For Peete’s Sake, Let’s See What Panthers Do

Rodney Peete, who finished his 16-year NFL career with Carolina and is now a regular on FSN’s “Best Damn Sports Show Period,” plans to be at the NFC championship game in Seattle today. On Thursday’s show, it was no surprise that Peete picked the Panthers to beat the Seahawks.

Panther quarterback Jake Delhomme, appearing on the show, said, “Rodney, if we’re lucky enough to play well and somehow come out of there with a victory, I’m going to grab you and hug you and give you a big kiss on the cheek. There’s a lot of cheek, so I know I won’t miss it.”

The Seahawks’ Shaun Alexander, another guest, said to Peete, “Didn’t you pick USC over Texas?”

*

Trivia time: The Pittsburgh Steelers and Carolina both have a shot at getting to the Super Bowl by winning three road games. What is the only team that got to a Super Bowl that way?

*

Still a good day: “The Panthers had the day off Monday,” wrote Greg Cote of the Miami Herald, “but Steve Smith still had nine more catches against the Chicago Bears.”

*

Not exactly as planned: Reggie Bush, a guest on Chris Myers’ FSN show that will be televised tonight at 10:30, explains his thinking on his ill-fated lateral in the Rose Bowl game.

“I remember being surrounded by three guys getting ready to tackle me,” Bush says, “and I saw one of my teammates off to the right by himself and tried to pitch him the ball. That’s the type of player I am. I play fearless.... I feel like if I would have made the pitch and we’d scored, it would have been the greatest play in college history.”

*

More Bush: Asked by Myers to name his favorite moment with USC, Bush says, “Honestly, a favorite moment that I have is not actually me. It’s when I pushed Matt [Leinart] into the end zone at Notre Dame.”

Notre Dame fans, no doubt, will love hearing that.

*

Hair-raising experience: Jimmy Johnson showed up at Fox last weekend with spiked hair to promote an episode of the FX series, “The Shield,” in which he has a part. Johnson plays an inebriated man in jail and he had to spike his hair and grow a beard for the role.

Ed Goren, Fox Sports president, told Johnson, “You’ve been practicing for this all your life.”

*

Looking back: On this day in 1973, George Foreman knocked out Joe Frazier in the second round at Kingston, Jamaica, to win the world heavyweight boxing title.

Lyndon Johnson had died earlier in the day, and Foreman’s handlers didn’t tell him because they thought it would hurt his chances in the fight. One of Johnson’s pet projects as president was the Job Corps, which Foreman often credited for helping him escape the tough streets of Houston.

*

Trivia answer: The 1985 New England Patriots.

*

And finally: Steve Vanderpool of Stats LLC says, “So, if the Broncos and Panthers win and advance to the Super Bowl, how quick do you think it will take someone to dub the game, ‘The Two Jakes’? “

Larry Stewart can be reached at larry.stewart@latimes.com.