NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) – Singer Beyonce said she had sung along to a pre-recorded track at the inauguration of President Barack Obama but left no doubt over her talent by singing a stirring acapella version of the anthem at a Super Bowl news conference on Thursday.

Beyonce’s performance of the “Star Spangled Banner” at the January 21 ceremony sparked a huge debate over whether she had lip-synched her performance in Washington.

NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) – Super Bowl-bound San Francisco 49ers cornerback Chris Culliver faced intense media scrutiny on Thursday for saying he would not accept a gay teammate in the team’s locker-room.

Culliver came under fire for the comments he made this week on comedian Artie Lange’s radio show but apologies from the player and National Football League team in statements late on Wednesday did little to diffuse the situation.

NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) – The Super Bowl has been dubbed the ‘Har-Bowl’ with sibling head coaches Jim and John Harbaugh going head to head but there is another family rivalry on the line – father versus son.

San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim’s eldest son Jay is a coaching intern with Sunday’s rivals, the Baltimore Ravens, adding an extra family twist to the occasion.

NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) – The San Francisco 49ers’ success with athletic quarterback Colin Kaepernick and the read-option attack could lead other NFL teams to rethink their approach to the key position, according to the man who masterminded the scheme.

Niners offensive coordinator Greg Roman has implemented an offensive gameplan that has confused defenses who do not know whether the quarterback is going to run, hand off or pass.

NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) – San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh singled out his offensive line for praise, calling them a crucial ‘weapon’ for Sunday’s Super Bowl against the Baltimore Ravens.

While Colin Kaepernick has received much of the credit for the 49ers’ march to the National Football League’s title game, Harbaugh said those protecting the second-year quarterback had been “phenomenal.”

NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) – While the key starters for the San Francisco 49ers sat on elevated podiums at the Super Bowl media day on Tuesday, quarterback Alex Smith stood among the reporters with the largely anonymous ranks of defense men and reserves.

Smith, who led the team to six wins from their opening eight games this season, lost his starting spot after suffering a concussion in week nine against the St. Louis Rams.

NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) – When San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick replaced Alex Smith after the starter went down with a concussion midway through the regular season the 25-year-old second-year signal caller did not flinch.

Whether it be the three sacks suffered in his first game last November, a damaging interception returned for a touchdown in the playoffs against Green Bay, or erasing a 17-0 deficit in the NFC championship game, Kaepernick has taken everything the National Football League has thrown at him in stride.

NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) – San Francisco 49er Randy Moss boldly declared himself on Tuesday as the greatest wide receiver to play the game, a statement that will raise many eyebrows, including among his team’s fans.

Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice, a three-time Super Bowl champion with the 49ers and the National Football League’s all-time leader in receptions, touchdown receptions and yards, is widely viewed as the greatest to play the position.

NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) – President Barack Obama’s comments that he would “think long and hard” before letting a son play American football were shrugged off by Super Bowl coaches on Monday but there was some agreement from players that the game needed to evolve.

Obama’s stance came in an interview with the New Republic, published on Sunday, where he was asked how he squares his love of the game with rising awareness of the impact of repeated head injuries on football players.

NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) – San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick has dominated the headlines for getting his team to the Super Bowl but the 49ers chose outside linebacker Aldon Smith as their most valuable player.

Head coach Jim Harbaugh revealed on Monday that second year Smith, who was second in the National Football League during the regular season with 19.5 sacks, was named most valuable player after a vote by the team’s players and coaches.