Stevens Point Journal from Stevens Point, Wisconsin • Page 13

Stevens Point Journal Friday, December 16, 1994 13 Three Packers make Pro Bowl GREEN BAY (AP) Defensive end Reggie White, named to the Pro Bowl with teammates Bryce Paup and Sterling Sharpe, said the Green Bay Packers delegation is too small. Quarterback Brett Favre and fullback Edgar Bennett also deserved election, he said. White, making his ninth trip to the bowl, and Paup are first-string choices for the National Football Conference lineup. Sharpe is a reserve. Favre "has been playing so well this last month, 1-a-half, that you think he would" be chosen, White said.

"Brett has been showing the utmost confidence. He's been doing the job he needs to do and you would think he would have made it." Bennett is "the best fullback in the league right now," White said. "He's been playing that way. "He can run the ball, he can catch the ball. You'd expect a guy like that to make it, but I think as Edgar continues to play like he's playing, he will be in sooner or later.

To me, he is an all-pro." Favre is the third-ranked passer Two more Badgers suspended MADISON (AP) The Wisconsin Badgers suspended two players following a shoplifting investigation, raising to four the number whose problems with the law will force them to miss the Hall of Fame Bowl game Jan. 2. Defensive back Donny Brady and outside 1 linebacker Sylas Pratt were charged following an incident involving a video game at a variety store Wednesday, police Lt. Lew Bennett said Thursday. "There is a level of conduct that we expect from the members of our football team.

These players, because of their failure to meet our expectations, will not play in the bowl game," coach Barry Alvarez said in a statement. Brady, 21, a senior from North Bellmore, N.Y., faces a Circuit Court hearing Dec. 23 on a theft charge, Bennett said. Pratt, 21, a senior from Hempstead, N.Y., was charged with disorderly conduct under an ordinance that can be resolved by paying a municipal fine, Bennett said. Brady was a Wisconsin starter all season, credited with 58 tackles and breaking up seven passes.

Pratt played as a reserve in 11 games, making nine tackles. He was also cited with disorderly conduct following a tavern scuffle after a Sept. 10 game but was not suspended. Tailback Brent Moss was dismissed from the team after police reported finding cocaine in one of his socks when his car was stopped on a Madison expressway. in the NFC with an 87.3 mark.

His rating of 101.3 in the past seven weeks is second only to San Francisco's Steve Young (121.8). Favre has 28 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions. The TD total leaves him second in the NFC and third in the NFL. It is the highest total of his career and second-most in team history, four shy of Lynn Dickey's club-record 32 in 1983. Favre has the third-lowest interception percentage (2.4 percent) among qualifying NFC quarterbacks.

Through 14 games, he has the third-lowest single-season interception percentage in Packers history, (See Packers, page 15) Sterling Reggie Sharpe White Panthers HEAD-ON COLLISION: SPASH's Ben DeWeerd Willett Arena. The Hodags photo by Tom Charlesworth) BRYCE PAUP of the Packers has been selected to his first Pro Bowl thanks to hits like this one on the Jets' Boomer Esiason. (AP photo) Milwaukee, NFL was unique By ARNIE STAPLETON AP Sports Writer MILWAUKEE The Green Bay Packers came to Milwaukee in 1933 because of money. They'll abandon the city on Sunday for the same reason. When the scoreboard at County Stadium hits 00:00 sometime in the early evening chill, the Packers will desert their home away from home and for the first time in 61 years, they will truly live up to their name.

Their departure will end an era of simpler times in sports, leaving behind the memories of football played on a baseball diamond, of a crummy field and cramped sidelines among the scattered Gatorade cups and mud-caked infield. There was a time when sports was mostly about emotion, loyalty and being part of the community. Now, it's about money, and that's what makes this farewell so ironic. The Packers were teetering on financial failure when they came to Milwaukee begging for survival during the Great Depression, and they were greeted with open arms and open billfolds. Through title runs and retreats, fans bundled up and faithfully filled seats at Borchert Field (1933), State Fair Park (1934-51), Marquette Stadium (1952) and County Stadium (1953-present).

They witnessed the 1939 NFL title game when the Packers beat the New York Giants 27-0 on a bitterly cold day. They watched Don Hutson catch four touchdowns and kick five extra points in one quarter against the Detroit Lions on Oct. 7, 1945, in one of the most celebrated performances in the NFL's 75-year history. Like their brethren to the north, they treasured Vince Lombardi and cursed Lindy Infante. They tailgated before the games and, win or lose, partied afterward.

They felt they had everything that cultured Chicago boasted 93 miles south. If only for a few Sundays every season, they had an NFL team to call their own, long before baseball's Braves came along only to leave in 1965. And 61 years after Milwaukee rescued the Packers, they are packing their bags because they can make more money playing all their games at Lambeau Field. Sixty-one years. That's longer than 22 NFL teams have been in existence.

(See Milwaukee, page 14) don't let up on Hodags By SCOTT WILLIAMS of the Journal Judging from its first three Wisconsin 1 Valley Conference games, the Stevens Point Area Senior High hockey team consider giving opposing teams a four-goal head start. That may be the only chance the rest of the conference has to beat the talent-laden Panthers. SPASH continued to make a mockery out of the Valley competition by toying with Rhinelander before steamrolling the Hodags 5-0 K.B. Willett Arena on Thursday night. In their three Valley outings, the Panthers have outscored the opposition by a whopping 33-1.

Still, SPASH coach Jack Stoskopf feels there is plenty of room for improvement, something the rest of the conference probably doesn't want to hear. "I thought we didn't play very inspired or determined hockey in the first two periods," Stoskopf said. "We were just going through the motions, instead of going out there and producing. "But I think that just might be human nature. We haven't been in a situation before where we've pounded on teams this bad.

