Lansing State Journal from Lansing, Michigan • Page 29

What's up today The Detroit Red Wings host the Toronto Maple Leafs. 7:35 p.m.. WJR (760-AM). DThe Detroit Pistons visit New Jersey, 8 p.m., WKBD-TV (Channel 50) and WWJ (950-AM). j' SECTION Lansing State Journal Thursday, Dec.

26, 1 985 Classified Pages 8D to 1 2D Wolverines were state's top sports story By HARRY ATKINS Associated Press They didn't appear anywhere In the preseason Top 20 college football list and some pundits figured they'd lose their first three football games. But it was crow with all the trimmings for the so-called experts when Michigan rebounded from last year's 6-6 record to go 9-1-1 In 1985. The Wolverines, now ranked No. 5 in the nation, will play seventh-ranked Nebraska in the Sunkist Fiesta Bowl on New Year's Day. The Wolverines' turnaround was voted the top Michigan sports story of the year by Associated Press member newspapers and broadcasters.

Their story narrowly edged out the hiring of Coach Darryl Rogers by the Detroit Lions in balloting by sports editors and news directors. The story of Michigan State running back Lorenzo White, who made a bid for Heisman Trophy honors and led the nation's big-college football rushers with 1,908 yards, finished third in the voting. Michigan's basketball team, which won the Big Ten championship last season, captured fourth, and the Detroit Tigers performance in the American League baseball race was fifth. The saga of Kirk Gibson's free agency finished sixth. There was a tie for seventh between the U.S.

Open golf championship at Oakland Hills and Darrell Evans' home run assault; the signing of hockey star Petr Klima by the Detroit Red Wings was ninth; and the fight between Thomas Hearns and "Marvelous" Marvin Hagler rounded out the Top 10. "I like this group," Michigan football Coach Bo Schembechler said during a recent break in Fiesta Bowl preparations. "They're fun to be around, fun to joke with. "This group came out playing well in the opener and kept right on playing well. The season went so fast It was over before we knew what hit us." The Wolverines', first three opponents See MICHIGAN.

Page 3D Associated Press Before and after: The roof of the Pontiac Silverdome was ripped to shreds after fierce winter weather caused millions of dollars in damages. ti 1 11W1 Associated Press Michigan's Jim Scarcelli celebrates the Wolverines' 27-17 victory over Ohio State. Spartans depart for Birmingham nrm 75 fl By HOYT HARWELL Associated Press Writer BIRMINGHAM, Ala. Michigan State's football team is scheduled to arrive here later today to conclude cnacK n. preparations for late Friday.

Both Michigan State and Georgia Tech lost their last bowl appearances. The Spartans went to the inaugural Cherry Bowl a year ago and lost to Army, 10-6. Georgia Tech, making its first bowl appearance since 1978 when it played at home in the Peach Bowl, lost 4 1 -2 1 to Purdue. "We're playing our best football right now," said MSU Coach George Perles said. "We're much improved from early in the season.

If we continue to play well against a good team like Georgia Tech, you'll have to say we're at least worth recognizing as one of the good teams in the country." Georgia Tech also is looking forward to the game. "Getting the All American Bowl bid is one of the most exciting moments in my professional, experience," Coach Bill Curry said. "I guarantee you, we'll come to Birmingham and play our hearts out" Georgia Tech's defense is fourth nationally against scoring. Nicknamed "The Black Watch," the defense allowed only 10.7 points a game. Tech has appeared in 22 bowls, winning 14.

Michigan State is 2-3 in its five bowl games. For its first eight years, the Birmingham event was called the Hall of Fame BowL The name was changed this year. Georgia Tech, the Spartans' opponent in the All American Bowl AUAKHaOMBOWl" I II jK fry I xyc Tuesday night MSU, 7-4 and winners of its last five games, will practice twice before Georgia Tech, 8-2-1, arrives Norseth passes a winning Blue streak Ewing leads big comeback Associated Press NEW YORK Patrick Ewing admits he was guilty of giving the Boston Celtics too much respect "I was hestitating on my shots, rather than just being my aggressive self and pumping them up," the New York Knicks' 7-foot rookie center said. Ewing, who had only eight points through three periods as New York fell behind by as much as 25 points, scored 18 points in the fourth period as the Knicks rallied for a 113-104 double-overtime National Basketball Association victory over Boston Wednesday. "This is the day Patrick emerged as a true superstar," Knick guard Rory Sparrow said.

"He scored -quality baskets at just the right time and with tough defense." Ewing's first fourth-quarter basket came on a twisting layup with 8:39 to play. He later scored 12 straight points to pull New York within 86-84. Then -Sparrow, who had 22 points, hit two free throws with 34 seconds to go to send the game into overtime. "They really had us down the stretch," said center Robert Associated Press MONTGOMERY, Ala. Kansas quarterback Michael Norseth, who says he has always liked watching the pass-happy attack of Purdue, got a chance to try a version of it in the 48th Annual Blue-Gray Football Classic Wednesday.

