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Show Jazz Halt Skid With 10 of their previous 11 games, had arrived in town in midafternoon after playing in Denver the night before, and were again going without the injured Adrian Dantley, the NBA's scoring leader. Still, they won, and it had to be as gratifying a triumph as theyve had this season. "That was like the beginning of the season; I thought we were never going to win a game again, said a relieved Frank Layden, the Jazz coach. You get in a slump like that and it wears on everybody, said Hansen, reflecting the views of a happy Jazz team. Tribune Sports Writer - SAN ANTONIO The Jazz not only broke their losing streak Sunday night; they broke it in perhaps the most preferable manner available. Once again having to face up to the gnawing contention that they might fold-ube becoming a fourth-quartteam, the Jazz stared down that notion by scoring on five straight possessions in the final two minutes to ward off the rallying San Antonio p Spurs, 106-10- The victory, which was preserved by a clutch jumper by Bob Hansen and two by Thurl Bailey, halted two their losing streaks for the Jazz skid overall road losing Jazz, who have played games (22) than any other five-gam- e eight-gam- e night in Denver, when the J .'z lost a 14 point lead and missed their last 11 shots of the game. NBA, had lost By Lex Hemphill called him for travelling, and the Jazz still had their lead with 1 58 to go made a special effort to make gave him Mark Eaton a body-heafake, and that was it, said the incredulous Gilmore. I could not believe he Capers would make a critical decision like that." That was the last good chance the Spurs got, because the Jazz suddenly shakes. forgot their fourth-quaite- r And the man who put an end to them was Hansen With the Spurs pressuring outside, like the Nuggets did the night before, the Jazz ran the cloc k down and finally worked it to an open Hansen on the left side. With the Gilmore flashing out too late on him, Hansen nailed the jumper to get the Jazz out of their doldrums. It was probably as important a basket as any made by the Jazz this season "1 They had to be thinking about thrt Sunday night, when the Spurs roared back on them. The Jazz had a nice ) lead with six minutes to go, when they again began to crack. They failed to score on their next seven possessions four turnovers, two misses from the field, and a pair of missed foul shots by Karl Malone. Meanwhile, the Spurs were running off nine points in a row to get within and the Jazz again had the look of a team waiting to get caught. sure (97-86- 97-9- 1 slide, the Jazz During their were doing more than just losing. They were cracking. In six of the 11 games, they had failed to score 20 points in the fourth quarter, and the biggest foldup had come Saturday Then they got a break. Artis Gilmore, who had 19 points and 16 rebounds for the Spurs, came down with an offensive rebound, made a head fake, and then went up for the tying basket. But no. Referee Jim Capers -l and their skein. The more road team in the Win in San Antonio 106-10- 2 I d Tt doesn't bother me, said Hansen, professing to be unfazed by the weight of his shot, which seemed to get heavier and heavier with each preceding Jazz mistake. If you miss it, you miss it; the suns still going to come up tomorrow. ... I just keep relating it back to my junior and senior years in college. Someone has to take that shot. I'll take the heat if it doesnt go in." Hansen had started something. Bailey then hit two jumpers from the right baseline on the next two possessions, and then the Jazz made three out of four free throws in the last 12 seconds, one by Malone and two clinchers by Rickey Green with tour seconds to go. It wasn't like the Jazz didn't need any of those points either. They did, because the Spurs were scoring every time on the other end too. The pres sure was there, just as it had been in the recent past and especially Satur-day- , but this time, the Jazz said, "So there. The thing about tonight that was different than the way we have been playing is we threw that extra pass and executed," said Bailey, who led the Jazz with 20 points. It was amazing, after throwing that extra pass, how open we were. And that is reflected in the fourth-quarte- r numbers. Despite that lapse in which the Jazz were turning the ball over, they wound up (75 percent) for the shooting quarter, a stark contrast from SaturAnd seven of the nine days baskets were assisted, indicating that the ball was moving. So much for and losing. folding "I never thought we were a folding See C-- Column 3 Sports Information Call 237-20- 0 or Rccortletl Scores Call Local 237-20- Salt fake tribune five-minu- te I Sports Its Bears, Patriots in Sniper Bowl XX 1 2r Section C Monday Morning January 13,1986 Page 1 New Englanders Chicago Defense Roasts Rams In 24-- 0 Victory Deep-Si- x In Miami, 31-1- 4 By Angelo Cataldi By Don Pierson MIAMI 31-1- ble by Brock. The Bears will play AFC champion New England in Super Bowl XX in New Orleans It will be their first chance to win a 26. Nation! Football League title since The Bears became the first team 1963. in NFL history to score shutouts in consecutive playoff games. They dumped the New York Giants last week, 21-When you have your defense coordinated like Buddy Ryan has ours, and when you have the personnel and the offense has the ball, its tough not to happen, linebacker Mike Singlek shutouts. tary said of the Their defense was overwhelming, said Rams Coach John Robinson. Jim