Hartford Courant from Hartford, Connecticut • Page 146

F2 THE HARTFORD COURANT: WWoy, Novombar 25, 1992 It's only natural: Artificial surfaces limit ers skilledolav Southern Connecticut has another outstanding soccer team, perhaps good enough to Jerrv Balls actually will bounce over players, especially goalkeeper punts, which bit the ground from on high. The game wasn't meant to be enhanced by punts that rocket an additional 20 yards off the hard surface. And, especially noticeable when viewing young players still trying to master the game, the first touch becomes absolutely crucial. Watch even very good players and Southern has plenty struggling to control quick-moving balls on the turf and you realize it's almost impossible for average players. The sad thing is the game suffers so much.

A major reason the North American Soccer League didn't hold onto its fans was the simple fact that too many people who attended NASL games didn't see the real thing. The best known team, the Cosmos, played on artificial turf; so did many United States World Cup. FIFA is going to experiment with sudden death in the Under-20 World Cup next March in Australia, a 16-team event that should provide a good test Because many of the Youth World Cup players are already club professionals, the tournament is taken seriously. Under the Youth World Cup rules, overtime still will consist of two 15-minute periods, but the full 30 minutes won't be played if someone scores. If the overtime finishes without a goal, penalty kicks will decide the winner.

Unless there are unexpected problems with the system, it will be part of the format in America's World Cup because FIFA is interested in providing incentives for teams to play to win in overtime instead of emphasizing defense and hoping to win the tiebreaker. Eass that is off the ground will ounce, not land, often spinning quickly away from the would-be recipient. It makes the best pass a simple grounder, a push rather than a pass. The ball rolls so quickly off the surface (artificial fields are often crowned to help water drain to the sidelines) that it is out of play far too much. Since the most noticeable difference between an American game and one played overseas is the failure of American teams to keep the ball in play, that flaw is accentuated on a non-grass field.

One of soccer's most important defensive plays, the sliding tackle, completely disappears from the game. It is simply impossible to time a slide on the stuff, to say nothing of the fact soccer players aren't padded where the turf might leave a raspberry or three. others. That was a reason they should have called it the Never Actually Soccer League. You can't exhibit the full array of the game at the highest level if you don't play it the way everybody else in the world does.

Even great NASL players couldn't showcase all their skills. Knowledgeable fans came, saw and eventually stayed home. You can't convince me that the artificial surface wasn't part of the league's problem. Southern has a fine team and Dow Field is an excellent facility. It's just too bad the playing surface isn't made for soccer.

That takes away from the Owls' skill and robs fans of seeing this very good team at its very best. Sudden death experiment It is quite possible sudden death overtime will be part of the 1994 Trecker SOCCER -L Southern often find themselves trying to be contortionists simply because the game wasn't meant to be played on a bouncy rug. In case anyone wonders why the International Soccer Federation (FIFA) insists all international games be played on natural surfaces, watch soccer on artificial turf. Here's what you'll see: Almost no one can easily complete soccer's most common pass, a quick flick that lifts the ball about shin high, landing it at the foot of a teammate. On artificial turf any Main events I Today Ttw fH Sat Sim Mow Tu at at Montreal Boston Boston St Louis 8:40 pm I at at Washington Charictta Ptilla.

Cleveland 7:30 pm 7:30 pm 7:30 pm 7:30 pm EOUMiU -T Purdue 1 pm Springftd CC Schott still Associated Press Marge Schott has apologized. National League president Bill White has investigated. And Major League Baseball has expressed concern over her use of racial and religious slurs. To former Cincinnati pitcher Norm Charlton, it appears nothing more will happen to the Reds owner. "Are you going to kick Marge out of baseball for saying that?" Charlton said Tuesday.

