By Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer

SAN DIEGO - Sunday's Super Bowl between the Oakland Raiders and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is a fitting end to another successful season, NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue said Friday in his annual Super Bowl press conference.

It is a "glamorous matchup between two very special teams," Tagliabue said. "This has been an NFL season of unprecedented competition with great performances by many outstanding players."

Tagliabue also addressed several pending issues, including:

• A possible change in overtime rules to give both teams at least one possession.

Tagliabue anticipates a change because data from the past seven or eight seasons, since the kickoff was moved back to the 30-yard line, show a trend toward the receiving team winning the game.

• The possibility of moving a team to Los Angeles.

Strong television ratings for NFL games in that market, Tagliabue said, "don't lessen our interest of having a team back in the area."

• The possibility of awarding a Super Bowl to a northern city - especially Washington or New York.

"The two more important things are to guarantee that the playing-field condition for the game would be very high-quality, and fan comfort, fan service," Tagliabue said.

• The criticism of game officials, especially in the San Francisco 49ers-New York Giants playoff game earlier this month.

Tagliabue said the league has invested a great deal of time and effort in preparing game officials, but that the blown call at the end of the 49ers-Giants game was the "most disappointing aspect of officiating I have seen in my 13 years as commissioner." But he said officials most often get big calls right.

E-mail mcurnutte@enquirer.com

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