1. Someone needs to do a spot-shadow tracing of Larry Fitzgerald's route on the James Harrison interception return. It's amazing. He started 4 yards deep in the end zone, got blocked, sidestepped more blockers, went out of bounds to get clear, ran into a TEAMMATE WATCHING THE PLAY ON THE SIDELINES at the 30! and caught up to Harrison a second time but about 12 inches too late. Imagine that. In a 305-foot odyssey, he only needed to make up a foot to have saved the touchdown.

2. Marshall Faulk made a great point on the NFL Network. Santonio Holmes used the ball as a prop in his post-touchdown celebration on the climactic play. It should have resulted in Jeff Reed kicking off from the 20. That, coupled with the lack of an earnest replay after the Warner fumble/incompletion shows that the game got too madcap for the officials at the end.

3. Also, if you go by the letter of the law, Cardinals defensive tackle Bryan Robinson should have been ejected for throwing a punch in the first half during a scrum. It was blatant. And what James Harrison did to poor Aaron Francisco (a guy who was on the scene for almost every negative play for Arizona in the final quarter) was not a penalty. Period.

- Curran

TAMPA BAY - What does "best" Super Bowl mean to you? Most cleanly played? Most important? Most exciting? It's a very broad definition, isn't it?

I mean, this year's game was more exciting than the Patriots-Giants Super Bowl, but that one was more important given the history on the line for New England.

And the Patriots-Panthers Super Bowl was probably more cleanly played and nearly as explosive. But if you had to say which game had the most "Are you &%%*(@ me?" moments, it was this one.

I talked to Dan Patrick from NBC, his own show and whoever else will have him (kidding, Dan).

He said, "You could make an argument that it rivals or surpasses last year. Last year only had a great six or seven minutes to it. This game had...the longest return in Super Bowl history, a couple of questionable replay calls and then, that final quarter, that was dramatic football. I think sometimes we look at a game and call it great because it had a great finish. This wasn't a great game because I don't think the Cardinals played very well and Pittsburgh didn't put Arizona away when they should have. But when there were times for big plays, the marquee guys made plays. Roethlisberger, Holmes, Warner, Fitzgerald. So if you were tuning in to see the Cardinals, you got your money's worth. And if you tuned in to see the Pittsburgh Steelers you got your money's worth as well."

* * * * *

These are my "most exciting" Super Bowls.  

1. Cards-Steelers

2. Patriots-Panthers

3. Titans-Rams

4. Patriots-Giants

5. Patriots-Rams

6. Bills-Giants

7. Niners-Bengals II

8. Steelers-Rams

- Curran

I'm back at my hotel for a quick stop before a morning flight.  I'm not thinking straight enough to put together coherent thoughts on how the Steelers won, but here are a few stray things I learned after the game that I'd like to record before my goldfish-like memory forgets it all. 

• I stood right next to Dan Rooney as we both tried to get into a packed locker room well after the game. Even the owner of the team was having trouble going where he wanted.  I’ve never met Rooney before, of course, but I said congratulations.  I asked if championships were like kids or if you are allowed to have favorites.  I hate that question, but it just came out.  He said all championships are good, but the first one is the most special. 
• James Farrior said earlier in the week that he wasted too long with the media and missed a lot of the celebration  the last time they won.  This time, he made sure to finish up the minimum time on his podium, then run like hell out of the room while screaming in joy.
•  Gary Russell, despite being a second-year player, seemed as overwhelmed and happy as any Steeler.  Just beaming, continuing to say, “It’s better than I thought.  And I’m speechless.”  He said he didn’t get too caught up in his touchdown run because he had to get right back on the field for special teams. 
• I didn’t go into the locker room until after most of the podium speeches.  It’s a strange place to be, with so many happy players trying to enjoy their moment while out-numbered by media.  Chris Hoke and all the defensive linemen took turns taking pictures with the Lombardi trophy.  Some players dressed and bolted as fast as possible to the team buses.
• The most awkward scene in a locker room full of them was seeing ten people surround Ben Roethlisberger as he had a tearful conversation on the phone.  Everyone was maintaining a respectful 5-10 feet, but it was like we were watching the “Ben Roethlisberger Show.”
• Hines Ward teared up at the podium while holding his son and talking about what the Rooneys meant to him.  He said he “couldn’t describe” the pain he played in.  He said the injury was a 5-6 week injury.  He held up well early, but blocking wore him down.  Ward’s teammates have taken to calling him Papa Smurf.  My wife calls him Hinesy. 

Best Super Bowl ever?

Is Big Ben better than we thought...like all-time kinda?

Should Ben or Holmes be the MVP?

Was the Harrison play the most wacky and wild?

Or the Holmes TD?

Or the Fitz play?

Going down to figure out how and why the Steelers won.

- Curran

 

I'm watching Neil Rackers yelling at the official as the game ends asking for a replay.  The Cardinals deserved one, but it wouldn't matter.  They wouldn't have overturned it. 

The Cardinals waited 60 years to make a Super Bowl.  Here's hoping they don't have to wait another 60, because that is a brutal, heart-wrenching way to lose one that will stick with Kurt Warner, Adrian Wilson, Larry Fitzgerald and the rest for a long, long time.  The defense couldn't get a stop when it counted late.  The offense gave away seven points at the end of the first half.  It was an amazing showing, putting over 400 yards on the Steelers, the playoff Cards we saw all January, but it wasn't enough.   

What a victory by the Steelers.  Once again, they win a game on their last drive.  Congratulations to Ben Roethlisberger, Santonio Holmes, Mike Tomlin, and the rest.  They earned it the hard way. 

And they are cranking "Praise You" by Fatboy Slim to a confused group of reporters in the press box.  Time to head down to the locker room.  Thanks for stopping by - we'll have columns up later tonight. 

- Gregg

 

They have come up short a few times tonight, settling for field goals.  Now they get three cracks to win the game.

Ben Roethlisberger has had a sublime drive.  Perfectly thrown passes after buying time. 

What a throw by Roethlisberger to Santonio Holmes through three Cardinals!!  And a better catch. 

And Aaron Francisco, once again, seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. 

After a quiet second half, Pittsburgh goes 8 plays and 88 yards in just over two minutes.  Just an incredible performance when the chips were down by the Pittsburgh offense.   

- Gregg

 

I am on fire for going to classic Super Bowls.  Two-for-two.  I have to give Tom credit - right before that play he said that the Cardinals had to do something to get Polamalu from shading Fitzgerald.  They send Breaston to the corner, while Fitz delays over the middle.  Bingo.  Touchdown. 64-yard touchdown.  The Arizona Cardinals are off the mat again!  What a gutsy team.  This stadium just got quiet. 

And I am officially the loudest member in the press box. 

- Gregg

Big stand by the Steelers after Mike Gandy (The LVP of the game) gets another holding call.   On the punt, James Harrison got a penalty simply for being a badass and dominating Aaron Francisco.   

As my man Curran points out, the Steelers should consider taking a safety on fourth down. 

If they want to go down in history as one of the greatest ever, here is their chance.  Arizona's defense, incidentally, has kept them in the game.  They have given up some loooong drives, but only 13 points. 

There may be no cheering in the press box, but there was a big "WOW" after that Fitzgerald leaping catch.  From me.  Everyone else seemed to take it in stride. 

What strength and hand-eye coordination.  He's been shut down most of the day, but his hands made a big difference on that drive. 

Media is now allowed to go down to the locker rooms.  No one has left. 

