Columnist Sal DeFilippo: Rolling Stones tour a good sign for 49ers

Sal DeFilippo

Friday, Dec. 26, 1997 | 8:17 a.m.

Some things about football seem to last forever, and become particularly noticeable during the postseason. Things that continue year after year, with no slowing down in sight.

John Elway's arm, for example. And Jimmy Johnson's hairspray. John Madden's mouth. The Rolling Stones.

OK, you're probably thinking I've been hitting the egg nog a little too much this week. True, but that's not the reason I'm drawing a connection between the ageless rock 'n' roll outfit and the National Football League.

You see, the Stones have a peculiar and coincidental mesh with, believe it or not, the San Francisco 49ers. The last three years the Stones have toured in the United States -- 1984, 1989 and 1994 -- the 49ers have won the Super Bowl the following January. If you weren't aware of their November date at the MGM Grand, or their closing show in February at The Joint inside the Hard Rock, take notice: Mick and the boys have been on the road in 1997.

This can't give any satisfaction to the other 11 playoff qualifiers, eight of which are in action this weekend. In fact, it's enough to make a grown man cry. It may leave a few teams' hopes shattered. But for San Francisco fans, it's a gas, gas, gas.

Especially when you consider this: the Niners have home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs, and that conference has provided the Super Bowl champion for 13 consecutive seasons.

It's just another good sign for a club that must face the music without Jerry Rice in their bid to win Super Bowl XXXII.

The first What's Their Line contest concluded with Sunset Station Sports Book Director Rob Terry finishing with an impressive 31-19-1 mark against the spread to win with a fictitious bankroll of $34,300.

The five contestants -- Terry, Imperial Palace Sports Book Director Jay Kornegay, and oddsmaker/sports analysts Dave Cokin, Jackie Dell and Mike Lee -- each began the season with a fake $20,000 and selected between one and four games against the spread each week, with a wager ranging from $1,100 to $5,500.

Dell also surpassed the $30,000 mark, and Cokin finished strong to end up with more than $28,000.

Kornegay finished four games better than .500 for the year, and Lee rallied from a slow start to win more than half of his picks over the second half of the season.

It was a smooth contest, although not perfect -- one week I calculated Cokin's earnings wrong, one week I had Dell with a pick that wasn't supposed to be his, and last week I had one of Terry's picks reversed -- but my thanks to all five participants.

FOR THE SEASON

The Packers covered as the best play last week, putting me at 9-8 on best bets for the year. The 8-7 mark against the spread (12-3 straight-up) wasn't so bad.

Best of the bunch: 9-8

Against the spread: 107-122-9

Over/unders: 112-123-3

Straight up: 145-92-2

WILD-CARD GAMES

NEW YORK GIANTS -4 vs. Minnesota, under 37 -- Former UNLV standout Randall Cunningham has had some memorable moments against the G-men -- remember that Monday night game where he somehow bounced out of a Carl Banks tackle, got back to his feet and threw a touchdown pass? Cunningham also has had a 91-yard punt, the third-longest in NFL history, against New York. But those oddities were in his heyday with the Philadelphia Eagles. Cunningham has performed sufficiently in relief of injured starter Brad Johnson, but the Giants appear to be a team of destiny. Jim Fassel was recognized this week as the NFL's top coach, and deservedly so. But almost overlooked is the emergence of Danny Kanell, and he shines in the playoff spotlight Saturday.

Prediction: New York Giants 17, Minnesota 10.

JACKSONVILLE +8 at Denver, under 47 -- Everyone remembers how the Jaguars stunned the Broncos with a 30-27 win in the divisional playoffs last year. Denver was favored by 14 points in that contest. While Jacksonville has spent much of this season proving that last year's uprising was no fluke, the Broncos watched Kansas City snatch home-field advantage away from them. But Denver's defensive unit added ex-Chiefs star Neil Smith and has done an excellent job all season. Too many points to pass up, but Denver does get revenge from last season's upset.

Prediction: Denver 24, Jacksonville 17.

DETROIT +2 1/2 at Tampa Bay, under 38 1/2 -- Is there anyone out there who doesn't know what the key to this game will be? For those who doubt the impact Barry Sanders will have on this game, here are a few telling statistics: On Sept. 7, the Buccaneers held Sanders to 20 yards on 10 carries. That's like holding Dom Deluise to an appetizer. Tampa Bay won 24-17, and Detroit scored in the closing seconds just to make it that close. That was the last game in which Sanders didn't rush for more than 100 yards. In a matchup several weeks later, he had 215 yards, including touchdown runs of 80 and 82 yards. Detroit won handily, and that game is more the norm against Tampa Bay. In 17 career games against the Buccaneers, Sanders has 1,998 yards against the Buccaneers, more than any other team and an average of 117.5 yards per game. Expect more of the same on Sunday.

Prediction: Detroit 21, Tampa Bay 13.

NEW ENGLAND -4 1/2 vs. Miami, over 41 1/2 -- There was such a focus last week on the absence of a New England running game without injured Curtis Martin that everyone forgot about the same season-long problem in Miami. Despite Jimmy Johnson's commitment to launch a running attack, the Dolphins have little success on the ground. And in the Foxboro cold, that could be disastrous.

Prediction: New England 30, Miami 16.