Super BOWL News

[funman]

NFL appoints Scott Green as referee for Super Bowl XLIV

FORT LAUDERDALE -- The NFL has appointed referee Scott Green to officiate his third Super Bowl when the Colts and Saints meet on Sunday.

Green, who previously served as a back judge in Super Bowls XXXVI and XXXVIII, will serve as the referee for the first time in an NFL title game. He is a 19-year veteran who has officiated 12 playoff games, most recently the Cardinals' 51-45 OT win against the Packers in the wild-card round.

The NFL rewards its highest-performing officials (based on the league's internal evaluation system) with an invitation to work the Super Bowl. Green will be joined by umpire Undrey Wash, head linesman John McGrath, line judge Jeff Seeman, field judge Rob Vernatchi, side judge Greg Meyer and back judge Greg Steed.

[allinone]

Super Bowl has surprising -- and unusual -- Seahawks' flavor

Obviously the Seattle Seahawks didn't know what kind of talent they had this season, lurking on their practice squad.
Turns out Na'Shan Goddard and Marlon Favorite, two outgoing sorts who never played a down for the Seahawks, are contributing this week to the New Orleans Saints' efforts both on and off the field in preparation for Sunday's Super Bowl.

Goddard and Favorite were signed to the Saints' practice squad in the postseason. Both are eligible to receive Super Bowl rings if the Saints can beat the Indianapolis Colts.

And both were up-front and personable during Tuesday's Media Day craziness in Miami.

Goddard played for the Seahawks in two games at the end of the 2008 season during Seattle's ultra-injury plagued stretch on the offensive line, then spent this entire year on the practice squad.

When the Saints needed another big body in the postseason, they added the 26-year-old to their squad. And wouldn't you know it, there was the extroverted Goddard drawing attention at Media Day when he bench pressed a willing reporter for a photo opportunity (see picture above).

As for Favorite?

Na'Shan Goddard

Most Seahawks fans probably never heard the guy's name, but the former LSU standout signed with Seattle on Dec. 8 and practiced with the team the final month.

While his impact was minimal in the Pacific Northwest, he quickly turned into a fan Favorite on Tuesday with his impromptu singing effort during media day.

It doesn't hurt that Favorite is a Louisiana native who had been recording music under the name "Big Fav" with his hip-hop group, Black Vynm, between his gigs with the Seahawks and Saints.

William Rhoden of the New York Times wrote about Favorite's impromptu song-and-dance routine.

Seahawks fans can be forgiven for not recognizing Favorite, given he bounced from four practice squads during the regular-season and has yet to play in an NFL game.

He won't play this week either, but like Goddard is helping the Saints' scout team efforts and lending depth in practice in preparation for the Colts.

And here's a video of several players doing their best American Idol efforts during media day, with Favorite the last one on the tape.

Marlon Favorite

[sports]

Colts' Freeney misses third straight practice, listed as questionable

Colts star defensive end Dwight Freeney missed his third straight day of practice Friday and is listed as questionable to play against the New Orleans Saints in Sunday's Super Bowl.

If that wasn't bad enough for the Colts, Reggie Wayne gave the team quite a scare Friday when he pulled up short on a pass route. He left practice 20 minutes early after aggravating an injured right knee.

Coach Jim Caldwell said Wayne hurt the soft tissue below his kneecap. Wayne is listed as probable and Caldwell plans on him playing against New Orleans. Wayne got through the injury most of the season.

Caldwell said Freeney might do some running or participate in a simulated practice later in the day. Freeney hopes to work out Saturday.

Earlier Friday, Caldwell said Freeney's recovery was "trending in the right direction," a message he reiterated after the workout at the Miami Dolphins' team complex.

"This is right in line with our plans," Caldwell said. "He's making very good progress."

Freeney has been receiving treatment several times daily since arriving in South Florida last week, trying to speed up the recovery after tearing a ligament in his right ankle during the Colts' AFC title game victory over the New York Jets.

The Colts got good news on two other starters.

Left guard Ryan Lilja returned to practice after missing Thursday's workout with a sore back. He is listed as probable.

Starting cornerback Jerraud Powers practiced for the first time since hurting his left foot against Baltimore on Jan. 16. Before practice, Caldwell announced that Powers had undergone surgery to repair a fracture. He also is questionable for the Saints game.

Indy has one more workout scheduled, a 40-minute walkthrough Saturday at noon, and Caldwell liked what he saw.

"These practices were right in line with what we've done all year, and we're pleased," he said. "Things have worked out great for us here."

[sports]

Colts Super Bowl loss would ‘absolutely’ shock Dungy

Tony Dungy is convinced that his former team, the Colts, will win Super Bowl XLIV against the Saints.

Dungy might be a little biased and stating the obvious — like Microsoft founder Bill Gates announcing that he’s rich — but the retired coach made a compelling point for the Colts while appearing on Dan Patrick’s syndicated radio show (via the USA Today).

“I would be absolutely shocked (if the Colts lose Sunday),” Dungy said. “They haven’t lost a game yet this year that they were trying to win.”