McMahon played an outstanding game for the second week in a row. When they needed it, he came up with the great play. McMahon was wearing a headband with the name Rozelle printed on it. It was in defiance of fines the Bears have received during the year for uniform violations. McMahon had worn his Adidas headband during a postgame television interview earlier in the season and was fined by NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle. Such fines are routine throughout the league, which has a rule against flaunting brand names. McMahon completed 16 of 25 passes for 164 e yards. Walter Payton, the NFLs rushing leader, was held to 32 yards on 18 carries, but he caught seven passes for 48 yards. Dickerson, who set a playoff record with 248 yards last week against the Dallas Cowboys, was limited to 46 yards on 17 carries. He fumbled twice and the Bears recovered one. Brock also suffered at the hands of the Bear defense. He was sacked three times and completed just 10 of 31 passes for 66 yards. Bears safety Gary Fencik clapped when the Rams won the toss and elected to receive. The Bears stuffed Dickerson on the Rams first two series and took a 10-- 0 lead. The game appeared to be over in the first 10 minutes. A crosswind swirled and gusted around the stadium. The Bears had a slight advantage in the first quarter and came out United Press Internationol back-to-bac- all-tim- Chicago quarterback Jim McMahon is having the time of his life after running for a touchdown in the for 20 yards and wide receiver Gault for 19 yards on the Bears first tvo plays. Payton fumbled and Matt Suhey picked up 4 yards before McMahon scrambled 16 yards for a touchdown on third-and-- i I NFC Championship game. McMahon also threw a touchdown pass as the Bears crushed the Rams, 24-0. Bears, Patriots to Meet Again; Both Are Super Newcomers By The Associated Press For 16 weeks of the National Football League season, the Chicago Bears were being touted and touting themselves as a Super Bowl team. On Sunday, they got there. So did the Cinderella New England Patriots. On Jan. 26 in New Orleans, the Bears and Patriots make their Super Bowl debuts. Chicago got there with a 24-- 0 victory over the Los Angeles Rams, becoming the only team to post consecutive shutouts in NFL playoff history. New England became the first club to win three straight postseason road games in the Super Bowl chase, recording its first triumph in Miami since 1966 by downing the 31-1- Dolphins It will be only the fourth time in league history that both the NFC and AFC champions are newcomers to the Super Bowl it happened in the first year, of course, 1967, and ). and 82 again in 1969 (Jets-Colt(49ers-Bengals- h passing. McMahon hit tight end Emery Moorehead r Newspapers The New England Patriots languished through two decades of withering despair for the one moment of unabashed glory Orthat they savored Sunday in a misty-eye- d ange Bowl. After 18 straight losses spanning 20 years, the Patriots finally found a way to win here 4 over the Miami Dolphins Sunday and with the victory came an against-all-odd- s trip to the Super Bowl to face Chicago in New Orleans two weeks hence. Although the Dolphins had been favored by all but the most loyal of Patriots fans, this was by no means the compelling contest that the 74,978 Orange Bowl patrons had expected. In a startling reversal of roles, the Patriots proved to be the more efficient, more resolute team on a drizzly, miserable day in Miami, while the Dolphins played the uncustomary part of village fools. New England dominated every phase of the game, and controlled the ball with a pulverizing running attack made all the more effective by some brilliantly interspersed passes. Meanwhile, the Dolphins set up 24 Patriots points with fumbles and only rarely showed the form that has been their calling card under head coach Don Shula. That this would not be a typically clean, efficient Miami playoff performance was evident from the very outset, when the Dolphins bumbled their way to a 17-- 7 halftime deficit. Fumbles set up 10 of the New England See C-- Column 3 Knight-Ridde- Chicago Tribune Writer CHICAGO Great defense and quarterback Jim McMahon put the Chicago Bears into their first Super Bowl with a 24-- 0 victory over the Los Angeles Rams in the National Football Conference Championship Game Sunday at Soldier Field. McMahon scored one touchdown and threw for another to Willie Gault. The Bear defense stuffed Eric Dickerson and forced quarterback Dieter Brock to deal with a nasty wind and a nastier pass rush. When the clouds started rolling in, the wind started blowing and it started snowing, we knew it was our day, said McMahon. Fittingly, the defense scored the final touchdown. Linebacker Wilber Marshall ran 52 yards for the score after recovering a fum- Jan. Jinx And it will be a rematch of the second game of the year, when the host Bears downed the Patriots 20-- When we played them the second game of the season, we thought at that time they were the best football team we had seen coming out of preseason, said Coach Mike Ditka, whose Bears registered six sacks and took advantage of four turnovers against New England. Ray Berry New England coach has done a tremendous job. They have good balance and I think they play the game the way its supposed to be played. They do what it takes to beat you. Like Ditka, Berry credited his team with playing to its potential in the playoffs. They have played up to their capabilities, Berry said of his club. I told them yesterday I was only