The sporting news 01 15 1996

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V O IC ES 6 7

Bare Kindred: Don Shula — The last of the legends.

Letters *

FOOTBALL 13 Final Four Preview: in the NFC. the Packers really

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were good against the 49ers. but the Cowboys present more obstacles than Green Bay can handle. In the AFC. the spotlight is on oft-criticized quarterbacks Jim Harbaugh and Ned O’Donnell.

18 Bob Glauber What the 49ers and the other secondround losers must do to go further next year.

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19 HR Rotes 26 Husked and stalked: Lawrence Phillips helped Nebras­ ka overwhelm Florida, but his troubles may be rem em ­ bered as much as the team ’s triumphs.

28 Ivan Maissl: He’s certainly a wild c a t but that doesn’t mean Gary Barnett would leave Northwestern high and dry.

BASKETBALL. 29 Well Heeled: Even without Stackhouse and Wallace, 31

the Dean has North Carolina winning.

Mike DeCoorqp T h e re s more to UMass than just Mar­ cus Camby.

32 College Insider 34 A Stacked Deck: Rookie Jerry Stackhouse is thriving ' in the Sixers’ mix of misfits*- malcontents and lastchance guys.

37 Shaun Powell: The last two spots on the Olympic team aren’t tough to choose.

38 MBA Insider

HOCKEY 39 Larry Wigge: The power of the Pens may not be what it was in 1991 and *92, but they are on the right track to be a threat again when the playoffs roll around.

40 RHI Insider

BASEBALL 41 Bob Rigbtengale: The Cardinals’ turnaround is operat­ ing at Ram speed.

42 Baseball Rotes

DEPARTMENTS 5 Openers 44 The Sports Marketplace 47 The Closen The Dandy- Dons of 1956 and their 60gam e hoops winning steak.

Cover photo o f Don Shula by Albert Dickson,'rFSN.

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FROM THE EDITOR

Jawstruck When Don Shula addressed reporters, and fans, last Friday, his jaw jutted the same as ever. The scene was a tribute to a man who stands alone in the hierarchy of his profession. You can debate who the “best” coach is in NFL history. Some will say H ahs, or Lombardi Some will opt for Landry.

Walsh or Gibbs. However, you cannot debate who has stalked the sidelines for the most victories. Shula’s name stands alone.

T hats what made Friday’s scene all the more interesting. Here was Shula explaining how he suddenly turned and made an about face, from saying one day he*would fulfill the remaining year on his contract to the next when he said he was finished. How Owner Wayne

Huizenga was asking him to stay for two or three more years but Shula was not up to that commitment. Somehow the pieces don’t fit, as Senior Writer. Paul Aliner explains in his story (Page 8) that examines Shula’s remarkable career and its sudden ending.

“I was struck by the classy Rawlings way Shula handled what had to be a very difficult situation." c Aliner says. “It was his day, and be was going to run it to the end. He knew he had to let go, but he didn’t want to, so he kept on talking.’

Say this for Shula Over the course of his 33 years as a head coach of the Colts and Dolphins, the game of pro football changed dramatically, and Shula won during every e ra He took the talent he had and molded his attack around it He won with dominating personalities that ran the gamut from .

Johnny Unitas to Bryan Cox; with offenses that featured Lany Csonka as well as Dan Marino.

In this issue we celebrate Shula’s vast accomplishrn m elts but also examine th e . considerable retooling the Dolphins must undertake before their next Super Bowl appearance. Shula’s person­ nel decisions over recent years certain-ly don’t reflect his brilliant work as a tactician and motivator. I don’t believe Simla's parting is quite as tranquil a picture as was painted last week. But that would only be natural for the man who defined more than a quarter of a century of life in the NFL

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OPENERS • 5

January 15,1996

CAUGHT OX THE a v

The Dolphins1hair apparent upstages Jones Fly’s gotta admit i t Ya can’t beat the H uskers (unless s h e s a woman basketball player and yer datin' her).

■ You-n-FTy know just how bad this scorches J arf Jones' grits: T he 'Boys’re within a game of the Dallas maverick’s Subpar Bowl-or-Bust-Without-Or-Helmet-Hair guarantee (so near and yet so Fane), and the talk in Big D is a b o u t...

Jimmy Johnson and the Fish. Next season's Game-o-the Century’s already on the schedule: the ’Boys at Miami, date TBD. ■ Division I schools can spin this week's vote on the one school/one vote governm ent where FAA. II and III schools stood to be iced outta m atters that affected only the big boys.

But ya don’t have to be a civics genius to see who the power shift'd benefit The little guys!] still get their slice-o-financial pie that involves old income dike the $7 bil the NCAA Tourney brings in), but any new income (read: football national championship, corporate sponsorships, etc.) goes straight to the big wallets.

■ Fly’s Top 5 (or “We. Urn. Got, Er. the Man We. Ahem.

W an ted !: I. Rick Heahefeel; 2. Bary Barnett 3. BHI Snyder 4. Bien Mason; 5. Bob Toledo. .

■ T h e desert heat is on. but the Spies say Paul Westfallen's still coachin' his fenny off. That's why Suns rook Mike Finley's . loggin’ serious minutes at 2 guard, where the P T . ll be w hen/if glass-fragile Danny Manning gets back from his knee injury.

HHey-yo. Fly’s got the next Disney fantasy*.

Keep-a-Cfcunkln’ Chuckie Finley throws a combined 600 innings over the *97 and *98 seasons, and the Diz Kids guarantee his *99 option year for $5.8 mil.

Urn. hang on. Ohaz, before ya go spendin’ those dead presidents in “99: (a) Cy Maddux never has combined for more than 535 frames over a two-year span: (b) 162-game seasons ain’t what they used to be; and (c) you wouldn't be able to lift yer left arm to pick up the check. Hit that incentive here, and FlyT kick in 5.8 mil shaddups.

■ Fly’s old friend Tiger Lyons says to look for the new Ollie Stoas flick: Toutes.■ CBS’s ratings wonks say they’re overjoyed at the num bers the Siesta Bowl pulled, but the Spies say the

Class a c t W ell see Sparky in the next ruthenium . advertisers were the ones who shoulda been dancin’ in the streets. They could get bonus NCAA Tourney time because the game didn't deliver on CBS’s guaranteed (23 to 24) rating.

The gift of life 7 know how it feels to live day to day with the fear that someone that you love could be gone from your life at any giv­ en m oment at the hands o f some fa ta l disease. My father suffered from m ultiple sclerosis fo r 19 years before succumbing to it, and my mother recently was taken by cancer, both dis­ eases that have no cure. That's why I would like to tell Rod C am e and his fam ily to take comfort in the fact that there is a possibility o f a cure and fu ll recovery o f their most precious jewel, their daughter Michelle, who is in need o f a bone mar­ row tra n sp la n t' Sheldon Carter, a reader from Edwards Air Force Base. Calif., was among many who have written and

called since we ran Steve BishefFs column (TSN. Jan-' uary I) on Michelle Carew. the 18-year-old daughter of baseball Hall of Fam er Rod Carew who fights on against leukemia, waiting for a bonemarrow match.

Carter just wanted to help.

In the past month, there have been 15,000 calls and 30.000 donor? to the Nation­ al Marrow Donor Program (I-800-Marrow-2), each one a potential lifesaver. .Al­ though none has been a match for Michelle, the un­ precedented outpouring has begun to save other lives.

MicheDe, meantime, drifts in and out of sleep in an Orange County. Calif, hospi­ tal after overcoming a third brush with death in recent weeks. The acute non-Jvm-

Openers compiled by Tom Dienhart and Bob Hille.

■ P ro o f that th e re s a Clevelander bom every minute: Mayor Michael White pitches a Municipal Stadium renovation last week to ajoint meeting of the NFL’s finance and stadi­ um committees, which include Bud Adams, Mike McCaskey and Dare Behring, who’ve announced moves or are threatening one. and Pat Bowlen. Bill Ford Jr.. Carmen Policy. Jeff Lurie and Bob Kraft ail of whom want new digs to solve stadium problems.

■ Fly’s favorite Yappy Hour special at the Rurrtorama (where thbyll sell no 'vine before its time) has come true: 'Bama defensive coach BHI Oliver to ... .Auburn, where it got to where they couldn't spell D. Hey-yo. ain't this the Oliver who called vertically chal­ lenged Terry Bowden “Buster Brown" a few years back?

■ Yeah. Jeff Fisher’s mouth says. “Chris Chandler's still my starter." but his eyes con­ tinue. “But only until Air McNair’s been in the oven at 400 degrees just a few more minutes." Yo. Chris, whine all va like about there not bein’ a commitment clause in that four-year deal’s.fine print, but this here team runs just like AT&T (whaddaya done for us lately, bay-bec).

■ .As long as we’re talkin’ Cooptown this week. Fly’s lookin' ahead — even past the 99 Hail-o-rama with Hollo. 6.B.. Rockin’ Robin and the r e s t The top draw for 2000 should be Tho Sparkmoister. which is only fittin’ since he spent most of this here millenium in the dugout. Rules say any skip who retires has to cool it for five years before induction, unless his 65th b-day com es first. Mr. 2.194-1.834 would turn 65 on February 22. 1999. require a six-month wait and then be eligible for Vets Committee initiation. Classy'OO. ■ Finally, new Cal Coach Stove Mariucci. to the Spies on his vision of a golden B^ar era: “W hen we play its not just our coaches and players against their coaches and players. It's our cheerleaders against their cheerleaders. Our faculty against their faculty. O ur administration against their administration. Our band against their band. O ur beat writers against their beat writers." Put Fly in. Coach. phocytic leukemia, which struck her in September, is in remission after two rounds of chemotherapy. For the mo­ m en t at least s h e s getting stronger, with her white blood count back to normal.

She is aware that the public is trying to help her. though s h e hasn’t yet seen the more than a thousand letters to Orange County Children's Hospital carrying poems and prayers and w ordsof encour­ agem ent a response, her fa­ ther says, frankly, is over­ whelming. .

“Itsunreal." Rod Carew say's. “You watch the news and see all the stuff that goes on and you wonder what peo­ ple are doing, taking each other’s lives, not respecting each other. Then something like this happens to my

daughter, and you realize there are a lot of good people out there, people who care.

This kid has gotten letters from all around the world. It kind of makes vou believe in mankind all over again."

Last Thursday in .Ana­ heim, a potential m arrow donor for Mighty Ducks d<*fenseman Milos Holan. 24. was found (though not through the NMDP). Holan. who has chronic granulocyt­ ic leukemia, continued to play after the diagnosis in the fell, but last week he was placed on the injured-re­ serve list as he prepares for a transplant.

Says Mighty Ducks Gen­ eral M anager jack Ferreira: “I think its the best time Ive had putting someone on the injured-reserve list." *

6 • VOICES

The Sporting News

The last of the football legends P n r M td 4 c a east

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Dave KmORED Heroes? Not anvmore.

• Not in today's sports woHd. No. sir. We cut out their hearts and eat them in our hands.

This week s proof of our cannibal nature is Don Shula, and well bepin with a little ston*..

Frvo years-ago. a sportswriter sat v^nlh Joe Gibbs in the coach's room just off the Redskins' practice field.

Gibbs saTd a curious thing about coaches in general and himself in particular. He said. “You're three weeks from being fired.' carwr A fan shows that Shuia's resignation wasn't what all Dolphins supporters wanted.

The sp o risw ter said. “You can’t mean th a t' ions and personal insults.

Gibbs had won two Super Bowls.

TTie curious thing is that those His team might win another. Bul he We should know Shula's career stations have anv9 influence with a sa! in that coach's room and said.

Don ^ u l a or his friends. The all"Don't lose three in a row." sports format is the last resort of was epic. He coached against \ winner. Gibbs safd those words failing radio stations. Audiences as if he were a loser. Unbeliev'able are tiny. There's little money George Hales, who invented the NFL. then. those words ring true today spent, little money made. And yet when Don Shula is forced from the coaches^ players and newspaper He went against Tom Landry. Chuck Noil job that is his life. people seem to think that if ifs on -Not that Shula would say he w-as the radio, it's importanL and Bill Walsh. He outlasted them forced out But his denial is only se­ Newspapers often cede their au­ mantics. Circumstances conspire lo thority to anonymous voices on and maybe 200 other coaches. make resignation his onh' option. the r ^ o . reacting to fevered fans His team this season fell far short rather than trusting their own pro-\ of his hopes for another trip lo the fessional judgments. Newspapers Super Bowl. Given that ammunition, callers to radio sports shows vil­ often refer to "criticism on the talk shows." as if those shows mean ified him. At the same time. newspapers hammered him. And the something, as if they're worth quoting. Without exception, the worst team's owner didn't extend his contract past the one remaining year. of these radio shows leD us nothing we should know. lf Shula needed new defensivt^coaches. he couldn't hire them be- * We should know Shula's career was epic. He coached against cause he could offer no securin* George Halas, who invented the NFL He went against Tom Landry.

The sum of this w*as sadness, ll told us that football’s last legend Chuck Non and Bill Walsh, He outlasted them and maybe 200 other had become a lame duck. .And father than endure another season of coaches. He won more games than anyone else. His teams played in seven league championship games, including s a Super Bowls. They miser)'. Don Shula hung it up. won two Super Bowls, those back-to'back, one lo complete the Yes, he was 66. So? Bobbv Bowden is older and not even Bowden league's only 17*0 season ever. In 33 years, his teams had two losing would call himself a better coach than Shula. Yet Florida Slate did seasons, 1976 and 1988. ih rn g h t thing: It gave Bowden a contract that guarantees him the .And this man is hounded into resignation. job until he no longer wants it. That way. no circumstances can un­ Have we no decencv? dermine Bowden's authority. No one could transform the great "If a nuclear bomb is dropped." his old end Bubba Smith said, “the coach into a lame duck while sa>ing something like ... only things I’m certain will survive are .AstroTurf and Don Shula."

"Oh. by the way. if you should happen lo decide that you really, reThe writer Pete Dexter said. “I've never seen a statue that wouldn’t alk want to resign a year early, we want >*ou lo know it s fine with us. look better with Don Shula’s head on it" and please let us know as soon as possible, because jimmy Johnson's Stamps co^ a nickel the year he started. He moved from singiedouble-parked." bar face masks to Darth Vader visors on players who evolved from .Manny Fernandez played for Shula on Miami’s two Super Bowl crewcuts to curls to shaved heads. He won with Hall of Famers. and champions in the early 1970s, He said. “I'm a little sad. a little happy he won with a quarterback who taped the plays to his w rist He won right now. I’m sad that.he was driven out by all the criticism, a lot of smashing mouths, and he won airing it ou t Always, he won by being it totally uncalled for. But I'm happy for him that il’s over. He doesn't a man on fire. have to put up with allthis an>Tnore."

On a summer day in J951, Paul Brown, coaching the Cleveland Bob Griese. the Hall of Fame quarterback from those teams; “It’s Browns, said. “Nice tackle. TasefL" Only it wasn't Carl Taseff who had been a shame the wa\♦ the fans in this town have treated him.' Bobbv # tackled Marion Motley. It was another rookie from John CarroD Uni* Beathard. the Chargers' general manager, who has worked with Gibbs verity. Taseffs buddy named Don Shula, a square-jawed kid who and Shula; "After all Don’s done, ifs amazing the abuse he had lo take.' looked at the 'imperious Brown and said. T h e name is Shula Sh-u-l-a" Dick Anderson, another old Dolphin, said. “I know Coach Shula No one spoke to Brown that way. But nothing mattered more to was frustrated, frustrated by the performance of the players and ha­ Brown than uitelligence on fire. He felt it from this kid. So he said. rassed by the talk shows and the m e d ^ ll was really sad."

"PII try to remember.”

Good radio \pJk shows accept calls from reasonable people. Those SH-U-LA shows invite reasonable guests. No problem there. The problem is We’ll remember. # with shows that encourage attack. 'Hiey allow anonymous callers to excoriate coaches and players with irrational analysis, baseless opinDave Kindred is a contributing writer for THE S p o r tin c N ew s.

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VOICES • 7

January 15,1996

VOICE OF THE FAX A model citizen

‘Cal Ripken Jr. is the type of role model that I would like my children to have.

Unfortunately, the way money is corrupting sports today, there will be no real role models left by the time I have kid s.’

Stephen J. M ueller K enosha, Wts. m uellel@ carthage.edu

IO pR&mUsthavs.beenevery criniinal’s imL; . . .

NFL team tb & d raftsh ^ IV ! 'js se ^ in g the message that beating up women and committing crim els OK as long as you can rush for IOOyards. * a tfievattcmy:

> *

Plaschke exposed?

In Bill Plaschke’s piece about the NFL’s five best players (TSN. O ctober 30). he wrote of Jim Harbaugh: "If he still ranks here at the end of the season, well jog -naked around the speedway."

Well Mr. Plaschke. he was the No. I-rated quarterback and voted to the Pro Bowl. So iii be waiting by the second turn. watching for you in May. F red Cherry Indianapolis

Check signals Dave Kindred is accurate about college football’s focus being entirely on making a profit (TSN. D ecem ber 4). He is also right that the athletes are what makes the system profitable. That is why it is so nice to see Northwestern go to the Rose Bowl. You know its athletes have goals other than to play in the pros.

D a vid Kays Indianapolis

can put it in cruise control until the Final Four.

C C . M cC andless Tem pe. A m

The ring of dishonor Enough! How many times does one have to hear. "Dan Marino deserves a Super Bowl ring" (TSN. D ecem ber ll)?

The Dolphins have been in the playoffs plenty of times throughout his career, lf he deserved a ring so much, one would think that he could lead his team to at least one Su­ per Bowl victory.

Jam es J. G allagher York, Pa.

Fly chasing F V s com mentary is usually right on the

mark, but he was way off in referring to the Iona College basketball team as "junior wel­ terweight" despite beating St. John’s (TSN. January' 8). Iona has already beaten three ~ teams from the bigger conferences, so how about a little respect?

G uy Fulotico E astchester. S . Y.

Courtroom infractions In response to.Richard Lapchick’< arti­ cle "Victim of foul s h o ts ' (TSN. D ecem ber 25). Michael Watson deserves one more chance in court.

J A . Cote W inchendon. Mass

L .A ., L .A . lateral pass Parity parody Mark down 1995 as the year that Major League Baseball officially entered the Big M arket/Sm all M arket era. Atlanta and Cleve­ land met in the World Series, and in the off­ season to date both are among the big-revenue team s to clean up in the free-agency marketplace. Throw in Baltimore and the Yankees for good m easure.'and the drift from parity is becoming complete. . M aybe in a few years. MLB waifresemble Englisfy-Soccer with a Prem ier Division with relegation for the cellar-dwellers and promotion for the top of the Second Divi­ sion.

Don H a m m o ck Gulfport. Miss.

I) T H am m ef& aol. com

Wait a minute, man In your article profiling what we can ex­ pect as the college hoops season enters con­ ference play (TSN. January 8). Michael Knisley finds occasion to mention UMass just once, stating that the M inutemen are not the best team in the country. They have reeled off one im pressive win after another, including victories over Georgia Tech.

Maryland, W ake F o re s t Kentucky. Syra­ cuse and M emphis. Coach Calipari’s boys

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Sam Bromberg Rumford, Me. SBromberg@aoL com

Powerful Hakeem I can’t believe Hakeem Olajuwon was not on the ‘ IOO Most Powerful People" list (TSN. January I). He and his team swept Orlando, winning his second consecutive champion­ ship. And TSN is saying he is not one of the top IOO powerful people5 Please.

Ryan A bshire • E l Cam po. Tex.

Happy New Year. Rams and Raiders fans.

Santa Claus told me that .Al Davis and Georgia Frontiere would be happy to return all of your PSL money. Just wanted to let you know that all of us Los-Angeles fans really' enjoyed watch­ ing "your" teams go in the tank this year.

B ill Z ickg ra ff i.

Dis Angeles .

Go! a comment?

T he: S p u r t in g N e w s

would love to hear from you.

Write Voice o f the Fan. 1212 S . Lindbergh Blvd..

St. Louis. Mo. 63132. fax your message to us­ er 314-993-7723. or send us electronic m ail at tsnmail@aol.com. Be sure to include your nam e and city with your c-mail.

T h e S p o r t in g N e w s reserves the right to edit letters for brevity and content.

Upon further re v ie w ...

■ Bobby Jones, whose No. 24 jersey was retired by the 76ers. is am ong five former North Carolina players who went on to have their NBA jerseys retired. He was omitted from a list in the December 25 issue.

The Sporting News

“H ere,’said Johnny Unitas, handing a football to Don Shula afteract another Shula tirade. ‘You want to be the quarterback? Take the ball.'

BrPMume on Shula finally is taking that ball and leaving.

Not to play quarterback. But tt> play father and husband and grandfather. He is not leaving the way he wanted to. fresh after a seventh Super Bowl appearance, riding the shoulders of his players, hearing fresh praises of his greatness.

But what happened this season, the way free agency produced a gutless team that betrayed the dedication of its coach, will be rein em hoed only as a blip on his screen of triumph.

So much departed with Shula when he left the Dolphins’ training complex last Friday, eased out by Owner Wayne Huizenga after 33 years as a head coach and a 347-173-6 record. In the sound-bite era of the ’90s, his resignation is today’s event, forgotten amid tomorrow’s newest development But hit the stop button on the remote just this once. Come ride with Shula on his players’ shoulders one last time; enjoy the wonderment of where he has been and what he has meant and why pro football isn’t quite the same today as it was yesterday.

D

Halos, Lombardi, Brow n...

The league executive isn’t so young anymore. But age hasn’t cloud­ ed his memory of one of his first NFL meetings.

He looked around the room and saw George Ha' las. And Vince Lombard] and Paul Brown. A very young Don Shula was there, too. The executive was in awe of such company. And when he heard that Shula, the final link of greatness that kept the NFL past chained to the NFL present, was retiring, he felt a pain in his g u t It is the same pain that brought Tex Schramm to tears, that caused Pete RozeHe to reflect somberly on what used to be and moved former Dolphin Manny Fernandez to declare, “It’s almost like you are talking about the end of football in Miami" “I see him as the god of football" Dolphins run* ning back Terry Kirby says. Shula surely was the last on-field god left from an era that defined the NFL vaulted the league into elite status and turned the game into an American triumph. He comes from an era that we now contemplate with growing nostalgia; we yearn again for one last pep talk from Lombardi one final sideline tirade from Halas, one concluding play call from Brown. As long as Shula coached, we could see the past, when football was more fun and the world of business less intrusive.

Of course, it was never that pure — just ask Shula even now how he feels about the World Football League’s raid on the Dolphins in the mid-70s — but at least there was no free agency or franchise movement Coaches were in charge; players didn’t ask why.

“Society changes and Don changed with it" Bob Griese says. “But I would have to think that things might have been a little more fun for him before life got more complex. One of his gifts, though, was he never looked back and worried about the past He was always moving on, looking at the fu­ ture and how he could win. I don’t see one change on how he does things. He still prepared meticu­ lously. He still was a details man. You still knew that at a particular time every day. he was doing the same thing he did 15 years ago. I don’t think his hunger left him. Just don’t tell me he can’t still match anyone with X s and Os." With Shula gone, an age of coaching dictator­ ship goes with him — an era built on huge tempers and and an obsession with rigid rules abd regula­ tions. Ask Shula now what he is most proud of. and he will tell you that he was honest and consistent and that his teams stayed within the rules. Almost every season, it seemed, the Dolphins led the 3 league in fewest yards penalized. Not in 1995; only \ eight teams collected more penalty yards. “I don’t \ know what the heD happened," he says. Look at the era. Don. But even this generation of players can’t go un-

When Don Shula abdicated his 33-year throne, the final link of greatness to Die NFL’s defining period was broken

Winning profile:

The jutting jaw — and the stem, immovable personality ii once symbolized — will forever be chiseled in the SFL landscape. t

’ WISS

Before he became the biggest winner in NFL history, Shula was a loser. Couldn’t win a championship. Joe Namath predicted a Super Bowl victory and then grabbed one by downing Shula’s Colts. That's why even today Shula glows any time his 1972 team, the 17-0 Dol­ phins, is mentioned Can’t win, huh? Just see if anyone can match that record.

It is a mark of the man’s enormous ego that he doesn’t want that mark broken. None of this records-are-made-to-besmashed baloney for Shula. His place in history is important to him. He wants to be the coach with the most victories, the coach of 17-0. He knows what he has accomplished and where that places him among the greats. It is a status he enjoys.

As painful as last week's events were to him personally, at least it so­ lidified his stature. The farewell news conference filled a huge team meeting room with television cameras and anxious reporters. He was surrounded by former players and even Raymond Floyd a next-door neighbor. Bob Costas and Larry King requested one-on-one. inter­ views. Shula was treated as if he were royalty.

And he put up a brave front He smiled and joked giving only the slightest indications that this was not a decision he favored (“Wayne came down and then made the final decisions as to what direction I

The ops: The 1993 victory over the Bogies that gave Shula his record 325th victory (above) and the opportunity to coach against son Dave (below right) were memorable moments in a down decade

I ASSOCIATE

Namath, Unitas, Griese...

wanted to go and what direction Wayne wanted to go*). Fire his staff.

Huizenga told him. Shake up the front office, he was told. Coach a few more years, too, if you w ant even though Shula knew he wanted to stay just one more season. Instead. Shula, who began the week insist­ ing he would finish his contract took a lucrative payment from Huizen­ ga and became the Dolphins’ vice chairman. Duties undefined, office offcampus. Shula had too much loyalty even to mediocre assistants to become a glim reaper this deep into his career.

Maybe he should have been allowed to finish up next season and bow out on his own terms.

Maybe he was owed that much, but this is not a fantasy sports world anymore. Huizenga saw a roster filled with 19 first-round draft choices, that had been as­ sembl ed with the help of $18 million in signing bonuses, tum­ ble backward, finally falling apart in an astonishingly inept performance against Buffalo in the payoffs. Shula needed to be 33 again, when he took over the Colts in his first head-coaching assignment and had the audaci­ ty to tell 30-year-old Johnny Unitas a thing or two about playing quar­ terback. Instead, the perception in south Florida was that he no longer was capable of guiding a championship team, that a coach named Jim­ my could do better. His friends say no. but Shula would be the first to admit a coach is ultimately responsible for a team’s results — and the

CAVO KOK

touched by Shula’s genius, even if it wanted to avoid it His legacy is in the r d es that have so changed the game over the last 20 years. As a member of the competition committee since 1975 — he became co­ chairman in 1993 — Shula has pushed for regulations that have helped protect quarterbacks from unnecessary injuries and backed innova­ tions that have opened up offenses and reduced domination by d e fenses. And he trumpeted instant replay, which someday could return.

Hell remain on that committee, a sort of elder statesman of football, a guy who can remember how Halas and Lombardi and Brown would want the game played.

GJO**

MOUM

/ ASSOCIATE

P«nS

January IS, 1996

t

H ie Sporting News

Don Shula leaves the NFL sidelines as the winningest head coach of all time — and the last of a rare breed

THROUGH THE DECADES* W^ir^ , V W ‘' > •

HALL OF FAMERS HE HAS COACHED Raymond Berry

Colts

1963-67

Dolphins

1970-80

LX

1.

Vince LOMBARDI

Packers, Redskins

1960-67, 1969

98-30-6

.754

2.

D o n SHULA

Colts

1963-69

71-23-4

.745

3.

George ALLEN

Rams

1966-69

40-15-3

.716

4.

Blanton COLLIER

Browns

1963-69

71-31-2

.695

5.

Hank STRAM

Chiefs

1960-69

92-51-6

.639

u n

Bob Grtese

jd

Jim Linger

Dolphins

1970-79

John Mackay

Colts

1963-69 -

■>

mmmMBEmmmmmmm Lanny Moore C olts' 1963-67

I

v-r'

p M

w

m

w

Colts

I

;

Cowboys

1970-79

105-39-0

.729

rn

2.

Don SHULA

Dolphins

1970-79

104-39-1

.726

3.

John MADDEN

Raiders

1970-78

100-38-6

.715

M ■SS

PEER PRESSURE

* A• *9 %

1. Tom LANDRY

.**%■rn

1963-69

♦

I* •>

3 *

Johnny Unites

*

%

*

4.

Bud GRANT

Vikings

1970-79

99-43-2

.694

5.

Chuck NOLL

Steerers

1970-79

99-44-1

.691

u m m m ^

• '

7

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.

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4

"

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.

♦

1. Joe GIBBS

Redskins

1981-89

91-45-0.

.669

2.

Bill WALSH

49ers

1980-88

90-45-1

.665

' Rems

3.

Mike DUKA

Bears

1982-89

79-41-0

.658

Panthers

4.

Dan REEVES

Broncos

1981-89

85-50-1

.629

5.

Don SHULA

Dolphins

1980-89

94-57-1

.622

1.

George SEIFERT

49ers

1990-95

Barry SWITZER

Cowboys

1994-95

3.

Marv LEVY**

Bills

1990-95

4.

Joe GIBBS

Redskins

5.

Bill COWHER

Don Shula entered the NFL In 1963; the following chart shows where his 1995 coaching counterparts were at the time: Browns

Bill Benedick Sixth-grader. Andover, M ass

Rich Brooks Graduate assistant Oregon State

Dom Capers * Eighth-nrader Buffalo. 0 * .

Tom Coughlin

Jaguars

■* High school senior. Waterloe. N Y

BUI Cowier

-

Stealers

k *

-%«-r~'

Second-grader. Beechwood Pa

b e n n is Ericbon

*■

Scihawks

*- *

>

High school junior. Everett. Wash

Jeflm ber

. ,

|-

Oilers

5-year-old living in Denver

W ipe Fontal

Uans

72-24-0 —■ - ■ rn rnrn J •

•

m« •

•

.750

M

24-8-0

.750

65-28-0

.699

1990-92

33-15-0

.688

Steelers

1992-95

43-21-0

672

Jimmy JOHNSON

Cowboys

1990-93

43-21-0

.672

Marty SCHOTTENHEIMER

Chiefs

64-32-0

.667

59-37-0

.615

cete Jetensive back. AFL s New York Jets

Oennls Green

Vikings

High school freshman. Harrisburg. Pa

MQmHatmgren

<

14

Packers

High school sophomore. San francisco

Jnne Jones

•

Falcons

Sixth-grader. Portland Ore

Rich Rottte

Jets

Seifert

Freshman. University of Miami.

Mirv Levy

Bills

Head coach. University of California

Ted Marcftlbrtda

Cons

Assistant coach. Washington Redskins

Jhxi Mon

Saints

Assistant coach. Occidental College

BIR Percent

• Regular season * • Does not indude team's 1-2 record while hospitalized during 1995 season.

7.

1990-95

*

•

8.

Don SHULA

Dolphins

1990-95

Patriots

Senior. Wichita State University

Din Rem s

Giants

Junior. University of South Carolina

Ray Rhodes

Eagles

Seventh-grader. Mexia. Tex

Bobby Ross

1

Chargers

High school coach. Colonial Heights. Va

Buddy Ryan

Cardinals

Assistant coach. University of Buffalo

Li Marty Schottenhelmer i i

Chiels

Junior. University of Pittsburgh

George Seifert

LONGEVITY a

a

.^ »

A

iv

•

'V

Broncos

WELL-KNOWN GREATS

I

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,j ‘

>%•

tf’V

C: r>

Victory Na Opponent I at San Fran, _

Score 20-14

Date 9-22-63

IOO

San Diego

24-10

10-15-72

200

at New England

30-27*

300

Green Bay

16-13

325**

at Philadelphia

19-14

NFL

Date hired Feb. 1970

Coach ct Amos Alonzo Stagg

Pirates

MLB

Nov. 1985

S£

11-6-61 ag Tom KeOy

Twins

MLB

Sept 1986

S

38

9-22-91 3

Lions

NFL’

Nov. 1988

■* Don Shula

33

h

Name Don Shula

Team Dolphins

Jim Leyland

Sp o r t

49ers

U s Army

Mike Shanahan

MILEPOSTS •***■>•I —■

Glenn ‘Pop1Warner

Years 57

t

44

Fifth-grader. Franklin Park. Ill

David Shuls

Bengals

4-year-old living in Baftimore

Barry Switzer

Cowboys

Assistant coach. University en Arkansas

Mont Turner Dave Wannstedl ■

Baers

11-14-93

Rtth-grader. Pittsburgh

Raiders

Assistant coach. University of California

Sara Wyche Sophomore. Furman University

f ii* ?■ ?

S.' I•

Redskins

Sixth-grader. Martinez. Calif

Mike White

Wayne Fontes

Buccaneers

•cMrtrne - broke George Hato * record for N R vttones in a caroa

4 .* | |

NOTE The Dalas Stars' Bob Gakwy. whose tenure dates ta June 1990. is the NHL's leader in sanoriy.

Si

Joe Patemo

30

S c

I?

t;/

g*

“ Nine Sh u t* a ssista n t Q oschas — B a Am sparger. Monte Clark. Dan Henning. Don McCafterty, Chuck Nofl. John Sandusky. Howard SchneDenberger. David Shula and Charley Winner — went or. to become N FL head coaches.

i

January 15,1996

V *

• <

by the 49ers in the Super BowL That’s it “He's running out of time.Shula acknowledges. “I hope he still can get one."

