Show I JI I 1 r The plots thicken in grand old game SLC goes for it Baseball as usual surprises us ByJimUtk a AP sports writer Expos a 5 win and keep them within four games And die win may have grated on die already tight Phillies because they left die park thinking they had been cheated Earlier in the ninth inning Larry Walker’s ground ball caromed off first baseman John Kruk's chest and his slide into first beat Kruk’s throw to pitcher Mitch Williams ‘‘Impact umpiring takes its toll again” Williams said "There’s no way in the world he’s safe You can’t give a team like diem four outs But he did and game over” Needless to say that’s not the way you want your ballplayers thinking in the middle of a tight race More appropriate would be what Mike Gallego said after New York lost 3 to Boston to fall four games behind die Blue Jays in die American League East After someone pointed out that die numbers were increasingly stacked against his team die Yankees second baseman replied defiantly: “This is sports There is no reality in this business “That's not die regular world out there on die field" he reminded the questioner “This is sports” It’s hard to argue with that kind of logic Indeed if baseball were logical Toronto would have shed die Yankees and Orioles a long time ago And die White Sox would have shed Texas and the rest of die American League West by now as weU But they haven’t In fact Chicago needed a two-ru- n homer from Robin Ventura — off Dennis Eckersley and in the ninth faming no less — to escape the clutches of the lowly Oakland A’s and in front of Texas stay 4 6-- I I Just 12 days ago major league owners had most of us convinced that baseball was in need of a fix According to the czars die game was either too tame or too narrow for the television generation and lead-i- n it definitely lacked a bang-u- p to die postseason At least that was what they said on Sept 9 when they announced grand plans to realign die two leagues into three divisions each and add a round of playoffs Commentary But some funny things have happened since then Four of diem in fact At the same time for die first time in memory Funny compelling things called division races Wacky interesting tilings like that are happening all over baseball Every night Sunday night in Montreal die Expos were trailing Philadelphia 4 and down to their last out One month ago die Expos could have been mistaken for road kill an undistinguished lump among the many die Phillies glimpsed In their rearview minor as they pulled away from die entire National League East All that changed after Montreal won 21 of its next 25 But it threatened to change back again if Philadelphia held on Sunday night Instead Wil Cordero drove in two runs with a single to give the 5-- Olympic bid is official 8-- Montreal Expos celebrate beating Phils 1- -2 In bottom of the ninth COLORADO SPRINGS Cola (AP) — Salt Lake City was formally nominated today as the US candidate to host the Winter Olympics in 2002 US Olympic Committee officials presented the Utah city as the nominee at meetings of the International Olympic Committe in Monte Carla "Salt Lake City has demonstrated tremendous community support for its Olympic effort as well as a solid commitment to the construction of winter sports facilities as part of its bid to host the 2002 Olympic Winter Games” Dr LeRoy T Walker USOC president said in a statement released at the committee's headquarters Salt Lake city was runner-u- p to Nagano Japan in die bidding for the 1998 Winter Games Not the same old Cowboys They win for a change send in a runner No 22 By The Associated Press Add one Enunitt Smith to the Dallas lineup Add one victory to the Cowboys' record Not that Smith was his usual superstar self Sunday night He didn’t have to be with Troy Aikman Alvin Harper Michael Irvin and yes Derrick Lassie having big games in a 0 victory at Phoenix The champion Cowboys lost their first two games with Smith holding out He signed a contract on Thursday $136 million four-yebut was on the sideline when the game began By the time he did appear with 6:21 krft in die third quarter Dallas led 17-- 7 Lassie the rookie from Alabama who has played well as Smith’s replacement had both touchdowns while Aikman was on the way to a night for 281 yards Harper caught six passes for 136 and Irvin added five for 74 "He played like he was going into the Super Bowl” Aikman said of die Smith’s electrifying entry into the game midway through die 17-1- ar 21-for-- 27 It was Aikman’s deadly passing that set the tone for the coed efficient Cowboys throughout the game however third quarter "He gave us a jolt right there” "I wanted to stay patient' Vsaid Smith who rushed for 45 yards on eight carries ’‘But once the kickoff came I got antsy to get in there I have to admit I was nervous I could feel the "That was as good a performance as I’ve ever seen by a quarterback” Phoenix defensive coordinator Fritz Shurmur said "He just hit die receivers when he had to I’m not discouraged by our defensive effort We couldn’t come up with a big play and we still were within seven points of the Super Bowl butterflies” The defense was stingy holding Phoenix to 68 vards rushing Lassie played well in what may have been his last starting assignment for quite some time “If my starting career is over I'm going out on top I just felt much more comfortable this week knowing Emmitt was here and that everything wasn’t cm my shoulders” Lassie said Aikman was almost as thrilled to have Smith available as he was to get in the win column "The guys were excited to have him back out there in the