Oakland Raiders fullback Jon Ritchie, a native of Mechanicsburg, Pa., will not see his mom on Sunday but will send her a gift she can really dig into. "I'm sending her a plant every month for the next six months," Ritchie says. "Nice, big plants where she can go out and do a little gardening."
Two of Ritchie's teammates, guard Frank Middleton and quarterback Marques Tuiasosopo, have special plans as well. Middleton is sending his mom on a cruise to the Bahamas and Mexico, while Tuiasosopo will travel home to see his mother. "We'll take her out to dinner," he says, "and I'm going to send her some pink roses."
New Raiders safety Rod Woodson says the fun on Mother's Day is just staying home. After the family gives its gifts, "It's my turn to cook," Woodson says. "Whatever mom wishes to have. It's usually steak and potatoes."
