Show FOOTBALL The Salt Lake Tribune vised — its high — in 1991 Last year six conference games were televised 1VAC Deal Means all-tim- 11 Games on TV Starting in 1996 a Continued From C-- 1 e Benson said the new deal is based on the WAC's current membership of 10 schools and is not contingent on whether the league acts on its proposal to add six members and become a conference "The only provision was that if we expand they would televise the playoff game" said Benson who officially became commissioner on July 1 succeeding Dr Joe Kearney history of the WAC" Benson said during the WAC Football Kickoff meetings here The WAC had 10 games tele NFL NOTEBOOK In Tagliabue's Eyes New Free Agency System Isn't Bad Idea By Dave Caldwell NEWSPAPERS KNIGHT-RIDDE- Memo to the rest of the world from the commissioner's office: Quit beefing about the NFL's new free agency system! Paul Tagliabue thinks it is a great system The commissioner predicts that there will be no problem for teams to get all of their new players to mesh into their systems Besides it is not as though everybody is jumping ship anyway Tagliabue provided some statistics last week during a news conference: Eighteen of the NFL's 28 starting quarterbacks have not changed teams and only five of the 90 players who competed in last season's Pro Bowl have new addresses OK so maybe 132 players changed teams during the ' five-mon- free-age- Sign-O-Ram- th a that ended July 15 up from 121 a year ago A little player movement Tagliabue said is good for the game Spices things up a little "It's important to recognize we're out of court and that's where we wanted to be" he said "The focus is back on the football field" His focus maybe While Tag- liabue is touting such things as NFL preseason games in other countries (the - - Oilers-Cowbo- game on Aug 15 at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City is expected to draw 108000) probable realignment (big meeting Sept 28 in Dallas) and the rejuvenated World League (1995 plans to be announced this week) a lot of people still are wondering if some of the strange things that hapfront this pened on the year will become a trend One of those people is Warren Moon the Minnesota Vikings' new quarterback Earlier this month Moon said during a news conference: "It's an agreement that's made a lot of people suffer There are a lot of good players without jobs and a lot of younger players making more money I know the normal career is four years but a lot of players can play longer than the norm I don't think you should be made to suffer just because you have a long free-age- career" Just take a look at a few transactions in the last month or so Phil Simms a veteran quarterback for New York was cut be- cause the Giants could not squeeze his $25 million salary der the 346 million salary cap So was New Orleans veteran Vaughan Johnson who only made the Pro Bowl four times Linebacker Kurt Gouveia the un- Washington Redskins' leading tackler for the last two years was asked to take a 65 percent pay cut — or else At 500000 it still is not as if the former Brigham Young star has to clip coupons from the Sunday paper to make ends meet But Gouveia had a good point last week when be said: "MI my football life I found that productivity gave me rewards The better you played the greater the re wards For the last five years I upgraded my play and every year I got more money Now the money is hurting me Now I'm hoping I don't make too much money" DOD Trivia Time: The Eagles are one of only two NFC teams that opened training camp with the same starting quarterback (Randall Cunningham) and backup quarterback (Bubby Brister) as last year What is the other? DOD On the Move: Buddy Ryan's Arizona Cardinals are quite interested in running back Heath Sherman who was cut earlier this month by the Eagles Sherman is a good friend of Cardinals offensive coordinator Dave Atkins who was an Eagles assistant under Ryan and Rich Kotite Atkins said he has always loved the way Sherman nicknamed ''Love Seat and a Sofa" because shoulder pads of his extra-widgets a lot done with little fanfare And there might be a spot on the roster for Sherman Garrison Hearst the Cardinals' No 1 draft choice in 1993 is far from recovered from a knee injury suffered last year Hearst says he has been undergoing at least four to five hours of therapy each day on the knee "and I'm doing a lot better" But Hearst is running with a noticeable limp and has not been able to go full speed in any drills THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK -- - Phil Simms