The Tampa Tribune from Tampa, Florida • 35

THE TAMPA TRIBUNE- Thursday, June 30, 1983 Section Chargers give Fouts big bucks to sign 6-year pact Agent Howard Slusher called Dan Fouts' contract one of the most unique in sports history. It could make him the highest-paid player in the NFL. passing list with 27,139 yards and has led the league in passing yardage the past four years, one of his seven NFL records. Slusher said the contract involves "an unusual concept," adding, "My guess is that it's different than anything in the history of sports." He declined to elaborate. The settlement came two months after the earlier verbal agreement collapsed.

Klein announced on April 26, the day of the NFL draft, that the two sides had agreed. But 10 days later Klein said "a serious disagreement" had occured over terms. There was little contact between the two sides until Friday, when Fouts has 30 games with 300 or more yards, including an NFL-record eight in one season. During the strike-shortened 1982 season he averaged a league record 321 yards per game and became the first NFL quarterback to throw for more than 400 yards in two consecutive games. He achieved that mark against Super Bowl XVI participants San Francisco and Cincinnati.

He enters the 1983 season within striking range of the No. 2 spot among active quarterbacks. He is about 900 yards behind Ken Anderson and 800 behind Bradshaw. Hart is about 7.000 yards ahead of Fouts with 34,047. SAN DIEGO (AP) Quarterback Dan Fouts, the force behind one of the greatest passing attacks in National Football League history, signed a six-year contract Wednesday with the San Diego Chargers that could make the highest-paid player in pro football, team officials said.

Chargers owner Gene Klein said the contract ranks among "the highest in the history of the NFL." Terms were not announced, but Howard Slusher, Fouts' agent, indicated the contract could exceed $1 million a year, calling it "the biggest I've ever been involved with." A four-time Pro Bowl selection, Fouts, 32, ranks 15th on the ah time tory of the NFL," said Fouts. The Chargers are 46-18 in Fouts' last 64 starts and have reached the playoffs four years in a row. He acknowledged having serious negotiations with the San Diego franchise owners of the United States Football League. In the end, he said, "they offered everything I wanted except something I believe the Chargers can give me a Super Bowl ring." Fouts, a third round draft pick out of Oregon in 1973, broke Joe Na-math's single season passing yardage record with 4,802 in 1979. Last year, he surpassed Johnny Unitas" all-time mark of 26 games with 300 or more yards in a game.

about the time he starts collecting social security." Fouts. No. 4 on the active passing list behind Jim Hart. Ken Anderson and Terry Bradshaw, said he was "very happy with the contract" and said he would have found it very difficult to leave the Chargers. "I'd have to be crazy to want to be quarterback of another team.

This is the finest offense in the his Klein called Fouts at his off-season home in Oregon. The contract was finalized late Tuesday and signed Wednesday, Klein said. "It's a long-term contract, and one of the reasons for the length of it is that I don't want to go through it again," said Klein. He said Fouts is signed "until The Morning After McEnroe, Curren make semifinals at Wimbledon Tom McEwen tYV Timing wasn't right for Bowden to leave 1 "A- js i 1 I sx I It', The women's semifinals will be held today with Martina Navratilova meeting Yvonne Vermaak and Billie Jean King taking on Andrea Jaeger. Mayer broke service for a 2-0 lead in the second set, but immediately lapsed into errors at the net and lost his advantage.

He matched McEnroe shot-for-shot and game-for-game from 2-2 to 5-5. But then his volleying collapsed and McEnroe made the decisive breakthrough. The third set was scarcely a contest. McEnroe broke in the first game with the help of two lobs that looked simple but left Mayer stranded at the front of the court. McEnroe dropped only two points in winning the next three games, and the match was virtually over.

Some needling between the two men in the first set was not sustained. McEnroe slammed a ball the length of the court after losing a game and Mayer decided it had been aimed at him. "The next time he smashes a ball and it almost hits me, do you want me to take the matter into my own hands?" he asked the umpire. Tournament referee Alan Mills and Grand Prix supervisor Kurt Nielsen were watching, but they did not go on court and play resumed. McEnroe said afterward: "I was about to apologize, but I looked up and saw him going to the umpire's chair.

That was the reason I didn't apologize. He has done this to me on previous occasions. He's a stickler for the rules." Mayer said, "This was by no means the best match McEnroe has played against me. I really do not think he is playing terribly well." See WIMBLEDON, Page 10C By GEOFFREY MILLER Associated Press WIMBLEDON, England John McEnroe nursed a minor groin injury but mastered Sandy Mayer 6-3, 7-5. 6-0 at the Wimbledon tennis championships Wednesday to set up a semifinals meeting with his old foe Ivan Lendl.

