Super Bowl Stuff

Kicking off a roundup of Super Bowl preview pages, we check in with the Web sites of record for the big game, and some notes on them:

AZCENTRAL.COM (The Arizona Republic)

URL: http://www.azcentral.com/sports/superbowl/

Prominent links: Scores, stats standings, matchups, odds; News

Features: Countdown to the Super Bowl; User comments; Invitation to share photos; Blogs; Sports and entertainment headlines; Behind-the-scenes videos from parties; Celebrity sightings; slide shows and videos

For visitors: Links to Arizona, Phoenix, Scottsdale and West Valley visitors guides
__________________

EASTVALLEYTRIBUNE.COM (East Valley Tribune)

URL: http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/section/sports/superbowl

Prominent links: Patriots and Giants rosters and schedules; Super Bowl weekend guide

Features: Countdown to the Super Bowl at the top; highly visible “instant chat” to talk about all things Super Bowl; Super Bowl news; slide shows and videos; Super Bowl history; All-time Super Bowl team

For visitors: “Five things to do around the Valley” and a map

Treat: 101 things to do other than watch the Super Bowl

Sportsdesigner mischief: Playing along with the instant chat (below)

__________________

Follow the jump for a plethora of pages and a little insight from far and wide.

A sampling of preview pages from the Arizona Republic:

In addition to the Super Bowl, the Azzir (that's "AZR" pronounced, if you're paying attention) is covering the FBR Open in Scottsdale this week, a PGA event that annually draws some of the largest crowds in all of golf. Desiree Shoe is designing the coverage of that event all on her own:

A few of the instant pages, which you just might see if you watch closely on Sunday:

Thanks to Luke Knox for sharing the pages, and for a little insight into what the Republic is doing this week:

These daily Super Bowl sections are being designed by me, Joey Kirk and Ayrel Clark, with direction from Bill Pliske.  We're using Whitney as our san-serif, and the goal is to give things a magazine-like feel.  Like a lot of papers out there, we're feeling the pinch in terms of space inside, so some of our grand plans did not materialize.  Still, we're doing what we can to give these inside pages some pop, and mixing sports and entertainment content.  Our space has ranged from 8 to 16 pages thus far on these daily sections.

The stunt edition paper was interesting this year, we actually had to do four different covers (two of them with Verizon ads across the top that could be handed out outside the stadium, while the ad-free cover is planned to appear inside).

And yes, there's that ever-present Verizon ad above the flag ... their ad campaign brought in a generous sum of cash, so we accomodated them as best we could by tailoring the flag to play off their red somewhat.

Thanks, Luke. A few PDFs are below:

Download freeexposure.pdf
Download musicmvps.pdf
Download QBscover.pdf
_________________

ELSEWHERE ...

A preview front from the Columbus Dispatch (Patrick Kastner and Scott Minister) and an excellent Rob Schneider nod from Harrison Goodman and the Washington Times, tracking the Patriots' roster since their first Super Bowl win.

A doubletruck from Brian Hunsicker at the Potomac News.

Preview pages from the Andover (Mass.) Eagle Tribune and the Battlesboro Reformer.