NBC sent out a press release with a rather interesting title late yesterday, and if you weren't reading closely, you might have been roped into watching/recording The Tonight Show on a Friday night (guilty). Here is the headline and the clip....

SUPER BOWL QUARTERBACK KURT WARNER IS ASKED ABOUT RETIREMENT ON NBC’S ‘THE TONIGHT SHOW’ TONIGHT (FEBRUARY 13)

In all honesty the press release gave the actual quote, but someone was too lazy to read that far down. So Warner is not having any more kids....good to know. Sneaky moves NBC....sneaaaaky moves.

You would think that this story would have gone away by now, but Comcast is convinced that there was a bit of foul play involved in the showing of porn in Arizona during the Super Bowl. Comcast has now bypassed all lower level of law enforcement, and are heading straight to the top. The Federal Bureau of Investigation....

Comcast is turning to the FBI to help determine how pornography interrupted its feed of the Super Bowl earlier this month.

"We have shared all of our information on this situation with the FBI and will continue to provide our full cooperation to them throughout their investigation," company spokeswoman Kelle Maslyn said in a statement e-mailed to the Star.
Thousands of Comcast's Tucson-area customers who were watching its standard-definition feed during the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl on Feb. 1 were subjected to a 30-second clip from a pay-per-view porn channel.

The clip, which included full male nudity, was the result of a malicious act, Comcast said last week.

"Our investigation has proven that our technical systems were working properly," Maslyn wrote.

I don't know how exactly someone could override Comcast's systems, but I guess it's possible. If I were the FBI, I'd immediately look at this being an "inside job". Ha, get it? Inside....porn??? Shut up.

FBI investigating cable porn intrusion (AZ Star Net)

If you remember, the network put up a scroll during the Super Bowl pregame show asking, among other things, that there was possibly a "credibility issue" with the former Lions GM. Well, for the past few days, I've been looking for a follow-up to the Matt Millen incident on Channel 4 in Detroit, and I haven't been able to find anything at all until this morning. Via the Miami Herald....

When Matt Millen appeared Sunday on NBC's Super Bowl pregame show, the NBC affiliate in Detroit superimposed this: ''Matt Millen was president of the Lions for the worst eight-year run in the history of the NFL. Knowing his history with the team, is there a credibility issue as he now serves as an analyst for NBC Sports?'' (Viewers were referred to the station's website.)

NBC wasn't happy.

''We had a conversation with them and made our feelings very clear,'' NBC spokesman Brian Walker said.

Oooooh a conversation!? Take that NBC Detroit! You have been warned, and if you do that again, we might actually make the trip to Detroit, and slap your hand in person!!! In all seriousness, this whole thing is still making me laugh, and the fact they got away with it, makes it even more hilarious.

I may never ever come to your lovely city Detroit, Michigan, but that doesn't mean I don't respect you!

Ranking local sportscasts (Miami Herald)
Detroit Station Has Fun With Matt Millen (Awful Announcing)

I thought Alex Flanagan did a fine job as one of the sideline reporters during the Super Bowl, but not everyone agreed. Two of those people were, Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union and Ted Cox of the Chicago Daily Herald, and Keith Olbermann has come to Ms. Flanagan's defense. Here is the clip via Fang's Bites....

The quote that the articles highlight was Flangan's use of an F. Scott Fitzgerald quote, and while I rolled my eyes at the time, I didn't think it was nearly as bad as Dougherty or Cox did. Still though, it's funny that Olbermann took the time to call them out on national television.

Oh and Keith, it's the Albany Times Union....not Herald.

Keith Olbermann Nominates Sports Media Columnists As Worst Persons in The World (Fang's Bites)
Flanagan gets a flag for sideline report (Albany Times Union)
Super Bowl XLIII: the highs, the lows and the in-between (Chicago Daily Herald)

Wow. I thought that the closeness of this year's game certainly helped it in the ratings, but there was no way I thought it would surpass last year's contest. Well according to NBC it has, and to the tune of 151.6 Million total viewers and 98.7 Million viewers on average. Via NBC PR....

