The Oshkosh Northwestern from Oshkosh, Wisconsin • Page 25

VMiL Am C8 THE OSHKOSH NORTHWESTERN TUESDAY, DECEMBER 31. 199 WORLD Sports Ideas or comments? Contact Sports Editor Mike Sherry (414) 426-6658, after 4 p.m. For late scores, call 426-6730 TUESDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 31, 1996 THE OSHKOSH NORTHWESTERN Bomb rips apart train Favre is super again -3k JIM LITRE Second MVP a 'surprise' AP NFL Most Valuable Player I AFGH- r1 Explosion aboard a New Delhi-bound train Delhi NEPAL fg INDIA baWtIladesh Arabian 1 Sea A 1 Bay of I Bengal 500 km Jj LANKA Stability a winner tdllfl The voting for the NFL Most Valuable Player as awarded by The Associated Press in balloting by a nationwide media panel: Votes ASSOCIATED PRESS Dozens feared dead in India; no one claims responsibility GUAHATI, India (AP) A bomb exploded Monday on an express train packed with holiday travelers, blowing the train off the tracks and killing dozens of passengers and crew. Police suspected eastern India's rebel tribesmen were to blame. Working in darkness with cranes and floodlights, rescuers pulled 26 corpses from the wreckage, said railway spokesman J.D.

Goswami, who was in radio contact with the rescue operation. At least 42 people were hospitalized, Goswami said. The death toll "may go up a little," he said, but not as high as the hundreds initially reported. The explosion' ripped apart the New Delhi-bound Brahmaputra Express that originated in Gauhati, the state capital of Assam in far-eastern India. "It is a huge tragedy," said Tapan Das, a state official in Gauhati.

"With New Year's celebrations, many people were keen to travel and they had taken the crowded train." By Tom Kessenich of the Northwestern GREEN BAY Andre Rison and Steve Young have personalities as divergent as two human beings can possibly get. But when it comes to Brett Favre, they are in complete agreement. According to both Rison and Young, Brett Favre is Superman. "He's Superman," said Rison, the Green Bay Packers wide receiver. "You can't touch him.

He has no ego. "We have so much respect for him on the field, so we'll do any task or take on any force we have to for him." Brett Favre Green Bay 52 Packers John Elway Denver 3312 Broncos Terrell Davis Denver 5 12 Broncos Jerome Bettis Pittsburgh 2 Steelers ASSOCIATED PRESS The thud of the blast was heard in the railway station at Kokrajhar, from which the train had pulled out seven minutes earlier with 1,200 people aboard. No one claimed responsibility, but the area is the center of activity for Bodo tribespeople demanding greater autonomy concerning their lives and natural resources. The blast derailed the engine and the first of the train's 18 coaches, and blew apart the following three coaches with about 300 passengers, railway officials said. Young, who will face Favre on Saturday in an NFC playoff game, shares a similar view.

"I played Superman's friend," said the San Francisco 49er.s quarterback, who once guest-starred on the "Lois Clark" TV show. NO NO NO Favre BRIEFS NO down payment The Favre file A look at some of Brett Favre's achievements this season. SET AN NFC record and led the NFL with 39 touchdown passes. BECAME ONLY THE 10th player in NFL history to lead the league in TD passes in back-to-back seasons. HIS 3,899 PASSING yards were 4th in the NFL and 1st in the NFC.

QUARTERBACK RATING OF 95.8 trailed only San Francisco's Steve Young (97.2). HIS FIVE FOUR-TD games this season was tied for second-most in NFL history behind Dan Marino's six in 1984. BECOMES FIRST PLAYER since Joe Montana to win back-to-back MVP awards and only fifth in NFL history to win two. interest interest interest in 1997 in 1998 till Jan. '99 "Brett could play Superman." Favre may not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, but when it comes to the NFL, there is no one better.

