By Martyn Herman

LONDON (Reuters) - Liverpool striker Luis Suarez was handed a 10-match suspension by the Football Association (FA) on Wednesday following his bite on Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic at the weekend.

Suarez accepted a charge of violent conduct after the incident in the 2-2 Premier League draw at Anfield on Sunday but disputed the FA view that it merited more than a three-game ban.

An Independent Regulatory Commission met in London on Wednesday to decide the Uruguayan international's fate and added seven games to the usual ban for violent conduct.

The suspension begins immediately, meaning Liverpool's leading scorer will miss his side's last four games of the season and the first six at the beginning of next term.

Liverpool, who expressed their shock at the Commission's decision, have until Friday (1100 GMT) to appeal.

"Both the club and player are shocked and disappointed at the severity of today's Independent Regulatory Commission decision," Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre said in a statement on the club's website (www.liverpoolfc.com).

"We await the written reasons tomorrow (Thursday) before making any further comment."

Suarez's bite on Ivanovic's arm at Anfield was missed by referee Kevin Friend but television replays showed him sinking his teeth into the Serbian.

WIDELY CONDEMNED

The 26-year-old Suarez, who was banned for biting an opponent while with Dutch club Ajax before joining Liverpool in 2011, apologized after the game and was fined a reported 200,000 pounds ($305,700) by the club.

However, he was widely condemned for his behavior with some reports suggesting he was in danger of being sacked by the club, although Liverpool said this week that they wanted the Uruguayan to see out his four-year contract.

The FA said a three-match ban was "clearly insufficient" for the serious nature of the offence.

There was widespread support for the length of the punishment imposed with former Liverpool player Graeme Souness telling Sky Sports News: "I think 10 games is about right.

"What he did on Sunday is something I've never seen in a game anywhere before."

Former Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp agreed.

"I think you have to accept that the crime that he committed probably warranted a 10-game ban," he said.

"It was an awful act of brutality really what he did and now he won't play for such a long time - it's is going to hit him where it hurts because he wants to play football."

Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) chief executive Gordon Taylor said the length of the sanction sent out a "strong message" but that it was important that the player received counseling to make sure it did not happen again.

Not everyone backed the FA's decision.

"Players who break peoples' legs, who do horrible tackles, get a three-game ban," former Liverpool striker John Aldridge told Sky Sports News.

"It's inconsistent. For me, it's not right, it's over the top."

Controversy has followed Suarez since he joined Liverpool, with his antics often overshadowing his impact on the pitch.

He served an eight-match ban for racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra last season and later angered United manager Alex Ferguson by failing to shake the French defender's hand before their league match in February last year.

He has also been regularly accused of diving to win penalties and free kicks, while in an FA Cup tie this season against minor league Mansfield Town he was again criticized for scoring a goal despite a blatant handball.

Until Manchester United forward Robin Van Persie's hat-trick against Aston Villa on Monday that secured the title, Suarez was leading scorer in the league with 23 goals and he is included on a six-player shortlist for PFA Player of the Year.

($1 = 0.6542 British pounds)

(Reporting by Martyn Herman and Sonia Oxley; Editing by Ed Osmond)

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NEW YORK (Reuters) - A business analyst from Virginia beat out 8.15 million other entries to win ESPN's annual prediction contest for the NCAA basketball championship - but has gained more attention for the handle he created than his powers of prognostication.

Craig Gilmore, inspired by several pints of beer and using the name Lannay Kekua, won the contest, accurately picking Louisville to defeat Michigan in Monday night's college basketball championship game before the 64-team tournament began.

Lannay Kekua was the name an apparent hoaxster created to fool Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o, leading the football player to think he had an online and telephonic relationship with a woman who in reality never existed. Reports of her death during the season became a touching story until it unraveled as an embarrassing hoax.

Gilmore said he chose the name in order to tease two of his buddies who are Notre Dame graduates.

"People were sending me messages on my ESPN profile saying, 'Dude, we're just rooting for you because it would be great if Lannay Kekua's entry wins the ESPN bracket,'" Gilmore said.

ESPN advertises the winner will "have a chance" to win the grand prize of a $10,000 gift card for electronics retailer Best Buy, and Gilmore received an email saying he would be entered in a drawing.

"You're telling me I beat out over 8 million other people and I'm not guaranteed the prize?" Gilmore said.

If he does win the prize, he has already told his wife he plans to buy an 80-inch 3D television.

(Reporting by Daniel Trotta; Editing by Paul Thomasch and Eric Walsh)

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NEW YORK (AP) Nora Ephron will be the subject of an HBO documentary being made by her one of her sons, journalist Jacob Bernstein.

The network said Friday that the project, titled "Everything is Copy," will also have Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter as executive producer.

Ephron died at age 71 last year. She was the writer behind films "When Harry Met Sally," ''You've Got Mail" and "Sleepless in Seattle." Her last project is the current Broadway play about journalist Mike McAlary, with Tom Hanks in the starring role.

The documentary's title is a reference to Ephron's feeling that all of life's experiences provide fodder for a writer.

The documentary project was first reported in the Hollywood Reporter.

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NEW YORK (AP) ESPN is staying in the family in giving its Arthur Ashe Courage Award to Robin Roberts at its annual ESPY awards this summer.

The "Good Morning America" anchor is being saluted for how she kept viewers involved in her treatments for two serious illnesses. She had breast cancer in 2007 and last year had to undergo a bone marrow transplant to treat a rare blood disorder. Roberts returned to "Good Morning America" last month.

Roberts came to sister company ABC from ESPN, where she was the network's first black female sportscaster.

Most past awards recipients have sports connections, like former Tennessee women's basketball coach Pat Summitt last year. But the ESPYs also have honored Nelson Mandela and the four men who tried to stop one of the Sept. 11 hijackings.

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MOBILE, Alabama (Reuters) - The professional wrestling community on Wednesday mourned the death of William Moody, a real-life undertaker who gained fame as a wrestling manager with the ring name Paul Bearer.

Moody, 58, who managed the entertainment sport's champion The Undertaker and helped launch the careers of wrestlers Kane and Mankind, died Tuesday night at a hospital in his hometown of Mobile, Alabama, according to a hospital employee. The hospital did not release a cause of death.

"WWE is saddened to learn of the passing of William Moody, aka Paul Bearer," the wrestling organisation said on its website.

"Moody made his WWE debut in 1991 as the manager of The Undertaker and went on to become a memorable part of WWE over the course of the next 20 years," the site said.

For his spooky character, Moody wore pasty makeup, carried an urn and spoke in a high-pitched wail. He made his last television appearance for WWE in April 2012, the organisation said.

Angie Daniel-Poteet, co-owner of Coastal Funeral Home and Cremations in Moss Point, Mississippi, where Moody worked for about five years until 2010, described him as an upbeat person who always made time for fans and friends.

"He could still put us in our place with 'that look,'" Daniel-Poteet said on Wednesday, referring to Moody's signature facial expression, a wide-eyed scowl. "But it wasn't serious, and he never trash-talked fellow wrestlers like others in the wrestling community."

Moody earned the respect of both the national professional wrestling and local funeral home communities, said Phillip Gilmer, a close friend and owner of Gilmer's Funeral Home in Mobile.

Moody had been having problems in recent months with breathing and sleep apnea, Gilmer said.

"Bill Moody was a gentle giant, a great person with a heart as big as Texas," he said.

(Reporting by Kaija Wilkinson; Additional reporting and writing by Colleen Jenkins; Editing by Barbara Goldberg and Dan Grebler)

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NORMAN, Okla. (AP) Event organizers have learned the hard way that the usual half-hour warning of severe weather might be enough for people in their homes, but it's not enough to clear people from big venues where concerts and football games are held.

Seven people died and more than 40 were injured at the Indiana State Fair in 2011 when a sudden 60 mph gust knocked a stage onto a crowd waiting to see the band Sugarland perform. In 2009, high wind toppled a canopy at a Dallas Cowboys practice facility, leaving one person paralyzed and 11 others less seriously hurt.

"Like 9-11, it takes a really bad thing to get our attention," said Harold Hansen, the life, safety and security director for the International Association of Venue Managers. "The rules changed."

The incidents prompted venue managers to move their annual storm-preparedness meeting to the National Weather Center in Norman, Okla. the heart of Tornado Alley and the forecast centers that watch it.

"Now some of the heavy hitters are getting involved," said David VandenHeuvel, a senior vice president with Weather Decision Technologies, which has provided forecasts to about 150 events in the past 1 years.

The conference had about a dozen participants when it started five years ago. This year, more than 40 emergency managers and event operators came, including the NFL and the Country Music Association.

Through lectures about weather watches, lightning, crowd dynamics and shelter readiness, the experts repeatedly stressed the need to have a plan before the weather turns bad.

"They're waiting for a warning to be issued," said Kevin Kloesel, associate dean of the University of Oklahoma's College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences. "The message over the two days here is: if you wait until that point, you are not going to have the time. If you wait for the warning, it's too late."

The list of close calls is chilling. A 2010 tornado shredded the roof of a Montana sports arena packed with thousands of people the day before. A lightning bolt struck 500 feet from the Texas Rangers pitcher's mound during a game in July 2012. Pennsylvania's Pocono Raceway was struck by lightning the next month, three minutes after a race was canceled.

Jim Digby, who managed world tours for the rock band Linkin Park, attended last year's conference and has since formed the Event Safety Alliance. That group has suggested adopting procedures based on specific weather conditions, such as wind speed.

Digby told The Associated Press he is working on expanding its guidelines to Australia, with international music tours in mind.

"Last year, when I first announced this initiative, I thought I was throwing a hand grenade in the room," he said with a laugh. "The entire industry once they figured out what we were trying to do, they have embraced the project."

Event organizers and managers said they're taking Digby's advice to heart.

"We're going to go back and adapt the trigger plan," said Vilma Salinas, the Country Music Association's senior manager of projects. The CMA Music Festival at Nashville, Tenn., which draws 200,000 fans, has emergency plans in place, but could benefit from more precision on when people need to move, she said.

