Super Bowl Capsules: Who Dats and Hoosiers in Super Bowl

MIAMI — Hoosiers and Who Dats.

And, oh yes, the two best teams in the NFL also happen to be on hand for Sunday’s Super Bowl.

Peyton Manning and his AFC champion Indianapolis Colts are 5-point favorites to spoil the ending of the New Orleans football renaissance for Drew Brees and the Saints. The odd twist to this story is that the boy who grew up in the Big Easy rooting for his dad as he quarterbacked the awful Saints may end up breaking its heart.

"You hear the term Hoosier Hospitality, and I really didn’t know what that meant, coming from New Orleans, where you hear Southern Hospitality," says Manning, the league’s only four-time MVP who guided the Colts to the NFL title three years ago, in the same stadium. "I really feel it is kind of the same thing. It is good people.

"What has been exciting for me since I have lived there, it’s always been a sports town, but it’s really turned into a football town. That is the kind of place you want to play football."

New Orleans always has been a football town, even when the Saints were the Aints — back in the days Archie Manning led the team and fans wore paper bags on their heads. But that four-decade love affair morphed into something soulful when the Saints inspired a city in ruin in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

"It’s important for not only the people in New Orleans, but I think the people around the country because you do understand how much it means to that community and what they’ve been through," Brees says. "Our success as a team over the last four years, but especially this year, has been tremendous just in regards to giving so many of the members of that community hope and lifting their spirits.

"There is still a lot of work to be done there in regards to the rebuilding and the recovery post-Katrina. There are still a lot of people in some pretty dire straits. For us to be able to have the success we’re having, it just does so much for that community as far as bringing everyone together. There’s a bond that we have with our fans — between our organization and our fans — that’s truly special."

The Saints (15-3) led the league in scoring with 510 points. If Colts All-Pro defensive end Dwight Freeney and his 13½ sacks can’t go on his damaged right ankle, Brees, Reggie Bush, Marques Colston and company might light up the Miami night with touchdowns.

So could the Colts (16-2) with their deep receiving corps and the incomparable Manning. Surpassing the 75 points in the 1995 Super Bowl (San Francisco 49, San Diego 26) is not out of the question. Doing it by halftime isn’t totally absurd.

When the Colts won their only championship representing Indy, Tony Dungy was the coach. Now it’s his hand-chosen successor, Jim Caldwell, and only two rookie coaches have ever won the Super Bowl. One of them, Don McCafferty, did it for the Baltimore Colts in 1971, the first title game after the AFL-NFL merger.

Dungy’s championship came in a historic matchup with Lovie Smith, the first two black head coaches in a Super Bowl. Caldwell’s presence as the fourth black man to guide his team to the big game has been a virtual non-issue.

"I think because of the fact that it’s becoming less of a story shows you that obviously there is some progress being made," Caldwell says. "But I really do believe there are still a lot of things I think in terms of different thresholds and milestones to be crossed in that particular area."

The Saints and Colts approached the unbeaten threshold in December. New Orleans was 13-0, fell at home to Dallas, then rested many regulars in losing the last two games. Indianapolis was 14-0 and perhaps headed for a 15th victory when Manning and other starters were removed in the third quarter against the Jets. New York rallied to win, and the backups lost at Buffalo in the season finale.

Didn’t matter much, did it? They both got here, albeit in different manners. The Colts handled the Ravens and Jets pretty easily. The Saints, following a romp past Arizona, needed several mistakes by Minnesota — including Brett Favre throwing an interception in the final seconds — before finally erasing that Super Bowl void in an overtime victory.

So will it be Mardi Gras in Miami or Peyton’s place?

"I feel like both teams have gotten to this point because of the success of the teams," Manning says. "Certainly if you look at our regular season and playoff schedule it has been a team season. Different guys have stepped up along the way, making critical plays at critical times.

"That is how I feel this game is going to turn out. It will be somebody stepping up along the way, in a critical situation, making a play and you never know just who it might be."

Could be a Who Dat. Or a Hoosier.

New Orleans Saints

Brees takes leadership role beyond football

MIAMI — Drew Brees had done his homework, as usual.

Asked what he thought about the New Orleans Saints’ use of the fleur-de-lis on their helmets and uniforms, Brees responded with a brief history lesson.

He rehashed how Louisiana had adopted the symbol when it was a French colony, explaining that the fleur-de-lis (flower of the lily) was a symbol of the French monarchy at the time.

