The Star Press from Muncie, Indiana • Page 27

Sports The Muncie Star Also in This Section: Business News Comics Classified Ads Thursday, January 1, 1987 Page 27 Par cells Picked as NFL Coach of Year EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) The 1985 season had just gone down the tubes in Chicago and Bill Parcells was on an airplane headed home. Seated next to the New York Giants coach was Mickey Cochran, his high school coach. Not a word was spoken during that flight after a 21-0 NFC semifinal loss to the Bears, until the silence was broken as the airplane was about to land. Finally Cochran turned to his protege.

"You gotta find a way to beat those guys," Cochran said. It's a thought that has stayed with Parcells all year, and it hasn't record and winning the NFC East title. It was the Giants first title sinct 1963 and Parcells on Wednesday was named the NFL Coach of the Year by The Associated Press. "I'm flattered," Parcells said. "You coach better when you have good players." Parcells, 45, had made it a priority surrounding himself with good players, his kind of players.

They don't all come out of the same mold. But they have one thing in common, a desire to win. "He was always the first kid on the floor," said Cochran, who also coached Parcells in basketball. "Maybe he was a little over competitive as a kid. He had such an intense desire to win, it got away from him sometimes." Parcells, whose team has what is probably the NFL's best lineback-ing corps, was a linebacker himself at Wichita State and was good enough to be drafted by the Detroit Lions in the seventh round in 1963.

But he chose to take a job as an assistant coach at Hastings College in Nebraska. "I never viewed myself as a top player. My interest was always in coaching," he says. "I had a chance to play after I was coaching but I turned it down. I wanted to be a coach so I stayed with it." He worked his way through a series of college coaching jobs, was head coach at the Air Force Academy for a year, then was linebacker coach of the New England Patriots in 1980 before becoming the Giants' defensive coordina tor in 1981.

When Ray Perkins quit to become head coach at Alabama late in the 1982 season, After suffering through an injury-riddled 3-12-1 season as a rookie, Parcells has made the playoffs the last three seasons, improving first to 9-7, then 10-6. His 38-29-1 record as head coach is the best record by a Giants coach since Jim Lee Howell retired in 1960. The five coaches between them had a combined record of 130-172-5. The turnaround, according to Parcells, is a matter of attitude as much as anything. "There was a tremendous amount of negativism permeating the organization when I joined it." Parcells says.

"I don't think that changed appreciably until '84 when we made the playoffs. My job was to unite the team and tell them the positive attributes we had." "When he has to he can scream and rant like Chicago Coach Mike Ditka," linebacker Harry Carson said. "He's more a calm type though. He gets his message across. When he doesn't want to scream, he'll scream at me and I'll relay it." Parcells received 44 votes in the balloting of sportwriters and broadcasters from each NFL city to 19 for Marty Schottenheimer of the Cleveland Browns.

Ditka, last year's coach of the year, received four votes, as did Jerry Burns of Minnesota; New England's Raymond Berry had three; New Orleans' Jim Mora two, and Joe Gibbs of Washington and Bill Walsh of San Francisco one apiece. AP BILL PARCELLS 4 Bowl Games Set for Today applied oniy to me Bears, its applied to any NFL opponent, and Parcells and his Giants have generally found a way in posting a 14-2 Iowa Coach Interested in USC Job By DENNIS GEORGATOS AP Sports Writer SAN DIEGO Watching his Hawkeyes pull out a Holiday Bowl victory Tuesday over San Diego State might have been Hayden Fry's greatest thrill as a coach. It might not, however, be enough to keep him at Iowa. After the game, Fry said he would consider taking the coaching job at Southern California if it was nfforoH him Thoro alcn wora AP By ALEX YANNIS 1986 N.Y. Times News Service New Year's Day is one of the days that make college football fans feel like mosquitos in a nudist camp they don't know where to begin.