"The biggest thing is who gets to make the call," she said. "Country music fans are die-hard fans. We need to be as clear as possible."

As tornado expert Chuck Doswell told the conference, severe weather is relatively rare but inevitable.

"Imagine the Indianapolis 500 ... with those hundreds and hundreds of RVs with nowhere to go," Doswell said. If a tornado such as one that killed 158 in Missouri two years struck an event that did not have a severe weather plan in place, "it would make Joplin look like a Saturday afternoon picnic."

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William Moody, better known to pro wrestling fans as Paul Bearer, the pasty-faced, urn-carrying manager for performers The Undertaker and Kane, has died, the WWE said. He was 58.

A spokesman for the wrestling company said Moody's family contacted the WWE to report the death on Tuesday. No cause was released.

After stints in various independent wrestling promotions, Moody joined the WWE in 1990 and quickly became associated with The Undertaker, a character who claimed he was undead and boasted of mystical powers.

In the WWE plotline, Paul Bearer later managed Undertaker's on-screen half brother Kane. He also managed the bad-guy character Mick "Mankind" Foley.

His shrill catchphrase, "Ooohhh yeeesss!" and contorted facial expressions made him one of the sports-entertainment company's more popular personalities for more than a decade.

In the outlandish world of pro wrestling, Paul Bearer was once placed in a glass casket and buried in concrete. In his final WWE appearance last year, Paul Bearer was locked in a freezer by Randy Orton and left there tied up even after he was found by Kane.

That was Moody's life in the WWE. And it was a business he loved for nearly 40 years. Many of his colleagues paid tribute to him on Wednesday on Twitter.

"Rest in peace, Paul Bearer. You will never be forgotten. There will never be another," wrote wrestler Triple H.

Moody was a perfect fit as a macabre mortician. When he joined the WWE, he ditched the blond hair and Percy Pringle name he forged in the 1980s for jet black locks complete with powdered white face. In the act, Paul Bearer's urn had some unexplained power that protected the Undertaker, allowing his protege to escape unscathed from every leg drop and big boot to the face. Paul Bearer also hosted the WWE segment, "The Funeral Parlor."

Moody, an Alabama native, told the pro wrestling website PWTorch.com last year that had a degree in mortuary science. He said he was a licensed funeral director and embalmer. He was called to WWE chairman Vince McMahon's office about taking the job as Undertaker's manager without the company knowing his true background.

"It was one those had-to-be-there moments when Vince realized I was the real thing, the real deal," Moody told the website. "I was the real Undertaker."

Moody battled health and weight problems and worked on and off for the company after 2002.

Foley said he babysat Moody's children and called him "Uncle Paul." The Paul Bearer character will be remembered most for the soap opera twists in his relationship with The Undertaker, still one of the premier stars of the company.

"It just seemed so bizarre," Foley said in a telephone interview. "But at the same time, he was a perfect fit for The Undertaker. They went on to become iconic figures in our profession."

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Dan Gelston can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/APGelston

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CHICAGO (AP) Can't get rid of that paunch?

A Chicago-area gym suggests working out with your pooch.

K9 Fit Club offers bow wow boot camps and other classes for people and their puppies to exercise together in Chicago and nearby Hinsdale, Ill.

The fitness center opened last year after founder Tricia Montgomery exercised with her dog and lost 130 pounds. Montgomery says her late basset hound, named Louie, lost 22 percent of his body weight.

Fans of the gym say classes are beneficial to both man and man's best friend.

Montgomery says dogs struggle with the same weight issues that people face, including heart problems and diabetes.

People who work out at K9 Fit Club say exercising with their dogs keeps them motivated.

Classes cost about $20.

Watch the video here: http://bit.ly/1687UdR

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NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman broke his right fibula and dislocated his ankle upon landing from a parachute jump for charity in Florida, the team said on Monday.

Cashman, 45, the main executive who decides which multimillion-dollar contracts to offer on Major League Baseball's highest paid team, was attempting to raise awareness for the Wounded Warrior Project, which aids U.S. military veterans when they return from war.

He was injured on the second of two tandem jumps with a parachutist from the U.S. Army Golden Knights at the Homestead Air Reserve Base outside of Miami, the team said in a statement.

Surgery was scheduled for later on Monday at Broward Health Medical Centre, the statement said.

"I'm in great spirits and it was an awesome experience," Cashman said in the statement. "The Golden Knights are first class. While I certainly didn't intend to raise awareness in exactly this fashion, I'm extremely happy that the Wounded Warrior Project is getting the well-deserved additional attention."

In recent years, Cashman has rappelled from the roof of the 22-story Landmark Building in Stamford, Connecticut, in what has become a Christmas season tradition.

Cashman was also in the news for non-baseball reasons last year when a woman was arrested on charges of stalking him. The woman has pleaded not guilty.

(For details, see: http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/ )

(Reporting by Daniel Trotta, editing by G Crosse)

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GENEVA (Reuters) - Soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo is donating 100,000 euros ($134,600) on behalf of UEFA to help rehabilitate Afghans who have lost limbs, mostly landmine victims, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Wednesday.

It is the second time that the Real Madrid and Portugal forward - who has featured a record seven times in the uefa.com user's poll for Team of the Year - has contributed to the ICRC's network of seven orthopedic centers in Afghanistan, it said.

"For me it's a great honor to be able to help others, and it makes me extremely happy to do so," said Ronaldo, who is to present the check before kick-off in Madrid on Wednesday night ahead of the Champion's League match against his former team Manchester United.

On behalf of UEFA, he donated a similar amount in 2008 to the ICRC, which has helped more than 90,000 mine victims and other disabled people in the war-torn country since 1988.

Argentina and Barcelona striker Lionel Messi, who won his fourth successive Ballon d'Or last month, edging out Ronaldo, as well as Xavi Hernandez and Carles Puyol have also donated their UEFA awards to the ICRC program.

($1 = 0.7427 euros)

(Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay, editing by Paul Casciato)

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NEW YORK (AP) Don't blame Beyonce for blowing the lights out at the Super Bowl.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Monday that the halftime show was not the cause of the power outage that darkened the Superdome for half an hour during Sunday's broadcast.

"There's no indication at all that this was caused by the halftime show. Absolutely not. I know that's been out there that this halftime show had something to do with it. That is not the case," Goodell said.

Beyonce was the halftime performer at Sunday night's game and used plenty of power to light up the stage. Some had joked that her electrifying performance was to blame for the outage.

But the halftime show was running on its own generator, said Goodell and Doug Thornton, a vice president of SMG, the company that manages the Superdome.

"It was not on our power grid at all," Thornton said, adding that the metered power consumption went down during halftime because the house lights were down.

Beyonce's 13-minute set included hits "Crazy in Love," ''Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" and a Destiny's Child reunion.

The energetic performance was sung live days after she admitted she sang to a pre-recorded track at President Barack Obama's inauguration. And it won applause from critics who called it a major improvement over Madonna, who sang to a backing track last year, and the Black Eyed Peas' much-criticized halftime show in 2011.

Alicia Keys performed the national anthem on piano before the game, and Jennifer Hudson sang "America the Beautiful" with the 26-member Sandy Hook Elementary School chorus.

Beyonce posted on her blog that she was proud to be among those female talents, which included her Destiny's Child bandmates Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams.

"What a proud day for AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN!!!!," she wrote. "You are all beautiful, talented and showed so much class! It was an honor to perform at the Superbowl with you phenomenal ladies."

Beyonce announced Monday that her "The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour" will kick off April 15 in Belgrade, Serbia. The European leg of the tour will wrap up May 29 in Stockholm, Sweden.

The tour's North American stint starts June 28 in Los Angeles and ends Aug. 3 in Brooklyn, N.Y., at the Barclays Center.

It was also announced Monday that a second wave of the tour is planned for Latin America, Australia and Asia later this year.

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AP Sports Writer Brett Martell in New Orleans contributed to this report.

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Online:

http://www.beyonceonline.com/us/home

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Follow Mesfin Fekadu on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MusicMesfin

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NEW YORK (AP) With a partial power outage, an overly excited quarterback and a game that suddenly turned from snoozer to sizzler, CBS had its hands full at the Super Bowl. The game fell short of setting a viewership record, but it stands as the third most-watched program in U.S. television history.

The Nielsen Co. said an estimated 108.4 million people watched the Baltimore Ravens' 34-31 victory over the San Francisco 49ers. The most-watched events in U.S. TV history were last year's game, seen by 111.3 million, and the 2010 game, with 111 million viewers.

CBS had hoped to make it the fourth year in a row that football's ultimate game broke the record for most-watched event in American television history. But pro football ratings in general have been down slightly this year.

When the Ravens' Jacoby Jones returned the opening kickoff of the second half for a touchdown and gave his team a 28-6 lead, CBS' dream of a ratings record surely became even more distant. And then half the lights went out. CBS' ratings immediately dipped by two full ratings points in the overnight measurement of big cities.

When the lights returned, so did the 49ers. They quickly jumped back in the game and CBS' audience, no doubt fueled by social media chatter, came back, too. CBS was blessed with the dream of every network that telecasts the Super Bowl: a game that isn't decided until the final play.

CBS had a moment of dead air when the field darkened, since power was lost in the control booth where Jim Nantz and Phil Simms worked. After a commercial break, sideline anchor Steve Tasker appeared to say there had been a power outage. CBS then filled time with its football pregame team, showing highlights and speculating on how the delay would affect the teams.

At the precise moment the lights went out, CBS' Armen Keteyian was in the NFL's control booth, conducting an interview with Frank Supovitz, senior vice president of the NFL in charge of events.

"In the NFL control room, there was no panic, but there was an undeniable amount of uncertainty about the cause," Keteyian said Monday on "CBS This Morning." Keteyian was filming for a "60 Minutes Sports" report scheduled to be aired Wednesday on Showtime. CBS News did not participate in live coverage of the power outage.

The power outage was an immediate hot topic for quips and questions online. There were an estimated 47.7 million social media posts during the game, according to the company Trendrr TV, which tracks activity on Twitter, Facebook and other social networks. That compares with 17 million during last year's game and 3 million in 2010, Trendrr said.

