Lincoln Journal Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • 27

i nunoun t.mht lo.iwi LINliULN, Nfc. JOURNAL 27 ii if II ii ii ilu zm wfH nw in od ii irii aw irr rTr irw -nimiC! CHICAGO (AP) Baseball's famed Bleacher Bums are losing their seats at Chicago Cubs' games to a new breed The denizens from beyond Wrigley Alomar out Strawberry hurt By Aaaoclated Press Field's ivy-covered walls Ized in a theatrical production and Bon- mi uj uic luusa ui ntui toray una oui ir 1. ira were mux cvusiuerea among both the wisest and most colorful baseball fans. But longtime Bleacher Bum Jerry Pritfldn warns that the outfield seats have been invaded by yuppies who care llnttllfM sHaii4 KaoAttnll Kii4 alum Catcher Sandy Alomar's desire to play despite the pain in his shoulder was admirable, but probably not wise, says Indians manager John McNamara. You could say the same thing about the actions of the Los Angeles Dodgers' Darryl Straw-berry Wednesday night Cleveland placed Alomar on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday because of a rotator cuff injury that he had concealed from them since spring training.

1 i But the Cubs began to sen them in advance five years ago. Pritikin thinks the Cubs should hold back some tickets for game day sales, so the average fan can attend with their families. Working-class fans gone "You dont see little kids coming to the game anymore," said Pritikta, the Bleacher Preacher whose "Cub-mand-ments" include throwing back home run balls that opposing players hit into the bleachers. "There's no blue collar working-class people." And there's fewer characters in the stands like Becker, Pritikin and Ronnie. Wickers, whose shouts of "Cubs woo, Cubs woo" used to echo over the Wrig-kyvffle neighborhood from the stadium.

But Dave Cihla, 27, disagreed with the grim assessment by the old-timers of the current crop of bleacher creatures. "It's just young people having fun," said Cihla. "I can it evolution of the bleachers and Jerry calls it the demise. I say, 'Change is good; let it But he admits, "The young fans today arent as knowledgeable about baseball. It's more of a social event for them." bleachers in 1934 when he was a Cub official had sold his Sox team and started hanging out in the Wrigley bleachers in his shorts and straw hat "An afternoon in the bleachers is the greatest buy in the country," he said before bis death In A couple of times a year, Caray would conduct his radio and TV broadcasts from Wrigley's bleachers.

"The greatest fans are in the bleachers," said Caray. Ella didn't agree Then along came Cub manager Lee Etta, who went into a rage during a 198S losing streak and suggested that bleacher fans should stop going to games to boo his players and find employment instead. A few weeks later, it was a fired Elia who was looking for work. Some of the Bums took Elia at his word Wickers found work delivering pizzas in 1987, but his absence from the bleachers stirred rumors that he had been murdered Tm alive and the Cubs are alive," he insisted when located Ex-Toronto star George Ben, the Cubs' new left fielder, said he enjoys being cheered by the bleacherites after he makes a good defensive play. "Here they know baseball.

In Canada they go to the game to eat and drink," he said. "But they want me to turn around and chat an the time I dont have time. I got 82 games to play." The Bums first gained real attention in 1969 when the Cubs blew the pennant and Wrigley Field was stiU lightless. Summer weekday games were mostly for vacationers, students, the jobless and those playing hooky. By 1977, actor Joe Mantegna and others from Chicago's Organic Theater started studying bleacher folks, like Becker and Wickers for material, they would use in their play "Bleacher Bums." The play about the interactions of a group of fans during a typical Cub toss was successful here as wen as in other cities across the country.

In the early 1980s, Veeck and Caray both came to Wrigley from the cross-town White Sox and both sang the praises of the bleacher gang. Veeck who had built the Wrigley Sandy Alomar Darryl Strawberry to show Off. To add injury to insult, they show up wearing ties, their Rolexes and some even bring then cellular phones. They discuss the Dow Jones averages instead Of batting averages," said Pritikta, 54. Leonard.

Becker, a long-time bleach-erite, said he has a hard time getting a ticket anymore. "It's hard to get in for us old-timers," said Becker. Fritikin said the cheap seats are not cheap anymore as scalpers sell 8 bleacher tickets for as high as $40. Bleacher tickets used to be plentiful, going on sale only the day of the game. Alomar, the American League rookie of the year last year, is hitting 502 and he has thrown out just three of 14 runners attempting to steal.

