Super Bowl XXIII NFL Live Pregame Show (Part 1)

(c)1989 NBC--Comcast; NFL

Part one of a series of segments (unfortunately not the complete version) of the NBC NFL Live! pregame show for Super Bowl XXIII between the Cincinnati Bengals and San Francisco 49ers. Bob Costas introduces with mention of this being the first Miami Super Bowl since the Steelers-Cowboys classic a decade earlier (their previous five Super Bowls having been in the since-demolished Orange Bowl) and this coming a few days after a set of race riots that had broken out following the death of a black motorcyclist that had been shot by a hispanic cop that briefly led to talk about possibly moving the Super Bowl to Tampa.

Another thing of interest is that this marked the first usage since the Seoul Olympics of NBC's Quantel Cypher graphics system which replaced their Chyron graphics that had been used since 1985 and was probably (especially the way it was used here) some of the nicest graphics on television at any level in 1989.

PERSONNEL:
Host: Bob Costas
Analyst: Don Shula (who was pretty much a part-time NBC employee during the late 1980s considering the Dolphins' 1986-89 playoff drought)
Reporters: Paul Maguire (49ers); Gayle Gardner (Bengals); Jim Gray (roving)

STORIES:
1. Weather update (WNBC/Sunday Today meteorologist Al Roker; mention of heavy rain earlier in the day and high-winds throughout the game -- which would be said to affect the kicking game as well as San Francisco's passing game due to Joe Montana being more of a touch passer than one who drilled it in)
2. Field conditions (Paul Maguire; who had apparently rotated between calling games with Marv Albert that year and being part of the studio team; mentions interview with George Toma)
3. Breakdown of the teams (Costas; mentions the 49ers' slow start {and a brief mention of speculation about whether head coach Bill Walsh would retire after this game; which of course he did}/Cincinnati's hot offensive production)
4. Suspension of Stanley Wilson (Gayle Gardner; mentioning the troubled Bengals fullback being suspended for an undisclosed incident {which turned out to be Wilson getting strung out on cocaine}. On a lighter note, a video clip appears of Jim Gray interviewing Bengal wide receiver {and within a couple of years; future colleague at NBC} Cris Collinsworth)
5. Injury status of 49ers wideout (and eventual Super Bowl XXIII MVP) Jerry Rice (Maguire; mentions interview with center {and another future NBC colleague} Randy Cross -- who unlike Walsh, was already known that he planned to retire; saying that this was the best that Rice had ever run. Also includes humorous quip about the demeanor of the players. Bob briefly mentions a report that Rice was seen dancing at Miami nightspot Penrod's shortly after the ankle injury was reported; implying that he felt this might have been a bluff {apparently, color commentator Merlin Olsen must have been thinking along that same line; as following Rice's one-handed catch toward the end of the first quarter, he made a comment stating "Some said smokescreen. Maybe."})
6. Wind factor/Stanley Wilson/Contrast of the Coaches (Costas/Don Shula; Shula suggested that Bengals head coach Sam Wyche would try to turn the Stanley Wilson suspension into a rallying point; using as an example an NFL ruling before the AFC Championship game vs. Buffalo restricting their no-huddle/attack-huddle offense)
7. The Coaches/Teacher vs. Student (Costas; with interviews of both Bill Walsh and Sam Wyche and how far back they go. Also included are references to their coaching philosophies and a reference to the last meeting {Week 2 of the 1987 season in which Wyche [for some reason] decided to go for it to eat up the remaining few seconds on 4th down with a 26-20 lead. Not only did Cincinnati fail to convert the 4th down; it left a couple of seconds on the clock...enough time for Joe Montana to find Jerry Rice in the end zone for the winning score 27-26 that, even that early in the season, was the definitive moment of a 4-11 campaign that nearly got Sam fired}. Accompanying the piece is the song "Wrapped Around Your Finger" by British rock band The Police)
8. Coaching Changes (Costas; mentioning comment by Eddie DeBartolo; who told Jim Gray that assuming Walsh retired; his successor would be defensive coordinator George Seifert. The other slots being San Diego looking to grab Redskins offensive coordinator {and previously Buccaneer/Falcon head coach Dan Henning} with deposed Cleveland head coach Marty Schottenheimer turning them down to replace axed head coach Frank Gansz in Kansas City and Cleveland putting feelers out to Bud Carson, the Jets defensive coordinator who helped build the New York Sack Exchange of the early 1980s {and former Steeler DC who was largely responsible for the creation of the Steel Curtain})

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[lishsc3]

The Late Lewis Billups cost the Bengals a victory here!!! Had he not "Choked" and intercepted a Montana pass in the endzone in the 4th quarter, the Cincinnati wins this Super Bowl, and Joe Montana is knocked off his perch as "Greatest SB Quarterback"!! He would (SHOULD BE) 3-1 in Super Bowls and not have "Zero" interceptions! The reason he has that stat is not because of his Brilliance, but ONLY because of a mistake made by Lewis Billups!!

[HamptonRoadsTVFan]

@lishsc3 To be honest, I'm not 100% sure whether that would be the key thing that would have led to a Cincinnati win. Billups' blunder was only the 2nd play of the 4th quarter.

Meanwhile, the Bengals offense was ice cold for much of the game. While Ickey Woods was the game's leading rusher with 79 yards, most of it came early on. Boomer Esiason didn't have a good game either, and the Cincinnati O kept having to settle for field goals instead of touchdowns.

[crawford371]

Al Roker before the weight loss

[HamptonRoadsTVFan]

@crawford371 How true.

[lishsc3]

@HamptonRoadsTVFan Well here is the thing...even though that dropped INT was on the 2nd play of the fourth Qtr and the Niners scored on the next play to Rice to tie the game at 13-13, the Bengals shut down the 49ers for the rest of the game until the last drive. The Bengals kicked a FG with a little over 3 min to play to take a 16-13 lead. Had Billups held onto the INT, that FG would have given Cincinnati a 16-6 lead and my money would have been on the Bengals to hold on and win that Super Bowl!

[BRYANMEARS1975]

january 22,1989

[BRYANMEARS1975]

this super bowl took place 23 years ago today

[mjwatts1983]

Wow... some familiar faces in the pre-game.

Bob Costas: I swear, he sold his soul to the devil so that he never ages.

Al Roker

Cris Collinsworth: player for the Bengals, now lead analyst for NBC

[Bradiorecords]

Sad, Sad story on Stanley Wilson.