The helmet-camera was introduced to football telecast-ing by Orlando Thunder quarterback Kerwin Bell. The debut was dramatic when Bell tried to scramble out of trouble and had helmet - camera and all - knocked off his head.

USA Network viewers were treated to a dizzying view that, for an instant, gave the horrible impression that Bell had been decapitated.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Boomer Esiason, serving as a network analyst, said about the helmet-cam: ''This leaves no room for excuses when the coach asks, 'What were you looking at when you threw the ball?

HALFTIME EXUBERANCE

RAJ BHATHAL, principal owner of the Thunder, could not have been happier at halftime. ''I'm tickled pink,'' he said. ''What I have liked best is the enthusiasm of the crowd. They are reacting to every play. And I'm going to tell coach (Don) Matthews that I totally approve of his game plan to score on the opening play.'' That first-play, 75-yard touchdown pass from Bell to Eric Mitchel was the second-longest play of the WLAF's first weekend behind a 96-yard scoring pass by the London Monarchs.

HOLE IN BLACKOUT

JERRY VAINISI, vice president of marketing, was not pleased by reports that the USA Network telecast was being seen on cable in Altamonte Springs, despite the league's blackout rule. Said Vainisi: ''If anyone was receiving the game in Altamonte Springs, it was a mistake and will be corrected. We have to protect the home team with the blackout rule. Here, in Orlando, if they began drawing more than 40,000, it might be different.'' Vainisi also said if the league learns of any bars or clubs illegally showing blacked-out telecasts, it would take legal action immediately.

Three years away from the spotlight did nothing to tarnish Kerwin Bell's golden-boy image - or his uncanny flair for the dramatic.

Bell's five touchdown passes in the Orlando Thunder's victorious debut Monday night - including a 75-yard scoring strike to open the game - cemented the former Florida star's place in local folklore.

''I haven't felt this good since way back early in my college days,'' said Bell, who was cheered lustily as he trotted onto the Citrus Bowl turf during player introductions.

Bell's road to what promises to be new-found stardom - in these parts, anyway - has been a long one.

After leaving UF in 1987 as the most prolific passer in school history, Bell spent two seasons with three NFL teams before accepting a graduate coaching position with the Gators this past season.

That rough road must have made Monday night seem like a walk in the park. And at least one biased critic said Bell is better for his three years in limbo.

''I think Kerwin plays much better now than he did in college,'' said Galen Hall, Bell's head coach at UF and the Thunder's offensive coordinator. ''He's older, more mature, he's been to pro camps and he spent a year coaching. I'm very pleased with the way he played.''

Bell, who finished with 269 yards and had scoring passes of 75, 42, 37, 23 and 1 yard, said Hall's presence in the coaches' booth was soothing.

''I'm used to his voice,'' Bell said. ''I respond well to him, and I just thank God for putting me in this situation with Coach Hall and this great offense and these great receivers.''

Not all of Bell's experiences Monday will be memorable. He remembers a few hits in particular, ones captured on film by the ''helmet-cam'' that was rigged into his helmet.

''If you go back and look at the replays with that helmet-cam, you'll see that some of those hits were pretty hard,'' Bell said. ''I was hit harder in this game than any preseason game I ever played in the NFL.''

Prediction: The helmet-cam will be in use in the NFL this fall. The new gadget, unveiled Monday night as part of Thunder quarterback Kerwin Bell's equipment, was a hoot. The tiny device provided shots more fascinating even than the race-cams that have removed NASCAR telecasts from the sedative list. Imagine a slo-mo of Mike Singletary bearing down on Danny Marino's facemask. Still the unselfish country boy, Bell said he thought about ways to position his head to provide the best shots for the fans at home. But that was when Kerwin was on the sideline. On the field, Bell said he forgot all about the tiny camera over his right ear because he had more important shots to think about - like the ones charging linemen were taking at his head. . . . Bell's 75-yard TD pass to Eric Mitchel on the very first play of the franchise was simply too much for rookie pro football owner Raj Bhathal. On the sideline for the start of the game, the refreshingly exuberant Bhathal bounded into the team bench area and began hugging coach Don Matthews. ''Not now, Raj! Not now! It's not over yet!'' exclaimed a startled Matthews, who chuckled about the incident afterward and allowed as how it was great to have an owner who is so enthusiastic. Before being blind-sided by his happy boss, Matthews had flashed back to a Canadian Football League playoff game in which his quarterback fumbled on the first play, and the opposition ran in the recovery for a TD. ''We came back to win that game, so it taught me that a first-play touchdown doesn't decide a game,'' he said.

