Vikings, Broncos Lead Rosters for Pro Bowl

The Minnesota Vikings and Denver Broncos will send a league-high nine players to the Pro Bowl.

Bronco quarterback John Elway was named starter for the AFC, along with running backs Terrell Davis, also of Denver, and Marshall Faulk of the Indianapolis Colts.

For the NFC, San Francisco 49er quarterback Steve Young and running backs Jamal Anderson of Atlanta and Barry Sanders of Detroit were named starters.

Viking wideout Randy Moss, who leads the league with 15 receiving touchdowns and 1,209 yards, was the only rookie selected for the Feb. 7 game in Hawaii.

Notably absent is Green Bay quarterback and three-time league most valuable player Brett Favre; Dallas running back and six-time Pro Bowl pick Emmitt Smith; and San Francisco wide receiver Terrell Owens, whose 12 touchdown catches trail only Moss.

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Atlanta Coach Dan Reeves, recovering from heart bypass surgery, was in good condition Wednesday and could be released from the hospital as early as today. Nina Montanaro, a spokeswoman for Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta, said it was still likely that Reeves would go home Friday, but there’s a chance his release might be pushed up a day because his recovery is going so well.

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Kordell Stewart talked to his Pittsburgh Steeler teammates and his coach, and this time there was no finger pointing.

There were apologies--many of them, not only for his sideline temper tantrum in Sunday’s 16-3 loss in Tampa, but also for the way he is playing.

“It happened, so be a man about it,” said Stewart, who has only 11 touchdown passes and 16 interceptions a year after leading the Steelers to the AFC title game. “I told them I’m still Kordell, and I’m a fighter and not a loser.”

Stewart’s apology came during a players-only meeting that was called to deal with a three-game losing streak, the Steelers’ longest in eight years.

Stewart’s argument with Coach Bill Cowher was captured by television cameras.

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The St. Louis Rams signed former Notre Dame quarterback Ron Powlus to their practice squad. . . . Scott Zolak will replace injured Drew Bledsoe at quarterback Sunday when the New England Patriots play host to the 49ers. . . . The Packers put starting center Frank Winters on injured reserve because of a broken left leg, losing him for the rest of the season. . . . Fox is approaching a sellout of advertising time on next month’s Super Bowl telecast despite raising the price for a half-minute slot by 23% from last year. The slots cost $1.6 million each. Network officials said that four 30-second commercial spots remained unsold out of 58.