Totally Random
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Pittsburgh wide receiver Santonio Holmes was named the MVP of Super Bowl XLIII for his game-winning, tippy-toe six-yard touchdown catch that pushed the Steelers to a 27-23 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.
But Holmes’ story is about so much more than that catch, or his MVP trophy. It includes a drug history that has threatened to pull him under.
During the week before the Super Bowl, Holmes never backed away when reporters asked about how he sold drugs as a teenager in Belle Glade, Fla. He owned up to more recent mistakes, including a marijuana possession charge in October that earned him a one-game suspension. Holmes said the final indignity was when he had to miss a game against the New York Giants in October: ‘It was my first game missing. It hurt.’
Holmes said his goal is to be a better example for the kids who look up to him.
Trivia time
Name the Pittsburgh Steelers who have won the team’s six Super Bowl MVP awards.
Super Bowl lowlights
The Steelers have their Super Bowl highlights, the Tampa police have theirs: 26 arrests, 18 ejections and four small planes that breached the secure air space above Raymond James Stadium.
Police say they arrested nine people for selling counterfeit tickets Sunday. One person was arrested on suspicion of selling counterfeit NFL merchandise. Two others were accused of selling fake game credentials.
Two people allegedly tried to steal their way into the stadium. Police say they swiped tickets from a fan, but dropped them while attempting to flee from officers. The tickets were worth $800 apiece.
No word on who the Tampa police named as their MVP.
Money well spent
You’ll donate money to who we tell you to.
That seemed to be the message that the NBA sent to Dallas Mavericks billionaire owner Mark Cuban when the league refused to allow him to make a donation to a charity in J.R. Smith’s name.
Cuban was fined $25,000 for what the NBA called an ‘improper interaction’ with the Denver guard during a Mavericks’ loss to the Nuggets on Jan. 13. Cuban was upset with an elbow thrown by Smith that missed Dallas’ Antoine Wright, arguing that Smith should have been suspended.
In the past, when Cuban has been fined by the NBA, he matched the amount and donated it to charity. The NBA wasn’t going for that this time, apparently feeling that Cuban was taking a dig at the league.
Trivia answer
Santonio Holmes (2009), Hines Ward (2006), Terry Bradshaw (1979 & 1980), Lynn Swann (1976), Franco Harris (1975).
And finally
Phil Mickelson told Golf.com before the FBR Open, his 2009 debut on the PGA Tour, that he has been using “devices” to help him retrain his eyes so he can line up putts better. He didn’t elaborate on what the devices were, but said he expected to have a good putting year.
So far, so, er, not so good.
He missed the cut by seven shots and his putting average ranks 156th on tour.
-- Broderick Turner