TAMPA – Feb. 3, 2009 – Super Bowl XLIII is now the most viewed television program in U.S. history with a total audience of 151.6 million viewers, according to official national ratings data released today by Nielsen Media Research.

"It's always incredibly satisfying to amass large audiences, but this television record simply reaffirms the power of the Super Bowl and the National Football League," said Dick Ebersol, Chairman, NBC Universal Sports & Olympics. "Everyone associated with the NFL should feel a great sense of pride in this accomplishment and in providing a day of enjoyment to American families – especially those who are struggling in these difficult times."

MOST VIEWED TELEVISION PROGRAMS IN HISTORY (total viewers):
1. Super Bowl XLIII 151.6 million NBC 2009
2. Super Bowl XLII 148.3 million Fox 2008
3. Super Bowl XXVIII 144.4 million CBS 2004

The total audience of 151.6 million viewers tops the previous Super Bowl record audience of 148.3 million viewers by 3.3 million viewers (Super Bowl XLII, Giants-Patriots, Note: total audience measures viewership for all or part of a broadcast).

MOST-WATCHED SUPER BOWLS (average viewers):
1. Super Bowl XLIII 98.7 million NBC 2009
2. Super Bowl XLII 97.5 million Fox 2008
3. Super Bowl XXX 94.1 million NBC 1996
4. Super Bowl XLI 93.2 million CBS 2007
5. Super Bowl XXVII 91.0 million NBC 1993

While the season finale of the TV show M*A*S*H* still holds the average record of 106 million viewers, but their total was only in the 120 million range. Pretty amazing that a small market team like Arizona, held their own in both the game and the ratings.

I usually think that most Late Night talk show gimmicks are pretty lame (especially if it's on Leno), but this one was rather hilarious. David Letterman sent Biff Henderson to the Super Bowl, and decided to have the show's stage manager ask people what John Madden smelled like in the morning. But it didn't stop there! Look for a cameo from everyone's favorite announcer, Marv Albert!!!

Good times, and Jesse Jackson's "saltines and garlic" line, is still cracking me up. I would have liked to have gotten an answer to the question from LL, but you can't get everything you want.

I thought Matt Millen did a fine job during NBC's broadcast, but that's not to say that some people are happy that he's employed anywhere. Take for example NBC affiliate, WDIV in Detroit, which decided that every time Millen appeared on the screen, a disclaimer was needed. From the Detroit Free-Press via Shutdown Corner....

Every time a certain familiar face showed up on camera Sunday during NBC's Super Bowl pregame show, Channel 4 ran a scroll at the bottom of the screen:

"Matt Millen was president of the Lions for the worst eight-year run in the history of the NFL. Knowing his history with the team, is there a credibility issue as he now serves as an analyst for NBC Sports? ..."

Hilarious. But good for Channel 4, not toeing the company line as it sought online comments from viewers on Millen's gig. Or maybe it was just trying to distance itself from NBC's brilliant move.

No surprise, the response was completely, utterly anti-Matt matter.

Personally, speaking to the credibility of the pregame personalities, I have Millen ranked, oh, a couple spots after Hayden Panettiere.

Hilarious! They don't seem to be holding a grudge much, do they? I'm sure NBC isn't going to be thrilled to hear about it, but you can't blame the city for not being big fans of the guy, and at least the disclaimer wasn't profane in any way. Here's your video evidence as well....



Matt Millen's NBC commentary comes with a warning label (Shutdown Corner)
Warning! Matt Millen's on (Detroit Free-Press)

There was no way that this year's Super Bowl ratings would surpass last year's, but in the end, they actually came pretty close. NBC is saying that the overnight number from Nielsen is a 42.1 and a 65 share. That's down only slightly from the 44.7/66 of last year's Super Bowl, and it matches the overnights from Super Bowls XLI and XLII. From NBC....

"Every year, America stands still on Super Sunday and these numbers confirm the power and consistency of the Super Bowl as the top property in all of television," said Dick Ebersol, Chairman, NBC Universal Sports and Olympics. "Many people doubted this match-up, but it's the Super Bowl not the match-up, that draws an enormous audience.

