Santa Cruz Sentinel from Santa Cruz, California • Page 12

1 B-2' Thursday, July 18, 1996 Sentinel Seifert set to fix 49ers' chaos as camp opens By t)ON BOSLEY Sacramento Bee rHOCKLIN George Seifert arrived at 49ers training camp Wednesday with his hand in a cast, his star receiver in limbo and his tail in a self-imposed sling. By all appearances, he was danged comfortable. San Francisco's head coach wasn't ready to sweat anything just yet not Jerry Rice's pending absence from camp, not second-round pick Israel Ifeanyi's looming holdout. On the reporting date for rookies and selected veterans at Sierra College, Seifert was beset only with a familiar appetite for organizing this chaos. "We're under the gun more than at any time since I've been coach (because of) how our season starts," Seifert said.

"We have to do everything we can to put this team together as fast as we can." This is the start to which Seifert alluded: New Orleans, St. Louis, Carolina, Atlanta, St. Louis all NFC West rivals, all in a row to open the regular season. There is little room for early slippage, which is why the 49ers are antsy to begin work on the anticipated changes in their starting lineup. For Seifert, who had surgery Monday to repair a hereditary condition in his left hand, the 1996 camp is plainly a revisit of pressures past.

The playoff loss to Green Bay was unacceptable to the organization. Seifert admits to feeling some of the deflected heat, much as he did before the 1994 run to the Super Bowl. "I would liken it to a couple years ago," Seifert said. "I don't want to put the wrong idea in (management's) mind, but everyone understands the expectations. We had a disappointing playoff loss last year, "I'm trying to be realistic, basically, and not B.S.

anybody. Everybody in this area has become accustomed to a certain type of club." Quarterback Steve Young and wide receiver J.J. Stokes were among the veterans who reported early and will participate in opening workouts today. Atypically absent is Rice, who reported early the previous two seasons but may not even make the veterans' reporting deadline Saturday. Rice's wife, Jackie, continues to recover from childbirth complications that nearly took her life in May.

She is at home but reportedly is still weak. "Jerry is excused until this is resolved," $81,000 signing bonus. Running back Stephen Pitts, a sixth-rounder from Penn State, signed for $326,000 over two years with a $31,000 signing bonus. Additionally, defensive end Daryl Price of Colorado, the team's fourth-round pick, agreed to terms on a three-year deal. CAMP NOTES The 49ers placed full-back William Floyd and tight end Adrian Cooper on the active physically-unable-to' perform (PUP) list.

The move enables San Francisco to move either one to serve PUP later if it appears he will not be ready for the regular season. Floyd, who blew out three ligaments in his right knee last October, is sprinting but is not expected to be ready until midseason. Cooper has had two knee surgeries since May, most recent to remove a cyst. Seifert said. "My understanding is that he will not be here (by Saturday), but he hasn't told me that." Also missing is Ifeanyi, the team's top draft pick.

While three other draftees signed contracts Wednesday and a fourth agreed to terms, talks with the defensive end from USC are moving slowly. "I think we're getting closer," team vice president Dwight Clark said. "The (duration) of the deal is still the problem. I thought it would be done by now. I can't imagine it going past the weekend." Wide receiver Terrell Owens, the team's third-round pick from Tennessee-Chattanooga, signed a three-year, $840,000 deal that included a $270,000 signing bonus.

Fifth-round pick Iheanyi Uwaezuoke, a wide receiver from Cal, signed a three-year, $572,000 contract that includes a Favre: I'm going to beat this thing me, they may," he said. "But I'm still tough ol' Brett. Nothing has changed." Actually, a lot has changed since Favre's seizure following routine ankle surgery in February. Favre, who completed a 46-day stay at the Menninger Clinic.Van NFL-sanctioned drug and alcohol rehabilitation center in Topeka, 1 jrvin an absentee at camp The Associated Press AUSTIN, Texas With fallen star Michael Irvin conspicuously absent, the Super Bowl champion Dallas Cowboys reported to training camp on Wednesday. But leave it to Deion Sanders, attending the first National Football League camp of his athletic career, to fill the void.