He proved that Monday when he won his second straight Most Valuable Player award. Green Bay's All-Pro quarterback received 52 of the 93 ballots by a nationwide panel of sports writers. He beat out Denver quarterback John Elway, who was second with 33 V2 votes, and Broncos running back Terrell Davis, who was third with 5V2. FAVRE, PAGE D3 31 i' Northwestern File Phot9 PACKERS QUARTERBACK BRETT FAVRE won his second consecutive NFL Most Valuable Player honor Monday. Young bruised, but should face Packers 395 W)od Rockers Sofa Sleepers 7 II If we didn't have home-field advantage, the best place we wanted to go was Green Bay.

Because we feel we have some unfinished business there. mW Mi in NFL This weekend started out very promising for the impatient. The Jacksonville Jaguars began the NFL's postseason tournament Saturday afternoon by running down Buffalo 30-27, and in Buffalo no less, where no visiting team had won a playoff game in nine previous tries. And you knew that at that moment, several of the owners of the half-dozen teams that lopped off head coaches in the past week wondered how a franchise could accomplish in two years what they couldn't accomplish in decades. They didn't have to wait long for the answer.

On the heels of that one upset, Dallas embarrassed Minnesota and Pittsburgh and San Francisco followed suit Sunday by making Indianapolis and Philadelphia, respectively, cry "uncle." So much for overturning the status quo. Going into the weekend, much was made of the fact that none of the league's getting-older-by-the-minute powers including both of last season's Super Bowl participants had secured a first-round bye. But the results coming out suggest it was of no great consequence. And by the time this season's pack of contenders is narrowed to two finalists the hunch here is San Francisco and Denver it will have mattered even less. Free agency and the salary cap have changed the way NFL teams do business, but only so much.

Those factors have made it possible for expansion teams like Carolina and Jacksonville to put together quality teams. Actually, they may have even made it easier, because expansion teams open shop with prior salary commitments, so they can maneuver under the cap with a freedom that few established teams enjoy. Still, the first-round bye those two victories earned won't be worth much after the Cowboys steamroll Carolina next weekend. And after Denver does the same to Jacksonville, the really hard work begins for the Jaguars and Panthers; they will have to pick themselves up and prove themselves all over again. Succeeding early on is nice, especially since both Jacksonville and Carolina have done it the right way, with smart hires, smart draft choices and shrewdly spending a few bucks.

But doing those things right for consecutive seasons hardly confers elite status in the NFL. Otherwise, quick-fix teams like the Atlanta Falcons and New York Jets whose next coach will be their fourth in the last five seasons would get it right every once in a while. No. Stability, the quality that makes the 49ers' organization still the most-copied in the game, is harder to come by. It takes all of the above and the kind of patience, a refusal to panic at the first signs of trouble, that has all but disappeared from the NFL in recent years.

For all the attention devoted to San Francisco's lack of a first-round bye, almost no one noticed that four of the coaches heading into the postseason had very recently apprenticed in the 49ers' system. It says as much about the 49ers' continuity as the Super Bowls taking up space in the organization's trophy rack. Jim Litke is a columnist for The Associated Press. I Ken Norton Jr. before the game.

Seifert said he decided to have the team prepare in Arizona because he feared bad weather in northern California would prevent them from getting full practices before the rematch with Green Bay (13-3), the team that eliminated the 49ers (13-4) from the playoffs last season. As for going to the desert to prepare for a game likely to be played in sub-freezing temperatures, Seifert said his main concern was quality practice time and the 49ers will deal with the environment at Lambeau Field when they get there. The 49ers played at Green Bay earlier this season, dropping a 23-20 overtime decision at Lambeau Field after blowing a 17-6 halftime lead. "We let them back in the said San Francisco linebacker Ken Norton. "They came back and won.

I think Green Bay knows what we bring. "And I think there was a real solid feeling in our heart when we left that stadium. If we didn't have home-field advantage, the best place we wanted to go was Green Bay. Because we feel we have some unfinished business there." 49ers retreat to Arizona to get ready for Green Bay SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) Steve Young's bruised ribs were still aching, but the injury in all likelihood won't keep him from playing in Saturday's divisional playoff at Green Bay.