"It's been bothering him since spring training, but he didnt want to ten any- body. He wanted to keep playing," said McNamara. Strawberry suffered a mild shoulder separation Wednesday night in Dodgers' 4-3 win over the Montreal Expos when he banged into the right field waU in the seventh inning while catching a long fly balL Team officials said he would be examined further later Thursday. Brett Butler was impressed by the catch made by Strawberry and by his teammate's determination to remain in the game. Butler also wanted Straw- berry to leave the contest "I told him he should go out now, but he didn't" Pistons keep Former NU athlete! coach Ed Weir dies Celtics 'ally under control He retired from Nebraska in 1968 after serving as assistant to the athletic director.

Weir often said that two games during his college footbaU career against Notre Dame in 1923, when he was a sophomore, and Illinois, his senior year In 25 were the most memorable in which he played "I wouldn't want to choose between them," he said "The Irish from South Bend were undefeated when thev came Ed Weir, a member of the National Collegiate Football Hall of Fame and for whom the University of Nebraska track stadium was named, died Wednesday in Lincoln at the age of 88. Weir, who was born in Superior, March 14, 1903, became Nebraska's first two-time football AU-American, earning honors Mowing his junior and senior seasons in 1924 and '25. He was also the captain of the Cornhuskers both years and was chosen honorary captain of the Walter Camp AU-American team his senior season. BOSTON (AP) The Detroit Pistons knew the Boston Celtics, winners of an NBA record 16 titles, had the win and the skUl to raUy from an 18-point deficit The Pistons also knew, having won the last two championships, that they wouldn't come unraveled when the Celtics came back. A 79-61 cushion shriveled to nothing when Larry Bird's 18-footer tied the score at 100 with 3:40 left.

But BUI Laimbeer's long-range bombing carried the Pis out to Lincoln and it was the junior year for the Four Horsemen. Who could forget them? Harry Stuhldreher, Jim Crowley, Don Miller, Elmer Layden. What a great team. But we beat them, 14-7." The game against Illinois came at Champaign, IU, during the senior season of the GaUopin' Ghost Harold "Red" Grange. "We beat them 14-0," Weir added "To shut out the Fighting mini on their home field with Red Grange as a senior was quite an accomplishment" Weir was the second person inducted Weir was also the conference indoor and outdoor hurdle champion in track, setting a league record in 1925 that stood for six years.

After the completion of his college career, Weir played three seasons of profes- Ed Weir "ff' '1 jfippf jjj tx IN tuiKnin MWiir nmriirrr Uti rtr tJHAm ii.i.nim ml -imrmM'-l--W'M-i nwnT" tons to a 116-111 victory Wednesday night, giving them a 3-2 lead in the best-of-7 Eastern Conference semifinal. Detroit is a win away from a third straight conference final matchup with the Chicago Bulls, who defeated Philadelphia in five games. Portland plays host to the Los Angeles Lakers in the opener of the Western Conference finals on Saturday. In a series in which the home court hasnt been an advantage, Detroit can clinch at home Friday night Celtics not grim after loss "It's not grim in here," guard Dee Brown said in Boston's locker room. "We just have to go back there and (win) again." "They made a tremendous run in the fourth quarter," Detroit's James Edwards said "I knew they would" And the Pistons, with all their big-game experience, were ready for it "A few years ago, we probably would have lost our poise in a situation like that" Detroit's Vinnie Johnson said, "but we kept executing offensively and defensively." -r, The deadliest executioner was Laimbeer.

He had made just 16 of 47 shots, a 34 percent average, in the first four games. But on Wednesday night, be was 8-for-14 and made his last three shots. His jumper from the top of the key gave Detroit a 102-100 lead with 3:25 to go. His shot from the corner made it 104-102 with 2:11 left And his 20-footer from the corner, just two seconds after a Pistons timeout, gave them the lead for good, 108-106 with 39 seconds remaining. "There were only six seconds on the shot dock.