They majority will begin with the Florida Citrus and end with the Orange. In between, the Cotton, the Sugar and the Rose Bowls will fill television screens across the nation. So, pull up a chair: Florida Citrus Bowl Auburn (9-2) vs. Southern California (7-4), noon (Channel 6) Southern California is the only one of the bowl teams that is not ranked among the Top 20. As a result, the Trojans are the underdogs against the nation's fourth-best scoring team.

The Trojans will also be facing the second stingiest team in the country as Auburn gave up only 10.5 points a game, topped only by Oklahoma's 6.6 points a game. Southern California has been noted for its distinguished running backs in the past, names like O.J. Simpson, Charles White and Marcus Allen. But this season's leading rusher for the Trojans is Ryan Knight with 550 yards. As a result, this game will most likely be a match of a running Auburn team, led by Brent Full-wood, the nation's fourth-leading rusher, against the passing Trojans.

Fullwood averaged 126 yards a game, while Rodney Peete, the quarterback for the Trojans, threw for 2,025 yards and 10 touchdowns. Cotton Bowl Texas (9-2) vs. Ohio State (9-3), 1:30 p.m. (Channel 8). Ohio State makes the Big Ten Conference's debut in the Cotton Bowl, while Texas seeks to become only the second school in the bowl's history to win it in back-to-back years.

The eighth-ranked Aggies, who defeated Auburn, 36-16, last New Year's Day, want to match Texas' back-to-back Cotton Bowl championships in 1969-1970. This may be a better Texas team than the one that defeated Auburn last year. Coach Jackie Sherril, who turned things around for the Aggies in five seasons, has the third-best offensive and the fourth-best defensive team in the nation. Only Oklahoma, first in total defense and second in total offense, has a better combination. Coach Earle Bruce of the Buckeyes is the subject of speculation each year that he is in his last season with the team, but Bruce has led the Buckeyes to a bowl game in each of his eight seasons as coach.

Sugar Bowl LSU (9-2) vs. Nebraska (9-2), 3:30 p.m. (Channel 6) The two teams will clash for the second time in 3 years in the Sugar Bowl, with Nebraska winning in 1985. This will mark the end of Bill Arnspargers's short coaching career at LSU as he leaves to become athletic director at Florida. Louisiana State has a fair running attack, but the Tigers will be going against the second-best defensive team in terms of yardage in the nation.

Danny Noonan, the all-America middle guard from Nebraska, is the player LSU must prevent from causing havoc in its backfield. With Tom Hogson, a red-shirted freshman, throwing, Wendell Davis, a junior split end, is the primary offensive threat for the Tigers. Hogson threw for 2,261 yards and 19 touchdowns, with Davis catching 80 passes for 1,244 yards and 11 touchdowns. Coach Tom Osborne of Nebraska has, as always, a fine I-back, or tailback, in Keith Jones, who gained 830 yards during the year. Steve Taylor has also become a solid quarterback for the Cornhuskers.

he passed for 808 yards and ran for another 537. accounting for 15 touchdowns. Orange Bowl Oklahoma (10-1) vs. Arkansas (9-2), 8:30 p.m. (Channel 13) The declaration that Brian Bos-worth, the all-America linebacker from Oklahoma, could not play because he tested positive for steroid use created the most publicity and also diminished Oklahoma's position as the heavy favorite.

Bosworth's loss has put a lot of pressure on his replacement, Dante Jones. "If I miss a tackle or something, I know some people will be saying Brian would have made that one," Jones said. "I guess it's good in a way, though. It'll make me play harder." Arkansas also lost a starting linebacker, David Dudley, because of steroids, thus putting each team minus a key player in their most important game of the season. I TAILBACK ANTHONY THOMPSON LOOKS FOR YARDAGE AGAINST FLORDIA STATE Freshman Running Back Leads Florida State to Victory Over IU wimvu I.V iiuiii AaiwAv.

mini i. indications he could take most of the Iowa coaching staff with him if the offer materializes. According to Fry, he polled his coaches and they voted 9-1 to listen to the potential offer from Southern Cal, which is seeking a replacement for the fired Ted Tollner. Fry confirmed he has held preliminary discussions with Mike McGee, Southern Cal's athletic director. It is likely the two will be in contact again because Fry and his coaches are staying in Southern California to attend a national' coaches convention and the annual NCAA convention.