It's natural for kids to subconsciously take some of the teams for granted." The Panthers (3-1 overall) cut Rhinelander some slack during the opening 30 minutes. -E 1aakluster performance, SPASH entered the final period with a precarious 2-0 lead. And one of those goals was a fluke. Looking to kill a 5-on-3 Rhinelander power-play late in the first period, Panther junior defenseman Ben DeWeerd attempted to ice the puck. However, a funny thing happened to the puck on the way down the ice.

The puck took a bizarre bounce off the glass along the boards. Rhinelander goalie Dane Miller left the crease in an effort to intercept the puck behind the net, only match WI Valley Standings Team Antigo Stevens Point 3 0 Wausau East 0 Wausau West Marshfield Wisconsin Rapids 2 Rhinelander Merrill D.C. Everest -00 3 4 Rhinelander's Matt during Wisconsin also came out on Zeratsky (7) gets the worst of a run-in with Valley Conference action Thursday night at the short end of a 5-0 final score. (Journal Owners hope delay sends message CHICAGO (AP) When baseball owners announced their willingness to return to the bargaining table, the first inclination was to search for ulterior motives. Only Wednesday, management negotiator John Harrington said that talks between owners and striking players had broken down and that implementation of a salary cap was imminent.

Then Thursday came, and the owners instead decided to give their executive council authority to declare an impasse if there isn't an agreement by Dec. 22. Why wait? Were the owners afraid of being taken to court? Were they worried about Congress removing their antitrust protection? Were they posturing for the fans? Or were they truly interested in negotiation and not implementation? They insist it's the latter. Owners approved their decision by a 25-3 vote, according to several participants, with the Baltimore Orioles, New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays opposing. Baseball owners, threatening to open the '95 season with replacement players, want the union to accept a predetermined percentage of revenue or agree to a tax mechanism that will penalize clubs with high payrolls.

The players, who won free agency prior to the 1976 season, say caps and punitive taxes would crush the market. But the threat of a new system hasn't stopped owners from spending millions on free agents this offseason. "There's a lot of money in this sport," Kasten said. "There will continue to be, whether we're under a salary cap system or tax system. We're just trying to slow down the escalation of salaries." to see it ricochet off the boards and into a wide-open net.

The unusual goal was the first for DeWeerd in two seasons of varsity action with SPASH. He later added another unassisted goal. But don't expect DeWeerd to be pushing for playing time up front any time soon. "They need me to stay on defense and help teach some of the younger guys," DeWeerd said. "It was a fluke goal, but it still counts.

It doesn't matter how the puck goes in. I'll take it." Sophomore Garett Rogstad had given the Panthers a 1-0 lead when he beat Miller from close range just 2:05 into the game. However, SPASH spent a large portion of the remaining two periods working on their penalty kill. The Panthers were perfect in that area, killing off all seven Hodags power-play chances, including several 5-on-3 chances After escaping without any damage, SPASH turned up the heat on the Hodags (1-4) in the final period. The pressure resulted in three unanswered goals.

After DeWeerd notched his second goal of the game to make it 3-0, Brandon Bancker scored a pair of third-period tallies to close out the scoring. 'Obviously, if they are willing to negotiate, so are -Donald Fehr "This gesture," Harrington said, "is the olive branch to say, 'Listen, let's make peace for now and many years to Atlanta Braves president Stan Kasten, another member of the negotiating committee, said: "For months, all you heard from the union is, "They have this proposed master plan, all they want to do is It's become a self-fulfilling prophecy. They sit there and refuse to negotiate the economic core issues until there's literally nothing else to be done." Union head Donald Fehr welcomed the opportunity to resume talks, probably Monday near Washington. But he wouldn't predict if players would make a new proposal. "While we do not agree that we are at an impasse, we do agree that it is appropriate to continue talking, and we are encouraged by that." Fehr said.

"Obviously, if they are willing to negotiate, so are we." Mediator Bill Usery also is ready. "It'd be a nice Christmas present to the fans to give them back baseball, to open the camps and have spring training," Usery said. "I'm very happy with the Stretch run lifts Eagles ALMOND Two big plays 10 points and Barry Young down the stretch enabled the grabbed 8 rebounds. Almond-Bancroft High School Aaron Dobbe paced Rosholt boys basketball team to break with 20 points, including four 3- open a close battle with Rosholt pointers. Jamie Kosobucki added and earn a 55-48 victory Thurs- 16 while Adam Hesketh led the day night.

rebound effort with 9. The win improved the Eagles Neither team shot well from to 2-3 in the Central Wisconsin the field, although Rosholt hit on Conference small division and 2-5 4 of 7 trey attempts compared to overall. The Hornets dropped to just 2 of 15 by A-B. Overall, the respective marks of 1-4 and 2-4. Hornets were 17 of 61 and the A-B finally broke the game Eagles 22 of 67.

open when John Rohde sank a 3- shot to snap a tie with The win may have been a costpoint about two minutes left. Ron ly one for the Eagles. Starter Krause then stole the ball, drove Brad Dernbach went down with the of the court for an ankle injury and was to length a layup, was fouled and completed undergo X-rays today. the 3-point play to put the Eagles A-B is now idle until Friday, ahead by six with 40 seconds re- Jan. 6, when it hosts Bowler.

maining. Rosholt will play at WeyauwegaTaylor Dernbach tossed in 21 Fremont on Tuesday. points and came down with 13 re- 11 16 48 bounds to lead A-B. Rohde added Almond-Banc. ...14 8 15 18 55.