I had to take the first shot I got," he said of the go-ahead hoop. "Makinc shnta like that is mv Inn Sports HaU of Fame when it was established in 1951. Amnno hie mqwiu Aftint hnnnm Wni was named to the aU-1920's coUege footbaU team selected by Sports Illustrated sional football with the Frankford (Pa.) YeUowjackets, a team that won the NFL championship in 1926. Weir kicked the winning extra point in the YeUowjackets' 7-6 title-game victory against Detroit In 1929, when Dana X. Bible was named Nebraska's head football coach, Weir returned to his alma mater as an assistant He also assisted track coach Henry F.

Schulte. After 10 years as an assistant in both sports, Weir took over as the head track coach when Schulte retired following the 1938 season. Weir served as the head track coach from 1939 to 1955. Weir's teams won 10 conference indoor and outdoor championships. magazine in 1969.

Weir is survived by his wife Martha; son and daughter-in-law, William B. and Nancy Weir; daughter and son-in-law, Helen and Richard Pickett; daughter-in-law Florence 'Flo' Weir; eight, grand-children; and five great grandchildren. Funeral services are pending. A memorial fund to the UNL Foundation for the Athletic Department has been established Farmer sees chance of early spot in draft It's also the job of Detroit guards Joe Dumars and Johnson. But they hadn't been doing it In the first four games, Dumars made 37 percent of his shots and Johnson only 31.6.

They heated up But in Game 5, Dumars was 9-for-17 from the field and 13-for-13 from the foul line for a game-high 32 points. Johnson was ll-for-19 for 24 points. Laimbeer also had 24. I Isiah Thomas, who missed Games 2 and 4 with a sprained foot, was scoreless in 15 minutes. The Celtics did get 30 points from Reggie Lewis and 19 'from Brown.

They also shook off their rebounding woes in the series, beating Detroit 43-33 off the boards. Bird, hampered by a bad back, was ineffective for the 'first three quarters. Center Robert Parish turned his ankle three times in the first half and sat out the second His status for Game 6 was unknown. By Curt McKeever Journal Sports Writer The National Basketball Association Draft on June 26 could be pretty big stuff for the Cornhusker basketbaU program. Center Rich King, a 7-foot-2 senior on NU's NCAA Tournament-qualifying team that finished 26-8, figures to be the first Cornhusker to be selected in the first round ASSOCIATED PRESS Detroit Piston guard Joe Dumars (4) fights Boston forward Larry Bird for a rebound.

Meat, motivation lower sprmter9s time Now, how would you feel about two Nebraska players being selected in the opening round in the same year? It can happen, says Tony Farmer, a junior on last year's team who announced last At first Farmer, who' averaged 12.4 points and 7.4 rebounds last season, didn't want to leave Nebraska. But after realizing that his association with the former executive director of a five-state nuclear waste compact may cause him to be ineligible for part or all of next season, he didn't have much choice but to apply to the NBA. In just a week, Farmer said his agent. Herb Rudoy, has talked with interested NBA team officials from Philadelphia, Indiana, Atlanta, Boston and Phoenix. "And I just received a questionnaire from Washington," said Farmer, who along with former Cornhusker teammate Jose Ramos received automobile loans from Raymond J.

Peery, the former executive director of the Central Interstate Low Level Radioactive Waste Compact Commission who is charged with diverting at least $600,000 of compact money for personal use. Those actions violated the NCAA extra-benefits rule, and other possible violations are still under investigation. For Farmer, however, that's in the past and he's looking forward to being investigated by NBA coaches at an invitation-only, pre-draft camp held in Chicago June 3-9. About 50 players attend the camp, and after undergoing exten- See FARMER on page 30 iff! Tony Farmer By Ryly Jane Hambleton and Ron Powell Journal Sporta Writer I. A little warm weather and the motivation of defending his Class titles in the 100-and 200-meter dashes was an George Beckwith needed Beckwith, a senior at Omaha Flanagan, flew to a 10.4-second time in the 100-meter dash last week in district competition to move into a tie for second place on the all-time track charts.

