Day 3: The Daily News' Stan Hochman at Super Bowl I

By Stan Hochman

Philadelphia Daily News

LOS ANGELES — Does the American Football League Still play schoolyard defense as a throwback to its infant days when all the stress was put on offense to dazzle the fans?

Does the National Football League have so much talent that wealthy young men like Donnie Anderson and Jim Grabowski must wait their chance to play?

"Some of the questions are going to be answered on Sunday," Kansas City coach Hank Stram said yesterday. "It's been a war of words for seven years. Now, it's going to be settled in grass, which is where it should be settled."

Nothing will really be settled tomorrow when Green Bay and Kansas City collide in the first confrontation of the two leagues. The NFL sneered at the founding league for years, refused to recognize it on the scoreboards or the broadcasts, while fighting it tooth-and-dollar for college talent.

Finally, the cost got too steep. The leagues merged, the AFL paid a stiff initiation fee and the Super Bowl was arranged. Too big for one network, it will be carried on NBC and CBS nationally and blacked out locally.

About 70,000 live ones are expected to show up at the Coliseum tomorrow. The bookmakers, with their own unemotional handicapping, have made Green Bay a 12 1/2-point favorite.

Both squads spent the week groping for superlatives to describe the opposition. It would appear that both teams have speed and size, agility, poise, determination, and so on.But the coaches seem to take different approaches to the game.

"If we win or lose," Vince Lombardi says, "it won't be the beginning or the end of the world. The Green Bay Packers will continue to play for a good number of years."

"We're going in with the strong purpose to achieve success not only for Kansas City," Hank Stram said, "but for every coach, every player, every official that had the confidence to be associated with the AFL."

It may not be "just another ball game" for the Packers, not is it a religious war for the Chiefs. What it can be is a very rewarding afternoon since the winners get $15,000 apiece and the losers get $$7,500 each.

There is always the chance that that much loot might turn the game into an awkward jumble. "I don't think they'll be jittery because of the money," Stram insisted. "Football players still have to play because they love the game. It's an emotional game.

"Both teams have great pride and a winningness to pay the price necessary to achieve success."

If any trickery is unfurled Sunday, it is likely to be Kansas City that tries it. The Chiefs like to use a variety of formations to try and confuse the defense. Green Bay operates basically out of a 4-3 defense with single coverage. Buffalo uses the same tactics but Buffalo doesn't have people like Herb Adderley and Willie Wood to make it work.

"It's pretty hard to get anything new in football," Lombardi said yesterday."Odd-spaced defense are nothing new. George Wilson used them against us in the mid-50's and did damn well. A good number of college teams use the movable pocket."

Both teams are healthy. The only uncertainty in Kansas City's lineup involved the one-eyed Fred Arbanas, who suffered a should injury in the clincher against Buffalo. He is expected to play.

Lombardi tried to keep people guessing about Paul Hornung, but the general feeling was that Elijah Pitts could continue at left-half.

Stram went out of his way to praise Hornung, though. "He was a great leader and a great athlete at Notre Dame and the people at Green Bay share the same opinion of him. He adds a different dimension to their offense."

Green Bay's offense would seem to have enough dimensions without the Golden Boy. They have the accurate passing of Bart Starr (3 interceptions in 215 passes), the catching of Boyd Dowler and Carroll Dale, and the angry rushes of Jim Taylor.

Only Taylor broke the gentlemanly calm that preceded the game. Fred Williamson, Kansas City's gabby defensive back, got under Taylor's skin with his bragging.

"I read where he's the Cassius Clay of football," Taylor sneered. "I see where they call him 'The Hammer.' He tries to drop people with vicious blows. I guess he's dropped some people by the wayside."

It will be interesting when Taylor goes thumping Into Williamson tomorrow. Do hammers dent steel?

Has Kansas City's secondary ever seen anyone as accurate as Starr? Is Mike Garrett as elusive as Gayle Sayres?

These are some of the questions to be answered. . . plus the most important one of all . . . can a man get to the kitchen, make a ham sandwich and open a can of beer in one minute?

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By Stan Hochman

Philadelphia Daily News

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — It doesn't matter how many years you put in playing offensive tackle in pro football, there's always some young tiger across the line from you,snarling and growling and anxious to put his cleat marks on your spine.

Forrest Gregg plays right tackle for Green Bay. Jerry Mays plays left end on defense for Kansas City. Mays says he grew up idolizing Gregg, which is why he wears the same number, 75.

