super bowl notebook
PONTIAC, Mich. — Pittsburgh Steelers Pro Bowl safety Troy Polamalu said he "tweaked" an ankle during practice Thursday and was added to the team's Super Bowl injury report as probable.
The cause of the injury was not immediately known. Only a pool reporter selected by the NFL is permitted to watch pre-Super Bowl practices, and Polamalu mentioned the injury to that reporter.
The injury was first revealed when the Steelers listed him on their daily injury report.
Polamalu, who lines up in a variety of formations in the Steelers' 3-4 defense, has starred in all three Pittsburgh playoff victories. He had 19 tackles, an interception and a half-sack in road victories over Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Denver.
Seahawks pull a quick one on A&M
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BRYAN, Texas — The Seahawks ran an end-around on Texas A&M, filing notice Thursday to remove from an Aggie hometown court the dispute over the "12th Man" slogan.
In a three-page "Notice of Removal" filed about two hours before a scheduled hearing in a Brazos County court just a few miles from the A&M campus, the Super Bowl-bound Seahawks transferred the case to federal court in Houston, about 100 miles away.
Because Texas A&M is alleging a violation of its federally registered trademark by the Seahawks, a federal court has jurisdiction in the case, according to documents filed by J. Michael Bell, a Houston-based lawyer for the team.
U.S. district judge Ewing Werlein set a pretrial and scheduling conference for June 16, meaning the case will not be resolved before Sunday's Super Bowl in Detroit, where the Seahawks face the Steelers.
Rothlisbergers are not Roethlisbergers
DETROIT — There's only one Rothlisberger in the Findlay, Ohio, phone book and that has created quite a bit of commotion for one family because of Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
"I could retire if I got a dollar or two for every phone call or knock on the door," Steve Rothlisberger told The Courier newspaper.
Though Roethlisberger grew up in this northwest Ohio town, his last name is spelled differently. But that has not stopped people from calling or dropping by Rothlisberger's house.
"I look at it as a minor inconvenience," said Rothlisberger, an assistant football coach when Roethlisberger was a star at Findlay High School.
One time a woman hoping to get the quarterback to show up at a fundraiser came to the house. A year ago, a drunk fan from West Virginia called in the middle of the night.
"They're nice people," said Brenda Roethlisberger, Ben's mom. "Unfortunately, since they're the only Rothlisbergers in the phone book, I think they've taken the brunt of most of our calls."
Extra points
● Patriots quarterback Tom Brady will be at the Super Bowl on Sunday — to toss the coin.
The Patriots quarterback and two-time Super Bowl MVP is the first active player to toss the coin in the big game. New England failed to make it to their third straight Super Bowl after losing to Denver in the playoffs.
The NFL will honor 30 past Super Bowl MVPs before the game.
● Seahawks kicker Josh Brown went to a Red Wings game Tuesday night with several other teammates. When approached for an autograph, he signed the name of quarterback Matt Hasselbeck.
