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Wednesday, November 12, 1986 / University Daily Kansan
Sports year filled with ups and downs
United Press International
The year in sports has seen more ups and downs than Mike Scott's split-fingered fastball. Here are just some of the peaks and valleys of the 1986 sports landscape.
PEAK: The emergence of Pittsburgh's Mario Lemieux as an NHL superstar has revitalized a dying franchise and given Wayne Gretzky
Commentary
some long-needed competition as the game's pivotal player. Gretzky and Lemieux also provide professional hockey with admirable role models to counter the sport's image as roller derby on ice skates.
VALLEY: Obscured by all its other problems, the NFL has demonstrated little progress in the area of speeding up the game. Of the 13 games played Sunday, only two (Washington-Green Bay and Denver-San Diego) concluded in less than three hours. The Cowboys and the Raiders needed 3 hours and 40 minutes to score 30 points. For Pete's sake, Rozelle, do something! At the
least, eliminate the 2-minute warning and reduce those ubiquitous television time-outs.
PEAK: Sports fans with cable television face a dilemma each night because there are compelling reasons to watch the wrap-up shows on both ESPN and CNN. Chris Berman of ESPN's SportsCenter is noted for his dozens of nicknames for baseball players (catcher Bruce "Eggs" Benedict and outfielder Jose "Can You See" Cruz), but underneath the humor is a very sharp sports mind. Berman is still very much the sports fan and his observations are insightful. CNN anchor Nick Charles excels as an investigative journalist who isn't afraid to roll up the sleeves of Ted Turner's blazer and explore the murky side of sports.
VALLEY: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have won just 12 of their last 58 games, and owner Hugh Caruverhoe continues to close his eyes at the major problem eating away at his team — lack of a skilled football man in the front office. Caruverhoe's standard speech about the state of the Buccaneers is a litany
of injuries and excuses — accompanied by a stroll down memory lane to the 1979 club that reached the NFC title game. You can't get better without first admitting you need help, and Culverhouse desperately needs the astute talent evaluator.
PEAK: Mike Fratello, a former assistant to Knicks Coach Hubie Brown, continues to establish himself as one of the NBA's finest head coaches. Fratello shrewdly has built the Atlanta Hawks around the breathtaking skills of forward Dominique Wilkins, and he's turned gangly Kevin Willis into one of the better power forwards in the league. While Brown anguishes over the sorry Knicks, Fratello's Hawks burst to a 5-0 start.
VALLEY: Hal Lanier did a fine job guiding Houston to the NL West title, but Davey Johnson must be wondering what he did wrong. Actually, Johnson was victimized by the doormat-to-contender syndrome. When it comes to choosing a Manager or Coach of the Year, the guy whose team posts the best record in the league rarely finishes on top in
the voting. In the NFL, it's almost always some coach that goes 9-7 or 10-6, not the guy boasting the 14-2 mark. In Johnson's case, the Mets were expected to win the NL East while the Astros tried to struggle. New York won 108 games and seemingly clinched the pennant in May.
PEAK: The greatest player in NFL history graced Tampa Stadium Sunday Chicago's Walter Payton, who looked tired in the 1985 postseason, is still weaving his way through defenses in his 12th NFL year. He dislocated the big toe in his right foot against the Rams Nov. 3 and although any other player in the league with that injury would sit out the next game — not Walter. Instead, he accounted for 208 yards of offense and recorded his 77th 100-yard game.
VALLEY: Auto racing isn't a sport, it's an excuse to pop champagne corks and drive legally beyond the speed limit. The pit crews at NASCAR races look like roadies from a ZZ Top concert while spectators try to figure out whether the leader is driving a Lotus or a Lincoln. And they charge admission for this?
Chiefs trying to end long playoff drought
The Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Fifteen seasons have come and gone since Kansas City last reached the NFL playoffs, but the long drought may be coming to an end.
Head coach John Mackovic's team was 3-3 six weeks into this season. Struggling with two rookie starters at linebacker and a simmering quarterback controversy, the Chiefs appeared headed for a 16th straight non-playoff year.
Nobody dreamed they would reel off four consecutive victories and creep to within one game of first place in the rugged AFC West.
But the Chiefs did. And now AFC West leader Denver, upset last week at home by San Diego, stands at 8-2 and will serve as host to the Chiefs, 7-3. Sunday in the biggest game a Kansas City team has played since 1971.
