Editors sell out to NFL's publicity juggernaut

Snow began falling during the night, transforming Hackensack into a winter wonderland.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
Editor

As a pro football game, it was almost as boring as The Record's Sunday paper.

Still, Editor Marty Gottlieb completely transforms today's edition into what reads like a National Football League house organ.

Virtually all of Page 1, the Local front and the Better Living cover are filled with stories about Sunday's Super Bowl, the parties and the hype readers have had to endure for two years.

Bridgegate

The latest developments in the Bridgegate scandal were demoted to A-3 and addressed in an editorial (A-13).

Governor Christie was booed at a Super Bowl event in the city on Saturday, and one of his aides, Christina Genovese Renna, resigned on Friday "before she was to deliver documents" to investigators (A-3).

A surprisingly large number of last-minute shoppers showed up at Whole Foods Market in Paramus on Sunday afternoon, about 6 hours before the Super Bowl began.

Bellyaching

Commuters' complaints about NJ Transit service have fallen on the deaf ears of the Road Warrior and the lazy assignment editors for more than a decade.

But today's Local front leads with "rail backups" and long lines experienced by 33,000 fans who took mass transit to the Meadowlands, not the 28,000 I mentioned earlier (L-1).

Story loses fizz

On the Better Living front, Staff Writer Virginia Rohan's appraisal of Super Bowl TV ads contains a glaring omission:

No mention of actress Scarlett Johansson, spokeswoman for Soda Stream, a home seltzer maker, or censorship of the words that ended the spot, "Sorry Coke and Pepsi," two sponsors of the sports farce. 

Johansson says the homemade seltzer is "better for you," made with less sugar and saves bottles.

NPR scoop

Today, New Jersey Public Radio (WNYC-FM) is reporting 10 companies that received Superstorm Sandy relief contracts contributed to the Republican Governors Association, which Christie heads.