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Show The Salt Lake Tribune FOOTBALL Sunday, December26, 1999 Barry-Like Back Tramples Lions” (Critical Game ‘Means Little To the Fans BY JERRY GREENE Broncos’ Gary rushes for 185 yards as : Denver win dims Detroit’s playoff hopes’ THE ORLANDO SENTINEL ORLANDO,Fla. — In terms of playoff significance, the Big Game must be Jacksonville at Tennessee. The only problem is, nobody seems to be really interested in the Jaguars orthe Titans. The Jags have no tradition, Christmas Da: Fan ite Ukethe nowretired while the Titans have changed cities, nicknames and costumes more often than an agingstripper onthelam from police. Muchto the| path of the sagging Detroit Lions, whose playoff Nowthe BayofPigs, that’s the game. another Tampa Bay, proudly boasting the second-best record in the NFC the Broncos to a 17-7 victory, ex- at 9-5. Andpaynoattention to that 45-0 loss last week. Must have eae Detroit's losing streak to beenjet lag, nothing more. Green Bay, proudly boasting . . well, proudly boasting, uh, plentyof beer, cheese and winterleague bowling. Oh yeah, they have a football team, too. “Everybody around here has «been so spoiled,” safety LeRoy . Butler says. “I don’t think people up here are rooting for us tena half, we were just ae ok said Gary, who to bigger shoes at half- fue, “Out offensive line blocked well for me today. Wecame outin the second half and piayed Bron- cos football.” ‘The Lions, meanwhile, came out flat, drawing the wrath of Coach BobbyRoss. inymore.” cause it is the Christmas weekend after all... Losers. Counting Saturday, Sunday and Mondayoflast weekend, we were 14-1 straight up (138-79 for season). Even better, we were 11-4 against the spread and 105-1048 for the season. \ Jacksonville (13-1) at Tenmressee (11-3) — Jagsfavored by3. . Titans’ 20-19 upset victory in Jacksonville monsoon may prove to be all that keeps Jags from a perfect season — and the Jags knowit. Revenge is best served chilled... . Jags by 7. Minnesota (8-6) at East Rutherford Giants (7-7) — Vikes favored by 2. . . . Do you realize the Giants might makethe playoffs? Do yourealize civilization as we know it may end in a week? . . Vikes by 7. Green Bay (7-7) at Tampa Bay (9-5) — Bucs favored by 3. . Hey, LeRoy Butler’s back: “This game, this is our season, absolutely. So if we lose, you can stick a pitchfork in us.” ... Where do you wantit, LeRoy? Because this is going to hurt._Bucs ) at San — Washington . . -Don’t know how, but the 4-10ers are going to find a way. ... In a Don't-Know-How Upset Special, 4-10ers by 3. Indianapolis (12-2) at Cleveland (2-13) — Colts favored by13. ... Rumor has it that if the Brownslose, they won't even play next week... . Colts by 20. Chicago (6-8) at St. Louis (12-2) — Ramsfavored by 10... . Uh, oh, do you see Rams Coach Dick Vermeil? Oh, he’s tearing up, he's tearing up . Danny La/The Salt Lake Tribune The dasher boards — which eliminate the out-of-bounds territory — are uniqueto indoorfootball. Curran Is Making Another GoofIt With Utah Indoor Football League Former Catzz ownerstarts over inside West Jordan warehouse-style building BY KURT KRAGTHORPE THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE WEST JORDAN — In his first indoor football experience, Michael Curran went through two head coaches by the middleof the season, lost hundreds of thousands of dollars, canceled thelast ... Remember when ike Holmgren wasgoing to be coach of the year, Jon Kitna was a new star and Joey Galloway was making a comeback? Boy, were we wrong. . Ina Turkeys-Done Upset Special, Chiefs by1. Oakland (7-7) at San Diego (6-8) — Raiders favored by 3... . Troy Long gameandfolded the franchise. Otherwise, the experience was wonderful. That's why Curran is spending his winter Saturdays in a warehouse-style building called the Port of Sport, organizing 11 teams into the Utah Indoor Football League and trying to rebuild interestin the sport. “If 1 would