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Show The Salt Lake Tribune SPORTS Tuesday, January 19, 1999 _ _D3 MoreViking Losses? Ravens to MeetBillick, Johnson MayWantTrade THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NFL NOTES SUPER BOWL Bears have been given permission ation as their new head coach. A Sunday, Jan. 34 At Miami about head coaching vacancies Denver Broncos vs. Atlanta Falcons, apm (Ch. 13) to Bill Parcells as Jets coach. Par- OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Minnesota Vikings’ loss could turn outto be the Baltimore Rav- ens’ gain. The Vikings’ 30-27 overtime loss to Atlanta in Sunday’s NFL Championship game cleared the wayfor Minnesota offensive coordinator Brian Billick to interview for the Ravens’ head coaching vacancy. Billick planned to arrive in Baltimore on Monday night and meet with Ravens owner Art Modell today. Billick, 44, has been the Vikings’ offensive ‘coordinator for the past five years. Underhis di- rection, the Vikings scored an NFL-record 556 points this regular season. The Ravens werenot allowed to meetwith Billick until the Vikings were eliminated from playoff contention. Had Minnesota won Sunday, as expected, then Baltimore would have been foreed to wait until February to speak with Billick. Baltimorereceived an addition11 dose of good news when theexpansion Cleveland Browns dropped Billick from consider- Browns spokesman said team President Carmen Policy would not expandon the reasons for his decision to drop Billick until today. Policy was planning to inter- view Oaklanddefensive coordinator Willie Shaw today. Oo JOHNSON UNHAPPY EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — One day after a disappointing end to his own disappointing season, Brad Johnson said he hopes the Minnesota Vikingstrade himif he won't be their starting quarterback in 1999. Johnson, a career backup who earned thestarting job late in the 1996 season, began this season as with those teams. Player Stedum BowlandAll-Pro recognition. Johnson returned Nov. 8 when Cunningham injured his knee against NewOrleans, but Johnson broke the thumbon his throwing handin the second half that day. Even though he finished the game he also was finished playing for six more weeks. Thenthe Vikings gave Cunning- ham a $28 million contract exten- sion late in the regular season, and Johnson's future becameuncertain. He discussed it for the first time following Sunday's Minnesota’s starter. He had come painful 30-27 overtimeloss to At- back from a neck injury that cost him the last five games of the lanta in the NFC championship 1997 season, but he broke a bone in his leg in the second game. Randall Cunningham replaced him and flourished, earning Pro to talk with New York Jets assistant head coach Bill Belichick game. oO TALKING WITH BELICHICK HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. — The Kansas City Chiefs and Chicago Belichick is the heir-apparent cells announced Monday that he will return to coach the AFC East champions in 1999. oO KUBIAK DENIES COLORADO DENVER — Aftera few sleep- less nights, Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak rejected an offer to become coach at the University of Colorado. Saying he was “not good at do- ing two things,” Kubiak said the past five days — during which he was preparing the Broncosfor the AFC championship gameagainst the NewYork Jets while at the same time being courted for the Colorado job — were unbearable. On Sunday, after Denver's 2310 victory, Kubiak said he plannedto decide“within 24 to 48 hours” whetherto accept the Colorado job, but that regardless he would remain with the Broncos through the Super Bowl Jan. 31. ‘Tom Olimscheid/The Associated Press Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator Brian Billick, left, helped make Randall Cunningham a Pro Bowl quarterback. Former Alta Star Knight Heads To the Lakers for Second Time COMBINED WIRESERVICES PROVIDENCE — The Los Angeles Lakers always said they liked Travis Knight for the way he filled in for the injured Shaquille O'Neal during the 1997 NBAsea- NBA NOTEBOOK Thelack of a written agreement didn’t keep teams from pulling off deals. son. Well, Jerry West mustlike him New York Knicks were expected a lot more than he does Tony Battie, because Knightis L.A.