No more Goofy ads
For the first time since 1987, star players of the Super Bowl will not get a chance to proclaim that they’re headed to Disneyland or Disney World.
Earlier this week, Disney canceled its promotional series with the game but left the door open for returning next year.
Susan Strother Clarke of the Orlando Sentinel: “In the end, maybe it’s a good thing there won’t be ads this Super Bowl. Now, if anyone asks the players after the game what their plans are, they can say – with complete candor – what I’ve always wanted to hear:
“I’m taking a shower!”
By the way, the first player to kick off Disney’s Super Bowl campaign by saying, “I’m going to Disneyland!” after a Most Valuable Player performance was Phil Simms of the New York Giants, after defeating Denver at the Rose Bowl in 1987.
In your face, Vitale
Recently, Dick Vitale claimed that this season’s point guards in the Atlantic Coast Conference, led by Chris Paul of Wake Forest, Raymond Felton of North Carolina and Jarrett Jack of Georgia Tech, were the best in the league’s 52-year history.
Former Clemson point guard Grayson Marshall disagreed. He told the Florida Times-Union, “I’ll take my sophomore year in ‘85-86. You had Mark Price, Kenny Smith, Nate McMillan, Tommy Amaker, Keith Gatlin and Muggsy Bogues. I ended up being the all-time ACC career assists leader and I probably ended up being seventh on that depth chart.”
Pop Warner-caliber
Carolina’s Steve Smith ripped Philadelphia’s Freddie Mitchell on “The James Brown Show,” heard on Sporting News Radio: “He’s not a premier receiver. My son in flag football had 22 catches. That’s the level he’s on. He should keep his mouth shut and catch more balls than fourth-and-26. Score with the ball. Don’t catch somebody else’s fumble.”
A spitting image
After the Pittsburgh Steelers lost in the NFL playoffs, Calvin Broadus, a.k.a. Snoop Dogg, offered to replace coach Bill Cowher.
Randy Hill of FoxSports.com suggested that Cowher could then look into a career in rap: “This could be interesting, although attempting to say ‘Shizzle’ might cause the spittle-filled Cowher to unleash a tidal wave of slobber.”
Cheeky response
In response to Randy Moss’ recent mock mooning of Green Bay fans, an anonymous business reportedly paid $16,000 for four large purple billboards that display the following: “No. 1, Squirting an Official With a Water Bottle, $25,000; No. 2, Ramming a Meter Maid, $1,200 and Probation; No. 3, Mooning Pack Fans, $10,000; and No. 4, Zero Rings for Randy Moss. PRICELESS.”
Sign of the times
Across the street from Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, the NHL lockout has forced restaurant Bar 242 to close because of lack of business. A sign in front of the restaurant reads, “Closed due to high player salaries.”