Vikings listed 13-point favorites but Kansas claims 'tool kit'
NEW ORLEANS (UPI)—Coach Hank Stram, calling his Kansas City multiple offense "a pretty good tool kit," said yesterday the Chiefs hope to use it to confuse the rock-hard Minnesota Vikings defense in Sunday's Super Bowl game.
"We have about 18 basic plays," Stram said. "And we can change the face—the makeup—of any of them by using a different formation.
"All in all, I'd say we have a pretty good tool kit."
The squat head Chief said his varied offense creates "a moment of indecision" for opposing defenses.
But Stram admitted that the effectiveness of any tool kit is how it's used.
"Before the creation of multiple formations, most teams advertised their plays in advance—when they lined up," Stram said. "The creation of formations creates an area of doubt in the defense—a moment of indecision."
Kansas City is the only team in the American Football League with such varied offensive formations, according to Stram. He said even Chief quarterback Len Dawson moves "by design" even
when in trouble.
Stram said the Chiefs are "back in the track" after being unsettled earlier in the week by reports mentioning Dawson's name in connection with a nationwide gambling probe of sports figures.
The coach said the reports may have affected the team adversely at first, but he said they "would have no effect on the way we play."
Stram said Dawson should be in top form Sunday, despite a hobbling injury to his left knee and the gambling reports.
"I don't think it (Dawson's knee injury) will affect our offensive approach," Stram said. "He'll still do all the things he likes to do."
But Stram is concerned about his all-pro safety, Johnny Robinson, who suffered a cartilage tear in the Chiefs' 17-7 win over Oakland for the AFL title last Sunday.
"I'll have to make my decision on Robinson just before the game," he said.
After discussing the team's physical condition, Stram got back to his favorite subject—the variable offense and how quarterbacks fit into its future.
The future lies in quarter- backs moving—by design—more than in standard pocket passing we've seen in the 50s and 60s."
He cited Joe Kapp, the Minnesota signal caller, as a quarterback who moves a lot, but should not be called a scramble."
"Scrambling quarterbacks — that's an unsophisticated term really. That's recess football." Stram said. "Just because a quarterback moves a lot, that doesn't mean he's a scrambler."
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NEW ORLEANS (UPI) — The oddsmakers tab the Minnesota Vikings 13-point favorites over the Kansas City Chiefs for Sunday's Super Bowl game, but Viking coach Bud Grant forecasts "a fairly close, probably not very high-scoring game."
"It is likely to be a defensive-oriented game," said Grant before putting his National Football League champions through another hard workout yesterday.
"And with the defensive strength both of us have, neither team is going to get knocked out of the ball park," Grant added. "Yes, under those circumstances."
it could be that the rival fieldgoal kickers—our Fred Cox and their Jan Stenerud—and the specialty teams will mean a great deal in the final outcome.
"I heard about those 13-point odds," he said, "but I don't make the odds. Would I be happy with a one-point victory? I'd be deli-cious."
The Chiefs also went through a workout Thursday, although perhaps not as rough a one as the Vikings. Both teams plan one more rugged drill Friday, then only light workouts on Saturday before their clash at 2:30 p.m. CST Sunday in the Sugar
Bowl.
Grant also forecasts that "you will see conservatism out there in the way the game is played, because with these tough defenses, nobody is going to want to chance falling behind by one or two touchdowns early."
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Maravich threatens NCAA scoring marks
NEW YORK (UPI)—Pistol Pete Maravich of Louisiana State University leads major college basketball scorers for the 29th straight week and needs only a 10.5 average the remainder of this season to break the scoring record of 2973 points by Cincinnati's Oscar Robertson in 1958-60.
Latest weekly NCAA major college statistics released yesterday showed Maravich with a 47.3 point average in 11 games. In making a runaway of the individual scoring race, Maravich boasts a 14 point per game average bulge over runnerup Austin
Carr of Notre Dame. Carr is hitting at a 33.6 clip.
Jan. 9
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At this current pace, Maravich could surpass Big O on Jan. 31 against Mississippi at Baton Rouge, La.
Dan Issel of Kentucky is third in the scoring race with a 32.8 average, followed by Willie Humes of Idaho State with 32.1 mark, Bob Lanier at St. Bonaventure with 31.6 and Calvin Murphy of Niagra, 30.9.
Army is the toughest team to score against, leading the nation in team defense with an average yield of 57.7 points.
In team statistics, top-ranked UCLA sets the scoring pace with an average of 103.3 points in eight games, followed by Jacksonville with a 101.2 average.
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