Super Bowl teams get a rare look at the sky

Peyton Manning spends too much time indoors. . . .

When Manning and the Indianapolis Colts take on Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, each team will be playing outdoors for only the

seventh time this season. . . .

The Colts and Saints play home games in domed stadiums, of course, but both won at Miami during the regular season. . . .

Oddsmakers, expecting a shootout between two of the NFL’s most prolific offenses, have set the over-under line at 56 points, the highest in Super Bowl history. . . .

On a sillier note, the over-under on the length of Carrie Underwood’s rendition of the national anthem is 1 minute 41 seconds, according to BetUS.com, while bodog.com puts the over-under on the number of halftime windmills performed by guitarist Pete Townshend of The Who at 5 1/2 . . . .

Reggie Bush, eager to play a major role, told reporters this week that Coach Sean Payton told him, “Make sure you’re ready because your tongue is going to be hanging out.” . . .

Fast company: Casey Irsay Foyt, daughter of Colts owner Jim Irsay,

was married last summer to A.J. Foyt IV, grandson of the legendary four-time Indianapolis 500 winner. . . .

Kim Hughes, the

Clippers’ interim coach, helped Julius Erving and the New York Nets win the ABA championship in 1976. . . .

The Lakers’ winningest coach after passing Pat Riley on Wednesday night, Phil Jackson also is the Chicago Bulls’ winningest coach. . . .

Riley still tops the Miami Heat’s list. . . .

Comparing the NBA statistics of Jerry West and Kobe Bryant, it’s surprising to note that West averaged nearly two free-throw

attempts a game more than Bryant, an indication that perhaps Bryant too often settles for jump shots. . . .

On the other hand, in the era when West played there was no such thing as a three-point field goal. . . .

So concerned was Manny Ramirez that playing the outfield was wearing down his legs, the Dodgers’ website reports, he considered declining his $20-million option for this season in hopes of returning to the American League as a designated hitter. . . .

Then, apparently, he came to his senses and realized that no other team would pay him anything close to $20 million. . . .

Twenty years ago this week, at Santa Anita, Hall of Fame jockey Bill “The Shoe” Shoemaker rode in his final race, ending a

career that included four victories in the Kentucky Derby, two in the Preakness and five in the Belmont. . . .

He died in 2003. . . .

Everybody is dumping on Tim Tebow these days, but Joe Theismann sounds like a crank when he says the former Florida quarterback should forget the NFL and retire. . . .

Brett Simpson of Huntington Beach, who this month in Australia launches his rookie season on the Assn. of Surfing Professionals’ elite World Tour, is a son of former NFL safety Bill Simpson, who played for the Los Angeles Rams from 1974 to 1978. . . .

Fans frustrated by the watered-down competition in the Pacific 10 Conference can look forward to next weekend’s NBA Rookie Challenge, which features no less than six former Pac-10 players who left school early: Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook, O.J. Mayo, Taj Gibson, James Harden and Brook Lopez. . . .

Syracuse expects to draw about 35,000 for a game against Villanova at the Carrier Dome this month or, put another way, more than UCLA drew in four dates last month at Pauley Pavilion. . . .

Of the quarterbacks who’ve won at least three times in the Super Bowl -- Terry Bradshaw, Joe

Montana, Troy Aikman and Tom Brady -- Brady is the only one who also lost. . . .

Of the quarterbacks who lost at least three times in the Super Bowl -- Fran Tarkenton, Jim Kelly and John Elway -- Elway is the only one who also won. . . .

Skier Kwame Nkrumah-Acheampong, on becoming the first Winter Olympian from the African nation of Ghana: “It’s like crossing the Sahara desert and getting to the end and getting a very cold drink and a lovely cold shower.” . . .

In Vancouver, presumably, he’ll be prepared for snow.

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