Nostradamus' 1999 Prediction at Least Means No Exhibitions

By T.J. SIMERS

Jan. 12, 1999 12 AM PT

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. —

A review of the NFL playoff weekend, and while he’s not saying it will be the last Super Bowl ever played, quarterback Randall Cunningham, like Nostradamus, said there are signs indicating the world might soon end.

“The Bible says no one knows the time or the date,” said the Vikings’ quarterback. “Not even the Son--only the Father knows--so I can’t claim to know myself [when the world will end]. But that’s a very good question and all I can hope is that everyone’s life is ready.”

Nostradamus, in 1555, predicted the end of the world in the eighth month of 1999, which probably makes it a moot point who replaces Marty Schottenheimer as coach in Kansas City.

Former Dallas Cowboy Duane Thomas once said if the Super Bowl is so big, how come they play it every year?

“Well, this would make it the ultimate game,” said an NFL spokesman. “But I hope [Nostradamus is] not right.”

After losing in four previous Super Bowl games, the folks in Minnesota were only kidding when they said the world would end the day the Vikings finally win one, but Cunningham didn’t seem to be joking.

“I read the Bible and there have been so many prophetic things that have come true--even this year,” he said. “It says the Gospel is going to be preached in every nation in every language . . . and the Super Bowl offers the platform.”

The NFL says the Super Bowl will reach an audience of 800 million and will be broadcast or televised to almost 190 countries in 17 languages.

“I have to tell you, God will use that to show people who He is,” said Cunningham, saying God entered his life in 1995, thereby allowing him later to return to football after a year of installing counter tops.

” . . . There’s something going to happen that’s very, very powerful. It’s no coincidence that we’re going into a new millennium. It’s no coincidence that our president is being persecuted. It’s all biblical. If you just search the Scriptures, you’ll see all these things happened . . . wars, the famines, the plagues, the earthquakes, all those things have already taken place, so it’s just the birth pains [of Armageddon].”

Apparently, this year’s Super Bowl really will be “do or die.”

The Garbage Man

Miami Coach Jimmy Johnson had posted Denver tight end Shannon Sharpe’s suggestion that the Broncos were 10-14 points better than the Dolphins on the team bulletin board.

“Any alley cat can always go through the trash can and find some scraps,” retorted Sharpe, who won’t have to worry about playing the Dolphins again if Cunningham is right.

“How does it feel to have the Super Bowl at your house and you’re not invited?” asked Sharpe about the Dolphins and this year’s Super Bowl to be played in Pro Player Stadium. “We’ll need Jimmy Johnson’s office to watch videotape.”

As for Miami quarterback Dan Marino, Sharpe said, “Don’t ask me about Dan Marino. I don’t talk about losers.”

In something of a surprise, the Broncos said they were downright peeved about all the trash-talking before the game, citing it as yet another motivation.

“Talk is cheap,” said Denver Coach Mike Shanahan, although it was the Broncos, notably Sharpe, doing all the gabbing.

Us Against Whom?

The Broncos offered some insight into how Shanahan prepares his team for the playoffs. Defensive back Tyrone Braxton said, “We put it back in the face of all the people who doubted us. We were ticked. We played the game with a huge chip on our shoulders.”

Quarterback John Elway said, “People had been jumping off the bandwagon. The doubters had been coming from everywhere.”

Center Tom Nalen said, with a straight face, “No one really gave us a shot to play a good game.”

Added Shanahan, “Our backs were against the wall.”

Doubters? Jumping off the bandwagon? Backs against the wall? The Broncos, fresh off a bye and at home where they had won 30 of their last 32 games, opened as 11-point favorites to beat the Dolphins and the line swelled to 13 by game time because no one thought Miami had a chance.

Ditto

The same technique has been used all season by Minnesota Coach Dennis Green, who has his players believing no one ever believed in them.

“Going back to July 29 and the start of training camp, most people had Green Bay picked to win the division, followed by Tampa Bay, with most people then having Detroit, then us and Chicago,” Green said.

Hey, get over it.

But no, that has become the playoff cliche for the Vikings: We don’t get any respect.

“I don’t think Atlanta respects our record,” said wide receiver Randy Moss, coming to this insightful conclusion just minutes after beating Arizona. “If they saw this game, they probably won’t still respect us.”

