The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • 22

Co AnflcUa Qme Tongue Tied: New Charger Punter Gets in Bind Over Shoelaces 1 5 A Part IllMonday, September 25, 1989 By DON PATTERSON Express package and sends it to the league office with a photo of an American-made shoe that looks Just like it Brooks isn't convinced there's anything wrong with Canada's version. "They said the shoe wu made in said Brooks of the protest "I said, 'Yeah, rain shoes are made in Canada, too, and we use them." Desic doesn't plan to spend a lot of time worrying about the whole thing. He's taking an attitude of, "Hey, if the shoe fits, wear it" To him, the Chiefs' ploy wu all Just part of the game. "Sure," he said. "The new kid on the street If you can distract the opposition in sny way, try it" If not distracted, Ilesic certainly noted a few differences punting in an NFL game than in Canada.

"Everything is so much quicker here," he said. "The incoming rush, the punt returners. You have to get the ball off a lot quicker." Ilesic says he hu waited for this opportunity for years and plans to make the most of it He uys he doesn't know a whole lot about the Chargers or their history, and he hasn't seen much more of San Diego than the stadium and his hotel But he hu a good feeling about this place. "I don't feel like a stranger, an outsider," he said. "In due time, 111 settle down and get accustomed to the surroundings." It's bound to get easier than the first game.

Then again, he may not get this much attention again for a longtime. "Nothing like breaking into the league with some controversy," he said. everything wu dandy. In fact. Desk really couldn't understand what all the commotion wu about It's no big deal," he said.

"We have a game to play. If you're upset about it, it's going to affect your performance." It seems that when Charger Coach Dan Henning told Ilesic he couldn't use the shoe is, Ilesic shrugged, put on the makeshift version and punted five times for an average of 44.8 yards. "It probably disturbed me a lot more than it did Hank." said Henning, who made the announcement about the 'shoe problem if he wu breaking the biggest news since the Jim McMshon trade. Yet Henning also gave his new punter a vote of confidence, sayingt "Under the conditions I think he had a pretty good day." Remember, this guy Desic hu been around for a few years. His punting career in the CFL survived 13 seasons and 1,573 kicks.

So it wu no surprise to Joe Madden, the Charger special teams coach, that he wu able to Jump into this strange shoe and do the job. "He's a professional." Madden said. "Hell improve on that, I Which is saying a lot, considering Ilesic gave the fans their first opportunity this season to applaud a punt. That happened midway through the second quarter when he sent Chief returner Nas Worthen retreating at a sprinter's pace for a ball that traveled 60 yards. The next episode of the "Hank's Punting Shoe" will begin today, when Brooks stuffs the thing in a Federal i- SAN DIEGO Hank Ilesic hadn't even wiped all the shaving cream off his face Sunday before a bunch of reporters wanted to know what all thli fuss wu about his right shoe.

Ilesic was called in by the Chargers from Canada last week to take over the punting duties from Lewis Colbert, who had a dismal 33.3-yard average in the first two games. Ilesic a 13-year veteran of the Canadian Football League, has been in town only long enough to figure out it's a good deal wanner here than in Toronto, where he averaged 44.0 yards a punt last season with the Argonauts. So he has been practicing his punting with this funny-siied American football for a few days. He wu all set to give it a go against the Kansas City Chiefs before 40,128 spectators at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium when, Just a few minutes before kkkoff Chief Coach Marty Schottenheimer beckoned the officiating crew and informed them that Desic's shoe wu illegal Huh? Yeah, it seems this brand of shoe has a leather tongue that covers the laces. Cm of the officials ended up on the phone to Art McNally, supervisor of officials for the National Football League, and asked him if it wu OK for Ilesic to kick.

McNally answer wu something to the effect of: "Not unless the laces are showing." Well, Sid Brooks, the Charger equipment manager, solved the problem easily enough, cutting away enough leather so the laces were exposed. Ilesic kicked. The Chargers defeated the Chiefs, 21-6. And VOKXCOMPaQNONB Lot Once his shoe problems were settled, Hank Iksk avenged 44.8 yards on five punts in his NFL debut. VDfCS COMPAGNOHS Las Aafiaai Taaaa Wide-eyed Charter quarterback Jim McMahon Is lassoed around the neck by Chiefs' Dan Saieaumua.

