The Philadelphia Inquirer du lieu suivant : Philadelphia, Pennsylvania • Page 57

6 fnlabetyfna Jnqinmr SPORTS SUNDAY September 10, 1989 5 SECTION Is a payoff at hand for those loyal fans? Matchups owe Eagles ecfere orer Seakawks By BILL LYON The Eagles were about to play the Dallas Cowboys at Franklin Field. There were 60,000 hangmen in attendance. Sonny Jurgensen was introduced as the starting quarterback for the Eagles. "I trot out there and everyone is booing," he remembered. "I get to the middle of the field and figure, 'At least I'm safe You know, sanctuary with your teammates.

Safety in numbers and all that. Except I look up and two of the 10 guys on my team are booing, too. It's catching." Yes, it is catching. There may not be a city anywhere that is so emotionally tethered to a sports team as Philadelphia is to its Iggles. The umbilical cord between the fans and their football team is long and thick.

And, on the surface at least, the attachment is totally without reason or logic. This is a relationship that passeth all understanding. seems to play into their hands. Seattle likes to establish the run; the Eagles destroy teams that run. Of course, the Seahawks could decide to cross up the Eagles, as coach Buddy Ryan believes they will "They like to get the run going," Ryan said, "but they'll probably go play-action on the first pass and try to go deep." Even at that, Seattle probably will be forced into doing what it does not do best: Throw when the other team knows it must throw.

Although putting pressure on Seattle quarterback Dave Krieg may eventually create the turnovers that will decide the game, getting to that point involves stopping another threat, fullback John L. Williams. A year ago, Williams rushed for 877 yards and caught 58 passes for 651 yards. With tailback Curt Warner making a slow return from arthro-(See EAGLES on 11-E) By Bill Ordine ttgum-r Mull Urili-r Talent isn't quite as important as matchups sometimes. On paper, two teams look to be fairly even.

The running backs, receivers, quarterbacks, and offensive and defensive lines seem somewhat comparable. However, when the aggregate abilities come together on the football field, the contest is simply no contest. Quite possibly, that's what the Eagles are looking at today. Although the Seattle Seahawks the AFC West champions and a playoff team in 1988 wouldn't seem to be an NFL weak sister, today's game has all the makings of a blowout, with the Eagles exploding on offense and dominating on defense. It's all in the matchups.

When the Eagles open the 1989 season against Seattle at Veterans Stadium today (Channel 3, 4 p.m.), they will be taking on a club that But, then, isn't that always the case with affairs of the heart? Mostly, it has been a one-sided romance. Mostly, the team has broken its followers' hearts. And still they have come back for more. The Iggles have been in existence since 1933. They didn't get around to fielding their first winner until 10 years later.

That set a trend. In 56 seasons of competition, the Eagles have been winners only 19 times. That is not a ratio that should (See LYON on 11-E) If I the PniMUelpliid Inqunw JfcKHV LODHiuUbS The young are among a legion of Eagles followers. nw nj in nnif jam sr Perai State shocked in opener, 146 r--' great players here, a lot of speed. We have a lot of potential, but we've got to start turning that potential into results." The outcome of this game was apparent early, when the Cavaliers jumped in front, 14-0.

Shawn Moore threw TD passes of 24 and 11 yards to Herman Moore before three minutes had elapsed in the second quarter. Judging from the way State's offense was wheezing, it may as well have been 41-0. On Virginia's first TD, which finished the Cavs initial possession. Herman Moore leaped in front of (See PENN STATE on 16-E) i Am '-'2 smmgJf By Ray Parrillo Inquirer Slaty Writer UNIVERSITY PARK There was one thing the 85,956 spectators who were shoehorned into Beaver Stadium seemed assured of when Penn State opened its season yesterday: The Nittany Lions couldn't possibly be as bad as they were last year. After all, Joe Paterno's teams traditionally go in cycles.

