Texas A&M
The Battalion Sports
August 4, 1982 Page 10
’Pokes might just lasso
next Super Bowl crown
United Press International
DALLAS — The password in
the National Football League
this season is “uncertainty” and
it applies to the Dallas Cowboys
just as it applies every other
team.
But as far as the Cowboys are
concerned, the uncertainty lies
chiefly in the off-the-Field, man
agement-union problems that
could eventually lead to a halt in
As far as what takes
place on the field is con
cerned, the Dallas Cow
boys ’ uncertain ty
appears to be limited.
The Cowboys should be
good again in 1982. In
fact, they could be excel
lent. They could go to
the Super Bowl and
they could win it.
what has become the multi
billion dollar enterprise of pro
fessional football.
As far as what takes place on
the field is concerned, however,
the uncertainty appears to be li
mited.
The Cowboys should be good
again.
In fact, they could be excel
lent. They could go to the Super
Bowl and they could win it.
Dallas was on the verge of
making it to the Super Bowl last
year, of course, before the San
Francisco 49ers drove the length
of the field at Candlestick Park
and nipped the Cowboys in the
NFC championship thriller, 28-
27.
“I think last year’s team was
the best we’ve had since the 1978
Super Bowl team,” coach Tom
Landry says in retrospect.
“We’re capable of getting
back into the playoffs again. But
our biggest challenge is going to
come now from the other NFC
East teams.
“If everything remained the
same,” he said, “we wouldn’t
have to be better to win the divi
sion. But I see a major improve
ment in the division teams.”
Dallas could well be improved
as well, as long as the two major
alterations that must come about
on defense work out as well as
the ones that were made a year
ago.
In 1981 the Cowboys needed
to find some talent in a hurry for
their defensive backfield. They
found it, surprisingly, in the
form of two free-agent rookies
— Everson Walls and Michael
Downs.
Now Dallas must find people
to offset the loss of two of the
most experienced players in the
NFL — safety Charlie Waters
and linebacker D.D. Lewis.
They both retired after the ’81
season and although they had
seen their skills diminish at the
end of their careers, the two
players brought tremendous
savvy to the stadium.
“The big challenge again this
year is going to be on defense,”
Landry said, “mainly because of
the retirement of Waters and
Lewis. They added experience
and confidence to our defensive
team.
“We made big progress in our
defense last year, but now we’ve
lost a great deal of what we need,
which is experience and leader-
ty, but Barnes’ chronic foot
problems will probably keep
hi
im from going the full season.
Some help is going to have to be
found among the youngsters.
The rest of the defensive unit
remains the same with the front
four of John Dutton, Randy
White, Harvey Martin and Ed
Jones back for their second full
year as a unit. The settling of
Jones’ contract squabbles eli
minated the Cowboys’ chief in
ternal problem as training camp
began.
On offense, the Cowboys
seem set for another year of con
sistent ground-gaining.
At the skill positions the Cow
boys have as much ability as any
team in the league and that ta
lent, if it stays healthy, should
again make the club difficult to
defend.
Tony Dorsett came close to
leading the NFL in rushing last
year and seems to have finally
developed into the runner the
E
“We’re capable of get
ting back into the play
offs again. But our big
gest challenge is going
to come now from the
other NFC East teams. ”
— Cowboys’coach Tom
Landry.
“Dorsett had a super year,
Landry said. “He prepared him
self very well, had a great mental
attitude and he performed as
well as he’s ever performed for
the Cowboys.
“Now, you say, can he repeat
it? Well, he can, if he wants to
work had enough and if he’s
lucky enough not to get hurt. It’s
also possible for him to be even
better because he’s maturing to a
point where there’s not much
limit anymore in what he can
do.”
either by members of the cur
rent team or with the injection of
new blood.”
The biggest natural talent to
fill the linebacking job appears
to be Anthony Dickerson.
“He has the most explosion,
the most quickness, the most
big-play potential,” Landry said.
“But Dickerson’s attitude has al
ways been the question mark, all
the way back to his college days
at Southern Methodist.
“Whether he can concentrate
on the job, become steady and
reliable in the position, only he
can tell us. If he does, then he
can be the front-runner, just be
cause of his ability to make the
plays.”
Veteran Benny Barnes went
into the camp as the No. 1 choice
to replace Waters at strong safe-
Landry has been generally
dissatisfied with the fullback
position and that job could
change during the year.
The deep and talented receiv
ing corps is still there and Danny
White is blooming into one of
the NFL’s top quarterbacks.
Point your toes
“Danny has had two excellent
years for us,” Landry said. “I’m
sure he was disappointed about
the NFC championship game,
but I think Danny White can
only get better as he plays. His
knowledge of the game is unsur
passed by any quarterback we’ve
nad.”
So the Cowboys seem ready
for another winning campaign,
another playoff spot and,
perhaps, another Super Bowl
appearance.
Lisa Ragsdale, a junior business major
from Bedford, stretches to reach her
toes during an aerobic dance and con
ditioning class. Besides dancing, the
class also lifts weights and its members
run as part of a total fitness program.
Predicting upcoming
SWC race impossible
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United Press International
The Southern Methodist
Mustangs won the Southwest
Conference championship a
year ago for the first time since
1966. The quarterback and two
running backs who were chiefly
responsible for the success are
back for one more season
together.
So why isn’t SMU the over
whelming choice to win again?
It’s the SWC, that’s why.
Over the last seven seasons,
seven of the league’s nine teams
have won or shared the cham
pionship — only TCU and Rice
have missed out. During the last
nine seasons just one team has
managed to repeat as titlehol-
der, as Houston won the crown
outright in 1978 and shared it
with Arkansas in 1979.
So the odds seem to be
against SMU finishing first in
the SWC for the second year in a
row.
Of course, they could. But so
could Arkansas. And so could
Houston, or Texas A&rM, or
He;
Athlel
vill c<
;agen
Aggie
tneetii
Wort!
week,
at tb
kickol
Ark.,
Texas, or even Baylor — ition
provided a huge surprise t« (
years ago by sweeping throuj
the rest of the league unbealt
when the Bears had been
popular pick for sixth place.
“On paper,” Rice coach fe
Alborn said, “the top foot®
teams appear to be Arkans*
SMU, A&M and Houston.!
don’t bet the rent on it.”
Indeed, there seem to
more strong teams in the SW L- /'
See SWC page 11 §
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