Baltimore had the highest rating of any individual city, Nielsen said. San Francisco was not among the top 10 cities in ratings.

CBS showcased its freshman drama, "Elementary," to an estimated audience of 20.8 million people after the game. That was markedly down from the 37.6 million who watched "The Voice" on NBC after the 2011 game or the 26.8 million who saw "Glee" on Fox in 2010. CBS noted that the drama did not begin until 11:11 p.m. on the East Coast because of the Superdome power outage.

CBS drew criticism from the Parents Television Council for not editing out a profanity said by Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco shortly after the game. Flacco was caught by microphones describing his team's victory as "f------ awesome."

"No one should be surprised that a jubilant quarterback might use profane language while celebrating a career-defining win, but that is precisely the reason why CBS should have taken some precautions," said Tim Winter, president of the lobbying group, asking for the Federal Communications Commission to rebuke CBS.

The network had no immediate comment Monday on the complaint.

CBS has said it was airing the pregame, postgame and halftime portions of the show on tape delay to guard against the use of bad language or wardrobe malfunctions. The postgame delay does not begin until the first block of commercials after the game, which hadn't happened before Flacco's expletive.

CBS' Craig Ferguson was quick to poke fun at the power outage on his comedy show, which aired after "Elementary." He was shown plugging actress Lucy Liu's cellphone charger into a power outlet at the Superdome, despite instructions not to use it.

"It's one outlet," Ferguson said. "What could possibly go wrong?"

The picture switched to the lights going out in half the dome.

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NEW YORK (AP) The Baltimore Ravens' victory over the San Francisco 49ers has set a record for highest overnight ratings in Super Bowl history.

The Nielsen company reported the game scored a 48.1 rating and 71 share in its select measurement of big cities. That's 1 percent over a similar measurement in last year's game.

For three years in a row, the Super Bowl has set a new record for most-watched event in U.S. television history. Nielsen is expected to have an estimate of how many people watched the game later on Monday.

One ratings point represents 1,147,000 households, or 1 percent of the nation's estimated 114.7 million TV homes. The share means that 71 percent of TVs that were on at the time were tuned to the Super Bowl.

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If naysayers still doubted Beyonce's singing talents even after her national anthem performance last week at a press conference the singer proved she is an exceptional performer at the Super Bowl halftime show.

Beyonce opened and closed her set Sunday belting out songs, and in between, she danced hard and heavy and better than most contemporary pop stars.

She set a serious tone as she emerged onstage in all black, singing lines from her R&B hit "Love on Top." The stage was dark as fire and lights burst from the sides. Then she went into her hit "Crazy in Love," bringing some feminine spirit to the Superdome in New Orleans as she and her background dancers did the singer's signature booty-shaking dance. Beyonce ripped off part of her shirt and skirt. She even blew a kiss. She was ready to rock, and she did so like a pro.

Her confidence and voice grew as she worked the stage with and without her Destiny's Child band mates during her 13-minute set, which came days after she admitted she sang to a prerecorded track at President Barack Obama's inauguration less than two weeks ago.

Beyonce proved not only that she can sing, but that she can also entertain on a stage as big as the Super Bowl's. The 31-year-old was far better than Madonna, who sang to a backing track last year, and miles ahead of the Black Eyed Peas' disastrous set in 2011.

Beyonce was best when she finished her set with "Halo." She asked the crowd to put their hands toward her as she sang the slow groove on bended knee and that's when she the performance hit its high note.

"Thank you for this moment," she told the crowd. "God bless y'all."

Her background singers helped out as Beyonce danced around the stage throughout most of her performance. There was a backing track to help fill in when Beyonce wasn't singing, and there were long stretches when she let it play as she performed elaborate dance moves.

She had a swarm of background dancers and band members spread throughout the stage, along with videotaped images of the singer dancing that may have unintentionally played on the live-or-taped question. And the crowd got bigger when she was joined by her Destiny's Child band mates.

Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams popped up from below the stage to sing "Bootylicious." They were in similar outfits, singing and dancing closely as they harmonized. But Rowland and Williams were barely heard when the group sang "Independent Woman," as their voices faded into the background.

They also joined in for some of "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)," where Beyonce's voice grew stronger. That song featured Beyonce's skilled choreography, as did "End of Time" and "Baby Boy," which also showcased Beyonce's all-female band, balancing out the testosterone levels on the football field.

Before the game, Alicia Keys performed a lounge-y, piano-tinged version of the national anthem that her publicist assured was live. The Grammy-winning singer played the piano as she sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" in a long red dress with her eyes shut.

She followed Jennifer Hudson, who sang "America the Beautiful" with the 26-member Sandy Hook Elementary School chorus. It was an emotional performance that had some players on the sideline on the verge of tears. Hudson also sang live, her publicist said.

The students wore green ribbons on their shirts in honor of the 20 first-graders and six adults who were killed in a Dec. 14 shooting rampage at the school in Newtown, Conn.

The students began the song softly before Hudson, whose mother, brother and 7-year-old nephew were shot to death five years ago, jumped in with her gospel-flavored vocals. She stood still in black and white as the students moved to the left and right, singing background.

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Follow Mesfin Fekadu on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MusicMesfin

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NEW ORLEANS (AP) Around the Super Bowl and its host city with journalists from The Associated Press bringing the flavor and details of everything surrounding the game:

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M-V-P! M-V-P! FLACCO NO ORDINARY JOE

Joe Flacco won't have to do much negotiating after this.

The Baltimore Ravens' low-key quarterback put off talks on a new contract until after the season. Now when he and the Ravens sit down, all he'll have to do is show off his Super Bowl MVP trophy.

"It's cool," Flacco said after Baltimore's 34-31 win over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night. "We just won a Super Bowl. That's the last thing I'm concerned about. But (GM Ozzie Newsome) did let me know that if that day came, I could go beat on his desk and really put it to him.

"So that's exactly what I'm going to do."

Flacco capped a perfect postseason, throwing three touchdown passes in the first half to stake the Ravens to a lead they would never relinquish. When the 49ers made a furious comeback after a power outage interrupted the third quarter for 34 minutes, Flacco was cool and controlled.

Let the Niners make their run, he almost seem to say, we'll hold our own.

"You've seen these guys do it," Flacco said. "They have the ability to score and to score quickly, and that's what they did."

But the Ravens defense made a spectacular stand late in the fourth quarter, stopping San Francisco not once, not twice, but three times on the Baltimore 5. A safety gave San Francisco one last chance, but the Ravens went hard after Colin Kaepernick again, and his last-gasp pass was way off the mark.

Flacco finished 22-of-33 for 287 yards. He didn't throw an interception didn't throw one the entire postseason, to be precise. His 11 touchdowns in the postseason matched a record set by Joe Montana.

"That's pretty cool," Flacco said. "Joe Montana is my favorite quarterback so it's pretty cool."

So is being the Super Bowl MVP.

Truth is, the trophy could have gone to a number of the Ravens. But Flacco is happy to have it.

"They have to give it to one guy," Flacco said, laughing. "I'm not going to complain that I got it."

Nancy Armour http://www.twitter.com/nrarmour

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BALTIMORE PARADE TUESDAY

Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake tells local TV station WBAL-TV that the city will hold a parade Tuesday to honor the NFL champion Ravens.

Rawlings-Blake said Sunday night in a live interview from New Orleans that the parade will start at City Hall and end at the Ravens' stadium.

Right now, she's celebrating dancing and singing alongside fans.

"The Baltimore Ravens once again demonstrated strength, poise, and perseverance as they prevailed in Super Bowl XLVII," she said in a statement.

Jessica Gresko http://twitter.com/jessicagresko

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PANETTA AND HOLDER

Recently seen leaving the Super Bowl: outgoing Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Attorney General Eric Holder.

When asked who he was rooting for, Panetta gave an angst smile and said: "The 49ers."

San Francisco lost to Baltimore, 34-31.

Nekesa Mumbi Moody http://twitter.com/nekesamumbi

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SUPERDOME STAFF APOLOGIZES

Superdome spokesman Eric Eagan is apologizing for the power outage that disrupted the Super Bowl.

He says technical staff were working more than an hour after the outage to determine what caused it, but still didn't know.

"We sincerely apologize for the incident," Eagan said.

The outage was a big glitch for New Orleans in its first Super Bowl since the city has rebuilt from Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

The 38-year-old Superdome has undergone $336 million in renovations since Katrina ripped its roof in 2005. Billions have been spent sprucing up downtown, the airport, French Quarter and other areas of the city in the past seven years.

Mayor Mitch Landrieu called the power outage unfortunate in an otherwise smooth week.

"In the coming days, I expect a full after action report from all parties involved. For us, the Super Bowl isn't over until the last visitor leaves town, so we're focused on continuing to show our visitors a good time," Landrieu said.

New Orleans is trying to get back to being a regular stop in the Super Bowl rotation, and has announced it will bid on the 2018 game.

That would coincide with the 300th anniversary of the city's founding.

Paul Newberry http://twitter.com/pnewberry1963

___

QUICKQUOTE: JIM HARBAUGH

San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh is taking his team's 34-31 Super Bowl loss to the Baltimore Ravens hard.

He raised several questions about calls and non-calls made by the officials, but said "We want to handle this with class and grace.

"Had several opportunities in the game. Didn't play our best game. Ravens made a lot of plays," he said. "Our guys battled back to get back in it. We competed and battled to win."

Brett Martel http://twitter.com/brettmartel

___

LEWIS CAPS CAREER

Ray Lewis has capped his career as a champion, leaning on teammates in the Super Bowl to but a lovely bow on his 17th NFL season.

As he clutched the Lombardi Trophy, Lewis said: "It's simple: When God is for you, who can be against you?"

"It's no greater way, as a champ, to go out on your last ride with the men that I went out with, with my teammates. And you looked around this stadium and ... Baltimore! Baltimore! We coming home, baby! We did it!" he said.