The brilliance of Shula has been his ability to win with Hall of Fame quarterbacks, with journeyman quarterbacks (Earl Morral]. David Woodley) and with halfbacks playing quarterback (Tom Matte). His failure has been his inability as a personnel man to surround his quar­ terbacks over the last 22 years with enough quality players to win at least one more championship.

In the Marino era, how many years have the Dolphins lacked a run­ ning game or a physical defense? Shula should have fired himself as a general manager years ago instead of maintaining such ironclad con­ trol over the organization. Just look at the mess he made of the roster this season. He brought in big-name players and forgot a fundamental element of any champion: chemistry. His ragtag outfit didn’t get along.

Bryan Cox? He symbolizes the pitiful sportsmanship and lack of class that Shula once despised. But Cox may be back with the Dolphins next season. And Shula is gone.

T h a t 1972 team, they loved to play hard and they liked to play’ as a team,- says Shula, which is just what his 1995 club didn't do.

But even four games into this season, when the Dolphins were un­ defeated, Shula thought they would live up to their early rating as Su­ per Bowl contenders. By the new year, he called it the most frustrat­ ing and embarrassing season of his career.

“He was the guy who really helped me in my learning process ear­ ly. because he put so much pressure on me to be successful, put pres­ sure on me to learn the offense at a young age,- Marino says. “Every­ body should appreciate what this man has done for all of us here in

»•

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r v* £ * .

kl ^ 5

NBA r

£Shute wfww-i;:

^ j $ » y r f r 8am es«w b}K ;i -I

N tm ibrfrfcaitiies.beS^ Shute w h o > ' _-^-Number ti fffk&aehes besidgs Sluts to - coach the same tem tor 2DCf more : eonsecutiSftsaaioraptfi-P-. i¥ : Number of times Shute has been selected N R& achoftM Ye& tyTB& SPoratt->

«*

\ T . n n i r j U K JU " ‘J j k * y - C

MT «. -

.

V fig

•’

Number of touchdown passes allowed In 17oamestythe1973SuperBowtc}tempk)n dolphins.#^ ■■ Number rf unbeaten Streaks bf IO dr more

:As a defensive back with the Cots in 1954, Shula was in

the middle cfh sevenyear carter that produced 21 interceptions and an lite for more competition.

•jam* of these Dolphins did a mediocre job.

“Geez," Colts receiver Ray Berry once told Shula, “you need to work on your temper." Shula still does: the fire in his belly can rage in an in­ stant It's just th a t unlike Unitas, these current players stopped lis­ tening.

ftamberflf ART-NfLheadcoaches in 1963, Shula's fts t year, who ara no longer alive: 7 ’ Number rf.t995 NR. head coachee who iud yet to aftter hJoh school In 1963-, Shula's first y e a rn s h a d coach; !# ■Number^ the NR Craft round in which ." I

Marino, Clayton, Cox...

When Shula concluded the news conference. Dan Marino walked over and embraced his coach. They exchanged whispers, then Shula waved and walked, smiling, out a side door. Marino lingered momen­ tarily, his head bowed, before disappearing. $hula and Marino are not close; certainly, their relationship never rivaled the one he has with Griese, who calls him “Shues- and has be­ come Shula's image protector.

But these past few seasons, as Shula caught and passed Halas in coaching victories and Marino stalked Fran Tarkenton’s pass­ ing records, the two have been linked more than ever. No longer surrounded by other gift­ ed teammates. Marino became Shula's final superstar. AD elite coaches are paired with a gifted quarterback — Halas and Luckman. Brown and Graham, Lom­ bardi and Starr, Landry and Staubach — but Shula had a run of three: Unitas, Griese, Marino.

The first two have rings; Marino has disappointments.

Shula’s final quest this season to buy a Super Bowl with free agency was as much for Marino as it was for his own ego. Shula has gone 22 years since his last championship; in major sports, only Gene Mauch coached a longer period (29 years) without a tide interrupting the string of years. Marino has absorbed 13 seasons of disappointments. He had one shot, in 1984, for a ring, but the Dolphins were whipped

lumber oft (fj- htstufy [fl whtdi'shu la was-sent from Ctewtand to BaWmbfe lh- '

17-ft The undefeated season in 1972 is Shula’s most treasured career highlight After sharing the pre-Super Bowl spotlight with quarterbacks MorralJand Griese (above), he basked in the glow of victory.

r

n

' V S * .

-

t

defensive back Shute durtnirhis seven-year NFLcareen .of times {excluding the 1982 -N M

-

i l } !

i i

Ifrat or tied for Arn in tho AFC -a st

**-

•.t Number ofMctortes eamedby MarvLovy. the NFL coach with the most against Sht i f ci r • r^ NFL teams whose total ;• victories In tMfr histories do not surpass

•,ShiiiarstdtaI.victor^1t,;'y!‘-^

>=^i- Number of years Shula coshed, in the; • vNum bw if Winnie seasons^ T ula's-.. .I* ’•♦ ,/;o •' /

r Numberedregiiar-season victories, vs. 22 m . .

. . c w p i o *P

f

:jr i. --

.-.:..Wumbertf games won by teams coached ■

/ ^Number of victories recorded by Dart R ee^ -th e actfvaftft coach with the “

'

-

m c w im g c ^

; Jtodieffllniinute3 coactirMiy S&la'fii • ^

12* Na

The Sporting News

.\

%w

• ^

f .I

In Don Shiila*s list jofhfstop IO career highliglAs, two ^ rp ^ n p ly are defeats — the loss to Qak&)d.ih.the'j974 playoffs that ended the Ocriphths* championship reign and the classic overtime loss to San Diego In the 1981 playoffs; Here are the top IO and his comment on each: It S u j^ Bowl VII; Miami 14.

Washington 7. "That win capped our perfect 17-0 season, an accomplishment that had never been achieved before and hasn't been duplicated since * 2. Super Bowl VHI: Miami 24, Minnesota 7. “Not only was it our second consecutive world championship, butit was the climax of what might have been the best two years that any team in the NFL ever put together. We won back-to-back Super Bowls and went 32-2, a two-year record that hasn't been broken yet" 3.1971 AFC playoff game on Christmas: M iiihl 27, Kansas Citv 24, two overtimes, longest game in NFL history. "That might have been the most exciting game) ever was a part of, either as aplayer or a coach, and it certainly was the longKt" 4. Miami 38, Chicago 24, December 2,1985. "It was a Monday night game, and with the Bears having an undefeated season to that point there v/as a feeling of etectricity in the Orange Bowl. By beating the Bears, ^ were able to keep our legacy of the perfect season Intact" 6,^326thvlctoryaMlemM9, Philadelphia 14, NoveRHi»^14,1993.

“It w ^ n honor tol become the NFL's winnii^est coach. Certainly no one vrauld have guessed it would be Doug Pederson who guarterhacked the recordsetting win.** 8. BalUmorelO, U L Rams 17, December 18,196S, “We needed to >vin our last regular-season game to get into a playoff for the Western Conference title and. because our two quarterbacks were hurt we had to use a backup running back. Tpm Matte, at quarte^ck.

Nobody gave us a chance to vhrin the game, but Matte, with our plays written on his wristband, was able to get the job done and lead us into the playoffs.* 7.1974 AFC playoff gama: Oakland 28. Miami 26. *^ 1 8 was one of the most disappointing losses I've had as a coach. Ken Stabler threw a touchdown pass (to Clarence Oav^) witivless than a minute remaining in the gann. and that prevented us from having a chance to win three consecutive world championships."

8. Hall of Fame presentation; August 8,1987. “It was a special thrill for me to present Jim Langer and Larry Csonka for induction into the Pro Footbali Hail of Fame on the same day. And I was just as proud three years later when i presented Bob Griese."

9. First game against son Dave Shula: Miami 23, Cincinnati 7, October 2,1994. “I was very proud when I looked across the field right before the start of the game and saw David getting his own team ready to play. But once it started, we both concentrated on winning the game."

10. 1981 AFC playoff.game; San Diego 41. Mlamt38(pv8rtlme). “This was a great game, and both teams played outstanding footbalL"

south Florida and for the Dolphins." But the hiow Generation only sees Jimmy Johnson's cemented locks.

Dave Shula, Mike Shula.

Mary Anne S h u la ...

A day after he turned 66, Don Shula said he was startin^r the first day of the rest of his life.

He said he now would have more time to get to know his children and grMdchfldren. It was a sad commentary on what it takes to be a sac^ cessfu! coach, at least in his mind. Family came second, football first. But in sons Mike (Bears assistant) and Dave (Bengals head coach), the Shula footbaD line will continue.

And Shula is more content than he would have been in the past to handle the uncharted area of retirement After losing his first wife. Dorothy, to can­ cer in 1991. Shula was deeply unhappy. But his marriage lo Mary Anne in 1993 has trans­ formed him off the field into sort of a teenage lovebird. They wink at each other and kiss in public. .And he goes places and tries hobbies that he would never have even thou^t about 15 years ago. The rest of the Shula clan re­ mains extremel)' bitter about what has hap­ pened to its patriarch; his wife is convinced the time had come for him to move on.

"I’m going to do my best to be happy." Shu­ la says. He deserves that much. ♦ Paul Attner is a senior writer for T h e ' S po fo tn g N eva's .

Shula's last game was a ccid reminder that hts last team had no chemistTy and IM e heart The biekerirrg. underadHeving Dolpksns were shredded by the Bids.

The task ahead: a mess made for Jimmy <

__

lf what aild^e Dolphins were an easy fix, under contract Their movements wfl) be Don Shula would have stayed for one last restricted Iby the cap and the large amount season. But if Jimmy Johnson t^kes over the already spent on bonuses. team — it is his job for the taking, as long as Johnson surely is intrigued by the opening. his financial and authority demands are not He admits he is sanously considering coming back and that he wOl loo outlandish — his pre­ the Dolphins. He already has sence alone won't immed­ iately turn the Dolphins had disoissions with Tampa into champions. But free Bay. which has a younger, more talented nudeus. But agency and Johnson's abik location means a lot to it>' to judge personnel Johnson. He lives south of would speed the process.

Miami and has a restaurant One potential move in the dty, And he was a floating around south Flo­ rida involves quarterback nationakdiampion coach at the University of Miami He Dan Marino. In Dallas.

Johnson and Owner Jerry is the only man who could Jones began the Gowbo5ts’ replace Snila and immed­ iately have his own identity return to respectability by instead of wallowing in the trading ^ eir most mar­ shadow of a legend, in his ketable player. Herschel Walker, for draft picks and mind. Johnson already is a ^ legend anyway, and his ego players. Although nearing the end of his career, iBgeod In Ms r n Btak/J. may be the equal of Siula's, if not larger.

Marino would stiD fetch watddni waUow in the shadow. some value on the market Surely, he would bring particularly for a dub that credibility lo the job and This season. iVliami thinks it is a quarterback grab the attention of his away from the Super Bowl. players, something Shula lacked chemistry, a likely a far-fetched move coukln’l do by season's end for the Dolphins, but still.

This season, Miami lacked running game. it is intriguing. chemistry, a running game, a Marino wants a contract oonsistHit defense— and did a consistent defense extension dial will allow him we mention chenistry?ltisa to end his career in Miami. team of 19 firstround draft — and did we He neter received a new chdces thatdidn't have a due agreement this season about how to wwk tc^ether. mention chemistry? despite negotiations. Now The peacemakers were, ofaD his future with the team is a p e c^ Bndaacker Bryan Cox front-bumer issue, a problem the new coach and backup quarterback Bernie Kosar. It says will have lo deal with. But that is not the only something about a locker room when your rnost financial situation plaguing the franchise. The notorious piaya*, not your starting quarterhack.

Dolphins spent-more than SIS million in signing tries to ke^ tilings togetiier. bonuses last year and have only 21 players Cox argued with coaches and spit at

Buffalo fans. Safety Gene Atkins choked a reporter in training camp, feuded with coaches, stormed out of team meetings and threatened to boycott a game if a teammate was benched. It was Atkins who got benched instead. After the final disaster against the Bills, cornerback Troy Vincent named a halfdozen or so teammates who he said didn’t quit during the game. It was a telling indictment of everyone else.

Decisions will have to be made immediately about the future of free agents Cox, Kosar. defensive lineman Marco Coleman (a transition player), receiver Irving Fiyar, Pro Bowl guard Keith Sims, ViDcent (transition player) and receiver Randal HHL Tula's staf wanted Vmcent. Coleman, Cox and HOI ba±. Fryar didn't have a good season, and Sims was average ,despite his Pro Bowl status. And he wOl seek a SlS-million contract Why Cox? He is one of the team's few legitimate pass rushers and has considerable talent He just needs to grow up. He says he was strongly considering coming back before ^ula left but now doubts he wfll return.

Veterans Gary Clark and Steve Emtman won’t be back. Keith Byars had a woeful season; he has abffity that a new coach needs to tap. Tight end Eric Green arrived from Pittsburgh as a key to the Dolphins' Super Bowl hopes. Marino and coordinator Gary Stevens did an awfiil job of incorporating him into the offense. He needs to get in better shape, but hell benefit from a new staff. He also is a nifty run blocker who couldn’t beHew how dismal the team's ground game performed this season. Johnson’s first priority would be to bring some macho to that rushing aftack he wouldn't tolerate a finesse team. Nor the losers that destroyed the Dolphins this season.

Sims said after the season that Shula had told his players. Tm tired of kissing your butts." Don't expect Johnson to even try. ^

— PA O . At

t b

January 15,1996

THE NFC PLAYOFFS -•SS?

The Packers made themselves heard by dethroning the 49ers, but they’ll be on the Fritz again in Dallas

By w c h a r m a n

SiJSM

HMM

/ ASSOCUUO W I S S

L

The bugaboo is still big. The Cowboys et us now praise the famous men looked vulnerable a few weeks ago. and in Green Bay — Mike Holmgren. might have struggled in a championshipBrett Favre. Fritz Shurm ur and the game matchup with the 49ers. to whom they rest of the Packers. What they did have lost three consecutive times under Bar­ to the defending Super Bowl cham­ Switzer. But to at least the sam e degree pions last Saturday is another defining ry chap­ the 49crs have Dallas' number, the Cowboys ter in Green Bay’s hoary book of glories. own the Packers.

On offense. Favre and the Packer^ razed And the erring course that the Good Ship the NTL’s best defense with 21 completions Cowboy was sailing through the season’s in 28 attempts, no turnovers and a productive, waning weeks appears to complementary running game. have been righted by last On the other side of (he ball. Shurmur. the Sunday's 30-11 bagatelle defensive coordinator, dream ed up a game over the Eagles in the plan that had Steve Young and Jerry Rice so NFC’s other semifinal. far out of kilter they may still be looking for Dallas simply coasted the Candlestick Park end zone. Together, the through the game.

Packers put a bigger whup-nose on the proud T h e y 'r e awfully good 49ers than any in recent San Francisco m em ­ with what they do." Shur­ ory * m ur says, “and we've So let’s praise them. Right now. If we don't played lousy’ against do it this week. well miss the opportunity, be­ them. We've got our work cause very little of what worked so well in cut out for us. We’ve just their 27-17 victory over the 49ers is likely to played lousy, so we’ve ob­ translate effectively Sunday against the Cow­ viously got to do som e­ boys in the NFC cham pionship game. thing different than what T he Packers’ recent history against the we’ve been doing against Cowboys is anything but glorious. It’s five them." consecutive losses in Dallas, by an average Against the 49ers. the score of 35-19, including year-enders in the Packers’ defense —- a playoffs the last two seasons and a 34-24 loss middle-of-the-road outfit at best/if you believe this season. Yes, Green Bay may have some in the NFL’s statistical m easures — did expectation of a better result Sunday, espe­ everything different Shurm ur called a series cially if it pitches another perfect gam e as it of gimmicky pass coverages geared only mar­ did in San Francisco. But m ore likely, the ginally toward the 49ers’ token rushing Packers will be hearing those old familiar game. How gimmicky? Nose tackle John Texas Stadium public-address an n o u n ce Jurkovic, who is 6 feet 2 and 295 pounds, m ents again this time — the ones Ron Wolf found himself in zone coverage on Rice in the seem s to hear time after time against the middle on one occasion. ("I’m just happy he Cowboys. stopped right there." Jurkovic says. “I would "Every time we go down there," Wolf, the not have been able to chase him across the Packers' executive vice president and gener­ field.! On another occasion, he covered run­ al manager, says, T m standing on the side­ line and I hear. T h is is Michael Irvin’s 18th ning back Derek Loville on a 25-yard up-andcatch for 556 yards, a new Dallas Cowboys’ out route. ("Of course. I was step for step with record.’ Or I hear. T ouchdow n. Emmitt him," says the irrepressible Jurkovic.) That Smith’ over and over again. We have never the 49ers couldn’t capitalize on those m is­ m a s h e d up with them. T hat’s been our m atches is testam ent to how bamboozled biggest bugaboo, certainly." they were by Shurm ur's jugglery.

Playing It cool: Wayne Sim m ons ' hit on the 49ers' A dam Walker resulted in a touchdown and was one o f several defensive highlights . pleasing fans back home in Wisconsin, some o f whom have taken a liking to frozen tundra ‘

In fact Shurm ur had the Packers in their base 4-3 defense on only two of the 49ers' 86 offensive plays. The rest of the time, they mixed in nickel and dime packages that as of­ ten as not dropped eight players into cover­ age. The schem e worked against the Miners in large part because the defensive linemen — including Reggie White, who was in on far more than the 15 to 2Q plays his hamstring in­ jury was to have allowed him in pre-game conjectures — handled San Francisco's un­ dersized offensive line.

White and Sean Jones, with pressure over 49er tackles Steve Wallace and Kirk Scrafford (Harris Barton was injured on San Francis­ co’s first offensive play and saw limited ac­ tion). blotted out the rushing lanes and kept the heat on Young's dropbacks.

But the Cowboys' offensive line isn t small.

It isn't even medium-sized. Its Nate Newtonbig (330 pounds. 6-3) and Erik Williams-tall (6-6. 324 pounds). Pretty big bugaboos. .As a result the Cowboys and Smith have. shall we say, a little more going for them than the 49ers' token rushing game. Shurm ur will have to play it much straighter in Dallas than he did in San Francisco.

“I think our big guys had an advantage (against the 49ers). as far as penetrating and getting up the field." Jurkovic says. “But Dal­ las’ offensive line is so big that they can go man-on-man on you. And you've got to come off your man and try to tackle Emmitt Smith. who is going to make you miss if you're out in the open field, anyway. That's the difference between the two team s. And Dallas has so many other weapons."

One of those other weapons, all of a sud­ den. is Kevin Williams, who finally is giving the Cowboys the second downfield receiving threat they h a v e n t had since Alfin Harper left last offseason. Until the last few games, opponents had been able to contain Irvin with double coverage and stifle Williams with the leftovers. But in his last four gam es com­ bined, Williams has 25 catches for 485 yards, including 9 for 203 against the Cardinals on Christmas night and 6 for 124 against the Ea­ gles on Sunday

The Sporting News

The Packers pulled that kind of defense off against the 49ers, using an array of double cov­ erages and man-and-zone combinations on Wee to keep him in check without sacrificing their ability to cover John Taylor or J J. Stokes.

(In fairness, holding Wee “in check" still means he had l l catches for 117 yards, but very few of those yards came after his receptions.)

On Sunday, Williams, a hotter receiver than Taylor or Stokes was. should hurt the Packers by himself or command enough of their attention to free Irvin for more than the one reception for;nine yards he had against the Eagles.

“I told Michael the reason he only caught the one ball is that he’s the best receiver in the league." Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman says. “And when you’ve got-a guy like him out there on the field, even though he caught only one ball, his presence is signifi­ cant in itself."’

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reen Bay’s best hope for the upset and a Super Bowl berth is a shootout. The Packers certainly havt the offense to produce the points, with Favre on a roll that would make Betty Crocker envious. In his last seven regular-season games, he completed 70 percent of his passes for 2,046 yards. 21 touchdowns and only three interceptions. In his tw6 play­ off games, he has a 71.4-percent completion rate with five TDs and no interceptions.

The 49ers’ West Coast attack rang up 38 lints against Dallas in November, and the e ickers’ West Coast offense, right now. is better. San Francisco, remember, ranked sec­ ond in the league in total offense this season. with a negligible running game. Green Bay wasn't any better on die ground, statistically, but Edgar Bennett gives the Packers a much stronger betweeiHhe-tackles runner than the 49ers’ Loville.

The Cowboys, meanwhile, continue to think they can play their standard 4-3 defen­ sive alignment against a West Coast offense’s three-and-four wide receiver sets — and that thinking sometimes approaches hubris. It certainly burned the Cowboys against the 49ers in November, when Wee lined up in a slot formation and dared them to bring a cor­ nerback into the middle of the field. When they didn’t he flamed past linebacker Darrin Smith for an 81-yard touchdown that sent die 49ers on their way to a 38-20 victory.

“When we played them, we did a lot of things with three wides," says Elvis Grbac, who started at quarterback for the 49ers while . Young was injured in October and November.

“We knew we’d get matchups on their line­ backers, because they think they've got the - linebackers who can run with any wide re­ ceiver or running back But I think in the past their linebackers were a lot bester than they' are now. I think the mismatches we got were perfect and we exploited them. I woukfthink Green Bay would do the same thing. They're pretty deep at wide receiver, and each guy seems Eke he can make the plays."

Damn Smith says the only shortcomings in the mismatches with the 49ers were in ex­ ecution, that Wee scored die big touchdown in November because Smith missed the jam at the fine of scrimmage and help from a safe­ ty was late in arriving. He also says the Cow-, boys have continued to let their linebackers ^ handle the speedy receivers on inside align­ ments without damage, including a number of times against the Eagles last Sunday.

But somehow, the Eagles’ Fred Barnett and. Calvin Williams didn’t seem quite as threatening as Robert Brooks, Mark Ingram, Anthony Morgan and Antonio Freeman will in the NFC championship game. And that G

really not an adjustment situa­ tion. Ifs really just guys mak­ ing plays."

And if the Cowboys make' the defensive plays against the Packers they made against the Eagles, no number of recdveris go­ ing to help Green Bay. Few the firk time in weeks, the Cow­ boys are nearly healthy.

Robert Jones is back at middle linebacker. Russell Maryland is back at left, defensive tackle and Charles Haley may be back at right defensive end by Sunday. With Haley and Lett applying the pass-rushing pressure, Favre may not have time to recognize a mismatch, much less exploit it When the team s met in October, Dallas took a com­ fortable 24-3 lead deep into the third quarter. It isn’t like­ ly the Cowboys are terribly upset they're playing the Packers, rather than the | 49ers, for die right to return to the Super Bowl “The only thing I felt badly about when San Frandsco lost," Switzer says, “is that I know how good they are. We have never played them ex­ cept when we played poorly.

TvthftsM : Ackman has discovered a second threat ai wideout, And the only regret Tve ever making the Packers' task all the more challenging. had is not playing them when doesn’t include the Packers’ tight-end tan­ we didn’t make mistakes. Ifs a 12-to-l ratio. dem of Keith Jackson and Mark Chmura, The three times we've played them, we have who found the 49ers' defensive middle soft 12 turnovers to their one. and slow enough to combine for seven catch­ “lf we play that way against Green Bay. es for 120 yards and two touchdowns. well get beat, too."

Stiff, the Cowboys aren’t talking as if they But it isn t likely the Cowboys wiff be that plan to bring, say. Deion Sanders, in any dos­ sloppy with the ball again, which makes it un­ er to the action when Brooks lines up in die likely w ell be analyzing a Packers-Steeiers slot as a third wide receiver.

Super Bowl matchup. The Packers’ famous “We used the same plan for the rest of the men have written their last happy chapter in year, after the San Frandsco game," defensive the 1995 Season. coordinator Dave Campo says. “That was a So lefs praise them now. + game that Jerry' Wee just out-executed us.

M ichael Knisley is a senior writer for We’re not going to change a whole heck of a lo t You know, we do things we believe in. Ifs T h e S p o r t in g N e w s .

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The Sporting News *

THE AFC PLAYOFFS

Jim Harbaugh continued his climb from QB purgatory by guiding the ‘ragamuffin’ Colts to an improbable showdown with the Steelers By p a u l A m a

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im Harbaugh is standing behind a podi­ um. conducting a postgame interview last Sunday after the Colts' numbing up­ set of Kansas City. He is swinging his right leg back and forth. He swings a bit too hard. hits the wood in the back of the stand .and bashes it in.

“Gosh," says Harbaugh. who is given to such preppy terms (“neat" and “golly" also are in his vocabulary). “I am ugly and I'm not even on the field." He laughs, hard at himself and everyone around him smiles, too. He has just won the biggest game of what has been until this season a very undis­ tinguished career and he is not about to get serious. He sort of floats through games and life now. joking and scrambling and talking like he is a bit spaced out and doesn’t care who knows it. lt would be easy for Harbaugh to be full of himself, particularly on this day in which In­ dianapolis stuck a 10-7 loss on the Chiefs, the AFC favorites to make it to the Super Bowl.

The Colts came into the toughest home field in the NFL forced four turnovers from the least error-prone team in the .AFC. made Steve Bono look like the career backup he once was. handed Marty Schottenheimer yet another postseason scar and came awayknowing they would have to beat Pittsburgh to play in their first Super Bowl since the 1970 season. .And they did it behind a surprisingly solid defense and a quarterback who has been pub­ licly embarrassed by Mike Ditka. cut by the Bears, benched by the Colts and told this sea­ son he would play behind newly acquired Craig Erickson, who came from Tampa Bay for a No. I draft choice because they didn’t think Harbaugh, was good enough to get diem into the playoffs.

Bo now the Steelers wait and the Colts shouldn’t beat them, either, same as they shouldn’t have won two weeks ago in San Diego or Sunday in -Kansas City. Dome

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fir * Gkxxn aad glary: Misguided attempts by EUioP (top left) to ratty the Qaejs gave the spunky, confident Harbaugh and his hartUoorking teammates the apeling they needed to spring another upset Says Harbaugh: We just keep grouting and keep coming bock.' teams don’t do these things in the playoffs, a lot of it and I felt better.* What he didn’t say is, he didn’t miss a play. especially in frigid weather fit was l l de­ The Chiefs’ defensive finemen.tired of diasgrees at kickoff), particularly against physi­ cally strong opponents who eat snow for ing him around the field (he scrambled nine breakfast Harbaugh contemplates all these times for 43 yards) groused that he is just odds, shoves some tobacco in the side of his like that pest John Elway, who has beaten them 'with his legs a few times over his sto­ mouth, pauses, seems like he is ready to de­ liver a really big thought and says, “Can’t ex­ ried career. plain it We just keep grinding and keep com­ "Me, John Elway?" says Harbaugh. ing back. Geez, I wish I _____________ amazed that his name is could figure it o u t But it appearing in the same is not magic. None of sentence. “I am not in The transformation of th a t We’ve had guys John Elway’s league. He come in all year and not is the big leagues. I am Jim Harbaugh has its expected to be factors.

Double .A’ Like me."

But Elway is hom e foundation in two A television crew and Harhaugh will be in a big league playoff game, comes over to talk to him. things: a religious at Three Rivers, bringing “Could you move to the other, side?" he asks. “I in the league’s No. I transformation want to enjoy this chew." quarterback rating, a dy­ lf the camera crew namic ability to bring his and the teachings of moves, he can hide the team from behind this tobacco. But what about season in the fourth quar­ Lindy Infante. the cup m which he is ter and legs that never spitting? He finally gives seem to stop churning up and takes out the ugly and pumping. “Doing his substance and puts it in the cup. Now Jim, dung," is how Coach Ted Marchibroda de­ what about the blood you spit up in the sec­ scribes Harbaugh’s style. The Colts expect ond half?

Harbaugh to make few throwing errors and T m not sure what play it was. but I got hit to somehow convert third downs into first on the shoulder and it popped out and for downs, even if it means, as he puts i t “flying by the seat of our pants and kind bf making some reason my chest hurt and I started,spitstuff out of nothing." ting up blood." he says. “I finally popped out

Indianapolis tries to take off some pres­ sure by grinding out rushing yards behind a solid offensive line. Even -though the Colts have had Marshall Faulk for just one series this postseason (he had knee surgery last week), they keep throwing out unknown running backs, guys named Zack Crockett and Lamont Warren and Ronald Humphrey, and they stiD succeed (147 yards from the rookie Crockett against San Diego. 147 more yards rushing from four sources against Kansas City’s No. 3-rated rushing defense). So Harbaugh doesn’t have to work miracles on every play, just in the pressure situations.

But when you are oblivious to failure, what’s pressure? “We are just a ragamuffin outfit, a bunch of rejects." says the leader of the gang, this man who giddily exclaims that he really loves playing in the harsh cold be­ fore unfriendly fans. “People think we can’t do it and that is OK. We just disagree with them." But doesn’t he want to tell everyone who thought he is no longer an NFL quar­ terback, “I 'told you so." He stares away.

“Not at all. But it makes it sweeter when you do it."

A Colts official comes over to his locker.

"Take a shower, we have to go," he says. He walks away and Harbaugh smiles. “Can't I en­ joy this a bit more?" he says in mock anger.

“The places I’ve been ... it is kind of nice knowing people still want to talk to you. Hey. this is a good gig."

January 15,1996

NFL *1 7

"Jim is just a lot calm er and after the Colts were stung by m ore confident this season," Stan Humphries and his re­ says tackle Will Wolford, who ceivers in a late-season loss to was part of Buffalo’s first three the Chargers, defensive coordi­ Super Bowl teams. “And he is nator Vince Tobin instructed playing better because of it. his players to stop being so When you see your quarterback timid and start going after the baD. so loose, it keeps you loose. It “It’s a m ental thing." says helps the whole offense."

Tobin. Bill’s brother. ‘T h e y M archibroda, 64. who has were hanging behind receivers, been around long enough to re­ making sure th ey ’ got them m em ber these things, says what down. But San Diego kept is happening with his team re­ throwing dowrf the middle minds him of the 1960 Eagles against us-and it em barrassed when Norm Van Brooklin guid­ coaches and players. Things ed them to a title. “Not a great have changed since then." team." M archibroda say's of Have they ever. Indianapo­ those Eagles, but they had a lis didn't qualify for the playoffs ‘great leader. Maybe we are the until the last week of the season Eagles of the 1990s." That is and were lightly regarded in a heady company for anyone to' conference dominated by .the keep. Elway and Van Brooklin.

Chiefs and Steelers. M archi­ "Look." says Harbaugh. turn­ broda. who came into the sea­ ing serious for a moment, ‘for son trying to save his job. now the team and for me personally, is trying to head off the obvious you have a lot of failures in life reaction to his team 's perfor­ and som etim es you think about mance in January. Please, he giving it up and quitting, but says, don’t call it luck, even if som ething in you keeps you in Kansas City kicker Un Elliott there trying. You just never missed three field-goal at­ know how close you are to havtem pts, the last from 42 yards ing success." with 37 seconds remaining.

Or to departing from the play­ “We don't always look the offs. Neither the C hargers nor best," says Marchibroda, one of the Chiefs blitz much, but that the gam e’s truly nice men. “but will change against the Steelers, this is not a fluke. This is what who thrive on coming after the hard work can accomplish.

These guys deserve it: they quarterback. So he likely will have earned it. People can talk spend more time than usual Greene ware: Inspired by the victory over Buffalo. Kevin Greene and the about home-field experience scrambling. But if Pittsburgh can Steelers believe they have a better gnp-on their title opportunity and dome experience and coldshut down the Colts’ rejuvenated weather experience, but I don't season. Morris faltered badly early in the sea­ rushing game, even Harbaugh’s legs won’t be think they know everything." son and lost his starting job to the quicker enough.

One interesting^wist to this matchup. Both E rne Pegram halfway through the season Pittsburgh claims it is more mature and ca­ quarterbacks are about to become free But M orris rushed for 106 yards in 25 carries pable than last season of dealing with this agents. Betcha they've added to their value in against Buffalo, giving Cowher the power championship opportunity. The Steelers were the playoffs. ♦ back his offense has been lacking. overconfident against San Diego and lost a "I told the coaches. ‘Let’s pound it in there. * year ago in the AFC title gam e. Coach Bill Paul A ttn er is a senior writer for T h y he transformation of Jim Harbaugh Lets put the kids to sleep and go get our mon­ Cowher says it will be different this time Spoktim, N e w s . Correspondents Gerry D u­ from a quarterback saved from un­ ey.' " M om s says.

He's got fresh legs and pro­ around "because we respect every opponent lac a n d Vie Ca rue ct contributed to this story. em ployment by Bill Tobin, the for­ vides another threat to worry' the Colts. we face. .AD you have to do is look around and m er Bears executive who runs the Eight receivers caught O’Donnell’s passes th e re ’s nothing m ore prevalent than what STEELERS 40, BILLS 21 Colts’ football operation, to a Pro Bowl player against Buffalo.