Kevin Curren edged Tim May-otte 4-6, 7-6, 6-2, 7-6 after an exciting fourth-set tiebreaker and became the first South African to reach the men's semifinals since Cliff Drys-dale in 1966. Curren will face Chris Lewis, an unseeded New Zealander. With last year's champion, Jimmy Connors, out of the event, the McEnroe-Lendl semifinal likely holds the key to the title. Connors is seeded No. 2 and Lendl is No.

3 and Lendl is fast adapting to the grass courts here. "Whoever wins that match will be the favorite," McEnroe said. McEnroe, after months of trouble with his ankle and shoulder, injured his groin in practice a half hour before going on court to play Mayer. The injury, however, did not appear to hinder his movements and McEnroe said he didn't think it would affect his play in the semis. The four contenders have a day's rest from singles play before the semifinals Friday.

The women's semifinals are set for today with defending champion Martina Navrati-lova playing South Africa's Yvonne Vermaak, and 39-year-old Billie Jean King meeting 18-year-old Andrea Jaeger. Mayer began strongly, but his challenge waned as the 1 hour, 47-minute match went on. McEnroe was in a relatively placid mood but collected a warning for throwing his racket. Mayer served well and often passed McEnroe with handsome strokes, but he faltered on important points and fell behind through erratic volleying. He tossed the sixth game away with a double fault his only double of the first set, and the only service break.

4 ''ft--' AP photo Sandy Mayer returns a shot from John McEnroe during Wednesday's quarterfinal match on Wimbledon's Center Court. McEnroe defeated Mayer to advance into the semifinals. The timing was bad and there just wasn't enough substance to the implied proposition. So, Bobby Bowden let it be known he was staying at Florida State. For now anyway, is the implication.

I said that, and that is the implication I have interpreted. But, in a conversation with Bowden, comes through the feeling that he needs to be stroked by FSU supporters, needs to have a few things done to shore up his deal, to see that as his bones begin to ache more and his pace slows he'll not be in the food-stamp line. Bowden has taken FSU, as Ron Moore said, from bankruptcy to fifth in the nation, "and he'll take us farther. He'll be the new Bear Bryant." Moore is a successful Tampa insurance executive and businessman in his partnership with co-Bowden booster Joe Taggart. "He's not going anywhere.

We will see to that." "We" is the growing number of increasingly successful and supportive boosters of the FSU footbali-(and athletic) program. The "we" has said it has paid attention to some Bowden needs, and it has lately, and will pay attention to more, perhaps as insurance to see that he and his family live in the style to which they have become accustomed in recent years. When LSU made a run at Bowden in 1979, Florida State struck a new deal with him. One source says all promises have not been kept. Other sources say they have, really, but Bowden does not interpret them as being kept because of setbacks in investments.

Whatever, Bowden is happy at FSU and he is anxious to get busy with the season ahead, which should be a premier one. But while he is happy, he is not ecstatic with his futures, shall we say. So, last week when Ray Graves, a former coach and athletic director at the University of Florida, now an executive with the George Steinbrenner organization, wondered if Bowden would listen to a proposition from the United States Football League's Jacksonville expansion team owner, Bowden said his mama taught him to be courteous. He'd listen. Graves said he and Fred Bullard, the principal owner and a St.

Petersburg developer (who word is will July 4 name his team the "Bulls," as in Bullard), would meet him the next day at 9 a.m. at the private aviation center at the Tallahassee airport. "I called Hootie Ingram, our athletic director, and told him I was going to visit and listen," said Bowden. "I also called my attorney, Fred Van Assenderp, and told him. I said I was going to listen to the folks, that's all." Bowden, an honest man who wants to hurt -no one (or his own image), doesn't really like this sort of thing, this almost-intrigue.

He likes to talk about it less. But, he is so fair, when asked, he must. It was his straight-arrow conscience that caused him to get out of a condominium deal when he really didn't have to do that. But he did when questions were raised. The questions later were answered without problem, but in Bowden's mind, just asking them was too much.

He lost the potential to make a big stake. He also lost a tax shelter and had to come up with some big bucks. This tax payoff is one of the reliefs being arranged now by a lineup of his closest friendsboosters who can afford such indulgencies for the sake of their beloved Seminoles and St. Bobby. "I had never met.

Mr. Bullard before," Bowden said. "It was him and Ray. We sat and chatted. He was trying to get an idea if I would be interested.