Lewis, 37, had only two solo tackles through the first three quarters and struggled covering receivers. But he made two tackles during San Francisco's final drive, and pressured Kaepernick on a blitz on the 49ers' final offensive play.

David Ginsburg

___

PARTY STARTS IN CHARM CITY

The Super Bowl party has begun in the streets of Baltimore, with fans hugging and cheering to celebrate the Ravens' 34-31 victory over the San Francisco 49ers.

They're wearing purple-feathered boas and team jerseys, and celebrating a win for team leader Ray Lewis, the linebacker who's the only player who started with the team when it came to Baltimore in 1996.

Darren Love, 40, says the celebration is "90 percent for Ray, 10 percent for the city of Baltimore."

Jessica Gresko http://twitter.com/jessicagresko

___

HARBAUGHS EMBRACE

The brothers' greeting wasn't emotional, and wasn't long. Just a handshake and quick hug.

"He said, 'Congratulations,'" Ravens coach John Harbaugh said of his brother, 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh.

The exchange lasted less than 5 seconds, well under the line set by many offshore casinos taking action on the embrace, according to gambling expert R.J. Bell of Pregame.com.

Sports books though not those in Las Vegas, which don't allow these kinds of prop bets originally pegged the greeting at 7 seconds but the line was bet down to 5 seconds.

Oskar Garcia http://twitter.com/oskargarcia

___

QUICKQUOTE: ROGER GOODELL

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell had the title trophy in his hands, and immediately congratulated Baltimore's supporters on the Ravens' Super Bowl win over San Francisco.

"OK, Baltimore fans, this is what you're waiting for. Five straight playoffs appearances and now you've reached the mountaintop," Goodell said.

___

IT'S OVER! RAVENS WIN 34-31

The Harbaughs need to host the Super Bowl every year.

John Harbaugh has bragging rights on little brother Jim after his Baltimore Ravens withstood a furious second-half comeback by the San Francisco 49ers in what has to be the wackiest Super Bowl ever. Trailing 28-6 when a power outage interrupted the second half for 34 minutes, the Niners reeled off 23 points in 12 minutes and 20 seconds to make a game of it.

But with the ball on the Baltimore 5 and a chance for the Niners to take their first lead of the night, the Baltimore defense got downright nasty. They blitzed Colin Kaepernick on fourth down, forcing him to throw a bad pass.

A Baltimore safety gave San Francisco one last chance. But Colin Kaepernick's last-gasp pass sailed way over the head of any receiver, and the Ravens rushed the field as confetti began falling from the Superdome ceiling.

John Harbaugh pushed a photographer out of the way to get to his brother, and the two exchanged a quick hug before Jim Harbaugh headed off the field.

Nancy Armour http://www.twitter.com/nrarmour

___

RAVENS WIN

This was the APNewsAlert sent seconds after the final play:

The Baltimore Ravens beat the San Francisco 49ers 34-31 in the Super Bowl.

___

49ERS COME UP SHORT ON DRIVE

San Francisco came up just short on that last drive and, maybe, the game, too.

The Baltimore Ravens defense made the stand of the game, blitzing Colin Kaepernick and forcing him to throw a bad pass on fourth-and-goal at the 5. His previous two passes were incompletes, too.

The turnover on downs brought a screeching halt to what had been an unbelievable comeback by the 49ers, who scored 23 points in 12 minutes and 20 seconds after the Superdome power outage.

It was a bit of karmic payback for the 49ers, who reached the Super Bowl after stopping Atlanta on fourth down at their own 10 two weeks ago.

Nancy Armour http://www.twitter.com/nrarmour

___

2-MINUTE WARNING

Two minutes left in regulation at the Super Bowl, and it's unlikely they'll go to overtime.

Baltimore leads San Francisco 34-29 but San Francisco has the ball, second and goal on the Ravens 5-yard line.

___

RAVENS SCORE, NEED 'D' TO HOLD TIGHT

OK, Ravens defense, it's up to you now.

Justin Tucker's 38-yard field goal extended Baltimore's lead to 34-29. But there's still 4:19 left to play, and San Francisco has been averaging almost two points a minute since that wacky power outage interrupted the game.

Seems like it would be a good time for Ray Lewis to make a play. He's been awfully quiet in his final NFL game.

Nancy Armour http://www.twitter.com/nrarmour

___

UTILITY BLAMES OUTAGE ON STADIUM

A spokesman for the utility that provides power to the Superdome says the outage began because equipment maintained by stadium staff failed.

Philip Allison, a spokesman for Entergy New Orleans, says power was flowing into the stadium before the lights failed.

"All of our distribution and transmission feeds going into the Superdome were operating as expected," Allison said.

Several banks of arena lights went out and the CBS broadcast audio went silent as power went out in the telecasters' booth.

Auxiliary power kept the playing field from going totally dark, but escalators stopped working and the concourses were only illuminated by small banks of lights tied in to emergency service.

Paul Newberry http://twitter.com/pnewberry1963

___

TIGHTENING UP

Yeah, that San Francisco touchdown was worthy of a "Kaepernicking."

Colin Kaepernick cut Baltimore's lead to 31-29 on a 15-yard scoring run. After he crossed the goal line, Kaepernick let out a roar and kissed his right biceps the move that now known as "Kaepernicking."

The 49ers went for two, but Kaepernick's pass fell incomplete.

San Francisco has now racked up 23 points in 12 minutes and 20 seconds, a rate of almost two points a minute. Talk about a power surge.

Nancy Armour http://www.twitter.com/nrarmour

___

RAVENS SCORE, BUT NOT AS MUCH AS THEY WANTED

Even Baltimore's scores are going San Francisco's way.

The Niners came up with two huge stops after the Ravens got to the San Francisco 1, forcing Baltimore to settle for Justin Tucker's 19-yard field goal. Justin Smith stuffed Ray Rice for no gain, and Joe Flacco threw an incompletion on third down.

Baltimore still leads 31-23.

Nancy Armour http://www.twitter.com/nrarmour

___

ADS OVER FOOTBALL?

Even for a moment, is it possible Americans care more about commercials than football at the Super Bowl?

At the start of the fourth quarter, eight of nine unsponsored trending topics in the United States on Twitter have something to do with an ad not football or a power outage. The other isn't about football either, it's (hash)WhileWatchingTheGame, with people talking about doing other things.

Oskar Garcia http://twitter.com/oskargarcia

___

A BALLGAME AGAIN

Let the conspiracy theories begin!

After failing to score a touchdown in the first half and looking downright dismal offensively, the San Francisco 49ers have been unstoppable since the lights in the Superdome came back on and are now down by just five points. For those scoring at home, that's 17 points in four minutes, 10 seconds.

Still think that fake field goal on fourth-and-9 was a good idea, John Harbaugh?

After Colin Kaepernick's 14-yard pass to Vernon Davis put the Niners at the Baltimore 6 and Frank Gore ran it on the next play to make it 28-20. Baltimore had the ball for all of two plays when Ray Rice fumbled and San Francisco cornerback Tarell Brown recovered at the Baltimore 24.

The 49ers only managed three yards, and David Akers' 39-yard field goal attempt was wide left. But hold on San Francisco's newfound luck continued, with the Ravens getting whistled for running into the kicker. That's a 5-yard penalty, and Akers made this one to cut Baltimore's lead to 28-23.

Nancy Armour http://www.twitter.com/nrarmour

___

RALLY TIME?

Hey, the San Francisco 49ers scored a touchdown!

And 49ers fans everywhere collectively say, "Finally!"

Michael Crabtree caught a 31-yard touchdown pass with about 7 minutes left in the third quarter to cut Baltimore's lead to 28-13. San Francisco's only other points came on a pair of field goals by David Akers.

Don't get too excited yet, Niners fans. Your team is still down by 15 and no team has ever trailed by more than 10 and come back to win the Super Bowl.

Nancy Armour http://twitter.com/nrarmour

___

STAT OF THE DAY: 84 MINS REST

This stat of the day comes from CBS, which tracked how long Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco and the Ravens offense were off the field from halftime through a 109-yard kickoff return and a nearly 30-minute power outage.

That total: 84 minutes, about the equivalent of a children's animated film.

When the Ravens did take the field again, they punted without getting a first down.

Oskar Garcia http://twitter.com/oskargarcia .

___

QUICKQUOTE: JEROME BOGER

The head referee officiating the Super Bowl simply wanted to get the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers back to business.

To get play started, Jerome Boger simply stated: "Let's go."

The clock began rolling and play resumed.

Oskar Garcia http://twitter.com/oskargarcia

___

PLAY BALL!

Well, that was interesting.

Following a delay of 35 minutes caused by a power outage in the Superdome, the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers are back out on the field. And no jokes about how the Niners haven't allowed any points in a half-hour.

The Ravens had just scored to take a 28-6 lead when lights throughout the Superdome went dark. There was limited emergency power in the concourses and at the top of the dome, but the scoreboards and most of the lights were out.

The lights gradually began coming back on after about 25 minutes, and a loud buzz could be heard. Players returned to the field and, after 10 more minutes, play resumed with 13:22 left in the third quarter.

Nancy Armour http://twitter.com/nrarmour

___

1H AD HIGHLIGHTS

Here are some of the funnier highlights of the Super Bowl commercials during the first half:

Best Buy's 30-second ad in the first quarter starred Amy Poehler, of NBC's "Parks and Recreation," asking a Best Buy employee endless questions about electronics.

"Will this one read '50 shades of Grey' to me in a sexy voice," Poehler asks about an e-book reader. When the staffer says no she asks, "Will you?"

M&M's showed its red M singing Meatloaf's "I Would Do Anything For Love," and wooing beautiful women, but stopping short when they try to eat him.

Doritos went for humor with two user-created spots. Winners of the "Crash the Super Bowl" contest included one about a Doritos-crazy goat. Another showed a dad playing princess with his daughter to get Doritos. His buddies catch him, but instead of making fun of him they join in the fun. "Is that my wedding dress?" says his wife when she sees them playing.