'He showed up in possession of a custom-made Mercedes golf cart that even included a stereo system. The vanity license plates for "Prime Time" read "Full Time." Sanders is being counted on to help at wide receiver as well as cornerback this year. "I haven't seen Deion's mode of transportation but I've heard about it and can't wait to see it," Dallas coach Barry Switzer said. "We're going to need some help on offense from Deion this year. Right now he is1 an unknown at receiver so we'll see what happens." Sanders will be spending most of his time at wide receiver instead of defensive back as Dallas prepares for the possibility Irvin might be suspended by the NFL for at least four games for his no-contest plea on a drug possession charge.

Irvin will spend some time in Miami and hasn't said when he will rejoin the team. mm. VV1 on June 28, lost rl4 pounds at the clinic along with his taste for Vicodin. -He married his girlfriend of 10 years in a private ceremony in Green Bay on Sun- The Associated Press GREEN BAY, Wis. Brett Favre figures he'll have to dodge plenty of prescription pill bottles and empty whiskey miniatures tossed from the stands this season.

He supposes, too, that linebackers, some peppering him with taunts of "junkie," will try to send him to the sidelines like never before. And as a recovering substance abuser, the Green Bay quarterback understands he'll no longer be able to take narcotics to deal with pain. None of that seems to have diminished the considerable bravado of the NFL's Most Valuable Player, who has endured six operations in the last five years yet still has managed to start 68 consecutive games, including playoffs. "You know, I'm going to beat this thing. I'm going to the Super Bowl," Favre declared Wednesday in his first public comments since admitting an addiction to painkillers on May 14.

"There's a lot of things I'm going to do," Favre added. "And all I can tell people if they don't believe me is just bet against me. Because, eventually, they'll lose." Favre said he's prepared to take anybody's best hit. "I don't know how they can come any harder, I really don't. But yeah, if they can take a shot at The Associated Press Deion Sanders takes a spin around camp with his customized 'Mercedes' golf cart.

Favre day. Favre said his marriage should have a settling influence on his life. His hard-living, beer-drinking nights with pals Frank Winters and Mark Chmura are over. mi "We've had a lot of fun in the past and probably will again," Favre said. "But as they said, Coke and pizza after the game.

And that'll be fine with me." Favre said his stay at the Menninger Clinic showed him that he had an addictive personality and that treatment centers aren't vacation spots for the stars. "I'm not worried about a deal getting done," Smith said. "Jerry takes care of his pivotal players." Jones wouldn't make a prediction on the 1996 Dallas team. "Time has flown by since we were walking off that field in Phoenix," he said. "We have a long journey ahead of us to win a fourth Super Bowl in five years.

We will have a lot of pressures on us. I'd like to bottle what we did last year." Owner Jerry Jones said he suspects the club will soon learn the NFL's decisioh. "I don't think this will drag on," Jones said. "I think it will be a prudent and quick decision." Switzer expects Irvin to bounce back from his troubles. "He always stays in good physical condition and I think he will be in a lot better mental condition the next time we see him," Switzer said.

Meanwhile, the rest of the team will have its first workout at St. Edward's University at 8:45 a.m. today. The Cowboys hold their annual Blue-White scrimmage Sunday and play their first game July 27 at Texas Stadium against Oakland. Emmitt Smith reported to camp although he still was waiting for Jones to sign him to a multiyear contract.

Smith is playing on the final year of his contract and would like at least a five-year deal in the $30 million range. Jaguars get speed at receiver: Rison WR Jett impresses Raiders with renewed commitment NFL notebook The Associated Press JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Andre Rison made good on one promise by signing with a new team before the start of training camp. The Jacksonville Jaguars can only hope he comes through on another pledge. "Somebody is going to get a firecracker going 100 miles an hour every play," Rison said last week when the Baltimore Ravens released him.

Rison, a four-time Pro Bowl receiver who turned in the worst performance of his career last season, begins his a shot at redemption today when he reports to the Jaguars' training camp. Along with failing to catch at least 50 passes for the first time in his seven-year career. Rison was The Associated Press NAPA Although the Olym-, pics are looming in Atlanta, 1992 gold medalist James Jett isn't reminiscing about his track career. He's busy impressing the Oakland Raiders with a renewed commitment to foot-ball. Jett, a wide receiver, won the gold as a member of the U.S.

