Chicago Tribune from Chicago, Illinois • 41

-r r.i i. ii- ril1 Q)F'5 Section 4 Friday, December 30, 1988 Ryan's strategy: Psych Bitka Ocrnio Lincicomo In the wake of the news On Pro Football Don Pierson 'A i 11 if Wouldn't it be fine in '89 if. The potshots continued this week, with Ryan firing more one-liners than Ditka because he and his upstart Philadelphia Eagles still have less to lose than Ditka and his seasoned Bears. The Eagles have better players, Ryan said. The Eagles have home-field advantage, Ryan said.

The Bears are crying about injuries, Ryan said. At least Ryan has never lost a playoff game in Chicago, Ryan said. The idea is not to perpetuate a personal feud so much as it is to get under Ditka's skin just enough to win See Ryan, pg. 10 was distracted myself early in the 1986 season. There was a lot of anxiety coming off the Super Bowl, trying to repeat, wanting to be undefeated and wanting to beat the Eagles very, very badly.

1 wanted to beat them to the point where it almost distracted me totally from what our goal was, which was to just go out and play football The Eagles' game was a personal thing and it will never be that again. 1 think my actions distracted the whole team. If somebody had hit me with a pin, I probably would have blown up. I was on edge all week maybe for two weeks before the game. We beat them 13-10 in overtime and, my goodness, the score was no indication of the game that was played Let's face it We should have won the game hands down and we got into overtime for no reason." from Mike Ditka's autobiography Both Mike Ditka and Buddy Ryan tempted death this season, but the ultimate equalizer didn't bring the two coaches closer.

"Must have been gas," Ryan said when he first heard Ditka was hospitalized Nov. 2 with chest pains. "Couldn't have been Ditka's pork chops. They're so tender, nobody could choke on them," Ditka said when he heard Ryan was hospitalized Nov. 30 after choking on a piece of pork.

Tribune photo by Bob Unger Ditka downplays award The Bears' Mike Ditka says it's no big deal being named NFL Coach of the Year. Boomer Esiason, meanwhile, is named the league MVP. Page 4. For a look at the playoffs, see the Bears Playoff Guide, Sec. 8.

HdPiiiai fees limi in fete TO By Linda Young Chicago Tribune BIRMINGHAM, Ala. You have to give Illinois credit The lllini played to win. And when they lost the All American Bowl 14-10 to Florida at Legion Field Thursday to close their first season under coach John Mackovic with a 6-5-1 record, the lllini hurt Badly. "It takes a lot of shine off the season because all the victories that we accomplished weeks ago we're not thinking about. This was the most important thing to us, the bowl game," fullback Howard Griffith said.

"Those victories really don't matter right now because we're 0-1. That's how we're going to be looked upon at the start of next season." "We knew we could win the game, and it just didn't work out," offensive tackle Mark McGowan said. "I don't think that losing tonight takes an edge off the season. It takes an edge off my week and everyone else's week because we did not come to play any other way except to win the game," Mackovic said. "Not winning the game and not making some of the plays at the end are not very good.

They just don't taste very good." The lllini got a mouthful of Florida tailback Emmitt Smith. Never mind that Smith, voted the game's Most Valuable Player for his 28-carry, 159-yard performance, ran off with a 55-yard touchdown on the game's first play from scrimmage. That play, ultimately, didn't hurt the lllini as much as the one that came 55 minutes later when, with Illinois hanging on to a 10-7 lead, Smith appeared to be stopped for a loss on third-and-two at the Illinois 18. He wasn't Instead, Smith bounced off a tackle, reversed field and wasn't run down until he was inside the Illinois 2. One play later he was in the Illinois end zone and the Gators went home 7-5.

Smith, a sophomore, came into the game with 2,339 career yards. Only Hcrschcl Walker and Tony Dorsett had better numbers at a similar stages of their careers. "Getting the first down was the only thing on my mind," Smith said. "They clogged up the play very See lllini, pg. 9 -L tiff lJk With 1988 about to go down on three' straight pitches, here are some things I would like to see in 1989: I'd like to see Mike Ditka keep his promise to shrug.

