Despite the NFL's popularity, the Super Bowl brings lots of viewers to the tube who may not have seen another pro football game the entire season.
From a television standpoint, here are a few things to look for in Sunday's broadcast on NBC (Ch. 2):- The two-hour pregame show (2 p.m.), which will feature not only the endless dronings of Jim Lampley, Bob Costas, Mike Ditka and Joe Gibbs but entertainment from Gladys Knight and Charlie Daniels.
- The commercials. Really. The Super Bowl is when a lot of high-priced, high-concept ad campaigns are launched.
- The national anthem, performed by Natalie Cole.
- The country music halftime extravaganza, featuring Clint Black, the Judds, Travis Tritt and Tanya Tucker.
As for the game itself (4 p.m.), here are a few key questions to be answered:
- Will Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman be fully recovered from the concussion that knocked him out of last week's NFC championship game - and knocked him more than a little bit goofy?
- Can Buffalo hold Dallas running back Emmitt Smith under 100 yards rushing?
- Can Buffalo hold Dallas under 50 points? (The Bills lost to the Cowboys 52-17 last season.)
- Can the Bills establish a running game - keeping the ball away from the Cowboy offense?
- Can the Bills hold onto the ball? They suffered nine - count 'em, nine - turnovers in last year's Super Bowl blowout.
- Can Dallas' Leon Lett hold onto the ball until he's in the end zone? (Lett, you may recall, was the dope who didn't quite make it last year in what is perhaps the most humiliating moment in Super Bowl history.)
- Will Dallas coach Jimmy Johnson's lacquered-on hairdo survive another Gatorade shower?
- In the event of a fourth-straight Super Bowl defeat, will Buffalo fans still be holding up those "Wait 'til next year" banners?
Grab the chips and dips, plop down in front of the tube and watch for the answers to these and many other questions.