Sports
Universit Daily Kansan / Thursday, January 21, 1988
7
Broncos, Redskins take day off to map strategy
Denver coach questions strength of his defense
The Associated Press
DENVER — Denver Broncos coach Dan Reeves has played or coached in six Super Bowls.
Heading into his seventh — against the Washington Redskins on Jan. 31 in San Diego — he has a pretty good idea what it takes to take, and wonders if his team might be weak in one particular area.
"Cleveland scored touchdowns on four straight possessions against us. I can't remember anyone ever doing that to our defense," he said.
"Our defense didn't play well in the second half," Reeves said of the 38-33 triumph Sunday over Cleveland in the AFC title game.
Denver's defense bears little resemblance to units of recent years. For one thing, such stalwarts as Louis Wright, Steve Foley, Tom Jackson and Rubin Carter have retired. Injuries have sidelined defensive backs Mike Harden and, until recently, Dennis Smith and
"Championship games are won by great defenses," Reeves said. "Washington played great defense on Sunday." The Redskins defeated Minnesota in the NFC championship game, 17-10.
Randy Robbins.
Somehow, the defense has held together, even managing a few outstanding efforts this season. But its vulnerability was exposed by the Browns.
"I never try to figure out those things," he said. "The game looks like a toss-up to me."
While the Bronco players took their second straight day off Wednesday, Reeves and his assistant coaches studied film of the Minnesota-Washington game, as well as recent Redskin games against Miami and Dallas and a 1986 game with Denver, won by the Broncos 31-30 in Mile High Stadium.
"The one thing that stands out about the Redskins is they're very well coached," Reeves said. "If I could vote year in and year out for a guy doing a great job, it would be Joe Gibbs. He's won over 70 percent of his games playing in a tough division. Richie Petitbon does a great job with their defense, too."
Without a stault defense, Reeves wonders how the Broncos can be three-point favorites in the Super Bowl.
Redskins coach plotting to stop Denver's Elway
HERNDON, Va. — It was strategy day. The plotters: Washington Redskins coaches. The target: John Elway. The objective: stopping him in the Super Bowl.
"Elway's the key feature in the game plan, obviously," Redskins linebacker coach Larry Peccatelli said. "We'll be conservative at times and at other times we'll be aggressive, but you've got to mix it up when you play against a guy of his caliber."
The Associated Press
While the players enjoyed their second straight day off Wednesday, Redskins coaches huddled inside the team's practice facility, watching films and devising strategy against the quarterback for the Denver Broncos.
Players will get their first look at the game plan Thursday when they report for practice for the first time this week.
The last time Denver played the Redskins, in December 1986, Elway threw for 282 yards to rally the Broncos from a 13-0 deficit to a 31-30 victory. Washington is working to keep him from pulling off an encre in the Super Bowl on Jan. 31.
The Redskins' offensive strategy also is influenced by Elway, who has been called a "one-man gang" by Washington coach Joe Gibbs.
"We have to get a good job from our offense so we can keep their offense off the field," Gibbs said. "If we can control the ball, we can keep it away from Elway.
"He's one of the best quarterbacks who's ever played," Gibbs said. "He got off to a slow start last time we played Denver, and he still got them 31 points."
Elway's scrambling tactics put additional pressure on the Washington defensive line, which has had trouble against fleet-footed quarter-backs.
"You've got to get pressure on him and keep him in the pocket," line coach LaVern Torgeson said. "That makes it tough because you have to be aggressive, yet you can't leave your lanes because he'll run right by you."
Torgeson said that the Redskins planned to add a few wrinkles for stopping Elway.
"You have to. He's one of the great ones." Torgeson said.
Jayhawks edge Lady Buffs; Martin sidelined by injury
Bv Keith Stroker
Kansan sports writer
Guard Lisa Braddy hit two free throws with 15 seconds left in helping lead the Kansas women's basketball team to a 72-71 road victory over the Colorado Lady Bufs last night.
In the process, the Jayhawks lost forward Jackie Martin for the rest of the season. At the 15-minute mark of the second half, Martin ruptured her achilles tendon. She finished with six points.
The team was upset when it heard that Martin would be lost for the season.
Braddy, who hit just one of 13 shots in two previous Big Eight Conference games, scored a game-high 19 points, including 11 of 12 from the free-throw line. She also led Kansas with seven assists.
