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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 20, 1984)
Friday, January 20, 1984/The Battalion/Page 11 ek Educa' munit) Jersey. ing mentis Recrea- ■ at City ir more mts iuation can be m 217, NFL season almost over It’s a Super weekend ill meet es/Meet i Santa reels in ittalion So after exhibition season, 16 regular season games, a wildcard week, a quar terfinals week and an AFC and NFC championship week. Super Bowl weekend is finally here. And once again the Cowboys and the Oilers will watch rather than play. The Cowboys and the Oilers, like de feated warriors of a fallen nation, are already plotting for their next battle — next season. Dallas fans wait as their team sits on the auction block waiting to be sold. And the questions that face the Cowboy orga nization appear regularly in Texas new- papers. Will Tom Landry retire? Will Butch Johnson be traded? And will Dan ny White be punted from his starting quarterback position? Meanwhile the Oilers and their new coach Hugh Campbell sit back and sur vey what has befallen the team, which just a few years ago was knocking on the door of the AFC championship, and wonder if the mighty cannon ball of a running back — Earl Campbell — will return for another season behind the Oilers paper mache offensive line. But this Sunday the television cover age is reserved for the survivors of the grueling, drawn out National Football League season. Both the Raiders and the donn friedman Redskins certainly have proved that they are the marathoners of the NFL. The Redskin’s fun bunch has per formed in 18 games this season. But all those 18 games are unimportant now. Who can remember the particulars of one game or another. Only the teams owners as they check each game’s re ceipts with their accountants and count their profits. Too many games. Too few memories. And after Sunday night, the Raiders and the Redskins will begin planning for the next season while the media will focus on the exploits of the second season. The Pro Bowl and then the draft will be writ ten about. And with Heisman trophy winners Mike Rozier, Herschel Walker and co. the United States Football League will receive quite a bit of media exposure. And television is the main reason why Texas is represented in the fledgling league. More teams and more games can only mean more money for the networks and higher salaries for the already overpriced players. The undying urge for the entertain ment dollar has caused the football sea son to extend almost year round. As long as Americans sit glued by their televisions watching the NFL on CBS, the NCAA on ABC, and everything else on EPSN the schedules will continue their cancerous growth. And each year every professional league will funnel its teams through com plex systems of exhibition, regular sea son, and playoff games to finally come up with a single team that for the next year the sports announcers and writers can call champions. Donn Friedman is sports editor for The Battalion and a senior Journalism major. ngSkins say they’re a happy family >nl United Press International | TAMPA, Fla. — Three days before they will meet the NFL’s illegitimate children in Super Bowl XVIII, the Washington Redskins painted a rosy portrait dor Jadl 0 f themselves as one abnormally eniedAitj | ar g e) happy family, tment. | While the Los Angeles Raid- e did," ! ers move franchises against Commissioner Pete Rozelle’s leAmerit approval, flaunt league rules on, press and portray themselves as char- veAutn* acters out of a Stephen King liorror tale, the Redskins took Ime Thursday to characterize in his la® their clubhouse as Little House ntencec on the Prairie. “I truly believe we’ve been able to sign many of our players edition,the last few years because they ing prto really like playing for the Red- the pto skins,” said Coach Joe Gibbs, un beaten in six post-season games. "It is a family type situation and you try and establish good re lationships with your players. nomentii gurney ed the slit lecute 1® :tion nob - thatapn ed. dge Rolxl cationw We don’t trade people unless le orden nainingk t weeksd ie state m they don’t fit in with our program. “Once you win a spot here, we like to feel a player can be there for the remainder of his career. I think one of the worst things you can do isjerk people around and interfere with team chemistry.” Quarterback Joe Theismann, who earned his second straight Pro Bowl start for the NFC, was even more enthusiastic about the