Prince performs Sunday during the halftime show at the Super Bowl at Dolphin Stadium in Miami. Photo by The Associated Press

Prince might discover that nothing jump-starts a career like an electrifying performance in front of 93 million Super Bowl viewers.

Raves poured in Monday after his halftime extravaganza, which will long evoke the image of his "Purple Rain" finale in a monsoon.

"The best halftime Super Bowl show ever," gushed "Rolling Stone."

"A quick taste of transcendent pop genius," said "The Village Voice."

But there's speculation that Prince added a risqué punctuation mark to his big night, something he would've done in his uninhibited and uncensored days.

Conservative syndicated radio host Laura Ingraham suggested on her Monday show that Prince's final silhouette scene, a side shot of him playing the guitar behind a fluttering white curtain, was a phallic message.

Or maybe it was a sly reminder from the purple icon, who wore an aqua-on-peach suit, that he can still get crazy, even with NFL watchdogs breathing down his neck.

All in all, the only way it could have been a better night for Prince is if the raindrops turned purple or the score ended up 31-21.

Prince returns to his 3121 club at the Rio for Saturday and Sunday shows this weekend, and has extended his NBA All-Star Weekend to three nights.

NAME GAME

Peyton Tuley of Las Vegas will have a lot of explaining to do later her in her life.

No, she wasn't named after Super Bowl MVP Peyton Manning. Wrong team.

The 2 1/2-year-old daughter of Dave and Wendy Tuley was named after Chicago Bears great Walter Payton. The Tuleys feminized the name after naming their first daughter, Jordyn, 4, after Chicago Bulls' icon Michael Jordan.

To spread the gospel Sunday, Peyton and Jordyn wore their Bears outfits to church, but their prayers weren't answered.

And no, said Dave Tuley, who grew up in Chicago, "we're not going to name our next kid after Butkus or Ditka."

THE SCENE AND HEARD

Film legend Tony Curtis, recently hospitalized for three weeks for what was described as pneumonia, was battling to regain his strength when Hollywood columnist Army Archerd checked on him late last month. Curtis was involved in daily therapy at his Anthem home but had not been able to walk and did not talk with Archerd, his old pal at Variety. ...

Longtime jeweler Jack Weinstein will join the ranks of the Las Vegas Walk of Stars on Feb. 17 at the Stirling Club at Turnberry Place. A Las Vegas resident since 1962, he will be honored as a humanitarian.

SIGHTINGS

David Hasselhoff, touring "Bodies. ... The Exhibition" and "Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition" at the Tropicana on Sunday. ... Kevin Spacey and "21" producer Michael Deluca, at "Love" (Mirage) on Sunday. Spacey, sporting a beard and a pulled-down golf cap, was later spotted at 1 a.m. at The Cafe at Bellagio with a friend. Lisa Marie Presley was at "Love" on Saturday with a group. ... At Light's Super Bowl after-party: NBA analyst Charles Barkley and Major League Baseball players Frank Thomas and Scott Spiezio, in a VIP section that caught the attention of the San Diego Chargers cheerleaders. ... Former "Saturday Night Live" cast member Ellen Cleghorne (80 episodes in the early 1990s), checking out the production facilities at Media Underground. ... New York nightclub operator Scott Sartiano and Jamie-Lynn Sigler of "The Sopranos," holding hands at lunch at Spago (Forum Shops at Caesars) on Monday. He formerly dated Ashley Olsen of the Olsen twins. ... Jessica Biel, Wesley Snipes, Chuck Liddell, Jason Giambi and cast members from the 2003 remake of "Texas Chainsaw Massacre," which starred Biel, at the UFC after party Saturday at rumjungle (Mandalay Bay)

THE PUNCH LINE

"Here in L.A. we don't have a professional football team. ... We're like Oakland.'' -- Craig Ferguson

Norm Clarke can be reached at 383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com.