Sal Defilippo: Extra week provides time for Super trivia

Friday, Jan. 17, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

ALOT OF TIME will be spent this weekend watching past game tapes, studying the paths taken by New England and Green Bay toward next weekend's Super Bowl.

Searching for weaknesses, reviewing strengths. Dissecting matchups and looking for any edge to be found.

After all, what else am I supposed to do Sunday? Good thing I had my VCR working overtime this season.

There's one good thing about this weekend -- for the first time since September, I won't be giving out incorrect picks. This is the true purpose of the additional week leading up to the big game -- to give people like me extra time to ensure we don't win.

With the growing popularity of the proposition wager -- who wouldn't want to bet on who will punt first in the third quarter? -- there are even more opportunities for financial loss.

In the meantime, sharpen your gridiron skills with this assortment of Super Bowl-related trivia.

1. The best chance the Patriots have of avoiding defeat in Super Bowl XXXI and extending a 12-year losing streak by the AFC is to a find a way to stop:

A. The fierce pass rush of all-time NFL sack leader Reggie White.

B. The dynamic kickoff and punt returns of Desmond Howard.

C. The coin toss.

2. With each touchdown pass, Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre is likely to jump:

A. Into the arms of celebrating teammates.

B. Into the arms of cheering Packers fans in the end zone.

C. Into a higher tax bracket.

3. The most boring, predictable occurrence connected with the Super Bowl usually is:

A. The extended pregame show.

B. The hundreds of commercials.

C. The second half.

4. Ticket-holding fans from Wisconsin traveling to the game will be wondering:

A. How much it will snow in the Superdome.

B. What the plus sign means on the thermometer.

C. How to get to Oklahoma in time for the game.

5. The ones that the Packers will hit the hardest if they build a big lead:

A. Drew Bledsoe and Curtis Martin.

B. Ben Coates and Dave Meggett.

C. All Las Vegas sports books.

6. During most of the fourth quarter, Patriots coach Bill Parcells will be:

A. Demanding better calls from the referees.

B. Demanding better play from his defensive secondary.

C. Demanding about $30 million for 10 years.

7. The group assigned to watching every move of quarterbacks Favre and New England's Drew Bledsoe, keeping them contained and not allowing them to scramble around are:

A. Defensive coordinators.

B. Middle linebackers.

C. The media.

8. The biggest symbol of cheesy ongoings at the Superdome will be:

A. Patriots owner Robert Kraft.

B. The sea of Packers faithful donning the increasingly popular cheesehead.

C. The Fox pregame show.

9. Now that they are out of the playoffs, the five words most often heard by Dallas Cowboys will be:

A. Super Bowl team on decline.

B. America's Team looks to rebound.

C. Will the defendant please rise.

10. Green Bay is also known as Titletown, a moniker stemming from the team's heyday in the 1960s, when the immortal Vince Lombardi roamed the sidelines. An accurate moniker for Meadowlands, N.J., home of the New York Jets, would be:

A. Subtitletown.

B. House of Extreme Pain.

C. The House that Kotite Built.

In the postseason

Otis Smith's fumble return for a touchdown in the final three minutes gave New England a two-touchdown win, eliminating a tie against the spread for me and an 0-2 week. With only Super Bowl XXXI remaining, I'm 4-6 against the spread in the playoffs, and 7-3 straight-up.

The line for Super Bowl XXXI has cemented itself at 14 for the bulk of the opening week, with the over/under slowly dropping toward 50.

Anyone know the odds on getting a ticket to New Orleans -- and the game -- cheap?