"We are in a great place to be in relation to last year's historic and unimaginable game when an undefeated powerhouse was upset by an underdog from the country's largest media market."

The total number of viewers isn't out yet, but it's looking like it will be somewhere in the neighborhood of 90 million or so. Very impressive, as Ebersol said, for a game that many thought wouldn't bring the goods.

I mentioned yesterday afternoon, that the pregame show on NBC was all over the place, and after I wrote that, I was a bit worried that the game would continue along the same lines. Thankfully it didn't, and not only was the game itself a great one, I think it was one of the best broadcasts I've ever seen. Perhaps even the best.

The production elements were spot on, the replays were stellar and there wasn't much overkill in the network's reporting. As far as the announcing, there's a reason why people still respect and want to listen to Madden and Michaels. In recent years, I've commented that Madden had lost a step, and Michaels didn't seem to like the game anymore, but they both had a resurgence this past season. To end it on a high note in the Super Bowl like this, just adds to their legacy as broadcasters.

I enjoyed everything about the game and even thought that the normally boring halftime show was rather exciting as well. I don't even like Bruce Springsteen that much either. As far as negatives go, the only things I would point out were the terrible commercials (which isn't NBC's fault) and the number of sideline reports. Other than that I think I'll be giving out one of my first "A" grades in the site's history.

There's just something about NBC's broadcasts each Sunday that are just light years better than any other network. Al and John don't try to make themselves bigger than the moment and let the games speak for themselves. FOX and CBS' telecasts come off as boring at times, and it seems as if the announcers are talking down to you, but not with the "Peacock".

There were 11 years between Super Bowls on NBC, and the NFL needs to make sure that never happens again. Onto the grades....

GRADES:

Matt Lauer- C+ (Good questions with Obama, but he didn't seem to care when he was on-air)
Al Roker- F- (The Super Suite was a horrible idea and Roker was just not good in the role)
Bob Costas- B+ (Was at his best/non-annoying self yesterday)
Cris Collinsworth- B+ (Still the best analyst in the Sport)
Dan Patrick- B- (Entertaining and informative)
Keith Olbermann- C (Just too smarmy for my taste)
Jerome Bettis- C+ (Better than he normally is, but the Steeler homerism showed)
Tiki Barber- C (Pointless)
Peter King- D+ (Doubly pointless)
Matt Millen- B- (Good analyst again and he works well with Collinsworth and Costas)
Tony Dungy- C (Loved the connection to Tomlin, but also pointless)
Mike Holmgren- C- (Really pointless)
Rodney Harrison- D+ (Just wasn't ready for the big time. The Tyree stuff could have been interesting, but he still seems bitter about the play)
Alex Flanagan- B- (Should be NBC's full-time sideline reporter)
Andrea Kremer- C+ (I'm biased here, because I've never been a fan, but she wasn't bad)
John Madden- B+ (Hopefully he's got another year in him)
Al Michaels- A- (Best Football play-by-play man period)

Pregame Show- D
Halftime Show- B+
Game Coverage- A

Sorry it took so long to get this up today (Internet was down this morning), but I wanted to post a vid and quotes in case you wanted to relive one heck of a Super Bowl. I wouldn't say it was the best one ever, but that was certainly one of the best fourth quarters. You couldn't ask for much more in a game. Here is your Super Sunday in quotes, and I'll add the video as soon as it finishes loading....

“How many pounds of chips will be consumed on Super Bowl Sunday?”- Chris Berman
“By you?”- Mike Ditka
“Not by me! Nutrisystem. I don’t do that.”- Chris Berman
“I always like to feel the skin on skin.”- Ron Jaworski
“I’m not an expert on quarterbacks, but I’m an expert on winning.”- Mike Ditka

“He’s the leader of that Football team, that’s all that matters to me. Now I don’t know, how pretty guys throw it. Well, Steve (Young) had a nice arm I mean, but you know….so what?”- Mike Ditka

“That’s why we brought you to the show, Senator (McCain). We needed analysis. These guys just aren’t providing it.”- Chris Berman

“Banged up receiving core, with Ward out of the Football game.”- Keyshawn Johnson

