Super Bowl

Laird Hayes, the men's soccer coach at Orange Coast College and NFL side judge, has been selected to work Super Bowl XXXVIII Feb. 1 in Houston. Hayes, in his ninth season as an NFL official, will work his second Super Bowl when the Carolina Panthers battle the New England Patriots. The Newport Beach resident was selected for the Super Bowl two years ago in New Orleans when the Patriots defeated the St. Louis Rams. Super Bowl officials are chosen on merit, not seniority.

It is a little known and generally useless factoid that in the world of publishing, baseball books and books about golf far surpass the number of books published about any other sport. Even so, next Sunday is one of the biggest days in American sports -- THE SUPER BOWL. So just to get you fired up and set to scream your lungs out for the Patriots or the Eagles, let us suggest some really good books about football. Award-winning sportswriter Michael Freeman's book "Bloody Sundays: Inside the Dazzling, Rough-and-Tumble World of the NFL," is structured much like George Will's classic baseball book, "Men at Work: The Craft of Baseball."

T3 Motion, a Costa Mesa manufacturer of electric vehicles, scored a cameo appearance on national television Sunday, when four of its vehicles were featured in a 60-second Audi ad that aired during the Super Bowl broadcast. The company’s stand-up vehicles appeared in Audi’s “Green Police” spot promoting the A3 TDI, Audi’s new diesel-powered station wagon. “Officers” with the “Green Police” were depicted cracking down on people who displayed unfriendly attitudes toward the environment, such as shopping with plastic bags or using incandescent light bulbs.

GREER WYLDER Whether a true-blue Patriots fan, one of the high-flying Eagles faithful or just a casual spectator, Super Bowl Sunday means a party for everyone. Fans will graze on chips, pretzels and tortilla chips, as well as appetizers like nachos, wings and shrimp cocktails. Americans eat more snack foods on Super Bowl Sunday than any other day -- and nearly as much food as on Thanksgiving. Most Americans will watch the kickoff from a comfy sofa or chair at home.

The Newport-Mesa Jr. All-American Football Jr. Midget Seahawks defeated the Rowland Heights Raiders, 14-6, to win the AFL championship Saturday. The Raiders made their way to the Seahawks' 30-yard line only to be denied on fourth and inches by the front line of Delano McKenzie, Matt Lutton, Lou Truxton, Tony Jones and Matt Burgner. Following a tough defensive series by the Raiders, McKenzie recovered a fumble to give the Seahawks the ball early in the second quarter.

While Eli Manning and Tom Brady battled for Super Bowl supremacy and a win for their respective teams, at a Newport Beach lounge the beginning of the game already marked a victory. Tentation Ultra Lounge hosted a Super Bowl party Sunday that benefited Orangewood PALS, an affiliate of Orangewood Children’s Foundation, with part of the proceeds of the event going to the organization. “It really is a big event,” said Marty Dutch of Orangewood PALS. “(Alan Freeman)

MISSION VIEJO — The Seattle Seahawks in the National Football League may not have a chance for the Super Bowl this year, but that was not the case for the 2009 Newport-Mesa Pee Wee Seahawks. With a perfect 12-0 record heading into Saturday’s Orange County Junior All American Football conference Super Bowl held at Mission Viejo High, the Seahawks made it back to the Super Bowl for the first time in the last four years, However, despite starting off with a 46-yard run by Hugh Crance, the Seahawks were held scoreless and lost to the Mission Viejo Cowboys, 14-0, and will have to wait another year for the title.

If one judges a man by his friends, Gil Wayne was one of the wealthiest men to walk the Earth.  He was defined by his relationships with his much-loved extended family. Born in Los Angeles on Aug. 1, 1926, and a long-time resident of Orange County, Gil passed away peacefully at home June 21, 2010, surrounded by family and friends. Gil graduated from UCLA in 1950, a proud member of Tau Epsilon Phi. He worked with his father as they created the greatest street sweeper company of its day, Wayne Manufacturing, Pomona.

Super Bowl Sunday will sure to be extra special for Ray Rando, a Newport Beach resident who grew up in New Orleans. There’s no doubt he loves the Saints. He’s been a die-hard fan ever since he was a child. When he was 8, he met Archie Manning, one of the all-time greatest Saints, during a training camp practice and went home with an autographed football. Rando later became a friend of Manning’s son, Cooper, and he watched Peyton grow up when they all would sometimes work out together at the Archie Manning Gold’s Gym. So Rando’s been rooting for the Saints back when they were the “Aints,” and a paper bag to cover the face was the proper attire for home games.