But he win be throwing into 7 7 7 B uffalo 0 23 Indy did at Kansas City. We’re much more re­ 7 Pttsfcwyh 16 3 14 40 has its foundation in two things: a religious a Colts 'secondary that has seven intercep­ sourceful (than last year). We’ve been able to Pin* Q uart* transformation and the teachings of offensive tions in two playoff gam es — the same sec­ P» J Wttama n s ifN jc ftre o n OOO. 5 3 ' play a lot of different styles of games." coordinator Undy Infante.

Sacra** Q uartar ondary that limped through December. But The Steelers are more versatile than the PT U B S IO p a s s l a m O T X m e d fN J c tn x r cesti 42 Harbaugh once was a yeller and screamer, PT OC. H. jc rra o n 45. ?29 Chiefs on offense and their quarterback. Neil PT PG N J c fro c n 38. '(738 hyper and excitable. But now he has found COLTS 10, CHIEFS 7 O'Donnell, is better than Bono, who was T Themas i aal 'O m a o c o ) 14 *5 peace from a deeper faith, which has led to to d a ra p o fa 0 7 3 0 IO P l PG N Jcftrccn 34. U S3 benched late in the gam e for Rich Gannon.

7 Kansas a r y 7 0 0 0 -j Third Q uartar such blessings as a recent apology from DitThat is how dreadful Bono performed in his FV n Q u art* PT PG N Jc fn so r 39 606 ka for that sideline screaming episode during K C -Oswncn 20 pass San Bono (S h * Ort) *4 31 3*J O r** ? cues iran van P o l r O t t c c o ) ** 33 first playoff start.

Second Q u a rt* a 21-20 loss to M innesota in 1992. Harbaugh P o u r* Q u art* W - Turner 5 pass Von R a t t a i l (Bancftard OOI. 8 “Last year. I thought they held in O'Don­ Be* '■ Thermo 9 pass tam t o v © m d® « o ) 3 37 now reads the Bible and biographies of Win­ H u rt Q u art* P* Atoms 13 ota IU Johnson CO) 3 44 nell and didn’t ask him to win gam es for in d - P G . B l a n c a r d 30. 12:12 PT -A fc ro ? -val IU jcn ra o n ta o . 13 C2 ston Churchill.

A -7 7 * 3 4 them ." says former coach Joe Gibbs. “But * »G 7?

Infante, who joined the team this season. tad KC PH Bul now they can ride his passing. That’s the big Fin: Downs 16 Pre Downs IS 23 is a strategic m asterm ind with a knack for 33147 Yarns 2&I29 fto*»yarts *3 147 2* 94 change." A m ultireceiver. package has groom ing quarterbacks (Bernie Kosar and Pamra 1(J? ii?

Pasaig •56 262 opened up the Steelers* attack and made 4J4 2 IO P"xl Rattans 34 2 ’3 P tr t R oost* Ken Anderson are proteges). “I ts a quarter­ toedRattans 4 7! to o f l R e u m 306 22?

3 -3 3 them much more difficult to defend. Toss rn back-friendly offense." says Harbaugh, who t e a p t a i R flfira 3-25 IO WorcoCtfcn Romans 2 27 3*7 Carpent* 12 27 i the excitem ent provided by rookie K orddl 15-33-3 Corrp-AB W •3»3 •9352 gained the starting spot from Erickson iii Sacs*}- Y an* Lass 2 IO 30 00 Saood-Y arts usa 20 Stewart and the late improvement of the run­ 5-37 4-37 W eek 3. endured arthroscopic surgery on his P-ats >4C Pyre 5 33 R r tta s - lo s 40 1s Pjr.xno-taa 3 • IO ning gam e and Pittsburgh has becom e the knee (hat cost him one start and finished the Panaftw-Yaras 5-38 329 5-41 5-25 Pw nttos-Y arm class of the conference.

3314 ime a 26<0 Tm*cl Possessor 38 04 regular season with career highs in passing 2150 fadMduS S a h a a tad M du tf SaO fO ct “They’ve definitely picked it up a notch (on accuracy (63.7 percent), quarterback rating RUSTING—taOarapcds. Warren 20-76. Hartau^t 9-44 CnxJuic 6-12.

RUSWNG—Batata T Themas '3-46. nam es 414 van Put 2 0 offense)," says Buffalo quarterback Jim Kelly, ►tonxProy 4-11 Karats C f/ AJen 21-94. Ancien 516. Gorman 2-19 (100.7) and touchdown passes. In his first Tass* 1-40. Mere i Uranus 14) ^ K x a^* , Horns 25 ’06 Pegram J U , PASSING—tadarupofa. R artau ^ *2-27 I n 2. Kamas O y Bone 11 Wttnms 4-1 ODorexd Mrrwxa 3). Stawan t 6. U0h ' 3 whose team crumbled in the second half Sat­ eight NFL seasons, he had expected 59 TDs 25-3-122. Goman 5-50-30 PASSING-£u&*a t o v 1 4 » 3 '35. Van Pi* 4 1OO 27 PesOugyv urday in Pittsburgh to end the Bills’ hopes of RECEIVING—tattarapcfa. Dowkxo 4.J7 Bafay 2 37 Warren 2 i& e n a m e l 1945-2-262 and 62 interceptions. This season, he had 17 Tumor 2-1&. CrodtaB 2-5. Kansas Cly. Andor 7-44 Dawson 47*0. Alen 2 RECEIVING—Buffalo L x r e r c n 528 O ne 336. Brooks 328 T another Super Bowl trip. “As long as they pro­ touchdown passes and five interceptions. But 21.SSau5Tw2-iO.Wrfter 1 7 Themas 3 l l Task* 2 38 Rood 2 20 Ute 506 7>»gpor 3 77 VOSS© REU) GOAL. ATTEMPTS axfcnapoto JSareJard 47 49 Hasanp 3-39 Stewart ? 27 Pogorn 2 2’ Hems 2-7 Kayos ’ i r „ tect ODonneU. they’re going to be the ones Infante recognizes it’s not all coaching.

Kansas Cly. S to a 35. 39. 42 Wfcrrs IO to beat," Bills linebacker Bryce Paup says.

“On several occasions each gam e, he rises KTERCEPTONS-tadarapofei. Oar** I t i CoryaS I IO Ar tr x m "■ BOSSEDFIELD GOAi ATTEMPTS a a * * . Chmae 52 2 K a te s Cly. Coins IO INTERCEPTIONS & d ao Evans * '9frG*t* i 3 P e s te r ^ Cteav-Jrv “Right now, they have the total package." above the coaching." Infante says. T hat’s KICKOFF RETlWrS—taQartaocto. ►topfaov 2 2 2 Kansas Cly t-5. Krttand 14. Lake * 3 Pittsburgh has been given a boost by the when those nifty scrambles bail out the Colts.

Vane** 2-45. Thompson l-?l K3CXOF* RETURNS Hones • »’a ' r o t e • 23 P tstxr PUNT RETURNS--tadanapofa. Buchanan 2 10 Kansas Cly / a r e w bito 351 UcA*» i 20 It’s the stuff that game plans can’t plot: we’re unexpected contribution of Bam Morris, who 4-34 - PUNT RETURNS BiAfcso Task* 3-4 PteCur^i. Hayings 2 '3 SACKS— Korean Cly Booter I N S m » I talking instincts. was supposed to replace Barry Foster this SACKS R*fcfiur?v K. Greene I uc^S y Stead ■>

T

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18* Na

The Sporting News

Wlade^phia^stanr

REPOKT

: W^hat more can you say about the job Ray ^ o d e s did as a rookie head coach? Magnifi­ c e n t Rhod& now has an opportunity to take ffie next step with a few key changes to his ro s te r 1. Get a quarterback: With all due respect to Rodney Peete. who was 10-4 as a starter af­ ter replacing Randall Cunningham, he's not a guy who will get you to the Super Bowl T he Eagles should attem pt to pry Neil ODonneD from the Steelers. or else go after Jeff H osteder of the Raiders.

2. key tree agests: The Eaglesliave nearly two dozen players whose contracts ex­ pire. Ifs a m ust lo re-sign key defensive play­ ers such as safety Greg Jackson and line­ backer BUI Romanowski. as weD as receiver Fred Barnett, who had a so so year after knee surgery but rem ains a solid th re a t 3. Kake ’em special: T he Eagles' special team s have been excellent in two areas — kicking and punting: Now, it's time to shore up the return gam e by signing a breakaway threat in the offseason.

A thre0-step plan to take another step in playoffs

Bob

GLAUBER ven as we speak, they are attempting to figure out what went wrong, and how to make sure ii doesn't happen again. ^ In San Francisco. George Seifert and his staff are sorting oui the mess. In Philadek phia. Ray Rhodes is thinking what to do next.

In Buffalo. Marv' Lev>- is planning his next moves. And in Kansas Cih*. poor Marty Schotlenheim er is wondering if he will ever get a break in the playoffs.

All four w'ere losers in last weekend's play­ off games, and all four have their work cut out to get back into contention next year. But don’t worr>\ guys, there's still hope. Follow our three-step plan, and youll be back before you know it

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forces the point that it's time for som e new blood on the line. Barton still has a few good years left, but Wallace has been mBdng about retiremenL Now is the perfect time to explore the draft for a young tackle or two. and per­ haps a center to eventually replace Bart Oates.

•, 2. Pray for a miracle: Fullback WUiiam Floyd may need a miracle to rec3over from a de\'astating knee injury. Floyd is ahead of schedule on his rehabilitation, but it’s any­ one's g u ess'if h e ll be anywhere near as ef-_ fective once he gets back or. if he gets back.

As for the tailback sp o t Derek Loville did a com mendable job. but let's face.it he's no Ricky W atters. The 49ers need a good young running back lo bring along, and they'll prob­ ably have to rely on the d ra ft because only two free-agent running b a c k s .— Rodney Hampton of the Giants and C hris W arren of the Seahawks — are worth the money.

Hampton doesn’t fit the 49ers* finesse of­ fense. and it's almost inconceivable the Sea­ hawks won't re-sign W arren.

3. Get an Impact p a s roslien The 49ers coukin’l wait to get rid of defensive end Charles Haley, b u t boy. could they use him right about now*. Rickey Jackson did a fine job in last year's Super Bo\ri run. bul they need an every-down presence on the end that nei­ ther Jackson nor Alfred Williams can provide.

^

Ahack ssat? Bono should not be blamedfor the C hi^'fisiiure in his first shot in the played

not prepare for life without this once-prolific runner? T hom as was his usual courageous self in battling through an injury-filagu^ reg­ ular season, but it's time to give Darick Holmes a m ore prom inent role and get an­ other young runner to keep the ground game vibrant 2. Get a recehrlog ttirsat Ifs a great draft for r^ « iv e rs, what with Keyshawn Johnson.

Bobby Engram and Terry Glenn (who's ex­ pected to com e out as an underclassm an) leading the way. Buffalo probably won't be in position to draft any of those stars, but it's a deep class of receivers- With Andre Reed not Defending ctoifiions no nwe getting any younger, it’s time lo find som e Buffaloed once more Saturday's crushing loss lo the Packers ex­ new targets, General M anager jo h n Butler did a won­ posed the 49crs’ chronic weaknesses in a big 3. Rcmrtc Brace Smith’s c e n tra c t No. not derful job retooling the roster last offseason, way. The N iners have managed to recover for any m ore money, bul for a m ^ d a lo ry flu and the Bills did the rest with their unex­ from similar setbacks with bold offseason shot every year. T here's no doubt f t my mind pected AFC East fille and playoff victory over moves, and theyll need some more magic in Buffalo would have had a chance to beat Pitts­ the Dolphins. Butler doesn't need to do a ma­ the next six m onths to gel back to Super burgh had Smith not been bedridden with a jor overhaul, simply a little more refining to Bowl-form. lO W egree tem perature. In the meantime, it I. Returtilsb the line; W atching offensive keep Buffalo competitive. may not be a bad idea to re-sign Cornelius I. Get a spare tire; U s obvious Thurm an Bennett, who signed onh' a one-year deal last tackles Harris Barton and Steve Wallace get Thom as doesn't have much tread left so whv banged up against the Packers merely rein­ offseason.

Close call Some officials in the Gi­ ants organization wen* con­ vinced thai Coach I fan R m 'e s u*as going to quit las! wt‘<‘k.

Fiut Reeves an­ nounced he's coming back.

Reevi‘s had hoped to im­ prove his situation with the Giants by exerting more au­ thority in some personnel ar­ eas. including the scouting departm ent, but was firmly rebuffed ^ y co-Owners Wellington Mara and Robert Tisch and O n e ra l Manager Creorge Young. Reeves was told in no uncertain term s that the front-office structure and responsibilities would not change. In fact, the team recenlh' re-signed Young to a multivear contract exnerF* sion.

Reeves now feels he's coaching lo save his job.

"Fear is a great motiva­

to r.' he says. “I think that's one of the problem s in the NFL right now. that I think from a coaching standpoint is that there's not enough fear of a player losing his job. Why? Because they're getting so much money up front, lf this is a job that you desire, which it is on my part. and you want to keep i t you better get the job done."

Quick hits Bucs General M anager Rich McKay ^>*s whoever becom es the ’ team 's next head coach doesn't have to stick with struggling secondyear quarterback Trent Dil­ ler. “No. th afs not necessariK* a given.' McKay says, “lf that coach came in from Dav I and said. ‘Gee whiz. I want Otto Graham. I don't want Trent Dilfer.' then we'd have to talk to Otto Graham and •

Dilfer He has no promises heV be the Bucs'starter. see how he’s feeling." Jimmy Johnson and Iflorida Coach Steve Spurrier continue lo be the fro n t-ru n n ers.... It’s possible Detroit won’t retain free-agenl linebacker C hris Spielman. T he team needs defensive help, and Spiel­

SuiOuefiiBiiiers Bnent

man has been bothered by a chest-muscle injury that lim­ its his effectiveness. Safety Bennie Blades could also be gone. ... The Packers are w orried that guard Aaron Taylor’s latest knee injury is career threatening.

Taylor also had a season-ending knee injury last year and could have congenitally weak knees. ...

Vikings defensive coordinator Tony Dungy would love a shot at either of th e c o a c h i n g va­ cancies in Tam pa or Arizona.

T he free-agency-isn’teverything-it’s-cracked-upto-be stat of th e week: The B roncos had 25 new play­ ers on th eir ro ster this year but didn't m ake th e play­ offs. No w onder Coach 9

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Either th e re 's som e guy on a small Carribbean island sticking pins in to ^ voodoo d o ll or S chottenheim er is the unluckiest coach on the face of the earth.

Too bad. because Schottenheim er did such a terrific job getting the Chiefs to the playoffs in the first place. But it’s obvious he n e ^ s to do a few' things to get back there next season.

1. Doot tnap to coD Clslofis: Yes. Steve Bono was horrible against the Colts. Yes. it was almost all his fault No, ifs not time to pull the plug on h in t After a ll Bono is stiD an in­ experienced playoff quarterback and deserves another shot in spite of Sunday’s clunker.

2. Gao tho k icto: Now th e jr ’s a t h o u ^ t T he Chiefs would have d u r a ^ Lin Elliott earlier in the season if there had been a vi­ able alternative. T here w asn’t Think the Chiefs aren't kicking them selves for letting Nick Lowery go two years ago?

3. Exorctsstbe (temons Only one more sug­ gestion for Schotlenheimer. Whatever it takes — an exorcism, hypnosis, or beating the heD out of a tackling dummy — anything you can do to escape this playoff jinx, just do it

M ike Shanahan said he w ants to sign no m ore than three free agents in the off­ season. ... F orm er Packers wide receiver Sterling Sharpe continues to work out on his own in hopes of m aking a com e­ back-next y e a r....

G iants linebacker Corey MiUer plans to m eet with Reeves to discuss the team 's plans for him next sea­ son. And if M iller ' doesn’t get a satis­ factory answ er (he was replaced

by M arcus Buckley early in the season and w asn’t rein­ stated until the 12th gam e), he says he will ask to be traded. ... Suspended Cow­ boys cornerback Clayton H olm es has sued the NFL and th e league’s M anage­

ment Council for SBO mil­ lion. charging that he was improperly tested for drugs by the Lions during a freeagent visit last M arch.

H olm es' suit claim s the Li­ ons wanted to test him for steroids and traces of mari­ juana w ere discovered in the urine sample. ♦

Bob Glauber covers theNFL for Nemsday.

AFC * 1 9

January 15,1996

to wide receiver .Andre Rison will make him difficult to unload.

On hold: Modell met with Coach Bill B e Schick and personnel director Mike Lombar­ di last week. but it might be late January be­ fore he announces any coaching changes, Belichick and Lombardi appear safe. “Ill digest what they said and then make some com­ ments." Modell says. “I wanted to know what went wrong. I wanted to find out how we can go from 11-5 to >11." ... Tommy Vardell, a free agent, says he doesn't expect to be back with the Browns in 19%.

—JBT SOUOB

BUFFALO BILLS Ro pressers: lf there were any doubts about how im portant defen­ sive end Bruce Smith is to the pass rush and linebacker Brvce rn Paup's success, they were removed by last w e e k s playoff loss at Pittsburgh. Smith stayed home with a severe case of the flu. and the defense did a poor job of pressuring Steelers quarterback Ned O'Donnell. Given time to throw. O’Donnell completed big pass­ es against a patchwork secondary and ran m ost of the plays away from Paup. “You line up, and hopefully they’ve got the call toward you." Paup says. “B ut. quite a few times I heard ‘opposite,' which means they're run­ ning the other way. So what can I do?"... The team had a plane standing by to fly Smith to Pittsburgh the morning of the game, but he was running a 104-degree tem perature and says there never was a chance he would play.

“I was thinking about my last will and testa­ m en t" he says. T h a t’s how bad I felt" Gutsy Reify: At age 35, quarterback Jim Kelly did a rem arkable job of staying healthy this season. But in the third quarter against the Steelers. he sustained an apparent separation in the clavicle-stemum area on a hit from Greg Lloyd. Kelly returned 13 plays later, af­ ter taking a painkilling injection, and threw a touchdown pass. He was unable to lift his passing arm the next day.

—VB CASUCCI

DENVER BRONCOS

Star search: T he quar­ terback of the future is not on the roster, but he might be by training r n camp. T he team has in­ terest in drafting Ne­ That stings: Kelly (12) was in a daze after braska star Tom m ie injuring his shoulder but still came back to play.

Frazier, particularly if he's available in the second or third round. taking an offensive lineman with the 10th Frazier probably doesn't have the passing pick in the first round of the draft. skills of many prospects, but personnel chief Roster planning: Free safety Darryl Williams' Bob Ferguson says that's only because he future isn’t all that clear. He's a transition free hasn't thrown enough. “I think he probably agent, but the Bengals are mulling w hether has the talent to throw." Ferguson says. they will tender him an offer that figures to be “Y oull never know unless you give him a about $1.7 million. General M anager Mike chance, but those are the kind of quarter­ B ro w is salary-cap philosophy is beginning backs I like." But more important is what to shine through. His soc highest-paid players Coach Mike Shanahan likes. “Its what your are his three best offensive players and his three best pass rushers. He's wondering if a coach is looking for in a quarterback and how he fits into your system." Ferguson $2-million safety fits.

—SHIFF KOBS* say's. The club also is looking at Green Bayfree agent Ty Detmer.

Busy Work: Defensive coordinator Greg Robinson was passed over for the UC IA job. meaning the coaching staff should return in­ Walker OR: T he team Biding his time: Owner tact With an eye toward salary-cap sanity. heaved a sigh of relief Art M odell says he the team is trying to sign its younger stars to w hen strong safety might trade his better long-term contracts. Pro Bowl kicker Jason Bracey W alker learned players if a court forces I he didn’t need surgery’ him to play in Cleveland I Elam already has signed a five-year extension worth $4.8 million, and rookie running back for a protruding disk in Stadium through 1998.

Terrell Davis could be n e x t.... The team h^s his neck. Walker, one of M odell already has not negotiated with quarterback John Elway. the Bengals' few pleas­ agreed to move his who is in the final year of his contract. But ant surprises in the ‘90s — he led the team team to Baltimore for the 19% season. T h e y Elway and Owner Pat Bowlen are expected to with four interceptions and was fourth in can't stop me from going to Baltimore after meet soon. Bowlen expects Elway to sign for tackles — suffered the injury in the next-to1998," Modell says, “lf they force me to play a few more years.

—JOSB** $A*OtZ last game of the season. Surgery, followed by Cm Cleveland), I’ll trade the more marketable eight months of grueling rehabilitation, was players we have for high draft choices and the option until trainer Paul Sparling discov­ stockpile those choices so we can come out ered an MR! W alker took at the NFL scout­ roaring in Baltimore. But that's only a worsting combine in 1994 matched the new one, case scenario." Modell might be dreaming.

Chris crossing: Chris meaning W alker just needed rest and treat­ Arguably, only three roster players might Chandler still is listed as m ent after aggravating' the pre-existing in­ bring a first-round pick: center Steve Everitt. the No. I quarterback, jury. They expect him to be at minicamp on cornerback Antonio Langham and safety Eric but he has asked man­ d m e.x p ro sp ect they enjoy since he had a big Turner, who missed half of 1995 with a bro­ agem ent to trade him. year in '95.... The Bengals are serious about ken back. T he $5-million signing bonus paid Chandler, who has played for five teams in eight years, can see the handwriting: Steve McNair was impressive late in 1995 and could em erge as the starter next season. Coaches continue to insist Mc­ Nair is the backup. “I think its good Sieves coming along the way they want him to."

Chandler says. T h e best situation is some­ thing th a ts good for me and good for the team. most likely' a trade. That would be best for everybody." Coach Jeff Fisher says he has no intention of trading Chandler. “All year I’ve backed Chris, and I’m going to continue to back him." Fisher says. “He's our starter, and I don't know why we’d consider trading our starting quarterback." Regardless of the d e nials, any trade likely would wait for the draff.

H o t tesfnrflle sound: General M anager Floyd Reese and Fisher have been making the scouting rounds, but they also had to do a taffeta A k Harbaugh and the Colts were strong enough and quick enough to elude Derrick barnstorm ing tour through Tennessee in an Thomas and his teammates, shocking the heavily favored Chieff in the AFC playoffs

CINCINNATI BENGALS

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CLEVELAND BROWNS

I UM

HOUSTON OILERS

attempt to drum up support for the sale of personal seat licenses.... A coin flip with Car­ olina will determ ine w hether the team has the draff's eighth or ninth first-round pick.

There has been talk of finding a defensive end and offensive tackle through free agency.

So officials are leaning toward a wide receiv­ er with their No. I. —JONI McClAB

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS Secondary success: O ne.

S i big reason the team has ( f \ \ reached the AFC chamI ) pionship game is a secI ondary that continues to make big plays. In the first 15 games, the de­ fense made IO intercep­ tions. In the last three, it has matched that to­ tal. “W e're advancing in the playoffs because we’re making all the plays," cornerback Ray Buchanan says. “No one expected us to get, this far, and people still think we're going to go away. But we're not. We still think we can go all the way."... The offense was surprising­ ly successful running the ball against the Chiefs, gaining 148 yards against the thirdbest run-stopping defense — and without the starting backfield of Marshall Faulk and Roosevelt Potts, lf the team can establish the run against Pittsburgh this week, then jim Harbaugh becomes a much more dangerous quarterback.

Health questions: Faulk is questionable for" the Steelers game after undergoing arthro­ scopic surgery to repair loose cartilage in his knee. But defensive tackle Tony Siragusa. the team's best run-stopper. should be back after sitting out the Chiefs game with the flu ... In its two playoff games, the team is plu*six in turnover ratio, with eight takeaways and two giveaways. ... Tile team is 1-8 in gam es at Pittsburgh and has lost eight in a row there —TERRY Hun ►13 W

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS What to do with No. 2: Holding the second overall pick in April'* draft, the team has be­ gun an in-depth analy­ sis of players consid­ ered as possibilities. A player well thought of is Illinois linebacker Kevin Hardy. At 6 feet 4.

240 pounds. Hardy would appear to be a per­ fect fit for a defense that badly needs a bigplay linebacker. Hardy is scheduled to play in the East-West Shrine gam e this week. and Jaguars Director of College Scouting Rick Reiprish is scheduled to attend. If the Jaguars opt to go for offense, they will strongly consider Southern Cal wide receiv­ er Keyshawn Johnson. If Hardy is the choice. a receiver is likely to be picked in the later rounds. A large contingent will attend the Se­ nior Bowl in Mobile. .Ala., this week with an eye on receivers.

High rollers: Based on NFL Players Associa­ tion figures, the Jaguars had the lowest av­ erage salary' of any team in (he league in 1995. The average salary was $498.8(X). Of the 62 players included in the survey, 23 were paid the league minimum for their years of service. Even so. the team did spend $21 million on signing bonuses, which placed ii ninth in the league. The biggest of those bonuses was $6 million paid to rookie offensive tackle Tony Bosefli. the team 's top pick last .April.

— PET* PRISCO

The Sporting News

20 • AFG NEW YORK JETS

Dova SK I out Lake Dawson put the Chiefs oheqd with thisfirst-quarter TD catch, but the defensive

Colts ruined Kansas City’s Super Bowl hopes with a 10-7 playoffupset

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS Down tho drain: Forget the team’s NFL-best 133 regular-season record.

It forever will be discol­ ored by the playoff fail­ ure . against Indianapo­ lis. The team failed to 'achieve one of its biggest defensive "objectives, letting Colts quarterback Jim Harbaugh consistently break containment and make big scrambling plays. It also received a dismal performance from quarterback Steve Bono., who made his first playoff start. "Once you get into the play­ offs. everything you’ve done in the regular season is gone.” Bono says. "The slate is clean. Right now. I don’t think we accom­ plished anything.”

Players and officials know they wasted an excellent opportunity to get to a Super Bowl. They had home-field ad­ vantage. a championship-caliter defense and good health entering the playoffs. That scenario will be hard to duplicate.

No kicks: After missing three field-goal at­ tempts. including a 42-yarder with 37 sec­ onds remaining. Un Elliott’s Kansas City ca­ reer might be over. Coach Marty Schottenheimer w'as patient with Elliott when he went into a late regular-season slump. But that pa­ tience might have worn out with the playoff loss Elliott could have prevented. “Given the opportunity to make some kicks." Schottenheimer .says. “you have to make some kicks."

• — Adam Tows?

MIAMI DOLPHINS M issiag cohesion: The

ugh* secret the club first tried to ignore, then kept hidden behind a curtain of team privacy, hai been unveiled: Nev­ er in franchise history has one group of play­ ers been so disjointed, so selfish, so unable to bond. The team that was built to win the Su­ per Bowl succeeded only in destroying itself from within. “It seemed that al times this year nobody was happy." safety Louis Oliver says.

"You had guys on offense always complaining and fighting about getting the ball more. You

had guys on defense not willing to accept blame for the things they did wrong. How tan you beat the other guy when you don’t know which of your teammates are with you and which ones are against you?"

Dumb and dumber It also now is surfacing that this is not a team of extremely bright in­ dividuals. “Whenever we wanted to change som ething on defense, many times we couldn’t do it" linebacker Bryan Cox says.

“Guys just didn’t get it They didn’t under­ stand what to do.” The running game was hampered by backs who hit the wrong holes. ... The Dolphins will have to rethink how they use tight end Eric Green next season.

There was far too little return for their in­ vestment this season. Look for the new coach to incorporate Green more into the short passing gam e.

— ARMATO SaLQEBO

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS Ifs Bp to Draw: Coach Bill ParceDs isn’t sure whether he will hire a quarterbacks coach to work with Drew Bled­ soe, his $42-million quarterback. But Par­ c e ls says the key to Bledsoe's rebounding from his *95 troubles lies with the quarterback himself. “I usually don’t like to use the word ‘comfortable’ in a football context" Parcells says. “But that’s a fair word here. I’m comfortable that hell come back strong. But for that to happen. I think it will take a stronger commitment from him in the offseason.... lf this past year taught him .anything, it was that (success) just doesn’t happen."

The search continues: Parcells left Foxboro last week for his Florida home where he was debating changes on his staff. In addition to a quarterbacks coach, he also was considering a shuffling of assignments on his current staff. ... The logical contender for quarter­ backs coach from outside the staff is former Patriot and Giant Matt Cavanaugh. He w-as on Buddy Ryan’s staff in .Arizona until being let go a few weeks ago. A more likely scenario would- be a move from within, with running backs coach Mike Pope, receivers coach Chris Palmer and offensive coordinator Ray Perkins all viable candidates. .All have olayed or coached the position.

—H E V ! T O P

E irrSM 'R G II STE ELE RS

Keisfcavo a Jet? With

Woodfin rutfy: Corner­

the No. I pick in the draft, the franchise needs a big-play receiv­ er, and Southern C a ls Keyshawn Johnson, who was impressive in the Rose Bow l may be the man. He believes he can rejuvenate the N FL’s lowest-rated offense. T d love to bring them back to where they belong,” he says.

“Ju st like I did ar (JSC. I helped them back to national prominence.".Among seniors, the club is believed to be considering drafting Johnson, UCLA offensive tackle Jonathan Og­ den and Illinois linebackers Kevin Hardy and Simeon Rice.

Picky with picks: Controversial Nebraska run­ ning back Lawrence Phillips, who is expected to forgo his senior season after a dazzling Fl­ ie s t! Bowl. has the potential to be a high pick, but don’t expect him to land with the Jets.

The club is conservative when it com es to ac­ quiring players with checkered backgrounds.

In last year’s draft, the club downgraded Mia­ mi (Fla.) defensive tackle Warren Sapp after it was disclosed he had failed several drug tests while in college. Until two days before the draft, the club was prepared to take Sapp with the ninth overall pick, but it wound up choosing Penn State tight end Kyle Brady. ...

The team is trying to re-sign defensive end Marvin Washington, who is coming off his best all-around season.

—HES C M I

back Rod Woodson, out since the season opener with a torn anterior cru­ ciate ligament in his right knee, says he was ready to play last week against the Bills and hopes to return for this week’s AFC champi­ onship game. “I think I have a great opportu­ nity to dress (this) week," Woodson says.

The Steeled have played almost the entire season without their regular com erbacks — Woodson and Deon Figures, who has been slow recovering from a gunshot wound to the knee. In their absence. Willie Williams re­ bounded from a shaky start to lead the team with seven interceptions, and Pro Bowl safety Carnell Lake was moved to cornerback.

T h e y ’ve gotten this far and ... I definitely wouldn’t expect to start," Woodson says.

Inside aw es: If the d u b does not re-sign out­ side linebacker Kevin Greene, who becomes a free agent after the season, it might switch in­ side linebacker Chad Brown to the outside, where he played in college. He is fast, quick and can rush the passer. It is likely, though, that third-year player Jason Gildon would move in at outside linebacker if Greene signs with another team. ... The Steelers probably will try to drift a punter or obtain one in free agency to replace Rohn Stark, who will be 37 in May and finished last in the AFC this sea­ son with a 40.1-yard average.

-f a g ! DULAC

OAKLAND RAIDERS

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS

Mn art talk Given time

Safety1* r a t e Free safety

Bo Orlando, a backup for to reflect Coach Mike most his six years in White offers various theories for his team’s Houston, resurrected his career with his *95 show­ plunge from playoff contender.

Among ing in San Diego. Orlan­ White’s explanations: do won a starting posi­ The coaches did not ad­ tion in camp and finished equately prepare backup quarterbacks Vince second only to Junior Seau among Chargers Evans and Billy Joe H obert the team never 87 tackles. By participating in more than put aside its loss to Dallas on November 19; of the defensive plays, the second year of game plans focused too much on the oppo­ Orlando’s two-year contract was voided So add nent and the players were in poor physical his name to an impressive list of free agents, condition. “Conditioning is a critical factor,” even though he isn’t eager to exit “I really kind White says. “I t s a collective attitude, and it’s of like football again after leaving Houston." something I know we can improve."

Orlando says. Coach Bobby Ross also hopes Swilling stays: The team Orlando can return. Ross removed one big name doesn’t want to find a new from its list of potential starting free safety for the free agents by signing de­ third consecutive year. ... fensive end Pat Swilling It’s unlikely the team will to a one-year contract pick up options on middle Swilling resurrected his linebacker Dennis Gibson career this season, after or wide receiver Mark two terrible years in De­ Seay. Gibson would like to troit He tied for second return; Seay longs for a in the N FL with 13 sacks, flesh start and he led the Raiders M IB S report Defensive with four forced fumbles. end Chris Mims started Beyond his performance. *96 on a predictable note: Swilling provides poise He missed the final team and maturity; the team of­ meeting, getting to Jack Raiders of the loss art: Coach White ten lacked both qualities.

Murphy Stadium late after is lookingfor answers Offensive tackle a festive New Year’s Eve. He greeted teammates from his rented limou­ Robert Jenkins is not eligible for free agency, as previously reported; his cbntract sine. Mims, overweight much of the season, runs through the 1997 season. Jenkins, who finished with a career-low two sacks. “I was became the starting left tackle when Gerald disappointed Chris Mims wasn’t a more pro­ went down. had arthroscopic surgery recent­ ductive player than he was this year," a miffed ly to repair cartilage damage in his right Ross says. “I think one of the key and impor­ knee. The knee bothered him all season, tant things for Chris is what he does in the off­ preventing him from completing several season. He has a chance to elevate himself to gam es.

