Sports notebook: Another taping alleged

A member of the New England Patriots’ video staff taped the St. Louis Rams’ last walkthrough before the 2002 Super Bowl, a Boston newspaper reported Saturday.

The NFL said it was satisfied this was not another Spygate.

“We were aware of the rumor months ago and looked into it. There was no evidence of it on the tapes or in the notes produced by the Patriots, and the Patriots told us it was not true,” NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told the Associated Press.

Citing an unidentified source, the Boston Herald reported that a Patriots employee recorded the Rams’ walkthrough at the Superdome in the New Orleans a day before the Super Bowl. New England beat the heavily favored Rams 20-17 for its first NFL title.

The Herald reported that a source close to the Patriots in the 2001 season said the team held a walkthrough at the Superdome in New Orleans before the game on Feb. 3, 2002. After the Patriots took a team picture, a member of their video department stayed inside the stadium and taped the Rams’ session.

Burress participates

After missing a week of practice with ankle and knee injuries, New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress participated in a walkthrough.

“I think he’s a little bit better today,” coach Tom Coughlin told pool reporter Mike Sando of ESPN.com. “He gets a little bit better each day, and hopefully we’ll be able to have some further improvement tomorrow.”

Good-luck charm

Former New England linebacker Andre Tippett hopes his election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame will be a good omen for the Patriots today.

As New England’s executive director of community affairs, Tippett had plenty of support from the Patriots’ Super Bowl traveling party as he waited to learn whether he was headed to Canton.

“Everybody, from day one when we got here, they were like, ‘Hey, we’re looking to do something special – you on Saturday and us on Sunday,’ ” Tippett said. “It couldn’t have happened at a greater time.”

Campaign game

While his home state is hosting the Super Bowl, Republican presidential candidate John McCain will be in the heart of New England Patriots’ territory.

The Arizona senator planned to arrive in Boston today shortly before the Patriots play the Giants in the Super Bowl in Glendale. Massachusetts is the home state of McCain’s rival, former Gov. Mitt Romney, and is among the 21 states holding its primary on Super Tuesday.