Rogers-Cruz dance rivalry gets spicy

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SANTA CLARA -- New York Giants receiver Victor Cruz did not take kindly to Carlos Rogers mimicking his celebratory salsa dance a year ago.
And if Rogers does it again on Sunday at Candlestick Park?"It obviously won't sit well with me," Cruz told reporters who cover the 49ers on a Wednesday conference call.
And it goes beyond the fact that Rogers will likely have made a big play in order to feel compiled to perform the dance during the game. For Cruz, it's personal.
"It's something I do for my grandmother," Cruz said. "It's something that's sacred to me. Due to her passing, and even before she passed away, it was something that's dear to me. And why I do it is for her. And because she told me she loved it so much and she taught me how to do it. Knowing that, it's a little slap in the face."Rogers unveiled his version of the dance during a two-interception game against the Giants during the regular season. In his book, Out of the Blue, Cruz described the event:"With his teammates cheering him on, he did a sarcastic salsa dance over me. The Candlestick Park crowd went ballistic, but I wasn't laughing. It was a sign of disrespect. Instead of getting up and retaliating, though, I sat and watched Rogers finish his cheap Victor Cruz imitation."On Wednesday, Cruz said, "And then I brushed it off and kept it going, and made sure I did my best for the rest of the season and got a chance to play them again. And I did pretty well the second time saw each other."When the teams met again in the NFC championship game, Cruz caught eight passes for 125 yards in the first half and finished with 10 receptions for 142 yards in the Giants' 20-17 overtime victory. The Giants went on to win the Super Bowl.Speaking with reporters on Tuesday, Rogers indicated he would again dance, if given the opportunity on Sunday."I like the dance, actually," Rogers said. "I really can't do it as good as him, but if I make a play or get an interception on him in my mind, just do his dance."

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