Budweiser showed rival 49ers and Ravens fans each creating a voodoo doll for the other team with the help of a mysterious figure in a bar. "It's only weird if it doesn't work," reads the copy.

Mae Anderson http://twitter.com/maetron

___

ALI WATCHING, DAUGHTER SAYS

One of Muhammad Ali's daughters says the boxer is watching the Super Bowl at his home in Arizona.

May May Ali knocked down rumors of her father being near death on Sunday, telling The Associated Press she spoke with him by phone on Sunday morning.

"He's fine, in fact he was talking well this morning," she said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "These rumors pop up every once in a while but there's nothing to them."

The rumors were started by a report in a British tabloid quoting Ali's brother, Rahman, as saying the former heavyweight champion was near death. Rahman, though, said he hadn't seen his brother since last summer and had no contact with the family.

The report was widely repeated on the Internet. Ali, 71, suffers from Parkinson's disease.

Tim Dahlberg http://twitter.com/timdahlberg

___

POWER OUTAGE

The power has gone out at the Superdome during the third quarter of the Super Bowl.

Minutes after Baltimore scored on a 109-yard Jacoby Jones kickoff return to take a 28-6 lead, several banks of arena lights went out in the dome. Emergency lights went on but play was immediately halted.

Players are standing on the field but when it became clear it would not be a brief outage, they left the field and went to the sideline.

Several of the Ravens are sitting on the field, stretching to try to keep loose.

Lights are on outside the dome; the outage appears confined to the arena.

Nancy Armour http://twitter.com/nrarmour

___

BEYONCE BRINGS IT

Beyonce wasn't messing around with her halftime performance.

No immediately obvious malfunctions, no weird cross-genre collaborations with rock stars or one-hit wonders.

Just Beyonce, then Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams to bring back Destiny's Child.

Beyonce sang a medley of hits, including "Crazy In Love," ''Baby Boy" and "Single Ladies." She also danced in front of a screen using multiple images of herself as a backup dancer when she wasn't backed by her all-female band and nearly two dozen dancers.

But when Rowland and Williams sprang up from trap doors onstage, the world got the performance it was anticipating.

Not surprisingly, the show dominated worldwide Twitter trends as the second half began.

Oskar Garcia http://twitter.com/oskargarcia

___

EDITOR'S NOTE "Super Bowl Watch" shows you the Super Bowl and the events surrounding the game through the eyes of Associated Press journalists across New Orleans and around the world. Follow them on Twitter where available with the handles listed after each item.

Read More

NEW ORLEANS (AP) Around the Super Bowl and its host city with journalists from The Associated Press bringing the flavor and details of everything surrounding the game:

___

TEAMS ARRIVE AT SUPERDOME

The Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers have arrived at the Superdome.

The teams left their hotels in buses roughly 3 before kickoff was scheduled Sunday.

___

(NOT) PLAYING FAVORITES

Jack and Jackie Harbaugh know where they'll be after the Super Bowl.

"There's going to be one winner and one (son) that's going to be totally disappointed," Jack Harbaugh said. "Our thoughts go to that one that will not experience the thrill of victory."

With Baltimore Ravens coach John facing little brother Jim's San Francisco 49ers, the thrill of the NFL title game also puts Jack and Jackie in an awkward spot, knowing one son will celebrate the highlight of his career while the other will be absolutely gutted.

They got a "dry run" last season, when John's Ravens beat Jim's 49ers. On Thanksgiving Day.

"We opened the door to the Ravens locker room ... guys jumping up and down, the smile on John's face. They were just ecstatic," Jack Harbaugh said. "Then you realize that you're not needed here. So you walked across the hall to the 49ers locker room ... and finally saw Jim, all by himself in this room, just a table and a chair. He was still in his coaching outfit. His head was down in his hands and you looked into his eyes and you realized that this was where you're needed as a parent. Every single parent can identify with that.

"That thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. On Sunday night, we're going to experience both of those great emotions," Jack Harbaugh said.

Nancy Armour http://twitter.com/nrarmour

___

ADS BONANZA

With 30-second spots going for as much as $4 million this year, the Super Bowl is advertising's biggest stage. Companies that shell out that cash want the more than 111 million viewers expected to tune in to remember their spot come Monday.

Most advertisers have released their ads already, trying to get a head start on capturing the buzz on social networks.

But some companies are still planning big reveals, including M&Ms, Chrysler, Oreo and BlackBerry.

"What we see on the night of the game is really important," said Kelly O'Keefe, professor at a professor, creative brand management, at the Virginia Commonwealth University Brandcenter.

Mae Anderson http://twitter.com/maetron

___

GEARED UP FOR THE GAME

Any fan can show their love for their favorite player by wearing a jersey. Four Baltimore Ravens are doing it with entire outfits.

In addition to the heavy painted leather coats he and his fellow "Ravens Posse" members are wearing, Rick Bowlus (far left) has linebacker Ray Lewis' number and face painted on his jeans.

Nancy Armour http://twitter.com/nrarmour

___

RATINGS HOPES

Three years running, the Super Bowl has set a TV viewership record. CBS is hoping that happens again on Sunday.

Last year, NBC's broadcast hit an average audience of 111.3 million people.

But ratings are a mere point of pride for CBS heading into kickoff. The ads have already been sold (some at more than $4 million a pop), so the network can now only hope to put forth its best broadcast and redirect as much of the Super Bowl glow toward its other programs and its cable sports network.

Telecasters Jim Nantz and Phil Simms will call the game while more than 60 cameras cover the action with at least one keeping an eye on the parents of 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh and Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh.

Jake Coyle

___

NO RG3 IN THE HOUSE

There's only one way Robert Griffin III wants to go to the Super Bowl.

As a player.

The electrifying Washington Redskins quarterback came to New Orleans to pick up The Associated Press 2012 Offensive Rookie of the Year award. But he won't be going to Sunday's game between the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers, planning to watch it with his family instead.

"I'm a firm believer you don't go to the Super Bowl unless you're playing in it," Griffin said.

Nancy Armour http://www.twitter.com/nrarmour

___

HERE COME NINER BETTORS

After heavy betting on the Baltimore Ravens, sports betting professionals and last-minute casual bettors in Las Vegas and around the world are heavily swinging toward San Francisco.

The 49ers were favored by 5 points when betting action started two weeks ago, meaning San Francisco bettors need them to win by at least two field goals to collect. But the spread encouraged lots of bettors to take Baltimore, pushing the line down to 3 . Now, San Francisco supporters have moved the line back up to 4 points in most sports books and 4 in others, according to gambling expert R.J. Bell of Pregame.com.

Bell says that a few days ago, nearly two-thirds of the bets taken in Las Vegas and online sports books offshore were on the Ravens. It's close to 50-50 now and the 49ers are closing the gap quickly in the hours before the game.

Adjustments to the line are encouraging bettors on the fence to pick sides.

"The moves are taking a lot of money right now," Bell said.

An estimated $10 billion is expected to be wagered on the Super Bowl, with less than 1 percent of that coming from legal sports books in Nevada, Bell says.

Oskar Garcia http://twitter.com/oskargarcia

___

VAMOS CUERVOS

Rodolfo Rodriguez is in New Orleans all the way from Monterrey, Mexico, to cheer on his "Cuervos," the Spanish name for the Baltimore Ravens.

He's predicting a 28-24 Baltimore victory over San Francisco.

Rodriguez spent part of his weekend on Super Bowl Boulevard at Woldenberg Riverfront Park, waving toward a cruise ship arriving on the Mississippi River into the Port of New Orleans near the large Roman numerals for the Super Bowl.

Julio Cortez http://twitter.com/juliocortez_ap

___

LIL WAYNE ROOTING AGAINST SF

The San Francisco 49ers prevented Lil Wayne's favorite team, the Green Bay Packers, from going to the Super Bowl. So the rapper wants the Baltimore Ravens to get a little revenge on his behalf.

"I'm salty about the team that beat us, so I gotta root against them, and that team is the 49ers," he said.

But his desire isn't all based on bitterness.

"Who doesn't want to see (Ravens linebacker) Ray Lewis succeed? And also who also doesn't want to see (49ers wide receiver) Randy Moss get his first ring as well?" he said.

"I'm kind of iffy about this game. I don't mind the outcome of it, I think either or, it's gonna be beautiful for both of them."

Lil Wayne plans to be in a suite for the game after all, it's in his hometown. His friends and family all wanted tickets.

"I had to pay for those tickets and my team isn't even playing in that game ah man, that hit the pockets kind of hard," he laughed.

Lil Wayne is well-documented sports fanatic.

Nekesa Mumbi Moody http://twitter.com/nekesamumbi

___

BROTHERLY ADVICE: AARON RODGERS

Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh and San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh are hardly the only high-profile siblings who've squared off in their arena of expertise. The AP is asking some others who can relate how to handle going against a family member in the Super Bowl.

As the middle of three brothers, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers knows a thing or two about high-stakes competitions with siblings. It wouldn't matter if he was facing one of his brothers in the backyard or the sport's biggest stage.

"I'd want to beat them pretty bad," the 2011 NFL MVP said. "I really would."

Less than two years separates Rodgers and his older brother, Luke, now on Fuel TV's "Clean Break," and the two are "very competitive."

"My older brother and I had a lot of great matchups, great one-on-one games. We competed a lot in sports," Rodgers said.

There's still a chance Rodgers could wind up facing one of his brothers on the field, maybe even at the Super Bowl. Jordan Rodgers led Vanderbilt to its first nine-win record since 1915 last season and is now preparing for the NFL draft.

"I hope so," Rodgers said of the prospects of a "Rodgers Bowl." ''And I hope we would win if that ever happened."

Nancy Armour http://twitter.com/nrarmour

___

TWITTER BUZZ BUILDING

Americans on Twitter are already buzzing about the Super Bowl with about 6 hours until the game kicks off.

Four terms related to the game between the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers are trending in the United States: "Happy Super Bowl Sunday," ''49ers," ''Beyonce" and "Ray Lewis."

None, however, are trending worldwide yet.