"Other owners have probably done worse. Legally, she's entitled to her own feelings and views and thoughts." Schott's admission that she's occasionally used the word "nigger" and her poor record on minority hiring she has only one black front-office employee among 45 have brought national condemnation. "They can railroad Al Campanis out of town and scapegoat him, but who railroads Marge Schott out of town since the commissioner's office win lis uura mAA uiviiuu i uo- tional championship. We'll find out whether they do in about 10 days when the Owls complete their final four business. What is certain is that it's a shame the Owls play their home games on an artificial surface.

Their quarterfinal victory over New Hampshire College Saturday offered one more "reminder that soccer and ersatz grass don't mix. Sure, universities are trying to get the greatest value out of facilities and Jess Dow Field is probably far more useful to all Southern athletes it than it would be if the surface were grass. But soccer is changed so much by the artificial stuff that even highly skilled players such as those at Washington athletes charged Associated Press Eight people, including four current or former University of Washington athletes, were charged Tuesday with dealing cocaine or marijuana. Some of the cocaine deals took nla0 at a Hnrmitnrv nrhorA fnnthall nlavers live. Kins Cminrv nrnsepnrnr Norm Maleng said.

In the news 1: ianke Smith, 22, one of those LHUlgVU TI1UI UVUllllg vvvuiiiv nun suspended from the team. Smith, former basketball player Doug Meekins, former hurdler Ber- player James Goodwin were charged with dealing cocaine. Smith's arrest capped a stormy month for the Huskies football team. Ranked No. 1 in the country earlier this season, the Huskies lost two of their last three regular-season games.

Nov. 10, junior quarterback Billy Joe Hobert was declared ineligible after he acknowledged accepting $50,000 in loans. New QBs for three teams Sean Salisbury, Peter Tom Willis and David Klingler are ready to become starting quarterbacks in the NFL. It is almost certain the Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears and Cincinnati Bengals will have new quar-terbacks Sunday. Salisbury is set to replace Rich Gannon when the Vikings play the Los Angeles Rams in Anaheim, Calif; Willis is expected to replace Jim Harbaugh when the Bears (4-7), who have lost four in a row, play at Cleveland; and Klingler will replace Boomer Esiason when the Bengals (4-7) host Pittsburgh.

The New Orleans Saints are the NFL's best-kept secret. They keep on winning and keep on being ignored. "It's incredible," quarterback Bobby Hebert said. "We've only lost three times and those weren't beatings, and still people act like we're barely getting by." Despite their 8-3 record, doubters pointed out the Saints hadn't beaten a winning team. That ended Monday night with a 20-3 victory over the defending Super Bird to be honored Feb.

4 at Garden Larry Bird will be honored by the Celtics in a Boston Garden ceremony Feb. 4, a night when his former team is Idle. Instead of the traditional halftime observance for retired players, the Celtics will sell tickets to the event and proceeds will go to local charities. Bird, who retired before this BIRD season because of back problems, will have his No. 33 raised to the rafters on a banner.

The ceremony, expected to last 90 minutes, is scheduled to be telecast live starting at 7:30 p.m. Original art prints and silver and bronze coins produced for the occasion will be on sale. Charities will receive the proceeds. "The Celtics are not only thrilled about honoring one of their own but also to be associated with the various charities participating," said Dave Ga-vitt, the team's senior executive vice president. The charities were not identified.

Bird will be the 1 9th Celtic to have a banner in his honor. In his 13-year NBA career, he averaged 24.3 points, 10 rebounds and 6.3 assists. The day after the ceremony, the Celtics host the Philadelphia 76ers. The team also said it was considering a halftime ceremony for Bird at the Civic Center. Its two remaining home games in Hartford are Feb.

9 against Milwaukee and March 28 against Washington. Wire report Tv 4h, JIJ Yankees hid for Rangers' Guzman on the spot Baseball is the creature of the said Harry Edwards, a professor at the University of California at Berkeley. "What baseball is doing is one giant charade." Schott has apologized and promised to hire more minorities. White met with Schott for 2V4 hours Monday in Cincinnati. Schott declined to talk about the meeting.

