|
|
February 1, 2004
Halftime break offers choice of diversions
FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM
Lip sync. Lipstick. Laugh out loud. Halftime will have something for everyone.
Mainstream fans probably will go with lip sync, in the form of the Super Bowl's over-choreographed halftime show featuring musical stars Janet Jackson, Kid Rock, P. Diddy and Nelly.
The more adventuresome viewer might shell out $19.95 for lipstick and the pay-per-view Lingerie Bowl, featuring scantily-clad models playing tackle football.
Still a precious few others will be poised to laugh out loud while watching owner Jerry Jones and Coach Bill Parcells of the Dallas Cowboys sing together in an NFL Network commercial to run during halftime.
The 60-second spot, which has the makings of a classic, features the NFL's biggest names lamenting the fact they're not in the Super Bowl. To the tune of "Tomorrow" from the Broadway musical Annie, Jones and Parcells sing "the sun will come out ..." from a segment taped Wednesday at Texas Stadium. Joining them in the commercial are LaVar Arrington, Michael Strahan, Torry Holt, Zach Thomas, Warren Sapp, Priest Holmes and Terrell Owens.
"It's unprecedented to have this many stars appear in a commercial," said Judy Fearing, the senior vice president of marketing for NFL Network. "We're thrilled by the overwhelming positive response for our inaugural NFL Network Super Bowl spot and look forward to sharing our singing sensations with the millions of viewers."
The stars supposedly take consolation that on Monday, all teams will again be undefeated and preparing for a new season with dreams of winning the Super Bowl. The theme is that football season never ends on NFL Network, which serves as the fans' post-Super Bowl remedy by covering the Pro Bowl, NFL combine, draft and reports from all 32 training camps.
Some other highlights from the week in Houston:
?Best and worst images: The best - pitcher Roger Clemens, recently signed by the Houston Astros, showing up at events in the orange Hummer given to him as a retirement gift by owner George Steinbrenner of the Yankees.
The worst - Former running back Earl Campbell of the Oilers, fresh off back surgery and slowed by tattered knees, walking with the use of a cane.
?Numbers Games: $1. That was the laughably low sale price of a Jake Delhomme trading card on eBay, further proof that Super Bowl XXXVIII will likely be remembered as just another football game played by few, if any, all-time greats.
36:1. The ratio of media members covering the Super Bowl to players on the field.
? Laid back: It's hard to tell when both teams resemble cardboard cutouts with coaches about as jumpy as navy-bean soup, but from here it seems that the Panthers are the more confident and relaxed team.
That's either A) A bad sign that means they are just happy to be here; or B) A good sign that means they are embracing their role as underdogs with nothing to lose; or C) No one did anything newsworthy all week, and we're resorting to judging posture and frown intensity as practical means of predicting the outcome.
?If you're eating, skip this item, but if you like NBC's Fear Factor, indulge yourself: New England's edgy offensive tackle Matt Light is growing a long, scruffy, red beard that's headed toward ZZ Top proportions. The main drawback according to Light? "Dandruff. It gets everywhere."