The Akron Beacon Journal from Akron, Ohio • Page 21

S' Television -Page 8 SEN lLJ'JLJL v3 Obituaries -Page 10 THE BEACON JOURNAL SATURDAY, FEB. 9, 1991 Two former OSU coaches pulling for Buckeyes teams in the '60s did," Taylor said. "But, hey, there's still enough of the country boy in me to say, 'Let's wait until they do Taylor, however, is unstinting in his praise of present coach Randy Ayers who, like himself, was 33 when he took over the Buckeyes and got things perking in just his second year at the helm. Asked if Ayers' group had a chance to rival the success of his teams of the '60s, Taylor said: "Sure, I think it's a possibility. It's easy to see he's doing the right thing, systematically putting it all together.

"His kids give the ball up when they should and folks in the know tell me the players have a good feeling about each other and Randy, too. That's important." Taylor sees another similarity between his teams and Ayers' the play of team leader Jim Jackson. "It's a couple of things," Taylor said. "First, Jerry Lucas never was afraid of making a mistake, and that doesn't seem to bother Jackson, either. When you have that approach, you aren't afraid of responsibility.

"Second," Taylor said, "I had the same arguments with Jerry that I sometimes see as criticism of Jackson, that he's a little too unselfish. "I used to say, 'Jerry, you're leading the world in field-goal percentage, so why do you want to give up the ball? It's hard enough to get it to "The other side of that, of course, is that a player like that is going to get the others playing harder because they know they'll get the ball back." Taylor said he has probably gone to See EX-COACHES, page CS Havlicek, got it done in a hurry. In only his second season (1959-60), Ohio State won not only the Big Ten but also its only NCAA Championship. It was the start of the Glory Years of Buckeye basketball under Taylor: NCAA runner-up finishes in 1961 and 1962. A string of five consecutive Big Ten titles (1960-64), which remains a conference record.

A total of seven outright or shared Big Ten crowns, including the last in 1971. Taylor, now 66 and manager of The Golf Club near Columbus, won't compare the current Buckeyes with the Lucas-Hav-licek-led squad that went 25-3, 27-1 and 26-2 in its three trips to the NCAA championship game. "I like the way these kids seem to have the ability to work together, like those By Jack Patterson Beacon Journal staff writer For Fred Taylor, Ohio State's drive toward a Big Ten basketball title is a mellow trip back in time. For Gary Williams, it is a nagging reminder of what might have been. However, both former Ohio State coaches are among the Buckeyes' biggest boosters as Ohio State bids for its first conference crown since 1971.

The Buckeyes (18-1, 8-1) trail first-place Indiana (21-2, 9-1) heading into today's 3 p.m. contest against Northwestern (5-15, 0-10) in Columbus. "When I took the Ohio State job in 1958, it had been eight years since it had won the Big Ten," Taylor recalled. "I thought that was a long time, but 20 years? That's ridiculous. Let's get it done." Taylor, thanks to Jerry Lucas and John "A 4 i -r Fred Taylor at 4 i I 4 Syracuse suspends 7 players NCAA issues reinstatement 1 1 1 Clemens now the richest Deal averages $5.4 million St I Associated Press Syracuse, N.Y.

Syracuse basketball star Billy Owens and six teammates who were suspended by the school on Friday were reinstated a few hours later by the NCAA in a matter that was more procedural than punitive. The school suspended the play Associated Press Roger Clemens will have little problem paying his fines. The 2-time Cy Young Award winner who ended last season with a suspension, became the highest-paid player in baseball history when he agreed Friday to a $21.5 million, 4-year contract extension with the Boston Red Sox. The annual average value of the deal, ers based upon findings made during a university investigation into possible NCAA rules violations within the basketball program. The possible viola- 'X I 'Vs Ji.

which includes an option for 1996, is $5,380,250. That surpasses the previous high of $4.7 million in the contract signed by Oakland Athletics outfielder Jose Canseco June 27. Clemens, a 28-vear-old right-hand Beacon Journal photoSuaan Klrkman New York Giants' Mike Fox is escorted down auditorium aisle before being honored at North High Friday North honors new favorite son Fox NFL title erases 2 bad memories Owens tions weren't spelled out by Syracuse spokesman Robert Hill, who announced the suspensions and, later Friday, the reinstatements. NCAA spokesman Jim Mar-chiony said that such eligibility matters are routine, and that the Syracuse case was unique only because it became public so soon. Marchiony said that Syracuse followed NCAA -rules in making the suspensions and then appealing to the NCAA's eligibility staff for reinstatement, and "that action warranted immediate restoration of the players' eligibility." The eligibility staff is separate from the infractions committee, a 5-member group that hears evidence on possible violations and renders decisions on sanctions.

