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Show SPORTS STANDARD-EXAMINER TUESDAY, DECEMBER17, 1996 SPORTS EDITOR:625-4260 High winds injure six at Deer Valley |_| Gust causes judges stand to topple; racing resumes Wednesday The Associated Press DEER VALLEY Six judges at the NorAmfreestyle ski competition here were recovering from injuries suffered when a micro-burst of wind toppled their 12-foot-high stand. Coleen Reardon, director of communications for the Deer Valley ski resort, said the stand was located onscaffolding 12 feet above the Big Stick ski run. It fell over and tumbled another four feet down the slope when wind knocked it over Monday morning. The judges jumped from the stand as it fell and one of them“rode it down,” shesaid. The six judges were the only ones injured. Four remained in serious condition at University of Utah Health Sciences Center, one was scheduled for surgery today at Salt Lake Regional Medical Center and another was treated for minor injuries and released from Park City Family Health Center. Winds reaching 40 mph were coming fromthe north most of the morning as 175 amateur skiers and observers prepared to start the NorAm mogul competition, Reardon said. “All of a sudden, the wind shifted and came head on to the (judges’ stand) between 60 and 80 mph,” she said. The race was just a few minutes from starting when the wind hit about 10:05 a.m., she said. The United States Ski Association canceled the mogul portion of its NorAm Intermountain Freestyle Division competition for the day. The high wind and a snow storm forced Deer Valley to close nine of its 13 ski lifts, andthree other resorts — Soli- tude, Alta and Wolf Mountain closed for the day. All but twolifts were closed at Park City and Snowbird closed two lifts and its tram. University hospital spokeswoman Anne Brillinger said Maurice McKay, 40, Stillwater, Minn., suffered a fractured femur anda dislocated shoul- der, a 35-year-old man was being treated for pelvic and possible internal injuries and a 47-year-old man suffered broken ribs, Their names were not immediately released. Those three were taken by medical helicopter to the hospital. Bills’ road skid continues |_| Dolphins eke out 16-14 win to keep Buffalo from playoff spot By STEVEN WINE Closecail The Associated Press Players arrested Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning hasn't decided wherehe'll be next year NBA 4B 2B Milwaukee 107, Boston 91 Detroit 98, Toronto 92 LA Clippers 122, Phoenix 121 Washington 97, Sacramento 89 on the road. “We know we're a better team than we're showing,” said Jim SPORTS SHORTS Kelly, who threw two touchdown passes. “I don’t have the answers right now.” For the first time since 1986, Miami (7-8) swept a season series from the Bills (9-6) and defeated ISU expects to name coach soon POCATELLO, Idaho— Idaho State University Athletic Director Irv Cross has narrowed thefield of candidates for Bengal head football coach to five and intends to makea selection by week's end “Absolutely,” Cross said them in a late-season game. Buffalo had beaten the Dolphins 11 consecutive times in November, December and January in the past decade. “There’s a feeling of frustration and dismay,” Buffalo defensive end Bruce Smith said. “Something’s wrong. This is ri- “because we ve got pressures here, not onlyrecruiting problems, but just settling diculous.” Because the Bills lost, New England (10-5) clinched the AFC down the team East title and will host at least one playoff game. Two of the unofficial finalists were on the campuslast week Buffalo fell into a tie with former L.A. Raiders assistant Thomas Walsh and former Navy head coach George Kansas City and Indianapolis for the best record in the AFC wildcard race, which meanstheBills will have to win on the road in postseason to reach the Super Chaump Bowl. “If I’m in the playoffs, I don’t care whereit’s at — in Buffalo or North Dakota,” Smith said. The Bills can clinch a wildcard berth if they win their final regular-season game Sundayat home against the Chiefs, or if Jacksonville (8-7) loses or ties its final game against Atlanta. The second-year Jaguars will earn a berth bybeating Atlanta, unless the Buffalo-Kansas City game endsin a tie. Miami, eliminated from playoff contention Sunday, claimed a consolation victory and broke a three-game losing streak. “We approached the week like any other game,” coach Jimmy Johnsonsaid. “We didn’t want to finish the year on a down note, RICK BOWMER/The As CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE: Miami quarterback Dan Marino (13) gets sacked by Buffal ciated Pres defensive linemen Phil Hanson(90) and Bruce Smith (78) during the third quarter of the Dolphins’ 16-14 victory Mondaynight regardless ofthe situation.” For the fifth consecutive game, the Dolphins scored just one touchdown, but they controlled the ball for 42 minutes. “We played defense hard,” linebacker Zach Thomas said, “but we only had toplayit for 18 minutes.” “We have a quality defense,” Bills