VORSjOOMPAONONB Loa AnaaaiaTaMa H-back Rod Bernstine, who rushed for 73 yards, shakes off Nell Smith during a 32-yard run to the end zone. GAME AT A GLANCE CHARGERS CeatfaMdfiesa Paget H-back Rod Bernstine, ran over and around a defense that entered the game ranked third in the league. Bernstine, who spent the entire off-season recovering from reconstructive knee surgery, caught a one-yard touchdown pan from Jim McMahon in the third period. Late in the fourth, he raced 32 yards up the middle on a thtrd-and-eight draw play for the score that put the Chargers out of reach. Before the play.

Bernstine wu discouraged when a Chief linebacker yelled the word "draw" a warning. It didn't matter. Bernstine, shielded initially by 6-foot-7. 307-pound left tackle Joel Patten, broke several tackles en route to the end zone. "I grabbed the back of Joel's pants and pushed him right into one defender," said Bernstine, who played fullback at Tens A4M before converting to tight end.

Said Patten: "If anything helped on that block, it was my sheer sixe. They probably couldnt see Rod behind me." Patten said he wu especially pleased with Kansas City's inability to stop the play even though they knew it wu coming. Larry Beigh-toL the offensive line coach, had addressed that very subject before kkkoff. "He said that if we had to resort to trickery, we were reeling, going backwards," Patten said. "What we did today." he added, "hu been our potential all year." And they did it without starting left tackle Brett Miller, who underwent minor knee surgery Friday.

James FitxPatrick replaced Miller and played well. Bernstine led all Charger rushers with 73 yards in five carries. But rookie Marion Butts added 62 yards in 15 rushes, and Tim Spencer gained 57 in 13 tries, including a nine-yard touchdown in the first period set up by free safety Vende Glenn's interception. Glenn's interception came after defensive back Elvis Patterson tipped the ball It wu the first of the year for the Chargers. Spencer's score wu his first since 1966.

"I almost forgot how to get into the end zone," be said. Spencer also wu an integral part of the Chargers' beleaguered special teams units that had their best game of the year. Former CFL punter Hank Desic, signed earlier this week, averaged 4418 tor five kicks, including a 60-yarder. This despite being made by the officials to alter his kicking shoe moments before the game. Even the Charger kickoff coverage and kkkoff return units, last in the league after two games, outplayed the Chiefs.

Before the game, Henning instructed the public address announcer to introduce the special teams unit that blocked a Houston punt last week. Usually the announcer introduces either the starting offense or defense. "We are trying to get these people special teams to step up, be recognized and have some pride," Henning said. Earlier in the week, Glenn predicted that one Charger take-away would lead to a bunch more. He wu right Cornerback Gill Byrd added two interceptions.

Strong safety Martin Bayless and nickel back Lester Lyles got one apiece. All of which helped offset a career-high 112 yards rushing by Christian Okoye, Kansas City's 260-pound fullback. "He DeBerg wu watching the side where he wu going to throw to," Glenn said. "It seemed like he 21 cy 1 3 3 0 0 7 0 7 721 Fuiaiin lim TmolpoaMaaai 00 1-0 7-38 MS i 4i ySSSST. 28 It 6 IS 11 0 IS 11 0 177 0 Yd TO St 1 96 1 7.ae 9MDUM.STATnCS Start fMiMlltBJ.

17-yv4 OUKIMeUMirSR Qiaraarafl. CaaalaS amaS 32-yapd iw at 112 T-ytrd aa. pla Kay aari Mjaa. SKjhh iVom MoMtfttn. KATMf RaH (gab naairt loi KQ 1 MO).

Anaadawea ft12S 0.13S no- i Can, TCS NVO Ava TD 1 17. PAT 70 0 Canuk. T.CktafcS 9.0 uaoy is iiz Sam 2 6 Haard 4 0 Took) 22 IIS Lnnrv. Md a at 14:37. 00 0 6.4 0 7 tare atte.Splet.

Hay gain Qauaa, M.IW! TC8 NVQ Ana. TO Paaa 13 67 44 1 Toa 16 62 41 0 No. 1 7 3 3 1 1 It No. 2 2 2 3 1 1 11 Yd TD 3 0 S3 0 31 0 23 0 7 0 30 0 177 0 Yd TO 66 0 6 0 11 0 14 1 6 0 6 0 1 IflMfy. 3Hrt Wd god at 134.

