The Tampa Tribune from Tampa, Florida • 50

STATF 49 6-C THE TAMPA TRIBUNE, Thursday, Decemberl 2, 1985 NFL owners resolve to fight USFL in court Hard to imagine Steelers could suffer 1st losing season since '71 Pro Football Jim Selman Pros Tribune Wires DALLAS National Football League owners approved Wednesday a resolution avowing that the NFL has no interest in merging with the United States Football League or settling the USFL's $1.2 billion antitrust suit against it. The resolution, which NFL spokesman Joe Browne said was in response to continuing rumors of mergers, was approved at a meeting called to discuss revenue-sharing by 27 of the NFL's 28 teams. The 28th team, the Los Angeles Raiders, are not named in the USFL's lawsuit and did not vote. Tuesday, Republican leaders of Congress withdrew for this year a bill that would have given the NFL antitrust protection and allowed it to control franchise moves. USFL officials, led by Donald Trump, owner of the New Jersey Generals, said afterward that the Congressional move might speed up a settlement of the lawsuit and possible merger.

But the NFL owners approved a resolution that urged the league's lawyers to prepare for trial. The current date for the start of the hearing is March 17. The USFL, which is scheduled to resume play next fall after a year off, is seeking in its suit, among other things, to have the NFL removed from at least one of the three major networks. The NFL resolution read: "Resolved, that the NFL member clubs have no interest in merger with the USFL or settlement of the USFL lawsuit against the NFL. They directed league attorneys to prepare for trial on the earliest realistic date." Ferragamo signs dealVith Packers GREEN BAY, Wis.

The Green Bay Packers have signed veteran quarterback Vince Ferragamo to a one-year contract. Ferragamo, 31, who was traded by the Los Angeles Rams in July to Buffalo, reported to Green Bay Wednesday morning, Packers Coach Forrest Gregg said. The Bills released Ferragamo a week ago. Terms of the contract were not announced. Ferragamo "has good size (and) a strong arm," Gregg said at a morning news conference.

"He is an experienced quarterback who has had a great deal of success in this league." Gregg said he was uncertain whether Ferragamo would get any playing time in the Packers' two remaining regular season games. Ferragamo was a fourth-round draft choice in 1977 by the Rams and during his seven years there he completed 730 of 1,288 pass attempts for 9,376 yards and 70 touchdowns. He threw 71 interceptions. He started the first nine games of the season for Buffalo, completing 149 of 287 pass attempts for 1,677 yards and five touchdowns. He had 17 interceptions.

Meanwhile, the preliminary hearing for defensive back Mossy Cade, charged with sexual assault, has been adjourned for a month so attorneys can file briefs on whether it should be closed to the public. Circuit Judge William Duffy, concerned about constitutional questions raised in arguments Wednesday to keep the hearing opened, ordered media attorneys to file briefs by Dec. 18 and notify the attorney general's office. He said he would rule by Jan. 3 whether to close the hearing.

The hearing will resume Jan. 17, Duffy said. Cade was charged after a Nov. 3 incident at his home in De Pere. The criminal complaint said he forced a visiting 42-year-old female relative to have sex with him the night following the game between the Packers and Chicago Bears.

Also, defensive end Robert Brown pleaded no contest to a bat- Vince Ferragamo caught on with the Packers. tery charge and paid a $125 fine to Municipal Court in suburban Ash-waubenon. The citation was issued on the basis of a complaint filed Sunday night by a 20-year-old Green Bay woman, and the fine was paid Tuesday. Elsewhere Wide receiver Jerry Rice of the San Francisco 49ers and free safety Lonnie Young of the St. Louis Cardinals, a pair of rookies, were named the NFC offensive and defensive players of the week Wednesday.

