| Show ThjjLLakeTYibune Lett Returns For Cowboys' Stretch Run PAGE ' SPORTS Tuesday December 9 liloPAlcguf gesports THE ASSOCIATED 10Q7 1 s No Simple Matter BY ROBERT MILLWARD I T PRESS Leon Lett returned on Monday from a year-lonsuspension for drug use with some kidding from his Dallas Cowboys teammates and lot of serious expecg NCAA Snub Shocks Ute Volleyball - University of Utah women's volleyball Coach Beth Launiere ' tossed a going-awaparty Sunday afternoon "' But nobody's going anywhere iMoooay got an invitation ' After her team finishing the season 22-Launiere thought the "Utes were locks for one of 28 bids to the NCAA tourna-- : ment y 9 WAC deputy commissioner Margie McDonald thought so too After nationally-rankeHawaii needed five games to oust Utah in d the quarterfinals of the confeLauniere told McDonald she was taking her team home to practice for the rence tournament NCAAs m Shi-lil- "That's probably a good idea" Spellman also acknowledged that the NFL has McDonald replied Vi separately suspended him for failing to take a ranInstead of heading off to a dom steroids test He called it a d "total misunderbattle with Colorado or standing and said he has since taken the test and is "'Wisconsin or Texas A&M Utah is appealing the suspension home "I don't understand how it got staying public that remains The Utes' first trip to the NCAA to be seen said Spellman who is allowed to play tournament will have to wait and while appealing the league suspension u that baffles Launiere " ' She is convinced Utah is a "top PHILLIPS PROJECT WORTH EFFORT? 25 team" She points out that the career of receiver jimmy jonnson eight of its nine losses came Charles Jordan whosalvaged ran with street gangs as a youth against ranked opponents and was cast off by two NFL teams before emerging Tournament committee memas a potential star for the Miami bers can talk about strength of Is Lawrence Phillips the coach'sDolphins next reclamation schedule and quality losses work-in- ? project? in a School's favnr huf M'H Jordan caught two touchdowns passes Sunday at xiave a hard time e Oakland m his best game for Miami a breakout convincing e west of the Wasatch Mounthat may embolden Johnson to take a shot tains about their sincerity at Phillips The troubled running back met Monday siiutKea Launiere said In — mv nrtininn wa qpq "i hi t veiv deserving" For Launeiere and some of her players the snub created a ready-mad- e battle cry for next season But for seniors Brenda Barton- Whicker and Jamie Young it 'meant the end of their collegiate j fMbrnt 1 tna&m Kit tations Instead of calling the star defensive tackle by his nickname "the Big Cat" teammates referred to him as Michael Jordan because he played so much basketball during his layoff But the fact Lett returned in good shape is no laughing matter The Cowboys desperately need him to tighten their run defense — which slipped to 22nd in the NFL during his absence — to keep their slim playoff hopes alive Hon HefliivThe Associated Press "Teams have been running on us and Defensive pretty good linemen Leon Lett was back at now Leon's going to have to have something to say work with the Dallas Cowboys on t fll! " Minknnl I : - J Monday ne pressure is on mauaci ii nu uaiu i fresh off a year-lon- g Leon I know you just got back I understand from the NFL suspension that I ve been there done that But hoss do not feei that world above your shoulders? Pleaseyou help " NFL NOTEBOOK Lett and 290 pounds didn't seem to have missed a beat while going through drills Monday alongside fellow defensive tackles ' 1 Hedidn ook like a W we just got off the with Johnson at the Dolphins' training street Coach Barry Switzer We haven't decided what we're complex said "He looked like to do " the Big Cat He made plays had a Johnson said shortly before the going big smile on his "We meeting face and was glad to be back" haven't made any kind of decisions " SPELLMAN RETURNS Alonzo Spellman rejoined the Chicago Bears for practice insisting he was right to refuse exploratory surgery on his left shoulder a move that prompted the team to suspend him for three games first-roun- ( any-"ton- per-f?a"c- Brazil or Germany in the group stage with only two teams from each group of four reaching the second round Italy will be seeded because it was runner-u- p to Brazil in 1994 and was a semifinalist when' it held the World Cup four years earlier It is 10th in the rankings having climbed six places after its playoff victory over Russia V Belgium a semifinalist in 1986 is 41st in the rankings However the fact that it hasn't missed a World Cup since '78 will work 'in its favor Spain ranked third THE ASSOCIATED PRESS TESTA VERDE KEEPS JOB Vinny Testaverde will remain the starting quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens despite a fine relief appearance by Eric Zeier and the team's record