"So much of New Orleans’ culture comes from the time when we were under French rule," said Brees, who grew up in Austin, Texas. "It’s a big part of what New Orleans is all about.

"So when you look at that symbol, it is the symbol of the city. It’s just like when you look at the American flag, when you sing the National Anthem and you stare at it. It makes you well up with pride. When we see the fleur-de-lis, it makes us well up with pride."

His explanation exemplified why Brees himself has become a source of pride among New Orleanians for his work both on and off the field. By helping a football-mad city finally experience what it’s like to be part of a Super Bowl involving its own team — instead of hosting them for others — Brees has cemented his place in New Orleans’ sports history.

By helping the city’s post-Katrina renaissance through wide-ranging charity work and his constant promotion of the region’s cultural assets, he’s clearly one of its adopted sons. Indeed, he is so popular that candidates in Saturday’s mayoral election joked during the campaign that they would drop out of the race if Brees decided to run.

Winning Sunday’s Super Bowl against the Indianapolis Colts would only enhance his status.

That’s saying a lot because the First Family of Football — the Mannings — live there, too, and are all but regarded as royalty in the Big Easy.

Colts quarterback Peyton Manning isn’t just an opponent, he’s practically a neighbor.

"My parents have gotten to know Drew and his family," Manning said. "I just have an appreciation for guys that play for the New Orleans Saints, that live there in the offseason, that commit to the city year-round as opposed to just playing there during the fall."

Manning’s parents, Archie and Olivia, did all of that, quarterbacking for the Saints and putting down roots in the city.

"Drew has committed his efforts in the philanthropy part of it to the city, to the rebuilding of the city. As a native of New Orleans, I think Eli and I certainly appreciate that," Manning continued.

Brees, along with wife Brittany and 1-year-old son, Baylen, are well on their way to achieving similar Manning status.

Brees often compares the resurgence of his career after a serious shoulder injury at the end of the 2005 season to the recovery of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina hit that same year.

Cut loose by the San Diego Chargers, Brees entered free agency while rehabilitating from complicated surgery. The two teams most interested were Miami and New Orleans, but the Dolphins were unwilling to take a risk on Brees’ then-uncertain recovery.

But Sean Payton, then in his first year as Saints head coach, made it clear he saw Brees as the best choice to begin rebuilding a losing team.

"He has complete command of what we are doing," Payton said. "When you do it successfully, immediately you gain respect from your peer group. When you work like he works, it’s hard not to try to keep up. That is one of his great traits. He brings the level of competition up amongst everyone, not just the offense, but defensively. Those are unique skill sets, and there is a lot that goes into that. Knowledge, talent, work ethic, all of those things that fall under leadership. ... It’s pretty special, and certainly I don’t take it for granted. It’s a big reason why we are sitting here right now."

At 6-feet, Brees is a few inches shorter than the prototypical quarterback. He looks more like a regular guy than a world-class athlete and has been underestimated much of his athletic career. Although he grew up in the home of the Texas Longhorns, the only schools to recruit him seriously were Kentucky and Purdue. Brees chose the latter, but despite leading the Boilermakers to their first Rose Bowl in more than three decades and becoming a Heisman Trophy finalist, most NFL teams passed on him before San Diego took him with its second-round draft pick in 2001.

In the past four years since nearly everyone wrote him off, Brees has passed for 18,298 yards, the most of any quarterback during that span. In 2008, his 5,069 yards passing made him only the second quarterback to throw for more than 5,000 in a season and left him 16 yards short of breaking Dan Marino’s 1984 all-time NFL single-season record.

He has twice led the Saints to an NFC championship game and now to the Super Bowl.

His professional triumphs this season, however, have been offset by a personal blow.

His mother, Mina, an attorney from Austin, died of a prescription drug overdose last summer and her death was later ruled a suicide. The two had been estranged, and Brees has said he prefers to keep his feelings about his mother private.

"He’s a real strong person and that’s what makes him somewhat unique," Payton said. "I lost my mother in 2002 during the bye week when I was (an assistant coach) in New York. Sometimes the season and the league can rob you of something because of how consuming it is. ... That’s some of the uniqueness in Drew Brees that he was able to put that (grieving) somewhere, grieve and still continue with all of the responsibilities that he had."

Brees threw for 4,388 yards and a league-leading 34 touchdowns in 15 games this season, sitting out the last one of the regular-season because New Orleans had already wrapped up the NFC’s top playoff seed.

Even as the stakes rose on the field, Brees continued his work in the community.