— Ita l taBEHCX a level which is pretty good."

—J ay RUBS

AFC/NFC • 21

January 15,1996

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS bnaaattft

ATLANTA FALCONS

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Statu qao: President

ting an early start on re­ signing veterans, the team reached a twoyear, $765,000 agree­ ment with backup half­ back Steve Broussard.

That was an important move to restore depth in the backfield and maintain stability. Broussard proved valu­ able as a backup to Pro Bowl halfback Chris Warren. His fearless running style enabled him to be the best kickoff returner in team history with a 24.7 average. Not bad for a for­ mer first-round choice who signed for the NFL minimum of $178,000 just to be back with his former college coach, Dennis Erick­ son. “I got a new attitude," Broussard says.

“I got back the love for the game. I like play­ ing. I Uke winning." Erickson appreciated the leadership Broussard displayed in the locker room to the younger players on the offense.

Who’s B ait? While Erickson prepares his staff to coach in the Senior Bowl, the front office worked on more contract negotiations. It will be tough to get a quick deal with Warren, so the attention is being focused on strong safe­ ty Robert Blackmon, punter Rick Tuten, backup cornerback Selwyn Jones, defensive end Michael Sinclair and left tackle Ray Roberts.

— Jo* Gum*

Taylor Smith plans no significant organiza­ tional changes. June Jones will return for a third season as coach, and Ken Herock and Jim Hay will remain as vice presidents for personnel and finance, re­ spectively. The front office will continue to make major decisions by committee, much to the disappointment of those who want Smith to appoint or hire a general manager.

Under the system that has been in place since the late ’80s, Herock and the coach confer on draft picks, and Hay (now with as­ sistant Kevin Anthony) negotiates contracts for Smith’s approval The setup has resulted in numerous high-profile busts in the draft, but the team has had some success with trades and free agency recently. Jones has one year remaining on a three-year contract He plans no major changes on the coaching staff despite the club's ranking of 29th in de­ fense.

Bvy George: Contrary to reports, Jeff George is likely to re-sign. The front office has made retaining him its No. I ' priority and is pre­ pared to make him one of the league’s high­ est paid players. The team has one remaining franchise/transition designation it can use to keep George, if necessary.

—TW I FUBZP

ARIZONA CARDINALS

CAROLINA PANTHERS

A slow go: It has been Goiig stopping: Al­ two weeks since Owner though not as much as Bill BidwiH fired G.M.last year, the team Coach Buddy Ryan, again will be active on and still not much has the free-agent market, surfaced about Bidbut General Manager will's plans for a re­ Bill Polian isn't wowed placement There have by this year’s crop. been rumors that BidwiD might offer the T h is is a less attractive free-agent group G.M. position to former 49ers coach Bill than last year's," Polian says. “I think more Walsh. Walsh says he might be interested in and more people are signing their key people such a position but that to long-term contracts he had not been con­ and not letting them goc tacted by the team. If to free agency, and as a Bidwill waits until the result it's a less attrac­ end of January, that tive group." Polian is would make it less like­ trying to keep some of ly that he would hire a his own as well before college coach since the the signing period signing date for re­ opens February 16. cruits is February 7.

Among those who can Jax Is bact Linebacker sell their services are Garth Jax, a 10-year vet­ center Curtis Whitley, % I v V *. * i eran, signed a two-year cornerback Tim McKydeal with the team that er. halfback Derrick will pay him $250,000 in Moore, nose tackle *96 and $300,000 in *97.

Greg Kragen and safety ... One of the most in­ Pat T e rre l Stumping for M ills: The teresting negotiations the new G.M. will face team w^as hoping line­ will be the re-signing of backer Sam Mills gets running back Garrison added to the NFC Pro Hearse a restricted free Bowl team as the lone a g en t Hearst had a “need" player selected three-year, $7.5-miIlion by the NFC coach.

BOI awl BIO; Walsh says he might be in deal but played just one The organization was terested in being BiduriU’s G.M. full season. He showed deeply disappointed flashes of greatness this season, but he also Mills didn’t get selected originally. He was had a problem with fumbling. It will be diffi­ clearly the team MVP, leading in tackles and cult for the team to pay him as much as he setting career highs with five interceptions, has been making, but it's questionable if 4H sacks and five forced fumbles. Even Hearst would be willing to sign a long-term Mills, a four-time Pro Bowl player with the deal for less. Its possible Hearst could sign a Saints, called it the best season of his 10one-year deal and hit the open market in year career. “It’s just a grave injustice." Po­ 1997.

—Kb it So b s lian says.

—Ch a s s b u n a %

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H ie Sporting News

CHICAGO BEARS Kroner vs. Kronen Erik Kramer was the only quarterback to take all of his team’s 1995 snaps, putting Steve Walsh back on the mar­ ket after a no-play sea­ son. Walsh says he is reconciled to the idea of backup money, which would be a comedown from last year's $1.5 million. At this point Walsh's return ap­ pears likely. He knows’the system, coaches are confident in him — and he didn’t get any offers last year when he was a free agent But the Bears made a commitment to Steve Stenstrom when they swallowed his $637,000 rookie tag, and he figures in the plans somewhere. Coordinator Ron Turner stayed after practice every day to work with * Stenstrom and its possible he could emerge as No. 2.

Tillman tales: Running back Lewis Tillman will not return in 1996 — and he will be missed. It has come to light that after a De­ cember IO loss at Cincinnati. Tillman stood up after a silent Monday film session and de­ manded to know if the coaches had quit on the season. “It was unbelievable." one player says. “I thought stuff was just going to start flying around the room, like in T he Exorcist’ or something." Coaches denied the charge but admit now that Tillman’s words lit a fire under everyone. Tillman's standup -routine was followed by impressive victories over Tampa Bay and Philadelphia —JOHS M ain

DALLAS COWBOYS Doable threa t The Pack­ ers may have to consid­ er playing the Cowboys receivers straight up. in­ stead of double-cover­ ing Michael Irvin at all costs. Kevin Williams has made clubs pay dearly for devoting only single coverage to his side. His last three games: five catches for 85. yards against the Giants, nine catches for 203 yards and two touchdowns against the Cardinals and six catches for 124 yards against the Eagles. “W ere a better team than

we were eight weeks ago because of one per­ son," Irvin says. “What (Williams has) done, what he’s done the last couple of weeks, even on the practice field, helps.... Kevin and Troy (Aikmaa) really are getting their timing down."

Big D: The team has shown considerable im­ provement against the run recently. In the last two games, neither the Cardinals nor the Eagles rushed for more than 74 yards. Before the Cardinals game, four of the previous five opponents had rushed for at least 139 yards.

T ie difference has been the return of Leon Lett to defensive tackle after a two^ame run at defensive end filling in for the injured Charles Haley, the return of injured tackle Russell Maryland and Shame Carver's strong play at end.

—MCKEY SWflBU

DETROIT LIONS Belt tightening: Several of the team’s top unre­ stricted free agents — Lomas Brown. Kevin Glover. Chris Spielman.

Bennie Blades and Robert Porcher — could be gone next sea­ son. They combine to make $7.8 million, and the Lions say those positions are only on the books for $5 million next season. Brown, a left tackle, is the hottest commodity, but the Lions won’t duplicate the. $2.5-million salary they paid him last season. Also, the team isn’t likely to pay top dollar for a center (Glover), a run-stopping middle linebacker (Spielman) and a run-stopping safety (Blades). However.

Coach Wayne Fontes may ask Blades to put ona fewpounds and play linebacker. Be­ cause he’s ayoung defensive lineman.

Porcher could command as much as $2* mil­ lion per season — an amount the team won’t come close to paving.

The meeting: Insiders say Fontes is secure for another season, but Owner William Clay Ford may demand some changes in the de­ fensive staff. ... T heres an interesting situa­ tion brewing with free agent safety Willie Clay, wiio was second in the league with eight interceptions. Half of the front office personnel believes Clay is too slow to be an effective starter, while the other half thinks the team should make every effort to keep him.

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Texas two-step: Sanders proved die playoffs were Prime Time, reveling in the first rushing touchdown c f his two-way, two-part career. His 21-yard dash helped die Cowboys defeat the Eagles.

GREEN BAY PACKERS

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

Kicks] knack: Defensive Mora’s options: Three coordinator Fritz Shurdays after the conclu­ muris nickel package sion of-the regular sea­ confused the 49ers last son. Owner Tom Ben­ week. It was the Second son reportedly' in­ week in a row Shurmur formed Coach Jim used a nickel package, Mora that he can return and it is likely to contin­ if he could live with ue this week against Dallas. Shurmur uses forthcoming changes within the organiza­ fronts of 3-3, 4-2, 4-1 and 3-2, with five, six or tion. The' Benson-Mora meeting lasted al­ seven defensive backs. He counted heavily most two hours and came at Mora's request on cornerbacks Doug Evans and rookie Benson reportedly told Mora he planned no Craig Newsome to bump Jerry Rice, and coaching changes and scheduled another Shurmur will take a simi­ meeting amid specula­ lar approach against tion on whether Benson Michael Irvin. “Wre try will hire a general man­ various combinations," ager — taking some Shurmur says T h e idea front-office responsibili­ is to keep them from es­ ties away from his coach. ¥ * tablishing a rhythm." ...

Although Mora has said Linebacker Wayne Sim­ privately that he can live mons played the best with a G.M., the growing game of his life against s list of NFL coaching va­ il cancies gives him several the 49ers. forcing a key ¥ * fumble and finishing with 5 options. But Mora’s first -* r 12 tackles It was the kind § choice would be to reof performance the Pack­ | main with the Saints beers envisioned when thev cause of personal feeldrafted Simmons in the § ings that his job isn't finfirst round in 1993. £ ished. Mora confirmed .4 Od the road again: In the the meeting but declined Best Brett The league MVP was past three seasons, the to reveal what was dis­ nearly flawless against the 49erS. Packers have lost five cussed. consecutive games at Texas Stadium. Now Cause for : The team will play a fifththey will be playing No. 6 for the NFC cham­ place schedule that appears favorable for a re­ pionship. The Packers’ 1996 schedule also bound from its 7-9 finish. Only four games includes a road game against the Cowboys. against playoff teams are on the schedule, ... Quarterback Brett Favre became the Pack­ and those are home-and-away dates with the ers’ first league MVP since Bart Starr earned 49ers and Falcons, The last time the team the honor in 1966. ... Linebacker Joe Kelly played a last-place schedule, in 1987, it fin­ was put on injured reserve after suffering a ished with the franchise’s first winning toe injury the Monday before J.he 49ers record (12-3) and made its first playoff ap­ game..

—TOMSWBSTHI pearance. ’ —Min STOM •

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.MINNESOTA VIKINGS Backfield la aration: Running back Robert Smith expects a serious squabble over a new contract Smith, a re­ stricted free ag en t showed the glimpses of greatness that prompt­ ed the Vikings, to select him in the first round of the '93 draft “But how many healthy seasons has he had?" President Roger Headrick says. “N onef Smith missed half the ‘95 season with a sprained ankle, and knee surgery,, chicken pox, hip problems and ear infections have also cut into his play­ ing time and leave serious durability con­ cerns. Smith offered a possible solution: Pay him by the game. He’s confident the injuries1 have been strictly a bad series of coind'dences. The Vikings remain high on rookie James Stewart Amp Lee and Scottie Graham and might be unwilling to match someone e lse s offer to Smith.

Dead ends: Three defensive ends aren’t ex­ pected back in *96. V.P. Jeff Diamond says the team has no intention of keeping James Har­ ris, an unrestricted free agent recently charged with domestic abuse and under in­ vestigation for bigamy. Roy Barker and Mar­ tin Harrison — who finished the season with five sacks — are also unlikely to be back * Quarterback Warren Moon is expected back for his option year, which would cost the Vikings $3.25 million.

—CORT B a m

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NEW YORK GIANTS HANIS

Dan’s the* mas: Dan Reeves agreed to remain as coach after four days of gruefing meetings. Reeves will not get the changes in manage

sought, but says he will make the best of it for th£ final two years of his contract Management risks having a lam e-duck coach, but avoids having to look elsewhere. ... The announcement came the day Don Shula refired, making Reeves, 51, the NFL’s winningest active coach. “A 5-11 season has got me energized," he says.

T h a ts all it takes." ... As expected. G.M. George Young signed a multiyear extension. so Reeves won’t get more power any time soon. ._ Linebacker Corey Miller, benched for six games last season, will seek a meeting with Young and Reeves about his status. If not satisfied, he wiD ask to be traded.

How co UBTcr: Dave Brown is tired of talk about his development “From this point on, I am no longer a young quarterback,’ " he says. Brown, a free agent expected to re-sign, was to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left knee this week Brown’s relationship with Reeves has been tense, and he declined to comment on Reeves.... Opponents’ .547 win­ ning percentage was best in the NFL The *96 schedule is easier, including a home game against the Patriots. Bill Parceils’ first against his old teaih.

—t a BEST

ffC»Z3

january 15,1996 -

TUIb m ort? Defensive coordinator Rusty Tillman doesn’t see himself back. He met with McKay but never was asked to apply for the head coaching job and Tillman didn’t submit his resume. Tillman has made no se­ cret about his desire to be a head^oach in the NFL No matter what happens in Tam­ pa, he sees himself coaching somewhere in the league this seaso n .... McKay has made the re-signing of linebacker Hardy Nicker­ son an offseason priority. But Nickerson wants to see if the team remains in Tampa.

—t a PHOM*

P ll Ii_VI)HLl ’HLX HAGI.KS More d r a p e s The WSMI had the biggest person­ nel turnover in the league this season.

Next season, there probably will be several new faces as w e ! Near­ ly two dozen players will become unrestricted free agents next month, including l l who started in the playoff loss to the Cowboys. Some of the players whose con­ tracts are up: quarterback Rodney Peete, re­ ceiver Fred Barnett guard Guy McIntyre, safeties Greg Jackson and Mike Zordich and cornerback Mark McMillan. Measured by statistics, Peete didn’t have a great season.

But the team was 104 with Peete behind cen­ ter, and he came up big in the playoffs against the Lions. H e ’s definitely a guy we want back," Coach Ray Rhodes says.

Coart Ma O ft Backup quarterback Randall Cunningham, another free agent definitely will not be re-signed. He angered Rhodes when he left the team in the middle of last week for Las Vegas to be with his wife, who delivered their first child, and then didn’t re­ turn until early Saturday morning, just hours before the team departed for Dallas. Cun­ ningham didn’t even bother to take a copy of the offensive game plan with him to study and failed to return several messages left for him by the team.

—PMI PflMWTTCl

ST. KOI IS R A M S T retiif p ito n ? The Jerome B ktis trade ru­ mors became so w ide spread that Bettis’ agent, Lamont Smith, tried to check them out with the front office.

“TheyVe made no offi­ cial comment on whether the/re.valid or not valid at this point," Smith says. But General Manager Steve Ortmayer denies the ru­ mors. Meanwhile, Bettis wants the team to commit to a running game and to him as their feature back. Bettis carried only 183 times for 637 yards this season, career lows.

Coach Rich Brooks is intrigued by the possi­ bility of a two-back system involving Bettis and speedy Greg Robinson. Bettis says he can live with a two-back system, "if we have an understanding." An understanding that Bettis would get most of the carries, and Robinson would be the relief pitcher.

"You've got to be committed to one running

WASHINGTON RKDSKI.NS Uofciip sp: The club joined Houston and Cincinnati as the only teams to double their victory output from D o n a a l t a t Cunningham is sacked by the Cowboys' Chad Hennings last Sunday. After losing the 1994 to ’95. The im­ No. I quarterback job to Rodney Peete, Cunningham definitely will not be resigned by the Eagles. provement led corner­ back," Bettis says, "lf it’s not me, then it's doesn’t believe it is a serious problem .... De­ back Darrell Green to not me." fensive end Rickey Jackson, wide receiver predict a playoff berth in 1996.... The running Special crack: Wayne Sevier, regarded as John Taylor and possibly center Bart Oates game skyrocketed from 24th in 1994 to sev­ one of the top speciai-teams coaches in the will retire..~ For the most p art help wifi have enth. thanks largely to the arrival of halfback NFL, has decided to retire early. T ve been to come from free agency, because the 49ers Terry Allen from Minnesota. ... Eddie Mur­ looking forward to the first possible time that traded their first-round -draft pick in the deal ray's eight points in the season finale against I could retire — which would be age 55 — for wide receiver J J. Stokes. At least they Carolina moved him past Pat Leahy into which Tm about to hit" Sevier says. “And I’ve won’t have to spend a lot of time negotiating fourth place on the NFL’s alkime list with accumulated enough years to merit retire­ with their own players. The only starter who 1,473 points. ment pay." The Rams are in no hurry to name is eligible for free agency is cornerback Eric Monty flutters: According to figures released a replacement —i l l THOMAS Davis.

—bu H u b by the NFL?A, the front office had the thirdhighest payroll last season, ranking be­ hind only Dallas ■rn and Carolina. The w Felled: The front office club ranked No. I S o n p re lim s: The d u b heads into the off­ set its sights on hiring in 1994.... None of season trying to solve former Cowboys coach Washington's 12 the problems it had Jimmy ' Johnson or highest-paid play­ when the season began Florida Coach Steve ers is unsigned for 1996.

Defensive — plus one. The 49ers Spurrier, but the first still need a running week of the New Year tackle Tim John­ back and an outside saw two events that son, whose Si.05salary pass rusher. They also need a fullback, be­ lessened the chances of landing either. Don mi Ilion ranked 13th on the cause it is uncertain William Floyd will make Shula’s retirement as Dolphins coach moved team this season, is it back from his major knee injury. It is clear Johnson to the forefront for that position, the offense needs more balance, and the de­ and the Gators’ crushing loss to Nebraska in»- the richest free-agent-to-be. ... Receiver fense needs an outside pass-rush threat to the Fiesta Bowl almost assured that Spurrier Michael Westbrook failed to earn his take advantage of the double-teaming faced would remain in Gainesville. If Johnson, or $375,000 in contract incentives during his in­ by standout tackles Bryant Young and Dana anyone else who wants total control is inter­ jury-plagued rookie season. The No. I draft Stubblefield. Coach George Seifert says he is ested in the coaching position. General Man­ choice played more than 35 percent of the of­ unlikely to know before training camp ager‘Rich McKay won’t stand in his way. D e fensive snaps, but he didn’t lead the team in whether Floyd could play in 1996. pending on the next coach, McKay isn’t sure receptions, receiving yards, average per Getttep oM: The 49ers figure to have at least he even will be back. However, even if a catch or touchdown catches. Henry EHard six offensive starters 31 or older next season, coach/director of football operations is held that honor.... Rookie punter Matt Turk with the age especially showing in the line. hired, McKay could remain with the team as set a team record with a 37.7-yard net average Even though the line has been beset by in­ manager of the salary cap and negotiator of and tied the club mark of 29 punts inside the juries the past two seasons, Seifert says he contracts.

20.

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The Sporting News

Lawrence Phillips helped Nebraska overwhelm Florida and win a second consecutive national title , but his troubles may be remembered as much as the team’s triumphs at some position other than quarterback, when sophomore I-back Ahman Green is sprinting through the tractor-sized holes for he night after the Fiesta Bowl, the Huskers in that key Big 12 North Division David Letterman says the Comshowdown with Colorado, when Osborne still huskers have been treated unfairly is acting as if a smile would be a sign of weak­ because, given a chance, they can ness. there will be those even then who be­ grow up to be “model prisoners." The Gators lieve .the stench hasn’t blown away. fen next to me on a Phoenix-to-Deirver flight “I think well be remembered for die hard otherwise jammed with Nebraska rooters work and the dedication we gave on the foot­ says: “Support your C ornhusk er — leave ball field," says Frazier, who had a remark­ your car unlocked." I come back with the able 199-yard rushing night against Florida in cheap shot that the Nebraska players think the Valley of the Tortilla Chip... er, Sun. the “N" on the helmet stands for “Nowledge."

Frazier is wrong, and that is unfortunate.

Absolutely, we’re piling on. making blan­ ket generalizations about a group of more than IOOyoung men — some of whom will go ebraska, Osborne and even Phillips on to the NFL some. to medical schools, had a chance to turn the Fiesta Bowl some to other honorable careers. And. yes, into more than a stunning rout, and maybe one or two to prison. more than the attainment of a sec­ A tainted national championship? Is there ond consecutive national title. It could have really such an animal in our It’s-The-Onlybeen a triumph of compassion, a celebration Thing society? Some of the writers ripping of a rehabilitatioiHD-progress. The Fiesta Nebraska Coach Tom Osborne for his han­ Bowl could have been a way of saying some­ dling of the Lawrence Phillips affeir and the thing more significant than “We’re No. I!" or Huskers for their off-field cpnduct in 1995 would pontificate that Osborne “has lost his “Scoreboard!*; yet that’s the way it came off. touch’ if he recruited only 3.5-GPA students After Phillips ran for 165 yards and scored of exemplar)- conduct from now on and lost three touchdowns, his postgame reaction was four games in ’98. Some of us ripping Os­ odd. Maybe I was expecting a 20-year-old borne see nothing inconsistent about cham­ from a disadvantaged'background to behave pioning as geniuses some coaches or TV with the savvy of an older person, but wouldn’t commentators who made their reputations you think somebody would have gotten this winning in programs that make Nebraska's across to Phillips?^ This is your chance, look like a monastery'.

Lawrence! Your chance to further express to But the flak won't let up for a while, even in Osborne your gratitude, which you mildly of­ the wake of the Huskers' 62-24 thrashing of fered earlier in the week in your one session the Gators. The indignant denunciation, es­ with the media. This time, it will be in the pecially, about Osboriie's decision to allow postgame spotlight, and it will be your chance Phillips back into the program after his brutal to luxuriate in a success with your teammates, assault on former girlfriend Fate McEwen, whom you say you missed so much during your will continue. The jokes will come off the latesuspension, This will be your chance to show night cue cards. Perhaps next fall. when the world — a world that includes SFL coach­ Phillips is running in the NFL after going es and 12-year-olds in boys’ homes —- that high in the draft’s first round, when electric you 're not such a jerk, after all.

Ttoipmie Frazier is trvinglo crack the league So when the Fiesta Bowl ends, while his

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B f M alert: Phillips, whoV likely be nam ing in the SFL next season, can show his gratitude to Osborne-*-and make things easier on the next coach facing such decisions — by staying out o ftrouble. teammates are celebrating on the field.

Phillips trots up the tunnel at the north end zone of Sun Devil Stadium. He stops at the entrance to the locker room walkway to sign a lfet for a .security guard and the shirt of a Nebraska fen. He goes into the locker room. alone, and a few minutes later is downright surly in the interview room. “I knew that we would run the ball and try and wear them down. and that’s basically what happened." he says. “We were blocking people and cut­ ting the defensive backs, and I think they got tired of getting cut and blocked, and we wore them out" He looks bored at the microphone and after a brief stint, declines to talk further.

Osborne, for his part, makes a postgame

plea with the school presidents of the Big 12, saying the Texas schools’ insistence on tak­ ing fewer academic “non-qualifiers" would be a competitive disadvantage. “I hope they'll look at the fact that we have four teams in the top IO," Osborne says, referring to the Big Eight “We did it with Big Eight rules, and we hope very much that they will reconsider and try to let the Big Eight play with Big Eight rules and not change tilings. l<We think it makes for a strong conference," That’s the way ttflean into a punch: En­ courage the stereotype that the lower the standards, the better i e team.

This all certainly should have been some­ thing better for the Comhuskers, whose de-

COLLEGE FOOTBALL • 27

January 15,1996

Regardless of how one feels about Osborne’s handling of Phillips and the Nebraska administration’s hands-off approach, the idea that Osborne sold his soul to the devil for the sake of a national championship is ludicrous.

fease — led by linebacker TerreD Fariey and cornerback M ichael Booker — had been so strong in harassing quarterback Danny W uerffel and s h u ttin g dow n th e G a to rs ’ Fun ’n Gun. Regardless of how one feels about O sborne’s handling of Phillips and the Ne­ braska administration’s hands-off approach, the idea that Osborne sold his soul to the devD (emulating Daniel W ebster and “Damn Yan­ kees" protagonist jo e Hardy) for the sake of a national championship is ludicrous.

Why? Reason No. I; Although O sborne sometimes appears to protest too much about his lack of concern with wiiming and losing, his pregam e com m ents had a ring of sinceri­ ty. “W e have this mentality in America that th e re s only one guy standing at the end. that you've got to be No. I or you’re nothing," he said. ‘I don't feel that way personally.’ Rea-

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son No. 2: Ahman Green.

By the time Osborne allowed Phillips back with the team following his sbr-game suspen­ sion. Green, the freshman from Omaha, had made it apparent that Phillips* loss wasn’t de­ bilitating. Behind that line, anybody on the H uskers’ depth chart could have been ser­ viceable in. a N ebraska Fiesta Bowj ro u t As it was. Green got into the game long enough to run for 68 yards and-a touchdown on nine carries.

O sborne argued that he w asn’t going to cast Phillips adrift after Phillips' attack on M cEwen on Septem ber IO and. his suspen­ sion. and that Phillips needed the structure of a football team to help him rehabilitate himself. A better decision would have been to take Phillips back, put him at the bottom of the depth chart and not play him another down the rest of the season. It would have been a-lest for Phillips, one he says he could have accepted “just to stay in shape and be around the guys:" Osborne’s stance was that once Phillips was considered to have served his suspension and was back in uniform, he had to be treated like all m em bers of the team — rising or failing on the depth chart on his own merits. The goals at that point deariy were to help showcase him for the NFL because it appeared certain, even then, that Phillips, a junior, would end up en­ tering this year's draft; but’also to help birn get his life back on track. There is no way Phifljps can be allowed to duck accountability for his actions, but ifs not as if he came to the Huskers off a tranquil farm in central Nebras­ ka or from an affluent Chicago suburb lea-* lured in a john Hughes movie.

Phillips grew up in southgm California, and at age 11, his parents deserted him. He was raised as a wan! of the state. Apologists invited him to use that childhood as a ratio­ nalization — or al least an explanation — for his behavior.

"Blame it on that’" he says about his back­ ground. “W here I grew up wasn’t that bad. It was rough, I was in a boys' home, (but) ifs not like they deprived us. I was well taken care of and had guidance and things like th at" So after he was charged with assaulting McEwen, dragging h er down stairs by the hair in the eariy-m om ing hours after the

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H uskers’ victory over Michigan State on tem ber 9. Phillips felt he had let down some of those folks in his past — and his team­ mates. “They try and make it seem like Ne­ braska is like a prison or something, that they just harbor criminals." he says of his critics.

“T hat’s not the case. I was mostly em bar­ rassed for my foster parents and my friends.

I knew before they were talking about how great I was. and then it was a slap in the face when som ething like this happens."

Green also was raised in southern Califor­ nia. He moved with his m other f n ^ Omaha to Los Angeles when he was about to begin elem entary school. His mother. Glenda, de­ cided she wanted him lo attend high school back in Omaha, so she returned in the sum­ m er of 1991.

"My mom wanted me to get out of the craziness of Los Angeles." Green says, ^ e r e was crim e or an earthquake always going on, and my mom was ready to get me out of there. It was the bad p a rt the baddestpart you could get in Los Angeles, the Cren­ shaw district When I came back to Omaha, it was really a slowdown."

At Oniaha Central High School, the tail­ back tradition dated back to Gale Sayers and* also Calvin Jones, a form er C ornhusker.

Green chose the H uskers after visiting Ari­ zona, Michigan. Notre Dame and Penn State.

He knew Phillips already was in Lincoln, and while he sought and received the promise from the Nebraska staff that he wouldrfl be redshirted, Green was wiUing lo play spar­ ingly behind Phillips in ’95.

Septem ber IO changed their lives.

"Everybody m akes m istakes." Phillips says. “Pm a better person, and I’m definitely not going to let that mistake happen again."

Green was alerted by his dormitory room­ mate. then turned on the televiaon. T here it was. the news about Phillips’ a r r e s t “I was like. ’Vr'hat?’ " Green says. “T h e next day. guys were saying, '.\hm an, yd t have to do this and do th a t you're going to have to com e in and start the gam es now.’ I was like' 'Wow!' and for a while I was shell-shocked. That week in practice. I was kind of saying. ‘Wow, r rn doing what I wanted to be doing a couple of years from now.' ‘ During his suspension. Phillips wrote a let-

ter to McEwen, apologizing. He says he skipped classes for about IO days. Eventuallv'; he returned to the classroom and received word from O sborne about his reinstatem ent for the final three regular-season games.

"I just told him ‘i h ^ k you.' that I wouldn't let him down as far as em barrassing the pro­ gram and getting into another incident and things like that," Phillips says. “Coach Os­ borne gave me a chance to prove that I could recover from making a mistake and do some­ thing with my fife. I learned a lot aTx)ut myself, basically that I need to find a way lo control my anger. I’m talking with people and Pm still in the process of learning, but Pm learning a lo t" Green says he wasn't offended when Phillips was allowed back on the roster and look over as starter for the Fiesta Bowl.

“It was his last game. I guess, and he just came out and did his best and showed off for the crowd." Green says. “He doesn't show a lot of emotion, and I think deep inside he was hap­ py to win this game, and I think lo get it over with., loo. bem use he’s been criticized the whole season. Now he’s just bringing it back home with a big bang with this game he had."

Green says he and Phillips were "giving each other high fives. In that third quarter when I had that long burst, he was saying; 'Why are you doing that to them? The g ^ e ' s over and you have to go run 43 yards?' I said.

W ell. Pm doing my job.' We were laughing about ail that come the fourth quarter." .Next year. it appears Green will be doing the running in the spotlight as the Huskers^ go for a third consecutive tide.

"I think Pve got that confidence built up. have a year under my b elt" he says.

H ere's how Phillips can show his grabtude lo Osborne: keeping his nose clean, showing he can be rehabilitated, appearing at battered* wom en’s shelters and ta k in g to other vio­ lence-prone men. Because if f i l l i p s proves he is not such a cretin after all. maybe well be a little m ore willing lo accept that the next coach’s decision about an elite but troubled player is based on compassion, not a desire to — sound the trum pets — win al all costs.

Even at the cost of integrity .And that's no joke. ♦ I

Terry f r e i is a sportswriter fo r the Denver Post.

2 8 ' CO U SE FOOTBALL

The Sporting News

COLLEGE FOOTBALL KIBORT

Northwestern’s gain may be UCLA’s gain, too HI say is it’s what I call an L & L contract — long and lots," Northwestern Athletic Direc­ tor Rick Taylor says. “This contract puts Gary in the upper echelon of Division LA coaches nationally."

Someone should have told Ta yl or t hat N o r t h w e s t e r n doesn’t deal in Ls any longer. It may have been the crowning achievement that the Wildcats’ Ivan loss in the Rose Bowl came as ' MAISEL a surprise, as did the fact the Trojans put up 41 points, l l more than a Northwestern op­ ake heart coaches. Two years ago, ponent had scored all season.

Barnett reflected on what the Northwestern Coach Gary Barnett went unnoticed and Bob Toledo loss meant to the team’s story­ needed a job. Their careers crossed book 10-2 season.

• I f s not wh a t it coul d paths last week when Toledo. UCLA’s offen­ have been." Barnett says. “I sive coordinator the last two seasons, took don’t know if it’s the Bruins’ head-coaching job that Barnett turned down. tarn ish ed . W e’re Barnett made good on his a good football • r pledge to take the purple to *t e a m . We d i d Pasadena. He never said anything ' | some great things, about going home with them. g We didn’t win the When the Wildcats went back to | Rose Bowl. W ell Evanston. III., after losing the Rose I have to come back Bowl, 41-32. to Southern California and win it" in the most entertaining postsea­ UCLA, whi ch son game. Barnett stayed behind has academic stan­ to mull over a lucrative offer from dards above the Barrett UCLA. norm of the typical Few coaches could get away with conduct­ public institution in the Pacific ing job interviews while their team is practic­ IO. would have been a good fit ing for the Rose Bowl. Barnett drew almost for Barnett as it would have been for Col no criticism, which may be the ultimate com­ orado Coach and former Bruins quarterback pliment His ability to get his team to focus Rick Neuheisel. who was one of the first ones on its goals may have been the key ingredient approached by Athletic Director Pete Dabs. for the Wildcats. That he leavens that with a When Barnett said no. Dalis immediately fell perspective that theres more to life than col­ back on his in-house candidate. lege football makes him an ideal tit for North­ After the 1993 season. Texas A&M western.

Coach R.C. Slocum told Toledo, his offen­ He milked all he could from his moment in sive coordinator, to find another job. The the spotlight. By staying. Barnett entered the Aggies had been too one-dimensional, or so week in position to sign a 12-year contract the conventional wisdom w ent As it turned worth $6 million Cif he stays all 12 years). "All o u t Toledo’s successor. Steve Ensminger,

couldn’t turn Corey PuIIig into a passer, ei­ ther.

Toledo, meanwhile, transformed freshman Cade McNown from a raw athlete into a good college quarterback with a bright future.