believes the only reason he won't be quarterbacking the New York Giants this season is the NFL salary cap regardless of what commis sioner Paul Tagliabue says "I was coming off a Pro Bowl year I had a great season but I had a high salary and then I was let go suddenly" Simms told the -New York Times How can you had nothing to do with say that it the salary cap when it bad everything to do with it?" In a telephone news conference Thursday Tagliabue said he doesn't believe the salary cap would cause teams to be cutthroat or cold 'In Phil Simms' case" Tagliabue said in answering a direct question about the former Giant "the fact be ended up with ESPN rather than seeking to continue Lis career with another team suggests rather strongly he concluded it was time to retire and start a good second career in television It wasn't only the effect of the cap By Dick Rosetta THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE COLORADO SPRINGS Colo — The Western Athletic Conference will expand by six seaschools by the beginning of the 1996-9son new WAC commissioner Karl Benson reiterated Saturday However Rice SMU Houston Tulsa UNLV and San Jose State will join the WAC for "somewhat less" than a reported $600000 entry fee "The original ante has been taken off the table" Benson told the a WAC Football Media Days gathering Although there is no new proposal currently in the hands of prospective members Benson said the 10 presidents of current league members are discussing ways of reaching revenue neutrality "The presidents will meet in early August to discuss various proposals" The hangup for the prospective members is not so much an entry fee as it is revenue sharing said Benson "Schools generally understood there was an fee to join the league They didn't know there wouldn't be an immediate full revenue share as soon as they started competing" Benson used Fresno State as an example "Only after three years of WAC membership has FSU begun sharing equally with other league members" Benson who assumed the WAC reins July 1 after four years as commissioner of the Mid America Conference said the WAC has contracts with the Holiday Bowl and Freedom Bowl for 1994 "We still have hopes the Copper and Aloha Bowls will work with us but there are no guarantees" he said 7 up-fro- Continued From best thing that could happen to the GOD Scuttlebutt John Elway the Denver Broncos' quarterback took every snap last year and had perhaps his best season as a pro but his luck has run out So says Angela Hart a psychic whose column appears in the Rocky Mountain News Says Hart: "Frankly it doesn't feel like the injury) is going to be on the playing field It might be at home It might be in a car wreck It could be in practice It feels like it's going to be the left knee and the neck and shoulder on the left Sam Wyche is not side" on having Trent Dilfer counting as his starting quarterback when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers open their season on Sept 4 at Chicago ld Dilfer the first-roun- draft d choice from Fresno State wants a three-yea- r contract worth $75 niilljon The Bucs want to give him $6 million Diller stalked out in June after the of a Bucs made what he considered a ridiculous and insulting offer to him and be is thinking about sitting out the season and the draft next year mini-tam- p ng 009 Trivia Answer: The Green whose starter is Brett Favre and backup is Ty Darner There are only five AFC teams with the same No 1 and No 2 quarterbacks as last year Buffalo (Jim Kelly Frank Reich) Cincinnati (David Clingier Jay Schroeder) the Los Angeles Raiders (Jeff Hostetler Vince Evans) Pittsburgh (Neil O'Donnell Mike Bay Packers Tomczak) and Seattle (Rick direr Dan McGuire) 6-- 6 late-seaso- 59-2- 8 technical aspects of The Air Force Academy's e wishbone rushing attack? So does Falcon starting fullback Jake Maloy Maloy a senior from Marion Iowa carried the ball 79 times in 1993 "There wasn't a single rush that I knew for sure I'd get the ball" So much for the defense trying to key on the eyes of the Falcon running backs "You don't know you'll get the ball until the middle of the play" says Maloy "I go into my stance knowing I'm one of three options for AFA quarterback Demond Cash It gets pretdipsy-doodl- ty interesting" on the Giants that produced Phil Simms' retirement Simms reaction was strong "He has no idea what the bell he's talking about" Simms told The Times for a story in Saturdays editions "He should be tested for drugs" Tagliabue would not discuss the matter further "It's unproductive for me to