Meanwhile, in Other Football News . . .

The headline of Bob Oates’ latest commentary (Jan. 24) was so ridiculous that I had to have a look: “This Super Bowl Comes Down to Johnson Against Kelly.” Why? Because, according to Oates, Jim Kelly is “one of the NFL’s few complete quarterbacks,” while Jimmy Johnson is one of the three “top coaches of the last half-century.” And who are the other two? “By more or less common consent,” writes Oates, “Vince Lombardi and Bill Walsh.”

More or less common consent? Since when? What about Don Shula, who has won more games overall and been to more Super Bowls than any other coach? And what about Chuck Noll, who has won more Super Bowls than any other coach? Or even Joe Gibbs, who has won three Super Bowls with three different quarterbacks?

You mean Jimmy Johnson has already surpassed these giants in just a couple of years? Then answer me this: If he’s such a great coach, why couldn’t he win a game without Emmitt Smith at the start of this season?

As for Jim Kelly, remember that it was Frank Reich, not Kelly, who orchestrated the greatest comeback in NFL history last year, enabling the Bills to make it to the Super Bowl. As for this year, any quarterback could have been carried into the big game on the shoulders of Thurman Thomas.

ARNO KEKS

El Monte

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I am disappointed that Mike Downey failed to express extreme displeasure at the threats made against Joe Montana to disable him in the playoffs. This would really be no different than hitting him in the knee on his way home from practice. In both games Sunday, the quarterbacks were knocked out. Intentional disabling should be a criminal offense.

S. CAMPBELL

Pasadena

I really thought California had the opportunity to put a team in the Super Bowl until I saw the Dallas Cowboys beat the San Francisco 49ers.

The Cowboys were clearly superior. Why? Because the 49ers played like they were scared to death. I have never seen them so lackadaisical.

Did the Dallas coach psych them out with his guarantee? Sometimes cockiness does pay off. It must give a team confidence, something the 49ers seemed to lack last Sunday.

RICHARD STEFFA

Lawndale