San Francisco coach George Seifert said Monday that Young's playing status, listed as questionable following Sunday's 14-0 wild-card victory over Philadelphia, was being upgraded. "He's better than we might have expected," Seifert said. "When I visited with the doctors today, they said he's more probable than questionable." Meanwhile, the 49ers packed up and headed to Arizona on Monday night for three days of practice at the Cardinals' training facilities in Tempe before leaving for chilly Green Bay. The 49ers arranged to borrow the Cardinals' facilities to escape storm-wracked northern California and their own waterlogged practice fields. Young suffered the rib injury Sunday when he battered his way into the end zone on a 9-yard run for San Francisco's first score.

He received M45 Reclining Chair 'Ottoman M95 3 pc. Table Groups M7ST some pain-killing shots during a brief visit to the locker room while the Eagles had the ball, and finished without missing a snap. He later threw a 3-yard scoring pass to Jerry Rice for the only other score. Seifert said Young was still in some pain and his ability to practice this week may be curtailed. "We'll just go by how he feels," Seifert said.

He added Young, who was wearing a flak jacket when injured, would be wearing a heavier one Saturday and also may receive a pain-killing shot led to a massive manhunt and sent relations between the two Koreas to their lowest level in years. The dead North Koreans were among 26 believed to have gone ashore after the submarine ran aground off the southern coast. One was captured and another is unaccounted for. With the return of the remains, North Korea can expect an acceleration in badly needed international aid and negotiations aimed at establishing a lasting peace on the Korean peninsula. North Korea faces extreme food shortages caused by widespread flooding and a severe economic crisis.

Army starts breaking silence BELGRADE, Yugoslavia (AP) President Slobodan Milosevic used the Yugoslav army as his loyal strike force in Croatia and Bosnia, and rewarded it afterward by taking away its money and prestige. Officers are bitter and they may be ready to fight back. Signs are emerging that some officers in the traditionally secretive army support the tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters whose daily demonstrations mark the toughest challenge to Milosevic's nine years in power. About 60,000 people took to the streets again Monday the 41st day of protests that started after Milosevic annulled local elections that opposition candidates had won in November. International mediators have told Milosevic to concede defeat, but he has ignored them.

'Extinct' barbary lion rescued from circus PRETORIA, So. Africa Scientists believe a black-maned lion rescued from a circus by animal rights activists is a barbary lion, a sub-species listed as extinct since 1920. The scientists at Pretoria University in South Africa are carrying out extensive tests on the lion's hair and blood. The results are not expected for at least two months, but the experts say there is "a good chance" that "Akef," as the lion is called, is a barbary. The barbary was deleted from the World Encyclopedia of Animals after what was thought to be the last one was shot by a hunter in Morocco 76 years ago.

"This is extremely exciting," said Jan Creamer, director of the London-based Animal Defenders. "We were thrilled that we were able to EH Two trains collide in northern Italy BRESCIA, Italy (AP) Two commuter trains collided in northern Italy Monday, killing three people and injuring 16. Fire officials in Brescia first reported four dead, but local authorities later said that two people were killed. A third person died later at a hospital. At least two of the dead were crew members.

There were about 100 people aboard the trains, which were heading in opposite directions on the same track, according to Ferrovie Nord Milan, the. private line that runs the commuter service. Court orders factories near Taj to close NEW DELHI, India (AP) The Supreme Court ordered police and local officials Monday to shut down nearly 300 coal-burning factories near the Taj Mahal to save the 17th-century mausoleum from pollutants. The 292 factories must be shut down by April 30, 1997, according to the judgment, which also ordered authorities to stop coal supplies to the factories, United News of India reported. "This is an unconditional order which cannot be varied," said the judgment by Justices Kuldip Singh and Faizan-uddin.

Treasure robber gets three years CAIRO, Egypt (AP) A man who tried to walk off with some of King Tut's priceless treasures and then claimed to have been in the Egyptian Museum only to fix the plumbing was sentenced Monday to three years in prison. Amr Mohammed, 25, was caught leaving the museum with an ancient dagger stuffed in his sock and two gold rings in his pockets. A High State Security Court convicted and sentenced him in the same day. Police said Mohammed entered the museum Sept: 10, hid under a display case and after the museum closed for the night went into one of two rooms housing the artifacts of the Pharaoh Tutankhamen. South Korea returns remains PANMUNJOM, Korea (AP) In response to a rare apology from North Korea, South Korea returned the remains of 24 North Korean infiltrators Monday, marking the end of three months of frozen relations.