When he first came to New Orleans in the spring of 2006, much of the area was still a wreck. And even though hospitals, supermarkets and basic services were still disrupted, that didn’t stop him from calling New Orleans home.

He bought and renovated a century-old house near the Mannings in the historic Uptown neighborhood and, along with his wife, started leading efforts to rebuild schools, playgrounds and athletic fields.

"I’ve embraced the community of New Orleans just because it is a special place, and they’ve embraced me and my wife in a way that I can’t even describe," Brees said. "There is nothing more that I want for them than a championship."

-- Brett Martel

Payton expects CB Gay to be ready

MIAMI — New Orleans cornerback Randall Gay and running back Lynell Hamilton sat out the Saints’ final practice of the season on Saturday.

Coach Sean Payton said he expected Gay to be ready when New Orleans meets the Indianapolis Colts in the Super Bowl on Sunday night. Gay sat on the sideline during a walk-through under sunny skies in Sun Life Stadium.

Gay usually plays in five-defensive back formations. He is getting over a cold with congestion that caused also caused Gay to miss practice on Friday, Payton said.

Payton was less certain about the status of Hamilton, a reserve running back and special teams regular. Hamilton has sat out practice all week with a sore left ankle.

"We’ll see how he does on Sunday," the coach said.

The mood at practice was light and Payton sounded confident he’d done all he can to get his team ready.

"I’m excited, just excited," Payton said. "You get to this point and your concerns are always the scheduling and the logistics and the travel, and all of that was pretty smooth. So it’s good. At this point, everyone’s ready. It’s been two weeks already, so we’re ready to go."

Payton also invited players’ sons to attend the walk-through. Payton’s 9-year-old son, Connor, attempted several field goals with a black-and-gold football with his father as holder.

He made one from the 9-yard line.

"There’s a lot of challenges with coaching, in regards to family time," Payton said. "Every once in a while, you get one of these opportunities, and it helps make up for it."

Indianapolis Colts

Peyton’s Place: Star QB pitches for Super Bowl win

MIAMI — Peyton Manning was stuck in the back seat of the family car. His terrible T-ball team had lost again.

The coach, keenly aware of how important it was to pump up morale no matter what, always told his tender young charges their games ended in a tie.

"Dad," Archie Manning, sitting up front, heard his son say, "the coach must think we’re pretty stupid."

By the time he was 6 or 7, young Manning fully appreciated the difference between winning, losing — and tying.

Eventually that drive and determination led him to win an NFL championship Super Bowl and become the league’s best quarterback. On Sunday, the middle boy of football’s First Family will try to win another and transform the Super Bowl into Peyton’s Place.

He’ll strap on his helmet, the one with the famed blue horseshoe, and lead the Indianapolis Colts against the New Orleans Saints. A victory would do more than cement a legacy that’s been a lifetime in the making.

"If he wins the Super Bowl, you have to initiate a discussion of whether he’s the greatest player to ever play the game," former star QB Joe Theismann said. "Not just the greatest quarterback, but the greatest player."

The who’s-the-best question fires up fans in all sports. Babe Ruth or Willie Mays? Tiger Woods or Jack Nicklaus? Muhammad Ali or Rocky Marciano?

There are plenty of contenders for top quarterback.

Tom Brady, Joe Montana and John Elway won multiple Super Bowls. Johnny Unitas and Otto Graham were champs. Slingin’ Sammy Baugh was so good in the 1930s and ‘40s, he was an ace passer, punter and defensive back. Throw Dan Marino and Brett Favre into that mix.

"I don’t like to say greatest because it’s too hard to compare eras," said Mike Ditka, a Hall of Fame player who later won a Super Bowl coaching Da Bears. "You can judge on a whole lot of categories, but I like leadership. Who do you want in that foxhole with you?

"That’s what makes Manning stand out. He runs that whole offense. No other quarterback does that in this day and age," he said.

On 31 teams, a coach signals in the plays. On the Colts, Manning calls them. He sees it as "controlled chaos" — a no-huddle set where he decides run or pass, puts his teammates in position and makes adjustments at the line.

At 33, he is already a four-time Most Valuable Player. Famous for watching film of his opponents, Manning hardly views himself as a finished product.

"You are always learning different situations. Two-minute drills, third-and-1s, red zone," he said.

That doesn’t only apply to football.

If you flipped on the TV this week, he was everywhere. Poking fun at his gawky side in ads, creating a national catch phrase with "Cut that meat!" Looking regal in pads, by far the biggest attraction in America’s biggest game.