Both will be held in San Diego next week. "If we were contacted, we would listen because of the great tradition, the 24 Rose Bowl the Heisman Trophies, the pro players Southern Cal turns out, the great recruiting base," Fry said. "The whole motivation for us-to be interested is that maybe, just maybe, we could win a national championship at USC quicker than we could at Iowa." Iowa had 17 straight non-winning seasons when Fry got the job eight years ago and his first teams were 5-6 and 4-7. But Iowa has won at least eight games in each of the last six seasons and played in bowl games each year, including two appearances in the Rose Bowl. His record at Iowa is 61-33-1.

He has won more games than any other Iowa coach. Fry said McGee has talked to him about the USC job, but they did not discuss any details such as salary or contact. He emphasized that he hasn't been offered the job and has no appointments for further talks with McGee. "I'm not going to accept the job right away even if it's offered," he said. "We're going to have to evaluate it.

We've got a wonderful job at Iowa. We're not looking for a job. However, if it's so good that we just can't turn it down, that's different." Florida State 27 Indiana 13 Indiana 3 0 7 313 Florida St. 6 7 7 727 Ind FG Stoyanovich 35 FS Smith 4 run (kick failed) FS Smith 9 run (Schmidt kick) FS-T. Holloman 8 run (Schmidt kick) Ind Powell 2 run (Stoyanovich kick) Ind-FG Stoyanovich 30 FS-T.

Holloman 10 run (Schmidt kick) A 30,000 its sixth straight bowl appearance, ended its season at 7-4-1. The school is 7-7-2 in bowl games. Indiana finished the season with a 6-6 record. The Hoosiers are 1-2 in bowl games. "They played hard for us all year," Mallory said.

"I look at our program and see the progress that we have made and how far we have come. We are a young ball club." Indiana went 0-11 in 1984 in Mallory's first season and improved to 4-7 in 1985 before going 6-5 and this season to earn their first bowl bid since 1979. Mallory said the Hoosiers were hurt by not being able to take advantage of several scoring opportunities. Anthony Thompson picked up 127 yards on 27 carries for Indiana. Hoosier quarterback Dave Kramme connected on 11 of 25 passes for 168 yards and one interception.

By HOYT HARWELL Associated Press Writer BIRMINGHAM, Ala. Sammie Smith ran for 205 yards and two touchdowns Wednesday night to lead Florida State to a 27-13 victory over Indiana in the All-American Bowl. "All of a sudden he's become a force," Florida State Coach Bobby Bowden said of Smith. Smith, a redshirt freshman, carried the ball 25 times. "He is as good a back as we have faced all year," Indiana Coach Bill Mallory said.

"He was the difference in the game." Smith scored on runs of 4 and 9 yards and Tanner Holloman scored on an 8-yard run to give the Seminoles a 20-3 lead before Indiana rallied for 10 points on Pete Stoyanovich's second field goal and Andre Powell's 2-yard run. Holloman added a late score from 10 yards out. Florida State, which was making Ind 23 53-215 168 7 11-25-1 2-35 1-0 10-88 FSU 20 39-288 54 18 6-14-1 2-35 2-1 6-50 22:41 First downs Rushes-yards Passing Return Yards Comp-Att-Int Punts Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards Time of Possession 37:19 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING-Indiana, Thompson 28-127, Powell 6-38, Polce 5-26, Kramme 13-21, Sweazy 1-3. Florida Smith 25-205. Holloman 6-34, D.

Holloman 2-34, Floyd 1-7, Williams 3-6, Fells 2-0. PASSING-Indiana, Kramme 11-25-1-168. Florida McManus 6-14-1-54. RECEIVING-Indiana, Dawsey 5-74, Lilja 2-44. Buford 2-32, Jones 1-11, Jordan 1-7 Florida O'Malley 2-20, P.

