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BACKSTREET BOYS VS. 'N SYNC
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Time: Pregame and halftime TV: CBS
Line: Boys by 3
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Backstreet Boys have the experience, but 'N Sync is younger and quicker. This game could come down to choreography.
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TAMPA, Fla. -- Face it, there's only one battle that matters Sunday. The Boy Band Super Bowl of the Century: Backstreet Boys vs. 'N Sync. A football game will be played in between and after their performances at Raymond James Stadium.
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What they're saying
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"Not a fan of either of them, but my wife has a friend that
absolutely loves 'N Sync. That's all she talks about. She doesn't even watch
football that much. Once we knew we were going to the Super Bowl, she called
us and was like, 'N Sync's gonna be there, 'N Sync's gonna be there. I can't
believe it.' And I was like, 'What about the game?' No, 'N Sync's gonna be
there at halftime, that's all she cares about. So I'm pulling for them, I guess. We have some guys who listen to that stuff, but I'll tell
you what, they wouldn't admit it. And I can't tell you who."
-- Ravens LB Peter Boulware
"That's really difficult because I have no inside knowledge of what they're doing to get prepared for the battle. But one thing I can tell you, you have to know your steps. Just like in football, you gotta know your steps when you're going downhill and you're getting ready to shake the linebacker. You gotta know your steps when you're on the stage and you're getting ready to approach the mike."
-- Ravens RB Priest Holmes
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Vying for the Britney Spears Trophy, the Backstreet Boys drew the tough national anthem assignment and 'N Sync will perform at halftime.
"It's huge. A huge matchup. I'm going to have to go with Backstreet because they start it off," Baltimore Ravens linebacker Cornell Brown told Page 2.
Although the emotional edge of the "Star Spangled Banner" will help BSB, Baltimore linebacker Brad Jackson thinks 'N Sync can recover just like they did while routing 98 Degrees in last week's Jackson Conference championship.
" 'N Sync's got the halftime show, where everybody will be drunk. 'N Sync may take over," Jackson said. "Whoever wins, everyone knows they're going to get all the chicks."
The veteran Backstreet Boys, who rebounded from a late-season loss to the Meaty Cheesy Boys to fight off surprising Limp Bizkit in the Osmond title game, skipped Thursday's news conference because of a self-imposed gag order. Members of 'N Sync were anxious to get on with the show.
"It's going to be hot; it's going to be fun," 'N Sync's Justin Timberlake said. "I hope everyone is looking forward to it like we are. ... I can't tell you how much we've learned in just three days."
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Boy Band Bowl I
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| Backstreet Boys |
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'N Sync |
Nick Carter
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Ht: 6-2 Wt: 190
DOB: Jan. 28, 1980
Position:
Young, temperamental quarterback
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Ht: 6-0 Wt: 160
DOB: Jan 31, 1981
Position:
Young, popular quarterback
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Justin Timberlake
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"Screech" Timberlake returns from a three-concert suspension after roughing up a St. Louis fan who said "JC is cuter anyway." Britney's presence will test the band's pre-concert celibacy rule. Trash-talking Carter dedicates "Get Another Boyfriend" to Spears.
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A.J. McLean
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Ht: 5-9 Wt: 147
DOB: Jan 9, 1978
Position:
Trash-talking receiver
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Ht: 5-11 Wt: 150
DOB: August 8, 1976
Position:
Cocky receiver
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JC Chasez
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Bad-boy A.J. says he's the star and Chasez's only a flashlight. Chasez had breakout performance in Orlando vs. British boy band Five, but Oxy 10 cleared that up.
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Brian Littrell
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Ht: 5-8 Wt: 145
DOB: Feb. 20, 1978
Position:
Cornerback the girls love
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Ht: 6-0 Wt: 175 lb
DOB: Jan. 28, 1977
Position:
Italian linebacker
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Joey Fatone
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Scandal. Littrell seen leaving Mons Venus after curfew. Fatone's busy fighting tabloid rumors he's the illegitimate son of Andrew Dice Clay.
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Howie Dorough
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Ht: 5-6 Wt: 138
DOB: Aug. 22, 1973
Position:
Nose tackle/Kicker
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Ht: 5-11 Wt: 155 lb
DOB: May 4, 1979
Position:
Fragile kicker
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Lance Bass
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'N Sync's Bass hasn't been motivated since he struck it big as the voice of his side project, Billy Bass. He'll have to step his game up against the likes of the volatile Dorough, who seems more focused after rumored trade to O-Town fell through.
