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Thigpen a no-go; Wilkins kicks well
ESPN.com staff
Editor's note: ESPN.com staff members on site at the Georgia Dome made these following reports in the last couple of hours leading up to the clash of Rams and Titans.
5:57 p.m. ET
Just a few of the celebs who were spotted on the field during pregame activities:
Gene Hackman, Anthony Hopkins, Sean Connery, John Cougar Mellencamp, Dennis Miller, Dennis Franz, Jenna Elfman, Brandi Chastain, the Black Crowes and Kim Delaney.
5:51 p.m. ET
The "Who's going to win?" poll on the front page of ESPN.com just went over 200,000 votes. It was up at various times throughout the week. The winner: The Titans were picked by 55.7 percent of the voters, leaving the Rams at 44.3 percent.
5:47 p.m. ET
Tina Turner is opening the pregame show. She and her group are dressed in tight, black outfits. The photo bulbs are popping like crazy in the stands.
5:46 p.m. ET
From the nosebleed sections looking down toward the field, all you can see is a sea of jersey backs in the stands. And showing how there are no real superstars on these teams, there are a lot of different names mixed in on these jerseys -- Warner, Bruce, Pace, Bishop, McNair and Faulk seem to be the most favorite.
The pregame seat cushion gift packet this year reflects the electronic age. Inside are two CD rom disks, a digital trading card and a Tina Turner musical video card.
5:39: p.m. ET
Both teams just left the field because the pregame show equipment needed to be set up. It was make-way-for-Tina-Turner time.
The Titans came together in a big huddle at their 30-yard line, bouncing up and down en masse. A large roar went up from the crowd.
The Rams, meanwhile, more or less rambled off because equipment was being pulled out, getting into their way.
5:29 p.m. ET
The inactive players have been announced. St. Louis' inactives named today were QB Joe Germaine (third QB), S Ron Carpenter, G Cameron Spikes and WR Chris Thomas.
The Tennessee inactives named today are QB Kevin Daft (third QB), RB Spencer George, DE Mike Frederick and WR Yancey Thigpen (see notes below).
5:19 p.m. ET
More and more players, now dressed in full uniform, have come onto the field to warm up. The most interesting thing is that both teams' kickers started warming up at the same end of the field, kicking field goals at the same set of posts. The Titans' Al Del Greco even nailed a 53-yarder on just his second try.
|  | | | Titans wide receiver Yancey Thigpen warms up under the
eye of strength coach Steve Watterson. It was determined that Thigpen's injured foot wouldn't allow him to play. |
As for Jeff Wilkins, the Rams' kicker who has had a terrible postseason because of patellor tendinitis in his plant (left) leg, he hit 12 of hist 13 attempts, missing only on a 48-yarder in which he hit one of the uprights. He hit a 53-yarder as well. One thing to watch, however -- his kickoffs didn't travel too deep.
5:09 p.m. ET
Did you think about driving your RV to the Super Bowl this year? Had you, it would have cost you $100 to park it ... and you still would have had quite a walk to the stadium. Didn't stop it from being jam-packed, however.
5:03 p.m. ET
Forget the Australian Open. Boris Becker is here today. And he's pumped about the Super Bowl.
"This is a different league," Becker said of the Super Bowl in comparison to pro tennis. "The dome is exceptional. This is in front of
75,000 people and 800 million households. It is an enormous sporting day.
The (tennis) court would seem rather small (here)."
And who is Boris pulling for? The Titans.
4:55 p.m. ET
Yancey Thigpen did not have a successful pregame workout. It was just announced that he will not play today because of the hairline fracture he suffered in his right foot injury he suffered last week.
It wasn't even close, according to Titans medical personnel. If this were the regular season, Thigpen would be out for at least a month.
Thigpen had hoped a special splint in his right shoe would allow him to play. But after testing the shoe, he talked with
head coach Jeff Fisher and trainer Steve Watterson and then left the field.
Isaac Byrd will start in Thigpen's place.
4:50 p.m. ET
Eddie George is clearly the Titans' fan favorite. He heard rousing applause
the moment he walked onto the field ---along with chants of "Eddie,
Eddie."
Things aren't perfect in the dome. A crew of five people is working on a tear in the turf on the right side of
the end zone that has the Titans' name and colors in it.
4:43 p.m. ET
One of the Titans trying to get loose right now is Yancey Thigpen. The veteran wide receiver suffered a foot injury last week in the AFC Championship Game and sat out practices all week hoping he could go today.
The Titans coaching staff is keeping a close eye on how he does in this pregame test. If he can't go at close to 100 percent, they won't have him suit up.
4:30 p.m. ET
There are now about 15 Titans and 12 Rams on the field, loosening up at a leisurly pace. Rams QB Kurt Warner is tossing balls softly.
