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Monday, February 5, 2001

By Dennis Oda, Star-Bulletin
The AFC's Kevin Mawae (68), of the New York Jets, hugs teammate
Jimmy Smith, of Jacksonville, after Smith scored a touchdown.

Pro Bowlers
throw a party

All-star game is not about
fun or competition, but
about fun competition

---

By Dave Reardon
Star-Bulletin

If you still don't know whether to consider the Pro Bowl a competition or an exhibition, just listen to Warren Sapp.

"I had a blast. This is the best Pro Bowl I've been in, and I've been in a few," said the Tampa Bay defensive tackle, who played in his fourth NFL all-star game yesterday at Aloha Stadium.

Hard to tell Sapp was on the wrong end of a 38-17 score, as the AFC dominated the first quarter and rolled on to a snoozy victory.

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Sapp -- normally one of the NFL's most competitive athletes who does not take losing well -- had a big grin splitting his face after the game.

His son, Warren II, came with him to Hawaii for the first time, as part of "four generations of my family" attending the game, Sapp said.

That wasn't all that made the event special for Sapp; he finally registered his first Pro Bowl sack yesterday.

"Hey, you've got to mark the territory," Sapp said. "Every stadium I've been to I get one, now I can mark this one off the list."

That kind of reaction after a loss in any other game, and Sapp is labeled a self-centered non-team player. But the Charles Barkley of the NFL is a master of proper perspective, and he realizes the Pro Bowl is about fun for everyone -- especially the players.

Still, Sapp's depositing of Peyton Manning five yards behind the line of scrimmage (right after one for an eight-yard loss by Marco Coleman) helped give the NFC some much-needed momentum midway through the second quarter.

By Dennis Oda, Star-Bulletin
The NFC's Terrell Owens (with the ball), of San Francisco,
scores a touchdown, with the AFC's Sam Madison (29)
and the NFC's Chad Lewis (89) looking on.

The NFC was down 17-3, but Sapp's third-down sack forced the AFC to punt from its own 13.

The opportunity went to waste, though, as Jeff Garcia and company, starting at the NFC 46, couldn't capitalize.

Garcia was eventually intercepted by Mo Lewis at the AFC 44. Manning found Jimmy Smith for a two-yard score 11 plays later, and the AFC built its lead to 24-7.

NFC coach Dennis Green said playing catch-up was difficult because of AFC cornerbacks Sam Madison, Semeri Rolle and Charles Woodson.

"Their corners are good cover guys," Green said. "A lot of people thought it was pass interference on the close plays, but they were able to get to the play and break up some balls."

Quarterback Daunte Culpepper, of the Minnesota Vikings, has the longball arm that could've gotten the NFC back into the game. But it was obvious that he missed his favorite regular-season target, Randy Moss.

Culpepper was 9-of-21 for 81 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

"Randy's a tremendous player," Green said. "Daunte's relied on him a lot as a big-play-threat-down-the-field-type guy."

Moss turned in a record-breaking nine-catch, 212-yard receiving performance last year in the NFC's 51-31 victory, but opted out this year due to injury.

"I missed him the whole week, not just on the field," Culpepper said. "He's my good friend, my boy."