The Naples Daily News from Naples, Florida • 26

2C Naples Dailji News Tuesday January 23 1996 PRO FOOTBALL -P'F T-r Vegas will take Hey anybody seen Bradshaw? about any bet reftised a chance to come back from arm problems And when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame he chose as his presenter broadcaster Verne Lundquist instead of a member of the Steelers' family Lundquist worked with Bradshaw on football broadcasts at CBS Later when CBS lost the NFL contract to Fox Sports Bradshaw moved to the other network as part of its pregame show maintaining the down home image that made him popular It was honest Bradshaw grew up a Louisiana country boy and went to school at Louisiana Tech He struggled early in his NFL career benched as various times for other quarterbacks like Terry llanratty and Joe Gilliam When the Steelers became champions though it was Bradshaw who ran the offense His successes on the field led to the broadcasting career and he has been a popular spokesman appearing most recently as the host of Sports Sportsman of the Year telecast on Fox Fox Sports has no role in the Super Bowl so Bradshaw has no broadcasting responsibilities that would require him to be at this year's game The network will however broadcast next year's game from New Orleans Don Weiss longtime executive director of the NFL has been in charge of gathering the MVPs for this reunion Weiss said he received confirmation on Monday that ex-Miami safety Juke Scott the 1973 winner would travel from his home on Kuai for the event When Weiss contacted 1971 winner Chuck Ilowlcy the only losing player to win the MVP award the former Dallas linebacker had a curious question said we all still Weiss said Not only alive but except for one ur two all coming to Sunday's game Terry Bradshaw had a lot to smile about during Super Bowl XIII In Miami in January of 1979 But with the Steelers In Sunday's Super Bowl In Tempe Arlz the two-time Super Bowl MVP and current Fox Network analyst continues to avoid the media and he appears he will pass on a league Invitation to appear at game-related events Associated Frrss MVP winners were Bart Starr who won the first two awards and Joe Montana who won in 19X2 1985 and 1990 Ironically it may be the Steel ers' presence in the game that has contributed to decision to stay out of sight He left the team on bad terms at the end of his career when he was since he wis the quarterback on the the team that won four Super Bowl titles in six years Bradshaw was MVP of the Steelers' 35 31 victory over the Cowboys in the PJ79 Super Bowl and then won the award again the next year when Pittsburgh defeated Los Angeles Bams 3119 The only other multiple By HAL BOCK AP Sports Writer TEMPE Ariz Put out all points bulletin The NFL and a lot of other people are looking Tor Terry Bradshaw He however is not looking Tor them At the Super Bowl a football convention where old players are all over the place Bradhaw remains among the missing unwilling to flash his four championship rings and talk over old times No interviews No appearances No nothing Bradshaw is for his own reusons under cover lie is available only on the old video tapes of his Super Bowl games running continuously on headquarters hotel televisions The two lime Super Bowl MVP continued to avoid all media interviews on Monday and it appears he will pass on a league invitation to appear at a number of gnine-related events this week The NFL has invited all previous Super Bowl MVI1 to participate in ceremonies Sunday before the game between the Pittsburgh Steelers Bradshaw's old team and the Dallas Cowboys A number of them were expected at commissioner Paul Tagliabue's press conference on Friday and there is also a private luncheon scheduled with the commissioner The league said it had confirmations from almost all of the JUVPs but not fruin Bradshaw one of the most prominent players of his era "lie is not planning to he in Phoenix this week" ins secretary said Bradshaw an NFL game day broadcaster for Fox Sports was reportedly working on his ranch in Koanoke Texas choosing to maintain a low profile He began refusing interviews last week after the Steelers won their first AFC championship Bledsoe pas a hurtiiT QB Associated Press BOSTON It wasn't just the left shoulder that bothered Drew Bledsoe last year Accord iug to his father the Patriots quarterback also separated his right throwing shoulder during the 1995 season Mac Bledsoe told the Boston Herald that his soli suffered a first degree (least severe) separation of his throwing shoulder in the Patriots' penultimate game against Pittsburgh on Dec Hi not bothering him But when lie shrugs his shoulder the collarbone conies loose" said the senior Bledsoe a high school football coach in Washington state for 26 years "lie did tear all three ligaments that hold the joint together as well as the cartilage that acts as a buffer in there" 1'he elder Bledsoe also said his son suffered a gashed left hand and five stitch lip cut in the final game of the season Dei 23 against Indianapolis Bledsoe suffered the more