The San Francisco Examiner from San Francisco, California • 33

jan Iranctor Examiner Art Spandor zz Stanford's big emdimig fi A toast to No. 2 UR PROBLEM is not that we Despite rally, Gator Bowl slips away Greg Ennis gives himself a failing grade Page C-14 Brad Muster undecided about next season Page C-14 By Shelley Smith OF THE EXAMINER STAFF JACKSONVILLE It was a painful way to end a bad week after a delightful season. Stanford scored three touchdowns in the second half, but couldn't get a fourth and the Cardinal came away a 27-21 loser to Clem-arm Snlurdav in the 42nd Gator make too much out of winning, but that we make too much out of failing to win. This is a tribute, then, to The Cardinal was without its starting quarterback, John Paye, who had shoulder surgery Monday and starting defensive lineman Tony Leiker and offensive lineman John Zentner, both of whom tested positive for steroids. "Emotionally, all that had an effect on us," said Stanford wide receiver Jeff James.

"We saw it in practice, but we all thought we had worked through it. We knew we'd miss those guys, we knew this football game was for them, but we didn't get the job done." They did come close, though, after rallying from a 27-0 halftime deficit. Sophomore Greg Ennis, playing in place of Paye, finally found his rhythm and Stanford found its running game. Junior fullback Brad Muster rushed for one touchdown after a 49-yard drive and caught passes for two more scores to put the Cardinal within reach. "I told our guys at halftime that See GATOR, C-14 AFC WILD CARD Sunday, 9:30 a.m.

(Channels 3, 4, 8) K.C. Chiefs at New York Jets (Latest line: Jets by 2) NFC WILD CARD Sunday, 1 p.m. (Channels 5, 10,12,46) L.A. Rams at Wash. Redskins (Latest line: Redskins by 4) United Press International Stories on Page C-5 Clemson fullback Tracy Johnson (42) dives to the 1-yard line, setting up a touchdown on the next play the year that wasn't.

We reach a time for reflection but not dejection, a contemplation of what might have been. Here's to the, well, not losers. The word has such a negative connotation. A man who finishes second of 156 entrants in the U.S. Open golf tournament is hardly a loser.

A team that finishes second in the World Series is hardly a loser Winning is wonderful. But winning isn't everything or the only thing. That slogan was presented not by Lombardi in the 1960s but by Red Sanders, the UCLA football coach when I was at the school in the 1950s. Television, in an endless quest to create an audience for commercials, would have us believe the essence of sport is to -be king of the mountain. There is fear we won't watch.

So it shills and sells. "The battle for No. 1." But what is important? The battle? Or the result? WOULD A GAME between Penn State and Miami be as enjoyable if there were no rankings? Does the final score mean as much as the quality and pace of play? Think back. Yes, for Jack Nicklaus and Willie Shoemaker and the Boston Celtics it was a very good year. At one time or another they were champions.

The year was no less significant for John McNamara and Gene Mauch. Or for the Houston Rockets. Or Ivan Lendl at Wimbledon, They fought the good fight. They nearly made it to the top. Who can belittle them for coming in second? The difference between victory and defeat often is miniscule.

A volley that nicks the net, a putt that rims the cup, a line drive that kicks up chalk down the foul line, a pass caught with only one foot in bounds. And yet we glamorize the winners and second-guess those who do not win. We seek explanations when there are none. We do psychological profiles on athletes because of a bad bounce that decided the outcome. SO THE RED SOX didn't win the World Series? They made it one step farther down the road than the Angels, who in turn made it farther than every other team in the American League.

Is John McNamara, the Red Sox manager, a bum because Boston couldn't retain a three-run lead in the 10th inning of Game No more than he would have been a genius if the Red Sox had held the lead. During the baseball meetings in Florida, McNamara was a readily available foil. He was asked again about the fateful 10th against the Mets. Once more un-to the breach. What is it about society? Are we incapable of understanding? Could it be the Mets won the World Series rather than the Red Sox lost the World Series? Is it possible to congratulate the Red Sox for the excitement they provided? Sport is supposed to be a diversion.