Rice, a first-round draft choice from Mississippi Valley State, caught 10 passes for a club-record 241 yards and one touchdown in the 49ers' 27-20 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. His yardage total was the second highest for a rookie in NFL history, behind the 255 yards by Buffalo's Jerry Butler against the New York Jets Sept 23, 1979. Young, picked in the 12th round from Michigan State, had two interceptions, seven tackles and three passes defended in the Cardinals' 28-16 victory over New Orleans. The Kansas City Chiefs waived wide receiver Mike Holston and hoped to reactivate Henry Marshall from the injured list. Marshall, a 10-year veteran, had caught 24 passes for 436 yards before suffering a separated shoulder in mid-season.

As his replacement, Holston, signed as a free agent, caught five passes for 51 yards. It is hard to imagine, but the team of the 1970s, the Pittsburgh Steelers, could have a losing season. Pittsburgh, which won Super Bowls IX, XIII and XIV, hasn't had a losing season since 1971. But, the Steelers, who lost 47-44 to the Chargers Sunday night, are 6-8 with games remaining against the Buffalo Bills and the New York Giants. It, isn't likely that the Steelers will lose to the Bills Sunday since the Bills have lose 15 consecutive games on the road.

But, if the Steelers do lose, it dooms them to a losing season and their first four-game losing streak since 1969. My, my. What is happening? Well, Pittsburgh ranks first in the AFC and fourth in the NFL in overall defense and has allowed the second fewest sacks (26) in the league. However, the Steelers have had punts blocked in two of the last three games and turned the ball over four times Sunday night. The Chargers converted them into 21 points.

In their eight losses, they turned the ball over 26 times. In the six wins, they lost the ball only five times. Another Campbell getting the axe? Rumors in Philadelphia have Eagles owner Norman Braman firing his head coach, Marion Campbell, when the season ends. It has not been a good year for the football Campbells. Houston dumped Hugh Campbell as its head coach Monday.

The likely replacement in Philadelphia is Jim Mora of the USFL's Baltimore Stars. Mora seems to be a natural choice. His home is in Philly. Henning given support Dan Henning, who replaced Leeman Bennett as Atlanta's coach in 1983, may be in deep trouble. The Falcons haven't had a winning season under him.

Rumors got out that Falcons owner Rankin Smith plans to clean house. It is mystery why anyone would fire good people who have nothing to do with how the team performs. Anyway, Atlanta Constitution columnist Dave Kindred printed a letter Saturday which criticized the media for being so negative regarding the Falcons, who now are 2-12. It was signed by Terry Henning, Dan's 17-year-old daughter. Good for her.

Apparently, Kindred is not opposed to Henning, however, because Monday he wrote, "I would keep him (Henning) on the job because he is gritty, imaginative and good enough to have helped create champions, good enough to do it here with the right help. Still, I recognize the probability, off past performance, that Falcons owner Rankin Smith will fire Henning." v- Head shrinking. Not in recent memory has a team chased a playoff berth with almost everyone asks what is wrong with it So it has been for the Rams, who clinched at least a wild-card by defeating the 49ers 27-20 Monday night There was nothing wrong with the Rams that a little protection for immobile quarterback Dieter Brock wouldn't Interestingly; the Rams have had a head shrink a sportspsychologist' working with the players since traihing-eamp, ZJ He is Dr. Saul Miller, whom tackle Bill Bain nicknamed Yoda, the all-knowing Jedi master of Star Wars. Dr.

Miller has been teaching the Rams how to relax and to concentrate. Coach John Robinson said, "What Saul does is not a measurable item. The worst thing is when a sports psychologist begins to believe he has anything to do with winning or losing If a team should ever sense that its team ethic, how it plays, comes from a sports psycholo- gist, they're in deep trouble. It comes either from themselves or the coach." Dream on, Cris. Before the Cincinnati Bengals ripped the Dallas Cowboys to shreds 50-24 Sunday, the Cincinnati Post interviewed some Bengals regarding their gut impressions of the Cowboys.

