Notes on a Scorecard - Jan. 27, 1993

Maybe this should be remembered as the season that our local powerhouses, the Rams and Raiders, each split two games with the Super Bowl contestants. . . .

The Rams embarrassed the Cowboys, 27-23, at Dallas and the Raiders toyed with Buffalo, 20-3, at the Coliseum. I suppose it must also be mentioned that the Rams were edged, 40-7, at Buffalo on opening day and the Raiders were nudged by the Cowboys, 28-13, at the Coliseum. . . .

“A big question in the Super Bowl is whether Dallas will be able to handle the 18 seconds-per-play onslaught by Buffalo,” guest expert Howie Long of the Raiders said. . . .

“It’s a shock the first time you face it, no matter how much you prepare,” Long said. “But the Bills are going to have to find a way to keep the Cowboy offense off the field. The 49ers couldn’t. They got worn down in the third quarter. My heart says the AFC team will win, but logic says it’ll again be the team that has been playing the NFC style of power football.” . . .

Among those who power the Cowboys is a former Long teammate, guard John Gesek. . . .

Trading Gesek to the Cowboys for a fifth-round draft pick in 1990 after signing Plan B free agent Max Montoya was one of those moves that helped the Raiders get where they are today. . . .

“I had some good experiences with the Raiders, but I’m a lot better player now,” Gesek said. “I kind of stumbled around my first two years here, became a starter in my third, and then got traded. It’s the maturing process. I’m making the right decisions and helping others make them.” . . .

A lot of balls were kicked last year at Dodger Stadium, where media day was held Tuesday, but a football game never has been played there. . . .

There would be enough good seats to accommodate an NFL team, such as the Raiders, only if the pavilions were torn down and the stadium was doubled-decked all the way around, a la Anaheim Stadium. . . .

*

Asked what the Bills were talking about on the sideline when they trailed the Houston Oilers, 35-3, in the third quarter, tackle Glenn Parker said: “Myself and a couple of other guys--I won’t mention who--started discussing vacation plans. I was going to come to Huntington Beach for three weeks.” . . .

Steve Christie kicked the field goal in overtime that completed the comeback, but previous assignments for Trafalgar High of Oakville, Ont., William & Mary and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers didn’t exactly get him accustomed to big-game, high-pressure situations. . . .

“This is a whole different world,” Christie said. . . .

Of course, this week he is being reminded by the media about the miss from 47 yards by the Bills’ Scott Norwood that climaxed Super Bowl XXV. . . .

“That was two years ago, it wasn’t me, and it isn’t relevant,” Christie said. “I do feel sorry for Norwood. It wasn’t exactly a chip shot.” . . .

Only in L.A.: While interviews were being conducted on the field, a beer commercial was being filmed on the reserved seat level. As many as a dozen commercials, TV shows and motion pictures are shot at the stadium every year. . . .

Asked whether the Bills were told to keep their mouths shut this time, tackle Will Wilford said: “We’ve been having meetings about that for years.” . . .

Phil Hansen, the Buffalo defensive end who has a degree in agricultural economics from North Dakota State, says: “Shoveling barley on a hot day is the worst. The stuff sticks to you.” . . .

Rookie starting cornerback Kelvin Smith was only the third defensive back ever drafted on the first round by the Cowboys, whose old regime turned basketball player Cornell Green into a five-time Pro Bowl selection at corner and safety. . . .

“(Tom) Landry was a little . . . a lot quieter than (Jimmy) Johnson,” Dallas defensive end Jim Jeffcoat replied when asked to compare the two coaches. “Johnson is outgoing and real intense. What I like about him is that he lets you know where you stand.” . . .

Buffalo cornerback Chris Hale, who is from Monrovia and USC, said his mother is handling all his ticket requests so he won’t get any of the blame. . . .

Cowboy defensive tackle Russell Maryland, a former University of Miami star, said: “I played in national championship games in college. I thought the hoopla and everything would be about the same here. There’s no comparison. Look at all these people here. This game is so much bigger. This is the game of all games.” . . .

Cowboy wide receiver Alvin Harper said: “It’s just another game, really.”