Dabs cited two instances in which Toledo stood o u t In 1994, the Bruins gained a schookecord 679 yards in defeating Arizona State, 59-23. More important in this season’s 24-20 upset of USC, the Bruins, without the services of AILAmerica Callback Karim AbduL Jabbar, befuddled the Trojans with new sets and a rotation of running b a d s . At UCLA, de­ vising methods to upset USC is right up there with attaining world peace. Dalis also says Toledo came highly recommended. Dabs and everyone at UCLA has great respect for S t

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Louis Rams Coach Rich Brooks, who, while at Oregon, had been considered the heir to Donahue. Toledo ran Brooks’ offense for six seasons before leaving for Texas A&M after the 1988 season.

Toledo’s tenure as head coach at Pacific from 1979 through ’82 didn’t go well (14-30). but everyone understands the lack of re­ sources there. He is an engaging man with a good ability to communicate. His vision, how­ ever. must be poor. Had he bothered to look ahead, he would have seen that UCLA opens

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the 1996 season at Tennessee, the probable preseason No. I..The Bruins also travel-to Michigan and Oregon in the opening four games.

Maltingmaws For years, no one knew what it would take to make Alabama and Auburn fans stop talking about recruiting in January. Last week, they found o u t Crimson Tide defensive coordinator and secondary coach Bill Oliver left to take the defensive coordina­ tor’s job at Auburn. And you thought Leo Durocher ruffled feathers when he left the Brooklyn Dodgers for the New York Giants.

That was tame compared with Oliver. Think of Tom Osborne getting the Oklahoma job, or maybe Pat Buchanan tak. ing over the ACLU. The truth is. Oliver had coached ^his last game in Tuscaloosa. Gene Stallings’ staff has been renowned for its lack of comity. Oliver's un­ happiness never impinged on ‘ his performance or that of his players, so Stallings let him complain. By last week, how ever. Oliver had decided to move. Once the leading can­ didate to replace Stallings, Oliver evidently thought he wouldn’t be Alabama’s next head coach. Auburn Coach Terry Bowden got wind of Oliver’s unhappiness and moved in to hire him.

Oliver replaces Wayne Hall, who played an integral part in the Tigers’ rise over the last 15 seasons. Judging from the lack of progress the young Auburn defense made this season, most defensive coordinators would come under close scrutiny. But Hall ran the defense that made Auburn famous under Pat Dye. When Bowden took the job three years ago, be knew enough about the importance of bring­ ing the Auburn community together that he needed Hall to stay.

Evidently. Bowden has established him­ self enough that he doesn’t need Hall a for­ mer Alabama linebacker, any longer. He told him before the 43-14 loss to Penn State in th? Outback Bowl to look for another job.

Assistants Rodney Garner and Kurt Cram also must be replaced. Hall may land at Florida. Entering the week. Gators defen­ sive coordinator Bobby Pruett was expected to take the head-coaching job at LAA Mar­ shall Stallings was expected to promote defen­ sive line coach Mike Dubose to coordinator.

Over the last three seasons, Dubose turned down coordinator jobs at Georgia and Ten­ nessee to remain at his alma mater. Former Southern Mississippi and Louisiana State head coach Curley Hallman, who played for Stallings at Texas A&M, will coach tile sec­ ondary Oliver left behind.

And basketball in Alabama just got pushed back farther in the sports section. + loan Moisei covers college fcIM W ! ii for Newsday.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL • 29

January 15,1996

Bt BBT UUPgTB_________ as this rig h t many in Chapel Hill had to w onder last fall?

Mighty North Caroli­ na ranked No. 13 in a preseason magazine?

Yep. And the news got worse. Soon, word arrived that the Tar Heels were picked 20th in several preseason pofls and unranked in another.

North Carolina deserved better. This is the team coached by Dean Smith, rem em ber him? W inner of m ore than 80Ocareer games and, two national titles? For the forgetful.

Smith has served a rem inder by positioning the T ar Heels for a run at the ACC title and a 26th consecutive 20-victory season in what may be one of his best coaching jobs y e t But not everyone’s happy about Sm ith’s magic. While North Carolina is the T ar Heel State, all of its residents aren’t Tar Heels fans.

It’s a state divided: One side roots for the Tar Heels; the loyalties for the rest of the popu­ lace are divided am ong N.C. State, Duke, Wake Forest and the rem ainder of the ACC. Regardless of rooting in te re s t this latter group is united by its m em bership in the ABC Club: Anybody But Carolina. M em bers of this faction long have said they would ch eer for the Russians against UKC. Sure enough, when the Soviet National Team vis­ ited Chapel Hill a few years ago. these folks pulled for the Big R e d / So it is no surprise these people were thrilled in May w hen sophom ores Rasheed Wallace and Jerry Stackhouse announced that they were leaving UNC after their sopho­ m ore season to join the NBA. T he end of Coach Dean Sm ith's dominance was at hand.

Or was it5

he departure of Wallace and Stack­ house left Smith with only nine scholarship players, including three freshm en who had not yet enrolled.

W ithout Wallace, Serge Zwikker appeared to be the lone choice at center. Zwikker, a red­ shift junior, played little during his first two years and looked awkward and uncoordinat­ ed in the few m inutes he g o t • But what really scared T ar Heel fans was the sight of Ed Geth at the end of the bench.

Ed Geth.

Geth is a 6-foot-8 forward who has trouble running the court m ore than twice without exhausting him self or falling down. If Smith had to rely on Geth, the im mediate future seem ed bleak, indeed.

Smith signed the three freshm en, but the Tar Heels’ coach of 35 years did not pile up victories with a lineup of newcomers. While he is not afraid to play freshm en. Smith ap­ preciates the value of experience.

“Experience in college is really rem ark­ able,’’ Smith says. “T he one exception I can think of is the M ichigan team with (Chris) W ebber and that group as freshm en.”

Publicly, at least. Smith acknowledged this could be a difficult year.

“We have some problems, but I think well be competitive,” Smith said during the sum­ m e r “I think our program is here to stay. We may not go to the -NCAA Tournam ent some years. W ho knows? T h at’s not a given any year, contrary to what some people who fol­ low Carolina think."

Many echoed Sm ith's trepidation. T h e S p o r t i n g N e w s ranked UNC No. 13. the A sso ciated P re ss, D ick V itale and ESPN No. 20 and Sports Illustrated didn't rank the Heels.

But now. Smith is smiling and relaxed. His team has started 11-2 and appears on its way to a typical North Carolina season — barring a major injury.

“W e're just extrem ely delighted to be where we are." Smith says. “Some team s just haven’t shot well against us, and that’s helped. But I think our players very much have a feeling they are going to help the team when they play.

“They certainly have played very well to­ gether. They have a nice inner confidence. but that is fragile. They do have North Car­ olina written across their chests, and I hope that m eans som ething to them and can give them some confidence."

Fragile or not. Coach Dave Odom of Wake Forest says he marvels at what Smith has done. T here m ight not be another program in the country' that could lose its top three scorers, two of them sophom ores, and con­ tinue as if nothing happened, Odom says.

“Remember, as important as talent is. the leader of that program is still there." Odom says. “The engineer is still there, and the train is still running. I’m a little bit in awe that they can overcome so quickly- the loss of two magnificent players.

“They are very good, and they deserve the sam e respect they’ve been given and the same stature they've held for 30 years. There is none better at doing what they’ve done

over the course of time.

‘It would take a program like that to do what North Carolina has done this year."

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name on fans for underestim ating Smith's abilities, but it would have been difficult for them to have known how good his freshmen were going to be.

Before the season, Vince Carter seemed to be the best bet am ong the new com ers to m ake a difference. A 6-5 wing player from Daytona Beach, Fla., he has long arms, good quickness and is an outstanding leaper. And. yes. he has drawn comparisons to You-KnowWho. Recruiting buffs described 6-8 Antawn Jamison as a good rebounder and solid over­ all, but not even the best high school player in North Carolina fast season. Tyrone Outlaw, a 6-7 forward who signed with N.C. State but went to junior college after failing to qualify. earned that distinction.

Among the three CNC recruits, Ademofa Okulaja cam t to Chapel Hill as the real unknown. He is a Nigerian w-ho grew up in Ger­ many. At GS. he had the size to provide some much-needed help inside, but no one knew if he could play this year or at all. Europeans of­ ten take time to adjust to the speed and phys­ ical nature of the American game. • Surprise. Okulaja and Jamison have per-

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.formed beyond m ost expectations, while • Carter is the rawest of the three. He is spec­ tacular a t times, driving the baseline for dunks or leaping to block shots. But early in the season, he was just as likely to be out of place on defense and turn over the ball. Then a sprained ankle slowed his progress for a couple of gam es. He looked m ore comfortable when he returned from the injury’ in mid-' Decem ber and figures to become a m onster . player.

Jamison is just what the Tar Heels needed.

He is an excellent rebounder with a nice touch. He weighs 216 pounds, so he must get stronger to withstand the rough play in the ' ACC. Yet so far he has been able to rely on his quickness and explosive leaping ability to offset his thin frame.

Toward the end of the first half in the Tar H eels’ 85-74 victory over Georgia. Jamison put the team on his shoulders. This prom pt­ ed one observer to say. “If he was the secondbest player in the state last year. I want to set* Outlaw."

Jamison scored 14 points and grabbed 12 rebounds that evening.

“W hen I came in. all you heard was Stack- *• •house had left." says Jamison, a McDonald’> All-American. “They' were mostly putting the pressure on the freshm en. The pressure is Hot on the freshmen. It s on the whole team We just have to come together and play each

so • COLLEGE BASKETBALL

The Sporting News

^:ame the best we can.

“Right now I feel real com ­ fo rta b le'At first there were som e shak>‘ points. But now I think all the freshmen are do­ ing well on d efen se and of­ fense.”

So little >^as expected from Okulaja. anything h e pro* \id e s is a bonus. He show ed early he is going lo make an impact. From the o u ts e t he has displayed a feel for the gam e. He is a good passer and can be unselfish to a fault, passing up a good shot lo dish lo a teammate. He is si ^ willing lo play d e fe n se and O distribute the ball even on ' S Sa lf, nights when he scores little.

He credits Coach Svedslav V. P esic of Germany for leach­ ing him the gam e. Okulaja r n & learned how Americans play it by com peting against men from th e U.S. Army w ho. think is harder than m oving w'ere stationed in Bertin. He around. has quick feet, good hands "He’s kept them at virtual­ and can shoot. ly the sam e level every year.

“I thought he was behind He's coaching al a high level \V as a basketball player, not as of con sisten cy. H e’s won a talent.” Smith says. “I was championships;" wrong. He picked it up ver>' With depth in short supply quickly.” this season and last, Smith Zwikker has been a big proved his ability lo adapt by surprise, loo. He worked on changing the pressure de­ hi? gam e day and night dur­ fen se h e relied on sin ce h e ing the sum m er. He lifted becam e head coach. T he Tar w rights in the mornings and jg H eels u se more zone now, aF afternoons and then played g though not on a steady basis. in a sum m er league during I O Itr T hey do far le ss trapping. the evenings. His progress is And there are parts o f his tranothing short of remarkable. didonaJ d efen se that Smith He no longer looks awicward h a s ‘yet to teach this team. running the court, and at V-2. h is presence ! U p p e r - c l a s s f r e s t a n e n : The fact tiiatjam isan (above), Okulaja Nevertheless, opponents have creates probl<*ms for m ost teams. Zwikker I (top right) and Carter have played like veterans is a big reason c . shot 39 p ercen t and the Tar still has limitalions. but his greatest attribute t \o r th Carolina hasn't skipped a beat Heels are shooting 50 percent is that h e understands them . He positions "D efensively w e’ve been him self well and has a soft touch..

The Tar H eels can play with their youth up like everybody else,' ” Calabria says. very effective." Smith says, “m ore than Fve 'H e's been ver>- productive and helpful.” front because of those guards, Odom said.

“It went like th a t and everyone said: 'All been pleased with what w e’re doing. Our Smith saN's.

"He doesn't take manv• bad shots.

• ■■“ T h e y are im plem enting Dean Smith's right; we're goin g to play as a team. No one is habits haven't been formed defensively, but I .An open l> f6 o lc r is a good shot for him. ■ plans the way he wants them im plem ented.” goin g to play selfish. No one is goin g to ever think we've gotten progressively better. which is unusual for a pVV his size.”

J Odom sa>'s. “better than any backcourt in the com e out and play a half like w e did against “W e haven’t b een a bad defensive team, Vanderbilt* That w as em barrassing for our . league is im plem enting their respective bul w e’re not the defensive team I want us to team. be. W e’ve gradually added a couple o f our or all Zwikker and the three freshmen I coach’s plans. He has coached them veo' well "It was em barrassing for Coach. He spent scram bles, but not often. W'e really aren’t have done, however, they ultimately j for two years together. a lot of time teaching us everything, and we T h e v understand what h e w'ants better ' comfortable with it y e t ’ owe their su ccess to this team's vet­ went out and played like th at From that point than any backcourt in the league understands Even when they play man-to-man defense, eran guards and the chem istry that on. ii just seem ed to all flow together." what their respective coach wants. Part of the Tar H eels have h i r ^ team s into shooting has developed because of them. that is understanding how the coach wants 3-pointers. WTien those shots bounce off the Jeff M cIiJiis and Dante Calabria can score, the others to play and then getting them to rim. the Tar H eels m ove into their offense and they can run Smith’s system. mith has been criticized through the play that way. Serge Zwikker is pla>nng per­ and work the ball for the best sh o t They understand what Smith wants, and years for h is control of the team and fect basketball right now. as is Jamison, as is they know how to p ortion their team m ates its deliberate offense. Let the players Carter, as is Okulaja. . lo get it. the team ’s only senior. Calabria be individuals, g o e s the cry.

“And it is all done from the bench through he t a r H eels won the 1993 nationai sets the best exam ple by being IT^T’s most But this year’s team is winning because it the backcourt to them. It is very clear lo me cham pionship because that team . unselfish platier. runs Smith's offense, which m axim izes good what is ha;^)ening. You cannot b ^ North Car­ em braced Sm ith’s philosophy and M clnnis has more a ssists (69) than Cal­ sh ots and en tices the opposition to take poor olina unless you whip their backcourt They' played together as well or better abria (SS), but that is due lo h is being the ones, .control every gam e, lf you don't whip them, point guard. \M ienever Calabria penetrates. than any h e has coached.

A team may get hot from beyond the 3you’re not going to beat North Carolina.”

Calabria was a freshman on that club. He he almost always looks to pass. point stripe and beat UNG on occasion — as M clnnis and Calabria set the tone for this T h e y have the best backcourt in the said it had the best chem istry any h e has T exas did — but m ore often, the Tar H eels team from the start W hen the Tar H eels hit ■ league." Odom says. T h e y can talk aboul played on. T his team may not win a champi­ will be playing at the end of the season when just 11 of 27 shots and played as individuals in \ ”irginia’s backcourt a1) they w an t and I think onship, but whatever it accom plishes, the that d u b alread)’ has gon e home.

M rginia's backcourt is very, very good. I the first half of a season-opening victory over players seem determined lo do it together.

TOU can’t act like they are the sam e as think Georgia T ech ’s backcourt is very. very Vanderbilt instead of running dieir team.ofeverybody else.” Odom says. T h e y are n o t T h i s team just has great chem istry," good But you are talking about the best fense. Calabria and M clnnis instructed their T he guy has been there for 35 years. That Zwikker says. W e 'r e just really close. When backcourt in the league when you are talking less-experienced team m ates on the finer alone separates him. It is im possible to do we're out there on the court, w e’re motivat­ aboul North Carolina’s. points of Tar H eels basketball. what he has done. It’s im possible, yet he has ing each other, trying to g et each other to T h e coaches knew- that com ing in. It is the “In the locker room al halftime. before the done it p l ^ good. most experienced, and it has been the most coach es cam e in. we said; ‘Look, it is up to T o me. he is the best coach to ever t^>ach T h e w hole team is having fun out there productive over the cou rse of the years everybody in here. lf you guys want to ^ a the gam e. I don’t think there is any qualifica­ • playing." # the\’Ve been together. T h ose two gu ys play good team, we've got to play together. If you tion. T hey can talk aboul all the others, but off of each other. T h ey do the best job of con­ guys don't want to be a g ^ team. tell us now Eddy Landreth covers the A C C fo r the Win­ h e is the b est coach to coach the gam e. He trolling their team at each end pf the c o u r t” b e a u s e then we're goin g to go for ours just ston-Salem (N .C J Journal has done it longer at the sam e place, which I

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COLLEGE BASKETBALL • 31

January 15,19%

80 points just once. The offense sputters primarily b ecau se of the gu ard s, who. frankly, are getting too m uch credit for not gettin g enough c re d it Watch the M inutem en 'play on television, and the analysts keep insisting Padilla and T ravieso are underrated — so much so. they becom e overrat­ ed.

Indeed, they are durable, and they areode' voted to Caiipari's defen­ sive teach in gs. In a diffi­ cult 64-61 victory o v e r> M em phis, then a T op 5 % team .

Padilla and T ravieso refused to per­ mit the ball reversal acro ss the top of the key that is fundamental to the T igers' system . M em phis shooting gu ard M ingo joh n son , one of the coun­ try's b est from 3-point range, wound up I for 9.

“I think i t s the way we practice." T ravieso says.

“Som etim es, when we're Shining s t a r The work o f Bright, along with Dingle, is often over­ out there, we just take it looked as people rave apout the UM ass guards and Camby. personally." country." f alipari sa y s of Bright, “but h e’s T h e players who really are being ignored also a guy who is unselfish and h as a lot of are Dingle and B rig h t who fill their respon­ courage." sibilities both on d efen se and offense. .Al­ If it se e m s to be a happy accident that the though both stand 6-6, they overcom e CamI b y s d istaste for the b o ard s well enough to .j M inutem en have players so com m itted to forming a cohesive, com petitive whole, per­ fnake U M ass a productive rebounding team. haps it is n o t During the sum m er, looking at D ingle is % defensive defmon who will ' potential recruits who were participating in guard any sort of player. At various tim es this the Nike .All-American cam p in Indianapolis. year, h e’s gon e after G eorgia T ech guard Calipari had this observation about what he Stephon M arbury and M em ph is center Lorenzen Wright. In that M em phis victory. • wants in a player “T h e biggest thing we look for is com peti­ Bright nailed a clutch 3-pointer and beat the tiveness. Is the guy a warrior? Will he com ­ p re ss for a layup in lifting the M inutemen pete. will he battle? D o e s -he have a burning from two one-point deficits in the final three desire to win? Then you can overcom e the minutes. other sc ars in their gam e."

“H e’s a s good a finisher a s there is in the

COLLEGE BASKETBALL REPORT

Closer look shows value of Dingle and Bright **■

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Mike DeCOURCY h ro u g h the early sta g e s of the season, college b a sk e tb a lls m ost rigorous nonleague sch edu le relented only twice upon the M assach u setts M inutemen. There w as that cozy hom e g am e again st "U N G Wilmington and a full day off in Hawaii after they had won the cham pionship of the Rain­ bow C lassic.

So how does a guy celebrate an undefeated record, a m ajor holiday tournam ent cham pi­ onship, a No. I ranking? Sand? Suft? Uh-uh.

S w e a t T h at’s what Donta Bright wanted. He started ask in g around to find a gym in which to lift w eights and ultim ately spent h is free time w orking out at the University of Hawaii.

“W e had fun, but we were on a m ission." say s B rig h t a 6-foot-6 senior forward, the se c ­ ond-leading sc o re r for U M ass. “We went there to win a cham pionship."

T h e 12-0 M inutemen understand there is no tim e to relax. They understand this be­ cau se their greatest gift a s a team, aside from the presen ce of center M arcus Cam by. is an acceptance of their individual lim itations.

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which are many.

G u ard s E d g ar Padilla and Carm elo T ravieso can ’t shoot and. for that matter, aren't especially creative on offense. Power forward Dana Dingle, at 212 pounds, d oesn ’t bring much pow er to his position. B righ t is the m ost talented of C oach Joh n C alipari’s “other" gu y s, but h is offense is largely de­ pendent on little sneak attacks he launches when opponents becom e m esm erized by Camby.

C am by’s impact on this collection is rarely underestim ated, except by the program . The M inutemen are telling everybody he is 6-11. but don’t believe it On videotape, opponents se e this thin, agile center m ake a stunningly quick move, then nail a running ju m per as the defender stru ggles to recover. What they don’t se e is he’s probably c lo s e r to 7-1; com ­ bining that with his q u ick n ess and ball skills, it is nearly im possible to prevent him from getting the sh o ts he wants.

Not much depth on this club, by the way.

So this is college bask etb all’s dom inant team, at least for now. A m ong its victim s are four team s ranked in last w e e k s T SN T op 25 (Kentucky. M em phis, S y racu se and W ake Forest) and two others (Maryland and G eor­ gia Tech) that drifted through th e poll. “ I don't think w e’re go o d ." Bright says.

"Right now. we're not playing great on of­ fense. T h e reason why w e’ve won is that we've played great defense and everybody is helping each other o u t Our defense is at an­ other level right now. On offense, som etim es we just stand, don't move, don’t execute our plays the way we should."

Through 13 gam es, the Minutemen topped

W hat* that smefl?

S u c c e ss h as followed C oach Je rry T arkanian to Fresn o S tate... but that’s not all.

T h e Runnin’ R aisins. 8-4. becam e the first team to beat New M exico, a healthy start in their first WAC season un­ d er T ark. but that cam e only two d ay s after a hotel room rented by point gu ard Do­ minick Y oung w as trashed following a New Y ear’s Eve party. No c h a rg e s were p re ssed , but Y oung w as or­ dered by F re sn o 's interim athletic director. Ben Quillian. to pay restitution of $1,500. Y oung said neither he nor the other halTdozen m em bers of the Fresno team who attended the party’ were involved.

“I w as afraid." Tarkanian said after the 76-75 victory.

“O ur g u y s w ere so focused all w eek, and then that would com e up ..."

Young — who. of course, made the game-winning free

Bad-oews bait Trouble always circles the S h o rt throws against New M exico — already had been su s­ pended at the start of the sea­ son because he raised funds for a basketball tour, which is permitted, then didn’t take the trip, which is n o t “My concentration h as been off b ecau se of a lot of distrac­ tions off the court," he says.

On (and up) Wisconsin Point guard Darnell H o sk in s b e cam e the latest

player to boh the W isconsin program since Dick Bennett took over a s head coach be­ fore the season , but at least he wasn't grum bling about the B a d g e rs’ new playing style on the way out the door.

H oskins transferred to Dayton, his hometown, citing personal concerns. In the sam e week it lost a starting guard, though. W isconsin earned victories over likely NC.AA Tournam ent clubs M arquette and Michigan. ‘ Anything we do this year is a m ajor plus." Bennett says. "Every kid on our roster is in h is first or second year.

You look at th at and you feel that we’ve got to get better."

T h e B a d g e rs don’t have much talen t but at W iscon­ sin-Green Bay. Bennett was a threat any time he entered the NCAA Tournam ent with two gifted players and four willing to sacrifice. With gu ard M osezell Peterson and forw ards Sam Okey and S e a n D a u g h e rty , h e 's got

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som e ability, although a sea- ! Eastm an, unsure how long h e ll be without his star. son-ending knee injury’ to 'T h e rest o f our inside play­ shooting guard Bean M ason e rs have to understand it s leaves W isconsin with three freshm en in the lineup.

OK to own up to the idea “Right pow. the total em­ they're not as productive as M ark, and the next step is to phasis has been on a qualita­ play a little harder, m aybe tive kind of perform ance." get one m ore rebound they say s B en n ett The players otherw ise wouldn't." who have stayed are accept­ Without H endrickson. ing his sy stem 's heavy em ­ W ashington State dropped phasis on screening and cut­ hom e g a m e s against UCLA ting. “We don't alw ays play it and L S C that the C ou gars but the kids have bought in " i might have expected to win.

Hurting “He le ad s our team, w ith­ out a d o u b t'rn pivotal re­ It may be only a sh o rt­ bounds." Eastm an says. ‘ He term m atter, but no team usually is good for four to six has suffered a more dam ag­ points a gam e just from ing injury lo ss than W ash­ sh eer effort." ington State; 6-9 forward M ark H endrickson broke his hand. H endrickson is one of the Pacific 10's most ru gged and accom plished players.

“We ju st have to under­ stand that the reality is. we don't have one of the best players in the Pac-IO playing for us!" sa y s Coach Kevin

Parting shots T h ere is such balance in the ACC. ir s not out of the question that any of the nine m em bers could win the league championship. North Carolina se e m s like a good pick now. and Florida Staje like a bad one. but it’s early

... Voters for Big East Player of the Y ear will need to broaden their consideration to include Syracuse forward John W allace along with g u a rd s .Allen Iverson- of G eorgetow n. Ray .Allen of Connecticut and K ern ' Kit­ tles of YtlJanova. Through the first four w eeks of the seaso n . W allace won or sh ared the Player of the Week award each time. .

Rebuilding New M exico State earned a surprising 8368 victory over Big West contender Nevada. The .Ag­ g ie s did not return a single player from last s e a s o n team and have only one play­ er. UCLA transfer M arquis B u m s, with Division I exp e­ rience. That may be the seatfin highlight tor New M exi­ co State, which h as self-im­ posed a p o stseaso n ban for violating NCAA rules. ♦

Mike D eC ourn covers college basketball for l"ne Com­ m ercial Appeal in Memphis.

Term.

32 • COLLEGE BASKETBALL ill

The Sporting News

Louisville won’t be crummy It wasn’t supposed to happen this way.

Jason Osborne and Alex Sanders were slated to regain their eligibility at the end of the first semester, and Erie Johnson was set to blossom as a sophomore re­ bounding' machine. Yep. things looked promising for Louisville, which was poised for a run at the Final Four in Den­ ny Crum's 25th anniversary season as Cardinals coach.

Alas. Johnson injured his knee early in the season, and Osborne and Sanders failed to make the grade, It was time to regroup.

The core group of Louisville players who have bobbed and weaved through investigations, suspensions, injuries and uncertainties decided it was time to dis­ card the what-ifs and go with what they had., Crum has worked to sharpen funda­ mentals and improve as many available parts as possible as his team has em­ barked On what figures to be one of its roughest conference roads ever taken.

So fa* so good, as Louisville has opeoed {he season IIM despite the dis­ tractions. But many difficult games loom. including encounters with UCLA and Massachusetts in addition to some daunt­ ing Conference USA games.

In Order to continue succeeding, the Cardinals can’t afford to saw “Poor me. we don’t have this rebounder or that jump-shooter."

“You can think that way. but as long as you do you’ll put yourself in more trouble than if you think positive." forward Brian Kiser says.

To generate an' us-against-the-world mind-set. Crum worked the Cards in dou­ ble sessions in late December, concen­ trating on the basics.

“We’ve been working on boxing out," says 6-foor-l forward Alvin Sims, who has emerged as a force. “We don’t have the size and strength that other teams have."

“Ive got to hit the boards harder, be-

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Stepping iqE Louisville's season may not be lost, thanks in part to Sims. cause the big bodies aren't there," says Kiser, Sims' 6-7 counterpoint on the oth­ er wing. “With one guy staying back for defense, everybody's got to be crashing the boards on offense. When we're on de­ fense. everybody's got to crash."

Mainly, though, everybody’s got to continue bonding to keep the team from crashing. There has been lots of docu­ mentation of teams losing top guns but rallying and playing better as a result.

“That kind of situation — teams los­ ing a star player and becoming better — reinforces the fact that th eres no one player w'ho makes a team." Kiser says.

“A team is a group of individuals who can really work together. That’s what we’ve got to become.’* “I guess everybody will be prepared to

adjust and play new roles," Sims says.

‘W ell be aD right. “ There is time, and apparently' the right mix of personalities, to make the neces­ sary alterations.

I ts been really tough, not knowing who’s going to be there, not knowing the starting lineup." point guard Dejuan Wheat says. “It’s not what we all wanted.

But this team has held together."

Crum, whose club was ranked in everyone’s preseason Top 25. say's Os­ borne and Sanders never were part of the equation with him.

T m sure (the other players) were hop­ ing that (Osborne and Sanders joining the squad) would happen," he says. “But we assumed when the season started that they would not be playing, and we’ve practiced and played accordingly."

F o rth e most part the Cardinals have played hard.

“I think we’ve got some guys who play with a lot of heart" Kiser says. “I also think we lost a guy ( J o h n s o n ) who could have helped out a lot Eric was out there wanting to sacrifice to make the team bet­ ter.

“We’ve got some veterans in myself.

Alvin. Tick (Rogers) and Dejuan. A lot of things can be overcome by sheer desire.

I think we can still be good." " Good enough to make the NCAA Tour­ nament? Maybe, if Louisville does the fol­ lowing: 1. The Cardinals must play more games with the crackling effort they showed against Kentucky and fewer games with the dull effort they gave against Boston College.

2 . The Cardinals must get dependable work from Damion Dantzler. who’s start­ ing to shine. Beau Zach Smith. BJ. Flynn and Charlie Taylor. They would gain con­ fidence with increased playing time.

3 . Crum needs to be more imaginative and less stubborn. Mix in some — gasp — zone, which absolutely nobody ex­

TSN TOP 25 1.

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Team Massachusetts Cincinnati Kentucky Kansas VIBanovi Connecticut

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7. too ® * own Wake Forest Mississippi State 1ft. Vtratnli Tech I L . Utah 12. Clemson 11 North Carolina 14. Memphis 15. Syracuse I L . Iowa 17. UCLA ... .

I I L Georgia

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Stanford 3 L Purdue 21. Arizona 22. Cafifpmla 21 Nebraska 24. New Mexico 25, Auburn

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Comment

12-0 8-9 11-1 10-1 12-1 12-1 13-1 8-1 10-1 7-1 9-2

Campy and Co. may not be tested in the Atlantic IO. The Bearcats are off to their best start rn 19 years.

P in o 's buzz saw should continue to rip throuqh the SEC. Williams thinks Pierce is the Javhawks’ best scorer rn years Kitties. Komeoay. Lawson. Wffiiams. Eberz: enoudh said.

The Huskies will beam t&be tested in Bio East play.

The victories should continue to mount vs. weak toes.

The Deacons have to improve at thefree-throw &ne.

A couple of nice SEC road victories may crate the BuBdocs.

The deep Holdes may be Massachusetts’ only teaoue test.

With Jessie rpurxfino into form, the Utes should dominate the WAC. r n Can the extremely round team stay on track?

11-2' Jamison, not Carter, may be the Tar Heels’ best freshman.

8-2 The Tioers dot beal up on a twcKiame trio.

11-2 Home cooboo should cure the Oranoemen’s road woes.

12-2 Seffles hasnt shown he’s the Bio Ten’s best.

94 After eartv-season problems, the Bruins are cnnsjno.

10-2 The surprise is over the BuMocs wont sneak up on anybody.

3-2 The Cardinal have rio ted themselves despite not havino Youno.

11-2 The B o ta s wa five and die with their outside shoobna.

104 'The Wildcats may have peaked in late November.

74 When Fowlkes returns, the Bears w4 be able to score wfch anybody.

114 As expected, the Huskers are retono on their backcourt.

IM The Lobos hope to keep pace with Utah; cfi be touch.

13-2 Even without two key players, E ls has the Tigers pumng.

Through Sahrtays games Others receiving votes: Boston College. bike. Ittnots. Marquette, Miami (0.). Oklahoma State. Penn Sate.

The TSN Top 25 is determined by columns! Mike DeCourcy and TSN editors.

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pects the Cardinals to play’. Shock some people with bursts of fulkcourt pressure, another Cardinal rarity.

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Turn loose the shooters. No Sanders, no Osborne and no Johnson means no power game. Teams will dou­ ble- and triple-team big man Samak) Walker, so it would be wise to consider turning Kiser, W heat Rogers and other volunteers loose from the perimeter.

Wahoo woes Speaking of teams in flux.

As Virginia stumbled through another shaky December, many pointed out .the Cavaliers’ history of starting slowly but recovering in time for conference play.

Just the kind of thing Coach Jeff Jones doesn't want to hear.

T h e assumption is that things will get better by themselves, and th a ts not true." Jones says. “We have established a pattern of starting off slowly. What peo­ ple need to realize is that it takes an awful lot.of sacrifice and hard work to get things turned around.

“We’ve been fortunate enough in re­ cent years to turn things around. (But) there are no guarantees. It takes the same type of sacrifice and hard work. and in some ways the mentality that our backs are to the wall and that we don't have the luxury of messing around any­ more."

Well. the Cavaliers messed around in their ACC opener, losing 69-64 at home to mediocre Florida State before re­ bounding with a 73-69 victory over North Carolina State.

Virginia’s problems? Let’s start with the most obvious: its 40.0-percent shoot­ ing. Harold Deane and Curtis Staples, considered by some in the preseason to be the nation’s best backcourt, are shoot­ ing a combined 32.1 percent “It’s fairly obvious that our basketball team has been struggling,’ says Jones, whose dub is a disappointing 64. “But Tm pleased with the way the players have continued to work hard, which is a nec­ essary ingredient in breaking out of the doldrums."

