team is working to get him released, 21 Savage was also convicted on felony drug charges in October 2014.

HARTUNG: I think it's much surprise as anything that he is from the U.K., I don't think that's something people knew.

BRIGGS: Yes --

HARTUNG: Officials now saying his entire public persona is false.

BRIGGS: Strange to work.

HARTUNG: Well, more to talk about ahead as 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? My guess is yes, we'll have more on EARLY START in just a minute.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END