MIAMI — A year ago, Santonio Holmes got his hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Watching someone else take a turn with the NFL’s shiny silver chalice this season is a difficult reality for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ standout wide receiver.
As such, here was his Super Bowl pick:
He wanted both the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints ... to lose.
“I kind of wish both teams would lose so that we could still be the Super Bowl champions, but we know that’s not going to happen,” Holmes said. “But it’s great to see someone else get an opportunity for the biggest game on the biggest stage to help solidify a place in their career, in their history.”
Holmes was in South Florida for part of Super Bowl week, attending some Reebok events and mingling with other NFL players. But by game time Sunday, he was long gone, saying he wanted to only watch on television instead.
“I am not playing,” Holmes said, “so I will not be there in attendance.”
For his actual pick, Holmes was noncommittal.
“I’ve got friends on both teams,” Holmes said.
That still didn’t mean he wanted any of those friends taking over for the Steelers as Super Bowl champions.
More for Haiti
If you like what Reggie Bush was wearing at Sunday’s Super Bowl, get to your computer and get your credit card out.
You could buy it.
Bush plans to auction several of his game-worn Super Bowl items on eBay, with all proceeds going to Mercy Corps and their work aiding Haitians whose lives were devastated in the series of earthquakes there last month.
“The devastation in Haiti is stunning,” Bush said, adding that he’s trying to “do my part to help the people of Haiti.”
Bush has also teamed with Adidas to create a custom shoe, which will be available online through Feb. 11 for $105 and proceeds of which also will be given to Mercy Corps for additional Haitian relief.
Super eats
New Orleans offensive lineman Carl Nicks is the heaviest player in this Super Bowl, tipping the scales at a listed 341 pounds.
Imagine 12,000 of him.
That’s about 4 million pounds, or roughly how much fat the Calorie Control Council and Snack Food Association say gets consumed in potato chips alone during a typical Super Sunday.
The numbers they’ve come up with for what’ll be consumed by fans watching the Saints and Indianapolis Colts on television are colossal. By their math, Americans will eat 11.2 million pounds of potato chips, 8.2 million pounds of tortilla chips, 4.3 million pounds of pretzels, 3.8 million pounds of popcorn and 2.5 million pounds of nuts.
Calories? Somewhere around 100 billion from those crunchy snacks alone.
And to think, that doesn’t even include burgers, dogs, dips, guacamole or wings. Or beverages, for that matter.
Bart Starr Award
Newly retired Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner is still winning awards. He picked up the NFL’s Bart Starr Award this weekend, recognizing his leadership and work in the community.
Warner and his wife, Brenda, established the First Things First Foundation in 2001, working with sick children and single parents, plus sending care packages to military personnel serving overseas. The couple is also involved in other charities, including the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Special Olympics.
Warner announced his retirement last month, ending a 12-year career. A year ago, he was named the Walter Payton Man of the Year.
“It’s not about the award or the hardware, but it’s about what it represents and the message that it sends,” Warner said.
NFL players vote on the award, named after Starr, the Hall of Fame quarterback. This year’s other finalists were Indianapolis Colts center Jeff Saturday and New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees.
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