huddle” he said “There's no doubt he gives us a lift and then once he started running the ball he did real well It feels good to finally get a victory” (1-- 2) champs” Elsewhere Cleveland rallied past the Los Seattle defeated New Angeles Raiders 6 4 San Diego edged Houston England 7 San Francisco outscored Atlanta 0 Philadelphia stormed back to beat Washington 1 New Orleans dropped Detroit 14-- 3 Pittsburgh routed Cincinnati 34--7 and the New York Giants downed die Los Angeles Rams 19-1- 17-1- 18-1- 34-3- 20-1- 0 AP photo Dallas' Emmitt Smith is welcomed back by Phoenix's Lorenzo Lynch (29) Sunday in Cowboys’ 0 win Tonight Denver is at Kansas City 17-1- Very rough Aggies smooth Steve Field goals don ’t cut it in hard loss By Shawn Harrison sports writer Young to Young AP photo San Francisco Examiner A touchdown in the final seconds gave Baylor n 4 win Saturday night but the game’s outcome had as much to do with Utah State scoring attempts M with that fatal Bear drive Utah State's failure to put the ball in the end zone in the first half came back to haunt the Aggies Twice in the first two quarters quarterback Anthony Calvillo moved USU inside the Baylor and twice Nathan Motreale was called upon to kick field goals "Well I feel we can put it in the end zone” Aggie Coach Charlie Weadierbie said aftrrwanls "We've got to do it on a mure consistent basis We can’t settle for three field goals when they are scoring touchdowns "I think that our kids can do to It'a not because they can't do it It's a bust here a mental breakdown 28-2- for six yards By 37-3- Steve Young comes up just short of the goal ine on a pass from himself SAN FRANCISCO — One of these days Steve d Young is going to stop apologizing for those plays caught his own deflected pass for a gain that could only happen to Steve Young and accept against the Los Angeles Rams it Kezar Stadium them for what they are: little burets of spontaneity "We haven't had a nutty play like that for a that can mean the difference between winning and long time" Young said "They’re happening less losing and less I’m a little defensive about it” 0 Late in the third quarter of Sunday’s win The Falcons had no defense for the surprise at Candlestick Park the 49m were at the Atlanta touchdown which led to Witten play line What happened next was the stuff of run and a 0 lead highlight shows and blooper videos "The ball hit off my arm and went straight up In Young went back to pass and scrambled to his the air” Gordon said "I wondered why Young left to avoid a rush Defensive end Tim Green cut was coming up to the line After he caught it he off Young’s angle on the outside so the Inked at me as if to My 'How lucky can a guy quarterback (evened his field and went back be?’" toward the original pocket It's not luck Il'a just part of Young's makeup Young spotted Ricky Watters in die back of the his football DNA end zone but his pass lacked zip and was "It can only happen to Steve" right tackle deflected off the chest of cornerback Viruvie Clark Harris Barton mnL "IlTI show up on NFL Like all good shooters Young followed his shot or bleepers btorprn and blunders It’s and grabbed his own rebound at the line for highlights unbelievable" a gam of six Thai’s right Young caught his own The nature of Young’s Keystone Kops play was pass that the linemen and receivers all had good views "That's a fluke play really” Clark said "That of it front and back play may never happen again We ba ted the ball "I was die one be was throwing to" Watters nght back to him lie's one of the luckiest players Mid "I had mud emotions — ‘Oh he sees me alive but he’s aim good" Then I ‘I was to get intercepted The last tune dim happened to a San Francisco Then he thought to It's thegoing first time I've ever aeen caught quarterback was OtL 4 1959 when YA Tittle that" four-yar- 37-3- two-yar- d 23-2- there" USU totally owned the first quarter 1 1:26 minutes worth but only led The Aggies used 17 plays but had to settle fur a fielJ goal Alter four plays later Morrealc reaching the I yard-line was splitting die uprights The second quarter started the same way USU drove 65 yards down to the Bear 5 on 14 plays After eating up 6:30 from the cluck Montale came on for a 23-- artier After a goal-linstand by die Aggie defense Calvillo was puked off Seven plays later Baylor was after a Bradford Lewis ahead nm The third came on the Aggies first rewtesion of the third quarter after USU reached the 16 Montale’s 40 yard field goal keeps him prtfrtt on the year hitting eight eight The fint six Aggie coded in three field gods two intnregxrons drives and a punt Bsylor's third interception cf the game came early bi die fourth quarter in the USU end zone halting 3-- 0 20-yar- -- y e 7-- 6 f -- d Much M— era lunwi jumm USU't throwing machine Anthony was ’disatvoinietf fat his play CaNrilio another drive Starting at his own Calvillo completed five straight passes for 56 yards But when he aired one out far Cotie McMahon the Bear's Chris Lewis came down with the ball "When you throw three interceptions that could he six to nine Points especially when you are down on our side cf the field” Calvillo said "I’m very disappointed in my play" Calvillo did pass for 315 yards on 27f-4-9 attempts and a Til The senior QB abet led all Aggie rushers with 46 yards on eight carries For the season Calvillo has attempted 137 passes foe 1057 yards The record for passes attempted and passing yards in a season was set ui 1998 by Brent SnyJer with 447 and 3218 respectively "We (the defense) played pvti but me well enough to win" luvlwler Jermaine Younger said |