I would like to see athletics redefined for the new age. How about, "If steroids don't help, it ain I would like to see ice hockey colorized. I would like to see a Geraldo special on the opening of Bobby Knight's mind. Somebody save my seat whenever there is a balk, a free throw or an instant replay, the three great constipators of sports. A placekicker with calluses.

I would like to see a second serve once in a while. A football player say, "Hi, Dad," into a-sideline camera just once. An honest press guide. I'd like to see whoever invented high-low, split-pot poker try to turn over Rick Casares' hole card. Kirk Gibson do that again.

Any weightlifter, or paint remover, stronger than French cheese. Anyone, even a Texan, shed a tear for Jackie Sherrill. Hall of Fame voters remember that if Gay-lord Perry didn't cheat, he would have been Tracy Stallard. I would like to see the puck. Ski boots with a sense of humor.

Michael Jordan sweep up, turn out the lights and salt the streets while he's at it Ron Kittle be better than nostalgia. Akeem Olajuwon change his name to Lew Alcindor. A. Bartlett Giamatti chew. I'd like to see the Heimlich maneuver as part of the Cubs' spring training drills.

Somebody ask to check under my hood. Jimmy Connors act his age. South Korea's Park Si Hun trade the gold medal he stole from U.S. Olympic boxer Roy Jones for something more appetizing a cocker spaniel maybe. Peter Ueberroth hold a job.

Pat Riley explain if the new Orlando Magic was originally called the Orlando Earvin. I would like to see if Sweden has enough room for all those tennis trophies. Wayne Gretzky walk across his pool in California. I'd like to see what Orel Hershiser could do if he had muscles. The Pam Postema-Bob Knepper Cook Book.

With Wrigley Field now artificially lit, I would like to see the next expansion franchise promise to play baseball as it was when we were kids, with three players, a ball wrapped in electrical tape, a bat held together with nails and a license plate for first base. I'd like to see what rule they'll change to keep Whitey Herzog happy this year. Carl Lewis' other friend. Charles Barkley put his shorts on one log at a time. Katarina Witt.

A reason for Arizona. I would like to see Bill Laimbeer slam-dunked. Dick Vitale and John Madden whisper to each other. A legends tour for taekwondoers. Bo Jackson make up his mind.

Joe Paterno's complete collection of white socks. I'd like to see Ivan Lendl declared a hood ornament His next boxing scam to be promoted as Artificial Sweetener Ray Leonard. Whale watching become an indoor sport John McEnroe as good as old. I'd like to see a bowler with his own sports poster. A bigger weenie than Ralph Sampson.

I'd like to see about the middle of June if any Olympic accidents result from the IOC's ban of birth-control pills. A British soccer survivor. A phone booth with a phone book. Somebody take the scissors away from Jerry Krause before he hurts himself. 1 AP LBserphoto Terence Barber of Florida tries to pull away from Mi- day's All American Bowl in Birmingham, Ala.

Florida nois' Romero Brice during the first quarter of Thurs- scored with less than five minutes left to win 14-10. ippen beats the clock, Knicks By Sam Smith On the dusty, hardpan of central Arkansas, facing up to a lone basketball rim suspended atop a rickety pole, the dream was always the same for Scottic Pippcn. The fans were hysterical, maybe 18,676 of them. The score was tied against the top team, say the Atlantic Division-leading New York Knicks. The ball came to him with two seconds left, and he didn't hesitate.

It's up. It's in! Scottic's the hero! Scot-tie's the hero! And that's the way it was Thursday night at the Stadium when Pippcn hit a leaning jump shot in the lane with no time remaining on the clock to carry the Bulls to a thrilling 108-106 victory over the Knicks, the ball popping out to Pippcn like a slippery bar of soap after Patrick Ewing had blocked a Michael Jordan drive and Horace Grant missed a short scoop shot. "It's a player's dream to hit a winning shot like that," said Pippcn, who scored a season-high 23 points in his second start of the season. "It's a great feeling." And a nice salve for the Bulls, who were working on a two-game losing streak and in danger of falling back to .500. But they're now 14-12 (the Knicks fell to 18-9).