warm feelings insulating the Washington locker room. “I’ve described our team as a bunch of characters with charac ter,” he said. “There really is no jealousy on this team. Although Coach Gibbs is a great innova tor, he coaches people and he chooses his people for their character first and then their athletic ability. That philosophy lends itself to drafting a bunch of guys from primarily small schools who haven’t had a lot of previous notoriety. “Contrary to what you read, the Raiders aren’t villains . they just think they are. I know this stuff about our team sounds too good to be true, but who says people can’t work together and enjoy themselves? Football is supposed to be fun. If you take things too seriously, it can eat you up.” Theismann has been digest ing films of the Raiders all week. “I go to sleep with the Raiders and I wake up with the Raiders,” he said. “Hopefully, that’s as close as I’ll come to them. In looking over the past Super Bowl champions. I’ve noticed they all share two things: one is a great running game and the other is a great defense. You control the tempo of a game by running the football.” Theismann passed for an NFC-high 417 yards against the Raiders Octl 2 and rallied the Redskins from a 35-20 deficit midway through the fourth period to a 37-35 triumph. The winning touchdown was scored on a 6-yard toss to Joe Washing ton in the final minute. Jim Plunkett threw for 372 yards and four TDs against the Washington defense but was in tercepted four times. Theis mann was sacked six times while the Redskins got to Plunkett on five occasions. Washington fullback John Riggins will be seeking to extend his playoff record streak of six straight 100-yard games while Marcus Allen of Los Angeles, who missed the Oct. 2 matchup with a hip injury, gets his first look at the Redskins’ defense — which ranked No. 1 in the league against the rush. “Riggins and Allen are two entirely different type of run ners,” said Gibbs, the master mind behind the top scoring attack in league history. “John is a surge runner, you kinda have to get him going for a little while back there, and if you see films of him from behind, you’ll notice he has very quick feet for a big man. ” Stopping Riggins key to IA plan irks : United Press International I TAMPA, Fla. — For a man considered to be a key in the Los Angeles Raiders’ plans to stop John Riggins in Sunday’s Super Bowl, Matt Millen is unusually fond of the Washington full back. I “I’m ajohn Riggins fan,” Mil len said. “I think he would make a great Raider. I love him. I think he’s great for football. I icked up the paper the other morning after photo day and I U Tote H t\ 1 P ] & Trust ^ ©octf ninsof lidaysl >ISC. -0616 TToo Week nites 9:35 couldn’t stop laughing when I saw him posing in his uniform with cowboy boots on. He’s col orful, he really doesn’t care ab out a lot of things and I think he's a great asset to the game.” Millen, a 6-foot-2, 260-pound linebacker from Penn State, plays inside in the Raiders’ 3-4 alignment and is one of the club’s key operatives in stopping the running attack. Millen com es off an outstanding effort in the AFC championship game, where the Raiders trounced Seattle 30-14 and held AFC rushing leader Curt Warner to only 26 yards in 11 carries. “1 think it’s obvious to all of us that if we intend to beat Washington, we have to take away the run,” Millen said. “Washington is not going to abandon its style of play and we’re not going to get away from ours. We know what to expect and they know what toect. “They like to keep pounding away with John 25-30 times a game and then they throw in Joe Washington, who is a lot smaller and a lot quicker, as a change of pace. We had good success against Warner in the title game but John Riggins is a different type of runner. He’s not a Curt Warner type. John is not going to beat you with cuts and moves. He just attacks you every play. He just goes back to the huddle after every play and keeps com ing back harder and harder.” Riggins, who set an NFL re cord with 24 touchdowns during the regular season, admitted that his workload of nearly 30 carries a game is beginning to take its toll. “The last few games we’ve 1 played, I’ve become pretty ex-; hausted,” Riggins said. “I didn’t feel it as much last year. Maybe playing on the RFK beach (the sandy surface at the stadium) has something to do with it or maybe it’s just that I’m getting older.” Both clubs went through heavy workouts Thursday and they plan to taper off in the next