Ticket sales are brisk for the final two home games. Only two teams in the AFC, Denver and the New York Jets, have better records than the Chiefs. Football fever is taking root in a town that long ago learned to lean on baseball's Royals as a source
of pride.
Yet the exuberance of the fans has not yet matched the feeling of confidence sweeping through the plavers.
"I've been here a long time and I've seen us have a lot of losing seasons, a lot of frustrating seasons," nine-year veteran linebacker Gary Spani said. "I've never felt such a feeling of togetherness and pride on this team."
"We have almost two full months left, November and December, and we're going to keep on getting better," said nosgueld Bill Maas, the AFC defensive rookie of the year in 1984. "We feel that we're contenders and that we are going to keep on getting better."
Odds-makers have installed Kansas City as a nine-point underdog this week. Denver's Mile High Stadium traditionally has not been a happy place for the Chiefs, who have not won there since 1982.
"I guess you'd have to say we're the underdogs, because we'll be playing at their place and because their record is better than ours," said cornerback Albert Lewis, a stalwart in a
secondary that leads the AFC with 19 interceptions.
"But we aren't thinking of ourselves as underdogs." Lewis said. "There is a feeling on this team now that we're playing as a team, not as individuals, not as a defensive unit and not as an offensive unit. That's why we were able to overcome the adversity early against Seattle."
The Chiefs' fourth straight victory began on a worrisse note Sunday. Quarterback Bill Kenney, who replaced the struggling Todd Blackledge four games ago, threw two interceptions on his first four passes. Emile Harry then fumbled the ball on Seattle's first punt.
But the Seahawks, who beat the Chiefs in September, did not get one point out of the three first-quarter turnovers, and then the Chiefs' offense came to life.
With Kenney hitting nine consecutive passes, the Chiefs built a 17-0 halftime lead en route to a 27-7 victory.
"This wasn't just another game," Maas said. "We had more to play for. We were not only playing Seattle, but all the other wild card teams as
well."
"We've been in situations like that before when we didn't recover," veteran safety Deron Cherry said. "It was like last week in San Diego when the whole team played terrible and we were behind 16-0. But we came back to win that game.
"And we had a feeling on the sideline today (against Seattle) that we would be OK if we just held together as a team, but with all of the turnovers. We're playing together, as a team, and we didn't used to do that."
"Any team that has success in the NFL has that kind of attitude, that kind of collective spirit," Mackovic said.
Mackovic is trying to take a low-key approach to the Denver game.
"I'm just looking at it as time to go play. I'm not going to approach this game in any regard for a concern for anything we do," he said. "I'm concerned that Denver has a great defense, and that (John) Elway is a great quarterback. But we've learned already how to react in games like this."
Linebacker may return to Cardinals practice
United Press International
NFL Roundup
ST. LOUIS — All-Pro linebacker E.J. Junior, who has missed two games with an ankle injury, probably will return to practice this week and might play Sunday against New Orleans.
Cardinals head coach Gene Stallings said the Cardinals needed Junior, who calls the defensive signals from his inside linebacker spot. St. Louis is 2-8 and showed little defense last week in a 43-17 shellacking at San Francisco.
stallings coached the Dallas Cowboys' secondary for 14 years and was upset at the poor showing of his defensive backs against the 48ers. Joe Montana burned the St. Louis defense for three long scoring passes and 460 vault total offense.
The Cardinals are allowing 305.2 yards and 24.7 points a game on defense. After 10 weeks, St. Louis ranks last in turnovers caused (11) and interceptions (4).
The Cardinals will host the surging Saints, who have won four of their past five games to even their record at 5-5. Cliff Stoudt, who replaced St. Louis veteran Neil Lomax at quarterback, most likely will be the starter again Sunday.
NEW YORK — The New York Jets, amid an eight-game win streak, have suffered several major injuries that hinder their chances of continuing their torrid play.
New York Jets
v a h d w b o
Defensive end Marty Lyons sprained his right shoulder and will be lost from four to six weeks, the team said Tuesday.
Pro Bowl nose tackle Joe Klecko, plagued all season by a chronic left knee, will undergo arthroscopic surgery today to repair torn cartilage. The length of his absence from play won't be decided until after the surgery, the Jets said.
