Giants Have Created a Monster

Raymond Berry, New England Patriot coach, picks Denver over Cleveland for the AFC title and New York over Washington in the NFC. In the Super Bowl, he likes the Giants.

“Playing in Cleveland definitely is an advantage for the Browns,” he said, “but Denver is a very resourceful team. I pick Denver, but I think it’s going to be close.”

Can the Broncos beat the Giants at Pasadena?

“Not the Giants that played Sunday,” he said. “You can select a Pro Bowl team and they couldn’t have beaten those Giants.

“Right now, there’s no doubt the New York Giants look like Godzilla. I would have hated to have been out there against them the other day.”

Add Giants: Their humiliation of the San Francisco 49ers was so devastating that some of the players didn’t know how to handle it.

“I almost feel bad,” guard Billy Ard said. “We scored so many times . . . kicking all those extra points. They’re normal guys like us. You feel like saying something--but what? Good game?

“Forty-nine to three. Wow. It’s so anticlimactic. I’d almost feel better if we had won, 17-3. That wasn’t even a real football game.”

Joe Morris, after gaining only 14 yards against San Francisco on the grass at Candlestick Park, gained 159 yards Sunday on the artificial turf at Giants Stadium.

“He’s a much better runner on artificial turf,” 49er cornerback Tim McKyer said. “He’s a step faster and he makes quicker cuts.”

Joe’s brother, Jamie Morris of Michigan, gained 210 yards against Ohio State on the artificial surface at Columbus.

On the grass in the Rose Bowl, where the Super Bowl will be played, he gained 47 yards.

Trivia Time: Why was journeyman pitcher Don Rudolph something of a celebrity? (Answer below.)

Now-it-can-be-told dept.: Wellington Mara, co-owner of the New York Giants, told the New York Times: “I offered Tom Landry the head coaching job in 1959, but he wanted to return to Texas. He was our backfield coach. Vince Lombardi already had left our staff to go to Green Bay. When I let Lombardi go, I told the Green Bay people that I wanted the right to get him back. They said yes. But when he turned out so well they forgot they had that conversation with me. Vinnie wanted to come back here, but he also worried that he was walking out on a commitment.”

Question: Can you visualize any of the Giants trying to douse Lombardi with Gatorade at the end of game?

Clip and Save: Said University of Alabama President Joab Thomas, defending the hiring of Bill Curry as the new football coach despite his losing record at Georgia Tech and his lack of ties to Alabama: “Two years from now, when we win the national championship, a lot more people will be applauding it--and looking for someone like him.”

Former boxing champion Alexis Arguello, asked about the Marvelous Marvin Hagler-Sugar Ray Leonard fight, told the Chicago Tribune: “I pray to God that Sugar Ray does not get hurt. There’s no way he can beat Marvin Hagler.”

Trivia Answer: He was married to Patti Waggin, an exotic dancer.

Quotebook

Washington Coach Joe Gibbs, on Sunday’s game against the New York Giants for the NFC title: “I know one thing, we won’t be overconfident.”