NEW ORLEANS — Around Super Bowl XLVII and its host city with journalists from The Associated Press bringing the flavor and details of everything surrounding the game:

YUP, WE HEARD YOU, BEYONCE
    Beyonce belted out the national anthem — for real — and America clearly heard.
    Shortly after the singer's press conference on Thursday where she admitted singing to a backup track during President Barack Obama's inauguration, "National Anthem" became a trending topic in the United States on Twitter.
    Millions of fans clearly approved of her impromptu performance, now reassured that her pipes are still fine.    Just add her to the already packed list. It also includes:
    — Justin Timberlake, in his first major musical performance in four years (hosting Saturday Night Live doesn't count — he hasn't been an official musical guest on the show since 2006).
    — Stevie Wonder
    — CeeLo Green with his old hip-hop clique, Goodie Mob.
    —Rascal Flatts with Journey.

STAT OF THE DAY:
158M AVOCADOS
    AP Food Editor J.M. Hirsch has the stat of the day today: Americans are expected to consume 158 million avocados around the Super Bowl.
    That's 79 million pounds of green goodness — up from 8 million pounds at the turn of the century.
    So has the guacamole improved that much? Not really, it's just outstanding marketing and other factors.

TURF WARS
    The Baltimore Ravens don't like the artificial turf at Tulane's baseball field.
    So they've moved to the Saints' facility instead.
    The San Francisco 49ers were already training at the Saints' complex in nearby Metairie.

PUTTING POLITICS ASIDE FOR NEW ORLEANS
    Long working on opposite sides of the American political spectrum, democrat James Carville and republican Mary Matalin are pulling in the same direction when it comes to promoting their adopted home of New Orleans as a Super Bowl host.

Carville, a longtime Democratic strategist, and Matalin, a Republican pundit, are the co-chairs of the Super Bowl host committee. They're also married.