“Ahoy mateys!”- Bob Costas broadcasting from the Bucs’ Pirate Ship

“Zane Wilson, from The Office…..”- Al Rocker

“Was he in, or was he in San Antonio?”- Keith Olbermann on Santonio Holmes’ controversial catch against Baltimore

“Here’s your Keith play, your key play.”- Dan Patrick
“Here’s your Dan play.”- Keith Olbermann

“Is Sarah Palin excited about the Super Bowl? You betcha.”- Bob Costas

“It’s really sticky, but it’s a good sticky.”- Mike Holmgren on the Gatorade bath
“Swagger is not an institute of higher learning. He’s just telling you he has swaaaaaager.”- Al Michaels

“If we were choosing to do something, I would choose Hines Ward first.”- John Madden

"He's so quick he got ball." - John Madden
"If you know Dick LeBeau, he's 71 going on 48." - John Madden
"And you know his mom. She's 95. That's some good genes." - Al Michaels

“That’s one of the ways he flashed.”- John Madden

“If you read all of those names it would be over before you finished.”- John Madden on Michaels reading off the halftime analysts’ names

“James Harrison runs like James Brown.”- John Madden

"We're still buzzin' about Bruce Springsteen at halftime, but I'll tell you if there was one guy we weren't thinking was 'Born To Run' it was James Harrison."- Bob Costas

"Good thing it's not a Somalian ship."- Al Michaels on the TB pirate ship

"He has a 150 to 200 plays on that wristband so maybe they needed some help with the Dewey decimal system to find it."- Al Michaels
"Just imagine what the print looks like on that."- John Madden
"You gotta have Ted Williams' eyesight."- Al Michaels

"The emotions of this game have been over the moon." - Al Michaels

“That was a real super, Super Bowl.” – John Madden

"We tried to put the pontoons on the madden cruiser but couldn't fit them on there, so I guess Collinsworth is coming over there with me."- Al Michaels on the Pro Bowl

Not only did Arizona Fans have to deal with a heartbreaking loss, some of those in Arizona got a dash of porn mixed into their viewing of the fourth quarter. Immediately following Larry Fitzgerald's second TD, NBC affiliate KVOA, magically switched over to pay-per-view porn. Seriously....

Comcast continued this morning to investigate how pornography interrupted it’s feed during the final quarter of the Super Bowl on Sunday.

It is unclear how many viewers were affected by the clip, which lasted about 30 seconds, and featured full male nudity, said Kelle Maslyn, a Comcast spokeswoman.

“We are mortified by last evening’s Super Bowl interruption, and deeply apologize to our customers for the inappropriate programming,” Maslyn said in a statement. “We are aggressively investigating the situation including the possibility of foul play.”
Comcast is working on a plan to compensate customers, but nothing has been set in stone, Maslyn said.

The pornography clip was from Club Jenna, an adult cable television channel.

Ah Club Jenna, I know it wel.....waaaaaait a minute! Almost over-shared there. Anyway, I know all of you are deviants, so I decided to pull the clip up for you. However, I took out the nudity part because I don't really want that on the site and it's only a guy shaking his junk around. It's still extremely NSFW though, so be warned....



Unbelievable. The fact that Madden said, "they went to the perfect guy in the perfect situation," immediately following the clip, is so fitting! However, if you were sitting there with young kids, you might be a little pissed off today. Hopefully the remote was close enough that they could shut the power off.

Comcast investigating Super Bowl Porn feed (AZ Starnet)
Porn Invades The Super Bowl (Fleshbot)

WHAT: Super Bowl XLIII
WHO: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Arizona Cardinals
WHERE: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Bay, Florida
WHEN: Kickoff 6:28pm (NBC)
SPREAD: Steelers -7, O/U 47
ANNOUNCERS: Al Michaels, John Madden, Andrea Kremer, Alex Flanagan, Peter King
AA's PICK: I've been back and forth on this one a bunch of times, but it boils down to quarterback play. With that said, there's no one hotter right now than Kurt Warner, and I just can't trust Roethlisberger against a surging defense. I'm going Cardinals for the win, but it would behoove you to just take the seven points.

