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The Stars Align Across Tampa For Super Bowl XLIII Festivities

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By WALT BELCHER wbelcher

@tampatrib.com

Published: January 30, 2009

As Super Bowl fever continues to build, Conan O'Brien is scheduled to arrive today and a bevy of NBC stars is ready to party in Orlando on Saturday before coming to the game on Sunday.

O'Brien, who will take over "The Tonight Show" in June, is on a 40-city tour to drum up media support for this major shift in the late night world.

He drops by the University of Tampa briefly before taping a segment for WFLA, Channel 8's "Daytime" talk show. He's also scheduled to hang out at News Channel 8 and do some interviews. No public appearances are planned.

Meanwhile, over at a hotel at NBC-owned Universal Studios Theme Park, a red carpet party is set for Saturday. Among the stars are Jay Leno, who is moving to 10 p.m. weeknights in the fall, and Jimmy Fallon, who takes over Conan's late, late show.

Also on the roster are Hayden Panettiere (of "Heroes") Kyle Chandler (of "Friday Night Lights"), Patricia Arquette and Jake Webber of "Medium," Rainn Wilson of "The Office," Jeffrey Donovan of "Burn Notice" and James Roday and Dule Hill of "Psych" to name a few.

Some will be at the Super Bowl where a posh party is planned during the pregame show with interviews by "Today" weatherman Al Roker.

TODAY SCORES: Roker drew more than 200 cheering fans to Ybor City on Thursday, including Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio, who gave him a painted City of Tampa commemorative plate. She said the city couldn't buy the kind of publicity that is coming from this kind of Super Bowl coverage.

"It's all been wonderful and Tampa looked good on national television," she said, adding that her son, a student at the University of South Florida, was impressed when she appeared Wednesday on Fox Sports' "Best Damn Sports Show Period" which continues to broadcast today from Ybor.

Roker also sampled food from the Columbia restaurant; root beer from the Tampa Bay Brewing Co.; and hand-rolled cigars from Stogie Castillo's Cigar Lounge.

CHRIS BERMAN: ESPN turns 30 this year and Chris Berman has been there since the beginning. The dean of TV sports reporters is getting ready for his four-hour Super Bowl Sunday edition of "Countdown" (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) and on Thursday night he received the Pat Summerall Award at the annual Legends for Charity dinner here.

"I love Tampa because it personally feels like home to me," he said after Wednesday night's telecast from Channelside where ESPN has set up a mammoth stage for its nonstop coverage.

Berman, who owns a home in Naples, recalls he was a one-man band at the 1984 Super Bowl in Tampa.

Now ESPN has more 400 staffers involved in the coverage of Super Bowl XVIII.

PARTY TIME: Three Super Bowl parties that I would go to tonight just to see the celebs, if I were filthy rich:

The Hula Bay Club hosts the kickoff to the Super Skins Celebrity Golf Classic tonight. The celebrity guest list includes Nick Lachey, Jimmy Johnson, Dave Navarro, Jerry Rice, Jason Sehorn, Vanessa Minnillo, Joey Fatone, and Drew Lachey ($150 at www.hulabayclub.com or call (813) 837-4852).

The Leather and Laces Party with Jenny McCarthy, Carmen Electra and Kim Kardashian is all night tonight at Jackson's Bistro on Harbor Island ($275-$650 at www.leatherandlaces.com or call (214) 244-500).

The Friday Night Blitz, hosted by Holly Madison and Kendra Wilkinson of E!'s "The Girls Next Door" at Aja in Channelside ($300 at 813 373-2633 or www.ajachannelside.com).

TUNE IN TONIGHT

"Monk," 9 p.m., USA

Monk's dream of going to the Super Bowl is sidetracked when someone tries to blow up a fan.

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