SbB’S TOM PETTY SUPER BOWL SCOOP NOW CONFIRMED: Two weeks after we reported the news here, the HOLLYWOOD REPORTER confirms that Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers will headline Super Bowl XLII on February 3 at Univ. of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
The H-P also notes that American Idol winner Jordin Sparks, who is from Phoenix, may sing the national anthem for the game. Certainly she could use a boost in publicity, considering how hollow her debut record rollout has been.
• The real reason why Torii Hunter signed with the Angels? To spend more time with the Rally Monkey:
• NATION OF ISLAM SPORTSBLOG checks out West Virginia, and comes to believe in (Pat) White power.• AWFUL ANNOUNCING sounds off that neighbors of Arizona Stadium are tired of hearing Phil Collins tunes.
STEELERS SKIP STAR-SPANGLED BANNER BEFORE MNF GAME With all the preparation done for Monday night’s game, the Steelers forgot about one thing - the Star-Spangled Banner:
The PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE reports that the national anthem was skipped over, after lightning concerns caused a 15-minute delay before kickoff.Vince Neil of Motley Crue was all set to put on his patriotic performance. But both ESPN and the NFL told Steelers officials that they didn’t want the anthem to interfere with the broadcast, saying the delay had closed the “window” for the song.
For Vince, it wasn’t the Same Ol’ Situation, and he missed out on his chance to relish in the attention of the Heinz Field audience.Steelers President Art Rooney II apologized for the omission, saying it was the wrong decision, and adding, “It’s unfortunate and certainly something we hope never happens again.”
RAMS RB JACKSON WANTS MORE HIP-HOP IN HOME DOME: Tired of the quiet, apathetic atmosphere at home, Stephen Jackson wants to crank it up in the Dome:
The ST. LOUIS POST DISPATCH reports that the Rams RB would like it to be “a little more lively” in the Edward Jones Dome on Sundays.And he thinks broadcasting block rockin’ beats is the answer: “You’ve got to look around the league. There’s hip-hop played everywhere. I don’t know why we think it shouldn’t be played here.
“I think we need to get our fans behind us. And we can’t do it if everything’s quiet.”If Jackson really wants the fans behind them, maybe the 2-9 Rams should try winning some games.
EAGLES OUT; TOM PETTY TO PLAY SUPER BOWL HALFTIME: Last month we reported there was a 90% chance that the Eagles would be the headliner at next year’s Super Bowl in Glendale, AZ. Well much like our most recent visit to the tables in Laughlin, the 10% came through - and the Eagles are out.
We have since learned that Tom Petty will headline the Super Bowl halftime show. The deal is officially done. Much like our visits to Nevada for the next calendar year.
BEARS NECESSITY croons out news of the famed “American Idol” off-key contestant showing up at Husky Stadium, to the enjoyment(?) of the football faithful.During his halftime performance, the former UC Berkeley student was decked out in Washington gear, and ended the show with a crowd-pleasing “Go Huskies!” (Pleasing the crowd that he finally finished.)
Surprisingly, it’s not the first audible appearance at an athletic event for Hung. In 2004, William brought his special talents to the Skydome, to lead Toronto Blue Jays fans in a lively rendition of “Take Me Out to The Ballgame”:
What’s more difficult for Jeff Tedford’s boys to stomach - dropping from 2nd in the nation to 7th in the Pac-10, or witnessing William extend his 15 minutes of fame?
MORE: “He’ll appear alongside Broadway friends Brad Little (”Phantom of the Opera”) and Barbara McCulloh (”The King and I”) in a one-night-only performance. Sterling chatted by phone last week.John Sterling singing showtunes this Saturday? Now the suddenness of the Broadway strike makes perfect sense. Fight on, brave stage hands!
• STEROID NATION finds stories about Barry Bonds’ personal doctor very interes-Ting.• BIG TEN TAILGATE scans the globe for signs of the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry. Latest stop: Machu Picchu.