The running joke in the press box is to create a new penalty to call on Arizona after every play.  On the last one: throwing the quarterback too hard to the ground.  And no, I don't think the calls have been as bad as they were in Super Bowl XL.  They are just one-sided.  But for the most part, they have been right.  The Cardinals have 10 penalties for 92 yards.  The Steelers have two for 15. 

- Gregg

Ike Taylor and Troy Polamalu are doing a great job covering Larry Fitzgerald.  It's very surprising to see Polamalu line up across from Fitz every once in a while.  In the end, Pittsburgh's pass rush has been the best defense.

Even when Kurt Warner gets time, it's like he's spooked.  On that last third-and-13, Warner had all sorts or protection.  But he let go of a shaky short pass to Steve Breaston instead of seeing what developed downfield.  Even if Breaston made that catch, it would have not been a first down. Warner's play hasn't been composed since his fateful pass to James Harrison. 

- Gregg

Pittsburgh missed a great chance to put the game away with a three-score lead late in the third quarter, but that was a very successful drive.  16 plays, 79 yards, and more than half the quarter (8:39) just ticked off the clock. 

That's twice the Steelers have come up short inside the five-yard line, but Arizona is going to need two touchdowns in short order for it to matter.

- Gregg

Seahawks fans were irate when the Steelers got every call three years ago. It's happening again.

On this drive with the Steelers up 17-7, Arizona's now gotten banged with two personal fouls on this drive.

The first was a facemask on Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie when both DRC and Santonio Holmes were locked on each others' facemasks. The second came on a shove to the back of Ben Roethlisberger. It was a dicey call but more egregious was the fact that, behind Roethlisberger, a Cardinals rusher was tackled and the official stared at the play and opted to not throw the flag.

Bad. Deal. The officials are officially involved.

Arizona's got 7 penalties for 76 yards. Pittsburgh's got 2 for 15.

- Curran

The Cardinals have won two challenges so they get the bonus third challenge. But if they challenge another play and get it right, they have no additional challenges.

So if the officials screw up against them a FOURTH TIME, they have no more challenges as protection from official ineptitude.

We'll see if this becomes an issue.

- Curran

Will the Harrison play wind up on the cutting room floor when the greatest plays in NFL history are revisited?

We have 30 minutes of football to determine it. But think about it...the Tyree catch wasn't The Greatest Play Ever as many maintain if the Giants lost 14-10.

The Lynn Swann catches in Super Bowl X weren't as remarkable if the Steelers lost. Elway's helicopter, Desmond Howard's kick return and on and on.

Meanwhile, look at the effort by Fitzgerald on that play, being three yards deep in the end zone and getting through the junk to track down Harrison at the goal line.

I'm still a little flabbergasted. Yup. My flabber is still gasted.

- Tom E. Curran

The Cardinals dominated the second quarter like the Steelers dominated the first, but they have nothing to show for it. They out-gained the Steelers 129 to 27 by turning almost exclusively to the pass, which seems like a good idea, despite the final result of Kurt Warner's bone-headed pick.  All nine Cardinals first downs are via the pass. 

Most of the stats are close.  The big difference is that Arizona didn't score off Ben Roethlisberger's interception.  James Harrison scored a touchdown none of us will ever forget. 

The Steelers get a chance to show they really can run the ball now with a two-score lead at halftime of the Super Bowl.  If Willie Parker has a half-way decent second half, it's probably all over.

I've written about Arizona's ability to shake off tough situations, but recovering from that Harrison score would show a whole new level of cajones.

- Gregg

 

That's the most amazing play in Super Bowl history. The Cardinals were 6 feet from going up 14-10 at the half and find themselves down 17-7 as James Harrison has the great read, steps in, picks it off and goes the whole way, weaving, hurdling...man.

All done while the clock had gone to zero.

- Tom E. Curran

Karlos Dansby with his tenth career interception after Bryan Robinson tipped a Ben Roethlisberger pass.  That's a very high number for a young middle linebacker.  Dansby is a great player in the open field, so Mewelde Moore did a terrific job laying the wood on Dansby.  And Dansby did a better job holding on to the ball. 

After two long drives to open the game, Pittsburgh's offense has bogged down on the last two.  Arizona, so used to being in bad spots this year, has responded again in this first half. 

- Gregg

By the letter of the law, the chop block call on Edgerrin James was correct.  It's questionable whether the linemen were engaged though when James hit the defender.  That more or less killed a possible scoring drive for Arizona, with LaMarr Woodley's sack on Levi Brown pushing the Cardinals further backward.   The game is moving very quickly.  Both teams have had three possessions in 27+ minutes.

- Gregg

Kurt Warner did a great job getting the ball quickly against the Steelers pass rush early in Arizona's scoring drive.  His anticipation is amazing to watch in person because the receivers don't look remotely open yet when he throws.   Then Warner gets terrific protection for just one play, and the Cardinals hit a 45-yard crosser to Anquan Boldin. 

So to recap: Game definitely not over. 

- Gregg

Two drives, 20 plays, 145 yards, 12:30 time of possession.  They are already shortening the game.   

My little buddy Tom Curran says if Arizona goes three-and-out this drive, it's over.  

- Gregg

This game has been very chippy thus far, with at least three skirmashes and some late hits.  DT Bryan Robinson definitely threw a punch, but nothing was called.  The officials are letting them play. 

OK, we got the third-and-10 playground play by Big Ben when he ran left, doubled back right (running parallel to the line) then whirled and completed an 11-yard pass to Heath Miller.

Previous to that, rookie Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, who electrified with his speed at the combine, tracked down an underthrown bomb to Nate Washington and broke it up.

Now, as the Steelers threaten inside the 5, it's clear that the Cardinals are going to get gassed if they can't put a drive together.

The Steelers have a TOP edge of 11:28 to 3:32.

At the end of one, it's second-and-goal at the 5.

- Tom E. Curran

Arizona needs to stay out third-and-long situations to keep Dick Lebeau's blitzes at bay.  On their third-and-17, James Harrison blitzed without getting touched, ending the play before it started.

- Gregg

Wipe out the Big Ben TD and now the Steelers will settle for a 18-yard field goal. Shorter than an extra point.

Mike Tomlin was likely thinking he didn't want a nine-play, 71-yard drive to yield nothing. Or worse, to have it lead to a 99.5 yard touchdown drive the other way.

Very, very conservative play. On the flipside, it would be interesting to know what Whisenhunt would have done given the potency of the Steelers defense.

- Tom E. Curran

Just like Bill Belichick talked about in pregame, the Steelers use Arizona's aggressiveness against them with a bootleg to a crossing receiver.

That's exactly what the Steelers dial up on the second play from scrimmage for a big gain.

Roethlisberger and Ward look plenty healthy, thank you very much.

-Gregg 

See the nice shots of the players on the sidelines during the National Anthem? Too bad you don't get those during the regular season since the NFL doesn't compel the teams to be on the field during the anthem.

A shame. It'd be nice if the league would make the players be out there for the anthem every week, not just when it suits them to capitalize on an appearance of great nationalistic pride.

(By the way, Jennifer Hudson was tremendous).

- Tom E. Curran

 

Kurt Warner was just named the NFL's Man of the Year and was presented the award by Commish Roger Goodell and Walter Payton's wife. Though it took only a moment, it's something out of the norm. Probably not an ideal time for that, if you're a coach.