400-meter relay team in lona. "It brings up some great memories. I had a lot of success there," he said. "But right now, it's the gridiron for me. That's what is on my mind: football, just Jett claimed the NFL's Fastest Man title earlier this year, running the 60-yard sprint in 6.10 seconds.

He beat teammate James Trapp's 6.15. The honor gave Jett a boost heading into Raiders' training camp, which opened Friday. Jett, who was not drafted, had 33 catches for 771 yards his rookie season in 1993. He led the NFL with an average of 23.4 yards per catch, and earned a spot on the NFL's All-Rookie team. But the past two seasons, Jett admits, he didn't live up to the expectations that came from his rookie performance.

late for team meetings, was booed regularly at Cleveland Browns' home games and even received death threats from irate fans. Now he joins a 2-year-old team that is in desperate need of a game-breaking receiver. IRVING, Texas Dallas Cowboys coach Barry Switzer said he made a mistake in his handling of the racially charged incident that led to his strained relationship with quarterback Troy Aikman. "I made a mistake, and I'm man enough to admit it," Switzer said Tuesday. Switzer said he recently apolo- take, but it was an honest rats-take," Switzer said.

"I was concerned about Troy. LATROBE, Pa. The Pittsburgh Steelers have reached a verbal agreement on a contract With No. 1 draft pick Jamain Stephens-Stephens, a 6-foot-6, 337-pound offensive tackle from North Carolina was the 29th player selected overall in the April NFL draft. The five-year contract, one year longer than Stephens is worth $4.6 million, with a $1.2 million signing bonus.

Pittsburgh needs to rebuild its backfield after releasing Bam Morris in the wake of his drug plea in Texas last week and the team's decision not to re-sign fullback John L. Williams. hopes on golfers 5 ers trained on the European tour and possessing all the shots needed to play links golf. And because there has beent: little rain in England this year, Lytham is playing firmer and faster than ever. That will make the course play short and tricky.

It could be a birdie barrage for those players who know how to handle links golf. "With it being dry, you have to pick up the birdies," three-time British Open winner Nick Faldo said. "You have to be prepared to score well," he said. Watsonville pitcher no-hits Santa Cruz Youth baseball gized to Aikman for his role in the controversy. It happened during Super Bowl preparations in January when there were allegations that Aikman singled out black teammates for criticism.

Former defensive assistant John Blake, now head coach at Oklahoma, contended in a private meeting with Switzer that Alkman's conduct had threatened to become a divisive influence. "I'm not dwelling on what our relationship has been the last two years, and neither Is Barry," Aikman said. "I feel good about where we are going into camp. I'm going In open-minded as he is, and hopefully we don't go through some of the things we've been through In the past." "I told Trov that I made a mis- Don't pin American The Associated Press LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England Seve Ballesteros bent gingerly, careful of a sometimes tender back, and teed up his ball on the second hole at Royal Lytham and St.

Annes Golf Club. Then he struck it long and straight, quite the contrary of the way he sprayed the ball at Oak Hill In the Ryder Cup last September, prompting a five-month hiatus from the game. "I would like to hit it like that all week," Ballesteros said, the faint lines of age on his tanned face and few flecks of gray in his black hair the only indications on this day of his 39 years. But this was only Wednesday, a practice round for the British Open, and it would be a minor miracle if Ballesteros' game held up through four days of competition. Eight years removed from his last major championship the British Open right here in Lytham, where he also won in 1979 and after a miserable 1995 in which he was wlnless, Ballesteros represents history and a bit of nostalgia.

