Friday, December 31, 2004 HOUSTON SPORTS 2004: A-Z ¬¬ HOUSTON CHRONICLE G3 Eventful show has class, crass and quite a clash After high notes from Beyoncé, Super Bowl suffers until wild finish B IS FOR BEYONCÉ KNOWLES, the Houston native who sang the national anthem before Super Bowl XXXVIII at Reliant Stadium. Wearing an elegant, sophisticated dress designed by her fashion-designer mother, Tina Knowles, Beyoncé delivered a stylish rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner that offered no hint of the foolishness to come. When Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson morphed into the biggest Super Bowl gunslingers weren’t collaborating at halftime to bare a breast this side of Joe Montana vs. Dan Marino. Despite that would have been better left unbared, Kid a 1-for-9 start, Delhomme wound up passing for Rock was rhapsodizing about prostitution and 323 yards and a 113.6 efficiency rating. Brady methadone clinics. The nation was still TIVOing countered with 32 completions, 48 attempts, 354 the halftime histrionics of Timberlake and yards and a 100.5 rating. Jackson when an Englishman who bills himself as “It was terrific to watch but not to coach,” the world’s most prolific streaker began cavorting Patriots coach Bill Belichick mused later, adding, around the field wearing a jockstrap and a “There have been some heart attacks.” mischievous gleam. Delhomme collaborated with Muhsin The streaker had the name of an online casino Muhammad for a Super Bowl-record 85-yard written on his body. A spokesman for the casino touchdown pass to give the Panthers a 22-21 lead confirmed that it has hired the man at least a half with 6:53 remaining, and that wasn’t enough to dozen times for promotional streaking stunts. The fend off the Patriots, who responded with a spokesman wouldn’t disclose how much the touchdown pass from Brady to Mike Vrabel to lead casino paid the Englishman, saying, “I think he 29-22. Delhomme found Ricky Proehl for a 12- does it mostly for kicks.” yard touchdown pass that tied the score at 29 with And if that didn’t make Super Bowl security 1:08 remaining, and that wasn’t even enough to look Barney Fife-esque enough, the man had take the Patriots to overtime. announced on his Web site, Starting with the ball on the New England 40, www.thestreaker.org.uk, his intention of Brady drove the Patriots in position for their 15th streaking at the beginning of the third quarter of consecutive victory. Adam Vinatieri closed the the New England Patriots-Carolina Panthers deal by kicking a 41-yard field goal with four contest. The Patriots’ Matt Chatham eventually seconds remaining to give the Patriots their chased down the streaker and knocked him to the second Super Bowl victory — this one by a 32-29 CHRONICLE FILE ground. Then security swooped in and led the score — in three seasons. man away from the crowd of 71,525. “To win the way we did, it’s just incredible,” Patriots Nation walked away happy. Patriots fans TOM “I didn’t want to get too close to the guy,” said said Brady, who earned his second Super Bowl Paul Broft and Brendan Gibbins shelled out TERRIFIC: For the second Patriots linebacker Larry Izzo, a former Rice Owl. Most Valuable Player award. “I don’t know how to $2,800 for what turned out to be fake tickets. As time in three “Obviously, Chatham wanted to get on TV a little put it. How do I feel? You work so hard to get they were waiting for their flight out of Bush Super Bowls, bit more than I did, and he accomplished that.” there, and then you get it. There are a lot of things Intercontinental Airport the day after the game, Tom Brady led For much of the first half, the game wasn’t fit going through my mind.” they spotted the two men they said had sold them the Patriots on a for prime-time television. The Panthers had fewer At Super Bowl XXXVI in New Orleans, Brady the tickets. last-minute drive that resulted in a yards of total offense in their first 20 snaps directed a game-winning field goal drive against Prosecutors dropped charges against one of the game-winning DESTINY'S (minus-8) than the Patriots’ defense had sacks the St. Louis Rams in the final 1:21. Vinatieri accused, a Boston resident, when he produced a field goal by STYLE: (three). A fumble by Panthers quarterback Jake kicked a 48-yard field goal as time expired, valid ticket stub to the game. Bruce Smith, a Adam Vinatieri. Houstonian Delhomme set up a touchdown pass from the trumping a tying touchdown catch by Proehl. wrestling coach from Providence, R.I., pleaded Beyoncé Patriots’ Tom Brady to Deion Branch 3:05 before “It was like déjá vu all over again,” Proehl said. guilty to theft and received two years of probation Knowles got the halftime — ending the longest scoring drought at “It was like living a nightmare all over again.” for selling counterfeit tickets. Smith, who Super Bowl off to a slick start with the start of a Super Bowl. The Patriots emerged from Reliant Stadium contended he didn’t know the tickets were fakes, a well-received Just like that, the Patriots and Panthers began with the second-longest single-season winning also agreed to pay back the $2,800. version of the providing must-see entertainment for a national streak in NFL history, surpassed only by the 17-0 “He wanted to make amends for a stupid act,” m national anthem. audience of 140 million. Brady and Delhomme 1972 Miami Dolphins. Still, not every citizen of said Smith’s Houston attorney, Bill Stradley. Magenta y Yellow 7 8 9 10 11 12 BUSTER DEAN: CHRONICLE { banner moments | March 20 - April 18 } ■ March 20 — The ■ March 23 — ■ March 29 — ■ April 3 — The Final Four tips ■ April 5 — Barry Bonds’ eighth- ■ April 9 — The ■ April 18 — University of Houston Tom Penders Calvin off with a strong Houston inning home run off Roy Oswalt gives Rockets clinch Tommy Haas women’s basketball puts his Murphy, a influence. Connecticut, Duke the Giants a 5-4 victory over the their first playoff upsets Andy team beats reputation Hall of Fame and Oklahoma State all have Astros in the season opener. berth in five Roddick to c Wisconsin-Green Bay for rebuilding guard with key players from area high years by beating win the U.S. 62-47 for the first programs to the Rockets schools. ■ April 6 — Andy Pettitte, left, makes the Nuggets 106- Men’s Clay Cyan 1 NCAA Tournament win the test by and the his Astros debut, going 5 ⁄3 innings in a 103. Court in school history. accepting the analyst on ■ April 5 — Bellaire High loss to the Giants. He strains his elbow Champion- coaching the team’s School product Emeka and has to go on the disabled list. ■ April 17 — The ships at ■ March 22 — Cal reins of the telecasts at Okafor is named the Most Rockets’ playoff Westside Santa Barbara UH men’s the time, is Outstanding Player of the ■ April 7 — Roger Clemens makes his series with the Tennis Club. eliminates the UH basketball charged with Final Four after leading Astros debut, holding the Giants to Lakers begins women from the NCAA program. child Connecticut to the national one hit in seven innings of a 10-1 with a 72-71 Tournament 56-52. molestation. championship. victory. loss..