In brief

With high security, the prize arrives

SAN DIEGO -- So what was in the Brinks truck parked outside the NFL Headquarters this week? Super Bowl tickets? Sponsorship money? Paul Tagliabue's paycheck?

Not quite. It was the Lombardi Trophy, the shiny football-on-a-pedastal icon that will be awarded to Sunday's winner.

"It comes here directly from Tiffany's," said Don Ranzulli, senior director of event operations for the NFL. "It's in my office. And it's guarded."

The famous jewelry company makes a new trophy every year that is presented, for keeps, to the Super Bowl champion. They often are sent back for polishing and engraving a few months after the game, according to Ranzulli, but they are the teams' permanent property.

Other than the 37 game trophies, he said there were replicas in the league offices in New York and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. "If anybody wants to have a copy, they would have to request it in writing to the commissioner," Ranzulli said.

What is the retail value of the sterling silver trophy? "It fluctuates with the price of silver," Ranzulli said. "It's not solid silver, but it's worth about $25,000."

What's it worth to be hoisting it after Sunday's game? Priceless.

Contest a real snoozer

Dana Stubblefield beat Brock Huard in the first official BreatheRight Super Bowl Snore-Off, leaving some in attendance scratching their heads.

Not at the result, mind you, but that they actually attended the, uh, event.

Only corporate America could bring together such an eclectic collection: surefire Hall of Famer and BreatheRight shill Jerry Rice, Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning (Huard's ex-roommate . . . get it?), one 6-foot nose, a Snore-O-Meter and two interested onlookers -- decked out Raider fans.

The folks at BreatheRight took the competition seriously. They delayed it for almost 20 minutes while media filed into a room with a podium, judging table, two beds and the Snore-O-Meter.

Stubblefield and Huard paled in comparison to national winner Ed O'Sullivan of Detroit, whose's snoring begged the question: Why was wife Jodi smiling?

The answer: a $10,000 winner's check.

If the cheesy factor wasn't at an all-time high, media were told that Jodi's poem may have put her husband over the edge (though he needed no help):

My days are long, my nights are too;

My husband's nose, sounds like a kazoo.

Longfellow she's not.

The biggest surprise, however, was that a 6-foot nose was in the same room as two Raider fans, and emerged unbloodied.

McCardell has a Redskins ring, but he wants a new one

Somewhere on a shelf in Keenan McCardell's home is Super Bowl ring that belongs to him.

He desperately wants a second to add to the collection.

The receiver spent the 1991 season on injured reserve with the Washington Redskins, but received a Super Bowl ring when the Redskins won the title.

"It was a great experience," he said. "We got to see all the media day and the chaos that was going to happen. So this is regular for me. I just tried to tell my teammates that there's going to be a lot of people here, a lot of people pulling at you here and there and we need to stay focused and do this thing."

McCardell said he occasionally looks at his ring, but it won't have the same significance if he wins one Sunday.

"It's part of something that happened in my career," he said. "But it's going to be special to come out of that tunnel on Sunday and to actually be suited up in uniform ready to play. It's something you dream of. I've been close in Jacksonville twice and never got here. Now I'm here and I'm going to enjoy coming out of the locker room. It's something that special. A lot of guys don't get here and I'm fortunate to get back. Now it's time to win."

RUNNING BACK HIGH: Denver running back Terrell Davis and former Raiders running back Marcus Allen were honored by their alma mater, Lincoln High school in San Diego.

Mural-sized paintings of the two players, 4 feet by 8 feet and designed by NFL staff and two Lincoln students, will be located permanently in the main gym at Lincoln High.

DON'T LET THE FANS HAVE THEM: With only 4,000 of the 65,000 Buccaneers season-ticket holders winning last week's ticket lottery, there is bound to be disappointment. But it's worse in Oakland, where 2,000 of the Raider Nation fans obtained tickets through the team. Of the approximately 11,550 tickets allocated to each of the participating teams, Raiders officials kept more than 9,500, which could limit the number of Silver and Black fans who attend Sunday's game.

Who gets the rest of the 61,000 tickets in Qualcomm Stadium? Some will go to the players' family and friends, but most will be gobbled up by corporate big-wigs, network television honchos and luxury box patrons.

ROOTING FOR THE HOME TEAM: Lightning coach John Tortorella doesn't worry about the Bucs' Super Bowl run taking attention away from his NHL team. In fact, Tortorella sounded like he was jumping on the bandwagon.

"I think its terrific what's going on with this football team," he said. "That game they played against Philly, I've never seen a more focused team in any sport as far as what they needed to get done there."

SURPRISE CELEBRITY SIGHTING: Legendary golfer Arnold Palmer, looking great, was sitting in the media center for an interview with radio talk show host Jim Rome.

Around the NFL

49ERS: San Francisco asked for permission to interview three NFL coordinators -- including both of Philadelphia's top assistants -- for its vacant coaching position.

General manager Terry Donahue requested permission to interview Philadelphia offensive coordinator Brad Childress and defensive coordinator Jim Johnson, along with New England defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel. The 49ers also will interview San Francisco defensive coordinator Jim Mora Jr.

The position has been vacant since owner John York fired Steve Mariucci Wednesday.

JAGUARS: Coach Jack Del Rio hired former Dallas Cowboy Bill Bates as special-teams coach.

PACKERS: Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre (ankle) won't play in the Pro Bowl while wide receiver Donald Driver will make his debut in place of Minnesota's Randy Moss (knee).

RAVENS: Director of pro personnel James Harris will interview for the Seattle general manager job Friday. Harris is still a candidate in Jacksonville.

VIKINGS: Michael Bennett has been added to the NFC's Pro Bowl team. He replaces Green Bay running back Ahman Green (knee).

-- Times staff writers Jack Sheppard, John C. Cotey, Antonya English and Damian Cristodero contributed to this report, which also includes information from the Associated Press.