SUPER BOWL POLL : Bakker Has Inside Information

Question: What do Arnold Palmer, Mike Tyson, Larry King, Zsa Zsa Gabor, John Wooden and Jackie Joyner Kersee have in common?

Answer: They all say San Francisco will win the Super Bowl. So do many others in the Scripps Howard Celebrity Poll.

REV. JIM BAKKER, federal prisoner 07407-058: San Francisco 49ers. There are many reasons why I think the 49ers will win and here is a list of them: Joe Montana for starters, a great offense, Roger Craig, Tom Rathman, Jerry Rice, John Taylor. Plus a fantastic defense, Charles Haley, Keena Turner, Bill Romanowski, Ronnie Lott and Michael Carter is back.

An overall great team! These reasons the 49ers should win are good, but I thought you wanted some “inside information.” So I took a poll of some of the people here on “the inside,” so to speak. The results of my survey was unanimous for San Francisco, with one exception--a wise-looking Indian, wearing a red headband, when I asked the question, he got a far-away look in his eyes, and said, “Remember this and mark it down. Denver will win the Super Bowl.”

P.S. If you think a prison poll is not representative of society, let me give you an idea of the kind of people who are here. There are people here from all over the world, young and old. There are sports figures, doctors, lawyers, druggists, corporate owners, stock brokers, a sheriff, a mayor, U.S. presidential candidate, minister, even a professional writer (I don’t think he is a sportswriter, however) and a few criminals.

LOU HOLTZ, football coach: San Francisco 49ers. With Ed DeBartolo as owner and Joe Montana as quarterback, how could it be any different?

JAMES EARL JONES, actor: Who’s playing? I just got back from making a film in Thailand. I’ll root for San Francisco. My patriotism has to do with where I am. But I’d rather play the lottery, that’s my favorite sport.

ARNOLD PALMER, golfer: I’m a Western Pennsylvanian and I suppose I would have to stick with the 49ers. They have a lot of Western Pennsylvanians there, like Montana. His ability is something to be in awe of. I watched the last game, and you think of throwing passes, and he didn’t hit them on either number, he hit them in the center of the numbers.

MIKE ROYKO, syndicated columnist: I just as soon it rained out. I don’t like either team. I can’t stand any San Francisco team. The thought of San Francisco winning it, you ruined my morning just asking me. I’m sick of San Francisco, be it the baseball team (playing) the Cubs . . . their baseball team played a bunch of worms in the World Series. If they win the Super Bowl, all we’ll hear about is the two San Francisco teams and they’re the team of the decade. I wish the old Pittsburgh team was playing them and then the Steel Curtain would take Joe Montana and make him into five pieces. And then Denver. Colorado and Denver and the Rocky Mountains and that wimpy singer singing about Rocky Mountain high. Neither team deserves to be champion. You can’t find people in either city with dirt under their fingernails. They’re effete cities. In all likelihood San Francisco will win it and I’ll throw up.

ZSA ZSA GABOR, former actress: Of course the San Francisco 49ers--because Joe Montana is gorgeous. He can throw a pass at me any time.

GENE SISKEL, movie critic: San Francisco will Do The Right Thing by 14 points.

ROGER CRAIG, baseball manager: Naturally, the 49ers. They have Roger Craig.

MIKE TYSON, heavyweight boxer: San Francisco is going to win because Joe Montana and Jerry Rice are too strong.

DAVE BARRY, humorist: The University of Miami Hurricanes. Hey, they deserve it. They beat Notre Dame, which beat Colorado, and their only loss came against FSU, when they were playing without their starting quarterback, plus the sun was in their eyes.

ROBERT STACK, actor: I think Joe Montana is the best QB that has ever played. I think the 49ers have the most complete team in football. John Elway is gifted and he does things other quarterbacks have never been able to do, the way he steps out of the pocket and runs around like a track star and throws across his body. Elway might surprise everybody and win it by himself, but I don’t think so. I think the 49ers are one of the best teams in history.

ANTON LaVEY, high priest, Church of Satan in San Francisco: The 49ers. Joe Montana has legendary ability without stereotyped stupidity and well-deserved pride without pretentiousness--all winning satanic qualifications in my book.

JIM BROWN, actor, former football player: San Francisco, based on the fact they have Montana, Rice, they have Taylor, they have the running back, what’s his name? They have an offense that can kill you in a hundred different ways. If they don’t win it, it’s a fluke.

RUSTY WALLACE, race driver: San Francisco because of their background and the fact the 49ers are on a roll. The score? It’ll be a blowout.

LEEZA GIBBONS, TV reporter: San Francisco because Joe Montana has great arms and he passes pretty good, too.

PETE ROSE, former baseball player, manager: Everyone’s going to pick the 49ers, but I think maybe they look too good. I hope Denver will win. I like John Elway and I don’t want Denver to be the first team to lose four Super Bowls. I just hope it’s a good game.

EVANDER HOLYFIELD, heavyweight boxer: The Atlanta Falcons--in 1998. I think San Francisco will win. They just have more tools to work with. They are a complete team. They can hurt you with the run or the pass. They have an awesome team.

RENALDO NEHEMIAH, hurdler, former 49er: San Francisco will win. Until the defensive minds become as innovative as the 49ers continue to be, they will continue their consistency in dominating. The 49ers just out-think defenses. Their thought process is so complex that they can find a weakness in any defense and exploit it.