The Jayhawks started sophomore center Lynn Page, and she responded by scoring 13 points and grabbing 11
rebounds. Coach Marian Washington said Page turned in a tremendous effort.
"She is a sophomore starting to show tremendous progress," Washington said. "Lynn came through when we needed her most."
Kansas, 11-5 overall and 1-2 in the conference, led 37-32 at halftime. After the Lady Buffs scored the first two Hawks caught up, and the lead changed hands several times in the opening period.
The Jayhawks' victory stopped a two-game losing streak at Boulder. Last year its 83-65 victory by the Lady Buffs was sparked by forward Tracy Tripr's 25 points and forward Gretchen DeWitt's 18. Last night, the Jayhawks held Tripp to eight points and DeWitt to two.
Kansas held its biggest lead, 57-48,
with 9 minutes left in the game.
Colorado, 10-4 overall and 3-0 in the
conference, pulled to within one, 68-67,
at the 2:03 mark, but could never
regain the lead.
Washington said the Jayhawks allowed some things to happen defensively that she didn't want, but the team held its poise and was excellent at the free-throw line.
The Jayhawks' next game is 11 a.m. Saturday, at home against the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
Kansas 72. Colorado 71
Kansas (72)
Martin 1 4-6-6, Shaw 5-0 12, Brady 4 11-12-19,
Baker 4 8-0 0, Bougher 4 0-2 4, Stroughef 5-0 10-
Page 1 2-13, Jackson 0 0 0, Arnold 0 0 Nelson 0
0-2.0. Totals 27 16-27 22.
Wampler 0-0-0, 5 Oarks 3-1-3, 7 Ford 2-12-16
Turner 3-8-1, Carson 2-4-7, Woodford 1-0-2
DeWitte 1.0-2, Stephens 5-4-4, Wilson 1-0-2
Hallahan 2-3-27, Hallsen 2-3-27.
Hatline: Kashane 37-23
Female ump given her chance to make it in the major leagues
The Associated Press
"The they want to give her a chance," said Barney Deary, head of umpire development for the minor leagues. "She's paid her dues. I think she deserves a shot."
NEW YORK — Pam Postema, the only female umpire in professional baseball, will work National League games during spring training and could be in the majors this season, officials said.
No woman has ever umpired in the majors. Postma has advanced to third place.
Postema, 34, has been in the minors for 11 seasons. She has been at the Class AAA level for five years and spent last season in the American Association.
"It's our intention . . . to give her as long and serious a look as possible on her merits," league President Bart Giamatti told the Miami Herald. "I want to give her a chance."
Postema's opportunity comes at a
time when Commissioner Peter Ueberroth has pushed for more minority hiring, particularly for blacks and Hispanics. The National League is downplaying Postema's gender, although promoting her would fulfill baseball's goal.
Postema worked a handful of spring training games for the American League in 1984 and 1985. She was the plate umpire at last year's Hall of Fame game in Cooperstown, N.Y., and got high marks from her supervisors.
It is unlikely Postema would begin the season at the major league level. The National League already has four minor league umpires under contract, but Postema could get one of two openings for the relief pool, which fills in because of vacations and illness.
"There's a chance, if she does well, she could get one of those positions," said league spokeswoman Katy Feeney.
Postemia would probably work in Florida during March, Feeney said. Ed Vargo, the director of umpire development for the league, will spend most of spring training in Florida and can watch her.
"It's always good to know they're interested," Postta told the Herald from Phoenix, where she works off-season as a driver for UniParcel Service. "But I can't give you any indication of what they're thinking."
"You're always an inch away from being moved up to the big leagues and an inch from being released. But you never know," she said.
The National League has two vacancies on its umpiring staff because of the death of veteran Dick Stello in a November automobile accident. He is also by WilliamS.
Postemna went to the Instructional League in the winter at Vargo's request. She spent the time not working games but learning the fine points of acting like a big-league umpire.
'Tired' Flores quits Raiders
The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — Tom Flores,
saying he was worn out after nine
years in the pressure cooker, retired
as coach of the Los Angeles Raiders
on Wednesday.
"I've won. I think it's time to smell the roses. It's time for me to step aside." Flores said. "I have no idea how much we need just about everything you can."
Flores, 50, guided the Raiders to a 5-10 record in 1987, their worst showing in 25 years.
Overall, his teams had an 83-53 regular-season record. They won three AFC West championships in his nine games and in the postseason his six. His teams were 8-3.
