The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, February 06, 2006, Page 9, Image 9
TH#fi5AMEC0CK
SPORTS
^ Monday, Feb. 6,2006 K—/ I 1 —I— rV—' Page 9
Super Bowl
about more
than football
^ SUPER BOIUL • CORTinUED FROfTl I
In a stadium brimming
with thousands of Pittsburgh
fans waving Terrible Towels,
the Steelers finally captured
their fifth title, that “One
for the Thumb” that the
Steelers have been waiting
for since 1980.
Tide No. 5 for Pittsburgh
was the first for jut-jawed
coach Bill Cowher, a 14-year
veteran, and for Bettis, The
Bus, who said he would end
his 13-year career with a win
in his hometown, only a few
_ miles from where he grew
W UP
“I played this game to
win a championship,” he
said. “I’m a champion and I
think the last stop is here, in
Detroit.”
When it was over, Cowher
found himself drenched, with
water from the traditional
dousing given to him by his
players — and with tears,
as he hugged his wife and
daughters. It was a scene
much different than one 10
years ago, when the Steelers
lost in the Super Bowl and
^ Cowher had to do most of
W the consoling.
Two plays made a
difference in this one: Willie
Parker’s record-setting 75
yard run for a touchdown
right after halftime and
receiver Antwaan Randle
El’s 43-yard touchdown pass
to Hines Ward on a trick
play that put the Steelers
up by 11 early in the fourth
quarter.
Before that, it was Jagger
and the Rolling Stones
making most of the best
moves.
Jagger strutted his stuff
during a three-song set,
two of which contained
obscenities that the NFL
chose to bleep out. There
would be no reprisal of the
Janet Jackson “wardrobe
malfunction” this year thanks
to the network’s decision
to air everything on a five
second delay.
The Stones were stars of a
halftime show the NFL had
been seeking for years—so
long, in fact, that the league
turned a celebration of the
Motown sound that has
long defined Detroit into a
pregame-show undercard.
That didn’t sit well in the
Motor City during the lead
up to the game, but Detroit
got its due.
The NFL took a chance
bringing its showcase
game up North to one of
America’s great, old cities,
but one under duress. Hurt
by sinking population,
growing unemployment and
urban blight that doesn’t
go away easily, this proud
metropolis was a happy host,
eager to impress and hoping
the NFL’s magic and money
won’t go away as soon as the
teams and fans leave.
Bettis wasn’t ashamed.
“The best part is being able
to showcase the hometown,”
he said earlier in the week of
a city that was staggered last
month when Ford announced
up to 30,000 job cuts. “I love
this city and it puts our city
Carlos Osorio / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Bill Cowher raises his arms as he is about to have the water cooler dumped on him by
Steelers' Marvel Smith, left, and Max’ Starks, center, as their team wins the Super Bowl XL football game against the
Seattle Seahawks on Sunday in Detroit. The Steelers won 21-10.
on the grandest stage in the
world. It’s something that’s
much needed.”
In between the Stones,
Pittsburgh’s big plays and a
few nice rumbles by Bettis,
America’s 140 million
viewers got their taste of
the always anticipated Super
Bowl commercials, aired at
a cost of $2.5 million per 30
seconds.
Highlights included
Kermit the Frog insisting it
really is easy being green in
an ad for a hybrid car and
a woman ending up in a
compromising position after
trying to awkwardly climb
over a sleeping stranger in
an airplane.
There were reprises of the
sad-sack guy in corporate
America who literally works
for a bunch of monkeys
and a geezer needing to
take oxygen after hearing
“testimony” from a woman
whose bra straps are about
to pop.
Experts from the Calorie
Control Council estimated
Americans would eat 30
million pounds of snacks on
Super Bowl Sunday on their
couches at home, in bars and
at parties. That equaled an
average of 1,200 calories and
50 grams of fat per person
-and that was before actual
meals or beers were factored
into the equation.
That’s what the Super
Bowl is about, though
celebrating a truly American
sport in truly American
fashion.
Nobody had more reason
to celebrate than the
Steelers, who got this win
despite a less-than-perfect
game from their quarterback,
Ben Roethlisberger (9-for
21 for 123 yards and two
interceptions) and an offense
that desperately needed the
big plays it got to pull this out.
