Well, the Advice Was Kind of Erratic, Too
Dick Steinberg, general manager of the New York Jets, coordinated the Rams’ draft in 1979, when Joe Montana came out of Notre Dame.
What was the report on the future San Francisco 49er star?
“He was kind of an erratic guy,” Steinberg said. “Even then, he was a guy who could win games for you in the fourth quarter. He did that a lot, but on a game-to-game basis, he was never really that consistent. His arm is actually stronger now than when he came out.
“He’s perfect for the (49er) system. If he was playing for the Raiders with their old style, and they wanted him to go upfield 15 times a game, that wouldn’t be his forte. His forte is the quick read, the quick release, the touch pass over (linebackers) and the ability to throw on the run.”
Trivia time: What was the last team to repeat as NFL champion under different coaches?
Grudge match: Charlie Waters, coach of the Denver Broncos’ defensive backs, has a personal incentive to beat the 49ers. On Jan. 10, 1982, Dwight Clark’s end zone catch of a pass by Montana gave the 49ers a 28-27 victory over Waters and the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC title game.
“Montana was throwing that ball away,” Waters said. “I was 17 yards away, covering the tight end. I was so sure the ball couldn’t be caught, I was thinking ahead to what I’d call the next play.
“That was my last play in the NFL. I dreamed of going out as MVP of the Super Bowl; instead, I went out burying my face in kitty litter in Candlestick Park. I’d love to be able to get even.”
Thrill is gone: Ronnie Lott, 49er defensive back, on helping to enforce an informal curfew among his teammates in New Orleans: “I told the guys that we come down here every year anyway (to play the Saints). If you haven’t gone to Bourbon Street already, then something’s wrong.”
Add thrill is gone: Bronco receivers Vance Johnson, Mark Jackson and Ricky Nattiel were hot properties as the Three Amigos before Super Bowl XXII. But the Broncos lost to the Washington Redskins, 42-10, then had a mediocre season in 1988. What happened to their mystique? Nattiel said: “When you go 8-8, people kind of forget about you.”
Easier to read: Steve Young, backup quarterback for the 49ers, on the difference between Coach George Seifert and his predecessor, Bill Walsh:
“What I like about him (Seifert) is that he’s very consistent. You can depend on him screaming at you when you deserve to be screamed at, and you can depend on him having a sense of humor. He’s not going to make everybody squinch their eyebrows and say, ‘What’s going on here?’ ”
Add contrast: Offensive lineman Guy McIntyre said: “Bill Walsh was the master of disguises. George Seifert is the master of being George Seifert.”
After further review: The ultimate Super Bowl side bet? The Las Vegas Hilton Race and Sports SuperBook is offering 2-1 odds that a call during the game will not be reversed using instant replay.
Trivia answer: The Chicago Bears, in 1932-33 under Ralph Jones and George Halas.
Quotebook: CBS-TV’s Terry Bradshaw, on being the analyst for Bud Bowl II: “There’s an idiot hidden in all of us somewhere.”