two days before Sunday’s title game, which will bring players from the winning team $36,000 each. 5 Other Models Available Aggie Special $550.00 + TTL Aero'“ 50 GET AROUND THE HIGH COST OF GETTING AROUND Whether shopping, commuting or just soaking up sun, the Aero'" 50 is the economical way to make it all fun. A stingy 49cc two-stroke engine gets the most out of every gallon of gas, while still providing plenty of zip. Plus, an electric start, automatic choke and automatic oil injection make it as dependable as it is easy to handle. TWIN CITY HONDA 903 South Main, Bryan 823-0545 IKAiPA §>3<£HIA Fantasy island Party - Saturday, January 21, southwest Vil lage Apts. Party Room 8:30 -12:00 "Come as your Fantasy" Show Your Aggie Spirit Party - Thursday, January 26, Arbor Square Apts. Party Room 8:30 - 12:00 "Wear Something Maroon and White" Final Rush Party - Saturday, January 28, Treehouse Apts, Par ty Room 8:30 - 12:00 Call 696-5656 or 260-7756 for more information. Raiders should have talent to beat Skins United Press International TAMPA, Fla. — Only the Los Angeles Raiders can keep the Los Angeles Raiders from be coming National Football League champions for the third time Sunday. The Raiders have a solid pas sing attack, a strong running game built around Marcus Allen, a powerful offensive line, an aggressive defense led by Howie Long and Lyle Alzado and perhaps the finest defensive secondary ever to appear in a Super Bowl. The Washington Redskins, the Raiders’ opponents in Sun day’s title game, can match Los Angeles on offense with Joe Theismann at quarterback and John Riggins handling the run ning behind a massive offensive line. The big difference, howev er, is on defense, where the Raiders appear more powerful, especially in the secondary. The Raiders’ biggest enemies this season have been the Raid ers. Los Angeles has been prone to turning over the ball, some times in critical situations. The Raiders, who were 12-4 during the regular season, committed 13 turnovers in losing twice to Seattle. During the season, Los Angeles lost the ball 24 times on interceptions and turned the ball over 25 more times on fum bles. Here is Sunday’s pick: Los Angeles 33, Washington 24 — The Redskins roared back to defeat the Raiders 37-35 dur ing the regular season but Los Angeles was without two key players. Allen sat out the game with an injury and Mike Haynes, a star cornerback at New Eng land, was a holdout. The Raid ers acquired Haynes from the Patriots and he became the glue which pulled together their secondary. Los Angeles had little trouble with the Redskins for three periods, building a 35-20 lead, and Washington stormed from behind and won on Theis- mann’s 6-yard pass to Joe Washington with 33 seconds left to play. Washington’s attack normally revolves around Riggins’ run ning but the Redskins had tremendous success in their rally throwing against Ted Watts.J Haynes has replaced Watts, put-^ ting a veteran All-Pro in place ofi an inexperienced youngster. •! '4 You can forget the talk about! intimidation — no one on either; team is going to be psyched out!! by talk or a little pushing and shoving. But the Raiders dc> seem to have more talent, espe^ cially in their specialty personnel; such as designated pass rushers; and fib and sixth defensive* backs. C A, Look for the Raiders to try! hitting the big pass early and us-* ing Allen running inside and* outside, catching passes and* perhaps even throwing once orv twice. The Redskins’ secondary has^ been vulnerable to the pass and“ look for Los Angeles to loosen" them with long passes early and • then use Allen and tight end;! Todd Christensen, the NLL’sf, leading receiver, working' underneath. ACACIA FRATERNITY presents SPRING RUSH PARTY Friday, January 20, 8 p.m. In The Party Room Of The Old College Main Apts. (4302 College Main) For More Information Call: BILL — 846-4005 Acacia Is now accepting Charter Members! Ken’s Automotive 421 S. Main — Bryan 822-2823 “A Complete Automotive Service Center" (0 Q_ 0) CC • Tune-Ups O • Clutches • Brakes 3 • Front End Parts Replacement • Standard Transmission Repairs -2^ GM Computer Testing O O 3 ■a <0 (0 > All American Cars Datsun-Honda Toyota JJ m, "O D> OPEN SATURDAYS 10% Discount with Student I.D. on parts (Master Card & VISA Accepted) V III SPRING RUSH 84* TUES. JAN. 17 BEER BASH SAT. JAN. 21 HAWAIIN PARTY WED. JAN. 25 OPEN BAR FRI. JAN. 27 SOUTH OF THE BORDER Cajnpus > c Texas Ave. a S. College 2310 S. 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