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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, January 29, 2009

Super Bowl gets hit in the wallet

Associated Press

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Pittsburgh offensive lineman Chris Kemoeatu, a Kahuku High alum, is recorded by quarterback Ben Roethlisberger as he talks on the phone during a media availability day at the team's practice facility.

GENE J. PUSKAR | Associated Press

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Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Hines Ward

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TAMPA, Fla. — There were mountains of jumbo shrimp, and caviar everywhere. Muhammad Ali would show up, maybe amid a fleet of shiny Cadillacs. Five-star hotels were packed, and getting a dinner reservation for Saturday night was impossible. Finding a ticket for Sunday was even harder.

In years past, the Super Bowl was so much more than a game. It was an outright orgy of football, glitz and gluttony, a celebration of excess where too much was never enough.

The No. 1 sporting event in America is still a big deal. Nearly 100 million of us will tune in Sunday night when the Pittsburgh Steelers play the Arizona Cardinals.

But in these tough economic times, it's easy to see: The Super Bowl is taking a hit, too.

General Motors and FedEx pulled their TV ads, even though NBC lowered the price. Playboy canceled its annual party. Almost 200 fewer media credentials were issued.

"When I think of the NFL, I think of recession-proof," Cardinals lineman Elliot Vallejo said this week. "But that's not true anymore."

Used to be everywhere you looked around a Super Bowl town, all you could see was advertising. There were commercial booths at every turn. The headquarters hotel and media center looked like giant trade shows.

Now you can look pretty much everywhere and actually see things. Such as empty tables at local restaurants and vacant hotel rooms downtown.

StubHub does have a sign on the mezzanine level at Raymond James Stadium. The nationwide ticket broker also had more than 3,000 seats for sale, as of midweek. They were getting less expensive by the minute.

"In terms of pricing, this game has become the Limbo Bowl — how low can it go?" StubHub spokesman Sean Pate said. "When it comes to plunking down $7,000 for a weekend, people are becoming more pragmatic. They have other needs."

STEELERS

WARD MISSES PRACTICE

The Pittsburgh Steelers' first Super Bowl practice in Tampa was like every other Wednesday workout all season. Wide receiver Hines Ward was on the sidelines.

Ward, wearing a small black brace on his injured right knee, did running and cutting on a side field as the Steelers practiced at the University of South Florida.

Even if Ward had been healthy, it's almost certain he wouldn't have practiced. The 32-year-old Ward was held out of all Wednesday practices by coach Mike Tomlin to keep him from wearing down during the long season.

Ward is expected to be on the field today, when the Steelers hold their final full-scale practice before appearing in the Super Bowl for the second time in four seasons.

"Hines is playing," Tomlin said. "I'm not worried about him."

Ward sprained his right medial collateral ligament during the AFC championship game against Baltimore on Jan. 18. He has not missed a game this season.

SHORT SNAPS

Chargers: Rob Chudzinski returned to the San Diego staff yesterday to coach tight ends and serve as assistant head coach. Chudzinski, the Cleveland Browns' offensive coordinator the past two seasons, coached the Chargers' tight ends from 2005-06.

49ers: Jimmy Raye, an NFL assistant for 32 years, is the eighth candidate to interview with San Francisco as its search for an offensive coordinator stretches into its fifth week. The 62-year-old Raye most recently was the New York Jets' running backs coach.

Rams: St. Louis coach Steve Spagnuolo hired two more assistants yesterday. Bruce Warwick, who has 18 years experience in professional and college football, is the assistant to the head coach/football operations. Andre Curtis, the defensive quality control coach with the New York Giants from 2006-2008, joins the defensive staff.