His talent in front of the TV camera came instantly. Somewhere Peyton the Passer morphed into Peyton the Pitchman.

About six years ago, Manning embraced the idea of making himself the butt of jokes in a series of MasterCard commercials. He cheered on a deli slicer, asked a grocery worker to sign a melon, gave a pep talk to piano movers.

Joyce King Thomas, chief creative officer for the McCann Erickson agency, helped produce the wildly popular "fan of the fans" campaign. "In the beginning, you’re thinking, ‘I hope this works,"’ she said. "We learned quickly that, oh my goodness, he was amazing at this.

"He wanted to participate in it, he’d make suggestions. On some of the scripts, he’d say, ‘I wouldn’t say it quite like that,"’ she said.

One spot closes with Manning, totally oblivious to the strange looks he’s drawing, high-fiving an accountant and then blurting out, "Never gonna wash this hand!"

"That was his. He said it had happened to him," Thomas said.

A few months after he was MVP of the Colts’ Super Bowl win in 2007, Manning hosted "Saturday Night Live." His mock United Way commercial is still a hit on YouTube. And word is he does wicked Elvis impersonation.

"Peyton’s got a good sense of humor, but he also can be very serious. I think he’s kind of surprised us a bit, too, in the commercials," said his dad, the longtime quarterback for the Saints. "Back when he did ‘Saturday Night Live’ and so forth, that was really fun to watch."

The Mannings will be in Miami on Sunday to cheer on Peyton. As for this Super Bowl elevating his spot in history, Peyton Manning said, "I certainly am not looking at the game that way."

But Colts receiver Reggie Wayne put it this way: "I’ll let you all decide if he’s the best and what his legacy is. But I guarantee you if we win Sunday, it would make it a lot easier for the critics to say who is."

Leave it to Eli Manning, the New York Giants’ quarterback and MVP of the 2008 Super Bowl, to place his big bro at the top.

"Yeah, he’s getting close. At this point, he’s kind of considered an old-timer when it comes to age in the NFL, but he keeps getting better every year," he said. "I don’t get jealous. He sets the standard for what I want to become, where I want to raise my level of play to."

The only real rub between them came when they were kids. Eli ended a particularly rugged game of 1-on-1 backyard basketball by dunking over Peyton, and the boys hardly spoke to each other for days. Archie played peacemaker; he took down the hoop at their New Orleans home.

"He’s a good big brother," Eli said. "He’s five years older than me, so he’d give you a wedgie or shake your pants down when you’re in front of a bunch of friends, something like that. But not in a long time."

-- Ben Walker

Freeney sits out again, Wayne back at Indy workout

DAVIE, Fla. — Dwight Freeney watched the Colts’ final Super Bowl practice from a golf cart, and it’s still uncertain whether he will play in Sunday’s Super Bowl.

The All-Pro defensive end hasn’t practiced since tearing a ligament in his right ankle late in the AFC title game Jan. 24. Saturday’s brief walkthrough was no different.

Indianapolis coach Jim Caldwell said Freeney had improved from Friday to Saturday but declined to say whether the star would play against the Saints.

Freeney has played through pain before this season. He didn’t miss a game after straining a quadriceps in late September, an injury that reportedly should have kept him out for up to a month.

Some have speculated Freeney may move from the right side to the left so he can push off his good ankle, but Freeney said Thursday a switch to the opposite side wouldn’t make much difference.

Freeney’s ankle was not wrapped and he did not receive treatment during the 40-minute walkthrough.

Star receiver Reggie Wayne also seemed to ease concerns about his possible absence Sunday, returning to practice one day after aggravating a season-long right knee injury. Wayne left Friday’s practice 20 minutes early, and Caldwell sounded confident that Wayne would play Sunday.

Indy’s only other starter trying to recover from an injury is cornerback Jerraud Powers. He returned to practice Friday, nearly three weeks after having surgery to repair a fracture in his left foot, and did light work Saturday.

"He (Freeney) and Powers both are better than yesterday. It’s still day to day," Caldwell said.

Caldwell said the week went according to plan and that the Colts should be ready to play well Sunday.

"We’ve done extremely well and been attentive," Caldwell said. "The (players) have been very, very focused and our practices have been sharp as well. Overall, we’ve been moving in the right direction."

-- Michael Marot

Commentary

Saints nearly went marching out of New Orleans

MIAMI — The man who almost made the Saints go marching out of New Orleans is a hero in his hometown now.