havestarted this way ...” Curran says, himself wondering how that sentence might haveended. Curran launched the Catzz franchise in the Professional Indoor Football League (now the IPFL) in 1998, figuring that he could market the team in the spring and summerin Orem, not far from where 65,000 fans watch Brigham Youngplay out- doorfootball in the fall. The team featured ex-BYU quarterback Paul Shoemaker and many other players with Utah ties, yet never (8-6) — ten favored by 3. “Thefun thing aboutit is once you have thatfirst hard hit,it all comes back. I’m glad my body’s still holding together.” developed a real following and hadall kinds of problems, on and off thefield. Having missed on chances to bring in investors in hopes of funding a moveto the E Center in WestValley City, Curran gave up on the Catzz. But he’s back in the game. “It only took mea little while to lick my wounds and jump back inteit,” he says. Which is where Troy Long, the Indoorfootball player-coach a Stripling Warrior. Kaisa Kinikini, the team owner and a 260pound fullback, installs flooring andtalks ofjoining the University three years ofArena Football with the Denver Dynamite in the early ‘90s. He had notplayed football for six years until this month, mak- ing a comebackas the Wolverines’ player-coach, “The fun thing aboutit is once you havethatfirst hard hit, it all comes back,” says Long,33. “I'm glad my body’s still holding together.” Long madethree interceptions in a recent game, and was surprised by his reaction ability: “Something just twitched and said,‘Go get theball.’” Healso likes the way receivers have no chance to step out of nerds... . Ravens by Carolina (7-7) at Pittsburgh (89) — Panthers favored by3... . Until this second, I was going to pick the Steelers in a Playing-ForPride Upset Special. But you know Longis a former Alta High and Curran figures that 11 teams of Atthe Port of Sport, Dan Kotler is using anotherof his inventions. Thecreatorof Sportcourt surfaces for sports such as basketball and roller hockey, Kotler is marketing soft dasher boards that give on impact, reducing the chance of injury. The Port of Sport version of indoor football is played with eight players on a side, ona field that’s keeps passes and kickoffs low. In exciting plays, with the point. troit's Dwayne saper during “You overcome those things with fire and intensity, and I just Duane Burieson/The Associated Press: Denver's victory on Saturday, , don’tlike it.” The Lions mightstill earn a wild-card spot in the weak NFC if big iffor this team, which has lost fiveA seven since a 6-2 start. ‘Tt seems like we only play well if our backs are againstthe wall,” wide receiver Johnnie Morton said. “That mightbe the only pos- itive in this.” Gary, who rushed for 183 yards a week ago in an overtimevictory over Seattle, scored on aany 45- NEL STANDINGS AMERICANCONFERENCE Ree PPA I xinduneots Wie 49 ‘at aa! $50 $89 tomas se wan NYoe 080 am a m0 [Teme Sitimore” 190 1 3.0 70 Sr amawa aoraM Piboph Clewiand west 318 0 im tm oe rmascty 350 5 Sate «8 60 SD on ameoaame | Guin 70 vrWATIONALCONPERENCE eo A oe prea Waningon WHT "t 60 Pe. ‘aSe alas 106 Koma 690 Sere afer soe aete Prlnpia 411.9 Tanabe °G"8'0 50 man 10 sm i mem mom OF Genby 10 Chews to Boe Od °° a1 an sm mn soon os os au oeaon °o an a‘ East ‘New England 770 30 20 %B yoacksonville 13 1 0 929 956 169 410 0 205 376 414 680 49 sm Cincinnati ‘San Diego East kindof started off slow. He kept running hard, kept hitting the holes hard, and sooner or later,it seemed like those guysdidn’t even wat to tackleae just like a guy named Sanders ‘ie todo it for!Detroit, right? “I don’t know aboutthat,” Gary said. “Barry'sa great guy.” Denver 0010 7-17 Detroit 00 07-7 ‘Third Quarter Den—Gary 45run(Blam kick), 14:18. Den—FG Blam 22,£25. ‘Fourth Quarter Den—Carswell 1 pess from Griese (Kiam kick), 13331. Det—HLMoore 13 pess from Batch (Hanson kick), year — translates to hundreds of indoor football fans that could support