There were some interesting responses including this one from receiver Cris Collinsworth: "I always think of the Cowboys as the team I thought I would play for. Of all the forecasts I heard during my senior season at Flor- ida, the one I heard most was that Dallas was going to draft me late in the first round." It's funny how things work out. Dallas drafted Missouri tackle Howard Richards, who remains as a backi player. Cincinnati selected David Verser of Kansas and picked Collinsworth in the second round. Collinsvorth has been a great player, Verser a disappoint' nent Verser joined the Bucs Wednesday as a replacemf nt for injured Phil Freeman.

The sliding Jim McMahon. Without injury quarterback Jim McMahon in 1984, the Bears make it to the Super Bowl. So in hopes of keeping McMahon healthy this year, Coach Mike Ditka has attempted to persuade him to make a feet first slide at the end of his scrambles, so defensive players won't hit him. That's the rule now. Well, lo and behold.

In defeating the Colts 17-10 Sunday, McMahon did a feet-first slide. He said he "surprised the heck out of myself." Ditka said, "Jim and I talked last week. I really like Jim. I don't care what people think. It's important that's understood.

But, I like him healthy. I want him to be the best Jim McMahon can possibly be for himself and for the Bears. And the only way he can be like that is healthy." The heady Nat Moore. The Dolphins' 34-year-old Nat Moore has caught 45 passes with two games to play. Moore hasn't grabbed this many balls since 1980 when he had 47 receptions.

"When you lose something like speed, you have to find a way to compensate for it, such as the ability to get open," said Moore, who caught two passes including one for 16 yards and a TD at Green Bay Sunday. Curls and outs. In a season in which they took their worst beating in team history, 44-0 by the Bears, and 50-24 by the Bengals, the Cowboys still can win the NFC East The Giants play at Dallas with the division lead on the line Sunday and running back Joe Morris, who scored three times and rushed for 129 yards against the Oilers Sunday to go over the mark, is not ready to savor his accomplishments. "Maybe at the end of the year I can do that, sit back and say I rushed for 1,000 yards," Morris said. "But in this game, you can't get complacent.

Against the Cowboys, it's back to zero. This is the type of game you dream The Jets' top three cornerbacks Johnny Lynn, Bobby Jackson and Davlin Mullen are questionable for Sunday's game with the Bears. Buffalo's Bruce Mathison threw for 357 yards against the Jets Sunday The Patriots won their inaugural game with Miami in the Orange Bowl, 20-14, in 1966, but go into Monday night's game there with a 17-game losing streak in the stadium. Bucs I i 4 iff i nit if nati, I was always scoring touchdowns," Verser said. "They played me every so often.

They'd say, 'Get in and make a big I did that and they they'd take me out "I started a game (earlier this year) and they didn't throw me a ball. The next day I was traded to Green Bay." Verser reported to the Packers, took part in one practice, went back to Cincinnati to get his belongings and upon returning to Green Bay, he was told he had been released. "That was a strange situation," he said. "I have no explanations." Despite the selection of speedy wide receiver Eddie Brown in the first round of the 1985 draft, Verser, who returned 61 kicks for the Bengals for a 21.2-yard average and no scores, said he did not see the ex-Miami Hurricane as a threat "I had stayed in Cincinnati in the off-season and everything was fine," he said. "They didn't need to draft him.

Maybe it had something to do with it being the last year of my contract I don't know." Verser said he did not think he From Page 1C here in 1986. However, Freeman's injury forced the team to activate the former Kansas Ail-American. Coach Leeman Bennett said Verser, 27, might return some kick-offs Sunday when the Bucs play host to the Indianapolis Colts, but he did not expect him to see action at wide receiver so soon. When asked what was wrong with Verser during his stay with the Bengals, Bennett said, "Ask Cincinnati. They were the ones who cut him.

He was rated a blue-chip, can't-miss prospect We had him rated No. 1, too. Sometimes you're wrong. I have no idea why he wasn't more productive for Cincinnati." Verser, who caught 22 passes for 432 yards and three touchdowns in limited playing time at Cincinnati, said he was bitter about the experience and merely wanted the opportunity to prove he is a pro football player. "When they did use me in Cincin AUTOMOTIVE HEAD LAMPS CHAMPION David Verser has had limited playing time.

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