European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 25, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 32 the stars and stripes sports mar Fay a tills keeping it Bland this week aim to subtract distractions by Timothy w. Smith the new York times the week leading up to the super bowl is an endless. Hoopla abounds. Players find themselves the i Fern m a a a _ a _ _ m. A carnival re a a featured performers on a rather Large stage and some feel compelled to entertain. Its become customary for a player or two to do or say something outlandish to keep the festivities rolling along and make the participants bigger than the game a at least for a Day. New York Jet quarterback Joe Namath guaranteed a Victory Over the Baltimore Colts in super bowl Iii in 1969. Los Angeles Raider defensive lineman John Paluszak violated the teams curfew to hit the bars and abuse the patrons in new Orleans French Quarter before super bowl Xiv in 1981. The there was Chicago bears quarterback Jim Mcmahon who insult cd most of the women in new Orleans and bared his rear to a camera in a Hocti copter that buzzed the team s practice in the Days leading up super bowl xxx in 1986. The coaches Catl these creative gestures distractions for everyone else its  Bills kept us entertained at last year s super bowl right up through the beginning of the game when running Back Thurman Thomas could not find ids helmet and missed the first two plays those looking for someone to play Llumi Liitt Kelly at super bowl xxvii better turn a Callnn Trini it Smith. The Bills say they Arentt Gin an for anyone this year. The Bills have gone from bad Hoys to Miami Hoys for the week heading into their Gumc against the cowboys sunday at Pasadena. Be Bill quarterback Jim Kelly. The never been one to pump up the other team so they could put something on the chalkboard a a this team has matured enough to know exactly what it takes to get prepared for the game. That a one of the big pluses this  in the mathematics of the Bills it s addition by subtraction. They feel that by taking away the distractions they might be better Able to beat the cowboys and win their first super Bowlin three consecutive attempts. What kind of distractions did the Bills entangle themselves with at last years super bowl Here arc a few commentary samples a Bill offensive coordinator Ted Marchibroda Calls quarterback Jim Kelly the Michael Jordan of the Buffalo team. Running Back Thurman Thomas then the leagues All purpose yardage Leader for three consecutive years takes it As a slight of his talents. T a Thomas skips a mandatory press conference saying that he left the area after waiting in an adjacent room to be summoned to appear on the podium following Michael jord. Or Jim Kelly. To Kilt time Thomas says he goes Back to his hotel room to make some personal phone Calls and forgets to return to the ballroom where the interviews were being conducted t a Chuck Dickerson the Bills defensive line coach jokingly refers to the Washington redskins offensive linemen As knuckle dragging neanderthals. The hogs As the Washington linemen arc affectionately known take umbrage and use Dickerson a characterization to help motivate themselves for the game. Dickerson ends up being fired a few Days after the redskins steamroll the Bills. A defensive end Bruce Smith talks of the hate mail he has received almost All of it tinged with racist com mints and most of it postmarked in Buffalo. He says the mail was sent to him during the regular season while he tried to play and recover from knee surgery. He says he thinks no would like to leave Buffalo. But a year later Smith is still there playing very Well and this week he will again be Back at the super bowl. In looking Back he said he did not consider his remarks about the hate mail to have been tantamount to Quot dropping a  Quot i consider that speaking my mind especially being an african american a he said. He thinks the super bowl will be a lot quieter for the Bills this time although he  Rule out the possibility of some incendiary comments coming from himself or his teammates. Quot i can to predict that a Smith said. A i m just saying we re going to let our play speak for itself and go from there. Among the Bills players there is some question whether the things that happened leading up to the game against Washington last year actually Wor against Buffalo. Una Ayat a Asadena. Game against Washington last year actually worked a a we be Learned that nothing is Giulo come of being against Buffalo. Erv verbal which people have been in the past a said a if the things that happened before the super bowl ill quarterback Jim Kelly. A a in be never been one to pump had happened and we won nobody would have said d inc Lher tune in Jihnu Mitil Mil in ilm ant Kama n it i i. Bill receiver Don Beebe Isnit As certain As Jackson. A i remember being on the bus and going Back and Forth to the hotel and players were talking about the things that were going on a Beebe said. Quot and if they were talking about them obviously they were on their minds i m sure it could have been a  Bills coach Marv Levy has already lectured his team on his views on proper super bowl interview etiquette Bills Bruce Smith revealed hafe Road to hoi Tor a gentler quieter super in of Witk Obj by. And behaviour a i spoke to them and gave them Ceram a Leonej a Levy said �?o1 sat a these Are Sogg Esfeld a amp amp amp a help your own image and help you Feam Maou Yoor Demeanour is important a under Levy s guidelines being  re  this is How Thomas should respond when asked for the 150th time about losing his helmet right before she Start of last years super bowl a Well in be played without my helmet before a to Lhatt a pr3hl/why 1 misplaced it. But that was in super bowl xxx of again is the Redskin. Us . In be forgotten about if. This is super Bow a Zwy against the cowboys. Pm Happy to be  it s nothing that will carry a Banner head me the cd Day. And that a what Levy wants. Buffalo upset Dallas last time a 8 years ago by Ducky Gleason Buffalo n y. A Greg Bell ripped off an 85-Yard run on the first play of the game and the Buffalo Bills Hung to beat the Dallas cowboys 14-3 a Over eight years ago. Different teams different limes. The last time the Bills and cowboys played Buffalo was a season loser dropping its first 11 games on the Way to its second straight 2-14 record. The cowboys meanwhile were not Only americans team but could have made a pitch to be buffaloes team As Well. Football fans in Buffalo were looking for any team that had a Chance to win a super bowl hours before the game thousands of fans roared into Rich stadium to watch their favorite team a the Dallas cow boys beat up on the Bills. Dallas in fact lost three of the rett seemed when the game started mailing five games to finish 9-7 and miss there were More people cheering for the playoffs. Dallas than cheering for us a Bill Offen a it was the most mortifying game in save lineman Tim Voglr said after the our history a lineman John Dutton said. F. The Bills lost three of their final four Dallas played its Best game of the sea games but most of the 74,391 fans re son in beating the by. Louis cardinals the member beating big d. It was buffaloes week before and shared the pfc East highest attendance figure of the season Lead with Washington pm Rutcher and Darryl Talley Are the the Bills had lost 13 straight and 15 of Only Bills remaining from the 1984 team 16, and had t won a Home game in More that included Joe Ferguson and fullback than a year. They were 10-Point under Booker Moore and speedy Neal Moore dogs and admittedly Over matched against was dubbed a Booker less Quot by bilk do the cowboys. And was quickly out of football. Neal broke the third longest run played that season under coach Kay by in Bills history on an off tackle play on the first play from scrimmage. Dallas never recovered and Bell went on to gain 206 Yards in 27 carries. Henson and Hasni to been heard from since. He Only three players on Dallas roster who remain Are Jim Juffcoat or Bates and Mark Tuinei Iti Ivaz d it cd sparingly Bates is on injured Reserve and Tuinei has played More games than any offensive player. A roster that included Danny inns Fony Dor sett and Bandy wet Han on been replaced by Troy Aikman j a nov n Smith and Russell Maryland. Jim Kelly was a Rookie Nua Fenack of the Houston gamblers of Fine l7/d when Buffalo faced Dallas on Nom i it 1984, and Frank Reich was too on loud nine after rallying the Maryland 7 pins to a shockmgf42-4-> rat Var our Miami Hurricane and the ?.rny a coach Jimmy Johnson to week.  was finish my  High a Var it i a get c hgr shoos phenomenon m Ion. 7 a y # /