Nearly half of Pittsburgh’s
339 yards came on three
plays — Parker’s run, Randle
El’s pass, and a 37-yard pass
that Roethlisberger threw
across his body to Ward
to set up Pittsburgh’s first
touchdown. i
An aesthetic masterpiece,
it was not, although a
workingman’s city like
Pittsburgh and a blue-collar
team like the Steelers will
certainly take it.
“I hope they appreciate
me, because we just brought
a championship home,”
Bettis said. “One for the
Thumb!”
► Gamecocks lose second-straight
since defeating Florida Gators
Carolina falls to
Arkansas after falling
to Tennessee last week
Stephen Fastenau
SPORTS EDITOR
If USC men’s basketball
coach Dave Odom wanted
to benchmark his team’s
win over then-No.5 Florida
as a turning point in the
Gamecocks’ season, it has
sure turned in a direction
other than what he was
hoping for.
The Gamecocks have lost
both games by a combined
30 points since beating the
Gators on Jan. 25, including
Saturday’s 73-59 loss to
Arkansas.
After dropping a Jan. 28
game to Tennessee, USC
traveled to Fayetteville after
a week-long layoff. And
Arkansas gave them anything
but a warm welcome.
USC led early 6-2,
on two Dwayne Day 3
pointers. Arkansas’Jonathon
Modica then hit a 3-pointer
to initiate a 7-0 Razorback
run. The Gamecocks would
never lead again.
Modica made four 3
pointers in the first half
to finish with 20 first half
points. The Razorbacks were
never seriously threatened
after the first 10 r^inutes of
play.
Modica finished with a
career-high 37 points, and
USC dropped to 11-10 on
the season, with a record of
2-6 in the SEC.
“Modica’s shooting got
us out of sync,” USC guard
Tarence Kinsey told The
Associated Press. “He really
got the fans into the game.
He was on fire and we
couldn’t put it out.”
USC forward Renaldo
Balkman, whose chance of
playing was questionable
before the game due to a
sprained knee, entered a few
minutes in to the first half.
Balkman played just six
minutes, scoring only two
points. Kinsey’s 14 points led
the Gamecocks, who shot
38 percent from the field to
Arkansas’ 51 percent.
Guard Tre’ Kelley turned
the ball over five times and
shot l-of-7 from the field,
finishing with four points.
USC pulled within 10
points, 65-55, with 2:56
remaining, but Arkansas’
Modica answered with eight
consecutive points to stretch
the Razorbacks’ margin to
18.
“He was cutting and
moving, and he was 'hard
to guard,” Arkansas coach
Stan Heath said. “Give his
teammates some credit, too,
for knowing that he had a
hot hand and riding him
out. We just jumped on his
back.”
Modica finished 6-of-9
from beyond the 3-point
arc, with the Razorbacks as
a team putting up seven 3
point baskets.
“The best part of their
season lies ahead,” Odom
told the AP. “There may be
a more talented, team in this
league, but I’m not sure.”
The Gamecocks are now
faced with traveling to
Gainesville on Wednesday
for a rematch with the
Gators, who have won three
in a row since their 68-62
loss in Columbia.
USC sits last in the SEC
East and second-to-last in
the conference.
Comments on this story? E-mail
gamecocksports@gwm. sc. edu
4
AprilL. Brown / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Tarence Kinsey keeps the ball away from Arkansas’ Ronnie Brewer, right, during the
second half of (JSC’s Saturday loss in Fayetteville*, Ark. •
With Steelers
Motown winy
we dont have
huge games
on schedule
» .
Time between Super
Bowl, Garnet and
Black Spring Game
much too long to wait
Now that the Super
Bowl is over, it is time
for the most devastating
sentence in my life since
“Yes, Mr. Broom, you have
to take two more Spanish
classes to graduate.” Until
_/"•__
and Black
Spring
Game,
football is
over.
Of course
football isn’t
totally over
— there is
always the
Pro Bowl
JAHCBR00IT1
Third-year
political
science
student
and spring practice — but
those two don’t really
count.
The Pro Bowl is to
football what Master
P is to. “Dancing with
the Stars” — a bunch
of guys trying to pick
up a paycheck while not
ruining their reputation
or injuring themselves. Of
course I will watch it, but
it really isn’t football.
BROOm • 10
*