Oskar Garcia http://twitter.com/oskargarcia

___

GUN AD

Washington lawmakers watching the Super Bowl in the beltway are getting a 30-second visit from New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's gun control group.

Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a coalition of more than 900 mayors in 48 states, paid six figures for the local spot, according to a Bloomberg spokesman.

The ad calls on lawmakers to pass rules requiring background checks on guns. It is narrated by children with "America the Beautiful" playing in the background.

___

QUICKQUOTE: ANDREW LUCK

Andrew Luck has high praise for San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh, his old coach at Stanford. Even if he did pick an unusual way to express it.

"I always enjoyed playing under coach Harbaugh. He always brought a lot of energy and enthusiasm," the Indianapolis Colts quarterback said. "He was the type of guy you'd want in an alley fight with you. You could tell he wanted to win just as bad as the next guy."

Nancy Armour http://www.twitter.com/nrarmour

___

EDITOR'S NOTE "Super Bowl Watch" shows you the Super Bowl and the events surrounding the game through the eyes of Associated Press journalists across New Orleans and around the world. Follow them on Twitter where available with the handles listed after each item.

Read More

NEW ORLEANS (AP) Around the Super Bowl and its host city with journalists from The Associated Press bringing the flavor and details of everything surrounding the game:

___

AWARDS OVER, TIME TO PARTY

Now that the NFL awards have ben doled out, it's time to bring on the celebrity-studded parties on Super Bowl eve.

Here are the headliners for Saturday night in New Orleans:

Singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder headlines outdoor concert near Wyndham Riverfront Hotel that will also feature Texas guitarist Gary Clark Jr. Wonder's opening act: Grammy-nominated R&B and soul artist Janelle Monae. The closer: French electronic DJ Martin Solveig.

Justin Timberlake takes stage for his first concert in more than four years during "DIRECTV Super Saturday Night." It's invitation only.

Chevel Johnson

___

FANTASY CONSIDERATIONS

Many of the millions of Americans who play fantasy football will be watching Sunday's Super Bowl with an eye toward next season's drafts.

But as one fantasy expert warns, don't put too much stock into what you see in the game good or bad.

Matthew Berry, an ESPN fantasy analyst nicknamed "The Talented Mr. Roto," said there will be some interesting players on the field from a fantasy perspective, including 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, Baltimore wide receiver Torrey Smith and San Francisco wide receiver Michael Crabtree.

But barring major injury, fantasy owners shouldn't get caught up in how they perform in New Orleans, Berry said.

"I think fantasy owners are smart enough and savvy enough to know that the postseason is something different and it's a very small sample size," Berry says.

Simply put, it takes more games than a Super Bowl to judge whether someone's fantasy worthy.

But if you thought you could be sneaky and nab Kaepernick or Crabtree with a late draft pick next season, think again. The duo's performance throughout the last half of the regular season and the postseason mean they'll go in higher rounds, Berry says.

Oskar Garcia http://twitter.com/oskargarcia

___

QUICKQUOTE: AP'S MVP SPEECH

Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson thanked God, his parents, teammates and coaches for propelling him to the Associated Press 2012 NFL Most Valuable Player award.

And he wants to win the hardware again.

"God willing, next year I'll be accepting this award again. Trying to get two or three like Peyton (Manning). Trying to get to your level ... But I won't be there to accept it because I'll be winning with my coach, the most important award, the team award, the Super Bowl."

Nancy Armour http://twitter.com/nrarmour

___

STAT OF THE DAY: HALF DON'T CARE WHO WINS

This Super Bowl stat of the day comes by way of Jennifer Agiesta, AP's director of polling: A Seton Hall poll shows 53 percent of Americans don't care who wins on Sunday.

The Seton Hall Sports Poll, conducted Jan. 28-30, shows 26 percent of people rooting for the San Francisco 49ers and 21 percent rooting for the Baltimore Ravens.

One-third of Americans plan to skip Sunday's game.

The poll of 894 randomly selected adults has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points.

Jennifer Agiesta http://twitter.com/jennagiesta

___

AP TOPS PEYTON FOR MVP

Minnesota's Adrian Peterson is the NFL's Most Valuable Player as selected by an Associated Press vote.

The running back coming back from major knee surgery beat out Denver quarterback Peyton Manning on Saturday night.

It's Peterson's second award of the night after winning Offensive Player of the Year.

Peterson led the Vikings from a 3-13 mark to 10-6 and a wild-card playoff berth. He is the first running back to win MVP since LaDainian Tomlinson in 2006.

___

PEYTON'S COMEBACK

NFL fans everywhere wondered if Peyton Manning could come back from four neck surgeries after 13 years in Indianapolis without missing a game.

Now he's AP's 2012 NFL Comeback Player of the Year.

Manning sat out 2011, then made Denver one of the league's top teams, guiding the Broncos to the AFC's best record at 13-3.

Manning received 31 votes Saturday from a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league. He easily beat Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, who got 17 votes.

Barry Wilner

___

QUICKQUOTE: RG3

One year in the NFL and Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III is already an award winner.

He took home AP's NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors on Saturday night and promptly warned the league he plans to improve.

"It's truly a blessing to be up there to be able to stand, first and foremost," said Griffin, who underwent knee surgery last month.

Next season, "you'll see a better Robert Griffin," he said.

Barry Wilner

___

PETERSON OFFENSIVE POY

Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson went from major knee surgery to dominating voting in The Associated Press 2012 NFL Offensive Player of the Year award.

It helps that he rushed for 2,109 yards, 9 short of Eric Dickerson's record.

Peterson had 36 of 50 votes; Denver quarterback Peyton Manning had eight.

Peterson scored 12 touchdowns rushing and averaged 6.0 yards per carry.

Barry Wilner

___

WATT ALMOST SWEEPS

Houston end J.J. Watt just missed being a unanimous pick for AP's 2012 NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

The final vote tally with 50 voters:

Watt, 49. Denver linebacker Von Miller, 1.

Watt is the first Texans player to win the award.

Barry Wilner

___

INTERIM TO TOP

Bruce Arians is the first interim coach to win the top NFL award from The Associated Press.

He won 2012 Coach of the Year honors Saturday night for his work with the Indianapolis Colts. Arians now is head coach in Arizona.

Arians took charge of the Colts in late September after head coach Chuck Pagano was diagnosed with leukemia. The Colts, 2-14 the previous season, went 9-3 under Arians and made the playoffs.

Pagano coached the final game of the regular season and a wild-card playoff match.

Arians earned 36 votes from a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the NFL. Pagano finished second with 5 .

___

KUECHLY WINS DEFENSIVE ROY

Linebacker Luke Kuechly of Carolina has won the Associated Press 2012 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award.

Kuechly, a first-round pick from Boston College, led the league with 164 tackles.

He earned 28 votes from a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league. That easily outdistanced Seattle LB Bobby Wagner with 11.

Barry Wilner

___

RG3 OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF YEAR

Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III has been voted the 2012 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Griffin beat out Indianapolis quarterback Andrew Luck and Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson. He was selected by The Associated Press in balloting by a nationwide panel of the media.

___

FIRED UP

Here's one way to spend your 37th birthday: Flag burning.

That's how Mike Libber of Baltimore showed his loyalty to the Ravens during Friday night festivities on Bourbon Street in New Orleans' French Quarter.

Libber and his friends filled the long but thin balcony at the Voodoo Vibe bar, and asked bar employees to remove a San Francisco 49ers flag dangling next to a Ravens flag.

"Yeah, take that away," Libber said. "Otherwise, I'll burn it. In fact, let me burn it."

Libber eventually scrounged up $60 from his friends and bought the San Francisco flag from a bar manager.

He took it out onto Bourbon Street and began to set it on fire. It didn't quickly light up.

A crowd gathered, some 49ers fans booed. Moments later, with a small part of the flag burning, New Orleans police officers arrived and stopped the shenanigans.

Julio Cortez http://twitter.com/JulioCortez_AP

___

WHERE'S BRANGELINA?

New Orleans is crawling with celebrities for the Super Bowl, but Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie don't appear to be among them.

The windows at the star couple's house in the French Quarter are all closed tight, and there's no sign of their omnipresent security. In fact, the only activity at the house is tourists stopping to take photos.

Nancy Armour http://www.twitter.com/nrarmour

___

7 TO HALL, INCLUDING PARCELLS

The Pro Football Hall of Fame will have seven new members.

Coach Bill Parcells, Warren Sapp, Cris Carter, Jonathan Ogden and Larry Allen have all made it to the 2013 class. So have two senior selections, Curley Culp and Dave Robinson.

Five players were eliminated in the final vote: Jerome Bettis, Charles Haley, Andre Reed, Michael Strahan and Aeneas Williams.

Earlier Saturday, the selection committee eliminated Tim Brown, Kevin Greene, Will Shields and former owners Edward DeBartolo Jr. and Art Modell.

___

49ERS WALKTHROUGH

The next time the 49ers step onto the field at the Superdome, it'll be time for the Super Bowl.

San Francisco finished up on-field preparations on Saturday with a 15-minute walkthrough. The team has meetings Saturday night.

Coach Jim Harbaugh said the stadium lights are brighter than they were when the 49ers beat the New Orleans Saints here on Nov. 25, so getting his players adjusted to that was important.

Harbaugh invited family members and friends 11 busloads of people to attend the short session and come down to the field to pose for photographs.

One person hollered Harbaugh's signature chant from the stands: "Who's got it better than us?"

The rest of the group replied: "No-body!"

The coach smiled.

Janie McCauley http://twitter.com/JanieMcCAP

___

RAVENS DONE PRACTICING

Baltimore is done practicing on the field for the Super Bowl.

Team officials, friends and family watched as the Ravens went through a short walkthrough at the Superdome on Saturday afternoon.

The 15-minute session was more of a pep rally than a workout.

Running back Ray Rice playfully tackled his mother on the sideline and guard Marshal Yanda had a video camera attached to the top of his Ravens cap.

John Harbaugh describes his team's work this week as "effective."

"We've gotten everything we've needed to get done, that's the No. 1 thing," Harbaugh said.