-Tom E. Curran

TAMPA - Ben Roethlisberger can be OK to poor and the Steelers can still win because of the Pittsburgh defense.

The Steelers defense can play at a less than optimum level and still be saved by Roethlisberger against a "just OK" Arizona defense.

And the Arizona defense can play poorly but survive if Kurt Warner lights it up.

But if Warner doesn't play well, the Cardinals will lose and this game will turn into a bloodbath. If he gives them the chance, the Steelers won't just force mistakes, they'll score on them. And, in a stadium absolutely loaded with Terrible Towel-waving Steelers fans, this is worst-case scenario.

Warner is the most important player on the field tonight.

- Tom E. Curran

No one will ever accuse Neil Rackers of having weak leg.  He just nailed a 60-yarder in warmups, and hit the crossbar from 65.  So we know where he's good from. 

Jeff Reed hit from 55 with at least five yards to spare.  It's always amazing to see the kickers warm-up, because they simply never miss in practice. 

The crowd is picking up, but it's a closed-air press box, so it's hard to get a feel of how loud it really is.  When the Steelers came out, and the place exploded.  The Cardinals came out, and one or two sections cheer.  It sounds pretty loud - the towels are in full effect.  I suspect it's way louder than last year, if only because most of the crowd is for one team. 

Ben Roethlisberger to Jerome Bettis: "It's the Super Bowl.  Everyone should be nervous." 

For the record, I'm not nervous.   

- Gregg

is excellent, if I can give a sideways plug to something else on the site. Roger Goodell could set his sights on jobs more influential than NFL Commissioner before he's done. The guy is impressive.

- Tom E. Curran

Cardinals inactives: NT Alan Branch, CB Eric Green, FB Tim Castille, LB Victor Hobson, OL Elliot Vallejo, OT Brandon Keith, TE Jerame Tuman, and third QB Brian St. Pierre.

Two of the former Steelers on the roster (St. Pierre and Tuman) won't be able to try to beat their former team.  J.J. Arrington will return kicks and play despite being listed as questionable.  Defensive ends Antonio Smith and Travis LaBoy will play, as expected.

Steelers inactives: S Anthony Smith, third QB Dennis Dixon, CB Fernando Bryant, OLB Bruce Davis, OT Tony Hills, OT Jason Capizzi, DL Scott Paxson, and DE Orpheus Roye are out for Pittsburgh.  No major surprises there.  Smith told me about his plans to hit Larry Fitzgerald as much as possible in the game - he won't get the the chance. 

- Gregg

Jerome Bettis got the entire stadium waving terrible towels as he crossed the field.   Upon reaching Hines Ward, the two did an awkward half-jumping chest bump.

• A really terrible-looking slice of pizza costs $9.  An equally poor-looking turkey sandwich costs $15.  A souvenir cup of beer is a relative bargain at $10.  Luckily, we have the "media brunch" up here with some solid tacos.
• Each seat comes with a Bridgeston seat cushion.  Most writers toss them aside.   At 5-feet-5, I can use it with high tables here.  The cushion comes stuffed with odd goodies like doo-rag and an iTunes Gift card for the free purchase of the video to the Super Bowl.  They also come with an earpiece to listen to the game on NBC or Westwood One, although no one does that. 
• Bill Belichick is on the pregame show, doing the x-ways and talking about taking advantage of Arizona's aggressiveness.  Backside runs or rollouts could mean big plays for the Steelers.   The Cardinals do make a lot of big plays, but also give up plenty of big plays. 

Pretty awesome that Belichick went through the tapes and picked out all the plays to break down.  Hearing Belichick, Tony Dungy, and Mike Holmgren talk about each team is pretty cool.  And I'm not just saying that because I'm an NBC employee.

-- Gregg

Three hours before kickoff, the main press box is at least half full.  A lot of writers without a lot to do.   Ken Whisenhunt and Josh Reed are some of the names already roaming the field.  Some impressions from my way in to the game:

• The first thing you see as you approach the stadium is a sea of black and gold.  Everywhere.  Last year, there was a relatively even split of Giants and Patriots fans, probably leaning towards New England.  This year, it's essentially a Steelers home game.  The gold jerseys are already dotting the seats throughout the stadium.
• Most disappointing trend among the few Cardinals jerseys out there: Matt Leinarts are everywhere.  Second oddest jersey trend: I have seen at least three Charlie Batch jerseys this week.  Bad job. 
• The way into the stadium is on George Steinbrenner Way, right next to George Steinbrenner Field.  This is not a good omen for someone raised in Massachusetts.  The Yankees' spring training facility is massive; more impressive than a lot of major league fields. 
• Last year, I was in the auxiliary press box, which is a level up, and in the stands.  This year, I'm fired up to upgrade.  I want to send a special thanks to Alan Abrahamson, our NBCSports.com writer, for covering winter sports and not the Super Bowl, which is responsible for my upgrade. 
• Some of the writers near me: the Dallas contingent - John McClain, Richard Justice, Charean Williams, and Randy Galloway already chomping on a cigar.  I'm surrounded by the Philadelphia Inquirer crew on the left and Don Banks, Michael Silver, and assorted internet writers on the right.   Even big time internet writers like Silver and Banks get slightly lesser seats than their print counterparts.  Only fair - print has been coming longer. 

-- Gregg

TAMPA - Muted.

That's the word I've kept coming back to this week. The anticipation. The pomp. The parties. The matchup. The star power.

It's all been kinda ... eh ...

I've been to seven Super Bowls now and I never remember one where there was less conversation about the actual matchup. Why?

Blame it on the Cards.

A) People aren't familiar enough with their personnel. Name five guys on their defense, quick ... NBC's Al Michaels told me on Tuesday he's covered three Cardinals games in 23 years of broadcasting. 3.

B) They don't seem trustworthy. Given the way they closed the season and their 9-7 record, they give off a whiff of flukiness.

C) No, zero, zilch in terms of national following.

The Cardinals financial impact on this event has been massive. A man from Texas told me last night that the Eagles rented a hotel/restaurant area in Ybor City to serve as their home base for the week. That area was going to bank a ton of dough off the Philly fans who would have swarmed down to see an intrastate matchup. When the Cardinals won, the reservation went poof and the area lost out.

A merchandising guy I'm friends told me that, if the Cardinals win, his outfit will make tens of millions less than they would if the Steelers win. Cardinals stuff doesn't move.

Combine the Cardinals and the economy - which has been far more discussed this week than the game - and you have a perfect storm for a lower-case super bowl.

You can't get away from economy talk. The Commissioner's address on Friday was dominated by it. The NFLPA's address was the same thing. Lines are being drawn, folks. There's going to be a serious fight as the owners try to wrangle back money they agreed to give the players in 2006 with the current CBA and the players aren't going to give it back.

With that, the belt-tightening among the league and their teams has been palpable. Beyond the scaled-down or eliminated parties, jobs within the league are being slashed. And there's a feeling that, once this game's played, even more will go.

Even the halftime act, Bruce Springsteen, was talking about the economy and the mood of the nation this week, saying he hopes his act can spur some optimism for a country going through a hard time.

And while the effort to bring Bruce in began long before the country's economy tanked, he is the perfect entertainment choice. The hardest working man in rock 'n roll, glitz-free, free of high-tech tricks ... this super bowl needs Bruce. And it might not be on his set list, but the song that would capture what this week and the mood's been about is the last song on "Nebraska," called Reason to Believe.

At the end of every hard-earned day, people find some reason to believe.

