Super Bowl Xxix

That burned-out character played by Dennis Hopper, the referee with a shoe fetish in those clever Nike ads, comes off like a guy who loved his work but no longer was needed, as if time had passed him by. It almost makes you wonder what fate would await real officials if technology were to take over. If Super Bowl XXIX manages to develop into a real contest, it would take only one major snafu by the officiating crew to spark perhaps the loudest outcry for instant replay in NFL history.

Bobby Ross coached the San Diego Chargers to their only Super Bowl appearance two years ago. Yesterday, he resigned due to philosophical differences with general manager Bobby Beathard. The Chargers never had a losing season under Ross, and the popular coach, known for his Southern mannerisms, leaves with a five-year record of 47-33, plus a 3-3 mark in three playoff appearances. Before he was hired, the Chargers failed to reach the postseason for nine straight seasons, the longest playoff drought in the AFC. Ross coached the Chargers to their biggest victory ever, a 17-13 upset at Pittsburgh in the AFC Championship game on Jan. 15, 1995.

The last lineman in the NFL to go without a face mask, this East Falls native played in the 1960 championship despite the stunning death of his 7-week-old baby days before the game. 68   -- Nelson, Al | Cornerback, Returner | With Eagles: 1965-73   A starter at cornerback for eight seasons, Nelson returned one missed field goal 101 yards and another 100 yards. He tallied 2,625 career return yards. 69 -- Barnett, Fred | Wide Receiver | With Eagles: 1990-95   Barnett's leaping 35-yard touchdown catch sparked the Eagles' comeback victory in the 1993 NFC wild-card game at New Orleans, the team's first playoff win since 1980.

If there were a clue to the 49ers' fast start in Super Bowl XXIX, it might have come when the two teams departed their buses at Joe Robbie Stadium yesterday afternoon. San Diego players appeared uneasy, a lot like kids on their way to the dentist or, perhaps, a Kathie Lee Gifford concert. Their faces seemed to say, "I hope we're not in for a typically bad AFC kind of day. " The 49ers, on the other hand, walked in looking as relaxed as accountants on their way to the office.

Marcus Knight has NFL and even Super Bowl experience, but his resume couldn't buy him time on the field when the Soul started the Arena Football League season. In his first season with the team, Knight was inactive for the first five games. When defensive coordinator James Fuller replaced Michael Trigg as head coach after five games, Knight's days on the inactive list ended. Now, the 6-foot-1, 192-pound wide receiver-linebacker from the University of Michigan can't be kept off the field.

Miami Dolphins linebacker Zach Thomas came back from a New York trip sporting stitches, saying he was mugged while in the city for a charity appearance. "The New York Jets beat us twice. I got beat again when I was on the road a couple of days ago," said Thomas, who got five stitches in his upper lip and various bruises during the attack. Thomas was in good spirits as he recalled the attack, even joking that he knew there was little chance anybody would step in to assist him. "They didn't help me out mainly, I guess, because I'm down here from Miami," he said.

Sometimes, it pays to get a second opinion. Just ask Stan Brock. Two years ago, the New Orleans Saints inspected the X-rays of Brock's 13- year NFL career and concluded that it was time for him to hang up his pads. But the 36-year-old offensive tackle didn't want to believe them. So he called an old acquaintance, San Diego Chargers offensive line coach Carl Mauck, to see if they might be interested in his services. Two years later, Brock not only still is taking his mail in the NFL, he's about to play in his first Super Bowl.

Mike Shanahan, offensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers, said yesterday that although he couldn't talk about his plans for the 1995 season until after the Super Bowl, he was eager to see what the future holds. Shanahan, returning to the 49ers' hotel here after an afternoon jog, said he had heard through a number of third parties that the Eagles and Denver Broncos were interested in him as a head coach. "I'm looking forward to getting together with them afterwards," said Shanahan, 42, who is the only prospect with NFL head-coaching experience left at the top of Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie's list.

Last week, Jerry Rice caused more than a few jaws to drop when he said he might retire after this season. If anyone was looking for a retraction last night after his 10-catch, 149- yard, three-touchdown performance in the 49ers' 49-26 victory over the Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX, they didn't get it. "I'm going to address that later on," Rice said after notching his third Super Bowl title. "Right now, I just want to take time to enjoy this. Football has been a part of my life for a long, long time.

Two men were shot and some 50 people were arrested during violent celebrations in San Francisco last night after the 49ers won their record fifth Super Bowl. "It's definitely getting worse, big-time," police officer Miguel Granados said about two hours after the Niners' 49-26 rout of the San Diego Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami. "People are just completely out of control. " Dolores Gomez, nursing supervisor at San Francisco General Hospital, said two men were brought in from the Mission district, one with a gunshot to the leg and the other with a wounded arm. Both were in stable condition, Gomez said.