And after two sub-par seasons, it's time for a swing in State's favor. Yet, there were enough danger signs for Penn State in its stunning 14-6 loss to Virginia to suggest that the Nittany Lions are trapped in a spin cycle, and wondering which way to turn. Shocking as it seems. State now has lost eight of its last 13 games over a three-year period. Yesterday's loss came against a Virginia team that had been humiliated by Notre Dame, 36-13, only 10 days ago.

It is virtually the same Virginia that State blew out, 42-14, in last year's opener. But many of the symptoms that led to last year's grim 5-6 record continue to fester on the Nittany Lions: an ineffective, unimaginative offense; a secondary that permits opposing receivers to frolic through their pass routes, and a weak pass rush. "It's so disappointing I can't even put it into words," State defensive tackle Rich Schonewolf said. "We made a lot of excuses about last year. It was all talk and we didn't back it up.

"I'm tired of hearing how good we can be because it's time to let our actions do the talking," Schonewolf added. "It's embarrassing, and I'm clueless to offer any reasons why we played like that. We have a lot of the Philadelphia Inquww GfltG LANIER Virginia defender Ray Savage knocks away a pass intended for Penn State's Blair Thomas in the waning moments of the game. Brooks helps Expos silence Phils, 6-5 left-field fence for his 12th homer. Parrett retired the first two Expos in the bottom of the ninth, but then his luck ran out.

Galarraga blooped a broken-bat two-out double into left field and Brooks followed by lining a 2-2 Parrett pitch into left. "I'd have loved to have won that one," said Phillies manager Nick lieyva. "When you can come back like we did and go on to win a game like that, that's really being able to play the role of a spoiler. "Losing that one could have killed (See PHILLIES on 6-E) the ninth inning. They were saved in the bottom of the ninth, when llubie Brooks singled home Andres Galarraga with two outs to make a loser of reliever Jeff Parrett.

Montreal remained three games in back of the first-place Chicago Cubs in the tight divisional race, but moved ahead of New York into third place. After today's series finale, Montreal will travel to Wrigley Field for what should be a crucial three-game series with the Cubs. A loss last night could have delivered a near-fatal blow to Montreal's fading chances. And that looked extremely possible when Dickie Thon tied the game dramatically in the ninth. With one out and John Kruk and Ricky Jordan on base, Thon lined a three-run homer off Montreal relief ace Tim Burke.

Burke ended up with the victory despite his ninth blown save attempt. Kruk had opened the inning with a single, Jordan followed with a walk and, after pinch-hitter Von Hayes flied out on the first pitch, Thon drove Burke's first pitch over the By Peter Pascarelli Vlitjulli't Unlrf MONTREAL They're the strange team in the strange land, losers of 22 of their last 35 games despite a starting rotation that is the envy of the league. But the Montreal Expos have been lucky enough to stay just three games out of first place in the National league East despite a month's worth of lackluster baseball. Last night, the Expos were lucky enough to defeat the Phillies. 6-5, despite blowing a three-run lead in Syracuse trounces Owls, 43-3 By M.

G. Missanelli Inquirer Staff Writer When Syracuse's John Biskup missed an extra point in the first half yesterday, it ended an NCAA record streak of 262 consecutive PAT conversions that it had taken the Orangemen 12 college football seasons to create. It also was the high point of the day for Temple. The Owls were hammered yesterday by Syracuse, 43-3. The 40-point loss was Temple's worst since Pitt demolished the Owls, 76-0, in 1977.

year, under Bruce Arians, Temple lost. 37-0 to Alabama and 45-7 to Penn State. It was the second straight loss for Temple and the 20th straight over the last three seasons for new Owls coach Jerry Berndt, who hasn't won since the fourth game of Rice's 1987 season. It was the season opener for Syracuse (No. 14 AP, No.

15 L'PI). "Give credit to Syracuse, they came in here and played very well," Berndt said. "But being very honest, we got our butts kicked. That's as pure and simple as I can put it." With the meticulous Berndt at the helm, two of Temple fooiball's top priorities figured to be a change in attitude and an attack in which mistakes would be kept to a minimum. But yesterday, before an announced Veterans Stadium crowd of 20,150 who were treated to a post game concert, the Owls self-destructed in both areas.