- Tom E. Curran

Unlike the Cardinals and Steelers, I’ll admit that I’m happy to be here.  That’s what was speeding through my mind as I ran this morning on Bayshore Drive to the best Hold Steady/Lil’ Wayne mix in creation. (Perhaps the only one.) The weather has improved, already in the low sixties, with no wind, and no chance of rain all day.  The Goodyear blimp is already overhead, the amount of fans asking me for tickets is increasing, and everyone in the hotel is checking their watches, seeing if its time yet to head over to Raymond James Stadium.  Finally, it’s gameday.

The first bus to the game leaves at 1:30, and I plan to be on it.  What else is there to do today?  If I ever take this for granted, if the love for football ever wanes, if I ever can’t get excited for the Super Bowl, then it’s time to quit.  It’s a privilege to be here and I’d write a Bob Hayes style list of thanks to everyone who has helped me get here, and who has helped me while here, if I thought anyone would find it interesting.  (Hayes' letter, incidentally, gave a room full of media schlubs chills.  Awesome, memorable moment.)

I get a lot more excited and nervous talking to the other writers here than the players or coaches.  Talking to the team is our job and it’s their responsibility to talk with us. It’s cool to shoot the bull with Mewelde Moore for ten minutes, but that’s the job; he’s required to talk to me.  Getting to know the men and women I’ve read and respected for so long is more surreal.  Maybe it is because I am coming from the fantasy/Rotoworld background, but it’s weird to think of them as colleagues.  It took a second Super Bowl trip, but now I feel like I belong.  And I want to make sure I come back for a long, long time.

I'm going to grab a quick bite and head over to the stadium.  I'll be blogging from there throughout the pregame.  See you then. 

- Gregg

TAMPA – The Steelers held their Saturday walkthrough today and head coach Mike Tomlin opened it up about 250 friends and family, according to a pool report submitted by Mike Reiss of The Boston Globe. Tomlin invited Reverend Jesse Jackson as well.

This is Reiss' report

"Pittsburgh Steelers held a 38-minute walkthrough at the University of South Florida on Saturday morning, their final on-field practice before Super Bowl XLIII.

The Steelers did not have family members and friends at their final walkthrough practice prior to Super Bowl XL, under former coach Bill Cowher.

“We had some people who have been special to us come to practice today – family members and high school coaches,” Tomlin said.  “It’s not a big deal to us, but it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for them. We wanted to show our appreciation for what they’ve done for us by allowing them to be a part of it.”

 

TAMPA - Despite Deion Sanders' insistence earlier this week that he knows - KNOWS - Donovan McNabb wants to leave the Eagles, McNabb told Philly reporters that wasn't the case.

"Deion is a great guy, but Deion is not speaking for me," McNabb said. "I want to retire as an Eagle. I remember my rookie year or my second year, and I was talking to Mayor Street, and I said that I wanted to bring a Super Bowl back to Philadelphia. I want to go down Broad Street with the parade. The Phillies did it first, and I'm happy that they did. But for myself and Brian Dawkins, it's something we have talked about for years, and it's something we look forward to bringing it back next year."

- Tom E. Curran

When vaunted strength and conditioning coach John Lott arrived in Arizona two years ago, the team’s weight room was pre-historic. Five of the machines were from 1978 and their workout program had weak participation. Something needed to be done, and Lott does not seem like a man of half measures. 

 

“I got rid of everything in there,” Lott said.   

 

The Cardinals were known around the league for their out-dated ways.  Players knew it; reporters knew it.  In a league where the difference between winning and losing is so thin, this was a major competitive disadvantage.  After all, what’s more important than keeping your players healthy and on the field?  With Ken Whisenhunt fully on board and allowing plenty of freedom, Lott set out to change everything in the weight room.  

 

“I told Kenny don’t worry about the horses.  Just rob the bank,” the always-colorful Lott told me this week.

 

The results have been immediate.  Only four Cardinals are on injured reserve and all 53 men on the roster are expected to be available for Super Bowl Sunday.    The Cardinals franchise has drastically modernized since opening their new stadium and adding Whisenhunt.  Lott’s work with the strength and conditioning program was another building block for their success this year.

 

Lott, who played with the ’87 Steelers, is most famous nationally for his work at the NFL Scouting Combine.  When the NFL Network began to televise the event, Lott became something of a cult hero for all the dorks and fans like me who eat up the league’s coverage of the event.  Lott’s awesome weight exhortations of players, nicknames, and catch phrases add color to otherwise drab proceedings.  Most players seem to love it.

 

I asked Lott about why he thinks about become a favorite of the draftniks.

 

“I would call it being more of a representative of a normal person.  Professional sports has detached itself so far from the normal man.  I’m sure you’re not making $7 million this year. I know I’m not.  That is the detachment.  … What I try to do is draw that bridge back to us.  I try to bring these combine guys back to reality.  Back to where we are.  This isn’t a Wonderlic test.  Everyone has a plan until they get hit in the mouth.  You’re about to get hit in the mouth.  And every position coach is going to see how you respond.”

TAMPA - Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin tried this morning to dump water on the notion Ben Roethlisberger  had an MRI on his ribs on Wednesday.

"Like a lot of the situations that go on with Ben's medical status, I don't know where that report came from," said Tomlin. "Ben is fine. He is going to play."

The report came from profootballtalk.com initially and has since been confirmed by other outlets. The Steelers, meanwhile, are casting aspersions but not saying, "Ben didn't have an MRI and he has no pain at all in his torso."

Roethlisberger refused comment on the report when asked by rotoworld and nbcsports.com's Gregg Rosenthal. Tomlin and Steelers PR man both said they weren't aware of any x-ray.

Given that all indications are he did indeed have an MRI, at least they're not going the bald-faced lie route. But more germane to the situation now is how Big Ben will be impacted on Sunday. Will this limit his mobility and agility? And have the Steelers had to tweak their game plan? With Roethlisberger feeling something and Hines Ward not at full speed either, those are two issues to consider before making any Namathian guarantees on the outcome.

- Tom E. Curran

I just got back from Roger Goodell’s state of the league address.  This may sound like a Carson Daly moment, but I could listen to Goodell answer questions all day.  He’s a great public speaker and lets you know exactly where the league stands on a matter, even if you have to translate the legalese.  Some highlights from the proceedings

• Goodell had some very interesting things to say about overtime.  While only 30% of overtime games historically have ended on a first drive field goal, he says that number has risen to 47% recently.  He says the competition committee needs to look at that whether that is dangerous, especially considering how improved kickers are.
• Goodell discussed possibilities like moving the kickoff forward or just starting with the ball on the 20-yard line so that teams have to earn their way down the field.  He says the league will discuss it all this off-season and he expects a recommendation from the committee by the end of March. 
• The league will not revisit the blackout policy, no matter how poor Detroit plays.  Owners may bring up the possibility of taking away the Detroit Thanksgiving game, but he didn’t really comment on that.   Plaxico Burress wasn’t suspended already because he’s not a repeat offender.
• There were a lot of questions about the economy and the CBA, as expected.  Goodell believes that a “flight to quality” in hard economic times will be an assist to the league because it’s such a good product.

Goodell would not directly address why the teams won’t completely open their books to the players.  He said they know the NFL revenues plenty as their partners.  A recently commissioned piece by the NFLPA that claimed teams averaged just under $24 million in profit was “completely inaccurate.” 