In her deposition as part of a lawsuit by a former Reds employee, Schott denied calling two black players her "million-dollar niggers," but admitted she's used the slur. She said she wasn't sure that the term was offensive to blacks. She also said she doesn't know why a Jewish employee would be offended by a Nazi arm band that she has at home. On Friday, Schott said, "If I have said anything to offend anyone, it was never my intention." years by signing pitchers Mike Witt and Pascual Perez. But the Yankees must be comforted by Guzman's comeback numbers.

He is 29-18 the past two seasons after missing all of 1989 and pitching only 40 minor-league innings in 1990. McCleary appointed Tim McCleary has been named the Yankees' assistant general manager for baseball operations after five years as director of player records for the American League. McCleary, 28, appears to be r'' placing Bill Bergesch, who was promoted from assistant general manager to senior advisor for baseball operations. In another move, Brian Cashman was promoted from administrative assistant for major leagues to assistant general manager for baseball administration. McCleary, a St.

John's graduate, joined the commissioner's office as an intern in 1986 and was hired by the AL the following year. wwm HOME GAMES On the air PRO BASKETBALL 7:30 p.m.: Bullets at Celtics, SC 13105831 8 p.m.: Knicks at Timberwolves, WEVO (1050) COLLEGE BASKETBALL 7 p.m.: Preseason NIT semifinal, Indiana vs. Florida State, ESPN 605038 9 p.m.: Preseason NIT semifinal, UCLA vs. Seton Hall, ESPN 981800 PRO HOCKEY 7:30 p.m.: Canadians at Whalers, WTIC (1080), WNLC (1510), Bowl champion Washington Redskins (6-5). The Saints limited the Redskins to 58 yards and five first downs rushing, holding Washington's leading rusher, Earnest Byner, to 29 yards on 13 carries.

-y Mitchell second in meet Marti Mitchell of Hamden won $30,000 for finishing second to Paul Wylie in the first pro-am meet in figure skating history in Hershey, Pa. Olympic bronze medalist Nancy Kerrigan won the women's competition. Wylie and Kerrigan won $50,000. John Vozzo of Wood-bridge has been named tournament chairman and Bob Graham of Madison is the new tournament director of the $150,000 Nike Connecticut Open, which is scheduled to be played at Yale Golf Course in New Haven June 18-20. De La Hoya wins debut Olympic gold medalist Oscar De La Hoya seems on the fast track to a title shot.

De La Hoya, 19, a lightweight, won his pro debut Monday night at The Forum in Inglewood, Brown in the supplemental draft July 9, giving up their first-round pick next year, Graham was almost certainly out of the picture. But as Brown was holding out four weeks and Carlson was floating terrible passes in practice, Graham made a good impression in July and August. He played in three exhibition games, throwing a touchdown pass against Cleveland. Eventually, the Giants cut Carlson and kept four quarterbacks. Simms, with bone chips in his right elbow, was out after four games and has since been a full-time tutor for Graham and Brown.

Hostetler lasted seven games behind a line that averages 287 pounds a man and blocks well for the run, but has been a sieve against teams with good pass-rushers, allowing 33 sacks. "I never thought I would be starting Thanksgiving Day," Graham said. "It's like a lifelong dream to be performing in front of the whole nation. But I always believed I had the ability. The short work week for this game could be to Graham's advantage.

Combined wire services The Yankees, who have vowed to improve through free agency this off-season, have thrown a four-year, $12-million-plus offer to Texas Rangers righthander Jose Guzman. Guzman, who was 16-11 with a 3.66 ERA this past season, already has received two other four-year offers but said Tuesday he favors the Yankees' proposal. Sources placed the Yankees' offer' to Guzman at between $12 million and $13 million. The Yankees have not signed a pitcher to a four-year contract since Ed Whitson got a five-year deal Dec. 27, 1984.