Wednesday was a hectic but happy day for the Orlando Thunder, who learned that quarterback Kerwin Bell gained another line in World League history as the WLAF's first player of the week.

''This just caps a wonderful experience,'' said Bell, who threw five touchdown passes Monday in a 35-34 victory over San Antonio. ''The most important thing was the victory, but this award and using the helmet camera are two things I won't forget.''

While Bell and his teammates were adjusting their short-week sights on Saturday night's game against Raleigh-Durham, Dennis Smith was busy reacquainting himself with Orlando.

Smith, from the University of Utah, was a second-round draft pick of the Thunder as a tight end. However, he spent most of his practice time as a backup fullback and special-teams player.

NOTES: The City of Orlando announced it will provide shuttle-bus service and parking for $2 from the garage area across from the bus station on Central Avenue for all future home games. . . . The actual attendance Monday night was 24,309, the Thunder said. City officials confirmed 21,714 as the turnstile count, but Thunder officials said 1,463 got in on the one-cent promotion, and 1,132 servicemen and -women were admitted free. . . .

USA Network drew a relatively low rating of 1.6 (approximately 1.4 million TV sets) for its telecast of the Thunder's victory Monday night. However, network officials were satisfied because of competition from the Academy Awards. . . . Halftime entertainment Saturday will be by the ever-popular Frisbee-catching dogs. No announcement yet on whether the dogs will be wearing the helmet-cam.

How 'bout them 'ders?

One game does not a season (or lifetime) make, but you have to hand it to the Thunder: Their opening was a huge success, even for those of us who didn't go to the game.

When CNN's sports show came on Monday night, quite a crowd gathered around the office TV for the Thunder's highlights. There was no mistaking the enthusiasm when the video came from Kerwin Bell's helmet-cam. Sorry about this, Kerwin, but the biggest roar came when you got clocked head-on. I think everyone in the room jumped back.

''Where are you?'' I said.

''Altamonte Springs. I'm watching the game on TV.''

The game was supposed to be blacked out locally.

Then the caller said something interesting. He said he would have gone to the Thunder's game but wanted to watch the first one on TV so he could see the helmet-cam in action.

Settle down, Thunder brass. The caller also said he probably would go to the team's next home game - 8 p.m. Saturday at the Florida Citrus Bowl. (And he said this when the score was 7-0.)

THUNDER DUDS. The Thunder may be exciting, but their uniforms are ugly. CNN's Fred Hickman called the Thunder the ''lime green Jell-O guys.'' Sportscasters on both CNN and ESPN had field days making silly remarks about the uniforms. If there is a good side to those uniforms - and I'll admit this is a stretch - at least people will know instantly who is playing when the Thunder are featured on TV or in highlights.

THUNDER FANS. Hats off to the Thunder for announcing their attendance. The crowd of more than 24,000 was broken down by those who paid full price, those who got in on the penny promotion and those who got in free. For those wondering if the Thunder's playing at the same time as the Magic had any effect on the Magic's attendance, take note: Although the announced attendance was 15,077, the actual attendance was 13,010, making this one of the Magic's least-attended games this season. The 15,077 figure represents tickets sold, by the way.

The helmet cam is making the World League of American Football. The open mike is shaking it.

The small television camera inserted into the helmets of quarterbacks is providing scenes never before viewed by the public. The open mike on coaches is providing obscenities never before heard outside of R-rated programming.

The helmet cam is the quarterback's best friend. After seeing what quarterbacks see (and can't see), fans never should boo them again. The combination of speed, confusion and violence that makes football football is captured for the first time in perfect focus with the fish-eye lens of a camera the size of a tube of lipstick.