But the Raiders, who managed the only two Super Bowl victories by AFC teams in the 1980s, lost 14 of their last 19 games. They were 8-4 in 1986 before losing their last four games to fall out of playoff contention.
"I'm not burned out. I'm just tired," Flores said at a packed news conference. "It's time to go on to another challenge. obviously by the time you're finished, we have worn me out a little bit, so I'm going to take a little rest."
Team owner Al Davis said it was Flores' decision to step down and indicated it would be a while before he would name a replacement, although it has been speculated that he might hire a black.
"No one asked Tom Flores to retire," Davis said. "This is what he wanted to do. Tom will continue to serve the Raiders as an adviser, special projects, and will always be a part of our organization."
would hope that the Raiders would have a new coach by the league meetings in March. I haven't thought about it and I won't discuss it. The last time it took about a month. It's a very big, a very tough decision."
"I would say that with all our great records, one characteristic of the Raiders is that race, color, creed and even sex have never interfered," he replied. "I'm going to choose the best person who can lead the Raiders."
Davis was asked about the possibility of hiring a black coach.
If a black is hired by the Raiders, he would be the first of his race to be
Black coach
a coach in the modern-day NFL.
About Flores, Davis said, "Tom ranks as one of the greatest head coaches. In 1979, I told him that no one could do it (coach) for more than 10 years. If this sounds like a star, Flores like a Canton, Ohio, it's not how, but it may be someday. He was, and is, a star among stars."
Among those rumored as possible successors are San Francisco assistant Dennis Green, Raiders assistants Charlie Sumner, Art Shell and Willie Brown, and Pittsburgh assistants Tony Dungy. Only Sumner is white.
Flores, the NFL coach of the year in 1982, spent 13 seasons with the Raiders as a quarterback and assistant coach before replacing John Madden as coach in 1979.
The Raiders won the Super Bowl following the 1980 and 1983 seasons, but went through hard times in recent years. They haven't won a victory since overpowering Washington 38-9 in the Super Bowl in January of 1984.
Quarterback problems
The club's major weakness has been at quarterback. Veteran Jim Plunkett, who quarterbacked the Raiders to their two Super Bowl victories this decade, has been hampered by injuries, and neither Marc Wilson nor Rusty Hilger has been able to provide any consistency.
The Raiders also were hit this season by many injuries to their offensive line, and their running game and pass protection suffered.
Also, Davis, who watchs Raider games from the press box, often was heard loudly questioning some of the coach's play-calling this season.
"I'm a sore loser, there no question about it," Davis said. "You cannot confuse questioning something with negative dissent. We've had dissent here. I think all this stuff is more of problems that I consider portral."
Asked if he would ever consider coaching again. Flores said:
"Don't put anything in granite. Right now, coaching is history. But you don't know what lies around the bend."
Distractions
In addition to the quarterback problems, Flores and the Raiders
have been through some off-the-field distractions.
Davis, who shifted the franchise from Oakland to Los Angeles in 1982 after winning a lengthy antitrust suit against the NFL, has announced his intention to move the club from the Los Angeles Coliseum to a proposed stadium in suburban Irwindale.
Flores' wife, Barbara, said she wanted her husband to retire.
"I feel very happy, relieved," she said. "I think that this is really the best time for Tom to do this. He's been very tired. Each year it's become more. I think stress is like that, don't you?
"We're going to Palm Springs tomorrow. Now we can go somewhere for more than four days," she said.
Players' feelings
Plunkett was one of several current and former Raiders who attended Wednesday's news conference.
"Iwould characterize him as a fine coach and a good friend," Plunket said of Flores. "Ikind of hate to see him step down. It's obviously gotten to him. He's doing what's best for Tom right now."
Said All-Pro defensive end Howie Long: "He's been the only head coach I've ever had. There were times early in my career where I didn't think I was good enough to play in the NFL. He pushed me in the right direction, gave me confidence. I admire him for his honesty, the way he handled himself, his dignity."
In his second season, Flores guided the Raiders to a 27-10 Super Bowl victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. On Wednesday, he said that was probably his biggest thrill and accomplishment because the Raiders were a wild-card team in the playoffs.
Flores spent seven seasons as an assistant under Madden before being selected by Davis about a month after he announced his retirement in early 1979.