Of course, many would have been shocked if Dungy said something different.

Dungy certainly looked shocked when the Chargers ended his coaching career by handing the Colts a 23-17 wild-card loss in the 2008 playoffs. That was the last time the Colts lost a game they were trying to win.

The Colts finished this season 14-2, but they drew criticism for resting their starters down the stretch instead of pursuing a perfect record.

Dungy was open about his feelings on who will win the Super Bowl, but he suggested that his replacement, Jim Caldwell, play it cool with DE Dwight Freeney’s ankle injury.

“That way, New Orleans really has to think about (Freeney possibly playing),” Dungy said.

[sports]

Saints, Colts square off with Super Bowl title on lineSaints WR Marques Colston vs. Colts CB Kelvin Hayden
Colston led the Saints in receiving during the regular season, but he caught just two passes for 22 yards in the NFC Championship Game vs. the Vikings. He's a physical receiver with good size and height and deceptive speed. He also has very good jumping ability. When the Saints are in the red zone, look for Drew Brees to try to connect with Colston on a high throw.

Hayden is in his fifth season, his third as a starter, with the Colts. He played wide receiver at the University of Illinois for three years before moving to cornerback. He's a very good zone corner, with read-and-react ability and excellent quickness for the position. He has good burst to the ball in man coverage. Like Colts safety Antoine Bethea, Hayden is a low-block tackler.

Hope u understand..COMMON TO WATCH
NEW ORLEAN SAINTS - INDIANAPOLIS COLTS ...


Excepting GOOD GAME like ALWAYS

[interested]

Super Bowl XLIV beats 'M-A-S-H' finale for U.S. viewership record

The New Orleans Saints' 31-17 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV was watched by an average of more than 106 million people, surpassing the 1983 finale of "M-A-S-H" to become the most-watched program in U.S. television history, the Nielsen Co. said on Monday.

Compelling story lines involving the city of New Orleans and its ongoing recovery from Hurricane Katrina, as well as Colts quarterback Peyton Manning's attempt at a second Super Bowl ring propelled viewership of Sunday's game in Miami Gardens, Fla. Football ratings have been strong all season.

"It was one of those magical moments that you don't often see in sports," said Sean McManus, president of CBS News and Sports.

Nielsen estimated Monday that 106.5 million people watched the Super Bowl on average and 151.6 million tuned in overall. The "M-A-S-H" record was an average of 105.97 million.

The viewership estimate obliterated the previous record viewership for a Super Bowl -- last year's game between the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers. That game was seen by an average of 98.7 million people, Nielsen said.

Super Bowl XLIV received a 45.0 rating, making it the highest-rated NFL championship game in 14 years (46.0 rating for Steelers-Dallas in Super Bowl XXX, January 1996). It was a 7 percent increase over last year's 42.0 rating.

The "M-A-S-H" ratings record has proven as durable and meaningful in television as Babe Ruth's record of 714 home runs was in baseball until topped by Hank Aaron. Ultimately, it might be hard to tell which program really was watched by more people. There's a margin for error in such numbers, and Nielsen's Monday estimate was preliminary and could change with a more thorough look at data due Tuesday.

"It's significant for all of the members of the broadcasting community," said Leslie Moonves, CBS Corp. CEO. "For anyone who wants to write that broadcasting is dead, 106 million people watched this program. You can't find that anywhere else."

Moonves predicted that CBS will earn more in advertising revenue than in any other Super Bowl. The good ratings for the game and football in general also set CBS and other football broadcasters up well when selling advertising for next season, he said.

The Nielsen estimate also drew some congratulations from Alan Alda, the star of "M-A-S-H."

"If the 'M-A-S-H' audience was eclipsed, it was probably due in large part to the fact that the whole country is rooting for New Orleans to triumph in every way possible," Alda said. "I am, too, and I couldn't be happier for them. I love that city."

There are more American homes with television sets now (114.9 million) than there were in 1983 (83.3 million). An estimated 77 percent of homes with TVs on were watching "M-A-S-H" in 1983, compared with the audience share of 68 percent for the Super Bowl.

Nielsen also measures only the United States, and it's possible that some World Cup soccer games were seen more worldwide. Accurate measurement of television audiences outside the U.S. is spotty at best.

Alda also wondered whether the numbers were too close to declare a new champion. He believes Nielsen didn't take into account large numbers of people watching "M-A-S-H" communally, which often is the case for football games, too.

"Not to say I'm competitive, but in part we are talking about sports," he said. "And I actually am competitive."

McManus didn't want to jinx it, but the abnormally strong viewership for football this season left him hoping for a record. The NFC and AFC championship games both had their biggest audiences since the 1980s. The growth of high-definition television and its appeal to sports fans also has helped.

A competitive game until the final minutes sealed it. McManus acknowledged some nervousness when Indianapolis jumped out to a 10-0 lead -- a Super Bowl rout often makes people turn away from the game -- but New Orleans roared back.

