Lead negotiator Ron Forman said Louisiana state officials believe they’re near a deal with the New Orleans Saints to keep the team at the Superdome past the 2009 season.

Without a doubt, one number that will be made into a major storyline leading up to Super Bowl XLIII is 37. That will be Kurt Warner’s age on Super Bowl Sunday, making him the third-oldest starting quarterback in Super Bowl history.

NFL Championship Sunday has produced the first of two Super Bowl participants — the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals will make the first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history Feb. 1 in Tampa, Fla.

To sum up the state of the NFL coaching business, consider this: Only two active head coaches have won Super Bowls. Two! New England’s Bill Belichick has three titles, and New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin has one.

Je’Rod Cherry, former New England Patriots safety, is raffling off his ring from Super Bowl XXXVI. Why? Cleveland Plain Dealer writer Tony Grossi reports that Cherry wants to raise awareness for Asia’s Hope, which builds orphanages for kids rescued from slave trafficking in Asia and Africa.