___

GLORY, PLUS CASH

The Super Bowl isn't just about the glory players for San Francisco and Baltimore both have decent paydays riding on the outcome.

The difference between winning and losing is $44,000, nearly $9,000 less than the median annual household income in the United States from 2007-2011, according to U.S. Census data.

Winning players get $88,000 each, losers get $44,000. That's just cash it doesn't count the marketing clout gained by going from NFL player to Super Bowl champion.

Super Bowl paydays have gradually increased the last 30 years after doubling in 1983 to $36,000 for winners.

In the game's first 11 years, winners got $15,000 and losers got $7,500.

Oskar Garcia http://twitter.com/oskargarcia

___

MACKIE COLD ON NY GAME

Add Anthony Mackie to the list of people cold on next year's Super Bowl at the home stadium of New York's teams.

Though the "Gangster Squad" actor now lives in Brooklyn, N.Y., he's from New Orleans and thinks a city like his hometown should get the Super Bowl every year.

Mackie said Friday night at an ESPN Magazine party that he doesn't want to sit outside in 30 degree weather and watch the Super Bowl.

"I want to see the girls in their pretty dresses; I want to hang out with the players. I don't want to be outside in the cold in New Jersey," he continued, stressing that Met Life Stadium, where both the New York Giants and Jets play, is actually in East Rutherford, N.J. "You're not in New York. I have to take a bus from Manhattan all the way to Jersey?"

Though Mackie's Saints didn't make it to the Super Bowl this year, Mackie is still passionate about who he wants to win the Baltimore Ravens.

"I will do everything to not see San Francisco win another Super Bowl," he said, hoping for a bit of karma.

Nekesa Mumbi Moody http://twitter.com/nekesamumbi

___

LEAVING HIS MARK

If there are some dents in the Superdome roof, blame San Francisco 49ers punter Andy Lee.

Lee bonked several punts off the roof this week as the 49ers practiced for Sunday's Super Bowl against the Baltimore Ravens. Lee finally lowered the trajectory of his kicks to make sure he got the ball downfield.

"I'm glad he didn't hit those lights," 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh said.

Nancy Armour http://twitter.com/nrarmour

___

PLAYING FOOTBALL, NOT FUTBOL, IN MEXICO

The NFL wants to return to Mexico, though Commissioner Roger Goodell won't say when.

Back in 2005, Azteca Stadium in Mexico City was the site of the league's first regular-season game outside the United States. But the league hasn't been back, despite playing in Toronto and now regularly in London.

Goodell says the league is perfecting things in England.

"We have to make sure that whenever we do come back to Mexico, and I expect we will, that we do it successfully, with the right kind of television support, fan support and sponsor involvement," Goodell said.

"I would expect if we are successful in the UK, where we thankfully are continuing to grow, that we'll have the opportunity to get back there," Goodell said. "And the sooner, the better for me."

Nancy Armour http://www.twitter.com/nrarmour

___

YOU BET WHAT?

Novelty bets on the Super Bowl might be getting out of hand.

Regional specialties between mayors and governors used to be the only norm, but now it seems like every public figure's betting on the Super Bowl and the wagers are getting pretty elaborate.

Here are three of the better bets:

THE BOOKWORMS: If the Ravens win, San Francisco Public Library City Librarian Luis Herrera has to recite Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" in the atrium of the city's main library while wearing a Ravens jersey. If the 49ers win, Enoch Pratt Free Library CEO Carla Hayden must declaim George Sterling's "The Cool, Grey City of Love" in the Central Library main hall wearing a 49ers jersey.

THE FUZZ: It's a duel of on-field demonstrations for San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr and Baltimore Police Commissioner Anthony Batts. Suhr vows that Batts will be "Kaepernicking" flexing and kissing his bicep in imitation of 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick's victory pose. Batts says Suhr will have to don Baltimore Ravens gear to perform the signature dance the Squirrel of linebacker Ray Lewis.

THE BREWERS: Flying Dog Brewery in Frederick, Md., and Anchor Steam in San Francisco have agreed that the brewery from the home state of the losing team will have to pour the other's beer for a week in their tap room. The tour guides will have to wear the winning team's jerseys.

___

WHO DAT?

Wander the streets of New Orleans this week and you'd think the Saints are one of the teams playing in Sunday's Super Bowl.

Entire families are sporting Drew Brees jerseys. Women are wearing rhinestone-studded Saints T-shirts and fleur-de-lis earrings. Men are in Saints jerseys and sweatshirts.

Of course, fans in every host city show pride in their home team. But there's a special bond between the Saints and the people of New Orleans. While they're happy to welcome the Ravens and the 49ers, this city will always belong to the Saints.

Nancy Armour http://www.twitter.com/nrarmour

___

THE PISTOL, EXPLAINED

You'll hear about it from the first time 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick stands behind center, and listen to it be endlessly dissected in the Super Bowl.

But just what is this pistol offense San Francisco is running?

Put simply, it's a variation of the shotgun, a formation that has been in the NFL for decades. Former Nevada coach Chris Ault invented it, and gave it the name because it reminded him of a shorter version of the shotgun.

In the pistol, the quarterback lines up 4-5 yards behind the center. Unlike the shotgun, the running backs line up behind the quarterback instead of next to him so they can be in motion when they get the ball and run north and south more easily.

The tweak that makes the pistol even more effective, though, is the read-option. This what Kaepernick runs so well, and what Baltimore has spent two weeks preparing to stop.

In the read-option, Kaepernick turns to his right and tucks the ball in the belly of his running back all while keeping his eyes on the defense. Based on the first move the defensive end makes either to the outside or toward the quarterback Kaepernick will either leave the ball with the running back or pull it out and take off himself to the outside.

Defensive players say the move causes problems because it forces them to hesitate a split-second to see what Kaepernick does with the ball. Often, that is just enough time for running back Frank Gore to slash up the middle or for Kaepernick to take the ball around the right end down the field for a big gain.

Tim Dahlberg http://twitter.com/timdahlberg

___

GET HERE EARLY

Anyone wanting a cafe au lait or a beignet from New Orleans' most famous coffee shop better be prepared to wait.

Tables were filled, and lines were stretching down the sidewalk at Cafe Du Monde by midday Saturday.

Nancy Armour http://twitter.com/nrarmour

___

QUICKQUOTE: RAY LEWIS

There are many sides to Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis.

Even he admits that the guy he professes to be most of the time deeply religious, a caring mentor, a humble leader is not the one you see when he puts on his helmet and pads.

"I turn into a different person on the field," Lewis said. "I am a totally different person off the field. But on the field, I'm driven to do whatever it takes for my teammates. There are so many of my teammates here today who I've honored and told them that I would do anything in my power so we can feel that confetti drop together, because that is the ultimate. For me being a leader of this team, I owe that to them."

Paul Newberry http://twitter.com/pnewberry1963

___

EDITOR'S NOTE "Super Bowl Watch" shows you the Super Bowl and the events surrounding the game through the eyes of Associated Press journalists across New Orleans and around the world. Follow them on Twitter where available with the handles listed after each item.

Read More

NEW ORLEANS (AP) Around the Super Bowl and its host city with journalists from The Associated Press bringing the flavor and details of everything surrounding the game:

___

WATT ALMOST SWEEPS

Houston end J.J. Watt just missed being a unanimous pick for AP's 2012 NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

The final vote tally with 50 voters:

Watt, 49. Denver linebacker Von Miller, 1.

Watt is the first Texans player to win the award.

Barry Wilner

___

INTERIM TO TOP

Bruce Arians is the first interim coach to win the top NFL award from The Associated Press.

He won 2012 Coach of the Year honors Saturday night for his work with the Indianapolis Colts. Arians now is head coach in Arizona.

Arians took charge of the Colts in late September after head coach Chuck Pagano was diagnosed with leukemia. The Colts, 2-14 the previous season, went 9-3 under Arians and made the playoffs.

Pagano coached the final game of the regular season and a wild-card playoff match.

Arians earned 36 votes from a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the NFL. Pagano finished second with 5 .

___

KUECHLY WINS DEFENSIVE ROY

Linebacker Luke Kuechly of Carolina has won the Associated Press 2012 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award.

Kuechly, a first-round pick from Boston College, led the league with 164 tackles.

He earned 28 votes from a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league. That easily outdistanced Seattle LB Bobby Wagner with 11.

Barry Wilner

___

RG3 OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF YEAR

Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III has been voted the 2012 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Griffin beat out Indianapolis quarterback Andrew Luck and Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson. He was selected by The Associated Press in balloting by a nationwide panel of the media.

___

FIRED UP

Here's one way to spend your 37th birthday: Flag burning.

That's how Mike Libber of Baltimore showed his loyalty to the Ravens during Friday night festivities on Bourbon Street in New Orleans' French Quarter.

Libber and his friends filled the long but thin balcony at the Voodoo Vibe bar, and asked bar employees to remove a San Francisco 49ers flag dangling next to a Ravens flag.

"Yeah, take that away," Libber said. "Otherwise, I'll burn it. In fact, let me burn it."

Libber eventually scrounged up $60 from his friends and bought the San Francisco flag from a bar manager.

He took it out onto Bourbon Street and began to set it on fire. It didn't quickly light up.

A crowd gathered, some 49ers fans booed. Moments later, with a small part of the flag burning, New Orleans police officers arrived and stopped the shenanigans.

Julio Cortez http://twitter.com/JulioCortez_AP

___

WHERE'S BRANGELINA?

New Orleans is crawling with celebrities for the Super Bowl, but Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie don't appear to be among them.

The windows at the star couple's house in the French Quarter are all closed tight, and there's no sign of their omnipresent security. In fact, the only activity at the house is tourists stopping to take photos.

Nancy Armour http://www.twitter.com/nrarmour

___

7 TO HALL, INCLUDING PARCELLS

The Pro Football Hall of Fame will have seven new members.

Coach Bill Parcells, Warren Sapp, Cris Carter, Jonathan Ogden and Larry Allen have all made it to the 2013 class. So have two senior selections, Curley Culp and Dave Robinson.

