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'Che (5amccock Sports Commentary Ravens not the only Super Bowl winners The Super Bowl, as you all know by now, is more than just a game. It’s an event. A circus. A series of episodes sur rounding the game that transcends foot ball. From the $2.3 million commer cials to the extrav agant halftime show, there’s a whole lot more at stake than just touchdowns (or in Kyle Almond this Super Bowl’s is a sophomore case, interceptions), journalism major On Super and Sports Editor Bowl Sunday, for The Gamecock, there’s more than He can be reached just one winner and via e-mail at one loser. There are gamecocksports© winners and losers hotmail.com. who have never put on a helmet or strapped on shoul der pads. LOSERS: Giants fans, you are not alone. There are some people out there who share your disappointment. Or who should, anyway. __ Loser #1 of Super Bowl XXXV: The city of Cleveland. Has everyone forgot ten already that this Ravens team was the former Cleveland Browns? Baltimore wasn’t an expansion team, even though its welfare-looking logo makes it look like it was—Art Modell moved the team from Cleveland in 1996. The poor citi zens of Cleveland had to watch their kid napped team win a world title while the new Browns struggle to win three games in a season. Come to think of it, when’s the last time any sports franchise from Cleveland won something outside of Ma jor League? Loser #2: Visa. The credit card com pany easily produced the corniest com mercials of the evening. In one, a girl ac tually sucked away her worthless boyfriend with a vacuum cleaner. Snore. And what was up with the multiplying rabbits in a later commercial? Bo-ring. Loser #3: Hefty running backs. You know the type. Think Pittsbuigh’s Jerome Bettis and New York’s Ron Dayne. With the Ravens defense being as lightning quick as it was, the Giants didn’t bother to give the ball to Dayne, last year’s Heis ■ man winner. That’s a bad sign for running backs who make their living running over their opponents rather than around them. As NFL teams try to emulate the Ravens’ attacking style, look for teams to try to base their running game around speed, not power. Loser #4: Dan Marino. Just think about it for a second. Dan Marino, ar guably the most prolific passer in the last two decades, isn’t sitting at home with a Super Bowl ring. Trent Dilfer is. What a sick world. WINNERS: Who emerged tri umphant, a la Ray Lewis? Winner #1: Budweiser. Yeah, the beer that leads the nation in hangovers did it again. A year after producing the famous “Whassup” commercials, Bud caught our eye this year with the best ads of the night. The yuppie, white-boy ver sion of the “Whassup” commercials was hilarious, as was the Bud Light spot where a guy, hoping to mack on a lady friend, accidentally shot his bottle of beer all over her face. Great fun. But on a side note: BRING BACK THE BUD BOWL! Winner #2: Jason Sehom. I hear what -- you’re saying. “But he was a Giant, and they lost, so how can he be a winner?” It’s simple. He’s got actress/wife Angie Harmon to console him. Translation: He’s more of a winner than any Raven. Winner #3: CBS Sports. Greg Gum bel and Phil Simms did an excellent job announcing the game. Simms was the epitome of an impartial journalist, which was somewhat surprising because he is an ex-Giant. And what can you say about the unbelievable camerawork? The new “Eyevision” technology, with a cam era angle that can be rotated 360 degrees, was so awesome. It marks a whole new era in instant replay. Winner #4: The fins. OK, so the game wasn’t a nail-biter like last year. But guys, come on — does it get any better than Britney Spears in the halftime show? Brit ney, Nelly, Aerosmith and Mary J. Blige were actually a surprisingly decent com bination. And, girls, from what I hear, ’N Sync was OK too. LSU from page 10 to Fogler, is team depth, especially when players get tired or in foul trouble. LSU head coach John Brady has had to . play his starting five most of their games. “I think John Brady has done a great job with his situation at LSU,” Fogler said. “John’s team is Comparatively competitive when you realize they play five players a lot.” The Gamecocks will likely look to their size advantage to beat the Tigers. Beshara is LSU’s tallest starter at 6 feet, 8 inches tall, and USC has three players, Marius Petravicius, Rolando Howell and Tony Kitchings, who are 6 feet, 9 inches or taller. The Gamecocks have a 7-5 lead in the all-time series with LSU. In Baton Rouge, USC is 2-2. Tip-off for the game is 8 p.m. The sports desk can be reached at gamecocksports@hotmaii.com SEC from page 10 Arena to face Kentucky, they could win the game,” Harricjt said. “I really did n’t believe that.” “Now, I think they do believe that they can beat teams, and I think that’s been a complete, difference. It’s an attitude kind of thing—they believe that they are capable of doing some things.” Mississippi State: It’s been a good week for Bulldogs. As the Geoigia Bull dogs have gained confidence, so has the Mississippi State squad that shares their mascot. SEC Standings MSU’s 79-69 win over rival Ole Miss on Saturday got the team back on its feet after losing the previous four SEC games. “Any win is a big win,” Mississip pi State head coach Rick Stansbury said. “All wins are important. But this win may be more important, not because of who we played, but because of how we’ve played in previous games.” “It’s a long season yet... lots of bas ketball to be played, and lots of things can happen. But no question, getting this win can do a lot for our confidence.” The sports desk can be reached at gamecocksports@hotmail.com Join the NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Firefighting Team for > CAREER ADVENTURES In the most Beautiful and Unique Places in America Permanent Seasonal Forestry Techs GIS Specialists Firefighters Ecologists (Fire) Engine Crews Wildland Specialists Prevention Education Specialists www.nps.gov/fire/jobs 1-866-NPS-FIRE National Park Service is an Equal Opportunity Employer Men’s Basketball East SEC Overall Georgia 6-1 13-7 Tennessee 4-2 17-3 Kentucky . 4-2 11-7 Florida 3-3 13-4 Vanderbilt 3-4 13-6 use 2-4 10-7 West SEC Overall Alabama 5-2 16-3 Ole Miss 3-3 15-4 Arkansas 3-3 12-6 Miss. 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