receiver Steve Tasker said, “and they aren’t getting support from this side of the ball. We’re in a funk. There are some mental mistakes going on out there, and that’s ridiculous at this point in the season.” The Bills scored on Kelly’s touchdown passes of 67 yards to Andre Reedand 16 yards to Eric Moulds. But they were outgained on the ground 145 yards to 5] “We got beat probably worse than the score says,” coach Mary Levy said. “We didn’t get theball enough, and didn’t do enough with it when we had it.” Marino went 26-for-37 for 263 yards. His 5-yard touchdown pass to O.J. McDuffie made it 16-7 with 11 minutes left After Moulds scored with 4:09 to go, Miami caught a break when officials ruled the ball was dead on an apparent fumble by McLuffie at the Dolphins 25 Miami kicker Joe Nedney, who has struggled much of the went 3-for-3 on field season, goals, including an 1|8-yarder to give the Dolphins a 9-7 lead midway throughthethird period. Seattle goes ahead with stadium plans __] Officials hope Mariner INSIDE: Baseball news / 4B at University hospital, where she was taken by ambulance. The Associated Press and aerial competitions. The USAA has rescheduled two mogul events for Wednesday. Peyton’s place Needing a victory to clinch a playoff berth Mondaynight, Buffalo instead lost to Miami 16-14. The defeat extended the Bills’ losing streak to three games,all and was in serious condition His name wasnot disclosed. Freestyle skiing includes such events as moguls, ballet Two Virginia Tech football players charged with rape. 2B right themselves. owners will reconsider decision to sell team One man suffered a hip Lousiville gets scare from unheralded Wright State 2B MIAMI - The Buffalo Bills’ road collapse is complete, and 4 decade of dominance against the Miami Dolphins is over. NowtheBills stumble back to Buffalo, where their season will end Sunday if they are unable to Greta O’Brien, 38, Sandy, Utah, suffered a hip fracture fracture and was scheduled to undergo surgery at Salt Lake Regional today, said a hospital spokesman Stephen Schultz. SIDE LINES ticknap said Mondayafter receiving the letter from Mariners chairman John Ellis. Board members were scheduled to vote on a proposed 20year lease, but the agenda wasset SEATTLE - The Public Facilities District will proceed with before Ellis delivered the shocking news Saturday that the team’s ownership group was pulling out of lease negotiations and looking plans to build a retractable-roof for a buyer. stadium for the Seattle Mariners, despite a letter from the team’s owners withdrawing from lease negotiations. “We really need to talk to the Mariners about the letter,” district board‘chairwoman Joan En- Ellis is especially unhappy with a Dec. 12 letter from four King County Council members that suggested a reevaluation of the project schedule that could postpone completion of the ballpark from 1999 to 2000. Ellis, who claims the Mariners can’t afford an extra year of losses estimated at $20 million annually by playing in the outmoded Kingdome, wrote Monday that the team’s owners were withdrawing from the proposed lease agreement and any additional negotiations. “Any understandings or agreement reached with respect to any individual lease terms are hereby repudiated,” Ellis wrote. “As you know, complete agreement on the lease was never reached.” Hesaid he believed a majority of the seven-member board would have approvedthe lease had the vote been taken as scheduled. The Public Facilities District was created by statelegislation in 1995 to build the $363.5 million ballpark. The board votedto proceed as usual with developing the new ballpark at least until a scheduled Dec. 23 meeting The also board agreed to ask the County Council to makethe But the two sides wereclose necessary arrangements to pro- after talks Friday, district lawyer ceed with land acquisition for the ballpark, near the Kingdome Gerry Johnson said. Woods’ impact on golf just too much for one teen ger Woods’ influence on the golf I world has been so significant, even his father has made Golf Digest’s 1997 list of the 36 most powerful people in the sport. It was Greg Norman’s mom who first got himinvolved in golf, but her name was nowhere to be found onthelist in the Januaryedition of Golf Digest. But Earl Woods is andsois his son. Tiger Woods has beena professional golfer less than six months andisn’t old enough to order most beverages in the clubhouse bar. Still, he is considered the most power- ful man in golf that actually swings the clubs to earn a living. In less than three months on the tour, Tiger Woods has won two tournaments and more than $700,000 while raking in millions of dollars in endorsement money. The Woods familyhas taken a firm Vardon grip on the golf world. Tiger Woodsis listed as the third most powerful man in golf behind PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem and United States Golf Association Executive Director David B. Fay. Earl Woods is listed at No. 27 because ofhis influence