Turning to more important subjects than x-rays, I talked to Edgerrin James about his beautiful white Lamborghini purchase.  First of all, James seems like the most relaxed dude on the planet.  Even his saunter to his presser podium was relaxed, taking five minutes to go 100 feet.  Long speed was always an issue with him.

Edge was happy to answer any question, but half of his answers started with, “It’s just football.”  He said he won’t be remotely nervous for the game, and I believe him. 

The only negative thing he had to say all day was that the “sweet” Bucs facility need more pictures of Tony Dungy, because, “that’s my guy.”

I brought up the Lamborghini purchase, and Edge perked up.  I love so many things about the move – getting it parked outside the team hotel for his arrival is a classic memory for the team.  And when I park at the team hotel, James’ car is just hanging out like my rented Pontiac, for everyone to see. 

James has tested out the car some this week, and seems impressed.  I asked if he’ll let any of his friends drive it too.

“My inner circle, we’ll make it work.” 

When asked why he bought this particular car, James says it's partically because he doesn’t like to drive much.

“Lamborghini is a special car, it’s rare. It’s a car that nobody has.  It’s one of those cars you don’t drive all the time.  I don’t like to really drive that much, so it’s perfect for somebody like me.  You don’t have to drive it all the time.”  Then came the line that cracked me up, “Less is more, you know?”

Yes, less is more when you buy your first Lambo.  I finished by asking if he would have bought the car if he didn’t make the Super Bowl.
 
“Why are all y’all here?  It’s the Super Bowl!  It makes sense to get it here.  It’s a fun week.  Why not?”

- Gregg 

Ben Roethlisberger and Mike Tomlin spent part of their day issuing non-denial denials to Mike Florio's report that Big Ben underwent an x-ray on his sore ribs Wednesday.  This morning, ESPN's bottom line going across their Austrailian Open coverage and Mike and Mike confirmed the report. 

In typical ESPN style, they didn't credit Mike Florio or mention who from ESPN has confirmed the report. "Ben Roethlisberger underwent a second x-ray Wednesday on the rib injury he suffered in the AFC championship game," simply ran across the bottom line. 

Again, Roethlisberger is clearly well enough to play and probably play well.  But Pittsburgh's odd refusal to recognize this story makes it appear they don't want it to become a bigger story. 

Profootballtalk.com editor Mike Florio reported early Thursday that Ben Roethlisberger underwent an X-ray on his rib Wednesday. I got a chance to ask Roethlisberger about it less than an hour later.

Gregg: There was a report on profootballtalk.com earlier today that you underwent an x-ray yesterday. Do you care to comment on the report?

Ben: Nope

Gregg: Is there any truth to the report? 

Ben: I don't know, didn't you just ask me if I was going to comment on that?

At this point Roethlisberger uncomfortably laughed a few times. 

Gregg: How is your back and ribs feeling  after the Baltimore game?

Ben: Fine.

Gregg: Have you had any complications from the injuries?

Ben: Not that I know of.

Roethlisberger clearly wasn't happy to be answering these questions, but he didn't seem surprised by them.  I didn't expect him to confirm the story, but it was telling he chose not to deny getting the x-ray.  He also showed up ten minutes late, which is very rare for these things in my experience.  A conspiracy theorist might think that  he was being prepped to answer the questions.

In the end, it could be usual procedure to get the x-ray or it could be something more.  The only guarantee we have is that the Steelers won't say another word about it.  The players are done with their media responsibilities.  Mike Tomlin will speak one more time Friday.

- Gregg

2:33 PM UPDATE : The incredibly efficient NFL public relations staff distributes daily transcripts of each press conference at the Media center.  My questions to Roethlisberger were omitted from his quote sheet Thursday.

A reporter can only be in so many places, so these sheets are invaluable for all the media in Tampa. Occasionally, some questions are left off by mistake or the sound quality is too poor, but that wasn't the case here.  The questions before and after my inquiries are included in the transcript.  Roethlisberger spoke clearly into microphone when he talked. 

Again, we don't know anything other than what Mike Florio reported.  But it's clear someone is interested in making sure the story doesn't grow any bigger. 

James Harrison, who I have tried to stay away from all week because he frightens me, was not an admirer of any particular football player growing up.  In fact, he doesn't really like sports.

"I really didn't watch sports.  I still don't watch sports.  I go home and I watch cartoons 24/7.  I couldn't tell you what's on ESPN or NFL Network or whatever it may be.  Like this right here? I won't see this.  I don't have a favorite cartoon but I have a group of cartoons that I like to watch like Adult Swim, Family Guy, American Dad and stuff like that.  Or I can go old-school with Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and a little bit of Pink Panther."  (You don't want too much Pink Panther.)

For some reason, this makes Harrison more terrifying to me.

While we're on the subject of Harrison, I got one oddly revealing tidbit from Steelers LB Lamarr Woodley.  He said he expected Harrison to have a lot of coverage responsibilties in this game, while Woodley rushed the passer more.  The news just sorta slipped out in the middle of a rant, so I don't think he's planting intentionally wrong seeds.   

- Gregg

TAMPA - Tuesday afternoon, while reporters and camera people jockeyed for space near John Madden, Al Michael, Keith Olbermann and Dan Patrick, Fred Gaudelli sat staring at a printout of numbers.

Gaudelli, the producer for Sunday's Super Bowl XLIII on NBC, was asked what he was staring at so intently. The answer? Breaks. Which ones needed to be a hair longer than normal, which ones were dropped in to spots you normally wouldn't find them.

"We have to make sure the officials know when these breaks are and that we communicate with them so they don't come back too early," explained Gaudelli.

This is Gaudelli's third Super Bowl and first for NBC. He, along with director Drew Esocoff, will be pulling the visual levers on Steelers-Cardinals.

"The biggest challenge of doing a Super Bowl is all the things you do that don’t have anything to do with the game itself. It takes a lot of choreography, a lot of preparation and it can become taxing if you allow it to," says Gaudelli. "Between 6 and 6:30 (right before kickoff) there’s a lot of pomp taking place. You have the teams taking the field, you have America the Beautiful, you have the Naitonal Anthem, you have the Walter Payton Award winner, you have the coin toss with many dignitaries. A lot of money, time and production has gone into all that from the NFL’s end and you have to cover it in a very, very special way.

"But at the same time America’s ready to watch a game," he says. " So you want to keep things moving but you want a tight, crisp production. These people that (do the pregame festivities) do it all the time but they don’t do it with teams all the time. We do and we know the traps to doing that so it’s a collaboration."

Once the game begins, the broadcast team - including those who never appear on-camera - needs to walk the tightrope of engaging the once-a-year fan while not irking the diehards.

"You’re on to the trick," said play-by-play legend Al Michaels. "There aare a lot of people who know next to noighting about it and they will sit down and watch one game a year and this is that year. On the other hand, every football fan in Amercia knows a lot about the game and will watch it. But you can’t do Kurt Warner's life story in the middle of the game. You just can’t. Even though it might be interesting to someone watching their first Super Bowl game and they'd say, ‘Wow, I didn’t know that,’ it's impossible. So what we try to do is find little sidebars to the main story that advance what the basis is but avoids pissing off the fan that watches all the time. You have to be so careful about what stories during the week have been told ad nauseum. There will be some stories that will be played out by Saturday. People will say, 'Enough.' We have to be aware of what those stories are."

Nobody's louder post-Super Bowl than the armchair media critics that lambaste the product. In some cases, they have a gripe. Michaels, Gaudelli and Esocoff want to avoid giving them one.  

