Former defensive lineman Warren Sapp was arrested Saturday after an alleged domestic violence incident at a Miami Beach hotel, police said.

Sapp was charged with one count of misdemeanor domestic battery and is expected to appear before a Miami-Dade County judge today, Miami Beach police spokesman Juan Sanchez said.

Shortly after police officials confirmed the charge NFL Network spokesman Dennis Johnson said that Sapp – who is an analyst – wouldn’t be part of the Super Bowl coverage for today’s game.

The incident occurred early Saturday at the Shore Club hotel.

The victim had a swollen knee and bruises on her neck, according to an arrest affidavit. She told detectives that she was partying with Sapp and asked for his room key when she grew tired. Sapp reportedly woke up the victim a few hours later and they started to argue. She said Sapp started to choke her and pushed her down on a couch. He then grabbed her by the shirt and neck and threw her down again, the affidavit states.

Sapp said he let the woman stay in his room but asked her to leave a few hours later. He said she fell on her leg when he tried to help her get off a couch.

Blizzard a blessing?

No chance of any flakes falling at the Super Bowl. Still, a brutal winter storm that buried Mid-Atlantic residents under several feet of snow could have a big impact on the big game today.

With power and cable television knocked out for hundreds of thousands of residents Saturday, there was growing angst about what to do if it wasn’t back on in time for today’s 6 p.m. (EST) kickoff.

But CBS, which is televising the game, thinks the storm will actually boost ratings when MVP Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts take on the New Orleans Saints in what is traditionally the most-watched event of the year.

David Poltrack, the network’s chief of research, said the blizzard that struck from Pennsylvania to New Jersey, dumping as much as 3 feet of snow, means more people will be staying at home to watch the game instead of going out to parties and bars. Since the Nielsen Co. does a much better job estimating viewership in homes than it does elsewhere, that’s a plus for CBS.

“Anything to keep people home is a good thing,” he said.

Poltrack said he doesn’t foresee power outages being so widespread by this evening they would have a significant effect on the ratings. Besides, he added, it’s the Super Bowl – most people will do whatever they can to watch the game.