They won the Super Bowl again after the 1983 season when they beat the Redskins.
Flores earlier earned a Super Bowl ring as a player, as backup quarterback with the Kansas City Chiefs and as an assistant with the Raiders in Oakland.
Mizzou pounds Chicago State; Wolfpack, Kentucky upset
The Associated Press
Missouri 84
Missouri 64 Chicago St. 56
Doug Smith scored 19 points and Lee Coward added 17 for the Tigers, who raised their record to 10-4. The loss dropped the Cougars to 5-12.
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Byron Irvin's 20 points led Missouri to an 84-5 victory over Chicago State on Wednesday night
Missouri widened a 38-33 halftime lead by outscoring the Cougars 22-7 in the first seven minutes of the second half. Irvin, an junior forward, had eight of the Tigers' points in that stretch, including two three-pointers.
The Tigers raced to a 9-10 lead in the first two minutes of the game, with four different players scoring. Coward started the run, hitting a three-point shot 29 seconds into the game.
Junior center Laurent Crawford and senior guard Kenton Terrell, each with 12 points, paced the Cougar attack. All of Terrell's points came from three-point range.
Terrell's three-point shot with less than four minutes to play in the first half made it 31-27. It was as close as Dougars came the rest of the game.
GREENSBORO, N.C. — Cal Boyd hit a three-point jump with 20 seconds left and added two free throws with four seconds to play in leading Wake Forest to a 71-67 upset of No. 20 North Carolina State in an Atlantic Coast Conference game last night.
Wake Forest 71 North Carolina St.67
Boyd's jumper came after Chris
Corchiani missed the first shot of a one-and-one with 32 seconds left. After Boyd's basket, Vinny Del Negro attempted a shot from the right side that bounced off the rim. Boyd came up with the loose ball and hit the throw after Del Negro intentionally fouled him.
David Carlyle was fouled on the ensuing inbounds pass and made one more free throw with two seconds left.
The Demon Deacons hit 12 of 14 free throws in the last 6:37. Boyd's game-winning jumper was the only field goal in that stretch.
The Wolfpack led by 67-62 after two free throws by Del Negro at 1:31, but a free throw by Boyd and two more by Sam Iv helped set up the finish.
N. C. State was taken out of its running game by Wake Forest's quick defense and hot shooting. Also,
a 2-for-9 start in field goals by the Wolfpack helped Wake Forest pull away to a 31-20 lead in the first half. But Del Negro sparked a 9-2 run in the final four minutes that pulled N.C. State to within 33-29 at halftime.
Iowa St. 114
Nebraska 76
AMES, Iowa — Jeff Grayer's 37 points powered No. 10 Iowa State to a 114-76 Big Eight Conference victory over Nebraska on Wednesday night. It was the Cyclones' largest scoring margin ever in a regular league game.
The margin equaled the 38-point bulge registered against Colorado in a 1957 conference tournament.
Lafester Rhodes, who along with Elmer Robinson did not start for being late to the arena, added 23 points off the bench as ISU topped the
Robinson added 11 and Gary
Thompkins and Terry Woods had 10
century mark for a team record seventh time this season.
Jeff Reekewg and Pete Manning had 14 apiece for the Cornhuskers.
Grayer, with 12 points in the next five minutes, pressed the Cyclones back to a commanding 105-72 advantage with three minutes to play.
The Cyclones jumped to an 18-3 lead before Rhodes and Robinson entered the lineup. Iowa State built the margin to 42-15 with five minutes left in the half on successive three-point goals by Grayer, Rhodes and Mike Born.
Iowa State, 16-2 overall and 2-0 in the conference, led 56-31 at haftime. Nebraska, 9-8 and 1-1, closed to Iowa State eight minutes of the second period.
Florida 58
Kentucky 56
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Vernon Maxwell scored 19 points and Dwayne Schintzius added 18 as Florida defeated No. 4 Kentucky 58-56 despite going scoreless over the final 3:24 in Southeastern Conference basketball Wednesday night.
Florida used a 2-1-2 zone that allowed Kentucky to make only 16 of 57 shots for 28.1 percent.
Sinhitzius' wide-open slam dunk with 3:24 to go give Florida a 58-51 lead before Kentucky's foultry run.
Richard Madison hit a five-footer at 2:33 and Winston Bennett completed a three-point play off an inside power move with 1:20 to go in slicing Florida's lead to the final margin.