COLLEGE BASKETBALL • 33

January 15,1996

who was dubbed Ace by a grandfather. "Things looked a little shaky at the beginning."

TMK HOOK ON ...

“Shaky" doesn’t do justice to the tumultuous times Custis endured several years ago, when a series of tragedies shaped his outlook on life.

It started in 1988, when his older brother and role model. Antonio, died in a car crash.

A half-brother died in 1991.

Virginia Tedi forward A little more than a year later. Custis fell asleep at the wheel of his When Virginia Tech played at William & Mary earlier this season, 1980 Mustang — near the spot where Antonio died — and woke up in Hokies forward Ace Custis went scrambling for tickets. Never in his a ditch with a broken jaw, nose and facial lacerations. The injuries college career would he play closer to his home, and he wanted to caused him to miss the second half of his final high school season. take advantage.

Custis recovered and headed to Tech. But a month into practice, he "I was able to get 25," he says. blew out his right knee and was lost for the season. He returned with He could have used IOO more, which would have been nearly a brace on his knee for the 1993-94 season and averaged 10.9 points enough to accommodate every man, woman and 9.1 rebounds. and child in his hometown of Eastville, Va. Custis shed the brace last season but still Custis starred at Northampton High and has wasn’t completely healthy. He played most of long been a source of pride in Eastville Late the year with a stress fracture in his right foot.

It begs the question of what Custis could do if ly. he’s been the backbone of Virginia Tech. he were healthy. He’s hoping to find out this Custis averaged 15.8 points and 10.5 re­ season. bounds for the Hokies last year and was a “Knock on wood, Prn healthy." he says. “I dose runner-up in voting for Metro Confer­ feel good." ence Player of the Year. He was a model of A proven inside scorer, and the best offen­ consistency, failing to score in double-figures sive rebounder since Tech began keeping the just three times and grabbing fewer than statistic nearly two decades ago. Custis is hop­ eight rebounds just four times in 35 games as ing to add a perimeter game to his arsenal.

Virginia Tech surprised many by winning the T ve played the post so long that I really NTT. know that game," he says. "I need to face up.

This year, with the 7-1 Hokies expected to create off the dribble." stay in the Top 25, similar production could | Coach BQI Foster thinks Custis is capable. bring Custis increased national recognition. | “lf we played him at the (power forward) spot Through eight games, the 6-foot-7 junior is | all the time, he might be more effective .and averaging 15.0 points and 10.6 rebounds on a I his numbers might be better." he says. “But Tech team that is far deeper than last year’s. down the road, playing (small forward) is go­ He’s averaging 31 minutes' this season, down ing to be good for him and us both." from 35 a year ago. — Custis was encouraged by the fact that he Custis has b eal mentioned as an All-Amer­ § was not the team’s leading rebounder in any ica candidate and last summer was an alter­ preseason scrimmage. Tech's depth could al­ nate on the World University Games team Rokfe hoops Acc An automobile accident low him to roam the perimeter and show off warty ended Custis1pursuit ofa career. that featured Wake Forest’s Tim Duncan and his new skills.

Georgetown’s Allen Iverson.

Should he struggle in his pursuit of an outside game. Custis won’t If success has fazed him, Custis doesn’t show it He maintains the same even disposition off the court as he does on it where he’s a mod­ fret With all the troubles he’s had. Custis has learned to live for each day. and take nothing for granted. + el of quiet effidency who rarely wastes a motion.

— Ed M a t s ‘I guess things are starting to come together now." says Custis.

FROM 1UK PLAYBOOK OF...

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Dele may ta i short in his quest for the IB A Talent can take a player only so far. Size matters, as Kentucky's Tony Delk soon may discover.

In the NBA, almost every starting shooting guard ranges between 6-5 and 6-7. That’s why little scoring machines like Delk, who is 6 feet I. face a difficult road in trying to make the transition from college to the big tim e Over the years, the CEA has been littered with 6-foot 6-1 and 6-2 players who were dy­ namic scorers in college but lacked the pointguard skills to make it in the NBA. Do names such as Anderson H unt Alphonso Ford, Lrtterial Green. Travis Mays, Rodney Monroe, Tony White and Henry Williams ring a befl?

No one knows this more than Wildcats Coach Rick Pitino. The former New York Knicks coach said over the summer that he would play Delk at point guard this season in order to prepare him for the NBA. Unfortu­ nately. at least as far as Delk’s pro chances are concerned, the experiment lasted just two games.

But perhaps more important as far as Ken­ tucky fans are concerned. Delk is back at his natural offguard position and is off to the best start of his college career. The Brownsville, Tenn.. native was averaging 193 points through 12 games of his senior season and connecting on 54 percent of his field goals, 52 percent of his 3-pointers and 83 per-

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by playing point guard this season. cent of his free throws. Delk was accomplish­ ing all of this despite playing just 25 minutes per game.

Delk always has been a great scorer, dat­ ing back to his high school days when he av­ eraged 38.6 points as a senior at Haywood High. Had he gone to a smaller Division I school, where he dearly would have been the No. I offensive option. Delk likely would have

averaged dose to 25 points. But at Kentucky.

Delk is just one of many talented options. While he’s part of a glut of talent at Ken­ tucky .’Delk strives to stand out by demand­ ing die ball at crunch time. Although DeDc, an outstanding big-game performer who ex­ cels at catching and shooting, is well-known for his long-range shooting prowess (he has averaged dose to six 3-point attempts over the last two seasons and is Kentucky's alltime leader in 3-pointers made), he also is a capable one-on-one player who can break down a defender and create a shot off the dribble.

What makes Delk effective off the dribble?

Speed and quickness. He’s an outstanding athlete and a quick leaper who gets high on his jumper and has a quick release to his sh o t Delk has worked hard to improve from the free-throw line. where he was just a 67-percent career shooter entering his senior sea­ son. Delk now needs to take advantage of his improved free-throw shooting by drawing fouls penetrating the lane.

Delk possesses a muscular, chiseled build and extremely long arms. Those attributes come in handy dose to the basket, where he has proved to be a good rebounder despite his small size. He is especially adept at grab­ bing offensive rebounds and converting putbacks.

Aside from scoring and rebounding. Delk is a cat-quick defender whose long arms and quick hands make him a profirient thief, es-, penally off inbounds passes. He also is durable, having started every game since the beginning ofhis sophomore season.

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The Sporting News

34* NBA

Rookie Jerry Stackhouse is doing his best to survive — make that, thrive in the Sixers’ mix of misfits, malcontents and last-chance guys

t's a pit)', th ats what it is. Here is this young man. so finely raised — sang in his church choir, not a peep of trou­ ble from him ever, went on to play basketball for S t Dean in Chapel Hill — and now he is hanging on one of the NBAs bad comers.

Philadelphia. The 76ers.

The ball is about to go up for the opening tap. Jerry Stackhouse, sturdy-shoul­ dered. knees slightly bent, is Coiled and hopefill. The game is still basketball, right? Out on the floor with him. Jerry’s got all he’s ever needed to succeed: the requisite four guys to run with.

One of them is inside the center circle, about to take the jump ball. That would be Sharone W right just a second-year guy but ak ready feisty* enough to have been put on a plane by Coach John Lucas and sent home from a preseason road trip. At small forward is Richard Dumas, twice banned by the NBA for substance abuse. The power forward: Derrick Coleman. bane of every coach he ever played for. .And running with Stackhouse at the guard position is Vernon Maxwell. Mad Max. whose extensive NBA rap sheet includes taking a ’ swing at a m em ber of the paying public.

This is a team with perfect floor balance: head cases, drug cases, coach abusers, fan abusers. And Stackhouse. He was drafted to rescue this motley franchise But first, he’ll have to survive it. hat a nice m am age that is. isn t it?" i>ucas. Philadelphia's mad sci­ entist of a coach, is talking about the deep friendship, forged almost instantly.

| i | • I I : 1

between Stackhouse and Maxwell.

“I need to get out of the way of this group house on the court is his coltishness. He “if you can't find one of those guys on the and let the leaders em erge." Lucas says. not wants to run. looks like he needs to run. Each road, look in the other’s hotel room and that’s long after sending Bradley to the N ets for time a team m ate clears a defensive board, where h ell be." Lucas says approvingly. “I ts Coleman. “This team needs to acquire its Stackhouse gofcs flying toward the offensive a friendship built on the loneliness of the own personality." end. anticipating a fastbreak. Ten consecutive road. They love one another, man. They're Looking up and down the roster, anyone tim es a break might fail to materialize; the like brothers." would know that is the last thing*to hope for.

11th time. Stackhouse is flying again, looking By drafting Stackhouse with the third pick The team has some w ellestablished person­ for teammates to run with. in last springs' draft, Lucas threw him into his alities; most of them, you would not want to “lf the gam e was 96 minutes instead of 4S. mix of misfits, malcontents and last-chance com e to the fore. W hat the team needs — he could play them all." Katz says. “He would guys. The Sixers might be compared to the old and what Lucas knows but wfl] not say — is to be the last guy standing. I Just love the guy. I Oakland Raiders, except the Raiders won and take on the personality of Jerry Darnell Stack­ love his approach, his personality', his game." all the Sheers do is lose,-lose. lose. Out of the house.

This, of course, is a piixed blessing — Katz playoffs for four consecutive seasons, Philadel­ also loved Bradley, the 7-foot-6 center the A d I o f the Stackhouse era. Opening night phia has started this season 6-23. with many of 76ers placed ahead of Chris W ebber and Pen­ at the Spectrum in Philadelphia. the losses dismal blowouts. ny Hardaway in the 1993 d raft He has loved T he first thing you notice about Stack­ It is a sign oj. S tackhouse’s maturity that a whole succession of high draft choices who there is no fear around the organiza­ have been washouts. tion. none. that-Maxwell 30. could be But in the cas^ of Stackhouse, the a poor influence on his rookie team­ league and. not insignificantly, its mate. “Vernon has been like a Bible m arketing partners have blessed the student since he’s been here." Own­ basketball judgm ent of Katz and Lu­ er Harold Katz says. “And besides. cas. “H e’s the guy this year." an NBA Jerry Stackhouse is the type of per­ executive says. “Every year th e re s son who absolutely cannot-be influsomebody — and it’s not always the enced."

No. I draft choice — who the shoe On som e level beyond victories companies and the others target as and losses — as an experim ent in the most attractive player coming group psychology, perhaps — Lucas out of the college game." seem s to be fascinated by how these Shoe money is like Las Vegas personalities will play o u t He sees it money. I ts not right every time, but all from a certain distance, as if he there is always a logic attached to it has put the ingredients in^a beaker The money is a company's bet on the and is watching to see how they’ll re­ future, its best guess on identifying act. The volatile Maxwell and the solthat m ost desired of all basketball id-as-a-rock Stackhouse. What a commodities: The Next Jordan. The strange mix. Stir in the talented but money follows the high-flyers who. downbeat Coleman, extract the gen­ like Jordan, take the ball to the hoop tle giant Shawn Bradley. Let’s see Mad Max and Jeny: Maxwell (left) and Stackhouse are dose friends with explosiveness and style. ' what happens now. v — like brothers, in fa d — much to the delight o f Lucas.

Jliast season it was Grant Hill. This

January 15,1996

season, it is the 6-6. 220-pound Stackhouse.

The rookie received a contract from FILA said to be worth better than $3 minion. He also was made the spokesman for the Schick rookie game at All-Star Weekend, a sort of unofficial stamp as the league’s lead rookie.

On this night opening night against the Bul­ lets, Stackhouse creates the kind of buzz at the Spectrum not felt in a decade. When he comes down on a break, Philadelphia fans collective­ ly inhale, anticipating excitement in a way they have. not since Julius Erving soared in this building.

Charles Barkley played here, for eight en­ tertaining seasons. But he was power and atti­ tude. Stackhouse is acrobatics, flash and sizzle.

He scores 27 points in his NBA deb u t throws down several swooping dunks, rises over 7-7 Gheorghe Muresan and fays the ball over him for a key hoop fate in the game — even hits a couple of step-back 3-pointers, even though outside shooting is supposed to be his weakness.

As well as he performs in his debut Stack­ house’s most telling moment occurs during an episode when the ball is not even in play. It is a subtle thing, unnoticed by most of the 18.168 fans.

One of Stackhouse’s opponents in this game is Rasheed Wallace, his teammate the previous two seasons at North Carolina. Wallace, quick to lose his cool even in normal circumstances, is, like Stackhouse, playing his first NBA game. And playing it in his hometown.

Early in the game, Wallace picks up two fouls, th a i mouths off at the referees and gets slapped with a technical foul. Upon returning to Rookie ptayor, veteran t a t e Stackhouse, 21,

shoots with the poise ofa veteran.

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To Stackhouse, this game — for him, for Wallace — was a chance to make a first im­ pression. “First impressions are lasting im­ pressions," he says. "That’s why I try to al­ ways leave a good impression every time Ira in a new situation, every time Tm with a new person or in a new town."

Stackhouse’s hooded eyes radiate wisdom, a certain serenity. He entered professional basketball, after just two college seasons, with a man’s body. It sometimes is h a rt to re­ member that he is just 21. But the aphorism about first impressions — perhaps it is some­ thing his mother preached to him?

"Yeah, it is." he says, laughing and for the first time looking boyish. "I guess it sort of sounds like it huh?"

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lf Oflfy Lucas tpfml admit it, but he'd like to have his team take on die personality o fJerry. he says he is. And then I tell him. Tou just cheer up and keep your spirits up. A winner never quits, and a quitter never wins.’ Before we hang up, I always say, ‘I want you to know.

Jerry, everything is going to be all rig h t’ “I think he wants to hear those little words after the game."

always wanted to be the grown-up, the one who made the decisions." Stack­ house says. ‘Always. Maybe that’s part of Jerry and Mad Max, postgame, sharing an being the youngest of 11 kids, with every­ ice bucket. one else always being in charge of you. After Stackhouse has his aching right heel sub­ awhile, you want to be-the one in charge." merged in the icy water. Maxwell is chilling Stackhouse grew up in Kinston. N.C.. his left foot They’re talking in their own about 75 miles inland. An older brother. Tony shorthand, making frequent references to “Ie Dawson, plays in Europe and has had a cou­ gitimate guys." ple of lOday contracts. Jerry’s father. George, This is a phrase Stackhouse has picked up drove a truck for the city: his mother. Minnie, from Maxwell. A legitimate guy, or a “legit" was. and is. the pastor of Foster Chapel, a guy, is someone who can play. A teammate white masonry structure on a country road you would want to have. with not a whole lot else around it Stackhouse, of course, is legit Maxwell, “I spent a lot of time in that church." Stack­ checkered past aside, is a legitimate guy for house say’s. “Probably more than I wanted to. su re.-a tenacious defender and one of the But I wouldn’t go back and change anything NBA’s most dangerous 3-point shooters. He about it" is among the league’s brightest and most en­ Stackhouse is sitting in the bleachers in­ gaging players. side a nearly empty gym at S t Joseph’s Uni­ Maxwell's problem has been impetuous­ versity. He is. at this point a quarter of the ness, lack of self-control. W h at brings them way into the NBAs grind of a season, await­ together is they both are fierce competitors." ing a morning practice — following a victory assistant coach Maurice Cheeks says of the previous night that broke an eight-game Stackhouse and Maxwell. "Vernon has that losing streak. fire in his belly to win. That’s the kind of “You hear about rookies hitting a wall" he teammate Jen y wants." says. "I don’t feel it y et Every game is a chal­ Maxwell good-naturedly laughs off any lenge. Taking that challenge will overcome^ suggestion that he has acquired a 21-year-okL fatigue every time." off-court chaperone. He says the hard lesson Jerry Stackhouse has retained the strong of losing $300,000 in Salary last season after sense of the faith he gained inside his moththe league suspended him for the altercation er‘s church and remains deeply religious. But with a fan — and the responsibility he feels he has also. in a way. taken some of his to his wife and three children — is all the church lessons and turned them into a kind guidance he needs. of hoops religion. v “Jerry’s not grooming me. I’m grooming “The discipline my parents gave us came him." Maxwell says. “How could Jerry be from our religion," he says. “Part of that dis­ grooming me? He’s just a kid." cipline was: Do your b est Always, lf things don’t work o u t fine. But the very worst thing you can do is not try. I know that sounds real h e re s a part of Jerry Stackhouse corny, but I believe in it and try to live every itching to take control" of his day like th a t’ wretched situation, to set it right Stackhouse gets regular refresher courses Strings of losses, blowout losses — from his parents. Minnie and George Stack­ it is all so foreign to him. house attend many 76ers games; when they' He won at North Carolina, leading Dean can’t make it their son dutifully calls afterward.

Smith’s squad to the Final Four last season.

“Sometimes he talks to me on his portable His high sdiool team. Oak Hill Academy, was phone from the airport-while he’s waiting for ranked first in the nation his senior year. the team plane." Minnie Stackhouse says.

Stackhouse’s strong sense of self.; his his­ “He tells me about the game, then he always tory as a winner, tells him he could take says. ‘We’re gonna be OK, Minnie P. We’ll charge. Like he always has. T m a winner." get it together.’ He calls me Minnie P. be­ he says. "That’s one thing I know how to do." cause my middle name is Pemell.

He wouldn’t have to take the last shot in ‘Then I say to him: 'Are you OK, Jerry?* And close games, wouldn't even have to open his

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mouth. Maybe Stackhouse’s teammates could just get swept up in his aura and come to be as self-possessed as he is. Professional -athletes, even some of the most talented ones, have fragile psyches; only rarely does someone with an unbreakable one like Stack­ house come along.

“Jerry has what Michael Jordan has," says Scott Williams, a 76ers bench player and a longtime teammate ofJordan’s in Chicago. "He has ultimate confidence in his abilities. He wants to elevate the otherplayers around him."

(A story about Stackhouse’s confidence: In the preseason. AB-Star Mitch Richmond, guarding him on defense, was clapping his hands in his face whenever Stackhouse touched the ball It didn’t faze him a b it Lat­ er, Stackhouse laughed about it and ob­ served: “I guess he was trying to intimidate me, huh?")

Williams and others are trying to help Stackhouse straddle the fine line between coping with and accepting defeat “He’s been vocal at times,’ Williams says. “At a certain point in games, "hell speak up. H ell say.

‘Croon, we’re right in this game, let’s just push a little harder.’

“But he has to understand, he’s with some guys who have been in the league a long time. Its usually not that we don’t know what to do — we’re just not getting it done."

In the beginning of the season, Lucas says, Stackhouse was trying to do too much. He re­ ally believed he could will his lowly team, lead it beyond where its talents could take it The sad fact is, the 76ers derat have enough legit­ imate guys.

“I have told him a number of times that if this team was any good, he wouldn’t be here."

Lucas says. “High draft picks do not end up on teams like this one.’

ifted as he is. Stackhouse is not Jor­ dan. whom he will face for the first time Saturday in Philadelphia. And he probably never will be. This is hardly a knock — it’s like saying he is no perman. Through last Thursday. Stackhouse was averaging 20.2 points a game. highest among NBA rookies. Jordan, in his rookie year of 1984-85. averaged 28.2 points and led his team to the playoffs. The next season, in three playoff games against the Celfics, he av­ eraged 43.7 points.

Ifs h art to imagine Stackhouse doing that in his second season.

Stackhouse also was averaging 4.2 turn­ overs a game. which led the league. And that, more than anything, speaks of what separates him from Jordan.

The most underrated part of Jordan’s game has always been his baJIhandling*. from the moment he entered the league, he handled it like a point guard. Stackhouse does not Un­ like Jordan. Stackhouse’s creativity and abili­ ty to get to the basket are limited by his abil­ ity to keep the ball with him. T h a t’s the No. I thing I have to work on. my ballhandling.’ Stackhouse says. T o tell you the truth, I don’t think I do anything really well but go to the basket That’s not enough in this league, doing one thing w e !

“But if theres a rap on me. Td rather it be on my skills. If they were saying, he’s too small or too slow or he doesn't jump high enough, then ifs time to rethink. You’d have to ask yourself— am I playing the right sport?

I can work on skills. I will work on them until they become what I want them to be." ♦

G

Michael Sokolove coven the business and culture o f sports for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

He is the author o f 'Hustle: The Myth, Life and Ides o f Pete Rose."

1T 37,

January 15,1996

XBA REPORT I

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Pencil Richmond, Kemp into last Dream Team slots

Shaun POWELL he polls will stay open until June, bul aD other can id ates mighl want to concede right now.

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Those two remaining jerseys for the “96 Olympic team? Toss one to Kings guard Mitch Richmond. Then find out what size Shawn Kemp wears.

Richmond should be a no^rainer for the selection committee. He is the league’s bestkept secret of the ’90s, which isn’t exactly a title Richmond wants to embrace. That's about as attractive to a player as calling him the game's most underpaid or underappreci­ ated. > But whenever Richmond is s litte d , it has nothing to do with the player himself and

everything lo do with things Richmond can’t control. He plays in a small-market city. He plays for a fr^ch ise that, until now, was a fix­ ture at the bottom of the standings. He doesn't appear on NBC on Sundays. He doesn't tell jokes, have cute sneaker com­ mercials. dye his hair green or subscribe to selfr)romotion.

Richmond is no-friDs. He just plays. And that is precisely why the Olympic selection committee should sign him.

The selection committee took a very clear approach lo choosing the *96 team. Profes­ sional behavior became a high criterion after the hijinks of young and spoiled stars ruined the image of the U.S. team two years ago at the World Championships in Toronto. That was no Dream Team; that was a Scream Team. After every dunk or blocked shot, sev­ eral pla>'ers felt compeDed to embarrass the overmatched competition with yefls or trash talk or chest thumps or anything else they could improvise on the fly.

Richmond talks a good game, meaning he allows his performances to speak for them­ selves. Through Sunday, he was averaging 22 points, including 47 in a December 15 game against the Rockets. He routinely comes up big in the clutch even though everyone in the building knows he’s getting the ball. But also is exploring deals for guard Calbert Cheaney. who hasn’t made dramatic strides since his rookie season.

Ledeli Eackles and Tim Legler are doing just fine at big guard while Cheaney h ^ s to m an ankle injury.

Cheaney himself is con­ firming fears; Since Isiah Thomas, no one who played for Bobby Knight has made it big in the NBA.

Iladetalc Mabrfty c te d c Because c f WoMact*s recent behavior, he was told

by A e Bullets to get his a d together, or else

Bettwajr baby Discouraged by his tem­ per tantrums and overall im­ maturity. the BuQets held a meeting with Rasheed Wal­ lace and his agent and basi­ cally told the rookie to get his act together, or else.

Wallace is confinning many of the fears MBA peo­ ple held when he d e d d ^ to leave North Carolina two years early. Some say Wal­ lace was given the o!' Dean Smith Nudge, meaning Smith didn’t want to put up with Wallace’s nonsense any longer so he “recommend­ ed" Wallace try the NBA (see:J.R Reid).

In his four-month NBA career. Wallace already has:

■ cursed assistant Derek ^ th ; ■ made himself a target of the refs by grabbing the league lead in technical fouls with nine; ■ pouted whenever given little playing time by Coach Jim Lynant In other words. Wallace has often acted like a big bab>'. just needed the dia­ logue to clear the air." Gen­ e t^ Manager John Nash says.

The BuDets haven’t called anyone about W'allace. but they would consider trading him; first-round picks have been dealt around this time before (see; Donyell M ar­ shall). However, the team

Steve Smith has refused the Hawks' offer of $3 million a season. Unless he signs an extension, the Hawks may trade him before the February 22 deadline be­ fore he becomes a free agent this summer.

Smith wants to stay in .At­ lanta because he loves play­ ing for Lenny Wfllkens. "But there are two teams out there right now that will take him." agent Charles Tucker says.

In Boston, p ee Brown is looking lo relocate, but the Celtics will have trouble moving him. The reason; Brown's heavy contract ($3 million now. $4 minion soon) is not what teams want on their payroll this summer while shopping for free agents.

Reynolds. "Find oui those who didn’t vote for" Mitch and take away (heir voting privileges."

Kemp is about two months of good behav­ ior away from earning the other spot He was as guilty, as anyone of mugging for the cam­ eras in Toronto. But he deserves a second chance, because Kemp is no longer a manchild. just a man.

He has made more of a commitment to the game and himself. Over the summer he shed 25 pounds and is taking fitness senously. He improved the most deficient part of his game and has become a better (and more willing) passer. Those are the signs that suggest Kemp has taken the necessary leap in maturity. ^ ^ fiic s Coach George Karl, who has feud­ ed with Kemp and begged Owner Barry Ack­ erly to trade Kemp for Scottie Pippen two years ago. is pushing hard for Kemp.

"Shawn has c a r r i^ us." Karl says. ‘ He's having an MVT year."

With injured forward Detlef Schrempf shelved since December, the Sonics have hardjy faltered, mostly due to Kemp, who leads the league in rebounding and the Son­ ics in scoring. But Kemp says his absence from the OlyTnpic team is not a driving force.

Apitdi for Mftcfa; Richmond would help Team "I realize I’m still young and have to im­ L/S4 because hts peffbrmance speaks for itself. prove every year." Kemp says. "I don't really think about the Olympics. It's out of my Richmond also is a relentless rebounder and hands. I just have to play. a physical defender.

"People used to ask me how long it would Richmond is enjoying another fine season, take for me to jell. Three years? Four years? and the Kings are challenging the Sonics for Now Ive been around for seven. Basically. the division lead. But based on tl^e latest AllI'm trying to bring everything together."

Star fen vote results — Richmond isn't Kemp's competition will come mostly from ranked among the top seven g u ^ s — you Alonzo .Mourning, another in-your-fece team­ wouldn’t know it mate in Toronto: Chris Webber, and Juwan “I think those that have already voted Howard. But mostly. Kemp's competition is should be treated like the (snowfoail-throwhimself. ing) New York Giants’ season-ticket holders.* The Olympic spot may be his lo lose. sa y s Ki ngs p e r s o n n e l d i r e c t o r J e r r y !

On second ttniigtit • • • Realizing he made a finan­ cial mistake by not accepting the Nets' initii sbc-year. $40million offer, Kenny Ander­ son wants the team to make the same proposal. But with Anderson’s shooting felling below 40 percent, the Nets are waffling.

rn TUE NUMBERS

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Anwnd the league Some gratitude; One year after being named Coach of the Year, the Lakrs’ Del Harris has been ocked by his two stars.

Cedric Ceballos (over play­ ing time) and Nick Van Exel (over the offense). ...

Making a strong bid for his first All-Star Game is Cava­ liers point guard Terrell Brandon, who leads his team in scoring, free-throw shooting. 3-poinl shooting, assists and steals. Brandon always fancied himself as a starting SBA point guard while backing up Mark Trice, since traded to the Bullets. ... .Mavs Coach Dick Mona had this to say about the Jazz: "(Karl) Mal­ one may be the Mailman, bul John Stockton's the stamp." ♦ Shaun Powell covers the SBA for Sewsday.

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vately. the d u b believed it was unlike­ ly' dial center Brad Daugherty (back surgery) would return this season.

The prospects for a successful run Owner Gordon Gund credits Divine dimmed even more when forward Ty­ Providence while Coach Mike FrateDo rone Hill arguably the best player gravitates toward mbre earthly quali­ from last season, was injured in a car ties in explaining the Cavaliers’ sud­ accident The Cavs still don’t know den, surprising success. when Hill will return.

“I think ifs a great testament to Remarkably, Cleveland has been words we all take for granted, like char­ . able to overcome this adversity. Bran­ acter. pride and work ethic." FrateDo don and guard Bobby Phills have car­ says. “All, those sm all trite words or ried most of the load. FrateDo talks one-liners people tend to associate with about how each player has taken his something like this." game to a different level But almost The Cavaliers are opt the best team every player on the roster-has made a in the NBA. Far from it. But it can be contribution. argued they are the league's most im­ T h a fs the mark of our team," pressive team.

Brandon says. “Different guys step up The Cavs have rebounded from an each and every night We don't have -0-7 start to win, through last Sunday. 17 the dominant player. We don’t have of the last 23 games. They have done that luxury. But we do have a lot of this with a starting center who should good players." be a backup power forward (Michael Cleveland could come crashing to Cage) and a starting power forward Earth soon. Beginning this week, the who should be a backup small forward Cavs go W est on a seven-game, 13(Danny Fercy). Quite simply, the Cava­ day odyssey. Games against San An­ liers refuse to fold. tonio, Phoenix, Seattle and the Lakers ■ Cleveland doesn’t use injury or iBare part of the trip. The team wiD play ness as an excuse. FrateDo won’t let l l of its 16 games in January away them. He keeps the players focused on from home. what they can do. and that is to play de­ The Cavs have the character and fense and protect the basketbaD. His coaching to compete, but they don’t coaching Staff gives the players de-, have the talent needed to flourish over tailed scouting reports, which gives the the long hauL Even if this team makes team ^ch ance to be in most games. the playoffs, ifs difficult to imagine it >“Even when we were 0-7, we didn't will get out of the first round. p w itw play: Brandon says the key to the get down on ourselves," point guard That in no way should detract from turnaround is a solid work ethic TerreD Brandon says. “We didn’t point what this team is accomplishing. fingers. It was all our fault ft was a m atter of we knew we “The players were reading the papers ana listening to TV were going to win. but when? It was a very difficult time for and radio and hearing just what I was hearing, which was, us. ’Hey, ifs the best thing to lose every game and get ping-pong “We're not the old Cavaliers people are used to seeing. baDs." We're a whole new team We look more like a rebuilding “I understand the business side of this," FrateDo says. “I re­ team. We’ve accepted th at But we know we have good play­ ally do. But the Brandons, PhiDs, Ferrys, what do you do with ers. guys with great character and guys who work extremely them in the meantime? TeD them not to compete and grow hard."

• ^ and get better? $ The Cavaliers made a conscious decision going into the “T hafs not the’message we wanted to convey." season that it was time to rebuDd. The dub traded starters Mark Price and John (Hot Rod) Williams for draft picks. Pri— B ra Moos

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Tough stretch ahead vs. tours, Rockets and Maoto.

You csH mask B— WaR has an ted.

Last time this team won a ate, Noon was president Larry doesn’t see a championship team — vet "Road trio w i te l if turnaround is real Air $tS musty — even after Hams-Van Exef dear I Mourning to the rescue — a fs wel in Frey's world. camb t o .500 lave* hasnt been easy.

Didnt win 16th came urti March 11 tost season.

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S p o r t in g N e w s

NBA Power Poll ts determined by Shaun Powefi and TSN eaters.

Ttow rteB? The most meaningful pickup by the Sixers hasn’t been Derrick Coleman, whose excess baggage is pounds, for a change; nor Richard Dumas, who went from rehab to the bench; nor Scott Sidles, who had the good sense to retire last week.

Instead, it is Trevor Ruffin, a point-a^ninute guard who is making two former teams wish they had never allowed him to leave.

Ruffin scored 32 points against the Jazz the first time the Sixers gave him extended minutes, then poured in 26 on die Nuggets, 20 on the Lakers and went for 27 points and eight assists against the Grizzlies. Before you consider him a flash in the pan. consider that this has been his pattern in his limited NBA career. Last season with the Suns, Ruf­ fin scored 233 points in 319 minutes, al­ though most of those were garbage minutes.

The Suns-left him unprotected in the ex­ pansion draft, where he was taken by the Grizzlies. But because of the lockout he was unable to earn a contj^ct .through summer camp- So Ruffin latched on with the Sixers.

Coach John Lucas had designated the poinlguard spot for Sidles, but Ruffin quickly made Stales obsolete.

— S h a w P ow ell

H'

NHL • 38

January 15,1996

NHL REPORT

The new-look Penguins turned doom into boom

Larry WIGGE t was a few days before training camp, and the Penguins had a luncheon sched*. uled to talk about the 1995-96 season.

What could they say? Mario Lemieux is back and alls well?

The Penguins had just traded form er 50goal left wings Kevin Stevens and Luc Robitaille. waived center John Cullen, decided not to re-sign 1.000-point right wing Joe Mullen and lost most of their defense — trad­ ing Ult Sam uelsson and Larry M urphy and letting free agent Kjefl Samuelsson go as well.

The m essage I expected was gloom and doom. Instead it was a cocky confidence that the team ’s decision to reduce its payroll and retool with younger players was the right move.

"We won’t drop off the face of the Earth.

I

despite what som e people think," Owner Howard Baldwin says. “No knock against any of the players we traded, but we had become an old, slow team. That was painfully obvious the last couple of years in the playoffs.

“W e’ve added youngsters like Sergei Zubov. Bryan Smofinski. Petr N erved. Glen Murray and Dmitri Mironov. And we expect to be fester and hungrier."

His em phasis was on the words faster and hungrier.

The Penguins have been exactly that, es­ pecially with the new rules to reduce ob­ struction. They* have built around the tri­ um phant return of Lemieux and cornerstone forwards J aromir Jagr and Ron Francis. Their skill level is unquestioned. . “T h e ir young defensem en have held up pretty good considering the am ount of ice time the two Samuelssons and M urphy used to g e t" Sabres G.M. John M uckier says.