Do these guys really believe this nonsense? Minnesota is 16-1, has the best record in the NFL, and after the first quarter against the Cardinals had controlled the ball for 14 minutes 6 seconds. The Cardinals ran three plays in 54 seconds.

“Oh, I’ve seen the Vikings,” said Atlanta running back Jamal Anderson. “They’ve got commercials: Cheerios, Nintendo. . . . You can’t help but see them.”

There you go. Anybody who does commercials is going to be respected.

Not Everyone’s Listening

Moss is young, of course, so he still listens to the coach, but other Vikings were having none of that “We respect Atlanta” kind of talk.

“Once we get into our groove, playing our A-plus game, you can’t beat us,” said Viking defensive back Jimmy Hitchcock.

Said tight end Andrew Glover, “When we’re at home, we’re impossible to beat. Only the Vikings can truly beat the Vikings.”

Word out of Atlanta late Monday was that the Falcons still intend to go to Minnesota.

Best Headlines

The St. Paul Pioneer Press greeted Monday morning readers with the headline: “Bye-Bye, Birdies,” which can be used again next week if Minnesota beats the Falcons.

The Denver Post’s description of the Broncos’ victory over Miami: “Fish Rapped.”

As Suspected

Several Jacksonville Jaguars will now be considered for leading roles in the reconstitution of the Three Stooges.

Safety Chris Hudson, running with a fumble recovery, decided to lateral the ball to teammate Dave Thomas in hopes of avoiding being tackled by Jet quarterback Vinny Testaverde. Testaverde isn’t that scary unless he’s throwing the ball.

“Just a foolish mistake. A dumb mistake,” said Jacksonville Coach Tom Coughlin, apparently unable to decide whether it was foolish or dumb or both.

Asked what Hudson was trying to do, Coughlin said, “I wish I knew.”

Later he was just as perplexed by the decision-making of Donovin Darius, who intercepted one of Testaverde’s passes in the end zone, then tried to run it out, getting stopped inside the one-yard line.

“I don’t know what he was thinking,” Coughlin said.

But Darius explained, providing a classic the-dog-ate-my-homework excuse.

“When I caught the ball, I collided with Keith Byars. I jumped up and my eyes were kind of blurred. I didn’t know where I was. It was a natural reaction to try and run.”

Darius might want to keep running to avoid Coughlin.

A Compliment?

Falcon Coach Dan Reeves stood on the sideline after undergoing heart bypass surgery only a few weeks ago, and Falcon wide receiver Terance Mathis said, “It was good to have him back, even if he was just his semi-self.”

Those familiar with Reeves agreed with Mathis’ assessment. When the officials made a controversial call against Atlanta, Reeves got angry, but he wasn’t himself.

“The vein wasn’t sticking out of his neck,” said Jim Saccomano, the Broncos’ senior public relations director who knew Reeves in his Bronco-coaching days.

Davis Got Lucky

Running back Derek Loville, giving Terrell Davis a breather, ran 11 yards for a touchdown to give Denver a 21-3 lead. Matt Lepsis, subbing for injured tackle Tony Jones, was so excited that he raced across the end zone and body-slammed Loville, hitting him harder than any Dolphin had all day.

Loville dropped to the ground, while Lepsis went skipping back to the huddle, oblivious to what he had done until told later by teammates.

“I went up to Loville later and apologized,” said Lepsis, a former tight end at the University of Colorado, who went undrafted in 1997. “I didn’t mean to flatten him.”

Had that been Davis, the NFL’s MVP and Denver’s ticket to Super Bowl XXXIII, Lepsis might be looking for work today.

Cinderella or TV Downer?

The nation awaits a thrilling whoever-has-the-ball-last Super Bowl between Denver and Minnesota, unless Atlanta or the New York Jets spoil the excitement.

“Who’d have thunk it, huh?” said Atlanta safety Eugene Robinson, who played in the last two Super Bowls with Green Bay. “The Atlanta Falcons might go to the Super Bowl. Wouldn’t that be a great story?”

Great story, but probably a dull Super Bowl.

And Finally

Green mentioned it several times after beating the Cardinals: “When you’ve come this far, you’ve got to be able to smell it.”

The Viking locker room had a peculiar odor, but no different from any other locker room.

“We smell it,” Green said.

Does anyone else smell it?

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Super Bowl XXXIII

NFL Playoffs

First Round

Jacksonville: 25

New England: 10