Mistakes? We've got mistakes. During the course of the game, the Owls were: Caught twice with 10 men on the field, once on a goal-line stand. Called for several penalties one a delay of game that drastically (See TEMPLE on 16-E) College football Comeback nets crown for Graf It's Becker and Lendl for the title f'X'Z JtPti' By Diane Pucin NEW YORK As Steffi Grars second serve kicked viciously toward Martina Navratilova's body. Navrati-lova swung her racket harmlessly, hitting only air. Her primal scream of frustration pierced the heavy, humid air at the National Tennis Center, and her racket went flyine.

bouncing once, then twice before landing with a thud. From 6-3. 4-2 up. Navratilova. 32, saw perhaps her best and last chance at a fifth VS.

Open women's singles title sail past her. along with that kicking serve, yeslerday. Instead of Navratilova, it was warn sieady. stoic Steffi Graf who hoisted the winner's cup and accepted the polite congratulations of the 21.471 fans packed into Louis Armstrong Stadium, as well as a winner's check for S300.000. The 20-yearold West German concluded her gutty comeback with that second service ace.

registering a 3-6. 7-5, 6-1 victory for her second straight Open title and her seventh championship in the last eight Grand Slam tournaments. Ix-ss than 24 hours earlier. Graf had dashed off the same court in tears of pain, suffering from heat-induced cramps after a tough three-set semifinal victory over Gabricla Sabatini. But yesterday, in the face of conditions even more hot and humid, the top seed accepted the brilliant play of fhe second-seeded Navratilova in the first set.

then raised her own game correspondingly in the last two sets. "I had hot baths and liquids yesterday and two massages today." Graf said. "I felt quite good and very fit." Graf needed all her strength. Only a half-hour before Navratilova threw her racket in defeat. Navratilova had joyously wagged two fingers in the air.

It was her personal countdown to what she hoped would be her first (See VS. OPEN on 20-E) By Diane Pucin Inquirer Huff Writer NEW YORK Andre Agassi knows about image. He can sell denim and hair bleach and neon tennis rackets because he is young, personable and a winner of a bunch of generic tennis tournaments. All Ivan Lendl knows about is win-nine. The grim, efficient lendl doesn't care much about learning to sell tennis gear, but if Agassi wants to learn how to win, he is getting lessons from the best.

Yesterday, for the sixth time in six meetings, top-seeded Lendl exposed all of No. 6 Agassi's weaknesses in a 7-6 (7-4), 6-1, 34. 6-1 VS. Open semifinal win on the Louis Armstrong Stadium court at the National Tennis Center. Today at 4 p.m., the 29-year-old Lendl will make a record-tying eighth straight appearance (only Bill Tilden.

in 1918-25. has had as many) in the Open finals against No.2 seed Boris Becker, who had an uneventful afternoon in eliminating No.14 Aaron Krickstein 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 in the other semifinal. Since winning six tournaments last year and rising as high as NoJ on the computer rankings. Agassi has spent a lot of time cultivating an image as part punk, part born-again (Sec MEN on 20-E) 6 Index Week 1 in the National Football Ieague: A comparison of the Eagles and Seahawks. plus a look at the other games.

Pages 10-1 1-E. The Phillies aren't the only team facing an off-season of rebuilding. Peter Pascarelli, Page 3-E. Major-league averages. Page 5-E.

Holy Cross 38 Villanova 17 Miami 5 1 Wisconsin 3 Nebraska 48 Illinois 17 Clemson 34 Florida State 23 P'tt 29 Boston Coll. 10 West Virginia 14. Maryland 10 OVIanoma 33 Baylor 7 Tennessee 24 UCLA 6 Rutgers 31 Ball State 31 Texas Tech 24 Anrona 14 Colorado 45 Colorado State 20 Auburn 65 Pacific 0 Assoc lated fVrs 9- Baseball 2-E Boating Graf en route to her win over Navratilova in the VS. Open final. Ben Callaway 7-E Horse racing 20-6.