1. I think Chris Chandler's going to have the ball in his hands at the
two-minute warning around 10 Sunday night, with the game in his
hands.
2. I think I wondered where all the stars were last night. I sat in the
Pelican Bar on South Beach Thursday night and watched the world go by, and
Carnell Lake was the biggest name that walked by in the parade of humanity.
Unless, of course, you count Toi
Cook .
3. I think the Falcons have spent most of the week preparing for the
Broncos to blitz heavily in this game, and I think they're right. Steve
Atwater's coming from everywhere
Sunday.
4. I think I will miss doing tonight what I did a year ago on Friday
night at the Super Bowl, when I dined at Top of the Cove in LaJolla, Calif.,
with the Brett Favre party. He had the medallions of antelope. I had filet of
ostrich. His was
better.
5. I think I was glad to hear Paul Tagliabue say this morning that he
thinks replay will be back come March. The league has no choice. Their
officials, and their integrity, are getting beaten over the head eight or 10
times a year, and all of America watches it over and over on highlight
shows.
6. I think Tagliabue wants to change the hiring process that has resulted
in no new black coaches in the NFL being hired in the last 36 months. But I've
said it before and I'll say it here right now: The league office shouldn't be
the target for all the justifiable verbal firebombs. the owners who ignore black
candidates should. "You need affirmative action, but you don't need
affirmative action that builds in false preferences," Tagliabue
said.
7. I think the thing that surprised me, and the media throng at the
Tagliabue press conference this morning, was his strong stand that Eddie
DeBartolo will not regain control of the 49ers in 1999. I'd heard all along
that DeBartolo would trade all of his outstanding DeBartolo Corp., stock to his
sister, Denise DeBartolo York , sometime early in 1999 in exchange for the
team. A lot of people in the media and public, not just me, had heard Eddie
would be back at the controls soon. "I don't know who those people
are," Tagliabue said, "but they don't include me."
Touche.
8. I think the funniest issue that came up this morning with Tagliabue
when a Mexican reporter asked if the NFL might set a rotation system for each
team to play a game overseas, say, every five or seven years. "I think
we'll get there eventually," Tagliabue said, which surprised me. In 2035
maybe. Imagine Tagliabue picking up the phone, calling Bill Parcells and
saying: "Coach, a little change here. Your first game this fall is in
Osaka." Now THAT would give Parcells a new heart
condition.
9. I think I have nothing left to say. Nothing
except:
10. I still think Denver wins,
26-21.
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