They are both Texans, noth attended SMU. Gregg has played for money for 10 years, is recognized as the finest blocker in the National Football League. Mays has played for six years, has made all-league and is co-captain of the Chiefs.

It is just one of the fascinating matchups in tomorrow's Super Bowl showdown, a football game that has fans panting everywhere but here, where at least 20,000 seats will go unsold.

Gregg does not expect Mays to ask for his autograph before the fireworks erupt. "I'm flattered about the thing," he said yesterday. "He was a fine player at SMU, he's made All-Pro in his league. It's nice to have someone like that admire you.

"Once the game starts, it won't have any bearing on what happens. I had close to the same thing with Gino Marchetti. I had a great admiration for him. And when I finally got to play against him it was a real challenge.

"It's a funny thing. When I first came up, Gino was one of the outstanding defensive ends. I'd tell myself, if he ever retired, I'd have it easy.

"Now he's retired, and all I've got to worry about is guys like Davey Jones and Carl Eller and Darris McCord. The job never gets any easier no matter how long you play.

"I'm still nervous and apprehensive. I walk around all day Saturday and my hands perspire. I never really get the game off my mind."

In Green Bay's efficient offense, Gregg has been an almost mechanical man. Vince Lombardi tried to explain what makes Greeg such as effective blocked: "It's a multiple thing. You have to be quick off the ball, you must get to your man quickly, you must sustain contact and have a good follow through."

Gregg approaches the job with the same simplicity. "You have to know your offense," he said. "You can't go up to the line worrying about what you have to do on this play. You have to know the guy you're playing against, what moves he has. You have to use the right technique. And you have to hustle at all times. I tell myself to never quit until the play is over."

Gregg is almost like a gunfighter, with a lot of fresh young marksmen taking shots at him. "You take a guy who's established," he said. "He seldom makes any mental errors. The younger guy may give you a beating physically, but he makes mental errors.

"You can't use finesse. There's a man in front of you and you've got to move him. Finesse won't help you."

Oddly enough, Mays seemed to stress that aspect when he talked about his head-on collision with his idol. "He's a tremendous athlete," Mays said. "The best way I can describe him is in boxing language . . . He's a 'cute' blocker.

"He's smart and he keeps you guessing. You never know what kind of block he'll throw at you. He's not the biggest of the strongest man in football, but he's a lot like our end Chris Burford, who gets open without having great speed.

Gregg knows he's in for an interesting afternoon. "People think we ought to kill them," he said. "They're wrong. Kansas City has a good team with speed and strength. It wasn't put together this year. They've been playing together for years. Mays has been in the league six years. I'm looking forward to it."

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BACKGROUND

The first championship showdown matching NFL and AFL titleholder, modestly advertised as the Super Bowl, will draw around 70,000 to Coliseum Site. Kickoff at 4 p.m.

OFFENSE

Kansas City depends on razzle-dazzle, protects quarterback with floating pocket, shifts out of I-formation, uses various sets. Len Dawson has developed into fine quarterback after five grim years in NFL. Mike Garrett provides elusive running speed. Dawson has excellent targets in Otis Taylor, Chris Burfordand one-eyed Fred Arbanas.

Green Bay has departed from sledge-hammer offense to throw the ball more. Bart Starr getting credit he deserves after years of hedging. He threw 16 touchdown passes with 12 covering more than 50 yards. Has Jim Taylor and Elijah Pitts for ground attack, capable receivers in Boyd Dowler and Carroll Dale.

DEFENSE

Here, too, Kansas City depends on deception. The Chiefs sometimes use three man line with linebackers stacked behind front men. Colorful halfback Fred Williamson brags about "The Hammer" which may be a clever way of describing forearm shot. Deep defenders vulnerable.

Green Bay sneers at the blitz, plays standard 4-3 defense and depends on agile linebackers to smother running and retreat against short passing. Herb Adderley, Bob Jeter and Willie Wood give defensive backfield shark-like look.

SCORING THREATS

Kansas City has ideal flanker in is Taylor with good hands, good speed and great desire. USC's Garrett has added incentive of playing before home folks. Mike Mercer is a field goal threat frommedium distances.

Green Bay's Starr has had tremendous year. Taylor rumbles on and Pitts is good enough to keep a healthy Hornung on the bench.

PREDICTION

Green Bay 27, Kansas City 17, in a lively scuffle.

(Editor's Note: Green Bay won the game, 35-10.)