Super Bowl 2015: Probes, parties and (oh yeah) the game
After two weeks of headlines dominated by "deflate-gate" and which players were, or weren't, talking to the media, the NFL likely will be relieved that the focus is returning to the field as the New England Patriots and defending champs Seattle Seahawks battle for league supremacy in Super Bowl XLIX.
It has been a rough year for the league, particularly Commissioner Roger Goodell. Domestic violence problems - underscored by separate cases involving Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson - dominated much of the season. There are ongoing concerns about player concussions and one of the league's - and New England's - former players is on trial for murder.
And just when the stage was set for the preeminent sports event in the U.S., the league has been mired in questions about whether the Patriots intentionally under-inflated footballs in the AFC Championship game.
"It's a shame that [the season] been dominated from start to finish with topics other than what's taking place on the football field," CBS' James Brown said on "Face the Nation" Sunday. "However, at least I'm encouraged that the league in general, while still questionable on a number of fronts, they haven't run away from these issues. They have embraced them.
"And I'm hoping that what I see as a substantive reworking of attitudes and rules and policies in place will trickle down to society at large, because domestic violence, something that I'm very keen on ... in terms of awareness and prevention, is not being taken as seriously in society, up until this year, as it should have been. And I think the league has taken a lead role in that regard."
In one step, the league will be donating some of its air time during the Super Bowl to broadcast an ad against domestic violence:
But potential scandals never seem that far behind the NFL this year. In the most recent episode involving questionable team conduct, ESPN reported that the league has been investigating whether the Atlanta Falcons have been pumping artificial noise into the Georgia Dome over the last two years - allegations that, if true, could result in a fine and possibly even the loss of a draft pick.
Meanwhile, on "deflate-gate," the league's investigation continues, headed by NFL Executive Vice President Jeff Pash and lawyer Ted Wells.
Goodell said Friday his responsibility is "to protect the integrity of the game."
"I represent 32 teams," Goodell said. "All of us want to make sure that the rules are being followed, and if we have any information where the potential is that those rules were violated, I have to pursue that and I have to pursue that aggressively. This is my job. It is what all 32 clubs expect and what I believe our partners, our fans expect. We will do so vigorously, and it is important for it to be fair."
On the field
Here are some scary thoughts for the rest of the NFL:
A win Sunday will stamp the Seahawks as one of the best teams of the Super Bowl era. And, given Seattle's makeup and philosophy, the future for the franchise might be brighter than for any other club.
Rarely has a team with so many key young players been so formidable. The last such group might have been the Jimmy Johnson Cowboys of the early 1990s, when Dallas had the Triplets: future Hall of Famers Emmitt Smith, Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin.
Seattle has its own trio of All-Pros, but on defense: cornerback Richard Sherman, safety Earl Thomas and middle linebacker Bobby Wagner. All are 26 or younger.
They're complemented by young talent all over the lineup, from Kam Chancellor (26) in the secondary to linebacker K.J. Wright (25) to offensive leaders quarterback Russell Wilson (26), receivers Doug Baldwin (26) and Jermaine Kearse (25 next week), tight end Luke Willson (25) and a bunch of twenty-somethings on the line.
All of them already have experienced the ultimate success on the field, and if they can beat New England for a second straight championship, the D word frequently will be thrown around.
"For us to win the Super Bowl back-to-back years, we definitely could be a team that's talked about as a dynasty," Wright says. "I'm glad that the core players of this team are still together. The more we continue to stay around here, the more championships we'll win."
Very possibly.
But it's not just the talent coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider have collected, and how quickly Seattle locked up key personnel with contracts; only Wilson and Wagner need to be re-signed among the elite players.
It's the culture the Seahawks have developed.
Unlike the Patriots, who emulate the approach of their reveal-nothing coach and front office, the Seahawks are free-wheeling. It some ways, they resemble a college team, which makes perfect sense: Before turning around the Seahawks, Carroll won two national titles at Southern Cal.
While the methods of Bill Belichick clearly work in New England - no franchise has been more successful overall in the last 15 years - the Patriots last won a championship a decade ago. Although Tom Brady says he hopes to quarterback the team well into his 40s (he's 37), the current roster doesn't strike fear for the future the way Seattle's might.
That's true even if the Patriots win Sunday in a dead-even game: The betting line is pick-em.
"There are a number of kind of tenets you know, but developing a really competitive roster, keeping it young, always trying to upgrade," Carroll says of the program he's installed in Seattle since arriving in 2010. "That mentality is really pervading. It shows up everywhere. The style of play that we want, that we agreed to, about being a physical team and running the football and playing defense on teams. And with that thought, those are all just kind of the tenets that we've built it on and we've tried to remain uncommonly consistent in that commitment. I think that's at the core of everything."
