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Super Bowl XL Notebook
3-time MVP Montana turns down star-studded get-togIra Miller, Chronicle Staff Writer
Monday, February 6, 2006
Detroit -- Joe Montana, the only three-time Super Bowl Most Valuable Player, was one of only three Super Bowl MVPs who turned down the NFL's invitation to take part in pregame ceremonies for Super Bowl XL.
Montana also declined the league's invitation for a news conference with all the MVPs after Commissioner Paul Tagliabue's Friday news conference.
"We were disappointed we weren't able to work it out with him," said Greg Aiello, the NFL's vice president of public relations.
The former MVPs were guaranteed $1,000 for incidental expenses while in Detroit. The NFL also provided each former Super Bowl MVP with two first-class airplane tickets, a hotel room, a Cadillac for the weekend, two tickets to the game, two tickets to the Friday night commissioner's party, two tickets to a Saturday night party and two tickets to a Sunday tailgate party. There also were opportunities for paid appearances arranged by the NFL.
To sources close to the league said Montana refused to attend over money. One of the sources said Montana asked for a guarantee of at least $100,000 for appearances if he came here, and the league said it would not make that guarantee. Tom Brady, who has won the Super Bowl MVP award twice, handled the coin toss to start the game, making him the first active player to perform that chore.
MVPs representing 32 of the 39 previous Super Bowls were on hand. Besides the 49ers' Montana, the only ones missing were Pittsburgh's Terry Bradshaw (a two-time MVP), Jake Scott (a Miami defensive back who was MVP in SB VII) and the late Harvey Martin (a Dallas defensive lineman who was co-MVP in SB XII). The issue with Bradshaw also reportedly was money; Scott is on vacation in Australia.
Contract doings: The buzz around the league is that 49ers co-owner John York will agree to go along with coach Mike Nolan and hire a heavyweight NFL executive in part because of criticism the team is receiving for the rich contract it gave top pick Alex Smith a year ago.
"They got raked over the coals on that one," one former NFL general manager said. Smith got $24 million in guaranteed money in a six-year, $49.5 million deal.
In a conversation Friday with The Chronicle, Nolan indicated that a new executive would take over negotiations from director of football operations Paraag Marathe, who worked out the deal with Smith. Nolan said Marathe's contract analyses were useful, but he seemed to question Marathe's negotiating skills.
"When it comes down to negotiations, I need a 'people person,' " Nolan said. "Just because you're a contract guy doesn't mean you're a great negotiator."
Multiple sources have told The Chronicle that Mike Reinfeldt, the Seahawks' vice president/football administration, has been offered the job as 49ers president. Reinfeldt, at the Super Bowl with the Seahawks, was not available for comment, and those who know him are split in their opinions on whether he will accept.
Reinfeldt is believed to be earning $550,000 a year on his Seattle contract, and would at least double that with the 49ers. But Paul Allen, the Seahawks' billionaire owner, easily could match any San Francisco money offer if that were the only issue.
Super records: The Steelers' Willie Parker and the Seahawks' Kelly Herndon set Super Bowl records for long plays in the third quarter.
Parker ran 75 yards for a touchdown on the second play of the second half, 1 yard longer than Marcus Allen's touchdown run for the Los Angeles Raiders against Washington in 1984.
With the Steelers apparently driving for another score, Herndon stepped in front of Cedrick Wilson at the Seattle 4, grabbed the pass thrown by Ben Roethlisberger and returned it 76 yards to the Steelers' 20. Herndon's return was 1 yard longer than the Oakland Raiders' Willie Brown's interception return for a touchdown against Minnesota in 1977.
Whisenhunt changes focus: Steelers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt can finally turn to the prospects of a new job. He is expected to interview for the vacant Oakland Raiders job this week. "I'm honored to be considered for that job, but I've been so focused on getting to this game and winning this game that that's been on the back burner," Whisenhunt said after the Super Bowl. "If something comes up, we'll just have to wait and see."
Saints back in the 'Dome: The Saints, driven from their home by Hurricane Katrina in August, will return to the Superdome on Sept. 24 to play the Falcons.
The game will be the third of the season for the Saints, who played their "home" opener last season at the home of their opponent, the New York Giants. The rest of the team's home schedule was played in San Antonio and Baton Rouge, La.
The Falcons-Saints game will be the first sporting event at the Superdome since Hurricane Katrina.
Snow what: A blanket of white covered Detroit the day of the Super Bowl, but a little bad weather did nothing to deter fans from getting to the game early.
"We're from western Pennsylvania. We've had 3 feet of snow so far. A little bit of snow here is nothing," said Steelers fan Don Moyer, wearing his No. 36 Jerome Bettis jersey.
Light snow fell Sunday morning, much less than the earlier forecasts of up to 9 inches. All the roads were cleared around Ford Field and in the suburbs around Detroit.
