The Lincoln Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • 23

Friday, November 15, 1985 The Lincoln Star Page 23 Broncos' fans may not deserve bad reputation Snowball hurler apologizes, won't take money for story By Dave Goldberg Associated Press Writer Dan Reeves knows the two sides of Denver Broncos fans. Some of them, after all, wanted his head after the Broncos had the affront to lose a game to Seattle last season and fell to 11-2 after 10 straight wins. But after Reeves' Broncos beat the San Francisco 49ers Monday night, he gave them full credit "When they come out in this kind of weather and cheer us on like they did, that's showing ter- Football League record to 55. "I'm really sorry about what I did and I want to apologize to the 49ers and to 49er fans," said the young man, who asked that his name not be used because he fears retaliation or loss of his parents' season tickets. "I don't want themoney," he said of the reward posted for the snowball thrower's story.

"I feel bad enough already. Everybody thinks I'm a jrk, and I just dont want the people in San Francisco to think all Bronco fans are jerks." Although the snowball hurler got to see the entire game, dozens were ejected from Mile High, Stadium for throwing snowballs on the field. The Examiner set stringent rules for identify SAN FRANCISCO (AP) The young man whose snowball may have cost the San Francisco 49ers a victory against the Denver Broncos says he's sorry and wont take a $500 reward offered for his story, the San Francisco Examiner said Thursday. The misguided missile tended near backup quarterback Matt Cavanaugh on Monday night as he was about to spot the ball for a Ray Wersching field goal Cavanaugh said the snowball distracted him and caused him to bobble the snap. Wersching was unable to kick the ball and Cavanaugh launched a pass that was incomplete.

The wore a the time was 14-3; the 49ers went on to lose 17-16, dropping their National ing the snowball thrower, and said the young man convinced them he was the right one. "It just happened on the spur of the moment" the man said. "Me and my buddy both threw snowballs at the same time. His hit the left upright and mine bounced in front of Cavanaugh." Based on where the man was sitting, he threw the snowball about 35 yards. But the -apologetic fan isn't happy about his feat "Everybody around us started calling us jerks, he said.

"That's when I realized that it was stupid. And that's why I'm giving away the tickets for the San Diego game (on Sunday) and going on vacation. I'm taking a lot of ribbing on this and it's not all good-natured." BUT DENVER FANS are also pacifists compared to those in cities where fans feel they've lost their fanhood if they go home without bloodying a neighbor or two. Then came the snowball and instant outrage. "I dont condone the snowball throwing," said Reeves.

"There is no place for that kind of activity in pro footbalL I hope we dont ever see that again." George Young, general manager of the New York Giants and one of the millions of television viewers, said, "It's a disgrace when you have a game that's decided on something like a snowball. There's nothing in the rules about it but it just cant happen." Tex Schramm, president of the Dallas Cowboys and chairman of the NFL's Competition Committee, agrees. "You can't have something like that" Schram said. "Next time it will be a beer bottle or a whisky bottle." THE BRONCOS' RESPONSE will be to beef up security, eject fans who throw snowballs, ask the city to prosecute them and cancel the season tickets of the fan from whose seats the snowballs are thrown. The tickets will be lifted whether or not their owner is the one who did the throwing.

The first three may not work. But in Denver, where having your tickets revoked is akin to banishment the final solution probably will Analysis rific support," he said. "They helped us win the game." More precisely, one' snowball-throwing fan helped them win the game. THE MISSILE IN QUESTION, one of numer-; ous snowballs flung from the stands at Mile High Stadium during the game, landed in front of San Francisco's Matt Cavanaugh as he was about to spot the ball for Ray Wersching's 19-yard field-goal attempt The best Cavanaugh could do was pick up the ball and heave it awkwardly (and unsuccessfully into the end zone. The 49ers ended up losing 17-16.

The police ended up escorting five people from the stadium coached the Broncos since 1971, is still known there scornfully as "Half-a-Loaf," because he played for a tie against the Dolphins that season and excused his actions by saying: "Half a loaf is better than none." Last season, after the Broncos had the temerity to lose to the Seahawks, the mood in a town where the two daily papers treat a Broncos game with the attention of a declaration of war lay somewhere between betrayal and denial on what detective Ken Chavez said was a charge of "throwing missiles." And the incident tarnished Denver's image. As Dan Gayer of Commerce City, said after the makes us look bad, especially when it's on national television." Denver fans are probably the most blindly loyal in the National Football League 73,173 of them showed up Monday in zlklegree weather and despite a 30-10 defeat in San Diego the previ ous week. They would have been there had the Broncos entered the game 3-6 instead of 6-3. THE WAITING LIST for season tickets is as long as the waiting lists in Washington and New York, where the population base is millions larger. There have been divorce cases in which the battle for custody of the Broncos tickets is more bitter than the battle for custody of the kids.

And memories linger. Lou Saban, who hasn't POM USFL's problems compounded by exodus of talented players Da KIper) Original Peachtree Schnapps tastes juicy, delicious and sunshine- fresh. That's because it's bursting with all the natural just-picked flavor jth of real peaches. DeKuyper Original Peachtree Schnapps. Straight, rocks or with soda.