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Kevin Richardson
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Ht: 6-1 Wt: 155
DOB: Oct 3, 1971
Position:
Tight end
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Ht: 5-9 Wt: 155
DOB: Oct. 17, 1971
Position:
Elusive running back
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Chris Kirkpatrick
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Richardson's recovery from a shaving accident will be key for the
Backstreeters. Kirkpatrick's a gamer, known for sacrificing his body to hit the high notes, could be saying "Bye, Bye, Bye" to Richardson if he gets an opening.
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| INJURY REPORT |
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BACKSTREET BOYS
DOUBTFUL: Mascot Aaron Carter (plantar fasciitis).
QUESTIONABLE: NT Howie Dorough (in-grown nose hair). PROBABLE: QB Nick Carter (pulled groin, not his own). |
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'N SYNC
QUESTIONABLE: WR JC Chasez (gout). PROBABLE: K Lance Bass (scabies); LB Joe Fatone (psoriasis).
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Backstreet Boys |
'N Sync |
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CDs |
3 |
3 |
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No. 1 hits |
10 |
9 |
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MTV Music Awards |
2 |
2 |
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First week sales of current album |
1.6 million |
2.4 million |
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Grammy nominations |
1 |
3 |
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Tiger Beat covers |
47 |
62 |
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Has seen Britney naked |
No |
Yes |
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Stalkers under age 15 |
15 |
53 |
  | with Mike Golic |
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Defensively, the Backstreet Boys will have to play some zone. Their corner, Brian Littrell, is small at 5-foot-8, 145 pounds; he's not a guy who's going to come up and jam the receiver; he's going to play back off the ball. 'N Sync QB Justin Timberlake is going to need his receivers to work them a bit. JC Chasez is 'N Sync's cocky young wide receiver, who will no doubt talk some smack. He's got to get in and out of his routes with a lot of precision if Littrell is going to back off in the zone. Timberlake will have to be pretty accurate.
It will be imperative for Timberlake to get the ball off; because while the 6-foot, 160-pounder has decent size; he was a card-carrying member of the Mickey Mouse Club, for crying out loud. His toughness could really be in question. If he gets hit hard, he could get shook up, which could be trouble for Timberlake's steady Britney Spears; she might not want to watch this game. If Timberlake takes a good shot, he'll be done for the day, and 'N Sync will be forced to go to its backup early -- which could put them out of sync in a hurry.
'N Sync won't likely get a running game going. Running back Chris Kirkpatrick doesn't have much size and while he can be elusive, he can't take the big hit (thankfully, however, he never donned mouse ears). The aforementioned Chasez is small, and combined with Timberlake's potential softness, it'll be tough to get the passing game going -- unless they use Kirkpatrick as a receiver. They can swing him out of the backfield on a little play action pass and catch the linebacker looking. If they can do that, they can dump one over the top and Kirkpatrick might be able to put the hurt on the B-Boys.
Defensively for 'N Sync, Joey Fatone is a bit of a fireplug. The 6-foot, 175-pounder can come in and fill the hole pretty well; and he can stick. Fatone might be needed more in pass coverage. At 6-foot-1, Backstreet Boys tight end Kevin Richardson has some height and will have to use it against Fatone. If he tries to take him over the middle, get past him and get in front of that safety, he could make the catch. While Fatone can do a nice job of filling the holes and hitting side to side, Richardson will give him all he can handle in the pass routes, and that could be the difference in the game.
Offensively for the Backstreets, they could do some damage in the passing game. The oft-misunderstood Backstreet QB Nick Carter celebrates his 21st birthday on Super Bowl Sunday, but he's a gritty competitor and won't be distracted by the party atmosphere until the whistle blows on 60 minutes of football. Carter is a good-sized quarterback; big enough to stay in the pocket if he needs to, yet he can get on the run on the outside if the pocket starts to break down. Carter has a small but fast receiver in A.J. McLean, who'd better be careful on his middle routes, but can use his speed -- hitches early in the game, make the defense come up -- to break open some drives. They don't have a ton of size to grind it out, so the Backstreet Boys will have to try a little trickery in the beginning of the game and take a shot over the top of 'N Sync's D.
Special teams are pretty even, and both teams have solid kickers. At a buck-thirty-eight, the only position Backstreet's Howie Dorough could have ever played is kicker. He's pretty intense in the weight room, lifting all the time, but he's still 138. And with that funky hairdo, he's got to build up the arms to scare off the hecklers. 'N Sync's Lance Bass has some good distance and a nice whip in his leg. His range could be 40-45 yards, so if 'N Sync gets close late in the game, the fate of the Boy Band Bowl could be on the end of Bass' foot.
The pressure shouldn't get to any of these guys, since they're real pros who are in front of millions of screaming fans singing all the time so I like both their chances ... although I'm not quite sure about their music yet.
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