MICHAEL KIRAL

Thoughts to ponder while waiting out the Super Bowl pregame show… With both the Baltimore and New York defenses ranking among the top five in the NFL this season, many are predicting a low scoring Super Bowl. But don’t be hasty to acquaint low scoring with boring. Some of the best and most memorable Super Bowls have been low scoring affairs. Witness New York’s 16-7 victory over Baltimore in Super Bowl III. Baltimore’s 16-13 win over Dallas in Super Bowl V. Pittsburgh’s 21-17 win over Dallas in Super Bowl X. San Francisco’s 20-16 win over Cincinnati in Super Bowl XXIII. The Giants’ 20-19 squeaker over Buffalo in XXV. And St. Louis’ 23-16 win over Tennessee last year. On the other hand, some of the highest scoring games have been over with before the fourth quarter started. Just look at San Francisco’s 49-26 win over San Diego in Super Bowl XXIX, the highest scoring Super Bowl to date. Dallas’ 52-17 demolishing of Buffalo in Super Bowl XXVII. Or the 49ers’ 55-10 win over Denver in Super Bowl XXIV.

Of course, if local fans get tired of all the defense during the game, they can pull out LSU game films from the 1998 and 1999 seasons.

Is it a omen that one of the Baltimore team buses sideswiped a police car before the team left Baltimore? Of course, the Ravens defense has been sideswiping quarterbacks all throughout the playoffs.

Is this 2001 or 1969? A New York figure (coach Jim Fassel) makes a famous boast, reminiscent of Broadway Joe Namath prior to Super Bowl III. And Tommy Agee, who was instrumental in the Mets upsetting the Orioles (there’s those two cities again) in the World Series that year, passed away this week.

Has there been a Super Bowl with two more unlikely quarterbacks? Maybe Chicago’s Jim Mcmahon and New England’s Tony Eason in Super Bowl XX. But at least McMahon was colorful and Eason was a member of the vaunted quarterback class of 1983.

Whatever happened to firing a coach before going out and looking for another one?

Quick now, name the highest-ranked seed left in the men’s draw of the Australian Open.

Quick now, name the leading money winner of the PGA Tour through this weekend’s event.

Pre-March Madness prediction. Duke versus Michigan State in the national championship game.

Mario Lemieux scored a hat trick the other night and has been selected to the All-Star game. Now, what was all that about needing time to get his legs after coming out of retirement?

Maybe Michael Jordan should think about coming out of retirement too. His old team, the Bulls, has the worst record in the NBA. His current team, the Wizards, has the second worst.

If Skip Bertman does for the athletic department what he did for baseball, watch out SEC.

Finally, life is good. Just 21 days left to Spring Training.