According to the official NFL version of the Super Bowl’s feel-good story, owner Tom Benson almost single-handedly saved the team in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. In truth, he was one of the last people in a very long line to return.

It was the tradesmen who worked around-the-clock for nine months to put the Superdome back together again that cleared his path and former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue who refused to let Benson budge in the meantime. Yet even those efforts would have been for naught without the legion of fans who scooped up every ticket and souvenir in sight.

Then, and only then, did Benson forget about staying in San Antonio, where the Saints relocated after the storm, and commit to coming back to New Orleans. Yet there he was as Super Bowl festivities kicked off early in the week, saying, "At no time did we look anywhere else."

"I think it made us a better club," Benson conceded a moment later. "We came back in 2006, and look what we have done since."

The irony, to be sure, is that Benson really did save the Saints once. But that was in 1985, when he bought the franchise from John Mecom for $70 million and squashed rumors that it was headed to Jacksonville, Fla. Benson was hailed as a hero then, too, feted as the impulsive multimillionaire who popped open a black parasol with gold fringes and fleur-de-lis, then did a second-line dance on the field of the Superdome in the closing minutes of wins.

In a town that loves dancing, the "Benson Boogie" soon became all the rage. Yet few people loved it more than Benson’s bright, dark-eyed granddaughter, the same kid whose idea of light reading was biographies of CEOs and who was already being groomed as his successor.

"I remember the Dome shaking from everybody singing along to ‘Who Dat?’ and thinking, ‘This is concrete and it’s vibrating,"’ Rita Benson LeBlanc, now 33, recalled. "How amazing is that?

"From then on, I wanted to be where my grandfather was because that’s where the action was."

Her story since has been one of those about being careful what you wish for. In the tumultuous months after the flood waters drove the Saints to San Antonio, LeBlanc took a more active role in day-to-day management and became the face of the franchise back in New Orleans.

Whether it was overseeing reconstruction of the Superdome, getting back in touch with disgruntled season-ticket holders, or putting in time at shelters and food banks, LeBlanc worked tirelessly to repair the tenuous thread that bound the team to the town. In time, thanks in part to the kind of success the Saints had rarely known, those efforts catapulted them to the top of the page in nearly every story about the city rising from the muck of Katrina.

"Having three daughters, she’s someone that I identified with," said Indianapolis owner Jim Irsay, who labored long and hard himself to rebuild the Colts’ image after his father was reviled for uprooting the team from Baltimore. "She’s done a tremendous job behind the scenes."

None of those tasks, though, was more impressive than the way LeBlanc softened her grandfather’s rough edges. He enraged the New Orleans citizenry several times in the months after Katrina, carrying on a verbal battle with then-mayor Ray Nagin and a public flirtation with San Antonio, where Benson owns several dealerships and spends much of the year.

But his hands were tied by then-commissioner Tagliabue, whose commitment to New Orleans never wavered, and current NFL boss Roger Goodell, who served as the league’s point man in smoothing over what was a very tough transition.

"The team has taken their role in that community to a whole new level, which is more than great for the Gulf Coast, it’s been great for the NFL," Goodell said Friday, during his annual state of the league address. "We’re proud of that relationship. I’m very familiar with the steps that were made, because I was involved with it.

"We’ve awarded the Super Bowl to the community (in 2013), it’s a great success story for us," he continued. "And while I can’t root for a team, I’m really proud of what happened there."

What made it come together, above all, was winning. After 43 years filled mostly with futility, the Saints finally made it to the Super Bowl. The run helped transform Benson’s image from ruthless, restless businessman to genial, graying eminence.

During media day, the 82-year-old Benson worked the room with his soft Louisiana drawl and wife Gayle clinging tightly to his side. Occasional bursts of laughter erupted from the pockets of reporters that surrounded him.

A few yards away, LeBlanc held court on her own. Every so often, she broke eye contact and cast a protective glance in the direction of her grandfather. On this day, at least, she had nothing to worry about. Benson had his story down pat and though history might suggest otherwise, he was sticking to it.

"I think that as we look back at it, it was the right decision because it certainly has been a great thing for New Orleans. It is the thing that is getting our city back. We know it’s back," Benson added, a defiant sparkle lighting up his eyes, "but now we’re telling the whole world."

Jim Litke is a national sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at jlitke@ap.org.

Notebook

Willy, Richard getting chance to shine with Colts

MIAMI — Rookie Drew Willy went 15-29 as quarterback for the University at Buffalo. Second-year pro Jamey Richard never enjoyed a winning season during his time with the Bulls.