Cornerback Russell Carter, New York's best man-to-man defender, is doubtful for Sunday's game against Indianapolis with a pulled hamstring. Also, Al Toon, the NFL's top catcher, was hospitalized with a virus and is expected to be released today.
The absence of Klecko and Lyons will further hurt a defense that two weeks ago lost Pro Bowl linebacker Lance Mehl to career-threatening ligament damage in a knee.
"The amusing stories about all the friction between Boomer Esiason and myself are, A untrue, B fabricated, C fictional, D never have been." Wyche said. "I don't think Boomer and I have ever had a cross word in the three years we've been together."
CINCINNATI -- Cincinnati Bengals Coach Sam Wyche denied he was feuding with quarterback Boomer Esiason and predicted his team would go undefeated the rest of the season.
Wyche benched Esiason during Sunday's 32-28 loss to the Houston Oilers, and Esiason reacted angrily on the sidelines.
Cincinnati Bengals
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Wyche said Esiason would start Sunday against Seattle. He said he was happy Esiason threw a fit when he was benched.
GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Green Bay Packers worked out quarterback Jeff Miller and receiver Byron Williams yesterday.
"Had he not reacted that way, I would be upset with him. It doesn't bother me to have a guy get upset and react momentarily — which is all he did — to being taken out of a ballgame. That shows that he's a competitor."
The loss to Houston, coupled with Cleveland's victory over Miami Monday night, dropped the Bengals one game behind the first-place Brown in the AFC Central. But Wyche declared the Bengals will win the division.
"It was the reaction of a competitive ballplayer when he was taken out," Wyche said. "That's the way I want him."
What:
Double-sided copies Various types of paper Variety of colors
Whatever:
and a lot more . . .
"I don't think we're going to lose another game," he said.
Green Bay Packers
The fastest copy on campus . . .
NY Giants, 8-2, at Minnesota, 6-4, noun
Chicago, 8-2, at Atlanta, 5-1, noun
Detroit, 3-7, at Philadelphia, 3-7,
Miami, 4-8, at Buffalo, 3-7
Miami, 4-8, at Buffalo, 3-7
New Orleans, 5-5, at St. Louis, 2-8,
Seattle, 5-6, at Seattle, 3-7
Kansas City, 7-3, at Milwaukee (Milwaukee), 1-9, noun
Kansas City, 7-3, at Denver, 8-3, p.m.
Indianapolis, 0-1, noun, 10-JETs, 9-1, p.m.
New England, 7-3, at Boston, 6-4, noun
San Diego, 7-3, at Las Vegas, 6-4, p.m.
Dallas, 6-4, at San Diego, 2-8, p.m.
NFL Schedule
Miller is a free agent from Indiana
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Starting quarterback Randy Wright suffered a concussion in Sunday's loss to the Washington Redskins, but is expected to play Sunday against Tampa Bay in Milwaukee.
Green Bay has played with only two quarterbacks since the start of the season, and coach Forrest Gregg said the team would continue to look at available quarterbacks.
State. Williams, a 10th round draft choice by Green Bay in 1983, was waived before the start of the 1983 season and later played for New York Giants.
The Packers, 1-9, made no immediate move to sign either player.
Monday, Nov. 17
San Francisco, 6-3-1, at Washington, 8-2; 8 p.m.
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University of Kansas January 3-10, 1987
SIGN-UP DEADLINE: Tuesday, November 25, 1986
For More Information: SAU Office 864-3477
Here's why. Student Senate allocates over one million dollars of your money to provide you with beneficial services. Voice your opinion about the future of this campus by voting for a coalition with experience to make the difference from day one of the new Senate term. We will implement the following programs:
1. UNDERGRADUATE ADVISING IMPROVEMENTS Advising at K.U. is inadequate.INITIATIVE will restructure the current advising system.Freshmen and sophomores will be advised directly through the Advising Center by trained advisors who will deal specifically with freshmen/sophomore concerns. Faculty members who wish to advise will then be assigned students who have a declared major. An advising worksheet will be developed which clearly states requirements for graduation from a given school.
60% of K.U. students live off campus. To facilitate these student needs, INITIATIVE will establish a central computerized listing of housing and roommate options. This service will be comprehensive and up-to-date, including specific information about price location, pets, and handicapped accessibility. Information about renter's insurance and legal concerns will also be provided.
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