The last lineman in the NFL to go without a face mask, this East Falls native played in the 1960 championship despite the stunning death of his 7-week-old baby days before the game. 68   -- Nelson, Al | Cornerback, Returner | With Eagles: 1965-73   A starter at cornerback for eight seasons, Nelson returned one missed field goal 101 yards and another 100 yards. He tallied 2,625 career return yards. 69 -- Barnett, Fred | Wide Receiver | With Eagles: 1990-95   Barnett's leaping 35-yard touchdown catch sparked the Eagles' comeback victory in the 1993 NFC wild-card game at New Orleans, the team's first playoff win since 1980.

Marcus Knight has NFL and even Super Bowl experience, but his resume couldn't buy him time on the field when the Soul started the Arena Football League season. In his first season with the team, Knight was inactive for the first five games. When defensive coordinator James Fuller replaced Michael Trigg as head coach after five games, Knight's days on the inactive list ended. Now, the 6-foot-1, 192-pound wide receiver-linebacker from the University of Michigan can't be kept off the field.

Miami Dolphins linebacker Zach Thomas came back from a New York trip sporting stitches, saying he was mugged while in the city for a charity appearance. "The New York Jets beat us twice. I got beat again when I was on the road a couple of days ago," said Thomas, who got five stitches in his upper lip and various bruises during the attack. Thomas was in good spirits as he recalled the attack, even joking that he knew there was little chance anybody would step in to assist him. "They didn't help me out mainly, I guess, because I'm down here from Miami," he said.

Bobby Ross coached the San Diego Chargers to their only Super Bowl appearance two years ago. Yesterday, he resigned due to philosophical differences with general manager Bobby Beathard. The Chargers never had a losing season under Ross, and the popular coach, known for his Southern mannerisms, leaves with a five-year record of 47-33, plus a 3-3 mark in three playoff appearances. Before he was hired, the Chargers failed to reach the postseason for nine straight seasons, the longest playoff drought in the AFC. Ross coached the Chargers to their biggest victory ever, a 17-13 upset at Pittsburgh in the AFC Championship game on Jan. 15, 1995.

Every team that comes out of the Super Bowl a loser, the way the San Diego Chargers did last January, should be miles ahead of its NFL competition in having a goal for the season that follows. So why do the highly motivated Chargers hold a 1-1 record, after barely squeaking by the authentically awful Seattle Seahawks? And if the Chargers have hardly forgotten the 49-26 humiliation hung on them in Super Bowl XXIX by the haughty 49ers, why are they struggling to score more than one touchdown a game?

There was a perception of the San Diego Chargers last season that they were an illusion, a fluke, a team that didn't really belong in Super Bowl XXIX. It did not help their credibility that when they got to the big game, they played clumsily and scared, losing to San Francisco, 49-26. Anyone who saw the game knew it wasn't even that close. When the preseason football magazines came out this year, few people picked the Chargers to repeat as AFC champions. In fact, few people picked the Chargers to even win their division, the AFC West, or make the playoffs.

Ricky Watters was wearing his diamond earring and blue shades. He had Downtown Julie Brown, of MTV, hanging on his arm. He was standing on a platform, gazing into a sea of TV cameras and reporters. By all appearances, Watters had arrived. This was media day for Super Bowl XXIX and the flashy young halfback was sharing the big stage with his San Francisco teammates. Still, Watters wasn't satisfied. "I'm not where I want to be," Watters said that day seven months ago at Joe Robbie Stadium.

All week long, the Chargers defensive backs talked about jamming the San Francisco receivers. They were going to stifle them, frustrate them, tackle them fiercely. There was just one thing they overlooked. Catching them first. "Those are guys that can beat you a lot of ways," said San Diego cornerback Darrien Gordon. "And when nothing else works, they can run right past you. " Early in Super Bowl XXIX last night, smoke rose slowly through the sticky air at Joe Robbie Stadium.

If there were a clue to the 49ers' fast start in Super Bowl XXIX, it might have come when the two teams departed their buses at Joe Robbie Stadium yesterday afternoon. San Diego players appeared uneasy, a lot like kids on their way to the dentist or, perhaps, a Kathie Lee Gifford concert. Their faces seemed to say, "I hope we're not in for a typically bad AFC kind of day. " The 49ers, on the other hand, walked in looking as relaxed as accountants on their way to the office.

Two men were shot and some 50 people were arrested during violent celebrations in San Francisco last night after the 49ers won their record fifth Super Bowl. "It's definitely getting worse, big-time," police officer Miguel Granados said about two hours after the Niners' 49-26 rout of the San Diego Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami. "People are just completely out of control. " Dolores Gomez, nursing supervisor at San Francisco General Hospital, said two men were brought in from the Mission district, one with a gunshot to the leg and the other with a wounded arm. Both were in stable condition, Gomez said.