after a start Testaverde strained a ligament in his right knee and bruised the knee cap Sunday in the second quarter of the Ravens' loss to Jacksonville Zeier came m and went for 87 yards and touchdown m leading Baltimore back from a deficit but Coach Ted Marchibroda said Monday that Testaverde will start this weekend against Seattle 3-- 1 MARSEILLE France — Defending champion Brazil and host nation France? Already decided European champion and three-tim- e champ Germany? Of course Italy despite making it through the playoffs? Yes England which finished above Italy in their quali- lymg group ' MayDe FIFA and the World Cup organizers will hold a draw before the draw today to decide which of the 32 qualifying nations will be seeded in Thursday's ceremony probably will be seeded" It After the obvious candidates reached the quarterfinals in '86 which also include 1996 winner and '94 and second round in '90 and '90 runner-uArgentina it But FIFA which has encourgets complicated aged the development of soccer in "It's very much a wait and see Africa and has incrpasprl trio num situation" FIFA spokesman ber of its qualifiers to five may Keith Cooper said Monday decide to seed one of the five AfriThe criteria for deciding the can nations to avoid European eight seeds are likely to be based and South American domination on World Cup records especially Nigeria South Africa or Camthe last three tournaments and eroon could be among the eight the latest FIFA rankings FIFA also faces the problenrof Failure to be seeded means that to measure a team that having a team like England could face hasn't qualified before p a m If NEED A BATTERY? "DRIVE A LITTTK - -zaa rrv a t — i ±sJ THE BATTERY SPECIALISTS FOR — 29-2- 7 American " — & Foreign Cars We Buy Junk Batteries Heavy Duty Equipment FREE installation - most cars fK£js Electrical Check mu ui UUU1CS RV Trailers Snowmobiles INJURIES HAUNT JETS The New York Jets could face the most critical stretch of their thus-fa- r successful season without three veteran starters That's not the best way to make a playoff run Left tackle Jumbo Elliott is gone for the season right Achilles' tendon Right tackle DavidiPtured Williams spent Monday in a hospital for treatment of back spasms Aaron Glenn the team s best player this season missedprobably all but one series in Sunday's 0 loss at Buffalo with a sprained left ankle X OUR BATTERIES WILL TURN YOUR CAR OVER s INTERMOUNTAIN BATTERY 1427 So 3 OO WMt jarnon Jar Guarantee A Utah Owned Company 26 Veare 20-1- Y's Improving Edwards vai eei Will Hit The Recruiting Trail Next Week 5 "Brenda cried" Ia BY JOE BA1RD wards can't remember missing a ""and that's understandable It's THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE or work because of illness day something she's talked about for and before Nov 24 had never four years One of her goals was La Veil Edwards was out of the spent a night in a hospital But to play in the tournament and house and in the Brigham Young this was unavoidable He had ex'now that's not going to football office Monday Five happen" perienced several episodes of as a couch potato was aboutdays Only three WAC teams made all cloudy vision in his right eye durthe NCAA field the Cougar coach could take ing the past month Two more BYU received the conference's "I'm feeling a lot better" Edduring the week of the season-endin- g automatic berth by winning the wards said a week after undergotournament and the Cougars game against Utah ing emergency surgery to unblock him off that something tipped were sent to the East Regional as a was of clogged carotid arteries pair wrong Another the Sunday after "a No 2 seed looks like somebody hit me "It 20-1loss alarmed him Hawaii and Colorado State rewith a meat cleaver on the side of the "I had sort of forgotten about ceived bids but every the neck but I'm doing fine" it then it happened again that 'WAC team on the "bubble"' was And apparently eager to get Sunday afternoon It was the "bypassed back to work The Edthird time it had happened in a Like Utah San Diego State wards won't do much this week — three- - or four-daFresno State and Wyoming all period and it Monday's office visit was mostly a was lasting longer each time" had hopes of bids Like social call But he plans to said Edwards "I was really jump JLLtah none of those schools got glad I into recruiting next week then had that last incident because I it was seeking what will start gearing up for his 27th " had planned to go to St George "I don't think they showed this season as head coach at BYU the next day If it hadn't hapconference any respect" said Retirement? It never occurred Launiere "I don't think anyone pened I might have gone ahead to him and left town" knows or respects how "Not at all" said Edwards good this After being checked by his ophconference is I'm shocked we got "I'm anxious to