You're ripe for it. a 1 Scott Norwood (Buffalo); Jo Jo Town-sell (Jets), Tom Thayer (Chicago); Gar-da Lane (Kansas City) and Lee Williams (San Diego). Add to that group tight end Gordon Hudson, who signed a series of one-year contracts on Thursday with the Seattle Seahawks. SOME USFL TEAMS are still reasonably intact like the Stars, who lost only Oates, Lane and Landeta to the NFL The Generals remain the USFL's star vehicle with Kelly scheduled to join Walker and Flutie in New Jersey. The rest of the league includes Birmingham, Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa Bay, Memphis, Arizona and the Denver franchise, which will be moved to Portland to replace the Breakers, who have still not met their 1985 payroll, a matter that's still under discussion between the USFL Players' Association and the league office.

San Antonio may become a 10th team if it can clear up the same problem. Grambling defeated GRAMBLING, La. (AP) Richard Dix's two fourth quarter field goals the second from 44 yards with just 24 seconds left gave South Carolina State a 13-10 college football victory over Grambling Thursday night if I "'i-fl 7 i i if I 1 ft hi 4 I it DEKUYPER ORIGINAL PEACHTREE SCHNAPPS. DeKuyper Original fleachtree' Schnapps Liqueur, 48 Proof, John DeKuyper Son, Elmwood PiaccOH. Steve Young Mike Rosier us for a lot less money but the same ratings and advertising dollars." Until then, it will be small-time for a league that by its own estimates lost upwards of $150 million in three seasons and television by syndication.

The USFL has access to an RCA satellite to transmit its 1986 games, but it has yet to sign up a station. It's also lost many of its identifiable players. WITH THE EXCEPTION of Jim Kelly and Herschel Walker, who will play for the New Jersey Generals-Houston Gamblers amalgam, Doug Flutie of the Generals and Kelvin Bryant of the Stars, most, of the caliber stars and NFL deserters have fled That's by design many players for whom the USFL paid huge sums were allowed to buy out their contracts. That group includes White, Anderson, Anthony Carter and Keith Millard (Minnesota); Steve Young and David Greenwood (Tampa Bay); Bobby He-bert (New Orleans); Trumaine Johnson and Tim Spencer (San Diego); Joe Cribbs (Buffalo); Mike Rozier (Houston); Mossy Cade (Green Bay); Leonard Coleman (Indianapolis) and Luis Sharpe (St Louis). But just as important may be secondary players who proved their value in the USFL and allowed NFL teams to use the spring league like a farm system.

That group includes Carthon, who blocked for Walker in New Jersey, and two ex-Stars now with the Giants, center Bart Oates and punter Sean Landeta. It also lists Gary Clark Kevin Mack and Dan Fike (Cleveland); MOW (Q) NEW rr if----4 fas r7 Pool Tables On Sale Now Open 7 Days A Week Cornhusker Billiard Supply Financing Available 1619 Street 475-3984 NEW YORK (AP) To fans who watched the United States Football League teams during their three years in the spring, the names and deeds are familiar. The locations are not Reggie White of the Philadelphia Eagles deflects a pass into the hands of a defensive back who returns it for the winning touchdown. Gary Anderson of the San Diego Chargers catches a pass for one TD and runs for another. Maurice Carthon of the New York Ciants delivers a crunching block that Springs a running back into the end zone.

The USFL, it would appear, has been -swallowed live by the National Football -League, Or has it? Meeting in Memphis two weeks ago, nine surviving USFL owners pledged to resume play next September, 14 months Sfter the Baltimore Stars defeated the Oakland Invaders 28-24 in the third summer championship game. The next title game will be played in Jacksonville in January of 1987, the week before the Super BowL BUT THE MORE IMPORTANT site iind date may be. 17, 1986, in a courtroom in New York, where the USFL's $1.32 billion antitrust suit against the NFL is scheduled to start The suit which asks that the NFL be ordered off at least one of the three major networks is the key element in a master plan by which the USFL will play in 1986 in order to be around in 1987, which is when it hopes it will get the network contract it lacks. For 1987, by no coincidence, is when the NFL will renegotiate its network contract It's also when, Commissioner Harry Usher and some USFL owners suggest NFL players will be on strike. "The lawsuit is a tool we have to re-' sort to to get the situation loosened up to the networks' enslavement by the Usher said.

"But the networks don't have to be in 'this position and it's not totally beyond comprehension that they could decide that commencing in 1987 they should negotiate in a competitive race for a product that can be obtained from Saints' fans turning ugly this season NEW ORLEANS (AP) After almost 19 years of frustration, the usually tolerant, sometimes funny fans of the New Orleans Saints are turning ugly. Coach Bum Phillips has twice been doused with beer as he left the field, and last week the team was pelted with lemons decorated with black fleur de lis, the Saints' emblem. "I've never seen fans anywhere that ugly," Phillips said. "But only the ones that are doing that, and that's a small percentage. "You don't condemn everybody be-.

cause of 15 people, and that's all it is. There probably aren't 15 people enough to do that It ain't like it's 50,000 people." It's not as if the Saints, 3-7, have never suffered a five-game losing streak before. In 19 years there have been seven years that included streaks of five or more losses. Through it all, the fans kept coming. Home attendance has averaged below 50,000 only twice in 1977, when the Saints went 3-11, and in 1980, when New Orleans was 1-15.

Even during that 1-15 season, the fans didn't throw things. That was the year of the bag heads, when supporters showed up with paper bags over their heads to 1 avoid the embarrassment of being seen supporting the NFL team. Derland Moore, a 13-year veteran de-' fensive tackle, said the fan behavior this year reminds him a lot of the 1975 season, 2-12, and 1980. "Maybe the fact they're throwing lemons just shows that they have more money to spend," he said. -T li.

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