DALLAS -- Super Bowl XLV Media Day went on Tuesday despite the best efforts of Mother Nature and the ice storm she blanketed over North Texas overnight. Cowboys Stadium still was invaded by print hacks and electronic talking heads by the thousands.
The lines were dozens deep at the podiums of quarterbacks Ben Roethlisberger and Aaron Rodgers. There were plenty of hairy questions for Troy Polamalu and Clay Matthews. There was Inez Sainz (hot) and Ochocinco (not) and cameos from kids from Nickelodeon.
But there was no star that outshined the event -- ala Joe Namath before media day became MEDIA DAY -- or shook the Super Bowl with headlines. And there were no reluctant talkers of note, like when Leon Lett excused himself from the podium twice because he got dizzy from the attention.
In honor of those newsmakers, allow us to relive some of the most famous and/or infamous Media Day divas of the Super Bowl era.
1) Ray Lewis (Baltimore), Super Bowl XXXV at Tampa, Fla.
It had been nearly a year since Lewis, the Ravens Pro Bowl linebacker, had been indicted on murder charges stemming from a fight that broke out in downtown Atlanta and led to the two stabbing deaths during Super Bowl XXXIV weekend the year before. Lewis eventually pled guilty to charges of obstruction of justice for giving police misleading statements. He was sentenced to one-year probation. Lewis went the entire 2000 season without speaking to reporters, but was required to climb the podium on Media Day for Baltimore's showdown against the New York Giants. Yes, the subject of the murders came up. "Yeah I got money. Yeah I'm black. Yeah I'm blessed," Lewis railed. "But at the same time let's find out the real truth. The real truth is this was never about those two kids dead in the street, it's about Ray Lewis. And that's the same thing this is about and that's not right." Asked if there was anything he'd like to say to the family of the victims, Lewis responded, "Na." Five days later, he was voted MVP of Baltimore's 34-7 victory. Not one of the game's finer moments.
2) Doug Williams (Washington), Super Bowl XXII at San Diego
He was the first black quarterback to play in a Super Bowl and he was reminded of that at Media Day. "Do you feel like Jackie Robinson?" "Will America be pulling for the Redskins or rooting against them because of you?" "Have you been contacted by Rev. Jesse Jackson?" But, no, no and a thousand times no. Contrary to the myth, no one asked Williams how long he'd been a black quarterback. The real question, according to witnesses, was phrased like so: "Doug, obviously you've been a black quarterback all your life, but when did race begin to matter to people?" Perfectly appropriate. Williams, by the way, was practically perfect on Super Sunday, throwing four second-quarter touchdowns in a 42-10 blowout of the Denver Broncos en route to MVP honors. A very fine moment.
3) Terrell Owens (Philadelphia), Super Bowl XXXIX at Jacksonville, Fla.
It wasn't controversy, but it probably was overkill. Owens, a month removed from suffering a severely sprained ankle and broken fibula on a horse collar tackle, arrived at Media Day for the Eagles' big game against reigning world champion New England and announced he was going to play against the Patriots no matter what. Owens missed Philly's playoff push, so the status of the mercurial wideout became what seemed to be a matter of national security. The anatomy of the ankle was scrutinized by sportswriters making like med students. Owens promised he'd play. And did. He caught nine passes for 122 yards, but the Pats won.
4) William Perry (Chicago), Super Bowl XX at New Orleans
The rookie defensive tackle was a phenomenon like none before him. Though listed at just 317 pounds, "The Fridge" was said to have ballooned in the neighborhood of "3-fitty" by season's end and fit in perfectly with the confident, arrogant, anti-establishment (and, oh yes, downright dominant) Bears as they ran roughshod to the Super Bowl. When Perry was put in at fullback in a Monday Night against the rival Green Bay Packers -- and took a handoff and scored a touchdown -- he become an absolute fascination and media day darling on a team that included Walter Payton, Richard Dent, Mike Singletary, Dan Hampton and Mike Ditka. The Bears beat the Patriots 46-10. Fridge scored a touchdown in that one, too.
