NOTEBOOK | Super Bowl XXXVIII

Failed job search pays off: When Norv Turner was hired Monday by the Oakland Raiders, it eliminated the last open head coaching job in the NFL. It also meant Patriots coordinators Romeo Crennel and Charlie Weis were shut out. In all likelihood, they will remain in New England. Neither of the assistant coaches has been available for interviews since the Patriots arrived in Houston on Sunday, but several players said they would be happy to play for them again next season. "For your own selfishness, you want those guys around, and you're glad to have them around," All-Pro defensive tackle Richard Seymour said. "From a personal standpoint, you always want to see a guy go to the next level. I definitely feel like their time is coming. In due time, they will get the recognition they deserve." NFL rules prohibit further interviews with assistant coaches while teams are still in the playoffs. So making the Super Bowl might have cost Crennel and Weis the chance for a head coaching spot.
Big night: Houston sports greats Hakeem Olajuwon, George Foreman and Nolan Ryan were among the 41 local sports legends at a ceremony Monday night that kicked off Super Bowl week. Proceeds from the dinner at Reliant Arena were earmarked for two after-school centers for underprivileged children.
Copycat: Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith knows exactly whom he'd like to emulate in Sunday's Super Bowl: John Taylor. Smith, Carolina's most dangerous receiver, would love to play the Taylor role in a rerun of his favorite Super Bowl. "I think San Francisco and Cincinnati, when the 49ers had to move the ball downfield with 2:16 left to get the win," he said, referring to the 1989 game won by San Francisco, 20-16. "The 49ers drove down the field like it was another day at practice." San Francisco covered 92 yards in 11 plays, with Joe Montana hitting Taylor on a 10-yard pass with 34 seconds left to win it. Smith already has a game-winner in the playoffs, a 69-yard reception in double overtime to beat St. Louis in the second round.
Back in Houston: Panthers guard Kevin Donnalley played six seasons for the Oilers before they moved to Tennessee and became the Titans. But he left his heart in Houston, specifically in the Astrodome. So forgive him if Reliant Stadium doesn't impress him that much. "I just kind of miss the Astrodome," Donnalley said. "I wish the game was being played there. "I know that these stadiums need to be a certain way now, with luxury suites and things like that. It was a great place to play. Anytime that I go back into a domed stadium, it just feels natural." The Panthers played in four domes this season, winning at Indianapolis, New Orleans and in St. Louis during the playoffs. They lost at Atlanta, in overtime. Donnalley also might not be enamored of Reliant Stadium and its retractable roof because Carolina lost there 14-10 to the Texans on Nov. 2.
Source: Associated Press