speculate further about the Giants' — or any other individual clubs — player personnel moves or about an individual player's own career plans" he told the Times in Sunday's editions The Giants when they cut Simms and his $225 million salary admitted the salary cap was a key factor in view of Simms age — he's 38 — and the fact he is coming off shoulder surgery Simms was incensed about the COmMiSSiOner'S remark "How silly is that?" be asked "I was not let go because of the salary cap? That's one of the stupidest things I have ever heard" seri- leagues early reception in the US has been mixed Football-starveBaltimore has gone nuts over its new franchise The still unnamed team (a court has struck down the "CFL Colts" nickname) has sold 25000 season tickets and drew 39000 for its home opener at Memorial Stadium But Sacramento has been a bit of a bust — the Gold Miners averaged fewer than 16000 fans per game last year— and Las Vegas is off to a similar start this season The Posse have sold just 2800 season tick eta and drew only 12213 for last week's home opener against Saskatchewan However Posse owner Nick Mileti is hardly disteam's black and gold merchandise is couraged selling nicely and an unusual public stock offering has generated $7 million "We have no debt and we have a lot of money in the bank" says Mileti former owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Cleveland Indians "For a pro sports franchise that's pretty unusual" d ODD Similar Situation: Las Vegas' CFL fortunes figure to be watched closely in Salt Lake City The two cities are worlds apart culturally But both are loaded with diversions and competition for the entertainment dollar As would likely be the case here the Posse play in a college-owneVegas Sam facility — Nevada-La- s football UNLVs Stadium program struggling Boyd with the CFL team but has yet to go four-gam- By Joe Baird THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE If Salt Lake City ever lands a CFL franchise the local citizenry should have no trouble adjusting to the Canadian game They've seen it all before This is the pro version of the WAC — with 12 players and a bigger field -It's a great game" says Las Vegas Posse coach Ron Meyer whose previous coaching stops included LTNLV and SMil in college and New England and Indianapo-lis in the NFL There arP a lot of adjustments you have tx make The pace of the game is so much faster than American footballi k But its a lot of fun It's like basketball on rms" He's not kidding Last weekend the Posse rallied for a overtime victory over the Saskatchewan Roughriders at Sam Boyd Stadium Besides combining for 54 points the two teams also piled up 844 yards of offense That's a typical night's work in the cm where scoring has been fast-brea- 32-2- 2 one-year-o- ld Population and stadium capaces for current CR franchises and Salt Lake City Metro Stadium Population Capacity 1547000 723000 823000 59478 38205 60081 200000 1481000 741000 2382000 400000 400000 863000 3751000 647000 1072000 27637 22500 35000 British Calgary Edmonton Saskatchewan (Regina) Sacramento Las Vegas Battimore Shreveport Hamilton Ottawa Toronto Winnipeg Salt Lake City 29123 30927 53595 32500 Rebels athletic director Jim Weaver doesn't foresee any problems "My first reaction to the Posse was we really don't need the competition" he says "But when we sat down and really analyzed it it made good sense It's good for the community Well have 14 million people living here by the year 2000 The city will be big enough to handle that kind of diversity" Besides he adds "by the time our season starts theirs will already be half over?' UNLV also gets something else out of the CFL's move into Vegas: The Posse pay $50000 per game to use the stadium With 10 home games that translates into a cool for the season "It's revenue they wouldn't see otherwise" says Mileti "It's a nice source of profit for them" O D D Good Timing: Expansion hasn't been a panacea for the CFI Financial problems remain in places like Canadians still Calgary and Hamilton and hard-cor- e out to the Yanks about selling grumble But most league officials believe expanding into the US was the right move at the right time "It was a strategic risk" grants Smith "Some Canadians like some Americans are very traditional There was a little backlash But it has been more well received as time has passed" "It has made the league more exciting" says Bauer "There's new talent new logos fresh faces It has led to a youth movement and it has turned us into a true North American program All indications are that