Greg Beckler simply smiled when his daughter, Raelyn, asked what colors the Baltimore Ravens wear. The 3-year-old didn't know much about the Ravens. But Beckler said Raelyn was excited when the Ravens held on for an emotional victory against the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII on Sunday. It wasn't just emotional for the Ravens. It was also meaningful for Raelyn and her family. That's because friends of the family held a special party, naming it, "Ravens for Raelyn," Sunday at Mike Mackellar's Shady Canyon home in Irvine.

The Harbaugh brothers and Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis are popular stories leading up to Super Bowl XLVII. The stories are hardly important to Greg and Rebecca Beckler of Orange County. Their attention is on Raelyn Beckler, their toddler daughter who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia a year ago. However, the Big Game remains relevant in their lives. That's because friends and family are ready to support Raelyn with a Super Bowl party on Sunday. Mike Mackellar, one of the Beckler's friends, has offered his Shady Canyon home in Irvine as the site of party central for the NFL championship game that features the San Francisco 49ers against the Baltimore Ravens.

CureDuchenne, a Newport Beach-based nonprofit that funds research into a form of muscular dystrophy, is auctioning off two tickets to Super Bowl XLVII, courtesy of Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews. The package, which is valued at $5,000, includes Matthews' two terrace-level tickets to the game Feb. 3, plus four nights at the Best Western French Quarter Landmark Hotel, according to the nonprofit's website. Duchenne muscular dystrophy affects one in 3,500 boys and is the most common form of muscular dystrophy, the website says.

Super Bowl week is a convention of Americana. It has transcended the narrow genre of football to become a gathering place for corporate, media, entertainment and political figures who will descend on Indianapolis this week. The general rule is that if you have suspicions that a celebrity is in front of you then it is definitely that person. Major corporations rent out hotels for their executives and other employees. Massive amounts of commerce takes place. And then there are the parties.

Newport Beach resident earns assignment as side judge for Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis. Newport Beach resident Laird Hayes learned Monday that he would be on the officiating crew for Super Bowl XLVI on Feb. 5 in Indianapolis, Ind. Hayes, a former Orange Coast College men's soccer coach in his 16th season as an NFL official, will be the side judge on the seven-man crew. It's the third Super Bowl assignment for Hayes, 61, who also worked Super Bowl XXXVIII in 2004 and Super Bowl XXXVI in 2002.

Harry Pemberton didn't need to pay for two tickets to Super Bowl XLV. It's fair to say he talked his way into the big game. Pemberton, a longtime Orange County resident who has lived in Newport Beach the past 11 years, won the tickets by becoming the champion of the "Smack Talk Your Way to the Super Bowl" contest at http://www.fanschoice.com . Pemberton left for Dallas on Friday to watch Sunday's matchup of the Pittsburgh Steelers against the Green Bay Packers. After the game there will be an MVP, but before the game, Pemberton, 47, became the Most Valuable Smack Talker.

Leigh Steinberg has plenty of reason to celebrate during his upcoming Super Bowl Party in Dallas. It's Super Bowl XLV, but for the Newport Beach resident whose fame came as a sports agent, it's Steinberg Party XXV. Because his party is in its 25th year, Steinberg is doing his best to make it memorable. His parties have been known for their extravagance and attention to charities. He wants to turn it up a notch. Amid all the fun, which he often refers to as, "a three-ring circus," Steinberg will honor his friend, Gabrielle Giffords, the U.S. Rep. who is recovering from a gunshot wound to the head suffered during a shooting at a grocery store in Tucson, Ariz.

If one judges a man by his friends, Gil Wayne was one of the wealthiest men to walk the Earth.  He was defined by his relationships with his much-loved extended family. Born in Los Angeles on Aug. 1, 1926, and a long-time resident of Orange County, Gil passed away peacefully at home June 21, 2010, surrounded by family and friends. Gil graduated from UCLA in 1950, a proud member of Tau Epsilon Phi. He worked with his father as they created the greatest street sweeper company of its day, Wayne Manufacturing, Pomona.

Some might say that the New Orleans Saints football team has long been the sporting soul of a city that has suffered so much. On Sunday, less than five years after Hurricane Katrina battered New Orleans — and considering that the Saints nearly moved out of town permanently not long after Katrina — the franchise won its first Super Bowl. Many people in New Orleans, which is still recovering from Katrina, compared the team’s championship game victory to a miracle and a sign of the city’s resurrection.

Some might say that the New Orleans Saints football team has long been the sporting soul of a city that has suffered so much. On Sunday, less than five years after Hurricane Katrina battered New Orleans ? and considering that the Saints nearly moved out of town permanently not long after Katrina ? the franchise won its first Super Bowl. Many people in New Orleans, which is still recovering from Katrina, compared the team?s championship game victory to a miracle and a sign of the city?