Cardinals 28 - Steelers 23 (MVPs: Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald)

I'll be trying to throw videos up throughout the game if I can, but I'll definitely have up your highlights and quotes later on tonight. Enjoy the game.

I didn't think anything could out dumb the red carpet show that FOX puts on for the MLB All Star Game, but I think NBC's "Super Suite" with Al Roker has stolen that title away from them. So far you've had great celebrity interviews from Hayden Panettiere (She's a Jets fan! Who knew?), Chuck and the always annoying, Jimmy Fallon!

Other than that nonsense, NBC is jumping around like crazy during the pregame, and the sheer number of people is borderline maddening. You've got Bob, Cris, Dungy and Holmgren on the ship. Dan and Keith running around the locker rooms and the parking lots. All while Peter King, Alex Flanagan and Andrea Kremer, stalk the team's hotels. Oh and don't forget the Top Chef competition underneath the outdoor set! 5 hours of plugs for NBC shows is exactly what I wanted!!!

I know the Super Bowl is all about hype, but this pregame show is taking that just a bit too far.

I never really pay attention to the prediction aspect of the Super Bowl, but rather the random collection of people that are asked their opinion on the game. ESPN apparently tried to come up with the most comprehensive/random list possible, and here's some of their "celebrity" picks....

Picking the Steelers: Arnold Palmer, Bill O'Reilly, Yogi Berra, Jimmie Johnson, Penn and Teller, Wolf Blitzer, Placido Domingo, Matthew Modine, Don Rickles, Howie Mandel, Joan Jett, Mark Cuban, Tracey Morgan, Haley Joel Osment, Kurt Angle, Ted McGinley

Picking the Cardinals: Maya Angelou, Jenna Fischer (The Office), Serena Williams, Condoleezza Rice, Phyllis Diller, Wayne Newton, Mickey Rooney, Dick Clark, Jennie Finch, Stacey Keibler, Danica Patrick, Dr. Joyce Brothers, Florence Henderson, Adam West, Dog The Bounty Hunter, Vanilla Ice

Picking Barack Obama: Dennis Miller (seriously)

Good to know that Dennis Miller is still as lame as ever. As far as the people that are actually paid to cover the game? Here they are....

Picking the Steelers: Chris Berman, Merril Hoge, Mike Ditka, Ron Jaworski, Chris Mortensen, Skip Bayless, Scott Van Pelt, Mike Greenberg, Mike Golic, Tom Jackson, Trey Wingo, Trent Dilfer, Jay Glazer, Howie Long, Jimmy Johnson

Picking the Cardinals: Keyshawn Johnson, Emmitt Smith, Steve Young, Stuart Scott, Mark Schlereth, Cris Carter

Obviously the majority of talking heads are on the Steelers, but a lot of celebs are backing the Cardinals. I guess everyone loves an underdog!

Celeb picks (ESPN)

MJD, at Shutdown Corner, took the time to outline some of the other great shows that are on during the big game today, and I wanted to share them with you. If you don't want to be one of the 90 million watching the Super Bowl, here are MJD's picks....

Animal Planet: "Puppy Bowl V"
FOX: "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader", reruns of "The Simpsons," "American Dad," and "Family Guy."
CBS: Reruns of Cold Case and The Unit.
ABC: "America's Funniest Home Videos," three consecutive episodes of "Wipeout."
A&E: "The Sopranos" marathon.
USA: "House" marathon.
The Movie Channel: "School for Seduction."
ESPN: 2008 World Series of Poker, Europe.
ESPN2: Reruns of Australian Open tennis.
Spike: "CSI" Marathon.
Fox Sports: Women's college basketball, UCLA vs. Stanford.
FX: The end of "Maid in Manhattan," "13 going on 30," and "The Devil Wears Prada."
Showtime: "Daddy's Little Girls" and "Bratz."
TBS: "What Women Want," and "My Big Fat Greek Wedding."

I like the wide range of selections there, but MJD missed a few great options on some of the more obscure networks. Here are my picks....