"You should be prepared to tell the seminal stories of the game but there’s a good chance the game won’t lead you to all of your stories and you don’t want to force them," said Gaudelli. "If all of a sudden, you’re doing your own show, you’re pissing off most of America. There’s really nothing better than a crisp football game. Just make sure you have it covered and people will be enthused about it as opposed to doing your own thing."

Michaels says this is just the third Cardinals game he's broadcast in 23 years. Because of that, he's spending his time brushing up on the Cards at "60-40" rate.

"We’ll go into the game ready to do anything and everything," says Michaels. "You go in completely prepared but you have to let the game come to you. John Madden says, 'You have all of this info and then a game breaks out.'"
 
In addition to Madden and Michaels in the booth are Andrea Kremer and Alex Flanagan on the sidelines.

-- Tom

Because I'm a dink (Great Curran-ism), I couldn't figure out how to get our video embed code to work in this blog admin ... until now!  To put a nice little bow on our media coverage, here's a look at the biggest eaters on both teams.  Sadly, the cheesburger under the arm story did not make the cut.  We were robbed.  Also included after the jump: the players talk about who the best Ladies man on each team is, complete with visual proof that Cardinals MLB Gerald Hayes digs my sunglasses.  Success! 
 

Wake up call is bright and early for the reporters covering the Cardinals.  (I call us "B team.")   On Wednesday and Thursday, we scurry over to their team hotel before 8AM to hear Ken Whisenhunt and a star player (Kurt Warner today) talk alone for 15 minutes each.  They get off easy: the rest of the players are stuck with us for 45 minutes after that, seated at folding tables spread out underneath an outdoor tent.  Six players get a podium during that time.  I'll be using some of the material later for a longer story, but here are some general impressions from the morning.

• The politics of who gets a podium is fascinating.  They try to spread out the podium love during the week, but superstars like Warner and Larry Fitzgerald need the protection.  Anquan Boldin hasn't had a podium in two days, including yesterday when over ten players did!  It's not a big deal, but it's weird for a two-time Pro Bowler.  If the Cardinals were at all worried about Boldin's story turning negative this week, they know now that it won't.  He has been the picture of team-first talk and genuinely doesn't seem annoyed with his contract situation or the team.  His tolerance for repeating inane questions is rather high.
• Antrel Rolle is not a morning person, yawning repeatedly before I sidled up to talk to him.  He had an interesting comment about the change in leadership by Adrian Wilson's this year, saying Wilson was unapproachable in the past.  "He wasn't too player-friendly before," Rolle said.

That may be the first time in history a player was called out for not being 'player friendly."

• I talked to Wilson again today and can see how he would give off that vibe.  He has a laser-like intensity that could rub people the wrong way, but his love for football shines through if you listen.  When the other guys showed up in suits Monday, Wilson had on a hoodie.  He doesn't care much for appearances and said he turned off his phone the night Arizona won the NFC Championship so he could focus on the Super Bowl.  That's how we want our athletes to be. 

 One local TV guy, completely disregarding everyone at the table this morning, shoved a "boom mike" in Wilson's face and asked him to speak up.  Wilson said "this is how I talk.  And I was talking to this dude," gesturing to me.

I loved it; the other writers loved it.  (The local TV species that assumes they can just cut off any reporter if they have a camera so they can ask 'How crazy is all this attention' is the most vile I've met down here.)  

• Wilson says he "idolizes" Troy Polamalu and is his ability to cover ground in the secondary.  Both Wilson and Polamalu say they watch tape of each other during the off-season to improve.
• I'm doing a piece on Larry Fitzgerald and everyone seems to agree his practice habits have improved quite a bit over the last two years.  Fitzgerald and Ken Whisenhunt think he's better after the catch because his routes are more precise, giving him more separation and room to run when he makes a catch.  Fitz also keeps mentioning how much faster he is after losing 15 pounds.

- Gregg

TAMPA - Mike Tomlin was asked this morning about the status of Hines Ward's right knee during the media access session at the University of South Florida.

"It's awesome!" Tomlin said, a trace of a smile wafting across his face at the overstatement.

Ward has a sprained MCL. It's the same kind of injury that kept Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson out of last year's AFC Championship game because it's virtually impossible to cut sharply without pain.

"(Whatever happens Sunday), it won't be an excuse for the condition of the knee," said Tomlin.

Larry Fitzgerald addressed reports Wednesday morning that he would be willing to restructure his contract to help keep Anquan Boldin. 

 

"I don't know where that came from,” Fitzgerald started, but then didn’t exactly shoot down the reports. 

 

"Someone asked me if I'd be willing to do something to help the team and I said absolutely. ... This is an amazing feeling and I'll do anything I have to do to get back to this point."

 

Fitzgerald is a very honest and open interview subject.  He answered a question about helping the team; of course he wants to.   Whether that’s feasible or necessary is another question.

 

Fitzgerald’s agent Eugene Parker, probably isn’t in love with the topic being out in the ether so publicly.  Ultimately, Parker will have the biggest say here and would probably prefer that these conversations not go on during Super Bowl week.

 

It’s also worth pointing out that Arizona has a lot of cap room.  They have every reason to want to keep Boldin happy, and NFL.com’s Adam Schefter cites league sources that believe Boldin will be happy to stay if the Cardinals give him a sufficient offer.  

And why shouldn’t they?  Boldin is a highly productive player in his prime, who is far more of a team leader than his recent reputation would suggest.  We’ll hear plenty of Boldin rumors early in the off-season, but the most likely endgame is that he’ll return to the Cardinals.     

- Gregg

The Steelers defense knows that it will be a tall task to stop Larry Fitzgerald on Super Bowl Sunday, and have a few different ideas on how to do it.

 

Safety Anthony Smith and others said the best way to slow Fitz down was to hit him - often. "As a safety, I’m going to hit him any time that I can.  Try to tire him out.  Because if he’s fresh, he’s going to be a problem."

 

Surging outside linebacker Lamarr Woodley thinks you have to stop Fitzgerald by concentrating elsewhere.

 

"To slow Larry down, you gotta go back there and hit the quarterback.  You gotta hit the guy that is most dangerous.  And the most dangerous is the guy with the ball."

 

As I mentioned below, Fitzgerald's teammates are his biggest fans. Video evidence right here:

Breaking sports news video. MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL highlights and more.

 

- Gregg

I focused most of my media day energy on some goofy videos that we'll get up on the site over the next few days.  That didn't leave a lot of time for "football" questions, but that's what the rest of the week is for.  I found last year that the sessions with the players from Wednesday-to-Friday were a lot more useful for getting good info.  With that said, here are a few stray thoughts from the proceedings.

