there's a picture of the sentinel's 'humorous' sports columnist with the miller lite chicks. possible survey: the Coors light twins v. the Miller Lite fighters.

sentinel

Eat your hearts out, guys.

Yes, the blonde is Tanya Ballinger and the brunette is Kitana Baker -- better known as the Miller Lite catch-as-catch-can wrestling girls.

The gray in the middle is me.

There are a lot of reasons to go to the Super Bowl. There's the chance to chat with Don Shula, one of my all-time heroes (seen elsewhere on the page). And there are the parties, including the commissioner's bash. And there are the reunions with other sports reporters because the Super Bowl is the closest thing we have to a convention. And there is use of the corporate credit card. (No, wait, don't print that.) Oh, yeah, there's the game.

But meeting Kitana and Tanya, well, it doesn't get any better than that. (And if my lovely wife is reading this, I mean that in the most professional way, Honey.)

The girls were escorted by Tom Bick, Miller brand manager, who just kept grinning. He seemed like a man truly in love with his work.

"How hot is the commercial?" he said. "We had lunch today and when the girls got to this restaurant, it sold out of Miller in 20 minutes. Of course we have scientific ways to measure the success of a commercial -- but we don't need science for this one."

If by chance you have been in the space shuttle for the last three weeks, Tanya and Kitana are in this commercial that starts with them each having a Miller Lite and disagreeing on why it's such a great beer. Well, one thing quickly leads to another, one article of clothing quickly is ripped away after another, leading to this fight in a fountain and eventually this fight in wet cement.

I'm thinking Emmy for the both of them.

As you may know, the commercial once ended with one saying to the other, "Let's make out." That's no longer seen, but Tom says comments the company received are strongly in favor of the girls doing whatever they want.

(No, I didn't ask.)

But, yes, stunt doubles were used for the harder stunts.

Tanya tells me that they originally heated the water in that fountain, which is in L.A., but that it got very cold eventually. I felt so bad for them.

And Kitana says the commercial took two days to shoot, but, no, she and Tanya never felt the guys in charge were calling for extra "takes" just for the heck of it.

"They were very professional," said my good friend Kitana.

"Nice to meet you," said my good friend Tanya.

Life is good.