The live mike can be television's worst enemy. ABC's Brent Musburger spent Easter Sunday apologizing for the adjectives, verbs, and nouns - usually the same word - that kept popping up in the coaches' reactions to the heat of battle. Talk about color commentators. It was the kind of language that makes football football, but if you missed it, it might be too late to tune in now. WLAF President Mike Lynn and the networks are planning to tone it down.

''We would prefer a delay,'' Lynn said.

The networks say a delay in the audio is not feasible, but they promise to be more judicious, turning the volume up before plays and down after, concentrating on the optimism of anticipation rather than the inevitable disappointment.

Neither the WLAF nor the networks said they were flooded by callers complaining about the language. That means one of two things - there weren't many people watching, or they didn't mind.

The flashy helmet cam proves football should be seen and not heard.

''Used at the line of scrimmage when he's calling plays, the camera can be dynamic, but using the replay function is extraordinary,'' Wolfe said. ''You have to be careful because you can't zoom the lens. So after he throws a pass, all you see is specks.'' Which is sometimes all the quarterback sees.

Tex Schramm, former WLAF president and NFL innovator, likes what he has seen of the ''amazing picture'' helmet cam provides.

As usual, Schramm has another idea for helmet cam's use.

''Put one in the referee's hat and see what he saw. See if he's really looking at what he called,'' said Schramm with a laugh.

MONTREAL — Roman numerals were attached to a football game here Saturday night, II to be exact. No, World Bowl II wasn't a Super Bowl - and, bless its heart, it didn't pretend to be an imitation of the NFL's pretentious extravaganza.

Here's my reasons why World Bowl week was more refreshing than the Super version:

- No hype factor. I mean, none. Couldn't be any World Bowl hype (and no letdown) because there wasn't any hype during the season, much to the chagrin of the World League. While New Orleans, for example, surrenders itself to the Super Bowl, the city of Montreal functioned nicely around the World Bowl, which was a curious sideshow to the city celebrating its 350th birthday.

- Ultra-cooperative players. When the winners are playing for $5,000 and the losers for $2,500 in the World Bowl, well, you get the idea these are regular guys having a ball. (Consider that the Kansas City Chiefs made $7,500 each for losing to the Green Bay packers in SB I).

- Super Bowl players are subject to fines if they miss media sessions; World Bowl players seek interviews, even if the questions come in French. ''How come you haven't talked to me yet?'' defensive end Karl Dunbar said the other day. I can assure you Lawrence Taylor never said that.

- Unlike Super Bowl week, there was no controversy (remember Jim McMahon insulting New Orleans?) or wild-fire World Bowl rumors started by radio throats or TV hairdos regarding drug use by players (remember the allegations a few years ago involving Joe Montana?). The lone World Bowl controversy was whether Thunder owner Raj Bhathal would pay for the cheerleaders' airline tickets.

- We weren't in Pontiac, Mich., and it wasn't January. The Super Bowl can't match the World Bowl for culture and international flavor, as you'd expect. Oh, the French Quarter in New Orleans. Americans don't realize how French Montreal is until they, oh, open their mouths. This isn't like Toronto, New York north. I swear I saw a sign at an ESSO gas station here that read: English spoken here.

- Yes, I love Paris in the springtime. The cafes, the Labatt Bleue, the shops . . . you actually feel there's more than a football game outside your door. I mean, how priceless was it that Thunder coach Galen Hall spent time learning how to say ''Happy Birthday, France'' in French before speaking at a pep rally? You couldn't quite picture Don Shula speaking anything but footballese.

- The NFC can't possibly win. As everybody knows, the NFC has dominated the AFC the last decade of Super Bowls. And aren't we all tired of it? The intriguing thing about the World League is that the London Monarchs won the title last season in an all-European matchup against Barcelona. Just what the WL wanted in its first season: A foreign country holding a title in a truly American sport. The World Bowl trophy was going to stay in the U.S., however, when the Thunder and Surge met.