To say that Thomas was a man of few words is to say the universe is somewhat vast. For perspective, Media Day was an altogether different animal in the early years, but Thomas gave a pretty clever (and sarcastic) answer on the big build-up day for the showdown against the Baltimore Colts when a reporter asked what it was like to be playing in the ultimate game. "If it's the ultimate," Thomas said, "how come they're playing it again next year?" Speaking of next year, the Cowboys were back in the Super Bowl and Thomas went the entire Media Day session without answering a question. The Cowboys won that Super Bowl and Thomas agreed to an interview afterward. Question: Winning the Super Bowl must be like flying to the moon for you, huh? Thomas: "Don't know. Never been there."
6) Ray Buchanan (Atlanta) and Shannon Sharpe (Denver) at Super Bowl XXXIII at Miami
Buchanan, the talkative Falcons cornerback, wore a rhinestone dog collar to Media Day to ram home the point that his teammates were a bunch of angry underdogs. When asked about Sharpe, the All-Pro tight end for the defending champion Broncos, Buchanan said, "That's an ugly dude. You can't tell me he doesn't look like Mr. Ed." Yeah, it was on. Buchanan's remarks were taken to Sharpe, who was known for his sharp (and quick) wit. "Tell Ray to put the eyeliner, the lipstick and the high heels away. I'm not saying he's a cross-dresser, that's just what I heard." There was more: "I've never called anybody ugly. Do I think people are ugly? Yeah, I think he is ugly, but I never said that. ... Is he my friend? No. Did I ever view him as a friend? No. Did I view him as an acquaintance? No. Do I like him? No. If I see him in a snow storm, his truck is broke down, mine is working; would I pick him up? No. Other than that, I could care less about Ray Buchanan." Broncos won 34-19.
7) Chuck Dickerson (Buffalo) at Super Bowl XXVI
An assistant coach, of all things, provided an impetus (in football vernacular, that's "bulletin board material") for the opponent at Media Day. Not a good thing. Dickerson was the defensive line coach of the Bills, so feel free to question his wisdom for saying Redskins Pro Bowl left tackle Jim Lachey had bad breath or that right tackle Joe Jacoby was a ballerina or making funny faces for the cameras to illustrate how ugly the famous "Hogs" were as a group. Redskins coach Joe Gibbs played the bytes for his offensive line. Over. And over. The Redskins crushed the Bills. Dickerson was fired shortly after the game.
8) Downtown Julie Brown (MTV) at a bunch of Super Bowls
She was the first female reporter to climb onto a podium and sit alongside a player at Media Day, basically laying a pioneer's path for the funky and freaky folks to join the Super fray. At Super Bowl XXVII in Los Angeles, Brown hopped on stage with Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson, sidled up and asked about his choice in fashion. "Speaking of fashion, I'm a single guy and you are making me a little nervous," he said. Johnson then asked "Downtown" which team she was rooting for. "I'm for the Cowboys because they have all the young guys and they'll know who I am," she said. Brown then asked Johnson if he had any special rules for his players during the week. "Yeah," he said. "Stay away from Downtown Julie Brown."
9) Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson (Dallas), Super Bowl XIII at Miami
The loquacious linebacker for the Cowboys, defending champs at the time, was asked about facing the Steelers and quarterback Terry Bradshaw's ability to read defenses. Hollywood apparently wasn't impressed. "He couldn't spell 'cat' if you spotted him the 'c' and the 't,'" Henderson said. Bradshaw threw for more than 300 yards, four touchdowns and was named MVP of the game. "I didn't say he couldn't play," Henderson said after the game. "I said he couldn't spell." Henderson later admitted 
10) Deion Sanders (San Francisco), Super Bowl XXIX at Miami
Media Day was made for the guy who went by "Prime Time." The former two-sport star was in another stratosphere in popularity when he arrived at his first Super Bowl his first season after signing a fat free-agent contract with the 49ers, for whom he was named 1994 NFL Defensive Player of the Year. It was at Media Day in South Florida when Sanders was asked about his Prime Time persona. "I invented it to jack up my paycheck." It worked.
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