POST SUPER BOWL

For updates on trades, free agent signings and the 2006 draft this is the place to be.

THE DRUDGE REPORT

FLASH: SUPER BOWL RATINGS DOWN FROM LAST YEAR, ACCORDING TO NIELSEN OVERNIGHTS... ABC'S 41.8 RATING/62 SHARE OFF FROM FOX'S 2005 43.4/63... 84 SHARE[!] RECORDED IN PITTSBURGH... MORE..DEVELOPEING

Cleveland reportedly acquired a 5th round pick this year from New England in a mid-season deal in which the Patriots acquired WR Andre Davis. Also, San Diego gets a 7th round pick from Minnesota for OG Tonui Fonoti; the pick could have escalated if Fonoto had met certain playing time levels however he only played in one game before going on injured reserve......


The Associated Press reported yesterday that the Oakland Raiders plan to interview Steelers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt in the coming days for their head coaching vacancy.
Whisenhunt could move to the top of the team's list if the meeting goes well.
Whisenhunt will follow Al Saunders, James Lofton and Rod Marinelli in formally interviewing with the Raiders.
Oakland also held an informal talk with former St. Louis Rams coach Mike Martz, although nothing came of that meeting. Martz, however, wasn't someone Davis considered a candidate for the top job but, perhaps, for offensive coordinator.
Whisenhunt is in his ninth season as an NFL coach and second in charge of the Steelers offense after working the previous three years as the team's tight ends coach.
Since meeting with the Raiders last month, Saunders left the Kansas City Chiefs to become offensive coordinator of the Washington Redskins. Marinelli, the former defensive line coach in Tampa Bay, became the Detroit Lions' new head coach.
Lofton, a Hall of Fame receiver who coaches the San Diego Chargers' receivers, is the only minority candidate to interview..........

The Patriots are apparently interested in talking to Seahawks receiver Joe Jurevicius, who like NFL MVP Shaun Alexander and Pro Bowl guard Steve Hutchinson, are now free agents. Jurevicius signed a one-year deal with Seattle before the season and became a critical cog after injuries to starting receivers Darrell Jackson and Bobby Engram earlier this season. Jurevicius, who played in his third Super Bowl with three different teams [Giants, Bucs and Seahawks] in just his eighth year, had 10 touchdown catches this season. ... The referees spent most of the pregame manning the neutral zone separating the teams, perhaps fearful of a flare-up relating to Steelers linebacker Joey Porter's verbal war last week with Seahawks tight end Jerramy Stevens over comments made about Jerome Bettis. ...


Hawks focus turns to contracts

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/PrintStory.pl?document_id=2002787095&zsection_id=2002120007&slug=hawkfuture06&date=20060206

SUPER BOWL XL NOTES

The official attendance was 68,206. ... Willie Parker's 75-yard touchdown run was the longest in Super Bowl history. ... Kelly Herndon's 76-yard interception return of a Ben Roethlisberger pass in the third quarter was the longest interception return in Super Bowl history........

Network News

ABC's telecast of the Super Bowl XL was the last for the network which originated "Monday Night Football" in 1970. Next season, ESPN takes over the Monday night package and NBC, former home of the AFC, begins televising Sunday night games. In addition, the NFL Network, whose presence - along with ESPN - dominated broadcast coverage this week, will begin a Thursday night/Saturday night package of games on Thanksgiving. Fans holding tickets to Sunday games after Thanksgiving should be advised the NFL now has the right to change starting times from 1 or 4 to 8:30 to accommodate NBC, but must do so two weeks before the game.In an announcement expected today, James Brown will leave as the host of "Fox NFL Sunday" to take the same job on CBS' "The NFL Today." Brown will replace Greg Gumbel, who will return to the booth as part of CBS' No. 2 team with Dan Dierdorf. Gumbel and Phil Simms comprised CBS' top team until 2005 when Jim Nantz moved out of the studio. And speculation remains that ABC's Al Michaels, the long-time voice of "Monday Night Football," will move to NBC