一叶堂
Section B · Page 4
The University Daily Kansan
Tuesday, January 13, 1998
Oddsmakers bet Packers
Super Bowl game spread reaches almost 14 points
The Associated Press
LAS VEGAS — It's become a January ritual in the sports books on the glittering Las Vegas Strip. Throw out a big number on the NFC's Super Bowl team and watch betters quickly push it higher.
This year is no different, with bettors so confident in the chances of the Green Bay Packers that they are willing to give away nearly two touchdowns on the point spread to the Denver Broncos.
The 12 1/2-point line posted at most books following Sunday's conference title games wasn't enough to stop bettors from putting money on the Packers.
who quickly went to 13 1/2-point favorites around the city.
"It does seem kind of high, doesn't it?" a book writer at a Texas hotel-casino said, even as he accented bets on the Packers.
It would be quite high in the regular season, where oddsmakers say Green Bay would be only a 10-point favorite, even at home.
"This line is always out of whack for the Super Bowl," said Bally's sports book manager John Avelo. "We just throw a number out and say do with it what you've got to do with it."
Bettors are putting their money on Green Bay, ignoring the spread. Some Denver money appeared after the initial Packer rush, but Green Bay remained a 13-point favorite at most books yesterday.
It's the fifth year in a row that the NFC's Super Bowl representative has been a double-digit favorite, and the second year in a
row that the line has been in the two touchdown range.
Though Green Bay is a favorite, sports book operators were more than happy to see Denver in the title game. Denver fans historically have backed their teams with money.
Roxborough said the attractive matchup combined with gamblers stopping in Las Vegas to bet on their way to San Diego should help betting top the $70.9 million record set in 1996.
Also, bettors had a good day versus the sports books Sunday, betting on the Broncos and Packers, who both covered the spread.
"I think we'll get a lot of money on the underdog," Avelo said. "People may not feel Denver can win the game, but they feel Denver can hang around and stay close enough."
"That's probably the most important thing of all," Roxborough said. "They're walking around with a lot of money in their pockets."
Baseball star hit with cancer
The Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Mo.—The tumor found in the brain of former baseball star Dan Quisenberry last week was cancerous, Research Medical Center said yesterday.
Hospital spokesman Jim Gember described it as a grade IV malignant tumor, a potential worst-case scenario for the popular relief pitcher who spent most of his career with the Kansas City Royals.
"The grade four is the most serious," Gember said.
Most of the walnut-sized tumor was removed in a 1/2-1 hour operation Thursday. Pathology tests indicating the tumor's classification were released to Quisenberry yesterday. Neither
his neurosurgeon, Jonathan Chilton, nor Gember would speculate about the survival rate of patients with such tumors.
"With his projected type of therapy, we now measure these situations in months to years." Chilton
said in a statement released by the hospital.
"It is very unlikely that the malignancy will (spread) to other areas of his body," *hilton* said.
Gember said it was not known whether Quisenberry would choose radiation or chemotherapy treatments..
Quisenberry, 44, reported headaches and blurred vision to doctors more than a week ago.
He was released from the hospital Saturday, less than three days after more than 80 percent of the tumor, known medically as an astrocytoma, was cut from the right side of his brain.
By Dave Goldborg The Associated Press
Broncos saddle AFC's hope
It's been nine seasons since John Elway has been to the Super Bowl.
An AFC team still hasn't won.
When Elway and the Denver Broncos were pasted by the Giants, Redskins and 49ers after the 1986, 1987 and 1989 seasons, those were the third, fourth and sixth straight wins for NFC teams.
"You know how these things are," said George Young, then general manager of the Giants, after the third one. "They work in cycles. The AFC will start winning again."
Last week, Young left for the NFL front office, Elway made it back to the Super Bowl and the AFC now has lost 13 straight NFL title games. The early line for this year's championship has Green Bay a 13 1/2-point favorite over Denver.
Why are the Packers such heavy favorites?
Brett Favre is the NFL's best quarterback, as good or better than Elway was a decade ago.
Green Bay's defense is the league's strongest now. It hasn't surrendered a touchdown pass in 31 quarters.
It hasn't surrendered a touchdown pass in 31 quarters. This Denver team is the best that Elway has played on. When Terrell Davis runs the ball instead of Sammy Winder and Gerald Willhite, it makes a difference.
The receivers — Rod Smith, Ed McCaffrey and Willie Green — don't have a moniker like the old Three Amigles, but they're as good or better. And Shannon Sharpe, the tight end who runs like a wideout, can be impossible to cover. The offensive line, anchored by Gary Zimmerman and center Tom Nalen, is very good.
But Green Bay can score with Denver: Favre vs. Elway; Dorsey Levens vs. Davis; Robert Brooks, Antonio Freeman and Derrick Mayes vs. the Denver wide receivers; and Mark Mcmura vs. Sharpe at tight end.
Add an underrated offensive line and it's pretty much a wash. But defense is another story.
"We don't care about individual honors, we play team defense," said strong safety LeRoy Butler, the only Packer defender to make All-Pro. "We're just as happy when someone else makes a play."
Many Packers' defensive players are big-time players, starting with Gilbert Brown. He's the reason teams don't run on Green Bay — the 49ers got 33 yards on 18 attempts Sunday.
There's also Reggie White, not the force at 35 he was a decade ago but still a player who makes big plays — like three sacks in last season's Super Bowl.
There's Santana Dotson, an excellent inside pass rusher, and Brian Williams, a speed linebacker who styles him
Denver Broncos' quarterback John Elway avoids the outstretched arms of Kansas City linebacker Derrick Thomas. Elway, 37, earned his fourth trip to the Super Bowl when Denver defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday. The Broncos will play the Green Bay Packers Jan. 25 at San Diego. Photo by Steve Puppe/Kansan
self after this year's two all-Pro outside linebackers -- Denver's John Mobley and the Giants'杰里 Armstead.
And there is cornerback Doug Evans, who was assigned every week to the opponents' best receiver and usually shut him down.
Denver's defense has solid players such as Mobley and cornerback Ray Crockett. Safeties Steve Atwater and Tyrone Braxton are the only two starters besides Elway who played with the Broncos in their last Super Bowl.
But like those Super Bowl Broncos of the late '80s, these Broncos can be run on.
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