Declared ineligible in addition to Owens were senior center LeR-on Ellis, junior forward Dave Johnson, sophomore guards Michael Edwards and Mike Hopkins, sophomore forward Dave Siock and senior walk-on Chandu Carey. Owens, Johnson, Ellis and Edwards are starters. Owens is averaging 23 points and 11 rebounds a game, Johnson 20 points a game and Ellis 11 points and 7.7 rebounds. The suspended players were See ORANGEMEN, page C6 By Jack Patterson Beacon Journal staff writer er, is scheduled to Clemens make $2.5 million in 1991 in the final season of a 3-year, $7.5 million contract. That deal, agreed to on Feb.

15, 1989, was the biggest in baseball at the time but was surpassed the next day by Orel Hershiser of the Los Angeles Dodgers. "We believe that Roger Clemens is the best player in baseball and deserves to be paid the highest salary in base-, ball," Randy Hendricks, one of Clemens' agents, said. "That is now the case. He has commenced a distinguished career in Boston, and this contract is calculated to keep him in Boston for the duration of his career, although we hope we can do one or two more contracts at the end of this one." The extension is worth a minimum of $21,521,000. Clemens will make $4.4 million in 1992, $4.5 million in 1993, $5 million in 1994 and $5.5 million in 1995.

The Red Sox have an option for 1996 at $5.5 million with a $1.5 million buyout. Clemens also gets a $621,000 bonus for agreeing to the extension. With the agreement, Clemens will reach the $5-million-a-year level a year before Canseco and Dodgers outfielder Darryl Strawberry. Canseco is sched- See CLEMENS, page C6 grad Jay Brophy was in Super Bowl XK with the Miami Dolphins. Fox told his admirers to stay free of drugs and steroids.

"They are," he said, "ways to shorten your life, not short cuts to success. "At no time," he said, "let academics take a back seat to athletics, and set goals for your future. "You can be a dreamer all your life," Fox said, "but you never will be a success unless you believe in yourself." Fox plans to return to New York to participate in the Giants' off-season strength and conditioning program. He said he will miss Bill Belichick, the Giants' defensive coordinator who this week became head coach of the Browns. But he predicted Belichick will turn the Browns around.

"He'll do whatever it takes to win," Fox said. "He's that kind of guy. I know some of the Browns and I can tell you they want to win as badly as Bill does." horted students to "Just look at his (Super Bowl) ring" as a symbol of Fox's success. Fox is awaiting the ring's arrival. "It's funny," he said.

"In high school, my goal was to get a bowl ring and now I've got three of them (from West Virginia University). Now I've got a Super Bowl ring and hoping I can get a couple more. "At North, I played in the City Series championship game and we lost. In my junior year at West Virginia, we played Notre Dame for the national championship and we lost. But winning the Super Bowl in my rookie year, well, that made up for everything and then some." Fox is the second City Series product to win a Super Bowl ring.

The other was Garfield graduate Dave Brown with the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl X. Three other City Series products have played in the Super Bowl. Brown's former Garfield teammates Jim Lash and Steve Craig each appeared in two Super Bowls with the Minnesota Vikings, and Buchtel "Hey, Mike Fox," came the shout from a kid in the North High auditorium, "what did you do after winning the Super Bowl, go to Disney World?" "Naw," said Fox with a laugh, "I came back here to say to all you guys." And 1,000 North students said "welcome back!" to Fox, a 1985 graduate and member of the Super Bowl champion New York Giants, at an assembly Friday. They gave him a cake, a plaque and his old No. 89 high school jersey.

It looked more like a bib since Fox has grown to 6-foot-7, 285 pounds. He played at 6-5, 210 pounds while at North. There was even a rap song dedicated to the Giants' rookie defensive end that ex Browns, buzzards to share air PREP BASKETBALL More inside Krai's basket lifts i Walsh over Irish WMMS, WHK land 3 -year radio contract By Bob Dyer Beacon Journal staff writer By Ralph Paulk Beacon Journal staff writer City Series: Firestone tops Kenmore 92-79. Page C4 Metro: Unbeaten Barberton clinches league title. Page C4 Suburban: Tallmadge victory drops Hudson into share of lead with Wadsworth.

Page C4 Federal: Wooster victory clinches second. Page C5 Stark: Marlington downs Minerva in NBC. Page C5 Portage: Waterloo edges Field 44-42. Page C4 Wayne: Brad Durbin's 34 leads Doylestown to win. Page C4 Medina: Brunswick, Medina both win.

