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Saturday Morning News

Who Has the Edge Going Into Sunday's Super Bowl?

Aired January 29, 2000 - 9:47 a.m. ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Tomorrow is the big day, Super Bowl XXXIV kicks off at the Georgia Dome just down the street from us here at the CNN Center.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: It's a good thing there's roof there, isn't there?

PHILLIPS: Oh, yes.

O'BRIEN: In a sense, the Super Bowl has been around a lot longer than either of the teams who will play tomorrow.

PHILLIPS: Confused? Well, don't be. NFL analyst Ron Meyer is with us this morning to answer all your Super Bowl questions. And you can still phone in, the phone number is 404-221-1855, or you can send it by e-mail...

O'BRIEN: Naah, don't bother with that, it's too late.

PHILLIPS: Don't bother -- not -- no e-mail?

O'BRIEN: Too late, too late. I won't be able to get it..

PHILLIPS: All right, forget it. Stick to the phone calls. We've got enough e-mails. Here we go.

O'BRIEN: And let's get right to it. Ron Meyer, former head coach with Indianapolis and with the Patriots as well.

Good to see you, sir.

RON MEYER, NFL ANALYST: Good morning, Miles.

O'BRIEN: Always a pleasure.

MEYER: Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Good morning.

MEYER: Good to be here.

O'BRIEN: Yes, let's get right to the e-mail, shall we? This is a good question. We -- it sort of relates to the weather, as a matter of fact, and the dome issue. This comes from Corey. "Ron, do you think Super Bowl teams of today are softer than those of yesteryear? There's a storm that could make for a great game, but the teams get to play inside in a heated dome. Remember those games of the AFL-NFL era?"

MEYER: Well, Miles, I'm a purist, like Corey, perhaps. And I loved the old Ice Bowl, where, you know, the Dallas against Green Bay up there in Green Bay. Kyra, you're -- you spent a couple years up there.

PHILLIPS: That's right.

MEYER: And great story there. But I don't think the teams are any softer by any means. In fact, they're probably stronger, bigger, faster, stronger. You've heard that for years. So you're going to see teams flying around. But I do -- like the purists, I like outside, Miles.

O'BRIEN: Yes.

PHILLIPS: Now, you coached two big-name teams, the Colts, the Patriots. Did you ever expect an expansion team to make it to the Super Bowl?

MEYER: Well, it's certainly a Cinderella story, there's no question. These two teams both originally, one from Houston, the other from Los Angeles, moved to new digs, so to speak, and now to have them here. But the real story are some of the Cinderella players. How about this Kurt Warner? Comes from rags to riches, Arena Football League protege, and now he's the MVP player of the league. Unbelievable.

O'BRIEN: It is the story, isn't it? It really is. Go ahead.

PHILLIPS: I think we have a phone call. Chris from Georgia's on the line for you. Oop, Donnie (ph) from Virginia. We're going to take a switch. Donnie, go ahead, what's your question?

O'BRIEN: One of our younger viewers there.

CALLER: Hey Ron, how you doing?

MEYER: Good, Donnie.

CALLER: I just had a quick question. Today's the day they're going to be announcing the Football Hall of Fame candidates. What do you think Ron Neary's (ph) chances of -- are of getting in there this year?

MEYER: Boy, what an offensive tackle, the years at Minnesota, and, you know, a little sidebar there, I coached Purdue University team in 1966. Bob Griese was the quarterback. Ron Neary was offensive tackle for Southern Cal on the other side. What a player! Well deserving, and, you know, if I had a vote, which I don't, he goes into the Hall of Fame.

O'BRIEN: Well, yes, our vote is that you should get a vote, then, all right?

MEYER: Right.

O'BRIEN: Let's go to the e-mail, shall we? Ed Simpson down in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has this. "At the end of the game, no matter who wins, how do you think the game will be remembered, as no one would have guessed that these tombs -- two teams would be playing?"

MEYER: Miles, I think this is going to be one of the most exciting Super Bowls ever.

O'BRIEN: Really?

MEYER: You know, I say -- yes. I say that because of just the talent and the speed that's on the field. You've got great receivers for the Rams, you got Marshall Falk (ph), who is an exceptional back. You've got a defensive team with the Titans that has the ability to come up with big plays. Javan Kearse (ph) is rookie defensive end. He's dominating, he's devastating to an offense.

So I think you're going to have a plethora of plays to remember the Super Bowl with.

PHILLIPS: Lot of young players creates a lot of energy. Sort of a new excitement.

MEYER: Well, they're all new names, but I tell you, after Sunday's ball game, Monday morning quarterbacks, they're going to -- these new names are going to be household names after this game's over. I predict that.

O'BRIEN: Well.

PHILLIPS: All right, we have Will on the phone from New Jersey. Go ahead, Will.

CALLER: Hey, Ron. Do you think that the kicking game is going to have an impact on tomorrow's game? (UNINTELLIGIBLE) missed the game during the regular season that would (UNINTELLIGIBLE) the game (UNINTELLIGIBLE)?

MEYER: I certainly do. You know, the kickers, particularly in pro football, play such an important part, because they give you a chance to score. I'm talking about the field goal kickers, obviously. Wilkins is really struggling. His left knee, tendinitis, that's his plant leg. He has been very erratic. If the Rams have any weakness, and they're a very solid team, I say it is in their kicking.

Mitts (ph) give the edge of Al Del Greco, the very accurate kicker. And I loved El Greco, because like me, he has a passion for golf. He's probably one of the best golfers in the NFL. I think that carries over to his confidence in going out there and kicking the ball.

O'BRIEN: Ah, the golf-football link, huh? MEYER: You bet.

O'BRIEN: All right. All right, you heard it here first, folks.

Let's go back to the e-mail, shall we? This one comes from J.P. Murray up there in the great white North. "Football games are often distinctly different first half and second half. How do you see the flow of the game, and what do you think for a final score?" And I just want to add to that, I always am curious, how do coaches come up with that famous halftime talk, you know, "Win one for the Gipper" kind of stuff?

MEYER: Miles, that's a little overrated, I tell you, because -- you know, in the regular season, you only have 13 minutes of halftime, so you barely have time to go in there, take care of a few personal things, then you get your offense over here, or your defense over here, and you quickly make an adjustment or two, then you're right back out there. Basically, the game plan is set.

But the Super Bowl, with its lengthy halftime, you get a lot more time to talk to your team and to prepare them and to make some subtle changes. But, you know, in this, therefore, I predict that you might see a different change of momentum first half, second half.

But they'll be feeling the -- each team out in that first quarter. In other words, what defense do we anticipate? And they'll try to pick away -- look for a conservative start from what normally from the Rams has been very nonconservative approach. They go down the field.

O'BRIEN: All right. So a long speech, but not a State of the Union address.

MEYER: Right.

O'BRIEN: OK. All right.

PHILLIPS: Thanks, Ron Meyer.

MEYER: You bet.

O'BRIEN: All right. Always a pleasure to have Ron drop by. We'll see him again soon, we hope.

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