serious third degree separation of his left shoulder in Week 3 against San Francisco His father said the right shoulder is fine now and that although the left shoulder pops out of joint his son will not have surgery to repair the damage can do surgery and place a screw in to hold the joint together or leave it alone" he said "They say the likelihood of injury is not increased without surgery and that with surgery' you have a shoulder with a lump and a scar and eight months of rehab" temperature soars like a comet By EDVINS BE1TIKS San Francisco Examiner SAN FRANCISCO You want to bet Leon Lett ftimbles the ball on Super Bowl Sunday? Nevada will take that bet You want to bet Knrdell Stewart throws a touchdown pass? Nevada will take that bet Want to bet on the coin flip which team punts first or whether Deion Sanders will score on both offense and defense? got you covered Coming off a record Super Bowl year that saw people bet million on the 49crs-Chargcrs rout Nevada sports books are expecting to do just as well in Super Bowl XXX Last year the line on Super Bowl XXIX opened with the Niners as 175 point favorites It rose to a record 205 still not enough to cover San 49 26 win and sports books took a bath This year the spread opened at 115 and Dallas money has already pushed it to 135 "Iast year the Club Cal-Ncva did a record take but wound up paying out a lot more too" said Chris Andrews race and sports book director at Reno's Cal-Neva 'This year looks like a real attractive matchup to me bring in Stceler bettors and Cowboy bettors confident they can beat double-digit numbers I personally think going to see another record Last year sports books were with 49cr said Cal-Neva marketing manager Barry Phillips "The number was so huge books were begging for San Diego money If San Diego would've covered it would've been a major home run for sports books But it turned out to be one of the worst Super Bowls for bookmakers in a long while" Betting for Super Bowl XXIX went the 49crs' way and it's happening for the Cowboys this time around Dallas dominates the odds from total yards to number of touchdown passes to longest field goal "The early money's all on the said Phil Scott a supervisor at the Barbary Coast sports book in Las Vegas think it'll get hot and heavy a couple of days before the Super Bowl when Pittsburgh bettors start cashing in on the Phillips said game opened at 115 and it'll probably be 14 points by the middle of next week Everybody for Pittsburgh is just wailing knowing the number's going to go Sports books were cheering for the Chargers last year said Phillips but believe the Steelers can cover the spread Because of that bookmakers may be in the position Sunday of not needing to mot for either Bookmakers have come out with double-digit spreads the past four Super Bowls and the NFC has covered every time 30-13 in 1994 52-17 the year before 37-24 the year before that They use overall yards and points per 15 yards as indicators and they tend to get real close to the final score There are exceptions though Andrews pointed out line on Nchraska-Flnrida this year was 35 and they won by what 40? And there was the Colls-Jels in Super Bowl III That opened with the Colls favored by 17 and everybody said a terrible number' Weil yeah But almost everybody who booked that game won because almost everybody bet the Colts Terrible people said but it was a wonderfiil'number for Given the four teams in the final games Dallas-Pittsburgh was the best matchup said Phillips "The next best scenario would've been Green Bay getting in They'd probably be only a three- to five-point favorite over Andrews and Phillips agreed this matchup is the best since Buffalo lost to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXV (he last time the AFC team went in as a favorite At least the Colts make it to the NOTEBOOK Maybe they should call it the MFL Associated Press Tha (Him bar of NFL playare earning SI mil-1 ion or moro In baao aaiaiy pirn bonuioa reached 319 Vila season according to USA Today- That's 62 moro than last year and 19 percent of tha 1717 Sayers on NFL rosters excluding practice squads Tha average salary now is $598450 up from last season's $568560 "What thosa salaries reflect is what tha marketplace la saying about players' work" said NFL Players Association head Gena Upshaw Riafa the advantage tree agency givet you" QCJ Dates safety Damn Woodson grew up in Phoenix ao a Cowboys hater was never a Cowboy tan' he said was the type of kid growing up who cheered tor any team tha Cowboys were playing I fust couldn't stand tha Cowboys and Pittsburgh was a tug rival it the time (In the mid-1970s) They were the best team in tha league and that's who I rooted for" In his tough season Woodson is playing in his Kurd Super BowL Ha said he's already been hit on for tickets from friends and from way way way back" un Although tha Phoenix area was hit by scattered showers Monday with more ram possible today the forecast is tor dear skies and temperatures in the upper 60s for Super Bowl Sunday Next year's Super Bowl la in New