PageC4 tive hours of sports talk each weekday and was hoping the Browns would become the station's cornerstone. WKNR's principle owner is Cablevision, a New York cable TV conglomerate. WMMS nicknamed the Buzzard and WHK are owned by Malrite Communications, a Cleveland-based group that includes 10 radio and four television stations. A source said the official announcement will be made Monday by the Browns, although WMMS broke the news to listeners late Friday afternoon. The arrangement marks a significant departure for WMMS, a longtime rock station that has never aired sports broadcasts of any kind.

WHK, once a popular country music station, aired Browns games years ago. Today it is a low-rated speciality station offering business programming. Malrite also owns WOIO (Channel 19), which Is airing the Browns' TV exhibition games. Cleveland sister stations WMMS (100.7-FM) and WHK (1420-AM) have been awarded a 3-year contract to serve as the flagship for the Cleveland Browns radio network. Despite the team's dismal 3-13 season, the Browns remain the most prestigious of the Cleveland sports franchises, and the rights battle involved at least two other broadcasting companies.

One of them was Detroit-based Booth American, owners of WWWE (1100-AM) and WLTF (106.5-FM), which simulcast the games last season. Another bidder was newcomer WKNR (1220-AM), which last month began offering 15 consecu It was the first time Walsh had beaten the Irish on their home floor since 1987 Walsh's 20-0 season in which they beat St. V-M at the buzzer. "It didn't seem real," said a blushing Krai. "It felt like everything was in slow motion." In reality, the final agonizing seconds appeared to fade quickly.

Both teams made strategical changes almost instantly after the Warriors inbounded the ball. Walsh's coach, Frank Lupica, anticipated the Irish would go to a man-to-man defense. The Irish did just that. Irish coach, Mike Meneer, anticipated the Warriors would try to muscle the ball inside as they had done almost all night. The Warriors wanted to do just that.

However, when the Irish realized that the Warriors were stalling for the last shot, that drifted back into a zone. The Warriors had no alternative but to dial long distance. Krai answered the call. The Warriors' faithful spilled onto the court as if their players had won an even bigger prize. Amid the madness and hysteria, it seemed as though you could hear every -heartbeat of the 10 players scattered about the basketball court at St.

Vin-cent-St. Mary's gymnasium. After 31 minutes and 45 seconds of gut-wrenching basketball, Friday's rematch between the Irish and the Walsh Warriors would be decided in the final 15 seconds. The numbers on the scoreboard were identical 62-62. The Warriors possessed the ball.

There was time enough for someone to step up, then squeeze the zest out of a red-hot Irish comeback. Kevin Krai got the call. The 6-foot-5 senior forward, who scored most of his game-high 25 points from point-blank range, tickled nothing but the net with a soft 15-footer as the clock ticked to three seconds. Krai's shot propeled the Warriors to a 64-62 Northeast Catholic Conference victory over the Irish (10-4, 5-1), who already have clinched the league title. King scores three as Crunch wins Perhaps, in this rivalry, there is no bigger prize.

Lupica, whose team is now 11-7 after a lackluster start, didn't care who took the last-second shot. He has immeasurable faith in all his players. "We wanted to spread them out," Lupica said, "and whoever had it would take it to the glass. "I said during our practices that whoever stepped up to hit a (game-winning) shot would have to carry me off the court. I think that loosened them up and See WALSH, page C6 Wichita had gone ahead on a power-play goal at 3-2 five minutes into the final period.

Dave Goggan tied it for the Crunch 12 seconds later, then Michael King, who had the hat trick on the night, got his second of the game at 7:18 for the game-winner. When Wichita went to the sixth attacker with four minutes left, Cleveland foiled the strategy with late goals by King and Kai The Crunch, which still has won only 4-of-18 road games, can extend its win streak in Tacoma Sunday, playing the Stars in a game televised nationally at 4:05 p.m. (SportsChannel Ohio on Warner Cable). Zoran Karic's 46th goal of the season with 3:22 left in the opening period was the only score of the first half as two grudging de-See CRUNCH, page CI Special to the Beacon Journal Wichita, Kan. The Crunch was after its third consecutive win, sixth victory in seven games and another jump closer to second place in the MSL East when it faced the Wings in Kansas Coliseum Friday night.

And the Cleveland club realized its ambitions by dint of scoring four goals in the final period for a 6-3 decision that put the Crunch's season mark at 15-19..