ABC'S WORST FEARS REALIZED? In L.A., Larry Stewart writes,
"Pity NBC, which has the next Super Bowl. If the 49ers make it
again, how is that network going to sell another blowout?" (L.A.
TIMES, 1/30)....In New York, Richard Sandomir gives SI's Peter
King the nod for best feature during ABC's pregame show. "King,
a novice, proves that information is the best tool in TV, or in
print" (N.Y. TIMES, 1/30)....In Baltimore, Milton Kent writes,
"Well, surprise, surprise, ABC turned in a creditable, and --
dare it be said -- restrained telecast" (Baltimore SUN, 1/30).
GOTTA BE THE SHOES: 49er Jerry Rice on why he doesn't get
more endorsements: "I guess I don't have an image. I'm not very
flashy on the football field. I don't know, you tell me" ("NFL
GameDay," ESPN, 1/29).
WERE YOU EXPERIENCED? The NFL Experience drew 150,000
visitors, with profits going to NFL Charities. NFL Properties VP
of Business Development Don Garber: "This is the largest NFL
Experience we have had in terms of space and participation. It's
the [NFL's] effort to bring a bit of the Super Bowl to everyone"
(N.Y. TIMES, 1/30).
SODA WARS: Pepsi Exec VP Brian Swette, on PepsiCo's
disappointment that Coke opted not to run any ads during the
game: "We want to go head to head with them because when we do,
they lose. They are an official NFL sponsor, and when the big
event comes along, they don't even show up" (Denise Gellene, L.A.
TIMES, 1/29). Coca-Cola spent its Super Bowl ad budget on events
in Miami and the Coca-Cola BIG TV broadcast on TNT. Coca-Cola
Dir of Sports Management Mike O'Shaugnessy heads to Phoenix on
Tuesday to begin preparations for Super Bowl XXX. O'Shaugnessy:
"We have to worry about competitors grabbing billboards and
sites" (Chris Roush, ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 1/30). Pepsi's
"Nothing Else Beats a Pepsi" slogan was well received at their
annual bottlers' meeting. The "Field of Dreams" spoof got the
biggest applause (BLOOMBERG/ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 1/29).
