Super Bowl Lowdown: Mike Tirico on job switch, impressive Seahawks stars speak out, party time in San Fran

talkSPORT are all over the Bay Area for Super Bowl 60 as the countdown continues to kickoff in Santa Clara on Sunday.

Our team were out and about on a busy Tuesday in California with press conferences, star names, an NBA game to take in – and the legendary Super Bowl Media Parties.

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There’s been plenty going on once again as our US Sports Senior Reporter Brian T. Smith got up close and personal with the NBC crew calling Sunday’s big game.

Meanwhile, US Sports Editor Paul Prenderville took in the Golden State Warriors against the Philadelphia 76ers and star commentator Will Gavin began to ask the big questions on Radio Row.

Before we knew it, it was back onto the media buses for the admittedly very picturesque but also very long 50 mile drive along Route 101 to San Jose.

Here’s how Day 2 of Super Bowl week looked…

Media under the microscope

Cris Collinsworth soaked in the spotlight five days away from the Super Bowl, writes Brian T. Smith from the NBC Sports media event in San Francisco.

But Mike Tirico was already doing the heavy lifting, balancing play-by-play duties for the Patriots vs Seahawks on NBC with the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics.

“The fact that it’s on the same channel makes it real easy – you don’t have to move,” Tirico said on Tuesday.

“You get to tell the stories of each and the other, which we’ve been doing for the last five or six months. I think it’s great, I think it’s great for me.”

Tirico said the biggest separating factor between the Super Bowl and Olympics comes down to preparation.

Since the New England vs Seattle matchup was only decided about a week ago, he’s given himself a two-week period to prep for Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium.

“The Olympics are a completely different entity and have required years of advance work,” he says.

“We have two amazing research and production teams in each place – the Olympics and the Sunday Night Football group for the Super Bowl.

“We’re lucky enough to lean on their broad, strong shoulders to do these sports and bring America, really, if you think about it, 17 days and nights back-to-back-back – you’ve got Peacock and NBC, you don’t have to turn the channel – of the best of the best.”

Tony Dungy, Jason Garrett and Devin McCourty also attended the event, which featured an extended red carpet interview period.

Tirico took time to share an emotional message about NBC colleague Savannah Guthrie, who pulled out of the network’s Winter Olympics and Opening Ceremonies coverage during an ongoing search for her missing mother.

“My heart’s breaking, our hearts are breaking,” Tirico told talkSPORT.

“It’s been a pit in the stomach 36 hours since we found out. I just can’t believe the situation.”

Growing Seahawks momentum

It’s hard not to shake the feeling that this is a Seattle team that just has ‘something’, writes US Sports Editor Paul Prenderville.

It was evident on opening night, where there was an easy confidence to players just as happy answering questions on SpongeBob SquarePants as they were on the identity coursing through this squad.

“They respect us, we respect them – and they work hard,” defensive tackle Jarren Reed told us about the balance between rookies and veterans that has been a theme through the Seahawks.

And it was there again at the first team specific media availability on Tuesday – so what’s the feeling, do these Seahawks have ‘it’.

“In the building, we’ve had a confident belief in who we are and how we operate,” the hugely impressive safety Julian Love told us on Tuesday.

“To the outside world maybe it looks like it has grown but we keep it house, call it ignorance, confidence, but from the jump we’ve believed in what we have.”

Love has spoken for two straight hours on Monday and Tuesday, and to be honest looked like he could have spoke for two more – he had time for everything from financial flexes to his Puerto Rican heritage.

Just one of several very impressive Seahawks.

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So long, farwell

The trip to Chase Center was supposed to be a chance to see Steph Curry in action – instead, we might just have been in attendance for the last farewell of another splash brother.

Draymond Green is being heavily linked with a move away from the Warriors with the hours ticking away to the trade deadline.

A short – and scenic – walk from the Media Center was the Warriors’ home venue, so we headed down, heard from Steve Kerr on the rumors, and watched a 76ers team prove too strong for the Warriors.

And perhaps most significantly heard the crowd give Green a huge reception when he was announced in the starting five.

With the Warriors reportedly in the mix for Giannis Antetokounmpo, it might cost them one of their heroes, the Bay Area did not feel ready.

Party Time

Day Two came to a close, fittingly, on another bus – this time for the 40 minute drive out to EA Studios in Redwood Shores, the home of the Electronic Arts video games house.

And, for one night only, the chosen venue for the Bay Area Host Committee’s Media Party.

Now, I’m told these things can be at some spectacular venues – Disneyland in LA a few years ago – although this writer’s only previous experience was at Mardi Gras World in New Orleans last year.

That featured a marching band playing Spice Girls songs, a spectacular array of food and Will Gavin presented with a crocodile for a picture opportunity.

Things were not quite as exotic on Tuesday night, but a fantastic evening was head by all – good food, a few drinks, some mingling with a press corps ranging from London to Sydney and almost everywhere in between.

Pleased to report Team talkSPORT was on it’s best behaviour, but the less said about our Madden-playing abilities the better.

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