Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10 | Week 11 | Week 12 | Week 13 | Week 14 | Week 15 | Week 16 | Week 17 | Week 18 | Week 19 | Week 20

The Super Bowl began as a bigger snoozer than the State of the Union address. At half-time, millions of viewers were ready to switch channels and search for a little more excitement on C-Span. The Titans hadn't yet scored and the Rams couldn't seem to find the end zone, despite Dick Vermeil's constant pointing. Even ABC was having trouble: They couldn't identify enough wives in the stands. That would leave them with only three wives to focus on and one of them, Mrs. Kurt Warner, had already received more television time than the Budweiser frogs. ABC announcer Al Michaels was ready to make a public announcement: "Could the wives and girlfriends of any players please stand and wave?" But he was afraid that 10,000 women would stand. (Eddie George sure is popular!) Fortunately for ABC and everyone else, Vermeil and Jeff Fisher managed to awaken their players, reminding them that the winner's check could buy a lot of beer. When the Rams scored a touchdown to take a 16-0 lead, it looked like the Titans were done. But they managed to fight back, even without the help of instant replay. With just over two minutes left, the score was tied at 16 and there was so much excitement on the field that many viewers succeeded in ignoring Boomer Esiason. Warner lofted a long and risky pass to Isaac Bruce, who raced to the end zone, giving the Rams a seven-point lead. But there was enough time on the clock for the Titans to advance down the field, thanks largely to Steve McNair's nifty running. Only a great tackle by linebacker Mike Jones prevented Titans receiver Kevin Dyson from scoring. The game ended with such a flourish that some spectators called it the greatest Super Bowl ever. But Rams fans are all biased.

WARNER FANTASY: Was there ever a better sports story than Kurt Warner's rise from supermarket stock boy to Super Bowl MVP? After playing in the Arena League and NFL Europe, Warner was available to any team in the mid-1990s. He was so desperate for an NFL job, he would have even signed with the Bengals. The Rams gave him a chance and then Warner, like Shawn King of the Bucs and Ray Lucas of the Jets, took advantage of a season-ending injury to the starting quarterback. Gotta love those injuries!

VERMEIL EXITS: As expected, Dick Vermeil retired this week, going out on top. His retirement allows Rams offensive coordinator Mike Martz to become head coach, but cancels plans for the Vermeil Tissues, a proposed Kleenex product. The slogan: "For the man who's strong enough to cry." We'll miss ya, Dick! Boo hoo.

MURDER CHARGE: As though the NFL needs any more bad publicity, Ravens' Pro Bowl linebacker Ray Lewis was arrested and charged in the murder of two people. Lewis and his friends, including Warren Sapp, insist he's innocent. Let's hope justice prevails. In a way, it already has: Junior Seau got to go to the Pro Bowl as a replacement. It will be his ninth consecutive appearance in Hawaii. Attaboy Junior!

PLAYER MOVES: If there's one major question during the off-season, it's this: Where will Dan Marino, Steve Young, Jeff George, Trent Green, Neil O' Donnell, Olandis Gary and Barry Sanders be next season? Each of them has enough talent to make a big impact. Imagine Young as a member of the Broncos, Green as a member of the Saints, and Marino as a member of the AARP (American Association of Retired Persons). Another question to be answered soon: Will Trent Dilfer be playing in NFL Europe? Hey, it worked for Kurt Warner.

BITS AND PIECES: Kurt Warner began his post-game remarks with his usual "Thank you, Jesus!" cheer. Warner, a born-again Christian, is using his new-found celebrity to share his testimony. That's fine with me, but I can't help wondering how people would react if Warner were a Muslim and kept yelling, "Praise be to Allah!" ... Interviewed by ABC's Leslie Visser during the Super Bowl, John Elway plugged his Web site, giving it a free ad on America's most watched program. The retired Broncos quarterback is a lot smarter than he looks. ... The NFL, not wanting to show favoritism, refused to let Faith Hill wear a Titans jersey while singing the national anthem. The NFL plans to be just as fair next year, when the national anthem will be sung by Mrs. Kurt Warner. ... It's a good thing Phil Luckett didn't referee the Super Bowl, or it would have definitely gone into overtime. Titans receiver Kevin Dyson got as close to the end zone as Vinny Testaverde did in a 1998 game against the Seahawks.