Norseth, directing the Blue offense, which was coached by Purdue's Leon Burtnett, passed for 228 yards and the winning touchdown in a 27-20 victory over the Gray. "We came out throwing and that's the kind of offense I like," said Norseth, who passed for 168 yards in the first half. "I knew Coach Burtnett liked to pass the ball. He told us at practice that that was exactly what we were going to do." Both offenses were successful early, with the Gray clinging to a 20-19 halftime lead. But Norseth put the Blue on top for good mid-See BLUE, Page 3D Associated Press New York's Patrick Ewing beats Boston's Robert Parish to the ball Wednesday.

Parish, who scored 24 points for the Celtics. "I was really surprised that they came back. We were Just outplayed." Boston built a 97-92 lead with 1:09 remaining in the first over-, time, but Ewing hit a jumper and Trent Tucker tied it with a three-point goal. Ewing's jumper 56 seconds into the second overtime broke a 99-99 tie and Gerald Wilkins made it 103-99 with another jumper. Kevin McHale, who led Boston with 29 points, hit a free throw to pull the Celtics within 103-100, but Sparrow hit a pair of baskets during a 10-0 run that put the game away.

Associated Press The Douglas Landry of Louisiana Tech is hauled down by the Blue's Rueben Mayes of Washington State. Landry picked off a pass in the first quarter Wednesday. Scorecard Denkinger is pjaying well everywhere except in St. Louis Pro Basketball 3D National Basketball Association New York 113, Boston 104 (2 OT) Portland 1 2 1 L. A.

Clippers 1 07 I Today's Gama 1 Detroit at New Jersey New York at Chicago Indiana at Milwaukee Utah at Houston L.A.LakersatSanAntonio Dallas at Phoenix Philadelphia at L. A. Clippers Sacramento at Golden State Marc Hansen the World Series, but I'll never accept the argument that I caused the Cardinals to lose the championship. They lost it when that tarp ran over Vince Coleman. "You know, I haven't been wrong all that often, but I've missed some calls in my 26 years of umpiring.

Never have I felt It was the end of the world. I don't feel this is the end of the world, either." No. it's more like the beginning. The crank calls have stopped, he said; the mail is 80 percent positive. Though Denkinger Is balancing on the edge of celebrity, he would rather, like any good umpire, be a side dish than the main course.

"If anything good came of it" he said of the Series controversy, "it's that I now know how wrapped up so many people can get in a baseball game." Kind of scary. "You could say that" Mare Hansen is a columnist for the Gannett News Service. nobody remembers the play at first When that ball's hit to right I'm saying, Throw him out!" He's saying it for naught Jim Sundberg still barrels home on Dane Iorg's wheezer of a single and the Royals still win: And if we are to believe the baseball-bonkers burghers of St Louis, the Cardinal-red blood of the 85 Series is forever on Denkinger's hands. What of it though? Even Barry Manilow has his detractors. Everybody knows Denkinger is a first-rate umpire.

Everybody outside St Louis. "I haven't been to St Louis yet" he said, "but I seldom fly out of Waterloo without stopping there." Maybe they'll forgive and forget They'll forgive and forget all right; the day the arch tumbles into the Mississippi "It's quite clear after watching the replay that the call wasn't made correctly," Denkinger said. "Obviously, I was proven wrong. I'll always be known as the man who missed the call in the sixth game of WATERLOO, Iowa Don Denkinger, famous umpire, is booked solid through February. He knocked 'em dead in Dayton.

Ohio, two weeks ago and he's down for another big gig in Madison, after the holidays. That's in addition to all the rooms and halls he's been working in Iowa lately. "Without question," he said, "I'm getting more speaking engagements." Not counting the local service groups, Denkinger, whose umpiring salary tops $70,000, commands between $500 and $2,000 ior an appearance excluding expenses. What next? The David Letterman show? -Let's roll the clip of the Orta play," the talk show host would say. "Oh, oh, ladies and gentlemen, here comes Whitey Herzog stomping out of the St Louis dugout He looks pretty mad, Don.

What's that he's telling you? Something about horses. Yeah, horse something. I can't quite make it out Don. Maybe he wanted you to go to the track with him. Heh, heh, heh.t Yes, Denkinger's in demand.

As they say in show business, the man's hot The World Series does that for a guy. As you can Imagine, Denkinger doesnt play all that well in St Louis. Probably never will after calling Jorge Orta safe at first in the ninth inning in Game 6 of the World Series. The Cardinals claimed Orta was out the replay flickered its tacit agreement and the Royals went on to score two runs, tie the Series at three games each and win the title 24 hours later. "If you think I'm rooting for K.C to score those two runs in the ninth," he said, "you're wrong.

If St Louis goes on to win. Pro Football Forgot the fact that Dave Shula is just 26 years old, he's got the stuff, that has made his father, Don of the great coaches in the Na' tional Football League..