QUICK KICKS

* LET THE HYPE BEGIN: With the chances of a Kansas City-San Francisco Super Bowl increasing every weekend, we thought we’d give Randy Cross a call.

Cross, former 49er offensive lineman who played with both Joe Montana and Steve Young, was asked what he thought of a Super Bowl matching the former teammates.

“It would be one of the most, if not the most, anticipated Super Bowls ever,” said Cross, now a CBS analyst. “It would be a best-case scenario. It would be perfect during a year when all these people are blasting the league.”

Cross said, however, that delight in the game would not be unanimous.

“If there was one person who would be against it, it would be Steve Young,” Cross said. “The whole thing wouldn’t be fair to Steve, who has finally escaped Montana’s shadow. No matter what he does, he will go into this game as the other quarterback.”

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* FIVE INTERCEPTIONS? AW, THAT’S NOTHING: Drew Bledsoe can be comforted that his terrible performance in the New England Patriots’ 17-14 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers was not the worst thing that ever happened to a touted rookie quarterback:

--Troy Aikman once lined up behind a guard.

--Steve Young was once sacked so deep in the snow, his helmet was packed with it and he couldn’t breath.

--David Klingler once threw a 10-yard pass backward .

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* KELLY’S REVENGE: Will Wolford, All-Pro offensive tackle with the Indianapolis Colts, will is sidelined for the final four games of the season because of a partial tear of his right rotator cuff but the injury has little to do with the Colts.

It is believed he injured the shoulder while trying to make a tackle after Jim Kelly had thrown an interception last year when Wolford played for the Buffalo Bills.

An earlier shoulder injury that forced him to start this season at less than full strength was also caused when he was trying to make a tackle after an interception by Kelly in last January’s Super Bowl.

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* FEARLESS: Our final toast this week goes to Ronnie Harris, rookie free agent wide receiver of the New England Patriots.

When Harris was activated last week, he became the first Patriot receiver to wear No. 84 since Darryl Stingley, who was paralyzed in August of 1978. Every other Patriot receiver since then has avoided the number as if it were haunted.

“I’ve heard a lot about him and I know he was a great receiver,” Harris told reporters of Stingley. “I know the number is something special. Maybe I can do something that will make him proud.”

Perhaps he already has.