Page 11 FL adds wildcard teams [NEW YORK (AP) — The NF1. cided on T hursday to add two re wild-card teams to its playoffs, move designed to bring in more evision mortey and streamline the newhat Byzantine tiebreaking sys- ■ dramatic change in the play off system, to begin next season, was mounted at the same time the FI. reached agreement with ABC' i a new contract that will net it osetoSl billion over four years. It ill mean that 12 of the 28 teams will How make it to the post-season. Network sources said the two new ayoff teams were added as part of the ABC package after the network demanded something extra in addi- ■on to Monday night games and one juper Bowl for the price, estimated it slightly over $900 million. J The NFL already has reached agreement on cable contracts with ESPN at TBS for $450 million each, ming it already has nearly $2 bil- ohack urse- Rollie ig games a id there’s skills, no lat I low e getting! . easy lor e after a a playel i feel that I him die I d ter die I he may I kes trad- in lion worth of contracts while nego tiations with NBC and CBS con tinue. “Additional television revenue was an obvious factor,” NFL spokes man Joe Browne said. "But many clubs had also ex pressed interest in adding teams. Some suggested we break all ties with games on wild-card weekend. This accomplishes the goal of add ing new teams without diminishing the importance of regular-season play.” And commissioner Paul Taglia- bue said of the new format: “We expect the two new first- round playoff games ter create added competition and excitement around the league.” T he move comes a week after an other groundbreaking revenue-pro ducing step, the expansion of the season to 17 weeks in 1990 and 18 weeks af ter that. Under that change, each team will get one week off next year and two weeks off in the following years with the extra week between the championship games and Super Bowl eliminated for 1990. But while each team will continue to play 16 regular-season games, the networks will get additonal weeks of NFL football, meaning more adver tising revenue for television and more money for the NFL. The new agreement with ABC nearly doubles the network’s pay ments — from $120 million a year under the old agreement to $225 million under the new one. It also nearly ensures that the basic over- the-air format will remain the same —with CBS and NBC carrying Sun day games. “This expanded agreement with ABC sports indicates our satisfaction with their award winning presenta tion to viewers for two decades,” Tagliabue said. Ag swim team qualifies Lutz in 200IM The T exas A&M men’s swim ming team qualified its first per son for the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships Thursday at the SWC tourney in Aust in. Freshman Steve Lutz recorded a school record 1:48.64 in the 200 Individual Medley. He heat the existing record by more than two seconds, and beat the NCAA qualifying time by more than a second. A&M is in fourth place after the first day of competttion. Love Raffle (Continued from page 9) people to come out to the game. “I was sitting at breakfast erne morning when he came up to me and said, ‘Hey Joe, what about if we have a ‘Win a Date with Joe Deegan Raffle?’ Deegan just stared at his coach, wondering if Thornton was under too much strain. “What are you talking about coach?” Deegan asked. Thornton then relayeci his wife’s idea, and Deegan fell in love with the idea. That is until things got rolling. Fliers were distributed around campus, and the contest was announced at A&M home games. “I said ‘sure’, but I didn’t expect all the fliers and stuff,” Deegan said. Still, Deegan was willing to do his part for the team and he also realized with the amount of playing time he was getting, it was the only way he was going to get a little publicity. “T his is going to be a blind, blind date,” Deegan said. “The way I look at it, my playing time’s been a little limited, but if I can’t get any, I might as well get a little publicity.” Fliers litter the campus and newspapers carry the story of the sophomore guard wher is being raffled off to love-hungry women. Joe’s got the publicity he asked for. The question is, can he handle it? * * * j ! 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,f: 4 4 4 -★*** SCOTT&WHITE CLINIC, COLLEGE STATION Meet Our Obstetrics/Gynecology Department Medical and Surgical Diseases Of The Female Reproductive Tract Pregnancy and Complications Infertility James R. Meyer, M.D. Board Certified: Obstetrics/Gynecology Assistant Professor Texas A&M University College of Medicine William L. Rayburn, M.D. Board Certified: Obstetrics/Gynecology Assistant Professor Texas A&M UnNiversity College of Medicine Charles W. Sanders, M.D. Board Certified: Obstetrics/Gynecology Assistant Professor Texas A&M University College of Medicine Call 268-3322 For Appointment 1600 University Drive East Sally Miller, RNC Nurse Practitioner College Station on- / 4L 4.L This is precisely the sort of thing no one ever believes m -Baron Munchausen Spider and Jeanne Robinson Walter "Chekov" Koenig Of STAR TREK Richard Pint ofELFQUEST Plus Seventeen Authors and Artists Presented by: The Science-Fiction /Fantasy /Horror Committee Dealer's Room Art Show and Auction Masquerade Ball Lazer Tag Gaming Quest Video Room Before March 15th for Students; $13 for non-students March 29 - April 1, 1990 Robot Monster at Texas A&M University Tickets Available at MSC Box Office For More Info call Agglecon XXI at 845-1515 Buckaroo Banzai Rocky Horror Robocop Clockwork Orange Shock Treatment <> Store j 03 An niv ef ” r sart 'Peciul# y FOOD STORE SPEC1AI.S Starting March 1 Through March 4,1990 609 University Dr. College Station, Tx 846-6368 Mrs. Baird's Bread l-Vn Lb. Split Top Wheat 7 Loaf A $1.25 Value (Limit 10 Per Customer) Lance Potato Chips A $1.39 Value Large Bag 79