• Both teams were very loose, unlike the Patriots last season. Media Day is inherently trivial and silly, but most of the players, especially the lesser ones, seem to enjoy the moment.
• More than any player, Larry Fitzgerald inspires awe from his teammates.  Everyone had a crazy Fitzgerald practice catch story to tell, and we'll get those up on the site shortly.  Apparently he pulled off a one-handed cross-hand grab with his fingertips that is hard to imagine. 
• Ryan Clark and Adrian Wilson got the nods for the players who can lay the most wood on the field.  Early Doucet said he's cautious around Wilson even in practice, when he knows they can't hit at full speed. 
• I hesitate to draw any conclusions from these gab-fests, but nothing about the Steelers smack of overconfidence.  They are ready to play, but their healthy respect for the Arizona offense seems genuine.  They also have enough new or young players who have talked about getting their ring.  It's a good mix of youth, talent, and experience.
• Surprise funniest player: Steelers C Justin Hartwig.  He'll be a star of the videos.
• I've come to the conclusion that tight ends are the scariest looking dudes on a football team.  Heath Miller comes to mind.  The offensive linemen are bigger, but they are the best talkers and not in conventionally great shape.  My favorite story about some of the ridiculous eating that linemen undertake was about Max Starks.  It seems he's developed a way to sneak cheeseburgers into meetings by pressing them under his arms.  Then when the coach isn't looking, he takes a bite and puts it back.  Yummy.          
• There were a lot of comments from the male population at the stadium about the impressive female talent this year.  I concur.  Maria Menuonous was a personal favorite.  I give a lot of credit to the beat writer who essentially was hitting on her after it was over.
• Cardinals MLB Gerald Hayes complimented me on my sunglasses and said I had style, which is is first time anyone has ever said that in my life.  My wife, as usual, is to thank.   
• More than once, I saw a young defensive back tell Deion Sanders that he was their idol and ask for a picture.  It's fun to see the pros acting like nervous kids. 
• The NFL Players have spoken: Madden '09 was a step backward. 

I'm working on a column now that will try to be a little more coherent than this mess.  Thanks for stopping by.

-Gregg  

Most players are shy about saying too much on Media Day.  Cardinals rookie running back Tim Hightower is not one of those players. 

"I'm not going to be shy about (saying I'm going to score.)  It's going to happen.  It's going to happen twice. ... It's going to be a lot of fun and I'm going to enjoy it." 

Hightower will probably be in at the goal line over Edgerrin James.  The Cardinals have improved their short-yardage offense in recent weeks, but running on Casey Hampton and the Steelers is another matter.

Maybe Hightower got his candor from his mentor James, who was soaking in the moment on Media Day, loose as ever.  Like many of the Cardinals, James feels he has something to prove. 

"I'm an African American.  I'm always the underdog."

-- Gregg

TAMPA - Deion Sanders said this morning that he "knows" Donovan McNabb wants to part ways with the Eagles.

Sanders, on duty flapping gums for the NFL Network this week, was asked by Philadelphia Inquirer writer Bob Brookover why he hates Philadelphia.

"I never said I didn’t like Philly," said Sanders. "It’s a beautiful city. What I said about Philly was, 'Donovan McNabb wants to leave.'"

Brookover followed up by asking why McNabb wants to leave.

"Maybe because they booed him on draft day, maybe because they continually doubted him when he took them to four championship hgames. Maybe because no matter what he does its never enough."

Brookover then pointed out that McNabb has said he wants to remain with the Eagles.  

"Donovan’s a well-spoken, articulate guy," said Sanders. "He does a great job of presenting himself professionally in front of the media. I’m telling you what I KNOW. Not what I heard. I’m telling you what I KNOW not what I heard."

I then asked Sanders how we could "know" if McNabb didn't personally tell Sanders he wanted to leave.  

Deion got irked.

"I’m part of the media too," he said. "You can’t put stuff on me and in my mouth. This is what I do too. You come at me like that. If I was going to say he told me, I’d say he told me. Did I say that?"

So, apparently, McNabb either came to Deion in a dream and told him his wants and needs or Sanders divined this information through telepathy.

Or, McNabb told Sanders and Sanders didn't like being called on how he came into possession of such knowledge.

Either way, if McNabb does indeed want out of Philadelphia, he should probably stop agitating for a contract extension as he's already done. It kinda muddies the waters.

- Tom E. Curran

Heading out for Media Day shortly.  I'll be collecting quotes and some video clips throughout the day at the stadium, so it will oddly be a quiet early part of the day on the blog.  We'll be back here to report on the shenanigans in the middle of the afternoon.   If you have any questions you want asked today or for the rest of the week, leave them in the comments and we'll see what we can do.  Remember: the less famous the player, the easier it is to talk to them!

- gregg

Six Cardinals got in a 15-minute practice today for answering dumb questions.  This will make tomorrow's hour-long Media Day less of a shock. 

One thing you quickly notice at the Super Bowl is that the media festivities are not for the big-time football media.  They stand on the sidelines, knowing they won't get much of value from the big setting. 

My least favorite kind of question is the indirect slam.  It usually starts with, "A lot of people are talking that you guys aren't very good at blank.  (Let's say defense.)

Or:  "The perception by many people is Blank.  How does that make you feel?"

Or my favorite:  "What do you say to all the haters?"

This is annoying on so many levels.  First, no one cares.  Second, the reporter is the one bringing up the issue - no one else.  Stop passing off the buck to "The perception" or "A lot of people" or "America". 

A perfect example from today was a guy who asked this question to multiple Cardinals: "The problem a lot of people have with your defense is that you gave up more points than anybody else that has ever reached the Super Bowl.  How many times do you expect to be asked about this?"

I am naturally a calm, tiny man, but this is so moronic I want to punch something.  He went for the double-indirect slam!  Just say you have the problem.  You are asking the question.  Okay ... breathe.  Standout safety Adrian Wilson is cooler than I am and answered it well. 

"I don't (expect to be asked).  We were better than every opponent in the playoffs.  That's all that matters."

Defensive end Bertrand Berry answered it how I was hoping. 

"I'll just say this.  It doesn't really matter how many times I'm asked it because I still gotta talk about it.  If you want to waste your ink and paper on it, be my guest."

- Gregg

One unsurprising theme I took from the Cardinals first media availability Monday, especially from their forgotten defense: They are going to play the Us Against the World angle.  Hard.  This can be tiring, but it works.  They believe in it.  And judging by some of the borderline insulting questions they received Monday, there is plenty of truth in the angle.

"The fact of the matter is that perception can't help us on Sunday. ... We don't care what people thing about us.  People have said they don't like the fact that the Cardinals are in the Super Bowl.  Too bad.  We're here.  You don't wanna watch us, watch something else.  I'm sure there's programming on other channels.  Good luck with that. ... We deserve to be here, we've earned the right to be here and we're not making any apologies. ... Change usually comes with a lot of resistance."

Well said.  I also appreciated Berry's professionalism in wearing a sweater vest despite answering questions in a humid tent.  Between Berry and Fitzgerald, the Cardinals have the most sweater vests on a single team since my high school tennis squad.  And we won the state title!  Omen?

- Gregg 

I'm running out the door to get on a bus for the Cardinals presser, but wanted to pass along a quick tidbit from Warrick Dunn.  The classy Buc was talking about a worthy program for high scool kids called Financial Football.  Afterwards we talked briefly about the change in Tampa this off-season.  He made it clear he wasn't going to go Garcia by trashing the outgoing Jon Gruden coaching staff.  No surprise there. 

Dunn said he hasn't spoken to the new Bucs coach and GM (Raheem Morris and Mark Domenik) yet, but he knows them of course since they have been with the organization. 

Gruden really revived Dunn's career last season.  Dunn should be back with the team, but one wonders if he'll fit the new offense as perfectly as he did the last one.  

- Gregg

TAMPA - Just back from a quick lunch at Champions in the Marriott next to the convention center. Solid quesadilla (also pronounced CASE -uh-Dill-uh).

I dined with ESPN's Michael Smith, a friend I competed with on the Patriots beat when he was at the Boston Globe and I was at the Providence Journal.

We spent much of the time discussing whether or not Tom Brady will be full-go for the start of the 2009 regular season.