Discovery: "Jesus: The Complete Story"

A three part series which goes through the J-Man's early years, his mission and his last days. I'm sure Kurt Warner would approve!

TLC: "Forbidden Love: Polygamy"

Do I need to even explain this pick?

Science Channel: "How It's Made"

About eight episdose of random products being made. You've got segments on everything from Jelly Beans and Peanut Butter, to Conga Drums and Hydroponic Lettuce!

AMC: "Death Wish"

The original film in the five part series that made Charles Bronson a star. What's that you say? Charles Bronson isn't a star?!?! How dare you, sir!

Paladium: "Foo Fighters - Live From Wembley"

This is a random HD channel on my cable, so I don't know if you have it, but this show absolutely rocked. Almost 90K in attendance, and you can't beat an appearance by Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin.

The fascinating world of Super Bowl counterprogramming (Shutdown Corner)

Talk about an undertaking that I was definitely not prepared for. A few days ago, I started trying to collect what each network was planning on Super Bowl Sunday, and I was not prepared for the amount of work the following schedule of events would take. Either way though, you can view it in all of its glory below. I've got everything from celebrity guest appearances, to segments on each network, as well as your particulars on the game itself. Enjoy!

(FYI- Haven't settled on a live-blog or open thread for the Super Bowl, but I'll certainly have something going on)

Your Super Bowl XLIII Viewing Guide:

NBC

Pregame Show Length: 6 Hours (12pm-6pm)
Pregame Show Hosts and Analysts: Bob Costas, Cris Collinsworth, Keith Olbermann, Dan Patrick, Jerome Bettis, Tiki Barber, Peter King, Matt Millen, Tony Dungy, Mike Holmgren, Rodney Harrison, Matt Lauer, Al Roker
Celebrity Guests: President Barack Obama, Bruce Springsteen, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Kevin James, Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Vin Diesel, Hayden Panettiere, Tom Colicchio from Bravo's Top Chef and Rainn Wilson
Musical Performances: Journey, John Legend, Faith Hill and Jennifer Hudson

Segments

9AM-12PM:

Today Show Coverage - "Meredith Viera, Al Roker and Ann Curry will give viewers a rare behind-the-scenes look at the sights, sounds, parties and food of the big game as well as the preparations that go into Super Sunday. They will also explore the city of Tampa and experience the local Super Bowl fever. Tiki Barber will get a VIP tour of the stadium from his twin brother Ronde, who plays for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers."

12PM-6PM:

"ROAD TO THE SUPER BOWL": "Bob Costas will kick off NBC's pregame coverage live at Noon ET from the "Pirate Ship"."

HAIL TO THE CHIEF: "NBC News' Matt Lauer will sit down with President Barack Obama for a live interview from the White House during NBC's Super Bowl Pregame Show."

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN: "Bruce Springsteen, who will be performing at halftime of Super Bowl XLIII, will be the subject of an exclusive sit-down during pregame with Bob Costas. Nightly News anchor Brian Williams, a native of the Jersey shore, is contributing an essay on his idol Springsteen in the pregame show."

COVER ME: "Among the features in the Super Bowl XLIII pregame show are segments on the Cardinals' Ken Whisenhunt, Kurt Warner, Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald; features on Mike Tomlin, Troy Polamalu, James Harrison, beloved defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau and Ben Roethlisberger of the Steelers; analysis of each team with Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, who analyzed game film with Collinsworth; and a look at what the players experience during Super Bowl week. Rodney Harrison will analyze how to defend the seemingly unstoppable Fitzgerald."

"LITTLE BIG SHOW": "Olbermann and Patrick, who together redefined sports highlights, will break down the best highlights from the AFC and NFC this season."

BACK STAGE PASS: "NBC will follow the Cardinals and Steelers throughout the lead up to the game, from the team hotels, to the team buses, to the first-ever Super Bowl pregame reports from the locker rooms, to the teams' sidelines."

ROKER TO HOST SUPER SUITE: ""Today's" Al Roker will host NBC's pregame coverage from the "NBC Super Suite" from the NFL Experience in Tampa."

