UH's Kevin Kolb bumps Brooklyn Decker to grab icy Super Bowl spotlight

Brooklyn Decker is a fine blonde bombshell who surely makes Adam Sandler (who's apparently trying to turn into the new Woody Allen by casting younger and younger women as his love interests) happy in the new movie she's promoting. But when Brooklyn Decker is the biggest celebrity seen three days into Super Bowl week, you know XLV is struggling to live up to the hype.

Sure, bigger and bigger names will start arriving Thursday, ice willing, but Super Bowls cannot wait for newsmakers. And usually there is no need for the type of celebrity vigil that Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban seems to be on — with Cuban promising any reporter he comes across, just wait until my party with Usher arrives and A-Listers are tripping over themselves at the airport. I once sat down at a table in a casual spot on South Beach during the Monday of Super Bowl XXXIII, only to have Bono and Keyshawn Johnson — at the height of his Just Give Me the Damn Ball fame — occupy tables on either side.

That's your typical Super Bowl week.

This one is in its third day of weather worry. The Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers both practiced indoors and reporters found it hard to get out to either one with the rolling blackouts throughout Texas adding to this Super spread-out Bowl's transportation issues.

Someone needed to step in to fill the void.

Enter Kevin Kolb. The former University of Houston quarterback made the first real news of Super Bowl week when he all but demanded a trade from the Philadelphia Eagles.

"My big deal is I just want to start somewhere,” Kolb said. “I feel like I’m ready and have the confidence that I can do a good job.”

Kolb was smart enough to make his remarks from somewhere warm, calling in to The Dan Patrick Show, which is broadcasting from an icy outdoor set Super Bowl week. But his comments should put more heat on the Eagles trade demands (Philadelphia coach Andy Reid is reportedly fixated on getting a first-round pick for Kolb, which is a high price for a 26-year-old quarterback with seven career starts and 11 career touchdown passes).

Still, much like Super Bowl quarterback Aaron Rodgers a few seasons ago, the Cougar wants his chance. And he knows he's not going to get it in Philly. Not as long as Michael Vick is there, making runs at league MVP.

"I moving into my fifth year here and I think I’ve learned as much as I can possibly learn by sitting on the bench and watching and coming in in relief,” Kolb said. “I’m ready to get into that full mode of being a starter.”

Kolb was the Eagles starting quarterback at the beginning of the season, only to get knocked out by Packers linebacker Clay Matthews (another player with Houston ties), setting the stage for Vick's takeover and renaissance. In truth, Kolb's trade value probably would have been higher after the 2009 season when he wowed in relief of Donovan McNabb. Now that Kolb struggled as a starter, posting a 76.1 quarterback rating in his eight 2010 games, there are more doubts that he'll ever be a star in the pros.

This is a league that desperately needs quarterbacks though. A number of franchises would love to have Kolb. Or Reid could simply decide to keep him as Vick-insurance for another season at $1.4 million.

Kolb is in limbo, much like the one Rodgers found himself in for three years while he waited behind Brett Favre. 

"I never wondered if I had the ability," Rodgers said. "I did have some doubts on whether I'd get the opportunity. I'm not going to lie and say it's not tough to go through."

Now, the 27-year-old Rodgers is in the Super Bowl, while Kolb, drafted two years after the Packers' new icon, waits anew. His Super Bowl week words aren't going to change everything for him, but at least they shifted a little attention away from Brooklyn.