some of our best draws will be for the American teams" Bauer a Weber State alum is rooting for a Salt Lake CFL team —The population base is there and they do like their football" he says The CFL is an exciting and wide open It would lend game It's itself to the Salt Lake market" Mileti too would like to see a Utah franchise in the league "If they got the right owner and the right facility I'd be a big supporter" he says "It would be an unbelievable rivalry" half-millio- fast-pace- n d on the rise for years Last season the leagues nine teams combined for 4475 points in 81 games That's over 55 per contest Why all the offense? The Canadian game is designed for it The CFL field is 110 yards long and 65 yards wide with 20- yard end zones The standard American football field goes 100 yards by 5312 yards with end zones Because the field is so much bigger "the profile of our athletes is different" says CFL commksioner Larry Smith -You don't see many 300-pounders in our league Our linebackers don't go and 245 pounds they're more like 1 and 225 That's why well never be a threat to the NFL Our game is different Were really going after different athletes- - The differences don't end there Twelve players a side gives the Canadian game an ertra receiver on offense and an extra secondary player on defense 410 b-- AINLI pg s The CFL is also a three-dow- n game with a play clock The majority of the game is special teams:' says Posse linebacker Cedric Crawford a former Utah safety "There's a lot of transition but that makes it more exciting There are a lot of big 10-yar- d 6-- s s Unlimited backfield motion also takes some getting used to CFL backs routinely throughout the count then sprint toward the line as the ball is snapped Scoring in the two games is similar Like American football Canadian touchdowns are worth six points field goals three safeties two and extra points one conversion have always been part of the game A rouge point is scored when the offensive team punts or kicks a field goal into the opposing team) end zone — then recovers the ball or tackles the return man behind the goal line Two-poi- The Canadian Football League has been very very good to Utah's college players Eight Utalms or players with Beehive State ties graced CFL rosters last season The number continues to grow as the league expands into American markets The new Las Vegas Posse boast r four Utah players on its roster — Utah receiver Carl Harry Ute linebacker Cedric Crawford Brigham Young running back Kahn Hall and Utah State quarterback Anthony Cahill° Calvillo has been an immediate hit guiding the Posse to a pair of g exhibition wins and a over Saskatchewan victory last weekend According to Posse coach Ron Meyer the has progressed quickly as a professional "He doesn't have a Jeff George-typ- e arm but he's an accurate thrower and he understands concepts" says Meyer "He's grasped what we're trying to do very quickly and he has good athletic ability He can make things hapThat's imporpen he can tant especially in this league" Calvillo has received most of the headlines but Hall Harry and Crawford have also been impressive Hall rallied the Posse to last week's win over the Roughriders The former Cougar fullback not 155 only rushed for a game-higyards he broke several long runs late in the game to spark the Vegas comeback "I thought my style of play was suited for the CFL" says Hall a Las Vegas native –This league has been good for my situation Fin more involved with the passing game than I was at BYIJ I'm running a lot of receiver-typ- e routes In college I couldn't display a lot of the things I could do Here I do everything" However Hall's professional triumph was scuttled in overtime when he went down with a torn anterior cruciate ligament He's out for the season Harry and Crawford have also been solid contributors Harry starts at a wideout spot while Crawford starts at roverback and plays on just about every special team "They don't look for size in this league: they look for speed and versatility" says Crawford who played strong safety and nickel-bac- k at Utah "The more positions you can play the better off you are" first-yea- 32648 nt home-openin- ie ad-li- b early-seaso- n h While many of the CFL's Utahns are just getting their rareers started another Saskatchewan slotback Ray Elgaard is winding his down And what a career it has been Elgaard a former Ute tight end was taken in the second round by the Roughriders in the 1983 draft In his 12th season the Edmonton Alberta native is the CFI's career receiving yardage leader with 