Super Bowl Notebook

Presidential coin flip causes no problems for security

New Orleans mayor predicts safe Super Bowl Mayor Marc Morial predicted Friday a "very safe" Super Bowl played under extraordinary security coordinated by the federal government. "It's going to be safe and secure in New Orleans on Sunday," Morial told CNN. Click here for complete story.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- The Super Bowl will get off to a presidential start on Sunday.

Former President George Bush and Hall of Fame quarterback Roger Staubach will take part in the Super Bowl coin toss.

Bush will be the first president, current or former, to participate in the coin toss in person. Ronald Reagan did it once via satellite from the White House.

Bush attended the Super Bowl once before. He was at the game in Pontiac, Mich., in 1982 when he was vice president.

Having the former president in attendance doesn't bother the Secret Service, which is overseeing security for the game in the wake of the terrorist attacks.

"Once an event is declared a National Security Special Event we have the same level of security as we do for events attended by the president or a head of state," said Jim Mackin of the Secret Service. "If President Bush were to join his father, we'd have no problems from that either."

However, NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue said Friday that President Bush would not attend the game.

Riding with the Rams

Of five players present Friday to promote next week's Pro Bowl in Honolulu, four have played either the Patriots, Rams or both this season, and none gave New England much of a chance.

"I think it's going to get ugly," said San Diego defensive end Marcellus Wiley, who faced the Patriots in a 29-26 overtime loss. "I think St. Louis is going to build a lead and just get cocky with it. By the third quarter the Neilsen ratings might be down."

Also on hand were San Francisco quarterback Jeff Garcia, New York Jets defensive lineman John Abraham, New Orleans defensive lineman La'Roi Glover and Baltimore tight end Shannon Sharpe.

Glover, whose club split two games against the Rams this season and lost badly at New England, said he'd love to see Drew Bledsoe come off the bench "to throw for 500 yards against the Rams defense."

"I think that would be a great story," he said, but resigned himself to a likely Rams victory.

Garcia, whose team lost twice to St. Louis, said picking the Rams had more to do with St. Louis being the class of the NFL than any knock against New England.

"When you play the Rams, you try to keep their offense off the field. You want to control the ball, do the right things with the football, control the clock," Garcia said. "But then you realize how good their defense is and they keep you off the field.

"I think all of us here, when we measure our team, at this point, we try to be the Rams. They're the best team right now."

Late bloomer

Rod Jones, who started only one game during the regular season and didn't play at all in 10 games, has become the Rams' postseason anchor at right offensive tackle. After starting in playoff victories over the Packers and Eagles, he'll start again in the Super Bowl.

Part of the reason is that Ryan Tucker, the Rams' regular right tackle, is still slowed by an ankle injury. The bigger reason is that Jones has done the job in his two playoff starts. At one point in the game against the Eagles, he even moved to left tackle when Orlando Pace went down with a sprained knee.

"Rod played so well last week -- exceptionally well -- that he deserves to start," Rams head coach Mike Martz said.

Jones started 37 of 54 games in five seasons with the Bengals before he became a free agent after the 2000 season. The Rams signed him to a one-year contract.

Patriot bliss

Richard Bertulli, 50, Boston, and Kathleen Rinaldo, 50, of East Boston, had been dating for 12 years. The running joke between them and their friends has been they would get married if the Patriots won the Super Bowl.

They're so certain of New England victory on Sunday, they didn't bother waiting. On Friday they were married by a justice of the peace.

"We just feel the vibes and we said 'What the hell,'" Bertulli said.

Decked out in Patriots' jackets, with blue and red Mardi Gras beads to match, and walking through the mall next to the Superdome, the two had been married for about 20 minutes.

"We made all our reservations for here before the Pittsburgh game, so we figured we'd take care of the marriage before the Super Bowl," Rinaldo said.

The father of Pats' cornerback Otis Smith, a New Orleans native, was a witness to Bertulli and Rinaldo's courthouse wedding.

 

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