I forget the program I was listening to the other day, but an interesting point was raised about the Super Bowl. The radio host was talking Boxing and pay-per-view, and mentioned that he thought that within ten years the Super Bowl would be moved to that format. While that's certainly discerning, it's definitely years away. Unlike the reality that the Super Bowl could be played in London soon.

Roger Goodell has been denying stateside for months that the Super Bowl could be played overseas, but the BBC is saying something completely different....

The NFL has had "substantive talks" with officials in London about holding the Super Bowl in the city, a senior league official has told BBC Sport.

While commissioner Roger Goodell has previously admitted an interest in bringing the game to London, this is the first confirmation of discussions.

"We've spoken on what it would take to host and for us to bring it over," said events vice-president Frank Supovitz.

"The city has all the facilities needed, and in great quantity."

Supovitz was talking in New York City where the NFL Draft will take place this weekend.

"We have had very substantive conversations with the city of London. We've got to the point of exploring the bid document," he added.

Call me an "Ugly American", but I think the majority of the country would be really upset if the Super Bowl went to England. I certainly think it would be a success, and that the event would instantly sell out, but the Super Bowl is an American icon. The only good thing that could come about this, is that the game would be starting at 2 or 3pm here, instead of six something. The wait is the worst part.

NFL in talks on London Super Bowl (BBC)

It wasn't that long ago that we were sharing with you the Super Bowl Edition of channel's that randomly switch to porn, and today we've got the ESPNU edition for you. Via Deadspin....

There can't be that many people watching ESPNU at 3:17AM, but on Saturday there was at least one, and he got a little surprise while hunting for a late-night sports fix (very NSFW).

An insomniac Deadspin reader was flipping through the channels in his south Texas abode early Saturday morning (or late Friday night, if you prefer) when this not-unpleasing-to-the-eye image gave him pause. Thankfully, for the good of humanity, he had a camera handy. Either Time Warner Cable is having trouble keeping the porn out of their non-porn feeds or an ESPNU employee was making a strong statement about Duke basketball.

Well that's certainly unfortunate. Although, I'm pretty sure that less than ten people were watching ESPNU at three in the morning. The bigger question though, is how this actually happens. I've never seen anything like this happen on my cable, and of course, am completely jealous of said accounts.

If you would like to see the porno, feel free to click over to Deadspin. It is definitely NSFW though.

ESPNU/Time Warner Cable Experiencing Technical Difficulties, Porn (NSFW) (Deadspin)

Earlier this month NFL Films had to "let go" of a few employees in a move which was called "a leaguewide belt-tightening". Well now people in the know are saying that the costs might finally outweigh the benefits. This seems to be due in large part to HBO dropping of Inside The NFL and NFL Films might be next. Via Philly Daily News....

It also has pointed to HBO's recent decision to end its long-running show, "Inside the NFL," which relied heavily on NFL Filmsproduced work.

"We're in a time in America financially that's quite unique," New England Patriots owner Bob Kraft, the chairman of the league's broadcast committee, told the Daily News. "Everyone's trying to run their business soundly.

"I think what you're going to see in America in the next 6 to 9 months is, every company is going to look at redundancy. Whether it's newspapers or brokerage firms or insurance companies or retailers or professional sports leagues. We're in a period in our economy where people who want to be strong 10-15 years from now have to do that. If they don't, they won't be around."

Kraft and the league's other owners will discuss the Films layoffs, as well as the struggles of the 4-year-old NFL Network, next week at their annual March meeting in Palm Beach, Fla.

There's nothing better than putting in the Super Bowl XXII Highlight tape from NFL Films and watching the greatest quarter ever played. Hell I think the only reason I still have a VCR is to watch old Super Bowls. I've bought ever tape/DVD since the Redskins won in 1988.

If you're deciding between NFL Films and the NFL Network feel free to drop the pointless channel before one of the NFL's greatest institutions.

NFL Films is taking shots (Philadelphia Daily News)

That's right folks, it's Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers! The 57 year old Petty will rock your face off this February in a timely halftime concert during the Super Bowl this year. I guess Prince's performance last year made the selection committee revert back to the practice of hiring the oldest performers possible following the Janet Jackson incident.

Petty joins The Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney in that regard, and there is no truth to the rumor that Cirque du Soleil will be showing up with those weird bouncy people again this year.

Tom Petty to play Super Bowl halftime show (Yahoo!)

Obviously it's not on the same level as the time NBC cut away from a Jets-Raiders game in 1968, but this was pretty bad in its own right....

Football fans and CBC staffers were furious on Saturday night over the network cutting short its Canadian Football League telecast to air a movie. Yesterday, Scott Moore, the head of CBC Sports, met with CFL commissioner Mark Cohon to assure him the mistake would not happen again.

"He understood the problem and understood these things don't happen very often," Moore said. "When you're hit with a unique situation, sometimes decisions are made that you regret."

So what was the movie you ask? Could it possibly be worse than Heidi??? Oh it can, and it was...

Given that CFL fans felt ripped off, the movie, starring Nick Nolte, was appropriately titled The Good Thief.

Nick Nolte?!?!?! Nice. I bet if it was Blue Chips no one would have even cared.


CBC fumbles coverage of Roughriders game (Globe and Mail)

I like to try to have a niche' in this ever-flooded Sports Blogosphere. You know....only announcer stuff, not putting up what's already over the place.....that sort of thing. Blah blah blah. Well sometime(s) things are just too funny to pass up (and I haven't seen this out there that much today).....

You are all aware that Britney Spears was denied an appearance in an ad by the NFL Network (they even went so far as to refer to her as a "train-wreck") right?. Well it looks like her ex-beau WILL be in one. It's one of those "Life Comes at you Fast" ones like the MC Hammer one in 2005 (see below), and will probably not disappoint. From K-Fed....

"I felt that it was a good time to come out and make fun of myself," says Federline, 28

See...that's what I'm talking about. If you can't make fun of yourself...who can you make fun of? I still maintain that K-Fed will come out of this thing better than Britney. I mean seriously the dude hooked up with the ex-hottest chick on the planet for a few years......and got her to pay for his record. I don't care if 10 people bought the thing (and it sucks)....he still has a record. Now he can do some b.s. reality shows and make some dough, and she's left looking like....well....a train wreck.

More on the commercial....

Nationwide plans to post the ad on its website on Jan. 29 — a week before the big game — and may post it elsewhere, too, such as on YouTube. Like most game advertisers, it put its 2006 Super Bowl ad online only after the game.

Nationwide won't say how much K-Fed is being paid. When asked about his finances, Federline said only, "I'm OK. … I'll be good, no matter what."

He's quick to add that he's making a new start in a new year. "I'm changing a lot of things in my life. Just be ready for me in 2007."

NFL Rejects Spears (MSNBC)
Nationwide Gives Away Bowl Ad Ending (USA Today)



Nationwide is on YO! side.