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CNN Live At Daybreak

Talking Sports: Super Bowl Preview

Aired January 24, 2003 - 06:41   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Let's turn our attention now to sports and one of the biggest events of the year, the Super Bowl.
Joining us to preview the game, Chris Cotter of 790 The Zone here in Atlanta. And we're talking about some pretty good football, huh?

CHRIS COTTER, 790 THE ZONE: We are talking about some really good football.

WHITFIELD: OK, this is not necessarily...

COTTER: I mean, and first of all, did I hear Orleon say that it's going to be 74 degrees?

WHITFIELD: Yes, it's going to be a quite balmy night.

COTTER: Seventy-four degrees. I don't even know what -- I don't even know what 74 degrees is like anymore after this morning.

WHITFIELD: I know, it's been a while.

COTTER: Oh God, bitter.

WHITFIELD: So this just might be the kind of Super Bowl that you are watching for the game, not just for the great commercials?

COTTER: Well that was what I was going to ask you.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

COTTER: On Monday morning, I know you're a football fan, are you going to be talking about the game...

WHITFIELD: Yes.

COTTER: ... or are you going to be talking about the commercial spots?

WHITFIELD: Probably the ads.

COTTER: I'm sure you will be too. But yes, I think you're right, hopefully this will be the type of game that people will be talking about the action on the field and not what goes on during the commercial breaks because it's a really good match. I mean Oakland has a great offense.

WHITFIELD: Yes. COTTER: They've, you know, beaten up everybody all year long with their offense virtually unstoppable. On the flip side, Tampa has a great defense.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

COTTER: So that's going to be an interesting match up. When Oakland has the football, how will Tampa be able to stop them. And if they will be able to stop them, then what will their offense do when they have the football.

You see Joe Jurevicius here scoring a touchdown against the Eagles in the NFC Championship game for Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay's offense is predicated on passing the football. They've never had a sustaining running game all year long. And that's going to hurt them in this game, I think, because if they give the ball back to Oakland and Oakland controls the time of possession, Oakland has the football more often, they're going to put a lot of points up on the board even against that great Tampa defense, I think.

WHITFIELD: Well interesting what makes this really a good game too, or potentially a good game, is that neither one of these teams, either one hasn't been to a Super Bowl before, and the other one hasn't seen the Super Bowl in quite a long time, almost two decades for Oakland.

COTTER: That's right, Fredricka. Oakland was a powerhouse in the '70s, into the early '80s and they won with Marcus Allen back in 1983, I believe it was, and they haven't been back since. That was when they were the L.A. Raiders before they moved back to Oakland, so...

WHITFIELD: Wow!

COTTER: ... it's been a while for them. And Tampa Bay, you know the long struggling Tampa Bay Buccaneer fans, I mean when they came into the league in '76 they went 0 and 14. They didn't win a game for almost two full seasons in the NFL, 26. They lost their first 26 games.

WHITFIELD: All right.

COTTER: So they've kind of turned things around slowly but surely. These last couple of years they've been knocking on the door but now they finally got into the Super Bowl.

WHITFIELD: So we have very little time, but you know I promised I was going to put you on the spot, so your pick.

COTTER: My pick, well as long as you make your pick too, I'll make mine. I think it's going to be Oakland in a really close game, like a 24 to 17 game. I think that Tampa Bay's inability to sustain the run will hurt them. I think Oakland will have the football long enough to put enough points on the board to win.

WHITFIELD: Your pick is more credible because you know what you're talking about. I just like to go for the underdog, so I'm going to go for Tampa.

COTTER: You're wearing sort of the Tampa Bay red today, so you might as well go for it.

WHITFIELD: Yes, OK, I planned that.

COTTER: And the underdog, too.

WHITFIELD: All right.

COTTER: I like the underdog pick. They're about a 5, 5.5 point dog, so I think it's probably a pretty good pick.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks very much -- Chris.

COTTER: All right.

WHITFIELD: Good to see you.