TOP CHEF: "Tom Colicchio from Bravo's Top Chef, will join Tiki Barber and Jerome Bettis in judging a "Cook-Off" between previous "Top Chef" contestants exploring the cuisines of Arizona and Pittsburgh."

GATORADE SHOWER: "CNBC's sports business reporter Darren Rovell will take a look at Gatorade and its iconic presence in the Super Bowl."

"LET THE SUNSHINE IN": "The Weather Channel's Jim Cantore will provide updates on the weather from Tampa throughout the pregame."
_________________________

ESPN

Pregame Show Length: 3 Hours (10pm-1pm)
Pregame Show Hosts and Analysts: Chris Berman, Cris Carter, Mike Ditka, Tom Jackson, Keyshawn Johnson, Chris Mortensen, Mike Tirico, Trent Dilfer, Ron Jaworski, Steve Young, Suzy Kolber and Ed Werder

Segments:

History (10am)- "In their own voices, the two Super Bowl XLIII quarterbacks, Ben Roethlisberger and Kurt Warner, narrate their team’s paths to the Super Bowl and the history that will be made."

Cardinals Turning Point (10:30am)- "Rachel Nichols reports on Whisenhunt’s decision to toughen up his team by practicing in pads once-a-week, a move that Arizona players say was the turning point to their season and improbable playoff run."

Mike Tomlin’s Formative Years (11am)- "In an old red notebook that sits on his mother’s kitchen table are pictures and hand-written captions describing early moments in the young coach’s path to the NFL. The first page reads: “This is a book about football and how it has molded my character, Michael Pettaway Tomlin 3-15-72.” Jackson speaks with Tomlin about his childhood memoirs."

Mayne Event: Offseason Insanity (11am)- "Kenny Mayne embarks on a mission to discover what other players are doing during their off-season, catching up with Pro Bowlers Jared Allen and Wes Welker as they begin their winter “retreats”."

Namath’s Guarantee (11am)- "Jeremy Schaap reports on the circumstances that led to Namath’s famous proclamation."

“Soundtracks” – AFC Championship (11:30am)- "Countdown will re-live the sights and sounds of the game"

Super Bowl Quarterback Blueprints for Success (11:30am)- "Former Super Bowl quarterbacks Dilfer, Jaworski and Young will present the blueprints for success for both Ben Roethlisberger and Kurt Warner."

Big Ben: Stand & Deliver (12pm)- "Tom Jackson sits down with Roethlisberger and his teammates to discuss how “Big Ben’s” style of play means big risk, but comes with big reward."

Larry Fitzgerald: Memories of Mom (12pm)- "Cris Carter sits down with the Arizona wide receiver to discuss how he honors his mother on the field and how her death has affected him."

EA Sports Virtual Playbook: Kurt Warner vs. Steelers’ Blitz (12:30pm)- "In EA Sports Virtual Playbook, Jackson previews how the Steelers blitz will pressure Kurt Warner in Super Bowl XLIII."

The Terrible Towel (1pm)- "Greg Garber traces the history of “The Terrible Towel” and the charity which benefits from the sales of the towel even after [Myron] Cope’s death last year.
_______________________

SUPER BOWL XLIII

WHAT: Super Bowl XLIII
WHO: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Arizona Cardinals
WHERE: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Bay, Florida
WHEN: Kickoff 6:28pm (NBC)
SPREAD: Steelers -7, O/U 47
ANNOUNCERS: Al Michaels, John Madden, Andrea Kremer, Alex Flanagan, Peter King
TROPHY PRESENTER: Dan Patrick

(Info from ESPN and NBC PR)

Of all the things that could happen on Radio Row during Super Bowl Week, this was not one that I could imagine. It turns out that two feuding stations/broadcasters, one from Baltimore and one from Dallas, decided to throw down this afternoon. From Dallas Sports Fans via Deadspin....

This morning on Radio Row at Super Bowl 43 in Tampa, “Nasty Nestor” Aparicio, a controversial Baltimore radio host attacked Gordon Keith. The incident is the latest in an on-going feud between Nasty Nestor and the Ticket.

