Forgive the folks at Pepsi Bottling Ventures if they forgo throwing a Super Bowl party.

The Raleigh-based company, one of the nation's largest bottlers of Pepsi products, can't control how the beverage and snacks giant spends its advertising money. But it couldn't have set off much celebrating when Pepsi announced Thursday that it won't advertise its drinks during the big football game on CBS.

Pepsi beverages have been advertised in the Super Bowl since 1987, with spots that featured celebrities such as Cindy Crawford, Britney Spears and Will.i.am. Last year the company spent $33 million promoting products such as Pepsi, Gatorade and Cheetos, with $15 million on Pepsi alone.

The company spent $142.8 million from 1999 to 2008 on Super Bowl ads, second only to Anheuser-Busch, the Associated Press reports.

Pepsi plans to focus on new online marketing efforts.

Pepsi Bottling Ventures, the subsidiary of a Japanese company since 1980, employs more than 2,400 people at its 26 facilities in North Carolina, New York, Delaware, Maryland, Vermont and Idaho.

See a photo gallery from Sringsteen's Super Bowl performance.

Here's a twist on the old root-for-the-underdog story: Most of the early wagering for the Super Bowl has been on the Cardinals.

The Steelers were sent out as a seven-point favorite, and for good reason — Sagarin's computer ratings show a 7.3-point gap between the teams (using his "pure points" rating only).

Beer, potato chips, halftime bands and, yes, skin-care products are all Super Bowl winners on the scoreboard tracked by The Nielsen Co.

The Associated Press is reporting that a 30-second Super Bowl commercial costs $3 million this year and the base ticket prices range from $500 to $1,000 for this year's matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals. Here's a historic look at both from AP:

Cost of 30-second spot

2009—$3,000,000
2008—$2,700,000
2007—$2,600,000
2006—$2,500,000
2005—$2,400,000
2004—$2,300,000
2003—$2,100,000
2002—$1,900,000
2001—$2,100,000
2000—$2,200,000
1999—$1,600,000
1998—$1,300,000
1997—$1,200,000
1996—$1,085,000
1995—$1,150,000
1994—$900,000
1993—$850,000
1992—$850,000
1991—$800,000
1990—$700,000
1989—$675,000
1988—$645,000
1987—$600,000
1986—$550,000
1985—$525,000
1984—$368,000
1983—$400,000
1982—$324,000
1981—$275,000
1980—$222,000
1979—$185,000
1978—$162,000
1977—$125,000
1976—$110,000
1975—$107,000
1974—$103,000
1973—$88,000
1972—$86,000
1971—$72,000
1970—$78,000
1969—$55,000
1968—$54,000
1967—$42,000

Ticket prices

2009—$1,000, $800, $500 Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla.
2008—$900, $700 University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.
2007—$700, $600 Dolphin Stadium, Miami
2006—$700, $600 Ford Field, Detroit
2005—$600, $500 ALLTEL Stadium, Jacksonville, Fla.
2004—$600, $500, $400 Reliant Stadium, Houston
2003—$500, $400 Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego
2002—$400 Superdome, New Orleans
2001—$325 Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla.
2000—$325 Georgia Dome, Atlanta
1999—$325 Pro Player Stadium, Miami
1998—$275 Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego
1997—$275 Superdome, New Orleans
1996—$350, $250, $200 Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Ariz.
1995—$200 Joe Robbie Stadium, Miami
1994—$175 Georgia Dome, Atlanta
1993—$175 Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Calif.
1992—$150 Metrodome, Minneapolis
1991—$150 Tampa (Fla.) Stadium
1990—$125 Superdome, New Orleans
1989—$100 Joe Robbie Stadium, Miami
1988—$100 Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego
1987—$75 Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Calif.
1986—$75 Superdome, New Orleans
1985—$60 Stanford (Calif.) Stadium
1984—$60 Tampa (Fla.) Stadium
1983—$40 Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Calif.
1982—$40 Silverdome, Pontiac, Mich.
1981—$40 Superdome, New Orleans
1980—$30 Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Calif.
1979—$30 Orange Bowl, Miami
1978—$30 Superdome, New Orleans
1977—$20 Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Calif.
1976—$20 Orange Bowl, Miami
1975—$20 Tulane Stadium, New Orleans
1974—$15 Rice Stadium, Houston
1973—$15 Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles
1972—$15 Tulane Stadium, New Orleans
1971—$15 Orange Bowl, Miami
1970—$15 Tulane Stadium, New Orleans
1969—$12 Orange Bowl, Miami
1968—$12 Orange Bowl, Miami
1967—$12, $10, $6 Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles

If America is back, then so is Bruce Springsteen. Sure seems like it, anyway, thanks to a remarkable confluence of events. He was one of the star attractions at Sunday's massive inauguration concert at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C; he just won a Golden Globe; he has a new album dropping next week (which is streaming at NPR.com, if you want to take a listen); and he's playing the Super Bowl halftime show the week after that. Gotta give Jon Landau credit -- the man does not miss a trick in the buzz-building department.

But regarding that Super Bowl gig, there's a chance that could backfire rather badly. Not in a wardrobe-malfunctioning sort of way, more along the lines of this potentially prescient prediction from ESPN columnist Bill Simmons:

As a lifelong Bruce Springsteen fan, the Super Bowl ads for his performance next month never stop flooring me. Don't they know how the man is wired? He can't bang out three songs without sprinkling one autobiographical story in there, and he certainly can't just go away without returning for an encore, right? (Note to the NFL: After Bruce finishes his set, hog-tie him to one of the uprights or else he's coming back out for three more songs. Just trust me. You don't want Bruce wandering back onto the field with his guitar like Shooter in "Hoosiers" and getting bowled over by a safety.) Look, Bruce might be telling the NFL, "Don't worry, I won't tell a story. I'll just sing my three songs and get out of there." But he won't be able to do it. You watch. We're gonna get a moment like this after the second song.

"Tampa Baaaaaaaay! (Crowd cheers.) Is anyone alive tonight??? (Crowd goes crazy.) Super Bowl Forty-Threeeeeee!!! (Crowd goes crazy as Bruce turns somber.) You know, when I was growing up, the only thing my dad hated more than me was my guitar. (Crowd hushes.) He was always saying, 'Bruce, I wish you never got that danged guitar.' So one day I was playing it in my room, my dad was watching Super Bowl Three between the Jets and... uh... uh... I think it was the Colts. Big man, was it the Colts? (Clarence says, 'Yeah, boss. The Colts.') Well, turns out my dad had a ton of money on the Colts... and they lost. But I didn't care. I was just up in my room strummin' my guitar. Then Dad came upstairs, and I remember asking, "Hey, Pop, who won the game? And Dad got mad and broke my guitar over my head. He busted me up pretty bad, I needed 589 stitches to close the wound. From then on, I knew I needed to start watching football. And so I did. (Dramatic pause.) This is 'Darlington County.'"

(Found via Backstreets.)

ADDENDA (1/22/09): Surprisingly, however, Springsteen's current PR bounty won't include an Oscar nomination. But there's this.

SECOND ADDENDA (2/2/09): A Super Bowl review, of sorts. Plus Bruce's backstage Super Bowl diary.