Five players were eliminated in the final vote: Jerome Bettis, Charles Haley, Andre Reed, Michael Strahan and Aeneas Williams.

Earlier Saturday, the selection committee eliminated Tim Brown, Kevin Greene, Will Shields and former owners Edward DeBartolo Jr. and Art Modell.

___

49ERS WALKTHROUGH

The next time the 49ers step onto the field at the Superdome, it'll be time for the Super Bowl.

San Francisco finished up on-field preparations on Saturday with a 15-minute walkthrough. The team has meetings Saturday night.

Coach Jim Harbaugh said the stadium lights are brighter than they were when the 49ers beat the New Orleans Saints here on Nov. 25, so getting his players adjusted to that was important.

Harbaugh invited family members and friends 11 busloads of people to attend the short session and come down to the field to pose for photographs.

One person hollered Harbaugh's signature chant from the stands: "Who's got it better than us?"

The rest of the group replied: "No-body!"

The coach smiled.

Janie McCauley http://twitter.com/JanieMcCAP

___

RAVENS DONE PRACTICING

Baltimore is done practicing on the field for the Super Bowl.

Team officials, friends and family watched as the Ravens went through a short walkthrough at the Superdome on Saturday afternoon.

The 15-minute session was more of a pep rally than a workout.

Running back Ray Rice playfully tackled his mother on the sideline and guard Marshal Yanda had a video camera attached to the top of his Ravens cap.

John Harbaugh describes his team's work this week as "effective."

"We've gotten everything we've needed to get done, that's the No. 1 thing," Harbaugh said.

___

GLORY, PLUS CASH

The Super Bowl isn't just about the glory players for San Francisco and Baltimore both have decent paydays riding on the outcome.

The difference between winning and losing is $44,000, nearly $9,000 less than the median annual household income in the United States from 2007-2011, according to U.S. Census data.

Winning players get $88,000 each, losers get $44,000. That's just cash it doesn't count the marketing clout gained by going from NFL player to Super Bowl champion.

Super Bowl paydays have gradually increased the last 30 years after doubling in 1983 to $36,000 for winners.

In the game's first 11 years, winners got $15,000 and losers got $7,500.

Oskar Garcia http://twitter.com/oskargarcia

___

MACKIE COLD ON NY GAME

Add Anthony Mackie to the list of people cold on next year's Super Bowl at the home stadium of New York's teams.

Though the "Gangster Squad" actor now lives in Brooklyn, N.Y., he's from New Orleans and thinks a city like his hometown should get the Super Bowl every year.

Mackie said Friday night at an ESPN Magazine party that he doesn't want to sit outside in 30 degree weather and watch the Super Bowl.

"I want to see the girls in their pretty dresses; I want to hang out with the players. I don't want to be outside in the cold in New Jersey," he continued, stressing that Met Life Stadium, where both the New York Giants and Jets play, is actually in East Rutherford, N.J. "You're not in New York. I have to take a bus from Manhattan all the way to Jersey?"

Though Mackie's Saints didn't make it to the Super Bowl this year, Mackie is still passionate about who he wants to win the Baltimore Ravens.

"I will do everything to not see San Francisco win another Super Bowl," he said, hoping for a bit of karma.

Nekesa Mumbi Moody http://twitter.com/nekesamumbi

___

LEAVING HIS MARK

If there are some dents in the Superdome roof, blame San Francisco 49ers punter Andy Lee.

Lee bonked several punts off the roof this week as the 49ers practiced for Sunday's Super Bowl against the Baltimore Ravens. Lee finally lowered the trajectory of his kicks to make sure he got the ball downfield.

"I'm glad he didn't hit those lights," 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh said.

Nancy Armour http://twitter.com/nrarmour

___

PLAYING FOOTBALL, NOT FUTBOL, IN MEXICO

The NFL wants to return to Mexico, though Commissioner Roger Goodell won't say when.

Back in 2005, Azteca Stadium in Mexico City was the site of the league's first regular-season game outside the United States. But the league hasn't been back, despite playing in Toronto and now regularly in London.

Goodell says the league is perfecting things in England.

"We have to make sure that whenever we do come back to Mexico, and I expect we will, that we do it successfully, with the right kind of television support, fan support and sponsor involvement," Goodell said.

"I would expect if we are successful in the UK, where we thankfully are continuing to grow, that we'll have the opportunity to get back there," Goodell said. "And the sooner, the better for me."

Nancy Armour http://www.twitter.com/nrarmour

___

YOU BET WHAT?

Novelty bets on the Super Bowl might be getting out of hand.

Regional specialties between mayors and governors used to be the only norm, but now it seems like every public figure's betting on the Super Bowl and the wagers are getting pretty elaborate.

Here are three of the better bets:

THE BOOKWORMS: If the Ravens win, San Francisco Public Library City Librarian Luis Herrera has to recite Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" in the atrium of the city's main library while wearing a Ravens jersey. If the 49ers win, Enoch Pratt Free Library CEO Carla Hayden must declaim George Sterling's "The Cool, Grey City of Love" in the Central Library main hall wearing a 49ers jersey.

THE FUZZ: It's a duel of on-field demonstrations for San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr and Baltimore Police Commissioner Anthony Batts. Suhr vows that Batts will be "Kaepernicking" flexing and kissing his bicep in imitation of 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick's victory pose. Batts says Suhr will have to don Baltimore Ravens gear to perform the signature dance the Squirrel of linebacker Ray Lewis.

THE BREWERS: Flying Dog Brewery in Frederick, Md., and Anchor Steam in San Francisco have agreed that the brewery from the home state of the losing team will have to pour the other's beer for a week in their tap room. The tour guides will have to wear the winning team's jerseys.

___

WHO DAT?

Wander the streets of New Orleans this week and you'd think the Saints are one of the teams playing in Sunday's Super Bowl.

Entire families are sporting Drew Brees jerseys. Women are wearing rhinestone-studded Saints T-shirts and fleur-de-lis earrings. Men are in Saints jerseys and sweatshirts.

Of course, fans in every host city show pride in their home team. But there's a special bond between the Saints and the people of New Orleans. While they're happy to welcome the Ravens and the 49ers, this city will always belong to the Saints.

Nancy Armour http://www.twitter.com/nrarmour

___

THE PISTOL, EXPLAINED

You'll hear about it from the first time 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick stands behind center, and listen to it be endlessly dissected in the Super Bowl.

But just what is this pistol offense San Francisco is running?

Put simply, it's a variation of the shotgun, a formation that has been in the NFL for decades. Former Nevada coach Chris Ault invented it, and gave it the name because it reminded him of a shorter version of the shotgun.

In the pistol, the quarterback lines up 4-5 yards behind the center. Unlike the shotgun, the running backs line up behind the quarterback instead of next to him so they can be in motion when they get the ball and run north and south more easily.

The tweak that makes the pistol even more effective, though, is the read-option. This what Kaepernick runs so well, and what Baltimore has spent two weeks preparing to stop.

In the read-option, Kaepernick turns to his right and tucks the ball in the belly of his running back all while keeping his eyes on the defense. Based on the first move the defensive end makes either to the outside or toward the quarterback Kaepernick will either leave the ball with the running back or pull it out and take off himself to the outside.

Defensive players say the move causes problems because it forces them to hesitate a split-second to see what Kaepernick does with the ball. Often, that is just enough time for running back Frank Gore to slash up the middle or for Kaepernick to take the ball around the right end down the field for a big gain.

Tim Dahlberg http://twitter.com/timdahlberg

___

GET HERE EARLY

Anyone wanting a cafe au lait or a beignet from New Orleans' most famous coffee shop better be prepared to wait.

Tables were filled, and lines were stretching down the sidewalk at Cafe Du Monde by midday Saturday.

Nancy Armour http://twitter.com/nrarmour

___

QUICKQUOTE: RAY LEWIS

There are many sides to Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis.

Even he admits that the guy he professes to be most of the time deeply religious, a caring mentor, a humble leader is not the one you see when he puts on his helmet and pads.

"I turn into a different person on the field," Lewis said. "I am a totally different person off the field. But on the field, I'm driven to do whatever it takes for my teammates. There are so many of my teammates here today who I've honored and told them that I would do anything in my power so we can feel that confetti drop together, because that is the ultimate. For me being a leader of this team, I owe that to them."

Paul Newberry http://twitter.com/pnewberry1963

___

CULLIVER SENSITIVITY TRAINING

After playing in the Super Bowl, San Francisco 49ers cornerback Chris Culliver is immediately starting sensitivity training.

The 24-year-old took a hit to his image this week after making anti-gay remarks to a comedian, saying he wouldn't welcome a gay player in the locker room.

Now, his public relations spokesman Theodore Palmer says Culliver will begin working with "The Trevor Project," an organization that provides crisis and suicide intervention to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth.

Palmer says the group wants to be sure Culliver is genuine about his words.

"It's just an opportunity for him to learn about his comments and educate himself about the LGBT community, and grow," Palmer said. "It's the first step in learning about his words."

After an educational program, Culliver is expected to then pursue volunteer work related to helping gay youth.

Janie McCauley http://twitter.com/JanieMcCAP

___

MCGRAW ROOTING FOR BLIND SIDE

Country music superstar Tim McGraw doesn't want to explicitly share who he's rooting for to win the Super Bowl. But he gave a pretty big hint.

"It would be nice to see Michael win and see that whole 'Blind Side' story come to completion," McGraw says.

He's referring to Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Michael Oher, whose life was the subject of the film "The Blind Side." It starred McGraw and Sandra Bullock, who won an Oscar for her role.

McGraw, whose new album, "Two Lanes of Freedom," comes out on Tuesday, was in New Orleans on Friday for a very early performance at the House of Blues broadcast live on ABC's "Good Morning America."

John Carucci http://twitter.com/jcarucci_ap

___

EDITOR'S NOTE "Super Bowl Watch" shows you the Super Bowl and the events surrounding the game through the eyes of Associated Press journalists across New Orleans and around the world. Follow them on Twitter where available with the handles listed after each item.

Read More