Apparently, Gordon Keith went over to Nasty Nestor Arapicio with a wireless microphone to attempt to bury the hatchet between the two parties, when Nasty Nestor became angry, grabbed Gordon Keith around the throat and attempted to strangle him. The two were then separated and the police were called.

This is not the first incident between Nasty Nestor and the Ticket. In 2008, at the Super Bowl coverage, Corby Davidson went to Nasty Nestor to make peace. Nestor Arapicio began swearing at Corby Davidson and accused him of having a hidden mic, to which Corby responded, “I swear to the good Lord I do not have a microphone.” Nasty Nestor then called Corby a “(Explitive)-ing Jew.”

Well then! If there's anything lamer than a media feud, it's gotta be a Sports Radio feud. After the banquet lunch, and my interview with Frank Caliendo, let's settle this at the Playground free Pepsi Machines outside the conference center!

If anyone has audio of the exchange, I'd love to hear it.

Nasty Nestor Arapicio Attacks Gordon Keith (Dallas Sports Fans)

I still have no idea why companies release their ads before you get to see them on Super Bowl Sunday, but whatever. In Sobe's latest lame/trippy/lizard inspired ad, Ray Lewis, Matt Light and Justin Tuck perform Swan Lake for some reason before the stage gets turned into a lizard dance party. Enjoy!

So so bad, but Ray Lewis turning into a lizard at the end cracked me the hell up. If you want to view some of the other spots to air this Sunday, be sure to head over to Adweek.

Adweek Super Bowl Videos (Ad Week)

It happens every year without fail. One team will plan their parade early, or call out a certain player, and you know who's winning the game. While Pittsburgh has been relatively quiet over the course of the week, the Cardinals decided to hold a rally and desecrate the "Terrible Towel". Not only did "Big Red" use the towel to wipe his underarms, but the Mayor of Phoenix blew his nose with the thing....

The mayor of Phoenix blew his nose into a Terrible Towel and then threw it to the ground at a send-off rally for the Cardinals in Phoenix on Monday.

On Tuesday night, he apologized for his actions.

Mayor Phil Gordon said, "At no time did anyone intend, in any way, to offend the Steelers organization and their many fans, supporters and traditions."

At the same send-off rally on Monday, the Cardinals' mascot used the Terrible Towel to wipe his furry armpits before the mayor sneezed and stomped on it.

Oh no, how dare he!!! Seriously though, why is it that every year you can tell the exact moment when a city causes their team a loss of Karma? Just calm down and try to enjoy the game, Arizona. It will all be over soon enough.

Phoenix Mayor Blows Nose In 'Terrible Towel' Then Apologizes (WPXI)
Towel Video (WPXI)

I'm trying not to overload all of you with tons of Super Bowl stuff, and I'll be giving you a larger NBC post closer to Sunday, but I thought this was interesting. Eye On Sports Media compiled the numbers for NBC's production from number of cameras to miles of cable being used. Are are some of the more interesting stats....

450- More than 450 people will be part of the NBC production, technical, administrative and support crews

93- Microphones (including 12 on-field parabolic microphones)

52- High Definition Cameras (2 SD Cameras for Game Clock and Play Clock)

50- Miles of Camera and Microphone cable

45- Vehicles (control trucks, mobile units, office trailers, Horse Trailer)

24- Digital Video Replay Sources

22- Hard Cameras (including 2 Super Slo-Mo’s and three “X-Mo’s)

20- Hand-held Cameras (including two SteadyCams)

10- NEP Supershooter Trailers in the TV Compound

8- Digital Post-Production Facility (5 Avid Suites, 3 Final Cut Pro Suites)

5- Robotic Cameras (including two fixed on the Field Goal posts)

2- RF Hand-held cameras

1- “Cable-Cam” camera suspended above the playing field

1- Hard Camera for scenic views of Tampa Bay

And those 450 people are all going to be on the pregame show! I kid, I kid. Seriously though, that's a little nuts that all of that cable could cover 50 miles and that over 90 mics are used. Interesting stuff for sure.

NBC Sports' Super Bowl XLIII Coverage By The Numbers (Eye On Sports Media)