ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, January 26, 1997 TAG: 9701280003
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-8 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: NEW ORLEANS
SOURCE: Knight-Ridder/Tribune
NEW ENGLAND players and coaches believe they can beat the point spread and the Green Bay Packers.
Is The Big Easy about to become Blowout City?
That's what many are expecting as tonight's Super Bowl game between the Green Bay Packers and New England Patriots draws near.
The Packers, considered the NFL's best team for most of the season, are 14-point favorites, and it's not hard to find people who think the point spread is conservative.
``Ninety percent of the people think we don't have a chance,'' said Bill Parcells, New England's coach. ``That makes it more challenging.''
And motivating.
``We want to go out and prove people wrong,'' said running back Curtis Martin.
The Patriots are defiantly embracing their underdog status. They don't believe they'll become the 13th consecutive AFC team to lose in the Super Bowl.
``Oddsmakers are people in the business of saying something so some illegal stuff [betting] can go on all over the country,'' said Patriots kick-returner Dave Meggett. ``It would be different if Vince Lombardi, Don Shula, Jimmy Johnson, Bill Parcells and Tom Landry sat down and decided on what the odds of the game were. If those guys said what they thought was going to happen, I would take some heed to it.
``But for some knucklehead in Las Vegas to say what our odds are, I don't give a [damn] about that.''
Other Patriots say much the same thing.
``We don't care what the critics write,'' said defensive end Willie McGinest. ``If we went by that, we wouldn't even be here. We're not here by luck. We didn't throw any Hail Marys to get here. Everybody we beat, we beat.
``I don't know what they [the Packers] are thinking over there, but this is not going to be an easy game. I don't care what anybody says.''
Packers running back Dorsey Levens said he's concerned that talk of a possible blowout will be an advantage for New England.
``If I was a Patriot and I was a 14-point underdog, I would be pretty upset,'' Levens said. ``This is the Super Bowl and they proved they belong here. I don't think the game will be that spread apart. It will be a lot closer than that.''
Just as you'd expect, that's how the Packers are handling their status as heavy favorites - praising the Patriots and downplaying the possibility of a one-sided game.
``The whole idea is incredible to me,'' said Green Bay defensive end Sean Jones. ``These oddsmakers come out and behave like actuaries. But the reality is we'll come out and face a very good, hungry football team.''
New England linebacker Chris Slade said the Patriots will have the luxury of being able to play loose.
``The pressure is on them,'' said the former Virginia star. ``They're expected to win. As far as most people are concerned, the Packers have already won the game.''
LENGTH: Medium: 64 lines ILLUSTRATION: GRAPHIC: Chart by AP.by CNB