get out and get i only three teams in" thalmologist Edwards was sent to Obviously the season endUtah Valley Regional Medical f" Utah's failure to secure an at- - going ed on a sour note for us I want to Center He underwent an ultrabid large apparently hinged on back and get started on next sound then get me mai 11 was radiology tests which against year It's the only time I can reconfirmed the blockage in his t ranked teams member we ended a ' season play' The Utes lost twice right internal and external caroteach to ing poorly in November I want to id arteries — one of two sets of BYU and CSU and once to Ha-' get that straightened out" main waii Notre Dame blood vessels which run Washington Especially now that he is through the next to the brain An State and Colorado 1 "l know one win over a top 20 straightened out medically Ed angiogram revealed his internal team wouia nave Deen impor- tant" Launiere said "But most of those matches were really really i close And when we played so well f gainst Hawaii I thought that would help It's just frustraIt makes you wonder what ting iMwi've got to do" BY DAVE GOLDBERG who lost in Oakland and Kansas £hould Utah downscale its e THE ASSOCIATED PRESS City schedule and pile up some Are the Chiefs really that good easy wins? Denver clinched a playoff spot or are they like the 1995 team' "We need to keep our by winning in San Diego The strength That one finished 13-- 3 to lead the 5 of schedule up and we need to Kansas City Chiefs who trail the AFC then promptly lost its first beat some of those top teams" Broncos by a game could end up — at home to the J Launiere said "Twenty-si- x wins with a bigger prize — the AFC playoff game Colls won't get you in either if you West title and home field in the The '95 team won three games don't play any top teams" playoffs in overtime all of them improbaOne thing is certain: Launiere is 44-With its 9 win that emphati! convinced the Utes will eventual- bly This year's Chiefs beat both cally ended San Francisco's the Broncos and 49ers with Rich ly get a chance to prove them- winning streak Sunday the Gannon their backup quarterselves in the NCAAs Chiefs (10-3- ) got past the biggest back and got through a tough "The future here is very hurdle left on their schedule i e stretch with a 1 rebright" she said "I admit I'm Their three remaining games are cord — also beating Pittsburgh at J getting a little tired of coming against teams with a combined rehome Seattle on the road and losI c'ose One year we were fourth in cord of 6 — Oakland at home the conference they took three at San Diego and New Orleans at ing in Jacksonville where the i teams One year we were fifth home making them a good bet to Jaguars have now won 13 J and they took four This vear we straight finish 13-- 3 Yes the win over Denver was J deserved to go — period" Denver has just two losses But by a hair — Pete Stoyanovich's "So yeah I'm tired of coming the Broncos must go to Pittsburgh d field goal — but 44-- 9 is close because we want to be there on Sunday then play at San ) a squeaker We deserve to be there At the hardly Francisco (11-2- ) on a Monday The defense always solid under J same time it wasn't five minutes night before finishing at home to Marty Schottenheimer after Utah's is younthat I the Chargers w as ger and quicker with four second-yea- r talking to my assistant coach- One loss and the Chiefs would men — safeties Jerome es about next tie them but Kansas City has the year" Woods and Reggie Tongue lineLauniere laughed tiebreaker because it would have backer Donnie Edwards and tackJ "I guess" she said "coaches one division loss (in Denver openle John Browning And Derrick re pretty resilient" ing day) to two for the Broncos Thomas is in All-Pr-o form 4 4 y o-- 8 carotid was totally blocked and the external 85 percent closed Left untreated clogged carotid arteries can lead to a stroke Edwards was admitted to the hospital Monday night and underwent surgery Tuesday morning The BYU coach acknowledged he was concerned about the procedure but never seriously worried "I was a little nervous until after they did the angiogram" said Edwards "But really I felt fortunate If I had waited and a big chunk of blockage had broken off that's when strokes occur" The same thing he noted happened to former BYU golf Coach Karl Tucker who had a light stroke several years ago Edwards will apparently not have to make major lifestyle adjustments He has long worked out daily on the treadmill and has UARANTEED TO START All KIT 3000 GTS® SN0WTKR0WER Patented Power Curve® rotor system cleans down to the pavement Throws snow up to 30 feet late-seaso- QUICK'S SERVICE 2240 S 900 E Serving the Sari Lake 466-254- 7 Area since 19381 ve Appreciate Your Business! 9 H Can Kansas City Leap Past Denver for AFC West Title? 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