COTTER: My pleasure. Good seeing you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com








Aired January 24, 2003 - 06:41   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Let's turn our attention now to sports and one of the biggest events of the year, the Super Bowl.
Joining us to preview the game, Chris Cotter of 790 The Zone here in Atlanta. And we're talking about some pretty good football, huh?

CHRIS COTTER, 790 THE ZONE: We are talking about some really good football.

WHITFIELD: OK, this is not necessarily...

COTTER: I mean, and first of all, did I hear Orleon say that it's going to be 74 degrees?

WHITFIELD: Yes, it's going to be a quite balmy night.

COTTER: Seventy-four degrees. I don't even know what -- I don't even know what 74 degrees is like anymore after this morning.

WHITFIELD: I know, it's been a while.

COTTER: Oh God, bitter.

WHITFIELD: So this just might be the kind of Super Bowl that you are watching for the game, not just for the great commercials?

COTTER: Well that was what I was going to ask you.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

COTTER: On Monday morning, I know you're a football fan, are you going to be talking about the game...

WHITFIELD: Yes.

COTTER: ... or are you going to be talking about the commercial spots?

WHITFIELD: Probably the ads.

COTTER: I'm sure you will be too. But yes, I think you're right, hopefully this will be the type of game that people will be talking about the action on the field and not what goes on during the commercial breaks because it's a really good match. I mean Oakland has a great offense.

WHITFIELD: Yes. COTTER: They've, you know, beaten up everybody all year long with their offense virtually unstoppable. On the flip side, Tampa has a great defense.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

COTTER: So that's going to be an interesting match up. When Oakland has the football, how will Tampa be able to stop them. And if they will be able to stop them, then what will their offense do when they have the football.

You see Joe Jurevicius here scoring a touchdown against the Eagles in the NFC Championship game for Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay's offense is predicated on passing the football. They've never had a sustaining running game all year long. And that's going to hurt them in this game, I think, because if they give the ball back to Oakland and Oakland controls the time of possession, Oakland has the football more often, they're going to put a lot of points up on the board even against that great Tampa defense, I think.

WHITFIELD: Well interesting what makes this really a good game too, or potentially a good game, is that neither one of these teams, either one hasn't been to a Super Bowl before, and the other one hasn't seen the Super Bowl in quite a long time, almost two decades for Oakland.

COTTER: That's right, Fredricka. Oakland was a powerhouse in the '70s, into the early '80s and they won with Marcus Allen back in 1983, I believe it was, and they haven't been back since. That was when they were the L.A. Raiders before they moved back to Oakland, so...

WHITFIELD: Wow!

COTTER: ... it's been a while for them. And Tampa Bay, you know the long struggling Tampa Bay Buccaneer fans, I mean when they came into the league in '76 they went 0 and 14. They didn't win a game for almost two full seasons in the NFL, 26. They lost their first 26 games.

WHITFIELD: All right.

COTTER: So they've kind of turned things around slowly but surely. These last couple of years they've been knocking on the door but now they finally got into the Super Bowl.

WHITFIELD: So we have very little time, but you know I promised I was going to put you on the spot, so your pick.

COTTER: My pick, well as long as you make your pick too, I'll make mine. I think it's going to be Oakland in a really close game, like a 24 to 17 game. I think that Tampa Bay's inability to sustain the run will hurt them. I think Oakland will have the football long enough to put enough points on the board to win.

WHITFIELD: Your pick is more credible because you know what you're talking about. I just like to go for the underdog, so I'm going to go for Tampa.

COTTER: You're wearing sort of the Tampa Bay red today, so you might as well go for it.

WHITFIELD: Yes, OK, I planned that.

COTTER: And the underdog, too.

WHITFIELD: All right.

COTTER: I like the underdog pick. They're about a 5, 5.5 point dog, so I think it's probably a pretty good pick.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks very much -- Chris.

COTTER: All right.

WHITFIELD: Good to see you.

COTTER: My pleasure. Good seeing you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com