“And the only thing you can say about Mario Lemieux and Jarom ir Jagr is that they are easily’ I and la in this league right now as far as Most Valuable Player is concerned."

Says Flames Coach Pierre Page: “Craig Patrick has got to be executive of the year. I thought they were the worst team in the league for a while there in the sum m er after a few trades. But now it all makes sense."

With the freedom to show off their skiHs because of the new rules, the Penguins are A

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Asenate derate

Mottr3tioc After being benched by Kasper (background), Seely responded with a goal in a Bruins victory.

Who's the boss?

Bruins rookie Coach Steve -K asper has estab­ lished his turf.

After watching the Bruins underachieve for 35 games, he knew it was time to make a sta te m e n t Too many vet­ erans were taking advantage of his rookie status.

So. for a gam e against the Maple Leafs, Kasper dressed but did not play stars Cam Neely and Kevin Stevens.

“I felt it was time for a dra­ matic move," Kasper says. “I

didn’t feel Cam and Kevin w ere giving me all the help they could. Som etim es you' need to send shock waves through the team."

M inus the two stars, the Bruins responded with an im pressive 4-4 tie against Toronto. T hree days later, Neely and Stevens each scored a goal in a 5-2 victoryover the Whalers.

“It was a shocking move," center Adam Oates says. “It certainly inspired us. lf there w ere any doubts about who was the boss, they're gone now."

-

T he Senators said good riddance to the Civic Centre last week. In their final game at the converted junior rink in downtown Ottawa, the Senators lost, 3-0, to the Lightning. The club's next home gam e will be W ednes­ day at the new 18.500-seat Palladium.

T he Senators finished their three-plus seasons at the Civic Centre with a 2486-12 record. It will be inter­ esting to see w hether the new surroundings will make any difference for the lowly Senators — personally. I doubt it Insiders say the Senators' team chem istry has been a m ess since D ecem ber ll . when the team fired G.M. Randy Sexton and replaced him with Pierre Gauthier.

Before practice that day in San Jose. Coach Dave Alli­ son addressed his players and blamed them for Sex­ ton's firing, saying their bad play had cost a good man his job.

That tirade turned the stom achs of many players.

Several veterans say Allison took the heart out of th e . team that m orning and will

Young and restless: Murray represents the Penguins'faster, hungrier approach.

International appeal: Mironov is a member o f the Pittsburgh U.S. delegation.

averaging nearly five goals per game and are almost unstoppable on the power play when Super Mario is performing his magic.

“W e're a fun team to watch." Baldwin says.

“W e're a hockey United Nations. We have two Swedes, two Czechs, two Russians and many more Russians in the Moscow Army (a team the Penguins own). That team in Moscow costs us about $600,000 a year. but. mark my words, it will pay off for us."

I still have questions about this defense go­ ing into the playoffs. Zubov and Mironov shy away from the hitting, and youngsters such

as Chris Tamer. Ian Moran and Francois Leroux are still prone to rookie m istakes. But Patrick has started to change that soft un­ derbelly. He’acquired tough guy Neil Wilkin­ son from W innipeg for finesse defensem an Norm M ariver — and you can bet he will ob­ tain another defensem an or two before the March 20 trade deadline.

The power of the Pens may not be what it was in 1991 and ’92 when they woi^consecutive Stanley Cups, but they are on the right track to be a threat again when the playoffs roll around in April.

never get these players to play for him.

Icy bits With Jeff Hackett playing so well for the Biackhawks and Ed Belfour never a real favorite of Owner Bill Wirtz, it's natural that rum ors sug­ gest that Chicago might trade Belfour. And consider­ ing Boston’s struggle to find a consistent goaltender, its also natural that a Belfour-toBoston rum or would follow.

But Biackhawks General M anager Bob Pulford says Belfour isn’t going any­ where. That leads us back to the Curtis Joseph-from-Ed- ; monton-to-Boston rum ors.

Oilers G.M. Glen Sather knows he is not going to get young defensem an Kyle McLaren from the Bruins.

He also knows he is not go­ ing to get center Chris Grat­ ton from the Lightning. But he's definitely in a dealing mood, as he proved when he dealt defensem en Igor Kravchuk and Ken Sutton to S t Louis for defensem en Jeff Norton and Donald Dufresne. Next? The long­ awaited goalie-to-Boston trade is in the works. But there could be a tw ist Don't

be a bit surprised to see Joseph in goal for the Oilers and Bill Ranford traded to the Bruins.

W atch the Blues' power play take - off now that Kravchuk is the pointman opposite Af M aclnnis. In case you hadn’t noticed.

G.M.-Coach Mike Keenan now has six players who used to play for him in Chicago — Kravchuk.

Adam Creighton. Stephane M atteau, Brian TNoonan.

Greg Gilbert and Mike Hud­ son, acquired from Toronto on waivers last w eek.... De­ fenseman Bryan Berard was a standout for the United States in the recently com­ pleted World Junior Hockey T ournam ent in Boston. which Canada won. Some say there is no chance the Senators will sign Berard and that he will re-enter the 1997 d ra ft Don't believe it Now that nejv G.M. Pierre G authier has Alexei Yashin back in the fold with a fiveyear. $ 1.4-million deal, he must sign Berard to show the team and the fans that the Senators are serious about putting together a winning, team. ... The Is­ landers appear desperate to trade AWOL center Kirk

Muller. Last week. G.M.Coach Mike Milbury told M uller he wouldn't trade him unless he agrees not to ask his new team to renego­ tiate his contract and agrees to go w herever the Is­ landers send him. S t Louis and Toronto are still inter­ ested but are not offering enough to satisfy Milbury.

Ottawa and San Jose are in­ terested but are afraid Muller would not report be­ cause he wants to play for a contender. Don’t be sur­ prised to see a package deal go down in which the Blues get M uller and a de­ fensem an for defensem an Chris Pronger and another prospect. ♦ Larry Wigge has covered hockey for THE SPORTING N ews since 1969.

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.40 • NHI

The Sporting News

Defending chumps?

The last team to win a Stanley Cup title and fail to qualify for the playoffs the next season was Montreal in 1969-70. Some observers think the Devils might challenge that distinction.

NoC The reason the Devils will not match that du­ bious record is they have already hit rock bottom — and they just passed the halfway mark of the season.

While scoring is still at an alarming premium for the defending champi­ ons, the Devils turned the com er last week when they rebounded from a humiliating 5-0 loss at Chicago — a game in Tondai the can er Guerin (right) and his New Jersey teammates are win­ 'f 'I which they limited the ning again and returning to their Devilish ways. ... T Blackhawks to 15 shots and still lost by five. Amazing.

Broadway (realer e The Devils, a team that has been accused of lacking lf you wonder why the price of hockey 15 emotion, had their backs against the wall three nights tickets is getting higher and higher, ifs be­ Plgjjgy “ later when they traveled to Colorado for a game against cause the players are taking home more and, the high-scoring Avalanche. But they showed their more of your money. character, stuck to their disciplined game plan and walked away with a Tops on the salary list is Kings center thrilling 1-0 victory, ending an 0-9-3 road streak.

It was the 15th time the Devils had been held to one or fewer goals, but it Wayne jGretzky at $6,545 million. The Rangers Mark Messier and the Jets’ Keith was a satisfying comeback. The positive feeling carried into a 3-1 victory over Tkadiuk rank second at $6 million, foDowed the Capitals at New Jersey.

by Pittstjurgh’s Mario Lemieux ($4,571 mil­ "I think half the battle was believing we could win again," says right wing lion), Vancouver’s Pavel Bure ($4.5 million), Bill Guerin, who scored twice against Washington. T h e feeling in the locker Buffalo's Pat LaFontaine ($4.3 million). room is beginning to fee! like it did down the stretch last season. It's amazing Philadelphia’s Eric Lindros ($4,182 million). how one big victory can change things.

Detroit’s-Sergei Fedorov ($4,162 million).

T h e re was a lot of excitement on the bench, which wasn’t there before. We wanted to play, to go out and work hard, play our system and play for each oth­ Colorado’s Patrick Roy ($4,019 million) and St. Louis’ Brett Hull ($3.8 million). er."

The all-underpaid team would feature As the Rangers discovered last season before finally making it back to the playoffs, trying to stay on top after the ultimate victory is difficult — emotion­ Chicago’s Jeremy Roenick ($1.4_jniflion) at center, Montreal’s Brian Savage""($250,000) ally and physically. at left wing, the Rangers’ Alexei Kovalev T o u don’t like to admit it but there is a letdown after you win it all," left ($525,000) al right wing. the Rangers’ Jeff wing Stephane Richer says. “I felt it in Montreal after we won the Cup when I Beukeboom ($725,000) and Washington’s w a s a rookie in 1986 — and again here. It’s hard to explain. I guess its sort of Sergei Gonchar ($400,000) on defense and like falling from a plane and you can’t get your parachute to open. You don’t Detroit’s Chris Osgood ($250,000) in goal. know what to do."

The all-overpaid team would consist of OtBut you don’t have to call 911 for the Devils. The patient’s heartbeat is in full -tawa’s Alexandre Daigle ($2.85 minion) at sinus riiythm.‘ — LABRY WKi&£ center, Buffalo’s Brad May ($1,188 minion) at left wing, die Islanders' Brett lindros <$1.15 million) at right wing. S t Louis' Chris Pronger ($1-325 million) and Hartford’s Gerald Diduck TSN POWER POLI ($1275 million) on defense and Winnipeg’s Tim Cheyeldae ($12 million) in goaL Tu b W-L-T CpCTfPtfrt Here are how the team payrolls break down: 1. Bad W lnci 28-8-3 Hobson shuts out Chicago in fest NHL start 26-11-3 26-11-7 23-11-7 22-13-6 26-12-2 21-14-7 26-14-6 19-17-4 16-17-5 19-18-3 17-19-4 17-17-6 16-15-6 18-19-3 16-16-9 14-15-10 17-20-3 15-22-4 11-18-8 13-22-5 13-22-7 13-22-6 10-22-7 8-28-4 8-31-1

Super M ax) takes game off because of taboue.

Heafvw® stand In for Richter tor the next month.

Scored more than three goals once on a western trip.

Forstoerg has pone toto mysterious scoring stomp.

Fitzpatrick has 8-1-1 ooaBendnq record on road.

Gartner cficfcs wflh Gfrnour and Anfrgychuk.

Chafes could be NHL’s best defensaman.

Schoenteto benches Bondra. What coutt he be thinking?

Kravchuk should put pow in power ofay.

That leaky defense is (topping again.

Fifteen times they've scored one or tower goals.

13-10-3 outside Atlantic Division.

Kasper does have ghost of a chance as coach in Boston.

UFghtaine adorned bv fourth concussion.

Winless road stomp ends al 0-6-3.

Moodn/s 33 goals on Dace to break Bum 's dub record of 60.

Rebefl Khabfoufin returns in goal this week.

8-6-2 vs. Eastern Conference teams.

Rna&Y, a victory in Central Division after 0-10-3 start.

Rookie O "Neff's 11 points a bittor deapoointmenL Houstov could be headed for 30-goa! season.

Honest Joseph could actually wind up d a w s in Edmonton.

2-0-3 in last five games at home.

Have scored two or more goals in first period two times.

M 8-1 since Al&son becam6TSach.

Tbrousfi Saturday's games

THE S po r t in g N e w s N H I Power Poi is determined by TSN Hockey Editor Larry Wigge

Twin________________________________ Piymfl Ranger______________________________ Pl.783300 Redwings 28344300 Kings 26305.700 Canucks 25.416.710 ?4RSK?Sn Blues Penguins 22315.750 Maple Leafs 21318300 Sadetente .

21327300 Devils 20356300 Jets 20319350 Avalanche 20311.773 Banns 20337300 Byers 20,177300 Whalers 19348300 Scars 19382300 Sabres 18386300 Canadens Starts 16.781500 Islanders 16357,000 Panthers 16.19SI000 fem es 11961332 15,745300 U 2 ta * 5 _ 14349300 Mighty Pucks 14.157.400 Senators 12.616.789 Oilers 11384357

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BASEBALL • 41

January 15,1996

BASEBALL REPORT

The Rams turned St. Louis into a baseball town again General Manager Walt Jocketty, who might already be a shoo-in for T h e S p o r t i n g N e w s ’ Executive of the Year award in 1996. overnight has transformed this catatonic fran­ chise into a championship contender.

Jocketty persuades Manager Tony La Russa. one of the top three managers in the game, to come aboard. He steals shortstop Royce Clayton from the Giants. He signs Ron G ant Andy Benes and Gary Gaetti. And he’s Bob working on deals to acquire free-agent in­ NIGHTENGALE fielders Tony Phillips or Mike Gallego and pitchers Todd Stottlemyre and Dennis Eckersley from the A’s. He also is interested in Duane Ward, the free-agent closer from ’ho in their wildest imagination Toronto. ^ ever would have conceived that The Cardinals, now under newpwnership. the greatest thing to happen to are alive and well. Move over Rams, this is the Cardinals was the day Geor­ Cardinals gia Frond ere announced she was moving the country once again.

T h is town is buzzing right now." Jocketty Rams to S t Louis? says. “AQ they're talking about is the Cardi­ In a matter of months, folks forgot about nals. Before, it was the Rams and a little bit their undying support of the Cardinals. They' of the Blues, but not anymore." quit talking about the Cardinals. They quit The Cardinals, whose 62-81 record last sea­ going to games. S t Louis was being trans­ son was their third-worst since 1924, realized formed into a football city. that something dramatic was needed this -The Rams’ arrival was. like smashing a winter. They haven’t been to the playoffs sledgehammer across the Cardinals’ psyche: since 1987. Whitey Herzog had become a dis­ Move over boys, this is Rams country now. tant memory. Ozzie Smith no longer could Soon, along came the news that Anheusermake a throw to first base, let alone win an­ Busch was selling the franchise, and sud­ other Gold Glove. denly everyone wondered what would hap­ T d have to say that last year's Cardinals pen to this once-proud establishment team was the worst Td ever seen." says An­ Well while the rest of baseball was mourn­ drew Baar, chairman of Southwest Bank and ing their demise, believing the Cardinals soon part of the new ownership group. “It was just would become the Brewers of the National a major disappointment League, a strange phenomenon has occurred.

“I’m not saying anything negative about The Cardinals have become the Cardinals Anheuser-Busch, but it's corporate. It will be again.

W

A rocky start So long to any remote pos­ sibility the Rockies enter­ tained of contending for the National League West title now that doctors have con­ firmed what the Orioles were telling folks all along: Bret Saberhagen’s shoulder is a mess.

Saberhagen has been told by two doctors he needs complete reconstructive shoulder surgery, which would require him to miss the season. He is scheduled to see Dr. James A idrews this week in Alabama.

Saberhagen, who under­ went arthroscopic surgery af­ ter the season — curiously performed by Mets team physician Robert Ahchek and not someone associated with the Rockies — continues to have pain in his right shoul­ der and is unable to throw.

The news is a huge blow to the Rockies, who not only are paying Saberhagen $43 million m 1996 but also gave up top prospects Juan Aceve­ do and Arnold Gooch to the

postseason surgery.

Saberhagen won only two of his nine starts after the trade — both against the Dodgers — and was able to pitch only 43 innings the final two months of the season

A cautionary tale

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[foamed: Without Saber­ hagen, Colorado’s in trouble Mets to consummate the deal. Rockies General Man­ ager Bob Gebhard. already close to reaching his $37-million payroll budget for 1996, now will be forced to grab another pitcher on the freeagent market — most likely Kevin Tapani, also coveted by the Brewers. The Rock­ ies’ rotation already includes Bill Swift ($4,275 million) and Marvin Freeman ($2.3 million), each coming off

Just a friendly word of warning to the Red Sox and Cubs: Before /a ll become too involved in negotiations with the Expos for infielder WD Cordero, this guy’s right shoulder is in rotten shape.

He stopped playing winter ball, his right shoulder has shown no improvement and surgery is needed.

Although Cordero is a wonderful hitter, how can you rely on him? This is why the Expos are trying to un­ load him and have talked ex­ tensively to the Cubs about a package deal that would send Cordero and starter Jeff Faster© to them for starter Jim Befinger, short­ stop Rey Sanchez and top prospect Brooks Kieschnick. an outfielder.

Home improfeoest The Cardinals met the w Rams' challenge, starting over with La Russa. nice to have owners out at the games. They want the team to win. and they want to .hope­ fully have fun."

The ownership group shelled out $150 mil­ lion. turned the Kins over to Jocketty and President Mark Lamping, and told them to assemble a winner.

T h is franchise was down for a number of years," Jocketty says, ‘and we wanted to res­ urrect it and rebuild it This franchise is reju­ venated. A lot of credit belongs to Mark Lamping.

“People are saying, ‘It's nice to see the Car­ dinals active again." I think it was refreshing for people knowing that we were talking about doing things, let alone doing them. The thing that really put things over the top was the signings of Gant and B enes’ For a team that hasn't been to the playoffs since 1987. suddenly it is the one to beat in the National League Central. The Astros should be tough. The Reds have fafien. The The Red Sox have been offering starter Rhea! Cormi­ er. but the Expos have been asking for righthander Jeff Suppan and shortstop Don­ nie Sadler. The Sox won’t part with either of their top two prospects. The Expos also have interest in reliever Ken Ryan.

If Cordero remains in Montreal then Manager Fe­ lipe Alou will use him as a super-utility player, playing nearly every day but in dif­ ferent positions.

Hey', if you still want to trade for Cordero, remem­ ber. we warned you.

Around tile bases The White Sox are on the verge of signing outfielder Vince Coleman after failing to reach an agreement with : Roberto Kelly. ... The An- j gels, who might have estab- : fished themselves as the team to beat in the American i League West after re-signing j free-agent starter Chuck Fin­ ley to a three-year. $12-milfion base contract, are trying-.

Cubs still pose problems. But no one in base­ ball has made the dramatic improvements like the Cardinals. T m not sure if we’re quite there yet." Jocketty says, “but we’re knock­ ing on the door."

The Cardinals failed in their earlier at­ tempts to sign free agents Walt Weiss, Craig Biggio and Mark Grace, and they actually might be better off without them. It allowed them to acquire Clayton, and the extra mon­ ey enabled them to sign Gant, Benes and Gaetti. And. with an increased payroll to about $32 million, they’re still not done.

“It’s great to see because St. Louis long has been the greatest baseball city in the country." says longtime baseball executive Buzzie Bavasi. “I got in trouble once be­ cause I said it was such a great baseball city because there was nothing else to do. You’re not going to go sailing, and th eres not a bunch of golf courses, but they always had their baseball."

Certainly, the rebirth of Cardinals baseball should be enough to bring closer Tom Henke out of retirement and quash potential contro­ versy with Smith. Henke likely will come back May I to the Cardinals for a final sea­ son, and Smith could find himself playing for another organization. “Coming back May I actually works to (Henke's) advantage." Jock­ etty says. “He wasn’t real crazy about going to spring training, anyway."

For Smith, it’s up to him whether he will welcome a trade, be content to sit on the bench behind Clayton or retire. Once Cardi­ nals fans take a good look at Clayton, they soon will realize there is no room for Smith, the longtime fan favorite. “We could have real controversy if we trade him." Jocketty says, “but well see what happens:"' No matter, the Cardinals aren’t about to let anything spoil their offseason euphoria. They will have glass this season at Busch Stadium.

They wifi have new dugouts. The bullpens will be moved behind the outfield fence with picnic levels above them.

You won’t be able to recognize the place this summer.

You won’t be able to recognize the team, either.

to sign Joe Oliver or Benito Santiago as their top-line catcher. ... The Padres are having serious trade talks with the Expos to acquire lefthanded starter Jeff Fassero.-which could make them serious contenders. ...

Look for closer Mel Rojas to have a monster year for the Expos after the club’s acqui­ sition of setup man Dave Veres. Now Rojas can be used one inning at a time, ending his complaints. ...

The Indians are at it once again, and are dose to sign­ ing rookie pitcher Julian Tavarez to a three-year con­ tract. ... Did anyone in the Yankees’ front office realize Kenny Rogers is 0-3 with a 13.94 ERA the last two seasons at Yankee Stadium? He is 2-3 with a 6.47 ERA while -yielding a .314 batting aver­ age in his career at his newhome park: ... One of the most interesting minorleague signings this winter is Eric Davis’ non-guaranteed. $500,000 contract with the Reds, whom he led to the

1990 world championship.

“When I saw him during the (1995) playoffs in Los Ange­ les." Reds General Manager Jim Bowden says. “I thought he looked better than at any time when he played. And he is over his injuries."... Rob Butcher, abruptly fired as the Yankees’ public-relations director by George Steinbrenner before the hofidSy break, was offered his job back. Butcher, one of the best P.R. men in the game, respectfully declined. + Bob Nightengale covers the Dodgers for the Im s Ange­ les Times.

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on Nightengale's TSH Baseball Report, call 1-MM&M4Q0,95 cents p er m in u te In * C anaddC eaU I-M H Sl-" 3234, S I A S p er m in u te Callers under 18 m ust Have permission. The ser­ vice is accessible from touchtone and rotary phones.

The Sporting News

- .2 • I I

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ATLANTA BRAVES In tile pinch: The team began the job of re­ vamping its bench by signing veteran outfield­ er Jerom e Walton to a • one-year. $500,000 con­ tract. Adding Walton, who hit .290 and had IO stolen bases in 102 games with the Reds last season, gives the team depth behind center fielder M arquis Grissom and a strong righthanded hitter off the bench. Walton. 30. will be used mainly as a pinch hitter and as a iate-inning defensive replacem ent for left fielder Ryan Klesko. "I have played that kind of role the last couple of years." Walton says.

"I think I can be a good righthanded hitter off the bench and give them speed and defense in late innings." The Braves made room for Walton on the 40-man roster by designating pitcher Chris Brock for assignm ent Next, the Braves hope to re-sign Dwight Smith; the club's top pinch hitter last season. If they do. the bench would have a potent righty-lefty pinch-hitting combo to replace departed Luis Polonia and Mike D evereux.

Waiting in "the wings: The club has invited outfielder Greg Briley, infielders Luis Prito Iwd Leon Glenn, catcher Darron Cox and righthander Rod Steph to spring training as non-roster players. Briley, a lefthanded hit­ ter. could win a job as a bench player. Hx* has a .253 career average Ji the majors, though he has spent the last two seasons at the T rip le d level . Pitchers and catchers will report to spring training in West Palm Beach. Ha., on February IF and the full squad is scheduled for its first workout four davs later.

—Bill ZACK

CHICAGO CUBS Platoon, attention! Man­ ager Jim Rigglem an‘s projected lineup in­ cludes an expanded role for Jose H ernan­ dez. H ell platoon, with newcomer Dave Maga­ dan at third base against lefthanded pitchers and spell Rey Sanchez at shortstop and unretired Ryne Sandberg. 36. at second: The team already platoons Lu is Gonzalez and Ozzie Timmons in left field. '‘Jose hit 13 home runs for u s in (245) at-bats and gives good defense at all three spots." says Riggleman. who sees this Opening Day lineup .April I against San Diego: Brian McRae. CF. Sandberg. 2B. Mark Grace. IB. Sammy Sosa. RF. Maga­ dan/H ernandez. 3B. G onzalez/Tim m ons.

IT. Scott Servais. C. Sanchez. SS. Jaime Navarro. P. Closing relief might be a com­ mittee. including newcomer Dong Jones.

“Its a tough role to fill." Riggleman says of trying to replace successful closer Randy My­ ers. “We could go with a couple of guys until one weans into it" O ther candidates: rookie Tem* Adams. Mike Perez and lefthander Roberto Rivera, who's doing well in the Puer­ to Rican winter league.

Backup help: Man Meruilo. who signed a mi­ nor league contract with the team after hit­ ting .282 for the Twins last season, is seen as a backup catcher to Servais.... Dave Wilder is the new minor league director after rising through the ranks with,Oakland and .Atlanta.

The former outfielder w^as one of three A's sent to the Cubs in the illfated 1987 Dennis Eckerslev deal.

—JtJE BOCCARD

CINCINNATI REDS sellable: Despite all

FLORIDA .MARLINS

LOS ANGELES DODGERS Scars ran deep: Mike

the salary-paring. G.M. Jim Bowden says he had no intention of trad­ ing league MVP Barry Larkin, even though the shortstop was entering the final year of a five year. $25.6-million contract Bowden says he built the team around Larkin and outfielder Reggie Sanders, but Larkin said if he w-asn’t signed by the start of the season, he wasn’t going to negotiate during i t Bowden took care of th a t locking him up with a three-year contract extension al $5.3 million per year (with an option for a fourth at the same price or a $600,000 buyout). It’s great news for the Reds, but bad news for the rest of the gam e’s players, considering the league's best player w-as realistically worth another $2 million a year on the open m ark et and trickle-down economics won’t help others.

Bolden oldies: lik e Chris Sabo, the team took a low-risk gamble on former Reds outfielder Eric Davis, a former franchise player w*ho didn’t play in 1994 because of a bulging disk in his back. Davis’ career appeared over.

Davis. 33. is being thrown into the open mix in left field, but even if he can only play the field and- run the bases, the former Gold Glover and 80-steal guy can prove invaluable. ... Cincinnati made a slew of other low-budget signings, including Bryan Hickerson. Rich Rodriguez and Jeff Shaw in hopes of strength­ ening a w-eak bullpen, but the most intriguing pickup besides Davis is catcher Don Slaught.

If he is OK after shoulder surgery, he could be a strong backup or platoon with lefthanded-hitting Eddie Taubensee.

—MIK BASS

Dawson signs: Hoping th e re s stiff life in those 41-year-old legs and an­ other year in his b a t the team signed outfielder .Andre Dawson to a Triple-A contract and in­ vited him to spring training. Dawson could make $500,000 if he m akes the d u b . matching the figure he made last season when he hit .257 with eight hom ers and 37 RBIs — aff eight hom ers com­ ing after he took over in right field June 12 for injured Gary Sheffield. Despite having his lith knee surgery after the season. Dawson brings more than clubhouse intangibles, “lf we get in the same situation as last year, where we have to platoon guys in right field. we've got two (joe Orsulak) that can put fear in a club." assistant general m anager Frank Wren says.

Sheffield's blues: Sheffield’s inescapable rela­ tionship with controversy took another tur­ bulent turn. when he was issued a restraining order after the m other of his 2-year-old son found a threatening note and two 9mm bul­ lets on the doorstep of her Phoenix'hom e De­ cem ber 28. Laurie Liss. 28. also taperecord­ ed phone threats on her life. In published r e ports from Tampa to Miami. Sheffield v e h e mend)- denied making any threats against Liss. No charges have been filed because of the lack of evidence and information, police say. This is the second time this offseason Sheffield has crossed paths with the law. He suffered a flesh wound in late O ctober when an unidentified gunman shot him in the” left shoulder. Police say the incidents are not re­ lated.

— Scon Tam

Busch played a part in the team ’s National League West title, yet when it came time to divvy up the post­ season swag — more than $665,000 — Busch didn't even get a Christmas card. “Yeah. Tm a little upset" Busch says. i helped the te a m ....

I tied that game in Pittsburgh.... I was a part of their success. But Trn certainly’ not harping on it I’m just disappointed it happened that way."

It happened that way because Busch was a re­ placement player. When Busch was called up in A ugust he was IB-received by his team­ mates. who vowed at the time there would be no postseason rewards. But on September IO. Busch slugged a dramatic pinch-hit home run in the seventh inning that tied the score against Pittsburgh. The Dodgers went on to win. and inasmuch as they won the division by one game, that hom er was indeed a big one.

Says one player, who insisted on' anonymity: “The way I looked at i t he got his money up front While we were on strike and not playing. h e was getting paid."

Share and share alike: For winning the W est the team received $6652122.37 to disperse among themselves. Thirty-one full shares of $13,904.41 each were given to fu[1-season play­ ers, as well as to the manager, coaches and trainers. Partial sh ares were divvied up as weft. ... With Mike Blow'ers on the roster. Busch feces an uncertain future. ".AD I can do is to be ready in the spring, physically and mentally."

Busch says. “I can’t just leave, or ask to be trad­ ed... If the Dodgers don’t want me maybe somebody else will." “ SCHX* V H fil

COLORADO ROCKIES

HOUSTON ASTROS

MONTREAL EXPOS

l f ' ! tl«»

Baylor rewarded: M anag­ er Don Baylor agreed la s t w e e k to a tw oyear contract extension worth nearly $1 million.

“This shows the confit dence we have in Don's . potential to lead this I club to the upper echelon in baseball." says i G.M. Bob Gebhard. whose contract was re; centi)’ extended through 1999. “We feel the future of this franchise has been in the right hands all along." Ow-ner Jerry M cM orris says. ... Baylor. 46. says the team has “some unfinished business. The wild card is not good e n o u g h ."... Baylor’s coaching staff will include Jackie Moore, bench: Ken Griffey Sr., first base and hitting: Gene Glynn, third base: Frank Funk, pitching: and Paul Zuvella. bullpen. Glynn is the only holdover.

Outfield s h ift Baylor will experiment with his outfield defense^ during spring training.

Dante Bichette will move to right field, with * Ellis Burks playing left field and Larry Walk­ er going to center. “It’s som ething Ive been contemplating for several months, since the .All-Star break." Baylor says. The switch should make fuller use of W alker’s defensive skills, as well as putting Bichette and Burks in more comfortable positions.... Bret Saberhagen appears to have become a $4.3-million albatross. Sabechagen’s ability to pitch this season is in question, and the financial com­ mitment the team made to him limits the op­ tions in finding someone to fill his spot in the rotation. “I don’t see any scenario where we would have him ready by Opening Day,* Geb­ hard savs.

—Tract Rb b o o t

Home alone? T he team will get a quick idea how its fans will re-

challenge. The first nine gam es of 1996 and 12 of the first 18 will be played at the .Astrodome. McLane has stated that the team needs to average 30.000 fans to make the franchise financially viable and to ensure that it rem ains in Houston. So the opening hom estand and the season's first three weeks could provide an indication w hether fans will answ er the challenge. So far, season-ticket sales have moved at the same slow pace as last season, when baseball was fighting its way through a bitter strike.

But the team, with the help of city leaders in the G reater Houston Partnership, plans a major advertising campaign that will encour­ age season-ticket sales. The slogan for the January' advertising campaign is. “Step Up To The P la te ." ... The team has signed left­ handed reliever Eric Bell to a minor league contract Early spring: Pitchers and catchers are ex­ pected to report for spring training at Kissimmee. Fla., on February 14. T he Valen­ tine’s Day start is one of the earliest the team has ever had. Position players have a mandatory reporting date of February 19.

T he spring schedule begins M arch I with a gam e against the M arlins and the team will play 27 Florida gam es before traveling to Ar­ lington, Tex., for a gam e against the Rangers and to M emphis for a gam e against the Car­ dinals.

— T asr Bunrr

Relief ob both ends?

R i g h t h a n d e r ‘ David Veres, who is being counted on to bolster a bullpen that too often collapsed iir 1995. felt a great deal better about his trade from the As­ tros after a talk with former Dodgers minor league pai John Wetteland. “I was shocked and kind of disappointed." says Veres, who was acquired in a trade for third baseman Sean Berry. “Usually you hear rum ors about som ething going on. you hear your name thrown around.' But there was none of th a t" Veres says that “you hear stories about an­ other city. and. frankly, for a few days I didn’t even want to go." But Wetteland. who pitched in Montreal before a trade to the Yankees last spring, took some of the sting off it “He hadn’t even heard about the trade." Veres say’s, “but he told me great things about Mon­ treal. And the most im portant thing he ex­ plained to me was how much Montreal need­ ed someone to help in the bullpen. That's right down my alley, and it turned my think­ ing around completely."

Stefl8’s pain: Third baseman Shane Andrews has left Estrellas of the Dominican W inter League a fte r developing soreness in an Achilles’ tendon. The team has said the prob­ lem isn’t a major one, but it also wants him to rest up for spring training as a precaution....

WH Cordero, who has been used as a desig­ nated hitter with Mayaguez in the Puerto Ri­ can W inter League because of a nagging shoulder problem, has also seen duty at first base.