6 73 144 1 .3 3 10 0 1 6 60 0 37 200 6 4 2 aaaaaa mmmm-mm i TtMS STATISTICS RC HrMtJoHNW 13 22-1 IS MM ydpaaang 164 SaekHOM 3-23 aaaat 28-16 OO ny-nalyd 63-272 Puno-waraga 2-416 wmnM-yaT 3-23 MUHtm-tt. 341 Oatag. Cagya. 1 1. fin.

37-300 oo 1S-11 S-71 S6-296 B-MS 1-11 KCMafel few fHMpd DUB froM lykflwlBatisn OH Yd TO Coa 28 16 6 177 0 Totaa 7yav dma. 11 ptaya. Kay Two losses don't necessarily knock us out of the JtMMcMAHON wu telegraphing his i TINCX 00MPA0NONI Lot Anftiai Time! Cornerback GUI Byrd had two of the Chargers' five interceptions of Steve DeBerg passes Sunday in the team's victory over die Chiefs. first half. The Charger defense allowed fewer than 300 yards for the first time this year.

It added three sacks, including the first by rookie Burt Grossman, the team's No. 1 draft choice. McMahon completed 11 of 18 for 96 yards and one touchdown. More important he threw no interceptions and wu not sacked. "Two losses," he said, "don't necessarily knock us out of the playoffs." Perhaps defensive end Leslie O'Neal, who led the Chargers with IV neks, put it best when he said, "We played more like an experienced team today." For their part, the Chiefs couldn't wait to get home.

CWrfW Natal Before Sunday's ftme Charger running back Our AasettM told NBCTs Bet) Ce. I cent play with the Charter, rd like to play with aomeone etaa." Anderson, an unsigned free agent, was the Chargers leading rusher and moat raluabie player last year. Moment after his marks, Baakjr lianWI, the farmer Washington general manager, told Costasi 'The demands are ridiculous. Gary Anderson Is simply not a mlllion-dollw back." Barak. Ctadrkk, Anderson's agent, stJd earlier this week Anderson larA asking for that much.

Charger rookie Harlea Butts, who entered the game tied for the NFL lead In Uiuehdowns with four, carried three times for minus two Tarda tn the first half. On his first two carries of the second half he broke off two 14-yard gams. The Charger single-game record for Interceptions is sbt They have done that five different times. They Intercepted five Sunday. The last time they did that wu Sept.

30, 1881, at Kansas City. Kansas City quarterback Sieve DeBerg, playing for Tampa Bay, threw seven interceptions against the 49en on Sept. 7, IMS. .0111 yH'i 30 career Interceptions rank him eighth on the all-time Charger list, DeBerg said the Charger defensive alignment which often included linebackers in a three-point stance, wu more responsible. "It wu basically a seven-man front" DeBerg said.

And it included Cedric Figaro at inside linebacker in place of Jim Collins. Figaro weighs 17 pounds more than Collins. And, Henning said, "We wanted that extra heft against this team. Collins is more into reads. The two of them give is a good combination." Last week, the Chargers fumbled the ball away twice, and McMahon threw three interceptions for a minus-five turnovertake-away differential Against the Chiefs, they were plus five.

Kansas City's only points came on Nick Lowery field goals of 23 and 31 yards in the Linebacker Billy Bay Smith led the Charger defense In tackles (seven) for the first time since last Nov. 6. Chiefs' linebacker Derrick TVeesii, who had five tackles, 2Va sacks and one farced fumble last week against the Raider, had three tackles and no sacks against the Charger. The Kansas City defense has allowed Just nine receptions by opposing wide receivers In three games. Aaikaay MUler (two catches for 66 yards) wu the only Charger wtdeout to catch a ball.

"Jla McMahea eWt do anything that impressed me," said Kansas City free safety Dona Cherry. Surely, the feeling wu mutual The fact that McMahon hu never lost three consecutive starts in this, his eighth season, Is impressive by anybody's standards. Sunday's attendance wu 40,128, a whopping Increase of 116 people from last week's home opener. The Charger play In Phoenix and Denver before returning home again Oct 15 to play Seattle..