Carter 2-9, Gainer 1-19. Smith 1-6. Warm Memories of Si Burick Who Graced My Profession After the Ball For the record, all five of my children are graduates of Muncie South, so Central is not exactly the most lvoed name around our house. The facts are that the Bearcats are seven-time state champs and have produced some of the finest players the state has seen. The writer of the column, a Mr.

Tim Ethridge, must be inexperienced or jealous, in my view. I thought you would find the article interesting and mysterious because of the skimpy mention of Muncie Central. Sincerely, Harry Metzger 2301 S. Ebright St. Answer Tim Ethridge is sports editor of the Evansville Press and is a man I have never met.

He was writing about the film record of Indiana high school basketball recently made by the Indiana High School Athletic Association. I guess we'll have to live with the knowledge that Hoosiers will be talking about Milan and Bobby Plump's shot after we're all just memories. Come to think of it, we still hear a lot about li'l David and not much about Goliath. Thanks for your interesting letter. BB slipped them to Si Burick.

Each afternoon he cashed a lot of tickets. Those were memorable days, those days before the Race of Races. Gentleman at all times, while it sometimes worried those of us with mud on our shoes and rumpled jackets on our backs, surely impressed our ladies. My sweet wife, who, like this columnist, last saw Si Burick during the 1986 Kentucky Derby Week, asked me often, "Why can't all men look like Si Burick and act like him?" Once when I failed again to find a satisfactory answer she told me: "There's one thing you ought to know: "If Si Burick had entered my life the same day you showed up you would have had a mighty hard battle on your hands." God bless and keep them both. SKIMPY MENTION Muncie, Ind.

Dear Bob: In a short visit to Evansville recently I found the enclosed newspaper article, which is a review of "Indiana's Favorite Game." It is unbelievable that Muncie Central would be mentioned only as the team that lost to Milan. excellent competition from 1939 through 1965 with John Horton, Star and Press business manager, later replacing Payne as co-director, with this writer, of the Muncie tournament. Like Payne, Horton came to regard Si Burick as one of his best and most respected newspaper friends. No matter where our Chicago Stadium press-row seats were located, Si Burick and I always sat together when fighters from our teams met in the ring. Always we notified one another that the next round would be the last for his gladiator.

The writer and his wife always visited with Si and his wife during those wonderful spring days when American and foreign journalists gathered in Louisville to report the events of Kentucky Derby Week. Sometimes Si's first words when we met in hotel lobby or Churchill Downs pressbox were: "Congratulations! I see you made the book again, and deserved the honor." He was referring to the E.P. Dutton anthology, Best Sports Stories, in which this writer occasionally was represented. Usually I was able to return his compliment and I am sure his stories survived the stares of hard-eyed judges more often than mine. The thing that really mattered was that Si Burick never By BOB BARNET Senior Sports Editor My friend Si Burick died not long ago and the passing of this longtime sports editor of the Dayton, Ohio, Daily News brought sadness to thousands who read his columns and games reports and to those of us who knew him and were proud to claim his friendship.

He was one of the great ones in our profession, a man who had won every award available to practitioners of his craft. Far more important, he had earned the respect and affection of those who knew him personally and through the columns and news stories he crafted so superbly. An honest man, he struck at injustice when he perceived it but even in his critical essays there was the kindness of an individual, who believed in his heart that there was good in all God's creatures. There was the implied hope and faith that wrongdoers, shown the error of their ways, would find the right path. We met for the first time in Chicago Stadium when this writer and the late Horace Payne, Muncie Star circulation director, took the first Star Golden Gloves boxing team to the national Tournament of Champions in Chicago.

The Star was represented in this forgot to lift the spirits of a fnend when such an act of kindness was possible. A slim and handsome man, Si always was properly attired in jacket, white shirt, freshly pressed pants and gleaming shoes even in those cold and sometimes gloomy mornings when we were sloshing through mud, dust, andor other familiar debris in early-morning visits to the stable area. Here, before the sun was hardly above the horizon, we talked with owners, trainers, jockeys, track-kitchen waiters, grooms, touts that had escaped police detection up to that time even to the horses themselves. If the horses had answers they were willing to pass along they must have.