I said I would be interested in listening. We talked. I said Iwould tell him right off if I wanted to cut it off or not. He did not offer me a job. He wanted to let me know he was interested in me and seemed to be trying to figure out what I would want, what kind of a package I had at FSU.

It only lasted about 10 minutes. I got the idea I was one of several on what he called a 'hit He left." Bowden said the next thing he knew he was getting calls from newspapers about it. "I haven't been in touch since," he said. "Oh, I may have seen Ray Graves. I have been gone.

I probably should have contacted Ray again, or somebody. Meanwhile, I have declared I am going to stay at FSU." It was about that time Moore for booster friends said publicly Bowden wasn't going anywhere because the alumni would not let him because they didn't want to lose him. See MORNING AFTER. Page 8C Nordgren, Truvillion picked right time for big games Fred Nordgren ran an interception back for a touchdown and Eric Truvillion scored the game-winning TD. them, is the most visible of the three.

"E.T. has become a household name in Tampa and who'd have ever thought it could happen?" said Bugsy Engelberg. Bandits director of football operations. It was Engelberg who signed Truvillion as a free agent last winter. Truvillion.

a former quarterback-wide receiver at Florida had failed to stick with the New York Jets. Truvillion has teamed with Danny Buggs to give the Bandits the most productive receiving tandem in the USFL. That fact prompted a Bandit official to say after See MVP, Page 8C media, caught a 44-yard TD pass from Jimmy Jordan, putting the Bandits ahead for good midway through the fourth quarter. The third Bandit on the MVP ballot, running back Gary Anderson, rushed for 48 yards on 15 carries and scored on a 2-yard run against Denver. Though nothing's certain until the votes are tabulated, Truvillion probably has the best shot of the three Bandits on the MVP ballot.

He leads the league in touchdown receptions with 14 and because the Bandits' reputation as a pass-loving team precedes By TOM FORD Tribune Sports Writer The MVP voting deadline is today. Monday night, in the Bandits' 26-23 victory over the Denver Gold. Nordgren and Truvillion made primary plays that could result in a few more X'ss by their names. Nordgren, a squatty, 5-11, 245-pound nose tackle, scored the Bandits' first touchdown by intercepting pass by Craig Penrose and returning the ball 23 yards into the end zone. That defensive gem helped produce a 15-0 lead.

Truvillion, bean-pole tall at 6-4, finished what Nordgren started. After a 50-mjnute delay of the game because of severe weather at Tampa Stadium, "E.T.," the nickname that has stuck with fans and Inside Allardyce ready to help Rowdies Tampa Bay hasn't had an enforcer on defense since the days of Manny Andruzewski. Allardyce, who lacks nothing in confidence, said he'll be able to put forth a professional effort Friday night, jet lag or no jet lag. "I'll just call on me experience as a professional," he said. "I won't be dashing up to exercise any set pieces or anything.

I'll just do me job first and foremost as a defender." The Rowdies have been aching defensively all season for lack of a bully-ing-type defender. Allardyce, at 6-2, 196 pounds, is as close to an enforcer as the team has had since the battle-scarred days of Manny Andruzewski. He said he's aware of the team's defensive problems because just two weeks ago, he was vacationing in Orlando and read up on the Rowdies in the newspapers. See ALLARDYCE, Page 7C Dodgers' Howe fined $54,000 5 Steve Howe of the Los Angeles Dodgers was fined $54,000 Wednesday for drug abuse. That total represents one month's work for Howe, a relief pitcher.

Kuenn keen on All-Star staff 6 American League Ail-Star manager Harvey Kuenn picked three 10-game winners Rick Honeycutt of Texas, Dave Stieb of Toronto and Ron Guidry of New York to try and stop the National League's 1 1-game winning streak. By BILL FAY Tribune Sports Writer Rowdie fans who've been longing for a return to the days of silver-tongued, self-confident, hard-working Englishmen will be delighted with Sam Allardyce, the newest member of the team. "The position I play is Route 1 to the goalkeeper and I aim to block that route," said Allardyce, a centerback equipped with formidable defensive and verbal skills. "Me strength is that I'm a big fella, obviously, and nothing gets by me in the air or on the ground," he said. "I'd have to rate me enthusiasm and hard tackling right up there as well." Allardyce popped into Tampa for a quick medical checkup and some paper signing before jumping back on an airplane to meet the team in Seattle, site of Friday night's game.

According to Rowdies' coach Al Miller, Allardyce will step off the plane and right into the starting lineup. "Ideally, a game at home Friday night would have been more beneficial, but if it's Seattle, OK, I'll be there," Allardyce said. "Of course I won't be 100 percent because of the jet lag, but everybody knows that.".