on his son’s career. Jack Nicklaus is No. 5, Arnold Palmer No. 9 and Norman No. 16 The next 70 players earn their Nike Tour card. But because of weather, the six-round JEFF SIMON tournament wasshortened tofive rounds Standard-Examiner and Sutterfield wasin. There was nohyperventilating and no throwing up because ofthe unbelievable Thelist of 36 people also shows the imjortance of television to golf. NBC analyst dhnny Miller is at No. 12, CBS host Jim Nantz is No. 34, NBC’s sports president Dick Ebersol is No. 20 and Steve Born- stein, president of ABC Sports and ESPN, is No. 24. The only womenlisted are USGA Pres- pressure that comes with the final round of qualifying school. It is a time when tion to play that same tour next year ers are grounded. Sutterfield is anything Morefairways and greens but on the ground after last week Sutterfield, who did play some on the Canadian Tourthis year, had rounds of In the last year, one of Utah’s most stern tests of golf opened for thefirst ime 75, 71, 72, 68 and 73 at the tournament in Entrada at Snow Canyon fessional Laura Davies at No. 28. Making the cut qualifying school is a remarkable feat. Several Utah professionals such as Jimmy The most grueling tournamenton the PGA Tourendedlast week and oneofthe survivors is former Utah State Amateur Champion Brad Sutterfield. Formerly of Salt Lake City and now of Blair, Steve Schneiter, Matt Johnson and Brett Wayment — plunk down the $3,000 entryfee and give it a try nearly every year. For Sutterfield, wholost the 1993 Utah State Amateur to Wayment, it will be his first experience with guys like Fred Cou- St. George, Sutterfield earned his PGA Tourcard at qualifying school. Going into what was going to be the final round of the pressure-packed tournament, Sutterfield was at the make-or-break numberof even par. The low 40 players plusties earn their tour card and he wastied for 40th. So did former Weber State golfer Greg Whisman, but his top 25 finish on the Nike Tour last year earned him an exemp- manycareers are launched and many oth- played at Sandpiper and La Purisma Golf Courses in California. Just making it to the final roundof ident Judy Bell at No. 11 and LPGA pro- Sutterfield will join Utah professionals Dan Forsman, Jay Don Blake and Mike Reid on the regular PGA Tour. Schneiter and long-time PGAprofessional Keith Clearwater both made it to the final round of qualifying school, but missedthe cut ples, Davis Love III, Nick Faldo and Payne Stewart. While at Brigham Young University he did compete atcollegiate tournaments with several players now on the tour, but this will be different. Word is, don’t even try to play this very scenic St. George course from the back tees. The Johnny Miller-designed trek can be treacherous. What could be the most difficult course in Utah is set to open in the summer of 1997 The Ambush Golf Course at Thanksgiving Point, also designed by Miller, is located in Lehi and can play up to 7,600 yards from the back tees. It easily will be the longest golf course in Utah and, Miller says, the toughest. Reid, wholives in Orem, says the Ambush course sets a whole new standardfor golf in Utah. And the other three will be interviewedthis week. They are University of Washington running backs coachAl Roberts, Purdueoffensive coordinator Tim Salem and former University of Florida head coach Galen Hall. who coachedthe Gatorsfrom 1984 through 1989, according to the Post Register in Idaho Falls Brian NcNeely resigned on Nov. 25 after five years as head coach for the often troubled program, saying the program was in better shape than when he arrived although the team finished an injury-plagued 1996 season at 4-7. But winning seasonsin 1994 and 1995 were the first back-to-back for the Bengals in over 20 years His replacement still has a daunting task ahead of him Wednesday marks the first day for midyear junior college transfers to sign letters of intent Van Horn earns conference honor DENVER Utah's Keith Van Horn and Hawaii’s Eric Ambrozich were namedthe Western Athletic Conference's players of the week Mondayfor the Mountain and Pacific divisions, respectively Van Horn, a 6-10 senior forward from Diamond Bar Calif., scored 41 points in Utah'svictory over Weber State, pulled down 15 rebounds and addedthree steals, one block and one assist. He was the first Utah player to score more than 40 points since 1984 Ambrozich, a.6-feet-8 junior forward fromIrvine, Calif., was named the MVP of the Hawaii Nike Festival after leading the host Rainbows to victories over Cal Poly SLO and Ball State. He scored 39 points and recorded 15 rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block TAKE A TICKET Prep sports. See complete schedule on Scoreboard/3B ON THE AiR 5:30 p.m. NBA basketball Utah at New York, KJZZ 6 p.m. NBA basketball L.A. Lakers at Chicago, TNT 6:30 p.m. NHL hockey Detroit at Colorado, ESPN 7 p.m. Boxing: Obed Sullivan vs. Sam Hampton for IBF Intercontinental championship, USA Standard-Examiner staff and wire services |