THE MEDIA\Maguire pulls upset of day\Commentator has something to say.

Byline: TOM HOFFARTH

It didn't come with as much glitz and glamour as the Diana Ross halftime show, but somehow, Paul Maguire became NBC's most valuable broadcaster during Sunday's Super Bowl XXX coverage.

Which was just about as improbable as Dallas' Larry Brown being named the game's MVP.

Through three quarters, when SB XXX threatened to become another SB ZZZ, Maguire's jovial buffoonery would have come on cue to carry the final quarter, trying to keep viewers for the "Friends" hour-long special.

If there was an Oscar Mayer "Up With Weenies" halftime salute, Maguire was waiting in line for it.

But as the game stayed competitive, Maguire's comments weren't just throw-away lines.

"I'm gonna tell you something . . ." Maguire seemed to start every sentence.

And against all odds, he did.

Such as:

On Dallas' first touchdown, a short pass to tight end Jay Novacek, the NBC replay noted that the Cowboys' other tight end, Kendall Watkins, pulled around left end to block and actually picked off Steelers linebacker Jerry Olsavsky at the line of scrimmage, which freed up Novacek.

"Illegal," Maguire muttered as NBC went to commercial.

Returning on air, Dick Enberg got Maguire to expand on the comment. And Maguire actually did.

Maguire was critical of the Steelers' conservative offense - particularly of Pittsburgh offensive coordinator Ron Erhardt.

On a fourth-and-1 play, when Pittsburgh ran Bam Morris straight up the middle for no gain, Maguire said: "When you only have one back, they know who's going to run with it. You're not fooling anybody."

Maguire even wondered aloud if Pittsburgh had borrowed the Kansas City Chiefs' playbook, which was seemingly discarded during their playoff loss to Indianapolis.

Didn't hear any Erhardt bashing from fellow analyst Phil Simms, did you? Maybe because Erhardt was Simms' offensive coach back during both his New York Giants' Super Bowl days.

Before the half, Maguire noted that the best way to beat Dallas' Deion Sanders was to go inside on him. Pittsburgh did that in scoring a touchdown to close the gap to 13-7, and NBC's studio boys credited Maguire for his analysis.

On Neil O'Donnell's first interception in the third quarter, Maguire said simply: "Neil O'Donnell messed up."

Later, Maguire followed up with that "we're not trying to break him down, it's just the fact he's not throwing the football well."

When Enberg questioned whether Dallas' Brown should be MVP despite the fact he wasn't very spectacular, Maguire interrupted: "Oh yes it was (something spectacular). It led to 14 points."

Maybe Maguire's only noticeable miscue came on one of his first comments.

Questioning Pittsburgh's decision to run the ball on its first two plays, he surmised that it should throw because "the (Cowboys) defense is looking into the sun."

Uh, not quite. Maybe the sun was in Maguire's eyes.

But if you're going to blind the viewers with facts, Maguire came through after that.

Other Super Bowl media highs, lows and middle-of-the-roads:

Biggest locker room disappointment: NBC's Greg Gumbel (huffing and puffing from his stadium-to-shower-stall sprint) failing to extract an expletive from Dallas' Troy Aikman, Charles Haley, Larry Brown, Deion Sanders, Emmit Smith or - shockingly - Michael Irvin.

(ESPN's Chris Mortensen failed with Irvin as well).

Best pregame audio catch: Pittsburgh's Brentson Buckner shouting obscenities as he ran onto the field.

The first (and only) Dick Enberg "Oh, my!": Early third quarter, when Pittsburgh's Bam Morris dragged a few defensive players on a 15-yard run. (Note: Enberg came back with a mischievous "hmmmmm" when Julia Roberts kissed Matthew Perry during a promo for the "Friends" postgame special.)

Best replay: NBC showing how Dallas offensive linemen Larry Allen, then Nate Newton, overpowered Pittsburgh's Greg Lloyd to open holes for Emmitt Smith.

Best candid-camera catch: NBC picks off Dallas owner Jerry Jones signing a large-denomination piece of U.S. currency for a press-box fan.

Worst candid-camera catch: Following the Dallas players in the Gatorade dousing of coach Barry Switzer on the sidelines.

(A challenge to future Super Bowl victors who get the water bucket urge: Just say no.)

Contrast in interviews: The pregame pieces NBC and ESPN did on Joe Gilliam, the former Pittsburgh quarterback.

ESPN seemed to use Gilliam (and former Dallas star Golden Richards) to shine a spotlight on NFL drug abuse. But NBC, with Bob Costas doing his expected human-touch best, brought out much more in the man's background, racial problems and present drug-abuse condition, which seemed to be more a personal struggle than league-related incident.

Best pregame nuggets: 1) An NBC piece on the San Francisco-Cincinnati Super Bowl (during the 49ers' final 92-yard scoring drive, QB Joe Montana started the huddle by telling everyone that comedian John Candy was down in the end zone eating popcorn; 2) Costas' sitdown with Switzer, with follow-up critical comments from Joe Gibbs and Mike Ditka.

Top Joe Montana pregame analytical quote: (Ummm, our boys are still reviewing the tape).

This just in: In the Baked Lays supermodel poker game (where the gals let the chips fall as they may), Kathy Ireland's full house beat Vendella's pair. Naomi Campbell folded.

Prediction I: Embarassed by their namesake's performance on the NBC pregame show, and their sudden appetite for potato chips, the folks who live in Joe, Montana, have moved to Kathy, Ireland.

Prediction II: A commercial with Deion Sanders: "Deion, you just won the Super Bowl! Are you going to Disneyland or Disney World?"

"Both."

Look-alikes: Ahmad Rashad and the Budweiser frogs.

Fashion statement I: The white footprints-on-blue background tie worn by NBC nonessential field reporter Jim Gray (emblematic of the people who walk all over him in his career).

Fashion statement II: Ditka shedding the test-pattern sweater for a nice black jacket and tie.

Biggest pregame disappointment: Tried to order the "Real Men Don't Watch Pre-Game Shows" pay-per-view special. Was told by cable company I had an outstanding balance and they couldn't do it. I unplugged the cable in disgust.

Then I realized I needed the cable to watch the game. I have no other TV antenna.

Best TV acting job: NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, appearing on "This Week with David Brinkely" earlier in the day ripping Cowboys owner Jerry Jones for failing to honor league contracts, happily shakes Jones' hand and gives him the Lombardi Trophy after the game.

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PHOTO

The annual dousing of the winning coach in the Super Bowl - Dallas' Barry Switzer gets it here - is no longer worth the air time. William Snyder / Dallas Morning News