another pro team. He’s gests to him that Utah Grizzlies owner David Elmore has ideas of launching his own team in the new Arena2 league. And Delta Centerofficials have told him that the Arena Football League has discussed placing a team in the building. “A pro team will be here,” Curran says. And even after everything that went wrong with the Catzz — maybe because ofthat, actually — Curran hopes to run that team as manager. For now, he’s looking for a sponsor who could footballs N.Y. Giants: 770 5 mime T, Central ‘Minnesota 60 sn Mis WG ay INDIVIDUAL LEADERS , Gary 2105, Loville 417, Griese32 Detroit, Batch24,Irvin68, Crowell, Hill 6G Jaguars-Titans May Be Budding Rivaliy GANNETT NEWS SERVICE NAS) Tenn. — New ri- crudbe onthe patho someting <9 ts are definitely in the making,” Titans running Playing in this type of Pi magnitude can ¥ thatrivalry. “Both teams yearn for that spect from the other, more us than egalpt bouncing off the walls and becomingprey to handle. ‘The league. includes players of Denver Broncos wide receiver 25 players each — with more teams expected to compete next posed IPFL franchise, which sug- fact, kickoffs are among the most — he’s trying to build an indoor The Storm’s roster includes drivers, printers, mechanics, loan officers and movers, paying $65 (plus equipmentcosts) to play 10 games. way they could in college football. Indoors, they are hemmed in by dasherboards. 60 yards wide and 23 yards wide, with an overhanging net that attempt, at age 22. bounds and avoid his tackles, the Boys come into the story. Besides offering them a return to glory — “I never thoughtI'd play football football fan base for his next pro of Utah football team as a walk-on convinced that an arena team is coming to the Salt Lake Valley, in oneleagueor another. Curran says the E Center turned down a bid from a pro- again,” many of them tell Curran world who care aboutthis game are Fantasy Footbal! nerds whose 99 yards in Jordan High’s loss to Skyline in the ‘98 Class 5-A state championship game, and now he’s =n 7. ... The only people in the lives depend upon what happens to Corey Dillon. . oe news, Warriors — named after a Book of Mormonreference — include several returned missionaries and others who are about to leave on missions. Saia Vaivaka rushed for BYU defensive back who played Let's see, last week Raiders won, 45-0, and Chargers lost, 12-9. OK, I've got a handle onthis one. . by 45 to 9. Cincinnati (4-10) at Baltimore (7-7) — Ravens favored by Stripling Warriors and the Wild ages 18 to 45, skewed toward the younger end. Manyof the South Valley Sabrecats are recent Bingham High graduates; the Stripling “There's just not the competitive fire and spark that I would want to see from our ballclub at this stage,” Ross said. “We have some weaknesses, but that’s not weekge SSERBEY Root for what, LeRoy? You are 7-7 andfourth in yourdivision. Let's put this a nice way, be- 8 ge bpemberbgyfie finally in a situation to veloping the sport,” he says. Cleveland Tackle Brown Is Released From Hospital ‘THE ASSOCIATED PRESS what? Like Elvis, Pride has left the building... . Panthers by 6. Arizona (6-8) at Atlanta (3- fiepspect afte the eee who picked him in the first of the 1995 draft. His best season was 1997, when he carried 272 times for 1,294 yards. 11) — Falcons favored by 2. . Here's Cards QB Jake Plummer: penalty flag into Brown's eye, The Plain Dealer reported. 3 Cnc Howplalsinete Dec. the wille land Clinic 19 game Jaguars, bothered 500 HAIRGRAFTS JUST $1999! in his right He was hurt when referee inadvertently threw a penalty flag into his BUY MORE FC New 2000 Porsche Boxsters in stock and available for orniee eranseee, eye on Saturday quoted a hospital officer who said the 6-foot-7, 960-pound Exown, wat reipgged, MRE Iasy Toon. Brown been indefinitely by the NFL. He has apologized for his actions. Hospital and team not return several RAIDERS officials did Cinaat 801-751-0051 POOR sid eahahem geome |
