Pro Football Cheerleader Preview

Dallas

Immediately after the 1978 Super Bowl, veterans Cindye Jo Hoffritz and Jerie Lee Smith announced their retirement. Hoffritz is opening a chain of catfish restaurants and Smith has converted to orthodox Judaism. But don't mourn for Dallas.

Barbara Jean Swee, who could be a twin of Cindye Jo, moves into her slot, and Nikki Simms, a raven-haired beauty, easily replaces Jerie Lee. "Barbara Jean has a four-and-a-half-second hang time for her leg kicks, which is a good two seconds better than most," said coach Ed Malmsley. Simms will be switched to center where her leg kicks can be used to best advantage.

Dallas is thigh-deep in talent, thanks to the best cheerleading organization in football. The organization knows when a girl is at the peak of her ovulation period, what kind of dreams she dreams and what brand of creme rinse she uses. When a Hoffritz or a Smith leaves, Dallas simply presses the computer button and a curvier, hungrier replacement steps in.

But Malmsley and the organization have blown their cool over their number-one draft pick, Bambie Sue Brulee (pronounced Broolay), an explosive rookie, a girl who can blow a game wide open with the Big Play.

Los Angeles

Last year, the Rams were just a hip shake away from Super Bowl contention. This year, they must be rated as the chief threat to Dallas supremacy.

The reason for the Ram turnaround is a new-found team balance---a combination of veterans and rookies who perform like veterans. And the man behind it is coach Byron Phelps.

A typical Phelps rehab project is Trudi Tibbs, who probably holds the key to Ram Super Bowl hopes. Phelps signed her as a free agent last year, when she was cut by Denver---an unhappy, overweight center who was already on the down side of 25. Phelps signed her to a generous no-cut contract with incentive clauses, made her the team captain and even let her redesign the Rams' road uniforms. The result: She reported to camp minus 14 pounds and looked like a young Raquel Welch. By season's end, she led the league in TV close-ups.

Tibbs isn't the entire story at L.A. In Debbye Williams, Fiona Brown and Brenda LeClair, the Rams boast the best left side in the N.F.L. And there's a strong supporting line that includes Jackye Kusma, a girl who plays any position and owns the most prominent nipples in the league.

Denver

Except for perennial All-Pro Liza Lee Romero, a flaming redhead with a willowy yet voluptuous body, the Broncos' right side lacked the size and dimensions needed to become a Super Bowl champion last year. When they lost Marvelle Simpson and Kristi Koan in the first quarter of the title game, they had to go with their lighter, thinner reserves. By the fourth quarter, they were burned out.

And so coach Bud Swathmore has been trying to plug up the Denver weak spots. Bonnie LoCastro, a free agent from the Canadian league, is a welcome surprise. "She's got a little Cellulite through the thighs, but from the waist up, she's fantastic," said Swathmore. Nina Traymore comes off her second 1000-cheer season. Sandi Seymour, now 29, is still one of the great pom-pom artists of the A.F.C. And two 36"-24"-36" newcomers, Winona Travers and Marcye Mae Swenson, will give Denver that fourth-quarter bench strength it needs.

Chicago

Chicago is what we call a physical team. No tricky formations. Just bread-and-butter cheers featuring the one-and-only Lu Ann Atkinson. Last year, Atkinson and the Honey Bears were sued 14 times by church groups and do-gooders for indecent exposure. This year will be no different for the big platinum blonde from Winnetka. "They call me a cheap-shot artist," said Atkinson. "If cheap shots mean bumping harder in my bump-and-run numbers, then I'm a cheap-shot artist.

Lu Ann will be operating in front of a young line that still hasn't had enough time to work together. If the Chicago line repeats last year's inconsistent performance, it's going to be a long season of just Lu Ann and a lot of other girls named Jo.

New Orleans

The problem with New Orleans has always been the inconsistency of front-office policies. At first, they went with a youth movement. Then they traded away most of their high draft choices for veterans, many of whom turned out to be over the hill ("We were fooled by black stockings and clever make-up," said coach Ken Frye).

But this year, Frye is gambling on youth. Nancye Cline of UCLA and Karen Twill of Ohio State are both highly touted college stars who still have a lot to learn about the pros.

Cline and Twill did not help matters by reporting late for training camp (they took a mènage á trois vacation with a major movie star).

At their respective schools, Cline and Twill often overshadowed their teammates by moving out of formation and showing off their flashy moves for TV. "In college, all we had to do was wiggle our bottoms a little, scream a lot and fall into our partner's arms," said Cline. "In the pros, you have to be a complete performer."

Baltimore

For years, the Colts were known around the league as "three shakes and a shout." But history is about to be rewritten in Baltimore by none other than Red Philbin, the brilliant innovator who has been lured out of semiretirement by the new owners, who want a Super Bowl contender. Philbin may not give them a contender for a few years, but he will replace the stodgy, predictable Baltimore cheerbook with a brand-new look.

Somehow, he managed to pry Zhona "Too Tall" Rhodes out of talent-laden Dallas for three draft choices. "Zhona could be a franchise," said Philbin. At an even six feet tall and a beautifully proportioned 150 pounds, she will blitz out of the center of Philbin's I formation.

At the same time, Philbin cannily persuaded Trina "White Shoes" Von Cole to make a comeback, paid for her nip-and-tuck job and now has a perfectly pert and perky flanker. He gave up a few middle-round draft choices to L.A. for Bettye Benson, once an All-Pro, who now seems to be recovered from a gall-bladder operation that slowed her down last season.

The big questions are: Is Rhodes really a franchise all by herself? Will Von Cole's plastic hold up for the entire season?