If they win at Indiana Friday, they'll match their start of last season. And this game was somewhat reminiscent of the thrills of yesteryear, or at least the 1987-88 season, because Dave Corzine moved back into the center spot for 26 minutes for the flu-ridden Bill Cartwright, and Pippen and Grant, threw their bodies, and shots, around like playful kids, and Michael' Jordan hung up an effortless 37 points. "We needed to stop the slide we were in," said Jordan, who also grabbed nine rebounds. "And I'll tell you what, it was a great game to watch and be in." Especially those last five minutes, after the Knicks' Gerald Wilkins put back his own missed shot for a 94-94 tie. Now wait.

You're going to say you only have to watch the last five minutes of a National Basketball Association game. That nothing much happens before then. Au contraire, as Gerald's French-born brother, Dominique, might say. Or as those who enjoyed the entire 48 minutes here might say: "Stuff a croissant in it." For there were stuffs and muffs, rebuffs and a lot of rough stuff. Some of that was applied by Charles Oakley in his homecoming, which Grant made mostly unpleasant for the former Bull, holding him to six points and five rebounds while getting nine points and 12 rebounds and contributing a crucial late three-point play and supporting role in Pippen's starring play.

"It was one of those nights. I didn't play that well," said Oakley, who did match the six points scored by Cartwright But those late tuncrs-in also would have missed the excellent early play of Sam Vincent, who had eight of his 10 points in the first quarter as the Bulls moved See Bulls pg. 5 3 I Tribune photo by Bob Langer The Knicks' Patrick Ewing drives against Bill Cartwright during the Bulls' 108-106 victory Thursday at the Stadium. INSIDE Seton Hall routs De Paul in worst defeat for Meyer Prep basketball report Patrick Porter slams Into Evanston's Darrell Winters (right) in Thornridge's 70-63 victory. King's and Gordon Tech's boys and Maine West's girls also win.

Pages 6, 7. A tale off 2 quarterbacks West Virginia's Major Harris and Notre Dame's Tony Rice are the main reasons their teams are undefeated. Page 3. f'l "if M. Illinois slips by Georgia Tech Lowell Hamilton scores 24 points to power the unbeaten lllini to an 80-75 victory over No.

17 Georgia Tech. Page 3. College basketball Seton Hall 63, De Paul 60 Illinois 80, Georgia Tech 75 Oregon St. 63, Michigan St, 58 Michigan 100, Holy Cross 63 Ohio St. 77, St, John's 72 Indiana 73, Utah St.

61 La Salle 85, South Carolina 67 Georgetown 74, South Florida 64 Oklahoma 128, Texas 80 Covaraga, Paget 3, 9 1 town Tuesday in its Big East opener. De Paul (8-5) has dates next week with two more nationally ranked powers, No. 7 North Carolina and No. 14 Louisville. "I thought we'd play well," said Meyer.

"I'm surprised we played so poorly. Nothing, we drew up on the board worked for us." Meyer took a calculated risk and opened the game by backing up his defense to stop 6-8, 250-pound Ramon Ramos, star of the Puerto Rico Olympic team, and 6-8 Daryll Walker. So, in the opening 10 minutes, when the game was decided, Seton Hall knocked down seven three-point bombs. Four were by Gaze, the No. 2 scorer in the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games.

"We took a gamble on their outside See De Pul, pg. 9 By Bill Jauss Chicago Tribune NEW ORLEANS Seton Hall's unbeaten Pirates were itching Thursday night to show De Paul and WGN-TV's supcrstation audience that they're for real. Wow! Did they satisfy that itch! Ignited by the dazzling long-range marksmanship of 6-foot-7-inch Australian Olympic star Andrew Gaze, No. 13 Seton Hall (12-0) blew out the Demons early and coasted to an 83-60 victory in the final of the Sugar Bowl tournament. It was the worst loss in Joey Meyer's five years as head coach.

The previous biggest spread against his team was a 77-37 loss to Georgetown on Dec. 12, 1984. Seton Hall, which led 33-17 after 10 minutes and 54-25 at halflimij, hosts George NBA NHL Leafs 6, Nordlquas 6 Flyers 3, Penguins 2 Bruins 6, Devils 2 Bulls 108, Knicks 106 Bullets 126, Rockets 109 Mavs 131, Celtics 115 Sonlcs 129, Heat 99 Roundup, Page 6 Canadians 4, Flames 3 Canucks 6, Kings 3 Roundup, Page 5 Photo tor Th Tribune by Jm Priwhlng.