The repatriation came a day after North Korea expressed regret for the Sept. 18 submarine infiltration that ASSOCIATED PRESS QUARTERBACK STEVE YOUNG has bruised ribs but is expected to play against the Packers on Saturday. 395 $495 4 pc. Bedrooms Sets Titans control St. Norbert Sofas, too! Oshkosh gets big road win Northwestern Staff Davis Ruedinger II It was one of those games where I wished we would've won by more, but I was happy about the way we played.

91 Ted Van Dellen ST. LOUIS The of Wisconsin-Oshkosh women basketball teanj passed another tough test Monday. The undefeated Titans bea The Titans' swarming defense then flexed its muscle, forcing eight turnovers over the middle of the first half as Oshkosh raced to a 31-19 lead at halftime. Ruedinger was a force in the first half, scoring 15 of his game-high 22 points as the 6-foot-3 shooting guard surpassed the mark midway through the half. He became only the seventh player in Titan history to do so.

"We have a scoring-by-committee sort of system," Van Dellen said. "But (Ruedinger) is the guy we look to late in the game." The 12-point Titan lead fluctuated but never dropped below seven points in the second half. The Green Knights resorted to full-court pressure in the second half, but the ballhan-dling of Titan point guard Brett Davis nullified the press. The Monroe native also hit two timely 3-pointers in the second half and finished Oshkosh remains unbeaten with 67-59 win over Green Knights By Ricardo Arguello of the Northwestern Forgive University of Wis-consin-Oshkosh men's basketball coach Ted Van Dellen for being somewhat surprised at the final score of Monday's nonconference game with St. Norbert College.

The Titans won the game 67-59 at Kolf Sports Center, but the way they stuffed the Green Knights into a woeful 37 percent shooting performance from the floor made you think the final score wouldn't be that close. "It was a kind of funny game for us," Van Dellen said. "I was pleased at how our defense played for the 40 minutes and then I look at the scoreboard, and it really wasn't indicative of how I felt the game was played. "It was one of those games Washington University 77-65 improving their record to 10-0 on the season and winning FREE Delivery FREE Set-Up In Your Home if mm warn iii their 41st game in a row overt FREE Removal a Old Bedding 11 with 11 points and three assists. "I was pleased at how well we handled the press tonight," Van Dellen said.

"When the pressure is on, (Davis. Ruedinger and Joe ImhofD will be handling the ball." Matt Aslakson, Imhoff and Ruedinger nailed 14 of 16 free-throw attempts in the second half to help ice the game for the Titans. Aslakson finished with 12 points and pulled down six rebounds. A late flurry of 3-pointers from St. Norbert made the final margin closer.

Ryan Kane finished with 15 points to lead the Green Knights. Ricardo Arguello may be reached at 426-6658. all. The 41 consecutive win gives the Titans the second1 4. 1 I 1 longest active winning stream in college basketball.

Fort Hays State, a Division II prot where I wished we would've won by more, but I was happy about the way we played." St. Norbert (4-2) connected on a couple of 3-pointers right off the bat and was primed to assume control of the tempo early on. The Titans (8-0) battled back, however, and eventually tied the game on a 3-pointer by Dennis Ruedinger and went ahead 10-8 on a steal and layup by Ruedinger. AT THE AREA'S LARGEST FURNITURE GALLERY Higrwav 4 i at 9th Oshkosh 233-2607 or toll free I -80043 1-7378 MiXirarysof Greet 1 Bay at Main Ave Exit I6V). DePere 339-0670 or toll free I -800-236499 1 Both stores: Mon-Fri.

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Minimum monthly payment of 1 0 required. In-stock orders must be delivered in 30 days. Excludes layaways not valid with other offers "I'm just very proud," Titad imy Hit Frontage Road BIG, PAGE D4W id) Pistons Beat Magic: Page D6 rescue the animals in very difficult circumstances, but to discover that one of the lions could be a barbary is extraordinary.".