This 1978 telefilm ostensibly dramatizes the events leading up to a (completely fictional) Superbowl over the fives before kickoff at the Louisiana Superbowl, but it plays more like a mix of soap opera and bargain knock-off of a big-screen disaster movie. David Janssen headlines as the general manager of the Cougars, juggling the various demands as the owner (Oscar winner Jane Wyatt) announces her intention to sell the team at season's end and a fixer (Clifton Davis) plots to sabotage his team for a gambling syndicate. Meanwhile, an aging player (Ken Howard) neglects his wife, a veteran agent (Van Johnson) is ordered to sign a star quarterback (pre-fame Tom Selleck) or lose his job, and a sexy journalist (Donna Mills) distracts Janssen with an affair. It plays out like a thriller, with a countdown to the game and an assassin targeting the coaching staff and the players. The search for the killer recalls "Two-Minute Warning" and the Superbowl setting evokes "Black Sunday" while the contrived melodrama is right out of movies like "Airport" and "Earthquake" with a TV-movie version of an all-star cast. Unfortunately, the film is a slog, the plotting is confusing and at times laughable, the climax is ridiculous, and there are not even any football scenes. Janssen maintains his dignity throughout but the rest of the film is an embarrassment. Originally broadcast as part of "The ABC Monday Night Movie" series. Includes adult relationships but no foul language or explicit imagery. Not recommended. (S. Axmaker)