Orleans and that city's host commutes has set up a display resembling a mini French Quarter to hype the game doesn't take much because New Orleans is sucta favorite spot" said host committee spokesman Greg Bonsai is ha passed out miniature tabasco sauce bottles and House of Blues buttons city's hospitality and food is second to none And our bars don't dose at 1 am like they do in Since sports agent Leigh Steinberg represents just about every top NFL quarterback it was only a matter of time before two of his ch-enti would finally oppose one another in a Super Bowl That will happen Sunday when Dallas' Troy Aikman goes against Pittsburgh's Neil O'Donnell But neither win add to one Super Bowl record Eighteen starling 06s in the Super Bowl have worn No 12 and 10 have been winners including the Roger Staubach (1972 1978) and the Steelers' Terry Bradshaw (1975 197619791980) Bote Staubach'c and Bradshaw's numbers were retired by their respective teams years ago Aikman wears No 8 and O'Donnell No 14 In (he 29 previous Super Bowls the designated home team fui won only 13 times This year's home team? Pittsburgh Another possible omen: Dallas has a 6-2 record with tour consecutive victories at Sun Devil Stadium site of the Super Bowl since the Arizona Cardinals moved here from St Louis in The Steelers 4-0 in Super Bowls are 0-2 at Sun Devil Stadium against the Cardinals losing 31-14 in 1988 and 20-17 in overtime in 1994 Jackie Slater who has played more games than any other offensive lineman in NFL history has won the Athletes In Action Bart Starr Award Slater has played 20 years tor tha Rams in Los Angeles and St Louis He has appeared in 259 games The award is presented to the player who best exemplifies character and leadership in the home on the field and in the community Slater who has donated $10000 tar a minority college fund and helped raise money for a Califomia cancer foundation will receive hie award Saturday at a breakfast ceremony in Scottsdale Previous whiners were Steve Large nt Anthony Munoz Mike Singletary Reggie White GM Byrd Warren Moon and Cris Carter Super Bowl said Phillips "If gotten in it would've been a spread a huge huge Andrews who's been with Cal-Neva for 15 years said been kind of hard getting a reading on the Cowboys I opened at 11 and people bet me up pretty quick They'll test you that's for sure "If this was a regular-season game even in Dallas there's no way Dallas would be a 13-point favorite" he said it seems in the Super Bowl the team behind kind of falls apart toward the end That's why the Phillips said problem with the Super Bowl is once one team gets a pretty good-sized lead it's almost like a feeding frenzy The winning reserves come in and they want to score and it turns into a By DENNE FREEMAN AP Sxirts Writer TEMPE Ariz Charles Ha ley who has lieen out seven weeks with a back injury but aims to play in the Super Bowl missed practice Monday because of a 101 degree fever Dallas coach Burry Switzer said he hopes his star defensive end can practice Wednesday If Haley doesn't play Shante Carver would he the likely replacement didn't feel well at breakfast then felt worse this afternoon" Switzer saiil were giving him some intravenous lluids to try to gel him well from the viral infection" Switzer said the Cowboys had a sharp but brief practice get in some heavy work on Wednesday and Thursday" Switzer said While the Pittsburgh Steelers traveled to Arizona on Monday the Cowboys practiced studied tapes and planned for a no-curfew evening on the town with a dozen limousines ready for standby duty at the players' beck and call The Cowboys were using the same Super Bowl preparation game plans they first devised under Jimmy Johnson in winning efforts in 1992 and 1993 against the Buffalo Bills Switzer inherited Johnson's staff and didn't want to tinker with a successful formula It's play and have fun early in the week then get down to busi ness starting Wednesday and Thursday Enimitt Smith Michael Irvin and other players had the linios ferried from Dallas The Cowboys also had no curfew on Tuesday night but midnight curfews will kick in on Wednesday Thursday and Friday On Saturday night there will be a 10 pm curfew with a bed check and fines for anyone not in his room change the formula?" Switzer said something everyone is used to" The Cowboys also urc old hands at handling the hype They've had weekly distractions during the regular season but still had a 124 record and defeated Philadelphia and Green Bay in the NFC playoiTs think a team should have fun at the Super Bowl" quarterback Troy Aikinan said all part of the experience It would be silly to put curfews on players early in the week But once the (tallying is over time to get down to business and remember the real reason here" Aikman is 20 in Super Bowls and 9 1 in playoff games he has stalled so his advise is being listened to by the 27 players on the Dallas team who haven't been to a Super Bowl Dallas will be trying to win a record tying fifth Super Bowl putting it next to the San Francisco 49crs Tampa Bay Steelers: Woodson to