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The second quarter proved just as rich for Buffalo, and just as harrowing for the Raiders. A short touchdown run by Kenneth Davis, Thomas’ backup, increased the Bills’ lead to twenty-four points. And when Kelly threaded a pass downfield through double coverage to Steve Tasker, setting up a first and goal, the game was officially a blowout.

Bills fans at Rich Stadium could now relish every moment of the decades-overdue victory. But for millions of television viewers across the nation, Buffalo’s championship coronation was abruptly halted.

“We understand there are some important developments in the Gulf crisis,” Dick Enberg told the audience. “We go to NBC News and Garrick Utley.”

“Yes Dick,” said Utley, “We’re going right to Saudi Arabia, there appears to have been a missile attack against the big base there. We’re going to [Saudi Arabia] to get the situation.”

The screen cut to a fairly young, handsome man standing on a rooftop at night, shouting out orders to a camera crew.

“Get us up in audio,” he said, waving his arm up and down.

“Please, get us up,” he repeated, pointing to someone offscreen.

The reporter readjusted a tiny microphone attached to his vest.

“Hello, New York, this is Saudi Arabia. This is not a drill,” he said as he shot a look off into the pitch-black horizon.

“Hello, New York, this is Saudi Arabia. This is not a drill,” he repeated. Now he waved a gas mask in front of the camera.

The man was Arthur Kent, a thirty-seven-year-old Canadian-born television journalist. During the ensuing weeks, Kent’s name, and the powerful image of him standing on that hotel rooftop would become inextricably linked to the Persian Gulf War.

“We’re firing Patriots. We’ve got flares and we’ve got sirens.

“Let’s go, focus,” he shouted.

A harried Kent turned back into the night, then frenziedly recoiled and ducked.

“There goes a Patriot. Let’s go!”

“Arthur Kent, you are now live from Saudi Arabia, tell us what has happened” said Utley. The scene viewers had just watched was taped footage from a few minutes earlier.

There was no update from Kent.

“We apparently do not have audio, from Arthur Kent,” said Utley, only adding to the hectic drama. “But just to recap quickly, a few minutes ago, a number of Patriot missiles—those are the U.S. antimissile missiles—were fired from the big base there in Saudi Arabia—apparently, against incoming missiles from Iraq. We will bring you further details as soon as we get them from Arthur Kent on the scene there. Now back to the game and Dick Enberg.”

“Boy, Garrick, that’s sobering news from the Middle East,” said Enberg, resuming the live action from Orchard Park, New York. “Boy, the perspective changes so dramatically when we get the real important news of this day.”

During the newsbreak, Kenneth Davis scored his second rushing touchdown in less than six minutes. Buffalo now led by the absurd score of 34-3, barely a quarter-and-a-half into the game. Cornerback Nate Odomes then picked off Jay Schroeder on the Raiders’ following offensive snap. Kelly’s K-Gun soon scored their fifth touchdown, thanks to another Los Angeles turnover gift.

“The Buffalo Bills and their fans can start thinking seriously about Super Bowl XXV. But we have other, more serious thoughts, as we have another NBC News report coming up shortly,” said Enberg, during a brief Thurman Thomas rush. “So we’ll leave Rich Stadium in Buffalo. We turn you now to NBC News and Garrick Utley.”

Utley handed off the scene to Saudi Arabia: Kent’s audio had been connected.

Garrick, very suddenly, we heard the loud boom, the report of the firing of a Patriot antimissile missile. Suddenly flares were flying, sirens started to sound, and we realized that we were under the most intense air-raid warning that we have witnessed since the beginning of Operation Desert Storm. You’ll remember that three nights ago, an incoming Iraqi long-range missile—thought to be a Scud or an improved Scud missile was intercepted and destroyed just about seventeen thousand feet above our position here