News-Press from Fort Myers, Florida • Page 28

4C NEWS-PRESS, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 1988 'Ickey's' ponytail OK in Cincinnati Ditka back early, talks with Bears PRO FOOTRALL By The Associated Press By The Associated Press IRON MIKE Mike Ditka, at the urging of his heart specialists, has agreed to change his lifestyle. Here's how: He's giving up his beloved cigars. He Is modifying his diet to cut down on cholesterol. He is changing his exercise regimen and will eliminate weightlifting. He will cut down on his coaching responsibility and outside activities everything from game plans to commercial endorsements.

i $tJ. mm 'Si i i yr f. f'Y k. "1 CINCINNATI Elbert "Ickey" Woods has arrived, and a city known for its conservatism has embraced him, ponytail and all. After an initial adjustment, the Cincinnati Bengals rookie fullback has become a team leader in touchdowns and fan recognition.

An Ickey Woods song is being played on Cincinnati radio. An Ickey headband promotion is in the works. The "Ickey Shuffle" the running back's end zone dance when he scores has become a popular way of celebratinga touchdown. Not bad for a ponytailed Califor-nian who was pretty much an anonymous figure when he arrived in Cincinnati after leading the nation in rushing ai Nevada-Las Vegas. "I'm not surprised at all," Woods said this week.

"All I needed really was a chance. God gave me the ability to be a perfect running back. All I needed was a chance to perfect my ability and prove to everybody that I am a quality player." The 6-foot, 231-pound running back has gotten that chance the last seven weeks. Woods carried just six times for 15 yards in Cincinnati's first three games, when the Bengals were giving him time to get acclimated to their high-tech offense. He carried more often in his next two games, then broke loose for 139 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries in a home game against the Jets.

He carried 1 0 times for 1 1 0 yards last Sunday in a 42-7 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, including a 56-yard run that set up the clinching touchdown in the third quarter. The Bengals' strategy of going slow with Woods at first seems to be paying off. "We had the luxury, frankly, to be able to do that (because of depth at running back), and that's helped him, just to be around these guys and see how they execute our offense," running backs coach Jim Anderson said. "It has helped him become a better player." "In the first four or five weeks, I felt pretty comfortable. I didn't play much, but I was learning the scheme of things," Woods said.

"Now that I've pretty much got it in my grasp, I'm playing a lot more." He is the Bengals' leading ball carrier with 107 rushes. His 487 yards are second to James Brooks' 547. He's averaging 4.6 yards a carry. And his eight rushing touchdowns are the most on the club, two ahead of Brooks. The Bengals' high-tech offense was an adjustment for Woods, who ran out of a much simpler offense in college.

"We had a little playbook," he said. "Here we've got one of those big, thick play books. Once you get the terminology down, it's pretty easy to learn." The one unexpected twist for Woods has been his celebrity. "It kind of took me by surprise, that they took a hold of me so quickly," he said. "They've got records out after me, now they want to bring out a headband.

It's great I don't have any complaints about it, as long as I keep my head." News-Press file photo One of the big changes Mike Ditka will have to make is to get rid of his beloved cigars. "I feel good, I was very fortunate," Ditka said. "It was something that was supposed to happen. I was very lucky. I had good doctors.

You don't realize a lot of things about life until you get into a certain position." Ditka appeared a bit tired, but said he felt "perfect." "I've been getting better since last Thursday. I feel confident and optimistic. I'm in good shape," he said. "There is no blockage and the arteries are completely open." Ditka understands he has to changed his ways. "When it's time to go home, I'll go home," he said.

"If I don't feel well, I'llliedown." Ditka also met with his players, telling them, "we had put together something that was pretty sound. If you take out one piece, be it a player or a coach, it will still work." But he said he didn't plan to be away from the team for long, and that he has no plans to get out of coaching. "That's a silly way to look at it," he said. "People who quit are losers and I'm not a loser. But it is important that when you get a warning, you listen.

I can't walk away from something I've done for 28 years." Ditka said he still had two more years on his contract with the Bears and that he planned to go well beyond that. "I never said I wanted to coach more than anybody else or a set amount of victories. You do what you love to do if you have your health, and I have my health. The job is not as stressf ull as some people say it is." LAKE FOREST, 111. Coach Mike Ditka said Thursday he would travel to Washington to watch from the press box as the Chicago Bears play the Redskins Sunday, less than two weeks after he was felled by a heart attack.