The Mid-Atlantic blizzard also helped CBS. After New Orleans, the highest-rated market was snowbound Washington D.C., Nielsen said. More people watched the game from their homes in that area instead of going to parties or bars, and Nielsen does a much better job counting viewers in homes than outside of them.

[interested]

"Bad weather in the Northeast and good weather in Florida was a good combination for us," McManus said.

The Super Bowl also proved a strong launching pad for the new CBS series, "Undercover Boss," which premiered after the game. An estimated 38.6 million people watched the first edition of a series about corporate honchos secretly working as low-level employees in their own companies, Nielsen said. That's third only to a 1996 "Friends" episode and a 2001 "Survivor" show as the most-watched program after the Super Bowl.

Meanwhile, Dorito's was a big winner in a measurement of interest in the commercials played during the Super Bowl. TiVo Inc. said the snack company's ad featuring a boy telling a man to keep his hands off his chips and his mom was stopped and played back in 15 percent of homes with the digital video recorder. The secretly filmed CBS promo with David Letterman, Jay Leno and Oprah Winfrey came in second, followed by the Snicker's ad with Betty White and Abe Vigoda flattened in a football game.

In general, however, TiVo found less interest in the commercials than it has in previous years, judged by how many people paused live action to see them, said Todd Juenger, general manager of TiVo's research department.

[funman]

Super Bowl is most-watched program ever

The New Orleans Saints' victory over Indianapolis in the Super Bowl was watched by more than 106 million people, surpassing the 1983 finale of "M-A-S-H" to become the most-watched program in U.S. television history, the Nielsen Co. said Monday.

Compelling story lines involving the city of New Orleans and its ongoing recovery from Hurricane Katrina and the attempt at a second Super Bowl ring for Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning propelled the viewership. Football ratings have been strong all season.

"It was one of those magical moments that you don't often see in sports," said Sean McManus, president of CBS News and Sports.

Nielsen estimated Monday that 106.5 million people watched Sunday's Super Bowl. The "M-A-S-H" record was 105.97 million.

The viewership estimate obliterated the previous record viewership for a Super Bowl — last year's game between Arizona and Pittsburgh. That game was seen by 98.7 million people, Nielsen said.

The "M-A-S-H" record has proven as durable and meaningful in television as Babe Ruth's record of 714 home runs was in baseball until topped by Hank Aaron. Ultimately, it may be hard to tell which program was really watched by more people. There's a margin for error in such numbers, and Nielsen's Monday estimate was preliminary, and could change with a more thorough look at data due Tuesday.

"It's significant for all of the members of the broadcasting community," said Leslie Moonves, CBS Corp. CEO. "For anyone who wants to write that broadcasting is dead, 106 million people watched this program. You can't find that anywhere else."

Moonves predicted CBS will earn more in advertising revenue than in any other Super Bowl. The good ratings for the game and football in general also set CBS and other football broadcasters up well when selling advertising for next season, he said.

The Nielsen estimate also drew some congratulations from Alan Alda, the star of "M-A-S-H," and the slugger whose record was beaten.

"If the 'M-A-S-H' audience was eclipsed, it was probably due in large part to the fact that the whole country is rooting for New Orleans to triumph in every way possible," Alda said. "I am, too, and I couldn't be happier for them. I love that city."

There are more American homes with television sets now (114.9 million) than there were in 1983 (83.3 million). An estimated 77 percent of homes with TVs on were watching "M-A-S-H" in 1983, compared with the audience share of 68 for the Super Bowl.

Nielsen also measures only the United States, and it's possible some World Cup soccer games were seen more worldwide. Accurate measurement of television audiences outside the United States is spotty at best.

Alda also wondered whether the numbers were too close to declare a new champion. He thinks Nielsen didn't take into account large numbers of people watching "M-A-S-H" communally, which is often the case for football games, too.

"Not to say I'm competitive, but in part we are talking about sports," he said. "And I actually AM competitive."

McManus didn't want to jinx it, but the abnormally strong viewership for football this year left him hoping for a record. The NFC and AFC championship games both had their biggest audiences since the 1980s. The growth of high-definition television and its appeal to sports fans has also helped.

A competitive game until the final minutes sealed it. McManus acknowledged some nervousness when Indianapolis jumped out to a 10-0 lead — a Super Bowl rout often makes people turn away from the game — but New Orleans roared back.

The Mid-Atlantic blizzard also helped CBS. After New Orleans, the highest-rated market was snowbound Washington, Nielsen said. More people watched the game from their homes in that area instead of going to parties or bars, and Nielsen does a much better job counting viewers in homes than outside of them.

"Bad weather in the Northeast and good weather in Florida was a good combination for us," McManus said.

The Super Bowl also proved a strong launching pad for the new CBS series "Undercover Boss" that premiered after the game. An estimated 38.6 million people watched the first edition of a series about corporate honchos working secretly as low-level employees in their own companies, Nielsen said. That's third only to a 1996 "Friends" and 2001 "Survivor" as the most-watched program after the Super Bowl.

[funman]

Congrats to SAINTS for their first trophey in history !....That too big interest just talking for good games and plays at the SUPER BOWL...its was nice experience at least be front of TV