The Nolls and Landrys and, yes, Belichicks might scoff at the openness. But in the Gen X NFL, letting players "be themselves," as Sherman says, could be the way to go.
In a copycat league, if the Seahawks come through Sunday, who's to say Seattle's approach won't be emulated? Lots of the Seahawks think so, even hope so.
With championships in the bank and money to spend under the salary cap, the Pacific Northwest becomes an even more attractive landing spot. And that will be true even if - as expected - some of Carroll's assistants leave for promotions elsewhere this offseason.
"I know that the guys that are here really want to be here, and want to have the style of coaching," says center Max Unger, a six-year veteran. "I think that it really just focuses on what you do well and highlighting that within your position. It's just a positive mindset."
And then there's the ultimate attraction: winning rings.
"Man, that's why I stayed because of being able to play in these types of games and just a chance to play on this team," says defensive end Michael Bennett, who left Tampa after four seasons, won a championship last year on a one-season deal, and then re-signed with the Seahawks. "I mean, this team is full of energy, full of superstars, full of everybody who wants to be successful.
"I mean, money can't put a price on winning. I know a lot of guys who have made a lot of money and they are still upset that they can't be in this spotlight. Pro Bowls are one thing, MVP is one thing, but Super Bowl is a whole other atmosphere. When you win a Super Bowl, you get so much notoriety and you get the chance to really be on a great team. Money just can't put a price on that."
Party scene
While the entertainment world's focus Sunday will be on Katy Perry's half-time show, other celebrities grabbed headlines in Saturday's pre-game bashes.
The crowd at DirecTV's Super Saturday Night party came for Rihanna, and got a healthy dose of Kanye West as a bonus.
West trotted on stage as Rihanna sang the opening lines of their hit "All of the Lights," a surprise guest at an event that's become known for delivering shows from music's superstars on the eve of the Super Bowl.
Rihanna opened the performance with "Rock Star" and moved through several of her hits, including "Umbrella," ''Rude Boy" and "We Found Love."
She reached out and touched fans and moved effortlessly around a semicircle stage that allowed her to reach fans throughout the venue.
West also interacted with the audience, slapping hands as he performed. He pointed and glanced up at a balcony where his wife, Kim Kardashian, watched and snapped a selfie with friends.
A few feet away actor Aaron Paul leaned on a rail bobbing his head to the music, and the crowd included other celebrities and athletes such as retired NFL players Tony Gonzalez and Michael Irvin and entrepreneur Mark Cuban, who helped throw the party.
At the Rolling Stone party, Aerosmith frontman, and New England native, Steven Tyler charged up a frenzied crowd.
Tyler played fan favorites "Dream On," ''Sweet Emotion" and "Cryin'''at the Rolling Stone party in front of an audience that sang along in unison for most of the songs.
The venue was adorned with Rolling Stone covers from over the years, and Tyler made a reference to magazine founder Jann Wenner's influence on the music industry between songs.
Tyler followed British pop star Charli XCX, who set the stage with an energetic set and asked the crowd if it was excited for the Super Bowl.
"I thought it was baseball until a few months ago. I'm from the U.K."
Tyler largely avoided any reference to the Patriots despite a long history with the team. The Boston rocker has been a fan of the Patriots for several years, and famously sang the national anthem in the AFC Championship two years ago before the Patriots lost to the Baltimore Ravens. The performance was widely ridiculed as he botched some of the lyrics.
Following the controversy over deflated footballs during this year's AFC title game, Tyler joined Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, John Krasinski and other well-known Patriots fans in a mock video on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" in which they claimed responsibility for the air being taken out of the balls.
Tyler's top billing at an A-list party on one of the entertainment world's biggest party nights is a testament to his staying power as a rock 'n' roll icon. Aerosmith's longevity spans more than a generation, including their rise to stardom in the early 1970s, a rough period during the early '80s when drugs tore the band apart and a resurgence in the late '80s and early '90s that put them back on the top of the charts. In recent years, Tyler was a judge on "American Idol," endearing him to a younger generation of fans.
Finally, "Transformers" star Mark Wahlberg and director Michael Bay reunited Saturday night for a charity event that organizers said raised more than $1 million.
The pair served as celebrity hosts for the Big Game Big Give event held at the luxurious home of Washington Nationals manager Matt Williams on the eve of the Super Bowl. Williams and wife Erika greeted guests at the gates of their Paradise Valley home.
Items up for auction included a VIP experience with the Nationals, jewelry and other high-end goods.
Wahlberg and Bay held private sessions with donors after their arrival, with the director showing a reel of behind-the-scenes footage. "American Idol" winner Jordin Sparks also performed for guests.