European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 25, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Friday january 25,1991 the stars and stripes a a a Page 23super bowl xxv super bowl Security just like Seoul by Gary Nuhn Dayton Ohio daily news Tampa Welcome to Seoul. All that a missing is the South korean army outside my hotel. That a the parallel that immediately comes to mind As i sit and watch this great City get ready to defend itself for sundays super bowl. The 1988 olympics in Seoul were a Security Nightmare. The 1991 super bowl is gathering momentum. A. Or to put it another Way super bowl xxv should be a terrific experience for those of you fortunate enough to stay Home and watch it from your Den. This is the 91 super bowl and i fear big dime sports in America in the �?T90s six foot High Chain link fences around the stadium that is 50 feet outside the regular Hainlink Fence dynamite sniffing German shepherds huge Cement buttresses to fend off suicide trucks full of explosives Metal detectors and a Ray machines at every Gate and we have every reason to believe military helicopters in the air overhead. I came to see a football game and an anti terrorist class was in session. Sad. Remember when sports was innocent fun no longer. The Bills and giants meet sunday in a Tampa stadium fortified and re fortified and there will be nothing innocent about it. Alas the future is no brighter. Who a bold enough to predict that if we re still Silver l Kickoff 12 18 am monday an to Midnight sunday an radio 11 45 . Sunday Tele 5 11 40 . Sunday at War in the Middle East College basketball a final four will not also be pervaded with an advanced Case of hysteria a a a a the 2,500 Media people for the first time Ever at a super bowl wearing pictures of ourselves around our necks were inspected by hand held Metal detectors. A put your hands in the airs spread your legs. What a that in your pocket keys show them to me. Is that a wrist watch under your shirtsleeves show it to me. Turn on your tape circling above during once entire 3xh-hour session was a military helicopter. A every time you turn around a said giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor a a somebody a got a Security jacket he Wasny to exaggerating. My Only experience remotely similar was in Seoul where the Media and athletes living quarters were surrounded by 10-foot Chain link Fence topped by barbed wire with South korean army soldiers at the few Gates. They inspected our bags and we walked through Airport style Metal detectors every time. We had More soldiers in our lobby. At every event there wore More Metal detectors and our coded credentials were checked with a laser beam. Spectators went through two separate Security checks before they reached their seats one at a main Gate another at the stadium or Arena Complex itself. All manhole covers in Seoul were taped shut so Security personnel could readily see if they a been moved. At All venues impenetrable Cement blockades were in place and All delivery trucks or cars were stopped and searched including mirrors on dolls the soldiers rolled under vehicles to search for dynamite. In Tampa despite there being a not a single credible threat a according to Fri agent Allen Mcgreight the Security provisions have epic proportions. They Center mostly around sundays game but they also filter to the peripheral events that comprise a super bowl week a parades parties area wide festivals the mandatory flotilla. The stadium itself has been secured for the past week guarded Day and night searched and re searched. The lights Burn All night. Sunday spectators will not be allowed to bring m radios tvs cameras or Cam corders umbrellas bottles cans or any other containers. As of now a and that qualifying phrase can to be emphasized enough a binoculars will be allowed. All fans will pass through Metal detectors and there Are a Ray machines available. If they drive to the stadium they will have to open their trunks and the searches a May become More detailed if we so choose a said former Tampa police chief Bob Smith now the City s Public safety administrator. A about the Only thing you can carry in is a Blanket and if you do Well probably search that a is no to this a bit much a one reporter asked. A a a. A a a a a a. A a a a a a. A a a a. A i done to think so a Smith said. Smith said the City has asked the fed Cral aviation administration to declare the skies Over the stadium a a restricted during the game but he has not heard Back. A a a a a a. A a a what if they gave you such a ruling and someone violated the restriction he was asked. A a we have a contingency plan but i wont reveal it a he said. This is it must be assumed where the military helicopters come in. Outside the stadium Tampa police set. Jim Diamond Field commander for the City a bomb squad was working on How Best to strategically do ploy his men amongst the Cement barricades. A a in a prefer to be bored sunday a sgt. Diamond Busy with game plans players by Gerald Eskenazi. The new York times Tampa Fla. A Marv Levy was Happy wednesday As head coaches go. He had finished the Buffalo Bills game plan. Levy was the Only official no show of super bowl xxv when he skipped the mandatory Media Day on tuesday at Tampa stadium. That could have been a signal. In this most frenetic week for players and coaches everyone is on the Lookout for football people behaving in an Odd manner showing edginess or any frivolous behaviour. A Levy 62, like most coaches in the National football league is obsessive about his routine. He said wednesday that he had missed the Media Day activities because he was so Busy putting in his game plan a the strategy of offensive and defensive plays a that lie did no to realize what time it was. A a in be been coaching for 40 years a the coach said. A this is the game in be been preparing for All my life and in a not going to Cut any Corners for a a we re ready now a added the Gray haired Holder of a masters degree in history from Harvard. A there s not a Loose end and i feel a great sense of Relief knowing that.�?�,. While Levy was charting xes and of son tuesday Bill Parcells was bantering at Media Day. But the giants coach w Asnat shunning his game plan duties. A the giants were a Day ahead of the Bills in getting their strategies and tactics in place. That allowed the giants perhaps in a hurry up game plan to solve by fallow a hurry up offence to Start their meetings on tuesday when they got on the Field for a 1-hour, 45-minute practice without pads. The Bills did not hold their first meetings and practices until wednesday. Still that is their Normal routine wednesday starts the players week. The giants went into High gear much sooner than they usually do. Soon after they boarded their Victory charter flight sunday night in san Francisco their computer consultant Jon Berger began distributing papers by the score to All the coaches. Days earlier he printed out statistics on each of the Bills and the raiders the opponents in the american conference title game. Each Sheet contained such information As height and weight Speed Buffalo coach Marv Levy. Plans came before press conference records and tendencies and abilities. A i worked on the game plan about three hours on the plane ride a Parcells said. The team arrived at its Tampa hotel about 2 45 . Est monday and Parcells and his staff went to work at 7 . On the game plan. Even though the Bills were the Home team when they routed los Angeles on sunday they actually got in less work on monday than the giants who had flown across the country. A we usually have monday to get prepared Butic did no to said Levy. A monday was a lopsided the team travelled to Tampa on monday. Levy also indicated that the Bills might not have had on hand All the information they needed about the giants. A we did t know specifically who our opponent would be a he said. A your Quality control Guys did no to have it As a result the Bills had to extend their planning into tuesday. A we prepare a Levy said once again excusing his Media Day absence. A i Felt i was behind i Wasny to going to rationalize usually he said he puts in his game plans on tuesdays about noon the heavy work starts at 5 30 at night and it usually is finished by 10 . The leagues director of game operations Jan Van Duser said wednesday that he had telephoned Levy and asked his reason for missing the session. A i think on his behalf that he thought it was going to be a photo session Only a Van Duser said. A the was apologetic and realized the Gravity of what he had done. A a i think what he remembers about super bowls is sitting at a table in 1972 with Washington and he was. Marv Levy assistant coach and no one knew who he obviously the scope of the game has changed since then. Forrest Gregg who was the bengals coach for super bowl Xvi in 1982, Wras beside himself before the game. He became offended on the plane ride because several bengals secretaries flew on the team charter while his wife was in a commercial Airliner. A that bothered him ail week and it bothered him up to the game a a former bengals official said wednesday. The la gals lost to the 49crs, 26-21