Look at them now. They’re one win away from becoming Super Bowl champions.

"It’s pretty crazy," Willy said.

No, neither exactly is a star for the Indianapolis Colts. Including postseason, Richard has appeared in 11 games on special teams for the AFC champions, while Willy spent time as Indy’s scout-team quarterback — not bad work for anyone since, well, the Colts are pretty solid under center already with four-time MVP Peyton Manning.

They don’t mind. Small roles could still lead to a big championship ring if the Colts beat the New Orleans Saints on Sunday night.

"It’s been incredible," Richard said. "From draft day two years ago when they called me, I couldn’t have been more excited to be part of an organization. When you get called by a team that is a proven winner year in and year out, to go from a program where you’ve struggled for years into that situation, it’s excitement."

For Richard and Willy, it’s been a whirlwind transformation, going from a Mid-American Conference program in Buffalo that’s trying to build into something — to, arguably, the elite program in the NFL right now.

And for Willy, working with Manning is another huge plus.

"Learning from the best in the game, it’s pretty great every day," Willy said. "This whole opportunity to take all this in, look, some guys won’t ever get to go to a Super Bowl after having storied careers and stuff. Being a rookie and being able to be around these great, veteran leaders, it’s great to be a part of. I’ve been truly blessed to be a part of this team."

WHAT’S MY BID?

ay before the NFL became so pass happy, there was Slingin’ Sammy Baugh. A true triple-threat — star quarterback, ace kicker, top defensive back — he led the Washington Redskins to the league title as a rookie in the 1937.

The late star is being remembered at this Super Bowl with a tattered jersey he wore during the 1940s, one of the many items on sale at an NFL-sponsored auction this weekend. The league has partnered with Hunt Auctions, with game-worn jerseys of Joe Namath and Brett Favre among the featured lots up for bid.

Leather helmets from the 1930s, autographed championship balls and other memorabilia stretching over several decades are available, and come in all price ranges. Bids are being accepted online, by telephone and in person, and the auction closes Sunday before the Super Bowl. A portion of all sales goes to NFL charities.

The presale estimates on the Namath and Baugh jerseys ranged up to $30,000.

PHIL’S PICK

Phil Mickelson will pick his Super Bowl winner in the most diplomatic fashion, by doing what he does best.

During the Super Bowl Today Pre-Game Show on CBS, Mickelson will appear in a spot for Callaway by driving two golf balls with the new Diablo Edge driver. One will represent the Saints, the other the Colts.

Longer drive, that’ll be Phil’s pick.

Callaway will also spend part of Super Bowl Sunday showcasing a new 90-second commercial.

TOP COACH

The three best coaches at the Super Bowl might be, in no particular order, Jim Caldwell, Sean Payton and Robert Johnson.

Robert Johnson? The NFL’s high school football coach of the year from Mission Viejo High School in California got a trip to the Super Bowl this week, along with a $5,000 prize and a $10,000 grant for his program.

Another part of the perk package was getting to pose alongside NFL commissioner Roger Goodell with his trophy.

The NFL high school coach of the year award was created in 1995.

UNDECIDED YOUNG

Tennessee quarterback Vince Young isn’t sure which way to lean for Sunday’s Super Bowl.

On one hand, there’s the great story that is the once-woebegone New Orleans Saints. On the other, there’s the Indianapolis Colts, whom Young and the Titans see twice a year in division play.

Tough call, Young said.

"It’ll be a great game," Young said. "Me having friends on both sides of the ball, I just want both teams to go out there and have a good game. If New Orleans wins, it’ll be great for the city. I’ve got to roll with the AFC as well, because they’re representing the AFC South."

NFL NETWORK

Commissioner Roger Goodell says the NFL is still trying to get its cable network into more homes.

"We are working on that issue daily," Goodell said. "We believe that the NFL Network has been an extraordinary success. When you talk to fans, they love the network. They love talking about football 365 days a year."

In time, Goodell is convinced the NFL will get the reach it wants with the network.

HUGS4HOLLY

They’re calling it The Other Halftime Show.

A performance on the social networking site UStream.tv will begin five minutes after The Who leaves the stage at halftime of Sunday’s Super Bowl, featuring musicians from San Antonio who’ll be doing a fundraiser for a woman named Holly Julian.

The grass roots organization calls itself "Hugs4Holly" and is trying to raise $80,000 to cover her out-of-pocket costs for a lung transplant. Their site — www.theotherhalftimeshow.org — has details on how to help.

