POUNDING WEMBLEY'S SACRED TURF

Speaking of England, what did British traditionalists really think
of the Bears-Cowboys exhibition at Wembley Stadium two weeks ago? The
day after the game, The Times of London called the Bears' 17-6
victory ''almost incidental to the three-and-a-half hours of novelty,
noise and relentless sideshows'' and described American football as a
sport ''in which two teams of padded and helmeted carnivores, looking
like extras from a low-budget space epic, run headlong into each
other like rival stags at the rut.'' The Times found it disturbing
that even before the game, ''the sacred turf of Wembley'' had
''already been pounded by 36 pairs of boots belonging to the Dallas
Cheerleaders, a troupe of thinly-clad synchronized gymnasts who
expend a great deal more energy than the players.''
The Times's conclusion: ''American football is an occasion at
which dancing girls, bands, tactical huddles and television
commercial breaks are interrupted by short bursts of play.''