European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 21, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday january 21, 1992 the stars and stripes a Page 25super bowl xxvi big game fans face big chill by Laura Baenen Minneapolis a some folks in the land of 10,000 Frozen lakes Aren t woebegone at All Over Early predictions of sub Zero temperatures and several inches of Snow the Day before super bowl sunday. A there Are some people who would love to have it super cola and say a look How Hardy we Are a a National weather service forecaster Rich Naistat said. Nevertheless the twin cities bitter Winter reputation May keep away Many fans who show up for Sun Belt super bowls. Travel agents and tour group organizers say super bowl bookings Are Down some As much As 33 percent. One company offered employees a Choice Between a party in Hawaii or super bowl seats. Most wanted Hawaii. Tequila maker Jose Cuervo sold Cancun trips for folks who would rather be Beach Side to watch the super bowl on big screen televisions. A if you had a Choice of putting on a swimsuit or a Snow Parka which would you opt for a ads asked. Cuervo also plans an indoor a Beach party for those who insist on being in Minneapolis. It was the a we can copes attitude displayed by Minneapolis boosters that in 1989 finally won Over nil officials who twice before spurned the twin cities super bowl bid because of the areas Winter weather reputation. Minneapolis beat out Indianapolis Seattle and Detroit for the right to Host in 1992. Ten years ago Detroit hosted the last Northern City super bowl. Sleet slush and icy roads led to game Day traffic gridlock. Nil owners said they chose Minneapolis because of better indoor practice facilities and better airline Access. Former Vikings general manager Mike Lynn lobbied hard behind the scenes for Minneapolis while urging the nil to pick a Northern City every 10 to 12 years. Then again Minnesota was the Only bidder to use its governor and a . Senator As Pitchman and throw in St. Paul a annual Winter carnival As a Bonus. The carnival is celebrating the area As a Winter playground erecting a 17-Story ice Palace and hosting outdoor events such As car racing on ice. Out of town journalists Are being treated to an afternoon of snowmobiling and Cross country skiing. The Bald Eagle water ski club plans a half hour show highlighting three tier pyramids Barefoot and trick water skiing on the Mississippi River in Minneapolis. A a we re just kind of doing it to show what True minnesotans can do in our Winter weather a a said ski club member Libby Crooker. Organizers Are also holding indoor events in an Effort to make up for outdoor activities available at warmer Host locations. Those include parties in the Skyway Between downtown buildings and the nil experience. A theme Park in the Minneapolis convention Center will give fans a look at the nil through highlight films skill games a locker room replica pro player appearances and a card trading show. A a it a been fun to convince visitors we done tall leave for the Winter a Winter carnival spokeswoman Lois Glewwe said. That a not to say the weather is being Given a cold shoulder. In fact organizers have tried humor to generate enthusiasm among the super bowl bound. Newspaper ads featured a Sno plow As a official Pace car of the Winter  the carnival offered super bowl Ticke holders a $200 clothing package of Long underwear Turtleneck boots jacket Cap and gloves or mittens. Purchasers could donate the packages to homeless shelters after the game. About 500 packages have been sold mostly to ticket holders from Tampa fla., Dallas and other Southern cities. A it has been funny dealing with people who have never tried to come to the twin cities before a Glewwe said. A these tour group operators assumed people would absolutely freeze to  that a not altogether unreasonable. Since 1986, 12 people have Frozen to death in Minneapolis according to forensic pathologist Kathy Berg in the Hennepin county medical examiners office. Four of the deaths were in Early january. Nevertheless Berg said a we probably have fewer cases of hypothermia than Southern climates which Aren t As prepared for the cold weather As we  a University of Minnesota Duluth psychologist who has studied cold weather effects on people expects some fans to Over react. A i think what happens is  end up getting outfitted in four Denise Lunger walks across a Snow packed metro Doc parking lot. Early predictions for Minneapolis Call for frigid temperatures and several inches of Snow saturday. Down vests a said Richard Hoffman from the hypothermia research Laboratory. A a lot of them Are going to go from the Airport to a heated bus to a hotel. But they May go out dressed in mukluks and Reindeer hide and they re going to  still Southern super bowl fans genuinely will need to dress More warmly than minnesotans he said. Jim Steeg executive director of special events for the nil and. In charge of super bowl planning said travelling to Minnesota will be an educational experience for some nil staff members As Well As fans. A i heard one Guy saying you done to have to change Long underwear everyday like you do regular underwear a said Steeg. Chuckling. Area hotels had super bowl booklets with a Section on Quot avoiding the big  among the tips Don t Wear Metal earrings in the bitter  byner still haunted by big Fumble super bowl bound Earnest byner is still haunted by his Fumble in acc championship game four years ago. By Vito Stellino the Baltimore Sun Herndon a. A after Steve Sewell fumbled away the Denver Broncos comeback shot in the final 90 seconds of the acc title game against the Buffalo Bills on sunday he sat on the Bench with his head in his hands and then said after the game a this will probably bother me for the rest of my  after Sewell got Home and saw the play on television for the first time he did no to feel any better. A i just think about it Over and Over again. I done to know when this is going to Stop a he said. Earnest byner a Veteran running Back with the Washington redskins can feel empathy for Sewell. The same thing happened to him four years ago thursday when he was playing for the Cleveland Browns in the acc title game against the Broncos. His Fumble on the Denver 3 with 67 seconds left Cost the Browns a shot at the tying touchdown and a shot at playing the redskins in the super bowl. After he was traded to Washington three years ago. He said of the Fumble a it will never go  byner though w ent a Long Way toward putting it behind him sunday when the redskins made super bowl xxvi against the Bills with their rout of the Detroit Lions in the pfc title game. For some of the redskins veterans the trip will he their fourth. For byner it will be his first lie May appreciate it More than they do. Quot i realized i might not get another Chance a he said. Last week even coach Joe Gibbs said that Byners Quot bitter experiences Quot in the past were one of the Many poignant stories on the redskins Side going into the game. The Browns lost Back to Back of cd title games to the Broncos in january 1987 and january 1988. I he first one featured drive i a John Elway a 98-Yard touchdown drive a though byner missed the second half of that season with an ankle injury and did no to carry the Ball in the loss to the Broncos. Last week byner declined requests for interviews. But he stalking this week now that he a reached the super bowl. The Way we lost those games was heartbreaking a he said a but its just something you be got to build character on. One thing 1 had to do was a lot of soul searching on my past for a Long  byner. Who once said that fans brought up the Fumble even when he was on a vacation in Europe two years ago. Likes to put it in the past now. He insists his misfortunes did no to make the super bowl any sweeter just getting there was enough. A being in Cleveland had nothing to do with it. I m a Redskin. Its special because we played darn Good Ball and we worked real hard to gel to the Levei of being accepted As one of the Best in the league