-bound to obtain Latrell Sprewell from Golden State, numerous league again. Rick Pitino, who lured Knight to Boston with a seven-year con- tract worth about $22 million,will trade his 7-foot, 235-pound center to the Lakers as soon as the NBA lockout officially ends and the league permits player transactions. Battie is a 6-11, 240-pound center/forward who played in 65 games for the Denver Nuggets last season. Hewas traded to the Lakers last June for guard Nick Van Exel. Knight, a former standout for Alta High, played in 74 games for the Celtics last season, averaging 6.5 points and 4.5 rebounds. Pitino had hoped that Knight would provide the defensive presence the Celtics desperately need, but Knight proved to be a 7-foot three-point launcherinstead. He also proved to be a hugesalary cap liability. AGREEMENTDELAY PUSHES BACK DEALS NEW YORK — The NBA lockout will last at least another day longer, meaning the upcoming trades of Scottie Pippen and La- trell Sprewell — along with all other league business — will be on hold until Wednesday at the earliest. Pippen To Sign 5-Year, $67 Million Deal @ Continued from D-1 ilar deals involving Pippen with Bulls General Manager Jerry Aggies Are No Longer Conservative @ Continued from D-1 the all-around with a 39.0 at the NCAA WestRegional. She did not fare so well at the national meet, however, scoring only 37.55, But now she has Corn’s new plan working for her. Like her teammates, Denson won't be messing around with any pedestrian stunts this season; they've upgraded everything. In- stead of performing a standard vault mount, for instance, the Ags will use the Yurchenko mount. That's when a gymnast flips Besides the Pippen trade, the sources told The Associated Press. Also, top free agent Antonio MeDyessnarrowedhis choices to Denver and Phoenix. A numberof other deals were @ Minnesota, Toronto and Den- ver reaching agreement on a three-way trade sending Chauncey Billups to the Nuggets, Dean Garrett and Bobby Jacksonto the Timberwolves and Micheal Wil- liams and two No. 1 picks to the Raptors. @ The Bulls signing andtrading Steve Kerr to the San Antonio Spurs. ing to resolve several differences that have poppedup,and settletween the sides concerns the new average salary exception, which allowsteamsalreadyoverthesalary cap to sign an extra free agent. The union wants the exception to be used for six-year contracts; the league wantsit limited to three-year deals. Krause. ‘The acquisition of Pippen should clear the way for Charles Barkley to re-sign with Houston, giving the Rockets a formidable frontline of Barkley, Pippen and Hakeem Olajuwon. The 33-year-old Pippen has been with Chicagosince the 1987-88 sea- son when he was drafted out of Central Arkansas. Last year, he averaged 19.1 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. with someofthetrickier stuff. Mark Leeand Quin Shannon are both well-known in gymnasticscir- cles, Lee used to own Rocky Mountain Gymnastics in Salt Lake City and coach there, and he coached 1988 Olympian Missy Marlowe be- fore her All-America career at Utah. Shannon, meanwhile, has been coaching at a YMCA gymnastics center in California but spent sometime working with the Desert Devils in Phoenix — the club home of such Utah stars as Angie Leon- ard and Aimee Trepanier. Corn said Lee and Shannon have the kind of experience that will complement his own, That Yur- chenkovault mount, for example? It had been prohibited in college competition until three years ago — or, for 18 of Corn’s 21 seasons. Hehas never coachedit. But Lee and Shannonhave. “T wouldlike to say that I went Sonow, armedwith plenty of experience and five new freshmen ‘The result of all the improve- ments will be much more difficult routines, and much better scoresif the Ags can hit them. Available at the Delta Center or Smith's Tix Starting January 20th, 1999 at 7:00 am Win! = . Airfare for Two on BelesAtnest= i (ContinentalU.S.) Plus,100 Tickets to regular season games will be given away! For 30 minutes after the game a Limited numberof fans will get i Bring the whole family! ! (up to 10 tickets per person) Utah Jazz ho Denver Nuggets Friday, January 29, 1999 at 7:00 pm PrecTi Doors open at 5:30 pm Wnt Vd Get yourtickets at the Delta Center or Smith’s Tix (Limit 4 per person) Round Trip Airfare for Two on Delta Aiiines! (Continental U.S.) Tickets to Regular Season Games! hesaid, and a schedule that culminates with the NCAA Regional meet at the Spectrum on April 10, the Aggies But Corn is not doing all this ren ovation by himself, He has hired two new assistant coaches to help Doors open at 5:30 pm ment tonight appeared to be the best-case scenario. The biggest disagreement be- “We went away from the conservative approach to gymnastics,” said Corn, “and essentially went Monday, January 25th, 1999 7:00 pm All of those deals cannotbe fi- froma wishbone offense to a West Coast offense.” the Ags have thrown awaytheir old double-back flips and are working now onthrowing double-layouts. Practice & Scrimage nalized until lawyers representing the league and the union finish putting the lockout settlement into writing. Attorneys for both sides were huddled away Mondaynight try- after, in my opinion, the two coaches who were the best in the nation and who would fit in our program and wanted to be here,” said Corn. Corn has had no difficulty winning adherents among his gymnasts. They were “totally into it,” through a roundoff before even hitting the springboard, On floor, Watch the Utah Jazz being discussed, including: are prepared to enter a new — replete with seasons that don't end until the national meet does. Official Soft Drink of the Utah Jazz A Delta Air Lines |
