ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Packers cornerback Charles Woodson still thinks about that snowy night in New England when he was with the Oakland Raiders.
With the Raiders ahead late in an AFC divisional playoff game nine years ago, it appeared that Tom Brady lost a fumble when he was hit by Woodson. But the Patriots kept the ball after a replay review, then won that game and the 2002 Super Bowl.
"I think we had that game stolen from us. There's no guarantee that we would have gone on to win that Super Bowl," Woodson said Tuesday. "I think about it from time to time. It's just an opportunity lost."
Woodson and the Raiders got to the next Super Bowl, but lost to Tampa Bay. Now he finally gets another championship chance, when Green Bay plays Pittsburgh on Sunday at Cowboys Stadium.
That overturned apparent fumble in January 2002 made football fans all too aware of the "Tuck Rule." Most knew little or nothing about it before Woodson knocked the ball out of Brady's hands.
"He had the ball in his hands, it's a fumble. That should be a clear-cut case," Woodson said during Super Bowl media day. "I would like to see the rule changed."
That was the first of three Super Bowl titles in four seasons for the Patriots, though Brady doesn't give Woodson, his college teammate at Michigan, a hard time about that playoff classic.
"Tom is the most humble guy you would ever meet. He'd never hold that over my head," Woodson said. "The one thing I know is that he wishes me well and wishes me a Super Bowl championship."
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OOHS AND AAHS: Like so many others new to Cowboys Stadium, players from Green Bay and Pittsburgh seemed in awe inside the Super Bowl stadium. Neither team has played there before.
"It's sweet," Steelers safety Ryan Clark said. "I don't know what to say about it. ... I'm not very often speechless, I talk a lot."
A crowd of more than 100,000 is expected for Sunday's game. The nearly $1.3 billion stadium was built and financed mostly by Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. It opened before the 2009 season.
Packers fullback John Kuhn described Cowboys Stadium as "impressive" and said it is clear why "they call it one of the wonders of the world."
About 15,000 temporary seats have been added for the Super Bowl. Hanging over the field as usual are the twin HD television screens, each about 72 feet high and stretching between the 20-yard lines.
"It's unreal. ... It's worth every penny," Steelers receiver Mike Wallace said. "I can't even imagine it on Sunday. I know it's going to be crazy. It just feels different. It feels like the Super Bowl. It just feels like you're supposed to have a good game in here."
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DIFFERENT PROFITS: So just how much money is Cowboys owner Jerry Jones making as host of the Super Bowl?
"In the NFL, they say part of it is that the owner makes no money. That's it. That's it. That's part of it," Jones said Tuesday. "When you bid for it, it's not a profit thing for the team. The stadium is considered, in the NFL vernacular, part of the team. It's one and the same, all in one."
The obvious question then becomes why Jones would even want the Super Bowl in Cowboys Stadium under those circumstances. Because there are profits to be made in other ways.
"The visibility of the stadium and the recognition of the stadium and the awareness of your stadium lifts all boats. It makes it more special," Jones said. "You've enhanced the value for everybody. This Super Bowl will enhance the value for every suite owner, every seat owner. So it's a big positive, and it will make it more attractive for events in the future."
Including more Super Bowls.
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NO BIG DEAL: There will be plenty of news conferences, press releases and parties nationwide Wednesday, the first day top high school football players can sign national letters of intent with colleges.
There was no such production when Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Farrior came out of high school and signed with Virginia, even though he was a top recruit signing with his home state university.
"That was almost 20 years ago," said Farrior, the 14th-year pro. "I was just at the high school and just signed the paper in the principal's office. So things have changed a lot over the years and they're making them pretty much a big deal now."
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THE OTHER BEARD: Ben Roethlisberger was shooting video of Cowboys Stadium while getting into position for Super Bowl media day. Just before going to his assigned podium, the Steelers quarterback turned the camera toward bushy-faced defender Brett Keisel sitting nearby.
"The beard," Keisel said, referring to the quarterback's facial hair. "Looking good."
Roethlisberger is sporting a full beard, but still has nothing on the Grizzly Adams-like growth Keisel has.
"I have to blame my teammates, really. When I started this thing, I said that as long as we are winning games I will let it grow," Keisel said. "So it is really their fault. The beard has taken on a whole new life."