Guzman said that for family reasons he favors the Yankees over the other teams that made four-year offers, Cleveland and Seattle. Guzman, 29, had career-threatening surgery to repair a partially torn rotator cuff 3 years ago, and the Yankees were burned in recent HERE'S tula II S3 FOOTBALL SHADED WCNX (1 1 50), WLIS (1 420), WNTY (990), WSNG (610), WILI (1400), WUNN (1110), WUPE-FM (95.9) 7:30 p.m.: Rangers at Penguins, MSG 1532941, WFAN (660) 8 p.m.: Bruins at Capitals, 63 455632, WHYN (560) SOCCER 2: 15 p.m.: UEFA Cup: Roma vs. Galatasaray Istanbul, IB 5052293 TRACK FIELD 4 a.m.: IAAF Mobil Grand Prix Final, NESN 492201 (taped) VCR Plus codes included stopping Lamar Williams in 1 minute, 42 seconds George Fernandez scored twice and Ted Eck once as the United States tied the. Netherlands 3-3 in the World Indoor -Soccer Championship in Hong Kong. The troubled Global Basketball Association announced a league takeover of the Louisville Shooters, hours after Jim Tilton, the founder of the franchise had announced it was folding.

Compiled by Jerry McGuire Corrections Martina Navratilova is 36. Her age was incorrect in Side Lines on Page D2 Tuesday. The East Hartford Jets won the Greater Hartford Twilight Baseball League regular season title and Paul Caccavale plays for Evans Insurance of South Windsor. The champion's name and Caccavale's team were incorrect in a story on Page D7 Monday. Dallas (9-2) is the top-rated defense in the NFL and has 28 sacks, but has not blitzed much.

The Cowboys might have prepared more blitzes for a rookie quarterback. "But you really can't put in anything new in three days," coach Jimmy Johnson said. "We'll just have to go with what we had; who the quarterback is won't be a factor in our preparation. I was impressed with Graham. He threw a nice pass to McCaffrey for the touchdown." Prokop signs The Giants put punter Sean Lan-deta (torn left knee ligaments) on injured reserve and signed veteran Joe Prokop, who was with Miami Sept.

18 to Nov. 4. Prokop, 32, also has punted for the Jets, 49ers, Chargers and Packers. Rookie Eric Bruun, cut by the Giants in August, tried out along with Prokop Monday and Tuesday. Safety Greg Jackson (sprained ankle), nose tackle Erik Howard (pulled calf muscle) and linebacker Steve DeOssie (sprained right knee and ankle) did not practice Tuesday.

DeOssie is questionable for Thursday. 1-800-524-4242, Ext 6435. fj Giants sending rookie against Dallas PICKS CONTEST Congratulations to First Place: James W. Chea $500 Second Place: Joseph Berton $300 Third Place: Donovan H. Davis $200 New prize money is awarded each week, so keep on playing Touch-tone Touchdown! Winners are announced with a one week delay for verification purpose.

Continued from Page Fl gressed, and we exhausted the limited game plan we had for him, we did expand it and he seemed to handle that" Said Graham: "It certainly wasn't easy. But I thought I did the best I could under the circumstances. I was basically happy with everything." The Giants (5-6) picked Graham, from Ohio State, in the eighth round of the draft in April. After a nondescript college career, in which he transferred from Notre Dame after two years and started only 11 games in four seasons, Graham was not a highly rated pro prospect. But Jim Fassel, the Giants' quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator, spotted some things he liked in Graham his arm strength, poise and decision-making and recommended him for the draft.

With Jeff Carlson, a Plan free agent from Tampa Bay, around, it appeared even then that Graham would be a longshot to make the team behind Hostetler and Phil Simms. When the Giants took Dave I flow can we help We invite readers to write, call or visit I our news offices to share their opinions, I ideas for news stories and letters to the editor. The sports department is located at 285 Broad Hartford. Telephone: 241-6435 or toll-tree, 1-800-524-4242, Ext 6435. Jeff Otterbein is sports editor.

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