Beckwith is tied with Willie Vinson of Omaha Benson, who ran his :10.4 in 1982. The fastest time In the state, a :10.3, was turned in by Scott Yank of Lincoln Southeast in Coach Robert Faulkner. "You have to have heat for sprinters. I've seen this coming with George, even though it was wind-aided He ran a :10.7 in a driving rainstorm." The competition also had something to do with Beckwith's performance. Dar-rel Wynne of Boys Town was second in the race with a :10.S time while teammate Tracy Hays was third in :10.7.

Beckwith teammates Dester Gaye and James Mapp were fourth and fifth, respectively, each recording a :10.8. Mapp didnt qualify for the state meet even though there were no other times that fast at Class district meets. "I know George is looking for the all-class Gold Medal in both the 100 and the 200," Faulkner said Beckwith, who has run a :22.2 in the 200, win be trying to get a medal at the state meet for the fourth straight year. He was second in the Class A 100 as a freshman at Omaha Bryan and won the Class 100 and was third in the 200 as a sophomore at Flanagan, which moved to Class last year. There are four returning Gold Medalists in the boys' competition.

Sean O'Conner of Fremont won the 400 last year in an all-time best of 48.08, Clester Johnson of BeUevue West won the 300 intermediate hurdles in :39.15, Klay Kluver of Clay Center won the high jump with a leap of 6 feet 7 inches, and Mike Medjo of Grand Island won the discus with a toss of 171-11. O'Conner again leads the state In the 400 with a :49.6 time, although he has been hampered by a knee injury, and Medjo has the best performance in the discus this year at 183-5. On the girls' side, Kathy Travis of Lincoln Christian win be after her fourth straight Class titles in the 100 and 200 and third straight in the 400. Travis, a University of Nebraska track recruit, won Gold Medals in the 100, 200 and 400 as a sophomore and the 200 and 400 last year. This season, Travis has tied the girls' all-time record In the 100 (:11.7) and set the record In the 200 (:24.5).

Travis has the all-time record in the 400 (:55.78), which she ran at state two years ago. Travis led this season's charts in the See TRACK on page 29 week that he would bypass his senior season in order to make himself eligible for the draft "My agent says the more he talks to people, the more he likes my situation," said the 6-foot-9 Farmer, who says he's heard that he could be a late first-round or early second-round selection. "At first I didnt know exactly where I stood. Now, he's saying it looks better ail the time." "We just havent had good weather for the sprinters," said Omaha Flanagan PFL expansion proposal would add two teams, change alignment "In the past we've talked about inten Tagliabue, for example, has noted vision, labor, community planning needs t. NEW YORK (AP) The NFL win liave two new teams and a different divisional alignment under an expansion recommendation from a committee headed by commissioner Paul Taglia-bue.

The recommendation, which moved expansion to 1994 instead of the original target date of 1993, is expected to be ratified by the league owners when they meet next Wednesday in Mlnneanotta. of the prospective expansion cities, wiS have a new stadium constructed by that time. In addition to Tabliabue, committee members present at the meeting included owners Art Modett of Cleveland, Dan Rooney of Pittsburgh, Edward De-Bartolo Jr. of San Francisco and Norman Braman of Philadelphia, and Jim Finks, president of the New Orleans Saints. sion franchise is awarded to be ready to play.

That means that 1993 expansion would require a decision by this fall; putting expansion off until 1994 gives the league unul the faU of 1992 to make its decision. The delay also gives the league more time to work out some sort of labor contract it has lacked one since the end of the 1987 strike. It also allows cities more time to get ready St Louis, one that the present alignment includes Atlanta and New Orleans in the NFC West and Dallas and Phoenix In the NFC East. He has suggested that natural rivalries like Miami-Tampa Bay could be better exploited under the new lineup. In a short statement issued Mowing a meeting at NFL offices Wednesday, the committee said that 1994 was preferable to 1993 for reasons that include tele- sive study and other matters," said Joe Browne, the league's vice president for development and communications.

"This gives a clear signal to the cities seeking expansion franchises that the committee is ready to go ahead" Under the new expansion plan, geographical factors and natural rivalries win be considered when the current six divisions are redrawn. and realignment In its current form, It doesnt allow realignment unUl 1994 and Tagliabue has stressed that he wants realignment with expansion. That would also allow NBC, which generally has the AFC and smaller-market teams, to get into larger markets. Moreover, league officials believe it takes two years from the time an.