Notes on a Scorecard - Jan. 31, 1993

Bound to happen on Super Sunday:

A former UCLA player will make a mistake, and the alumni will blame it on Jim Harrick. . . .

Thurman Thomas will have all the equipment to put on a great performance. . . .

Jim Kelly will complete 23 of 35 passes for 314 yards and three touchdowns and become the 15th quarterback to be named most valuable player. . . .

Ratings for ESPN’s “Ski Time,” “U.S. Men’s Ski Tour” and “Ski World,” from 3:30-5:30 p.m., will be buried under an avalanche. . . .

Someone on the winning team--favorite or underdog--will say, “Nobody gave us a chance to win.” . . .

Ken Norton Jr. will make Dad proud, and some day soon they will be on speaking terms again. . . .

If the Bills fall behind, 35-3, early in the third quarter, they will lose, 49-17. . . .

President Clinton will gain popular support by not making a telephone call to the winning locker room. . . .

Cowboy tight end Jay Novacek will catch a pass in the end zone and act as though he has been there before. . . .

Those reading Marv Levy’s lips on the sideline after a call goes against the Bills will realize he isn’t always talking Phi Beta Kappa talk. . . .

After this is described as the “ultimate” game, it will be recalled that former Cowboy running back Duane Thomas said at Super Bowl VI, “If it’s the ultimate, how come they’re playing it again next year?” . . .

Bruce Smith’s bruised ribs will make him wince, but his hits will make the Cowboys feel worse. . . .

The foreign media will lend the same expertise to the game that the U.S. media will lend to the 1994 World Cup championship game at the Rose Bowl. . . .

NBC will not keep the premiere of “Homicide” a secret. . . .

Jerry Jones will be easy to find. . . .

Ralph Wilson Jr. will be hard to find. . . .

Chicago Bear fans will root for the Dallas defense. . . .

A long kickoff return will be nullified by a clipping penalty. . . .

Nobody will break the record for most safeties in a Super Bowl--one, which is held by five players. . . .

A key matchup will be between rookie Cowboy cornerback Kevin Smith and 15-year wide receiver James Lofton of the Bills. . . .

Dallas’ fans will be more numerous, but Buffalo’s more boisterous. . . .

The Atlanta ’94 committee will promise a better show. . . .

The Cowboys will punish Andre Reed in the middle of the field, but he will catch half a dozen passes. . . .

Cornelius Bennett again will demonstrate why the Rams should have jumped at the opportunity to get him in the three-way Eric Dickerson deal with the Bills and Indianapolis Colts. . . .

Some of the most boring plays will be scoring plays--conversions. . . .

If Buffalo wins, everyone will want to go to the no-huddle offense next season. . . .

If Dallas wins, everyone will want to trade a running back for a bunch of draft choices. . . .

A heavyweight fight will break out, but no punches will be landed. . . .

Emmitt Smith will rush for more yards, but Thurman Thomas will have more all-purpose yards. . . .

The Cowboys, who were able to sell out even the Coliseum and Sun Devil Stadium, will play in front of their 31st consecutive capacity crowd. . . .

Someone will wonder what happened to the flex defense. . . .

An official’s bum call will illustrate the need to return to instant replay, at least in the postseason. . . .

Scott Norwood will not be forgotten. . . .

The players will think they’re back in high school when they walk into the locker rooms. . . .

The team leading at halftime will win for the 20th time. . . .

Bob Trumpy will volunteer an opinion or two. . . .

The number of crimes in Dallas and Buffalo will dip. . . .

Nose tackle Jeff Wright of the Bills will make a name for himself. . . .

The Cowboy defense will be caught with 12, 13 or 14 men on the field at least once. . . .

NBC’s pregame show will last longer than the games did before the advent of TV timeouts. . . .

Coin-tosser O.J. Simpson, 45, will appear fit enough to step right into the Bills’ backfield. . . .

Souvenir program sales will be brisk, although the $10 price could have gotten you a choice seat at the Coliseum for Super Bowl I. . . .

Buffalo will win, 31-21. . . .

Darryl Talley won’t celebrate by taking in “The Bodyguard.”