OUT ON A LIMB

Carrie Underwood, who’ll sing The Star-Spangled Banner before kickoff of Sunday’s Super Bowl, did little to contain her excitement to be part of the spectacle.

"I think it’s going to be an awesome game," Underwood said.

That being said, she isn’t exactly an awesome oddsmaker when it comes to football. Asked who she’s picking, the singing star said she’s "51 percent" for New Orleans.

RING’S THE THING

Want to wear a Super Bowl ring? Get to Atlantic City on Sunday and talk your way into a Super Bowl party with Sean Landeta.

A winner of two Super Bowl rings while punting for the New York Giants, Landeta is slated to headline a party Sunday at the Showboat Hotel and Casino. Some lucky partygoers will get to try on his rings.

-- Tim Reynolds

Elsewhere

Winter storm could have impact on Super Bowl

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — No chance of any flakes falling at the Super Bowl. Still, a brutal winter storm that buried Mid-Atlantic residents under several feet of snow could have a big impact on the big game Sunday.

With power and cable television knocked out for hundreds of thousands of residents Saturday, some were fretting about what to do if it wasn’t back on in time for Sunday’s 6 p.m. kickoff.

"That’s the first thing I thought when I came downstairs this morning," said Lou Kozloff, a vascular surgeon in Rockville, Md., "I was like, ‘Oh nuts, I’m going to miss the game tomorrow."’

But CBS, which is televising the game, believes the storm will actually boost ratings when MVP Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts take on the New Orleans Saints in what is traditionally the most-watched event of the year.

David Poltrack, the network’s chief of research, said the blizzard that struck from Pennsylvania to New Jersey, dumping as much as 3 feet of snow, means more people will be staying at home to watch the game instead of going out to parties and bars. Since the Nielsen Co. does a much better job estimating viewership in homes than it does elsewhere, that’s a plus for CBS.

"Anything to keep people home is a good thing," he said.

Poltrack said he doesn’t foresee power outages being so widespread by Sunday evening they would have a significant affect on the ratings. Besides, he added, it’s the Super Bowl — most people will do whatever they can to watch the game, even it means getting a battery-powered TV.

Kozloff’s house had power, but his cable was out — and he had little hope of it being repaired by Sunday. So, he was already coming up an old-school plan for viewing the game.

"I think I’m going to be able to find some rabbit ears ... and be able to watch on some dinky TV," Kozloff said. "It’s kind of disappointing."

Hall of Fame linebacker Jack Ham, who won four Super Bowl championships with the Steelers, spent Saturday trying to fly back to his home in suburban Pittsburgh. Only one problem: The TV in the family house was out.

"I’m sure somewhere in Pittsburgh will have power where people can watch the game," he said by cell phone from the Las Vegas airport.

Stephanie Novak of Bala-Cynwyd, Pa., a suburb of Philadelphia, said her TV still worked but she fretted about the cable being knocked out by the weight of all the snow and ice accumulating on power lines.

Also, her plans to have a big Super Bowl party for family and friends were in serious doubt because she hadn’t been able to get to the grocery store. So much for her husband’s "famous wings" and the pulled-pork sandwiches that were on the menu.

Even if Novak had a full pantry, there’s no guarantee all her planned guests would be able to make it. Many roads were closed as crews struggled to keep the roads plowed; Novak said she’s not even able to get her car out of the driveway.

"It’s a great football game and we would be upset if we missed it," she said. "But it’s also about having family and friends over.

"Obviously, it’s so much more than a football game."

-- Paul Newberry

Karina Smirnoff and others party on Super Bowl eve

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — "Dancing with the Stars"’ Karina Smirnoff said Saturday she won’t reveal who she wants to win the Super Bowl because she doesn’t know who is going to be on the show next season.

"I don’t want to put my foot in my mouth," she said at the home of director Michael Bay, who was hosting a party during Super Bowl weekend.

Smirnoff said she hopes she will be called back to the show for the next season.

"I hope I am. I am keeping my fingers crossed, but we don’t get a call back for another ten days," she said. "So I truly do hope I come back because I love being part of the show."

Bay, who directed Transformers and Pearl Harbor, hosted the fundraiser for The Giving Back Fund, a charity that seeks to cultivate philanthropists within the entertainment and sports communities.

Ed Westwick and Jessica Szohr of "Gossip Girl" showed up.

Westwick said he was hoping the Saints win "because of all the stuff that went down in New Orleans."

"They are trying to rebuild so I think it would be good for the city, good for the community," he said.