After a while of batting that hypothetical back and forth, Smith's ESPN colleague Tom Jackson sat down with us. Explaining that he was in Pittsburgh last week working on interviews that will run on the station, Jackson couldn't get over how commanding and impressive Steelers coach Mike Tomlin was.

I had the same take on Tomlin in the days leading into the AFC Championship game. When he speaks, there's never an "uh" or an "ummm" or a search for the right word. It's all right there, stream-of-consciousness, run through a wall stuff that Tomlin delivers in such a brutally honest but matter-of-fact way.

Said Jackson, "We finished talking and I said, 'How old are you again?' I'm 57. And he was just so impressive."

-- Tom E. Curran

As Tom mentioned earlier, radio row has a toned-down feel to it this year.  That is partly because it's Monday, the quietest day of the Super Bowl week.  But it's also a smaller area because fewer stations are sending crews.  The few that are left were fighting over the right to talk to Michael Irvin when I walked through.

The main hall of the media center is an odd-looking mix of sloppy-looking writers like myself walking past red and cream-colored leather couches.  A pool table is set up, along with video game systems on monstrous HDTVs.  I have not been able to confirm that any writer knows how to play

The whole shebang is set up right on the water; NFL Network put their main set out there.  Since I feel naked without actually mentioning, you know, football, here is point I've been meaning to make that the Cardinals and Steelers highlight: running the football is overrated.   

Also I can confirm based on NFL Network's breathless reporting: The Steelers have landed! We'll be talking to the teams at their hotels later this afternoon. 

-- Gregg

• There is some thought that perhaps Edgerrin James won't get cut after all.  He's been a nice story and all this post-season, but he's still a below average starting running back.  Barring a 200-yard game in the Super Bowl, I don't think there is much chance he's back in 2009 at $5 million. A ring would bolster his Hall of Fame credentials, though
• Ken Whisenhunt learned something about having a consistent message from Dick Lebeau.   Expect me to talk about Dick Lebeau way too much this week as I join the Steelers players in trying to get this man into the Hall of Fame discussion next year. 
• Cardinals curfew starts on Wednesday.  If the players are going to have fun in Tampa, it will be the next two nights before the families arrive en masse later in the week.  I'll never forget Laurence Maroney intentionally losing at 10PM at the Madden Bowl last year because otherwise "Belichick will be looking for me."
• Worth hitting this link just for the picture of Dan Rooney and Barack Obama.  It's been quite a year for Rooney considering the impending sale of the team.  I wrote about the Rooneys and Bidwells as the ninth storyline we won't get sick of this week. 
• The Chiefs shouldn't assume much about Tyler Thigpen.  He could be the answer, but you can't count on it. Something tells me Scott Pioli won't be counting on it. 
• Kerry Collins already has a promise to start for the Titans next season.  Where does that leave Vince Young? Will anyone possibly want to trade for him?  I doubt Collins gets a similar promise elsewhere, so he should be back in Tennessee.  
• The Spanos' are unsurprisingly not happy about the LaDainian Tomlinson/A.J. Smith feud.  I've already seen the San Diego media contingent this morning, so I'll ask them for the skinny on the matter once they get over the jet lag.   
• The Eagles are sticking with Marty Morningweigh as offensive coordinator.

- Gregg 

It doesn’t take long to remember exactly why you arrived in Tampa this week.  The minute I stepped off the plane last night, the Super Bowl welcome committee greeted me warmly, with brochures in hand.  Super Bowl XLIII decals are on every elevator and hallway I’ve seen in the city.  Bud Bowl and NFLPA ads are on the rest.

Spotting NFL Network's Rod Woodson at baggage claim seemed to be a good omen for the week.  He looked conflicted wearing a Steelers shirt and a Falcons cap pulled low over his eyes, but couldn’t be nicer to the guy who asked for him to sign a “Football for Dummies” book.

Unfortunately, my bag never did arrive.  It’s supposed to come this morning, which robs the rest of Tampa from seeing me in the same navy hoodie all week.

The media center is located right next to my hotel, so I'll be over there shortly to get the lay of the land.  Be back in a few minutes first with some links from the morning.

- Gregg

TAMPA - We. Is. Here.

Southwest delivered me last night to Tampa, Florida, site of Super Bowl 43 and a place with a lot more degrees than the place in the Northeast from which I flew (Providence). It's about 55 here and I haven't seen 55 degrees since back in 2008.

I got in at 11:30 p.m. and, after first going to the wrong Embassy Suites (I just punched the first one that came up on the Neverlost in my snappy wine-colored Impala), I redirected myself to the correct one which is on the water and connected to the convention center.

The Embassy Suites and Marriott are the two main hotels for this Super Bowl so I got myself at ground zero for the preamble.

This is my sixth Super Bowl since 2001 and it's always a little surreal on Sunday night when you get to town and it's basically nothing but bunting, banners and silence. Calm before the storm. By Wednesday the downtown will be quite stacked and by Friday, when the fans arrive, it'll be shoulder-to-shoulder.

That's another interesting dynamic. The people working the Super Bowl have long since gotten used to their grind when the fans arrive full of piss and vinegar (and beer and stuff). I often tell my friends (ok, friend) that this is one of the more amusing parts of working a big event...you're on the phone with your desk talking about a story and carrying a laptop while some 334-pound guy in a Casey Hampton jersey is sweating like a fountain and singing Christmas carols right next to you.

In anticipation of the weekend crush, I got myself off the 17th floor where I was right next to the elevator. A parade of drunks (good name for a band) at 3:30 a.m. disembarking outside my door on Friday and Saturday night I can do without. I'm going to a lower floor. Plus I'm scared of heights.

So far today, I got myself credentialed up at the media center and swung through to see who was in there. At 9 a.m., there weren't many. Rick Gosselin, a friend from the Dallas Morning News, told me that there will be 20 fewer radio stations on "radio row" this week than in the past. Many papers pulled the plugs on their coverage.

Gary Shelton, a talented Tampa columnist, was the last guy I saw in the media center this morning.

I asked him how it's going so far (writers for papers in the host city have a special little hell to deal with), "We're two steps into the desert. I'm fine so far."

- Tom E. Curran

That's how long until I touch down in Tampa for Super Bowl XLIII, not a forgotten Nick Nolte sequel.  I'm pretty fired up to be sharing this blog with the award-winning Mr. Curran.  We'll bring you all the scuttlebutt, interviews, news, and links from football's biggest week. 

In the meantime, here are a few of the links catching my eye on this Friday afternoon. 

• Could this be Steelers defensive coordinator Dick Lebeau's last game?
• On tape, Ben Roethlisberger and Kurt Warner can't get any different. 
• Reason No. 4,081 Mike Tomlin is awesome.  Here's what he said about Limas Sweed's big drop in the AFC Championship:

"I wasn't mad because he dropped the ball.  That kind of mistake can happen to anyone. I was pissed that he'd lay on the ground, fake an injury and cost us our last timeout. My point was, Be a man! Grow up!"

Sweed bounced back to make some plays, including a devastating block, but the Steelers need Hines Ward healthy so Sweed's involvement is limited.  I'd wager that the rookie leads the league in drops/target. 

• An extended interview with Al Michaels a week before calling the Super Bowl. 

Two days and counting until I head down to Tampa for "the big game" ... my pal Gregg Rosenthal and I will be updating you on everything we hear behind the scenes, so check back often.

- Tom