concerned with their playing like they can play and we will be all right. The Bears have been a dominating team. They did a good job against us drring the season. We know well be playing the best. In addition to their head-omeeting, the Bears and Patriots played six common opponents. The Patriots split a pair of regular season games with Miami, which dealt Chicago its only loss. New England also split with the New York Jets, whom Chicago beat and the Patriots downed in the playoffs. New England beat Green Bay, Tampa Bay and Detroit once each, the Bears downed the Packers, Bucs and Lions twice apiece. The Pats took Indianapolis twice and the Bears beat the Colts cce. n e Walter Payton, the NFLs leading rusher, has finally reached pro footballs ultimate game in his 12th season. He credited the Bears unique psyche as much as their physical talent for getting them to New Orleans. -- all-tim- . SfiLoAk United Press Inter notional after coughing up the football where Patriot nosetackle Lester Williams can pounce on it. Miscue led to New England touchdown. Dan Marino cringes The Struggle Continues to Make Sure College Athletes Are Also College Students - NEW ORLEANS The struggle has been waged since the college presidents instituted what they called the sanity code some 40 years ago, with educators and some of the coaches seeking legislation which would attempt to make the athletes students. A decade ago, a bitter fight involved the 1.6 rule for eligibility, with many schools with much higher academic standards joining the have-not- s in a struggle to maintain each university's right to admit its students under its autonomy. In 1983, the American Council on Education got into the act and formed its Presidents' council, which took an active interest in the NCAA convention, especially in the academic and eligibility field. With their prodding, the convention passed Proposition 48. That legislation was to take effect this fall, giving the high school and athlete plenty of time to upgrade the curriculum and the grade points. At the time of passage four years ago the schools with a predominant percentage of black students led the fight against passage, claiming the measure discriminated against blacks. There is a basis for this contention, since I saw a figure here at the NCAA convention that the SAT average for students at 17 predominantly black colleges and universities was 605 with a maximum possible of 1,600. The national average on the SAT test was about 900. The legislation that was expected to go into effect in September obviously would penalize those schools with its 700 minimum score. But the black colleges and universities aren't the only ones affected. Bob Devaney of Nebraska and Mike John Mooney Sports Editor Lude, athletic director at Washington, claimed they checked on last year's freshman at their universities and a high percentage would not qualify under the new regulations. Most people know the provisions, that an athlete entering a university needed a 2.00 grade average in core curriculum (basic) subjects, and a minimum score of 700 on the SAT or 5 on the ACT examinations An athlete who did not meet these qualifications could still be admitted to a university and still could receive 1 financial help, but he could not practice with the team or play in any games, and that year of getting his grades in order would count as one of his four years of competition. John Toner, athletic director at Connecticut and a former president of the NCAA, noted: The old 1.6 median was much tougher than Proposition 48, which the presidents drafted. A leading opponent of the measure is Joffre Whisenton, president of the Southern System, who spoke to a panel before the opening of the convention Monday morning. "We are going to require a certain aptitude test score, but we are forgetting the background of the students, the high school they attend. We must look at the kids coming out of the poverty areas. These students can rise to the occasion." James Wharton, chancellor of Lou isiana State who chaired the committee that proposed Proposition 48 four years ago, took a shot at the high schools, too. High schools are exploiting athletes as much as colleges do, he charged. If a good athlete needs a 2.0 in high school to play, a lot of high schools will find a way for him to get that grade. The use of the test scores is an external verification that minimum standards of education have been met. Two alternatives are being pushed by the black colleges, especially, and a compromise measure has the blessing of the NCAA Council and the NCAA Presidents Commission. Con- sensus among the educators, and athletic directors indicates the compromise will pass. The compromise offers a combination table of high school grades plus test scores and allows for a student I with adequate high school grades compenate for a poor test score averaging the two. As an example, a freshman this f. with only a 13 on the ACT could qua fy for athletics if he had a 2.2 hi school grade point, or higher. A student with poorer grades cou be eligible by scoring well on the te: Example: a student with a gra point between 1.8 and 1.89, cou score a 740 on the SAT or a 17 on I ACT test would be adequate. There is a sliding scale to get t scores up to the original goal in t next two years, with it being a litl tougher to get the average betwe grades and test scores each year. Observation Ward Most of this hassle concerns th concentrating on learning and pr; ticing the tricks of the trade rati than learning the trade. |