DAVID KEITH, actor: There’s no question of who’s going to win--that’s not debatable. It’s just a matter of by how much. Elway has the potential to keep San Francisco from covering the spread, but San Francisco will win the game. I’m as sure of that as I am of a Mike Tyson fight. I have zero feelings when it comes to pro football. It’s just somethin’ to do after church.

LARRY KING, TV talk show host: San Francisco 45, Denver 7. A mismatch. The NFC is flat-out better than the AFC. The 49ers will breeze.

JACKIE JOYNER KERSEE, two-time Olympic gold medalist: San Francisco 49ers. Montana and Rice are stronger than Elway and Johnson. I like Ronnie Lott, of course, because he was a Pac-10 player at SC . . . he’s one of the best safeties in the game. The 49ers’ offense is just too strong for Denver’s great defense.

OSCAR ROBERTSON, former basketball player: If you look at everything in the papers, you think it’s going to be the 49ers. If everyone is sharp, the 49ers will win. But, you never know, Elway could get hot.

LOU PINIELLA, baseball manager: I have to go with San Francisco. They made it look so effortless against the Rams and against the Vikings. They’ve been there before, Montana’s playing great and it seems like this team’s on a mission. Plus, I’m in the stock market and every time the NFC team wins, the stock market goes up. If Elway has a big day and San Francisco makes mistakes, the game could be close.

JACK NICKLAUS, golfer: I don’t really have much of an opinion one way or the other. I think the 49ers are the best team in football--most people feel that way--but I’m a Dolphins fan and would like to see the AFC do well. I’ll go with the Broncos for sentimental AFC reasons.”

HARRY CARAY, sportscaster: Denver, but I don’t know if that’s enough to win the game. If Elway has a hot hand, Denver ought to win it with the points. But I would have to take the 49ers, something like 31-24.

AKEEM OLAJUWON, basketball player: San Francisco seems unstoppable right now. I don’t see who’s going to stop them. So I believe they will win.

JOHN WOODEN, former basketball coach: I think the 49ers will win primarily because they have great balance on offense and defense. They’re not a one-man team, but they have one great player, one of the best ever--Joe I’d have to take the points and Montana. Denver has a great player also in Elway, but they don’t have that great balance. I would pick the 49ers because of Montana, but Elway can score from anyplace at anytime. 49ers by 10.

ROWDY RODDY PIPER, wrestler: I’m too busy wrestling to even think about the Super Bowl.

WHITEY HERZOG, baseball manager: Everyone thinks San Francisco is going to win, and I’m not sure they won’t. The Broncos lost three of their last four in the regular season, although it’s a lot different after you’ve clinched the thing. But the Broncos are better than they’ve ever been, on offense and defense. It’s awful hard to go against Joe Montana, but I would take the Broncos and the points.

SCOTT HAMILTON, ice skater: I’m a big Bronco fan, but San Francisco is my second favorite team, so this is the ultimate heaven Super Bowl for me. It would be great if there’s an upset, there’ve been so many blowouts. It’s time for an upset. To have such a large spread, that’s just embarrassing. It will be a one-point game in the fourth quarter, ending with The Drive, Part II.

ROGER KAHN, baseball author: Oh, I think Joe Montana. When I was a kid, there was a saying: Never bet against the Yankees or Notre Dame. I just thought of that, since Montana’s from Notre Dame. I think it looks as though San Francisco will win at least one of these postseason things. 30-17.

BO DIDDLEY, musician: Who’s playing? San Francisco and Denver, you say. I think they’ll tie up.

HANK STRAM, former football coach: In the Super Bowl, you can’t win it all unless you have it all. Denver is a lot closer to having it than the last two times they went. They’re a much better team. San Francisco should win because they have more ways to win, but it’s ridiculous to think that Denver is not capable of winning. The key is having a super player like John Elway. It will be a much better game than people think.

DARREN McGAVIN, actor: I have nothing against Denver or Colorado, but I just think the 49ers are too strong. They have a wonderful team. They are like a wonderful ballet, a well-rehearsed piece of theatre, a joy to watch.

TONY La RUSSA, baseball manager: There’s one statistic that points to Denver that I can’t overlook. They beat the 49ers in 1988 and lead the series 4-2. I put a lot of credibility in that because it says the Broncos know they can win. But in a big game like this, the best team usually wins and that’s the 49ers. The 49ers are playing for history and that will motivate them.

JERRY MATHERS, the Beaver: The 49ers, because I went to school at Berkeley and I’ve been following them for a long time. They deserve it; I just hope they don’t have another earthquake. It’s the way they’ve been playing, and Montana is great. Denver’s a good team, but they just don’t have it. 28-14.

TIM McCARVER, sportscaster: San Francisco. If the 49ers play defense half as well as they did against the Rams, it shouldn’t be close. I think they’ll win by at least 15 points. People talk about both teams’ offenses, but I believe defense might decide the game.

DR. JOYCE BROTHERS, psychologist: The San Francisco 49ers are almost unbeatable at this point. Most people talk about Joe Montana and Jerry Rice, but because they are so overpowering offensively, people forget the defense is excellent.

People who worry about both offense and defense present a very interesting psychological situation . . . in word association with fighters, when responding to the word “knockout,” it was the fighter who talked about defense instead of offense who won. Studies of people in general say those with a defensive attitude who want luck and who have alternative plans are the ones who are favored in life. The Broncos have a severe problem, from an emotional standpoint as well as physical. They are such an underdog at this point.