"RFK is one of my favorite stadiums," Ditka told reporters from Ha-las Hall, the team's training camp site just a day after his release from the hospital. "I wouldn't miss it for anything." Ditka, 49, said his doctors told him he could make the trip as long as he agreed not to do anything but observe from the press box. Dr. Jay Alexander, the cardiologist who treated Ditka, said he had recommended the coach resume some duties Nov. 20 at Tampa Bay, and return to the sideline fulltime the followingSunday.

"If I had my druthers, he'd probably take it easy for a couple weeks," Alexander said. "But he's going to do things his way and you can't put too many restrictions on someone like Mike because then he'd disregard them totally and do everything. "You settle for what you can get." Ditka, who suffered a mild heart attack after his daily workout Nov. 2, underwent a stress test and angiogram Wednesday to earn his release. But he surprised everyone by showing up Thursday morning at Halas Hall in time to get a phone call from President-elect George Bush.

New owner weakens Seahawks News-Press Wire Services SEATTLE The Seattle Seahawks appear as if they're about to start on a downhill slide. Why? Because they seemed to have weakened themselves recently at the most crucial position owner. The party of the first part is Kenneth Behring, a land developer from California who bought 75 percent of the team from the Nordstrom family I earlier this fall. John Nordstrom, the former owner, was perfect he paid attention to his department stores; hired Mike McCormack and Chuck Knox to handle the football team, and stayed out of the way. Now comes Behring, who has publicly warned general manager Mike McCormack and Coach Knox to or else.

"They know they have pressure on them," Behring said. "As an owner, I'm not going to accept anything but a winning team. I'll give them the talent. Then I expect them to give us a winning team. I can'tstandtolose.

"I bought them for one reason. I want them to be the world's best. I want them to win the Super Bowl. I think I was aware when I made the purchase that we're not there. We've got some soft spots we've got to fill." Detroit Lions: The Lions should tackle San Francisco 49ers coach Bill Walsh if the club wants to break out of its recent slump, a former Lions coach says.

Monte Clark, dismissed from the Lions at the end of the 1984 season, told a cable television sportscaster Wednesday that the team should seek Walsh, who led the 49ers to Super Bowl titles in 1981 and 1984. Clark, appearing on the PASS cable network's "Front Page Football," urged the Lions to avoid a "retread" coach and instead attract Walsh to revitalize the team. The Lions are 2-8 this season under Coach Darryl Rogers. "I would certainly try everything before you settled on something that isn't the answer," he said. "You've got to do it right.

It can't be a retread. Maybe a Bill Walsh. He's been out in San Francisco for a while. Try a guy like that and see if some form of ownership or some incentive would get him out here." Walsh, who has coached the 49ers since 1979, said he was amused at Clark's suggestion but isn't considering a move to Detroit. Choose AKTfcf the futuie Keep the experience, service and value of Long Distance.

When it comes to long distance, a lot of companies compare themselves to one company, And we're not surprised. After all, we've been providing Florida with dependable, reliable long distance service for over a hundred years. Which means we give you raster, more reliable connections, and offer more experience than any other long distance company We even take you to more places than anyone else, over 250 locations worldwide. And all via the most advanced and reliable telecommunications system, the Worldwide Intelligent Network. So when you're asked to choose a long distance company compare any company to the company they compare themselves to, And be sure to make the choice yourself, because if you don't choose someone else will choose for you, and it might not be the great service you've always had.

So send in your ballot. For more information, call Residence: 1 800 222 0300 or Business: 1 800 222 0400. tofeep 1 "If I coach anywhere, it will be I A v0 ft i ii iirt. i i 1 WArw a m. mm mm i here," he said.

Washington Redskins: From Super Bowl hero to second fiddle is the route Washington Redskins running back Timmy Smith has taken, and he pins it on one mistake a wrong route he took before. Smith's last start came on Oct. 9, when he ran one play before being lifted in favor of Kelvin Bryant. Since then, he has done most of his running on the scout team, although he did gain 71 yards last Sunday against New Orleans. "I wanted to let the coaches know I could still run the ball hard," Smith said.

"You never know what the coaches are thinking. "I think the coaches got a little down on me after the Giants game," Smith said. "I made a mistake. The play was designed to go inside and I took it outside." "Let's hope Timmy can come roaring back," said Joe Gibbs. "He really laid it out there last week.

If Kelvin can't go, Timmy will have to take a major portion of the load." The right choice. 'j IWAKl' 1.