play Continued from 1C guys here drinking and partying and forgetting why we're here We realize the opportunity we Quarterback Neil O'Donnell suggested the Steelers cast as 13 point underdogs might actually be looser and more relaxed because they are perceived as having virtually no chance of winning 'The Colts had that attitude for three weeks and they were within one play of being here" O'Donnell said went out loose and had some fun" The Steelers seem nonplused by the gang of reporters who also greeted them even though only three Steelers have been to a Super Bowl before But even before they arrived at the lemon tree-lined Doubletree Paradise Valley Resort Cowher was preparing to bunker them down at what perhaps should be renamed Stalag Steelers It is impossible to totally isolate a team from the 3000 or so crcdentialed reporters who annually attend America's biggest game On Tuesday for example the Steelers get their first look at the site of Sunday's game Sun Devil Stadium and the media horde that covers every cliche-drenched Super Bowl syllabic But an NFL security helicopter hovered overhead as the Steelers filed into the back door of their hotel away from scores of fans who cluttered the hotel lobby And after Tuesday's media bash the Steelers will be virtually isolated from everybody but each other for the rest of the week The atmosphere may seem more uptight than that at the Cowboys' posh The Buttes retreat where the rooms are $250 a night and up and a fleet of 12 limousines awaits to ferry the Cowboys around the Valley of the Sun Dungy: Takes reins in Continued from 1C Walsh may be rejoining 49ers Associated Press in Tampa where most of the players live in the off-season It's also where a heated battle to finance a new stadium is under way which might prompt the team to relocate can't allow distractions like that to become he said "We just have to worry about being the best football team we And with the Bucs that's easier said than done They've been losers for 13 consecutive seasons under five coaches "But I really believe the building blocks are here and this is an up-and-coming Dungy said "In Minnesota we thought wc had a legitimate Super Bowl contender and we won eight games That's only one more than the Bucs won last season I think we are very very close to turning this thing His contract which carries through 2001 is proof of the franchise's commitment to stabilize its rocky past under new owner Malcolm Glazer Although Dungy has been waiting a decade for this day to arrive he confessed some bittersweet emotions "It will be a challenge to orchestrate everything as a head coach but I'll miss all the hands-on teaching and Dungy said start off on this journey together about what we have to do to represent the city of Tampa in a positive Dumpr was the third choice but Dolphins coach Jimmy Johnson and Florida coach Steve Spurrier turned them down Dungy become the fourth youngest NFL head coach behind Cincinnati's David Shula (36) Houston's Jeff Fisher (37) and Pittsburgh's Bill Cowhcr (38) Unlike those three Dungy has had to endure much speculation over his career His name has been mentioned as a candidate for head coaching jobs since he became a defensive assistant with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1981 He twice finished as a runner-up in Philadelphia and most recently in Jacksonville In typical Dungy fashion the new Tampa Bay coach has scheduled no team meetings lie plans to sit down with each Buccaneer one-on-one and discuss his philosophies and standards "We want to build a family with a real close altitude of togetherness because that's what separates the good teams from the also-rans" Dungy said He admitted that that is difficult for the Vikings because few players live year-round in Minnesota why Dungy hopes the team remains Bowl triumphs in the seven years since succeeding Walsh in 1989 San Francisco was denied a chance to defend its fifth championship when the Green Bay Packers upset the 49ers 27-17 in a divisional playoiT this month Walsh whose offensive system is still run by the 49ers has operated quarterback camps and worked for the NFL in an advisory role the last year lie spent the previous three years in a second tour as Stanford coach before resigning in 1994 Walsh quit as 49ors coach following the 1988 season which ended with the team's third Super Bowl crown He stayed with the organization briefly as an administrator before leaving to take a job as an analyst for NBC SANTA CLARA Calif Bill Walsh could be on the verge of returning to the San Francisco 49ers The 49ers called a news conference for today and team spokesman Dave Rahn said Walsh club president Carmen Policy and coach George Seifert all would be there Rahn said Monday night he could not confirm reports that Walsh who led the 49ers to three Super Bowl titles in 10 years as their coach would rejoin the team in a yet to be defined role Telephone calls to Walsh and Policy were not returned Walsh's addition afreet the position of Seifert who gufded San Francisco to two Super Scrlppi Howard Niwt Sank.