The present is represented by Colin Montgomerie, Nick Faldo, Greg Norman, Ernie Els and Frank Nobilo a talented bunch of golf- The Associated PressSentinel file Gail Devers won not only the hurdles at the 1 993 World Championships in Stuttgart, but the 1 00 meters as well. Devers Sentinel staff report SANTA CRUZ Only one walk 5ept Pedro Moreno from pitching a perfect game, but he still fired a 4no-hitter to lead the Watsonville -Colt-League all-stars A Team to a jlO-0 victory over the Santa Cruz A in the section tournament -Wednesday night at Harvey West SBarkv Watsonville scored four runs in me ihird inning and six in the fJoUrth during a game called after 2flve innings because of the 10-run 2 Watsonville committed no errors jUehind Moreno and Santa Cruz rnever had anything close to a hit. Rickey Hernandez went 3-for-3 at ithe plate and teammates Juan Cervantes and Alejandro De la Cruz Shad two hits apiece. j- 2 -FELTON Revenge can be bru--tal at times, and few can prove the Spoint better than the San Lorenzo Senior League all-stars did -in the championship game of the -District 39 tournament at San Lorenzo Valley High. After falling short to Gilroy National on Tuesday, 7-6, SLV "stormed back with a vengeance, -hammering Gilroy 18 0 in a flve-in-tning game shortened by the 10-run Zrule.

5 SLV moves on to the Section IS -tournament in Valley Springs -where they'll play Saturday at 2 SLV put up four runs in the first, -'two In the second, three in the third and nine in the fourth. Gilroy ijpanaged Just two hits off SLV 2 pitchers. rJake Walsh pitched the first four flirtings, striking out four, before yielding to Jimmy Slnnott, who set Idpwn Gilroy, In order to end the For SLV, Dusty Murata was 3- for-4 with a double and three runs scored, Matt Domingos was 2for-3 with a double and two RBI, and Josh Christiansen was 2for-2. APTOS The Santa Cruz American Little League age 11-12 all-stars secured a date with Scotts Valley in today's District 39 tournament finals by pounding Salsipuedes 12-5 Wednesday at Aptos Junior High. If Santa Cruz wins today, they will have to beat Scotts Valley again Friday to win the tournament.

Scotts Valley can clinch the district title with a win today. Wednesday, Salsi jumped out to an early 5-2 lead after two innings despite a first-inning home run by American's Neal Kunkel. Santa Cruz battled back with three in the third on home runs by Josh Rhodes and John Roberts to tie the game at five. Then Santa Cruz opened the floodgates, with five more in the fifth highlighted by Brandon three-run homer. ana APTOS The Watsonville National Little League age 910 all-stars rallied to knock off Salsipuedes 12-9 to advance to today's District 39 finals against Scotts Valley.

Salsi put Watsonville in a hole early, scoring six runs in the first. But by the third inning, Watsonville had evened the score at 6-6. Then in the fourth, Watsonville pulled away with a five-run outburst keyed by Aaron Yee's two-run homer. Broc Carroll picked up the win, giving up only one hit in three 4 Continued from Page Bl ble, she probably wouldn't be trying it again "I would have set new goals for myself." She did accomplish the double at the 1993 world championships, taking the 100 in 10.82 and the hurdles in an American record 12.46. But the elusive Olympic sweep is still waiting.

It's remarkable Devers has accomplished so much in a relatively short period of competition: Her career has been interrupted for long stretches by serious Illnesses and injuries. She missed the 1989 and 1990 seasons with Graves' Disease, a life-threatening thyroid condition. Her weight ballooned, her hair began falling out and she had to use a wheelchair. Her feet became so infected from an adverse reaction to radiation therapy for the thyroid problem that doctors considered foot amputation. Doctors told her she probably never would walk again, much less run.

But she proved them wrong, battling back with a careful diet, controlled workout program and thyroid medication. Then hamstring injuries forced Devers to miss virtually the entire 1994 season she ran only two 100s. And last year, she could hurdle but not sprint because of a nerve injury to a muscle below her left buttock. Going into last month's Olympic trials in Atlanta, Devers was an uncertainty. She had run only one race in 1996, finishing sixth in the 100 at the Atlanta Grand Prix in May.

But she endured, winning the hurdles in 12.62 the fastest by an American this year despite a scary flashback in the semifinals when she clipped the fourth hurdle and stumbled over the fifth. She also finished second in the 100. Now, It's back to Atlanta to pursue her dream again. 19 I Mi '( rill HIIII11.