—JffF Blab

NI. / S.L. • 43

January 15,1996

NEW YORK METS tan io the anc With a

PITTSBURGH PIRATES

SAN DIEGO PADRES Still

RBI men: Signing free

shopping:

The Cooling trend: General Manager Pat Gillick team has added three players to its roster and hinted soon-after m ak^ ing the trade for left­ continues to inquire handed starter David © about lefthanded pitch­ Wells that he might er Jeff Fassero of the deal one of his four Expos. The Padres veteran starters for might be willing to deal switch-hitting outfielder Melvin Nieves, who prospects and continue shopping the freehas tremendous raw power but is not pro­ agent market, but that plan apparently has been abandoned. Gillick now seems content jected for starting duty. Rather than start Nieves or fellow youngster Marc Newfield, to open the season with Wells and Scott Er­ ickson in the rotation and rookie Jimmy the club signed veteran left fielder Rickey Haynes as the fifth starter. The trade specu­ Henderson. 37. to a two-year contract worth $4 million in base salary. The team hopes lation kept open the possibility thai die team the sometimes-erratic Henderson will fit in might resign righthander Ben McDonald af­ with veteran Tony Gwynn and coaches Dav- ter all. but it now appears no further attempt ey Lopes and Merv Rettenmund. Lopes is a will be made to lure McDonald back unless former A's teammate of Henderson's, and bother the club pushes hard to acquire one Rettenmund coached him with Oakland. But of the other starters. ... Gillick went to Flori­ Henderson’s presence will reduce the play­ da for a meeting with the two pitchers who re­ ing time of Newfield, who can't return to the cently defected from the Cuban National minors and is one of the team's top young Team. Osvaldo Fernandez and I-ivan Hernan­ hitters. dez have had overtures from several major Insurance man: The acquisition of Wally league' teams and seem like a natural fit for Joyner and the two-year contract for Scott the Marlins, but Gillick still hopes to per­ Livingstone result in a roadblock for anoth-. suade them to come to Baltimore. er lefthanded fir^t baseman. Roberto Stockpiling: The club announced that former Petagine. 24. After fa torrid start in 1995. major league manager Tom Trebelhom has been named minor league coordinator of in­ Petagine tapered off and was sent to Triple struction and former Orioles pitcher Ross .A where he likely will begin this season.

Grimsley has been appointed pitching coach “He's insurance." General Manager Kevin Towers says.... Joyner's contract includes a pf TripFe-A Rochester. In addition, the club hired former Dodgers coach and player Joe $3.75-million option for 1998 that the club can buy out for $1 milifbn. By then, team of­ Ferguson to manage its Class-.A affiliate at High Desert (Calif.), part of an-organizationaJ ficials hope slugger Derrek Lee will have de­ veloped into a major leaguer. Lee. 20. is to overhaul Gillick hopes will upgrade a minor league ’system that has not exactly been the begin this season at Double-A Memphis — PETH SCHMUCK (Southern League.

—TOH KiUSOYJC envy of baseball.

agents Charlie Hayesfleet of fleet outfielders and Mike Kingery has and still in need of virtually maxed out the greater run production, team’s 1996 budget. the club has decided to accentuate the positive.

Still* G.M. Cam Bonifay It will conduct special­ hopes he can sign an ex­ perienced starting pitch­ ized baserunning and base-stealing drills in spring training. Bobby er to lend some stability to the staff. The club Valentine, returning to manage the Triple-A has talked to lefthander Terry Mulholland.

Norfolk affiliate after one year managing in who grew up in nearby Uniontown. Pa., and Japan, and former center fielder Mookie Wil­ may be available at a price the team can han­ son will be the primary tutors. Even with Brett dle. Hayes will join holdovers Orlando Butler at the top of the lineup and stealing 32 Merced and Jeff King in the 34-5 spots in the batting order. Bonifay feels that by bunching bases (in 40 attempts), the 1995 team stole the fewest bases in the National League. Its 58 some reliable RBI producers, the offense can steals in 97 attempts did. however, constitute a compensate for a lack of home run power. significant improvement over the stationary’ Stared time: With Don Slaught gone to the Reds, the catching will have a completely 1994 team, which was 25 for 51. With Lance Johnson (40 for 46 last season) now a Center­ new look. Lance Parrish is back and will field and leadoff certainty. Car! Everett likely to share time with either Jason Kendall or An­ play regularly and Alex Ochoa a possible g elo Encamacion. Kendall will get the first everyday player, the team should have greater chance to win the job. The team believes the speed and potential to steal. Johnson’s first-to- former No. I pick has more potential than Encamarion. ... Lefthander Steve Cooke is due third ability should be an improvement as weH Caribbean Wag: Shortstop Reynaldo Ordonez, in Pittsburgh this week to begin throwing in the indoor cage at Three Rivers Stadium un­ whose offense is considered suspect, was der team supervision. Cooke missed all of leading the Puerto Rican Winter League through January 4. He was batting 373 — 30 last season with arm injuries. ... H ie freepoints higher than the runnerup — with 21 agent signings •limit the number of roster RBIs and 13 strikeouts in 126 at-bats for San- spots available for position players. The team turce. Ordonez batted .214 with 50 RBIs and plans to carry l l pitchers and 12 of the 14 50 strikeouts in Triple A last season.... Per­ spots for position players are set. John Wehn­ er has a head start on one of those jobs be­ haps planning to do more running himself, left-field hopeful Chris Jones has lost 30 cause of his versatility. That leaves several other players with major-league experience pounds — 240 to 210 — since the end of the to compete for the last spot The group in­ season. Another left-field possibility. Butch Huskey, left the Licey team in Venezuela af­ cludes Kevin Young. Mark Johnson. Rich —Jo * Mh «0 ter injuring his leg.

—MaHTT tto&i Aude and Mid re Cummings.

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

BALTIMORE ORIOLES

*

BOSTON RED SOX

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS Left alone: Manager

Staves sad oiity. Free-

Sale ready. .After throw-

Tony La Russa says Ron be in a position to deal Gant the new ipft field­ from strength, yet Gen­ er and cleanup hitter, eral Manager Lee will not play first base to Thomas is going to the ease a cluttered outfield owners meetings in Los situation. ’'With a guy Angeles looking to add L who has a major respon­ a pitcher to a suspect staff, “lf anything happens, it will happen out sibility in the lineup. I don’t think I want to there." Thomas says. With Sid Fernandez his add a defensive challenge to him." La Russa most stable starter. Thomas would like to up- says. If an outfielder is traded, it probably won’t be Ray Lankford. Lankford is the grade his rotation which includes Curt team's only legitimate lefthanded power hit­ Schilling and David West. both of whom are ter in a lineup featuring righthanded sluggers coming off shoulder surgery- A name that has surfaced is Montreal's Jeff Fassero. The Gant Gary Gaetti and Brian Jordan. "We lefthander was 13-14 with a 4.33 ERA last sea­ need that different look." La Russa says. son when he was paid $1.5 million. He is eli­ “Lankford provides a lot of flexibility and bal­ ance." Lankford will not move lo right and gible for arbitration, which may make him too rich for the Expos’ taste. Room could be Jordan to center, even though some think made for Fassero on the roster if .All-Star clos­ Jordan is the team's best center fielder. er Heathciiff Slocumb is included in a deal. Job placement Bernard Gilkey would seem to be the odd man out among the four regular Slocumb. who was paid $200,000 last season when he saved 32 games, is eligible for arbi­ outfielders, but La Russa say’s he might play Gilkey at first base. John Mabry is the incum­ tration. and the concern is he will be seeking in excess of $1.5 minion. Of course, the Ex­ bent there. Gilkey should draw interest from pos could use Slocumb in another deal for the White Sox. who lost out on Gant and then prospects, lf Slocumb is dealt second-year traded Tim Raines to the Yankees. Not that it would benefit GQkey. but the Cardinals might man Ricky Bottalico will inherit the closer's be wise to hold onto him through much of role.

An old favorite: Thomas isn't closing the spring training to see if another team would have an emergency. The ability to trade him door on bringing back lefty Terry Mulholnow may’ be complicated by the fact Gilkey land. Since leaving pitching coach Johnny Podres in a ’93 trade with the Yankees. could make as much as $3 million if his con­ tract went to arbitration. He made more than MulhoUand has struggled. If Mulholland.

32. returns, he could fill the lefthanded-re- $1.6 million with incentives last year.... Gener­ liever void in the bullpen. He was 41-33 al Manager Walt Jocketty says he still is look­ ing for a veteran closer and a second baseman with a 3.56 ERA in three seasons with the to complete his busy offseason, —ta t HUMEL team.

— to re * A. KUC III

agent shortstop Shawon Dunston signed a onevear deal that. with incentives. could be worth $2 million. A Bay .Area resident, Dunston. 32. made the team his top choice shortly after negotiations with the Cubs broke down. The move allows the team to bring along slowly promising infielder Rich Aurilia.... Dunston. noted for his strong throwing arm. batted .296 last season with 69 RBIs. both career highs, and hit 14 home runs. One cause for concern is the cold Candiestick weather, which could cause his back to stiffen. Dunston missed most of the 1992 and '93 seasons with a back injury. Dunston was suspended last season after charging the mound at Candlestick when he was hit by pitcher Sergio Valdez.

Decker tack: Steve Decker, the team's Open­ ing Day catcher in 1991. is among the 11 non­ roster players invited to spring training.

Decker hit .206. lost his job. was sent back lo the minors and eventually was taken by the Marlins in the 1993 expansion draft He signed a minor league deal after batting 326 with 3 homers and 13 RBIs in 51 games for the Marlins last season. The other non-roster invitees are pitchers Enrique Burgos. Andy Carter. Julian Heredia. Jeff Patterson. Steve Sodestrom. .Andy Taulbee and Doug Vanderweele. and outfielders Jacob Cruz. Dax Jones and Dante Powell.... The team dropped out of the running for Cuban pitchers Osvaldo Fer­ nandez and Livan Hernandez. They are too expensive.

— UffflT STOK

ring for two weeks in Florida, righthander .Aaron Sele was judged ready for spring train­ ing. Sele. who won his Opening Day start last season but made only five other starts and didn't pitch after May 23 because of severe shoulder tendinitis, was watched closely by minor league pitching in­ structor Sammy Ellis during his workouts.

Righthander Gar Finn void. who made one ap­ pearance with Triple-A Pawtucket (Interna­ tional) before undergoing shoulder surgery. worked with Sele and is expected to reruni.

Pitchers and catchers have a February 18 re­ porting date for spring training Position play­ ers. who normally report the week atter pitch­ ers and catchers, are expected to report the following day Second thoughts: While passing on the topshelf players, the team sui! is looking on the lower shelf. Team officials have been talking with the Expos about shortstop WU Cordero with the thought of converting him into a sec­ ond baseman, lf the club gets Cordero or any second baseman, theft incumbent Luis .Alicea would be reused or kept for utility purpose.

The Expos would like to have righthanded pitching prospect Jeff Suppan or speedy short­ stop Donnie Sadler, who played last season with theClass-A Michigan (Midwest)... Scout­ ing Director Wayne Britton says the organiza­ tion has a chance at signing (K-vaJdo Fernan­ dez and/or Livan Hernandez, the Cuban pitch­ ers who defected to the* Dominican Republic last month —JOE SUUOTTI

Dealing Lee: He may not

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an catching help, an area Bavasi says has be­ com e his No. I concern. T he top starting candidate is Jorge Fabregas, 25, who hit J247 with-just one home run in 73 gam es last sea­ son. As a hedge, the Angels have invited to camp two veterans who played for them be­ fore, Ron Tingiey and John Orton. ... Free agent Bob Patterson couldn’t be re-signed, which leaves a significant void in the bullpen. Asked to retire tough lefthanded hitters in crucial situations, Patterson was highly effirienL Lefthanded batters hit just 200 off h im .... Form er Nebraska outfielder Darin Erstad. the top overall draft pick last June, has been invited to the big league camp.

— Don

played Baltimore, we had a lot of respect for Harold Barnes," Bevington says. “I would not be (averse) to batting Baines fourth. But I honestly believe you could have Babe Ruth or Hank Aaron and they would still pitch around Frank. When you have a player of his caliber, you’re not ever going to find enough protec­ tion to hit behind him."

— t a i W Dyci

DETROIT THIERS Nixa) Ma n age r M ait ager Buddy Befl says he called disgruntled Cecil Fielder to tell him he's a big part of the team’s plans — but the club picked up more firstbase insurance in for-mer Padre Eddie Williams. Preferring to dump Fielder's $ 14.2-million salary spanning the next two seasons, the club will have prospect Tony Clark, Williams, ex-Padres farmhand Tim Hires and veteran .Alan Tram­ mel! as first-base alternatives ... Williams, a 31-year-old' righthanded hitter, suffered, through an injury-plagued 1995 and became expendable when San Diego traded for Wally Joyner. .Williams was one of the biggest sur­ prises in baseball in 1994. when he hit 331 in 49 games with 11 homers after being out of the majors since 1990.

Williams, signed to a one-year. $500,000 contract, continues General Manager Randy Smith's trend of low-nsk. bargain pickups. This offsea­ son. he already has landed Hires. Phil Plan tier. Mark Parent and Williams in addidon to waiver pickups Tom Schmidt (third base. Rockies), Micah Franklin (outfield. Pirates) and Jeff McCurry (pitcher. Pirates).

Nev toots: With catching the weakest position in the organization. Phil Nevin will try his hand there in spring training. Third base is blocked by Travis Fryman, and the outfield is crowded. Nevin was a catcher in high school.

John Flaherty and Parent are the 1-2 catch­ ers, but Flaherty had a horrible second half last season and Parent is 34. ... Lefthander Scott Aldred’s bid to make the team is helped by a 6-3 record and 2.62 ERA in Venezuela this offseason.

- f e n C sttB

CLEVELAND INDIANS v 'Tfee

co s t

Of UCCOTT

General Manager John Hart had a busy holiday, awarding guaranteed new contracts or exten­ sions worth $56.8 mil­ lion to 11 players. Most of that money will be doled out over six years. However, the team s R n t- a -s tv : The team, 19% payroll will rise significantly. When last hoping to continue its season began, the organization was commit­ su ccess with one-year ted to paying its players about $35 million. As veteran outfielders {El­ this year begins. 20 players are under con­ lis Burks, Darrin Jack ­ tract at a cost of $43.8 million. Yet to be son and Mike Devsigned are pitchers Chad Ogea. Alan Embree ereaux), apparently has and Julian Tavarez, first baseman Herbert its sights set on Tony Perry and a reserve outfielder, probably Phillips, 36, and Vince Coleman. 34. as re­ placements for Tim Raines in left field and . Jerom y Bumitz. Together, these salaries probably will total less than $800,000. That Lance Johnson as - leadoff hitter. General means the 25-man roster will start the season Manager Ron Schueler confirmed interest in both. warning that Phillips has ‘ a big. big of­ with a payroll of almost $45 million.

A happy c a s p e r After Hart signed shortstop fer” from Japan after a 1995 season in which Omar Vizquel to a six-year guaranteed con­ he gave the Angels career highs in home tra c t he got a call from second baseman runs (27) and runs scored (119). Coleman’s Carlos Baerga. ‘ Carlos wanted me to tell stretch play, helping Seattle to its first divi­ everyone how happy he is we signed Omar," sion title, impressed Schueler. “He played Hart says. “He said to me. ‘I got my man.' " hard, and that’s what we’re looking for," says ... Paul Sorrento might have liked to stay in Schueler, who criticized Raines for lack­ Cleveland, but he landed on his feet aker adaisical fielding and baserunning.

Cteafliag wp: Manager Terry Bevington still is the team declined to exercise a $ 1.5-million option then failed to offer a co n tract Sor­ talking about batting Frank Thom as in the rento signed a one-year, $ I -million contract cleanup'spot Thom as prefers to bat third but with Seattle that included a $ 1.5-million op­ did not complain publicly after Bevington tion for ‘97. “It’s easy to talk about baseball moved him to fourth last season. The team being a business, but I was disappointed.has been looking for a cleanup man since Sorrento says, referring to Cleveland’s fail­ lu lio Franco Ieft more than a year ago. Robin ure to keep him. ‘ It took me a while to get Ventura has filled in and new D.H. Harold over i t " — S K M OOH Baines also could handle the job. “When we

CHICAGO WU ITH SOX

Fixity turned down more money in New York to gay in California.

CALIFORNIA ANGELS S a f e f e w Lefthander Chudc Finley says he could have received about S i million per year more from the Yan­ kees or any of four affi­ l e er dubs, but instead he opted to re-sign. T v e never been one of those people who thinks the grass is always greener somewhere else," Finley says. He still will get at least $12 mil­ lion over three years, and with incentives and a chib option for a fourth Tear, the package could be worth as much as $18 m illion.... The Angels entered the week locked in tough ne­ gotiations with Scott Boras, agent for pitcher Jim A bbott General Manager Bill Bavasi d e scribed the talks as "difficult and complex."

W hether Abbott is re-signed or n o t the dub will try to acquire a veteran righthander to fill out the starting rotation.

S i p s of B ltv ity : T h e d u b is pursuing veter­

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The Sporting News

-48 • A.L \

KANSAS C m ' ROYALS

MINNESOTA TWINS

OAKLAND A’S

TEXAS RANGERS

Ho solo: G eorge Brett and brother Bobby have expressed interest in buying the team, but it is not for sale yet. That’s • because the caretaker board -of directors is waiting to see if the team s value goes up and whether stipulations imposed by the IRS can be met. The Bretts, backed by an unidentified investor, inquired about making a bid but were told the team is not for sale. “Unfortunately. I think George and Bobby Brett didn’t understand our re­ sponsibility. and they’re probably disappoint­ ed." President Mike Herman says. The Royals are Operating under a complicated succession plan proposed by former owner Ewing Kauff­ man before his 1993 death. Kauffman’s plan. which puts the team under the umbrella of a charitable trust, got IRS approval with the con­ dition that a nationwide auction be held. B rett a team vice president says: “We thought the club was for sale and thought about presenting an offer. Its n o t So, hey. we took our sh o t" Quilt of tate: Jamie Quirk will move from the bullpen to the bench, replacing Gene Mauch.

After serving one year as M anager Bob Boone’s tutor. Mauch. 70. retired. Quirk, who had three playing stints with the Royals, re ­ joined them as a coach after retiring in 1993. ... Shortstop Jose Offerman, who made 35 er­ rors last season for the Dodgers, might find himself at third base. “I've heard he’s got real good hands and a real strong arm. so if so m e how we work our magic and m akejiim con­ sistent. then maybe we’ve found something."

Boone says.

— DCI IUESR

Caup fire: The four free

Storffllag their feet At

Taft Is cheap: General

agents the club has. signed give it what you want in spring training — unless you’re the Indi­ ans or Braves, of course: competition for several jobs, which will make for a spirited camp. The only veterans penciled in for everyday roles figure to be Chuck Knoblauch at second base.

Pat Meares at shortstop, Marty Cordova in left and Kirby Puckett in rig h t Paul Molitor likely will get most of the action at first base and Dave Hollins would seem to be the leading candidate to play third, although Scott Stahoviak and Ron Coonier, both rookies in 1995, will battle for time at both positions. Center field shapes up as a race among: R eb Becker, a onetime phe­ nols. whose star became somewhat tarnished in 1995: Matt Lawton, a new phenom who played well during a September caB-up; and Chris Latham, 'a curiosity acquired from die Dodgers a fte rth e season. Freeagent pickup Greg Myers also will give Matt Walbeck a run at catcher. General Manager Terry Ryan isn’t necessarily done scouring the free-agent mar­ ket. either. Don’t be surprised if he adds an­ other piece to the puzzle — a low-cosi veteran pitcher — before the club heads south.

Warm thoughts: The Twins hjve set springtraining dates: Pitchers and catchers report February 17 with the first workout the next day: position players report February 22 and work out for the first time a day later.... The club promoted Rob .Antony, form er media-relations director, to director of baseball opera­ tions.

— S co tt Mina

w eek’s end, the team joined the Expos as the two d u b s not to have signed a free a g e n t G eneral M anager Sandy Alderson says he will begin to sign free agents once the top-end free agents are signed with new d u b s, but m ost of the big nam es are already signed and nothing is mov­ ing on the free-agent fro n t Serious talks have been reopened, however, with S t Louis that would reunite starter Todd Stottlemyre with M anager Tony La Russa and pitching coach Dave Duncan. Entering the week, the two sides w eren’t far apart, and the deal to send the organization two or three young pitchers was d o s e to being finalized. Stottlemyre, who on a last-place d u b was 14-7 with 205 strike­ outs in *95, is arbitration-eligible and will probably receive a contract in the $3.5-miIlion range.

Spring thoughts: The chib has invited 12 non­ roster players to spring training, scheduled to start February 18 for pitchers and catchers.

Pitchers include John Briscoe. Bill Taylor (who tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee last spring). Buddy Groom, Archie Corbin. Paul Fletcher and Dave Telgh^der.

O utfielders invited to cam p are Tyrone H om e. Matt Stairs, Derek Lee and Kerwin Moore. Torey LovuDo and M ark Bellhom. the A's No. 2 pick last sum m er, were also in­ vited to camp, which opens for all players February 22.... Mike Quade will Cake over as m anager at Class-A West Michigan of the Midwest League.

-f — PHK) GOMEZ

M anager Doug Melvin says the team is willing to talk with catcher Ivan Ro­ driguez about his re­ quest for a long-term contract preferably one ^ " for five years. “I think IVe earned one and it’s time to do one," says Ro­ driguez, who made $2i> million last season. Ro­ driguez has four-phis years of major league ex­ perience and will not be eligible for free agency until after the 1997 season under current rules.

But the Rangers negotiated a five-year contract with Juan Gonzalez after he had played four full seasons, and Rodriguez would Eke the same treatm ent “We've told his agent that well look at it and consider it" Melvin says. “But it also has to make sense. The market has changed since Juan signed his contract Five-year deals are a lot tougher to do than a few years ago."

Rodriguez, third baseman Dean Palmer and pitcher Roger Pavfik are the team’s three play­ ers, who are eligible for arbitration.

A 00-cut t a i : T he team entered die offseason with plans to cut $4 million off last season’s $34.1-miIlion payroll But the 1996 bottom line could be around $36 million after the three ar­ bitration cases are settled. “W e're nowhere near where we thought we would be. but that’s because we think we have a chance to win." team President Tom Schieffer says. ...

Team officials refused to pout over their in­ ability to re-sign Kenny Rogers, who turned down a $ 17.5-million, four-year offer and signed with the Yankees for $19.95 million.

“We made the absolute best offer we could to Kenny." Schieffer says.

—T.R. SOUVA!

MILWAUKEE BREWERS

NEW YORK YANKEES

SEATTLE MARINERS

TORONTO BLUE JAA'S

t i l t

Ii

On the lookout The fact

Fat payroll: T he Yan­

that General M anager Sal Bando is searching the freeagent market fo r. an accomplished starting pitcher doesn't qualify as a stunning or unusual development.

The surprise is that he actually has a little money to offer. .After being spum ed by Paul Molitor. BJ. Surhoff and Bobby Witt, the perennially cash-strapped club has some change left in a payroll that is expected lo be around $21 million. Bando; who has said he ^ will not surrender a draft pick to sign a free ag en t has set his sights on righthander Kevin Tapani. The Brewers made what is believed to be a two-vear offer that was characterized bv team officials as “serious." Considering that Tapani grew up in northern Michigan and spent parts of seven seasons with Minnesota. it could be a good fit. “Kevin is interested in staving in the Midwest," agent Pat Rooney says, adding Tapani has drawn interest from five or six teams. Tapani 31. was 10-13 with a 4.96 ERA last season with the Twins and Dodgers, lf Tapani goes elsewhere. Bando likely will look to make some trades during the winter meetings next week in Los .Angeles.

Miranda ¥ 3101(09: Lefthander .Angel Miranda, "bothered by knee problems and inconsisten­ cy last season, got off to a strong start in Puerto Rico. In his first seven starts with Aricebo. the screwball specialist was 5-2 with -a 2.98 ERA in 48* innings. “I want to be in the starting rotation." says Miranda. T h a t is my priority. My knee feels O R " Miranda likely will com pete for the No. 4 or 5 spot in the ro­ tation during spring training.

—DREW OtSOI

k e e s have set th em ­ selves up for criticism by virtually guran tee­ ing that their budget will once again surpass the $50-million m ark Cit was a record $58 mil­ lion last year). G.M. Bob W atson continues to say the team will do "w hat m akes base­ ball and economic sense." Yet the signing of lefthander Kenny Rogers to a four-year, $20million deal after declining to offer arbitra­ tion to Jack McDowell m akes no sense on any level. .Although he didn’t always look' thrilled to be in the Bronx, McDowell thrived down the stretch. He sighed with Cleveland for $10.15 million over two years.

The Rogers signing gives the Yankees a for­ m idable one-two pitching punch (with David Cone), but some are w ondering how Rogers, a native of rural Florida who has pitched his whole career in .Arlington, Tex., will do in New York.

Howe could return: Still desperate for lefthand­ ed relief help, the team apparently would con­ sider bringing back Steve Howe, a disaster last year after being brilliant in *94. O ther left­ handed relievers still available are Bob Patter­ s o n Derek Lilliquist and Scott Radinsky. ...

The two-year signing of Tim Raines affects sonic other players, including Ruben Sierra. who had been hoping to play left field after a poor fielding year in *95. Manager Joe Torre says S iena still will get some work in the out­ field. Also affected is top prospect Ruben •Rivera, who will start at Triple-A Columbus but may be ready for the big leagues before the season is up. • —JOI HeTMAI

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U m p takes shape After

Third option: M anager

the signing of free-agent Cito G aston, facing a first baseman Paul Sor­ season w ithout a true rento. the team's Open­ N a 3 hitter, m ight be ing Day lineup became forced to move cleanup virtually solidified. Sor­ hitter Joe C arter to the rento enters spring train­ role he has not filled ing penciled in as Tino since 1992. "I’ve been Martinez’s replacement on a regular basis. thinking about it a lo t" G aston says. “I “W e're going to give him a chance to play don’t want to do i t but TU probably shift Joe every day." M anager Lou Piniella says. “He there. It depends upon how John (Olerud) gives us a good lefthanded b a t experience and is doing." O lerud, com ing off a disappoint­ comes from a winning team (Cleveland).’ Sor­ ing 1995 power season, would move from rento chose the Mariners over Detroit and San the fifth to fourth s p o t T w o major league Francisco because of the potential full-time hopefuls com piled 21-game hitting streaks duty. Sorrento. 30. hit a career-high 25 homers in w inter ball, but neither is expected to and drove in 79 runs in just 323 at-bats for the win a 1996 starting job. Robert Perez, who A-L-champion Indians, batting 235. Sorrento is pegged as a No. 4 outfielder, had his was limited to 43 at-bats against lefthanders streak ended by W hite Sox lefthander Wil­ “because I was battling two Hall of Famers son Alvarez in the V enezuelan League, and (Eddie Murray and Dave Winfield) for atutility infielder Domingo Cedeno, a long bats," he says. Sorrento has a 224 (49 for 259) shot for the team ’s vacant second-base job. average against lefthanders in his career. put to g eth er his string in the Dominican Piniella rattled off this probable Opening Day Republic. lineup: Darren Bragg LF, Joey Cora 2B, Ken S tea l sign: Form er general m anager Pat Griffey Jr. CF. Edgar Martinez DH. Jay Buhn­ Gillick has taken one of the team ’s most im­ er RF. Sorrento IB, Russ Davis 3B. Dan Wil­ portant scouts with him to Baltimore. After son C and Alex Rodriquez SS. receiving permission from team President Hext ta rg e t Veteran reliever Jeff Russell, Paul Beeston. Gillick signed Don W elke as who saved 20 gam es for Texas last season, is the Orioles’ new spedakassignm ent scout at the top of General M anager Woody W’oodGillick earlier had signed longtime Toronto ward’s wish list to help replace relievers Jeff second baseman Roberto Alomar to a big Nelson and Bill Risley, who were traded. free-agent contract ... The team remains a “W e may check out one or two others," marginal contender for Cuban pitchers OsWoodward says, “but w e're pointing in (Rus­ valdo Fernandez and Livan Hernandez. “Fd sell’s) direction." Russell could shore up the call it a long shot for us." G.M. Gord Ash seventh- and eighth-inning gaps created by says. “We've scouted them and visited them.

N elson’s departure to the Yankees and Ris­ ' but Fm not sure we’re able to be in the mar­ ley’s tot Toronto.

—Ja i STRffT ket with the Marlins."

— SHYE M UOI

January 15,1996

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The Dandy Dons Faity yeas ago, San F^cisco teated the heo^ woild to a 60''g ^ winning steak

ment and beat four foes to foce La SaDe, the defaiding champion, in the final It was no contest Woolpert put Jones on Tom (ioia, La Satfe's B7 three4ime AllAmerica, and let Russefl sag near the basket Cola scored 16 points, but Jones countered with 24. RusseD blocked shots, scored 23 points and grabbed 25 re­ bounds. The Dons won. 77-63. and finished 28-1. tiSTEVtgTSCm Over the summer, rules officials reacted to Russell's style of defense. They ay what you wiD about the early great teams of college basketball like widened the foul lane from six feet to 12, a change that Woolpert called “al> Henry Iba^s Oklahoma A&M Aggies and Adolph Rupp*s Kentucky surd” in T he SpoimNc News (December 14.1955). *The playing area is already Wildcats, but .the hoops world had not seen anything like Phil too small for players to operate in," he argued. “But I don’t think the rule change will hurt a man of Russell's agility."

Woolperfs San Francisco Dons of the 1950s.

He was right Russell moved to the high post and reveled in dishing the ball These were the Dons of Bill Russell K.C. Jones and Ha! Perry. These were the Dons who posted a then-record GO^game winning streak. to teammates. The Dons opened the 195^56 season with three victories at Forty years ago, the Dons had almost forgotten how to lose a basketball game. home, beat Marquette and DePaul atthe Chicago Invitational Tournament and On january 13,1956, the Dons took on Fresno State in a OBA (California Bas­ knocked off Wichita and Loyola of New Orleans on the road. USF won the Hol­ k e t ^ Association) game and won, 69-50, to tie the acknowledged record for iday Festival at Madison Square Garden and kept the streak going. On Januconsecutive victories. It was DSFs 39th consecutive victory, a ^reak that included winning the 1955 NCAAToumamenL And there was more to come.

51 When the counoys best teams r^ulariy «- A were averaging 80 or more points, the 195455 Dons had topped the nation by allowing only 52.1 per game. They played suffocat­ ing defense. The guards pressed, die for­ wards fought th ro u ^ screens to contest shots and the colter, a guy named Russell '?■ ' Iti blocked shots like he ^ d invented a new art form. ‘lf your opponents can't shool" Woolpert rea^ned, “ihey can't score."

Or win. San Frandsco’s winning streak, which started with a 60-34 victory over Ore­ 4 gon Sate on December 17. 1954. hardly could have happened to a less conspicuous school Situate on a hilltop near Colden C-.i Park, the Jesuit university with an enroDxnent of 3,0(X) was so small that it lacked a canipus gymnasium. Wooipot had to beg practice time at a local b o ^ ' dub or at a parish bail or at nearby St Ignatius High School where he had cxiached before tak­ ing the DSF job in 1950.

Left wifli only one veteran player and a tough schedule, Woolperfs Dons com­ p a a losing records in his first diree sea­ sons. His fortunes b ^ an to improve in die spring of 1952 vriaen he offered scholar­ ships to Perry, a 5^ooMl guard from B yhet^tglkevor^cfW ooipai, (from Itfi) Rkssdl,M^F<xmer» Perry, Cad Boldt andJontskdped lead San Ukiah, Calif., and Russell who played at Oakland’s McClymonds S ^ o o l Frrxjusscotounprkedeniedkei^fh. Fnm lSS4^k>*56S7, ike Dons won 60 consecutiDegames and tao NCAA diampionskxp^ ary 28. the Dons beat Cafifornia in Berkeley, 33-24, overcoming a slowdown di­ where he had scored more th ^ IO points in a game only once.

Not eligible to play for the v a r ^ as freshmen m der the rules of the day. rected by Coach Pete Newell Woolperfs college teammate and predecessor Russell and Perry worked with assistant coach Ross Ghidice to hone their at USF. But most important, it was victory No. 40, the record-bre^r.

And there was more to come. The streak stood at 51 as the Dons entered the skins. In the duo’s sophomore year. the Dons improved to 14-7, but they were hampCTedbythe loss ofjones, a 6*1 g u ^ who ruptured his appendix one NCAA Tournament and 55 after they defeated UCLA, Utah. Southern Methodist and Iowa to finish 29-0 and b ^ r a e the third school to win back-togame into the season.

San Francisco opened the 1954-55 season with victories over Chico State and back NCAA crowns and the first undefeated national champion. And they had Loyola of Los Angeles, but then lost, 47-40, to UCIA At this point Woolpert in­ defended their title without Jones. who. because he had pl^ed that one game serted Perry into the starting Uneup, joining Russell Jones and forwards Jer­ two seasons before, was ineligible for.tournament play.

And there was more to come. Russell Jones and Perry graduated, but the ry Mullen and Stan Budaanan. Now DSF would have diree starters who were black, a risky move anywhere in 1954, ’I t was never said," Woolpert said, *Tnit 1956-57 Dons opened with five victories to nm their streak to 60. Finally, they lost'an exhibition to the U.S. Olympic team (starring Russell and Jones) on its you knew as a coach that you bad to be aware of the quota dung.'

The Dons began^to win: Oregon State, UCLA, three games at the AftGol- way to Melbourne and then a regular-season game to Dlinois. Still USF fin­ lege Tournament iy Oklahoma City, vdiere the team chose to stay in a dorm ished 22-7 and advanced to the final Four, where it lost to Kansas and Wilt WO instead of havitig the white players check into a whiteSK>nly hotel The Dons Chamberlain in the semifinafe before beating Michigan State for third place. ♦ then swept brough the league schedule, earned a bid to the NCAA TournaStem Gietschier is archivist o/ T h e S p o r t in g N e w s .

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