11431 yards and last weekend tied the league record for career receptions with 706 He is Canada's Steve Largerrt "It means a lot" Elgaard says of the twin records "I'm a Canadian kid and I've had a nice Icing career in the CFI rye been very lucky" ) - -- By Joe Baird THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE 60020 50459 I IP CFL Provides Utah Players A Good Match SIZING UP THE CFL Style Looks Familiar tos Wide-Ope- n ID Remember the Alamo: 1VAC teams have BYU vs CSU in played out of the country Australia in 1987 for instance — and in innumerable postseason games at neutral sites But this year UTEP and Air Force are setting a precedent by playing on Sept 24 in the Alamodome in San Antonio e The Miners and Falcons are part of a collegiate series for the Puzzling is how opposing coaches and players view the Falcons' triple option Air Force ODD CFI's g ODD Expand or Die: Two years ago the league was in rough shape Attendance was down Television revenue was flat And at least two franchises were experiencing serious financial difficulties The choice was simple: expand or slowly die "This is a league with a lot of credibility" says Smith appointed CFL commissioner in 1992 "At the same time we hadn't expanded in nearly 40 years It was time for a change We needed to move into bigger markets and create new partnerships and opportunities" Says Winnipeg official Lyle Bauer "We realized that if we kept going the same direction we had been we weren't going to be around in two or three years" A CFL franchise is attractive for a number of reasons The league requires only a $6 million expanthe sion fee a far cry from the $100 million-plu- s NFL NBA and Major League Baseball are asking Rosters are set at 37 players and a salary cap limits expenditures to $19 million per team "The cost is quite low compared to the other major pro sports" says Bauer the Blue Bombers' assistant general manager "You really only need an average of 22000 to 25000 fans to make a go of it and possibly make money" d season-endin- row actually the Ag game is Sept 3 in Logan I'd be ready to throw the ball" said McCoy After throwing for 3860 yards and 21 touchdowns in 1993 McCoy complained of a problem on his right side It was determined 75 percent of a main artery was clogged pinched by the rib behind the collarbone No problem says McCoy who started throwing by June 10 "Ive got just as much velocity as I ever had" n Give Me the Ball: Ever wonder about the DOD head-to-hea- ODD Percent University of Utah senior quarterback Mike McCoy is ready to line up and play — minus the top rib on his right side that was removed last April 19 "If we had to line up for Utah State tomorMcCoy at 90 2 Team d back Wayne Pittman who the Aztec QB says "could be as good as Faulk" Pittman for Heisman? Please Give it a rest 41-3- 8 Columbia Mixed Receptiort The the NFL draft "We've got several No 1 guys" says Gutierrez among them running When Hawaii has played BYU late in the season "we've sort of lost focus on the other teams waiting for the Cougars said McGill BYU was Hawaii's third game last year The in the last seconds "The Cougs won loss decided our whole season said McGill "We were devastated" So much so that an 11-campaign including a Holiday Bowl win in 1992 disintegrated to last year Of course the Cougs probably enjoy the early Hawaii foray too The last two trips to Hawaii have resulted in losses one of them an embarrassing loss in 1990 MIMMIIMMMIE once-ballyhoo- Rain- bows" Cl ball League teams And there is no longer any doubt about the ousness of the CFI's US push DOD Marshall Who? San Diego State's Aztecs tried so hard to boost Marshall Faulk to the Heisman Trophy a year ago that the season got lost in the process says returning SDSU quarterback Tim Gutierrez the second pick in Faulk is a memory now D O D Get the Cougs Early: University of Hawaii center Kelly McGill relishes the idea of playing BYU in the Rainbows' opener Sept 3 In fact he says playing the Cougs early "is the CFL Likes Potential Of Salt Lake City 111 has led the WAC in rushing every year since sev1982 and ranked in the top five nationally en different seasons The WAC football champion will be the Holiday Bowl host school while the Freedom Bowl makes its selection from among the rest of the WAC schools Expansion Members Must Wait To Benefit From Revenue Sharing e Simms Claims Commissioner Full of Cap - WAC Lowers Admittance Price for Six New Schools 16-tea- m Western Athletic Conference football than at any time in the c3 Sunday July 24 1994 01 AA 414 v A a LIM aft mne |