Let the games begin

Media Day marks the start of a week full of silliness

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Posted: Tuesday January 25, 2000 09:27 AM

By John Donovan, CNNSI.com

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Maybe the only thing more cliché-ridden than Media Day at the Super Bowl is a story about Media Day at the Super Bowl.

Sure, Tuesday's big MD at the big XXXIV might seem like a perfect chance for The Glance to take the easy way out and cover all the "wackiness" of the big day.

No way. Can't do it. We're simply not going there.

Well, we'll be there, of course. That's our job. But we're not going to give the darn thing any cyber-ink, no matter how cheap it is. We'll leave that to 20 or 30 other media outlets.

Instead, we're going to fill you in on the rest of the week.

Like, did you know about the two free-for-all media sessions at the team hotels on Wednesday and Thursday mornings, which all the players and coaches are required to attend and required to answer the same question 16 times over?

What about the sessions on Friday, where the head coaches talk for maybe an hour with the media and still seem to say nothing. Did you know about them?

And the one-on-one interviews with the NFL's network partners? What about them? They'll be going on most of the week, too?

Did you know all the practices are closed, closed and closely guarded from the prying eyes of the ever-present media? You want to try to get into one of the team hotels, try even to get on the same floor as some of the meeting rooms where coaches strategize? Good darn luck, pal.

This is just the beginning of Super Bowl week, and with all the media in town, with all the rampant mistrust floating around, it's amazing that anything gets done around here this week.

Distractions, that's what coaches call them. And if Dick Vermeil and Jeff Fisher haven't already talked to their teams about them, they will soon. Getting past the media is a huge part of it. And when you add in the troubles with getting past the hangers-on and the parties and the hoopla and the hype ... well, that's half the challenge of this week.

Anyway, we gotta get outta here. Media Day is under way, and we don't want to miss the free grub.

On to The Glance, which today asks the question: What's the biggest distraction in the city of Atlanta?

Answer: The New York Knicks are in a little hot water for their "dealings" with some "employees" of an "adult entertainment" spot in town called The Gold Club. That's a fly strip waiting to happen for players here this week. Steer clear, guys, if you know what's good for you.

A Dorsett rides again Anthony Dorsett, Tony's son, will be a huge factor in Sunday's game. He'll start for the Titans, in place of the injured Marcus Robertson at free safety. The Rams, by the way, know this.

McNair's toe It will be the most closely watched digit since Y2K. If his sore left biggie is OK, or at least as OK as it was last week, the Tennessee QB could give the Rams all they want. More, maybe.

Kurt Warner We tried earlier this season when he was already the hottest QB on the planet, and now we're trying again. Kurt, wanna sponsor The Glance? You can be a partner in AOL Time (Kurt) Warner! We love you!

Rams receivers Ricky Proehl? My goodness, these guys just keep coming at you. The Titans are high on the way their secondary has played this postseason. Stopping Bruce, Hakim and the rest will be something.

Flag -- Analyze this: Ouch! Just hit ourselves in the eye with that one. But, by the end of this week, football fans will be tossing white flags at the in-depth, over-the-top, devil-in-the-details analysis flying from every direction.

Flattery -- Titans fans: We did this already this week, but that was before some 40,000 greeted the Titans in Nashville after their win in the AFC title game. Nothing like a little school spirit.

Flag -- Ticket prices: Word on the street, where The Glance often hangs out, is that this could be one of the most expensive ducats in Supie history. Face value: $325. Asking price: Over $1,000 already for many of them.

Flag -- The weather: The Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, we understand, wants to torch all the city's leftover Olympic memorabilia to heat up this burgh. If this keeps up, Detroit will want to host another one.

Flattery -- The coaches: Two decent guys who understand that part of their job is selling the game to the public, and who still command the respect and admiration of their players.

The Super Bowl is the biggest sporting event in the world. It's not worth $1,000 a ticket, though.

What The Glance would give $1,000 to see: A decent explanation for the call on that catch in the NFC title game.

Why Eddie George doesn't get the recognition he deserves: No seasons like the one Marshall Faulk just had.

Biggest reason to root for the Titans this week: Bruce Matthews.

1. One estimate says XXXIV will boost Atlanta's economy some $250 million.

2. ABC plans on having 25 people they call "pre-game reporters" Sunday.

3. How many languages is the game to be broadcast in?

Answers below.

Our daily look at a key matchup in the game

The RBs -- Eddie George, Tennessee vs. Marshall Faulk, St. Louis. All Eddie George does is keep running. And all Marshall Faulk does is keep getting yards whatever way he can. Both can play key parts in how their teams do Sunday. And, as witnessed last week, both can be held largely in check and their teams are still good enough to win. A safe bet: It'll be tough going for both this week.

"I'll have a Pepsi, please."

Players won't see exactly what coaches have in mind for Sunday until Wednesday, when the gameplan is installed and the players go through their biggest day of practice in the week. That'll be, probably, the most normal part of this whacked-out week. They'll need to cope with it.

T-F answers: 1.) That's what the NFL says. 2.) Well, no. ABC lists "only" 10 people as "pre-game reporters." 3.) True. Oh, wait. Twenty four. Aw, geez, throw out this test.

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