Szohr said she came to have fun.

"I am just here for the Super Bowl, to have fun and watch the Saints win," she said.

Meanwhile, "90210" actress AnnaLynne McCord and singer Gavin DeGraw, also came to party.

DeGraw raved about the movie "Avatar," saying it was like a "visual Bible." He also joked about how he came wearing the same boots as actor Kellan Lutz, who was also rooting for the Saints.

"I really would just love to see the Saints pull it through. They have so much heart. I think it would help the city big time," he said.

He also said he will be filming a romantic comedy "Love, Wedding, Marriage," which shoots in New Orleans.

"That’s why I want them to win ... Go Saints. If they will, they win. It’s going to be a great time to be down there and celebrate it," he said.

-- Lisa Orkin Emmanuel

Rihanna, Mark Sanchez raise money for charities

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Inspired by a young friend who died from leukemia, singer Rihanna is working to get help for those who suffer from the disease.

Rihanna was among the celebrities who submitted a request for funding to Pepsi’s Refresh Project, which doles out $20 million to various causes, and was at the foundation’s kickoff party Friday night during Super Bowl festivities. The singer is trying to raise money for DKMS, which tries to find bone marrow donors for those suffering from leukemia.

"If we win, this would really help us recruit 4,000 individual donors," she said.

For Rihanna, the connection is personal. She was active last year in trying to find donors for 6-year-old Jasmina Amena, who died last month. They became friends.

"She was a very free, fun spirited little girl, full of energy, always happy, always energetic," Rihanna said. "I always remember she wouldn’t sit still. She was always running around, always had a smile on her face."

Also on hand for the event was New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez, who received $25,000 for an organization to help kids suffering from juvenile diabetes.

This is Sanchez’s second year at Super Bowl festivities. Last year, he wasn’t drafted so he didn’t get to do much, and this year, his Jets came one game shy of getting to the Super Bowl, making the trip to Miami a bit tough.

"You know it’s hard. The loss stings a little bit, but at the same time we really have something to build on as a team," he said. "You know Rex (Ryan), our coach, challenged at the end of the year, and said, we’ve gotta get two quarters better. Two quarters better and we might be playing in Dallas next year."

The Super Bowl will be in Dallas in 2011.

-- Nekesa Mumbi Moody

Alba not flattered by attempt to look like her

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Imitation is not the sincerest form of flattery for Jessica Alba.

The actress said Saturday she’s been distressed by Internet reports about a Chinese woman who is having a plastic surgery makeover to look like Alba in hopes of getting her lover back.

"I think you should never have to change yourself like that," Alba said. "If somebody loves you, they’ll love you no matter what."

Alba, who is starring in the upcoming film "Valentine’s Day," is in town for the Super Bowl; she was at an Audi party Friday with Hilary Swank, Taylor Lautner, Rob Lowe, New York Giant Osi Umenyiora and former New England Patriot Tedy Bruschi. It was one of numerous celebrity soirees attached to the Super Bowl.

But she’s not just in town to party — she and hubby Cash Warren will be at Sunday’s game. They hired a baby sitter to take care of their infant daughter, Honor, for the big game, but they’ve been spending the week enjoying Miami with their little girl.

"So far, she likes all the lights. Every time somebody honks or she hears sirens or something, she points everything out," she said. "It’s really fun. Lots of screaming, lots of lights, and lots of cars. The most stimulating environment for a 19-month-old."

-- Nekesa Mumbi Moody

Rob Lowe’s a traveling Indianapolis Colts fan

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Rob Lowe isn’t just another celebrity who scored a Super Bowl ticket. He’s a dedicated follower of the Indianapolis Colts who has the mileage to prove it.

The actor watched the Colts win their playoff games for their Super Bowl berth, and now he and his family are going to celebrate by going to the championship.

Said Lowe: "My son Johnny is an ever bigger Colts fan than I am. So we couldn’t fly all the way to Indiana, twice in a row, two weeks in a row, and not come here."

Lowe is on the ABC drama "Brothers & Sisters," but announced last month he was leaving the series. He said his departure is bittersweet.

"It’s one of the greatest casts I’ve ever worked with. Everybody loves everybody; I’m gonna miss that a ton. But we’re going out on a great note," he said.

As far as speculation that he might soon get his own series, he said: "I’m keeping my options open. It’s the first time in a long time not having something that I need to go and do, so I don’t know. It’s a big adventure, we’ll see."

-- Nekesa Mumbi Moody