Photographers are staking out their spots around the field. Spots behind the end zones are the premiums.
Although the Georgia Dome stands are only about 20 percent full at this moment, the folks who are in are being entertained by Titans and Rams season highlights on the giant video screen. A certain replay -- does Music City Miracle jog your memory -- brought a particularly hearty roar from Tennessee fans.
4:20 p.m. ET
Both teams have arrived, and a number of players are on the field, stretching and getting loose. Nobody has pads on yet.
4:10 p.m. ET
The guy whose back of the head you'll be looking at when awaiting replay reviews is referee Bob McElwee. He'll be the one peering into the special sideline camera and then coming back onto the field to announce the decision.
McElwee is working his third Super Bowl after already partaking in XXII and XXVIII in his 24-year NFL career.
Five of the seven men who make up today's officiating crew have worked in previous Super Bowls. The other officials are umpire Ron Botchan, head linesman Earnie Frantz, line judge Byron Boston (father of Cardinals receiver David Boston), field judge Al Jury, side judge Tom Flincken and back judge Bill Leavy. Botchan and Jury have worked four previous Super Bowls apiece, Finchen and Frantz two each.
By the way, listen closely to Phil Collins during the halftime show. The popular singer had to cancel a performance at an exclusive ABC party Saturday night because of a viral infection. Tonight we find out how well he plays hurt. And today is Collins' 49th birthday, no less.
Another painful note: Fox Sports broadcaster Terry Bradshaw didn't dance at Super Bowl parties the last couple of nights. On Friday, when presenting former Steelers teammate Mel Blount a trophy at an NFL awards banquet, Blount dropped the crystal award and broke one of Bradshaw's toes.
4:06 p.m. ET
Occupying a solitary spot in Olympic Park, site of the infamous bombing in 1996 and the preferred walking route from downtown to the stadium, is a table sporting a "Coalition for the Abolition of Marijuana Prohibition." The gentlemen were soliciting signatures for their petition.
So it's 37 degrees (according to the digital readout in front of CNN Center) and for someone to stop on their way to the Super Bowl to sign a petition in these conditions, they'd have to be, like, high or something ... oh ... never mind.
Folks were asking for samples, however.
|  | | | Tennessee Titans fans (clockwise from left) Brent Ware, Al Ware, Scot Ware and C.J. Ware show off their "flamehead" outfits outside the Georgia Dome today. |
4:04 p.m. ET
Street hustlers have been working Atlanta hard, and the selling of counterfeit tickets is a scam police are keeping a particular eye on. Two arrests had been made by late Saturday, according to a report in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The newspaper quoted Titans fans William and Melissa Littman, who drove from Tennessee and purchased two seats in the lower level (face value $400 each) for $750 apiece. Once he forked over the cash and the ticket-seller had vanished, William Littman noticed that the special hologram printed on the back of the ticket was not shiny.
"We were just real stupid," Littman said.
Belief on the street was that a lot of tickets would go unused, with thousands of would-be attendees deciding not to fight the poor weather and flight hassles trying to reach Atlanta this week. News reports this morning quoted airlines officials saying that fans trying to fly in today, including those who had flights canceled Friday and Saturday, would make it in time for kickoff. Some early-morning flights were delayed because of the freezing-rain conditions at the Atlanta airport, but forecasts of the temperature rising above freezing by late morning proved correct.
Three hours before the game, there were a lot of folks holding "Need tickets" signs, but the scalpers were harder to find -- most likely because it's illegal in Georgia to sell a ticket for more than $3 above face value. A couple of the "Need tickets" sign-holders said they'd been offered tickets in the $600-$700 range. They were waiting until closer to kickoff to try for a better price.
4 p.m. ET
Welcome everyone. The week of hype is over. Now comes the real thing, and fans making their way to the Georgia Dome today are definitely ready ... ready to get inside and get warm, that is.
Temperatures this afternoon are in the mid-30s. Not the best for tail-gating, but folks are still getting it done. They aren't hesitating long getting inside the stadium, but there are still some interesting functions going on outside the dome catching some attention.
A couple of bands are playing in different spots, jugglers and other street performers are showing off, and, of course, vendors are selling every sort of souvenir produced. It's these vendors who are being hurt the most by the week-long cold weather. No one wants to stop and peruse the merchandise because of the cold. Sellers lucky enough to be inside hotel lobbies are having a little more luck.
Here's a little news: After seeing his practice time with the first unit increase this week, Keith Lyle was informed Saturday night by the Rams coaching staff that he will start at free safety in place of Devon Bush.
Lyle had been the starter until injuring a shoulder against Carolina on Nov. 14. Bush started the final seven regular-season games and the two playoff contests, but with Lyle back to close to 100 percent the Rams decided to start the man headed to the Pro Bowl despite missing so much time this season.
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