It has grown into an obsession. How many people ever say, "That was a great game," or a "great race," or a "great What they invariably say is, "We won." Or "We lost." Or "What a choke." I SAY, "What a joke." I laugh with McNamara and Lendl and the New England Patriots, runners-up all, and not at them. I thank them for the skill and effort For the precious moments of pleasure they brought to a hectic world. I commiserate with Columbia University's football team, hich has now gone so long without a victory that the media and skeptics can dwell on nothing else about the school. I think of Guy McQuitty, who shot 95-87 in the 1986 British Open but in the spirit of sportsmanship finished his rounds, signed his card and never complained.

I sympathize with the seniors on the USC football team who, walking over for the traditional farewell from the student body, were instead booed after the loss to Notre Dame. The realm of sport is not entirely peopled by Larry Birds and Martina Navra-tilovas. Most of those in the arena are struggling to make it and many of them fail in that struggle. They still must be admired. First place is where we'd all like to be.

Second is here most of us end up. You don't have to be a champion to be considered a winner. Stanford 83 Wash. 61 Yacht USA is so innovative it needs its own vocabulary Florida 80 Cal83 Warriors fade at Atlanta By John Hillyer Kentucky 85 Louisville 51 Loyola-Chi 83 Illinois 82 Idaho State 56 Navy 78 More on Pages C-8, 09 OF THE EXAMINER STAFF use. Mull, Heiner Melder, Alberto Caulderon and the other members of the Golden Gate Challenge design team were forced to use theories and materials found in the aerospace industry.

There is no precedent for a two-ruddered sailboat. The New York Yacht Club, which has one of the country's most extensive nautical libraries, has no record of a boat with two rudders ever racing anywhere. "We'd never consider something that strange," said a New York spokesman last summer. Probably that's why San See CUP, C-13 A dictionary for yachting terms Page C-13 No clear sailing for New Zealand Page C-13 By Tim Wendel OF THE EXAMINER STAFF FREEMANTLE, Australia Ask naval architect Gary Mull how USA works and he'll start talking about the Cup semifinalist's "collective" and "cyclic" terms usually used to describe how a helicopter flies. "I'm sorry," he said.

"But there're no other words I can selves," said coach George Karl, who was so distraught afterward that he needed several moments to compose himself before facing the press. "We had an opportunity to steal a game against a very good basketball team. "We shut their five-on-five offense down. They had trouble scoring. The only time they gave us any trouble was on the fast break or the second shot.

The score is not an indication of how close the game was." As the Warriors' Greg Ballard had predicted after Friday's slug- See WARRIORS C-3 ATLANTA They've got a new gimmick in the Omni this season. The public-address announcer introduces the tall, acrobatic Hawks as "the Atlanta Air Force." For nearly 45 minutes Saturday night, the Warriors held their own up there in the wild blue yonder. But the Hawks' natural superiority finally asserted itself for a 119-108 victory that made them the season's first 20-game winners in the NBA i East. Not that this game was unwinna-ble for the Warriors. "We beat our nan FroraQ Woetagra to prop football glory By Merv Harris OF THE EXAMINER STAFF Tuan Van Le The Examiner's 1986 Bay Area all-stars PageC-10 lp k' lb- 7 was too small to remember anything about the war' from Vietnam.

That a new ingredient has come to the cultural and ethnic melting pot that is American is made clear with The Examiner's selection of Tuan Van Le of Concord's De La Salle High as its 1986 Bay Area high school football player of the year. The honor was earned on the playing field. He is a 6-foot, 170-pound buzz saw, skilled in several roles and particularly effective as a defensive back. He scored his team's first touchdown, on a 4yard reception from Chris O'Roarke, the night De La Salle pounded previously undefeated Monte Vista of Danville 27 for the North Coast Section IT IS A STORY as old and as beautiful as the nation which calls itself the United States of America. Refugees from a nation torn by war, by deprivation, by despotism, struggle to leave their sorrows and miseries behind them, to seek new lives in America.

There is struggle in the early years and then, through talent and work, there, comes accomplishment and recognition. And promise of greater success and happiness to come. The Pilgrims wrote the first chapter 3A championship earlier this month. The consensus was that the touchdown play turned the game around, making sure De La Salle would prolong the state longest high school winning streak, 33 consecutive games. For that accomplishment, De La Salle already has been acclaimed as winner of -See VANLE.C-11 and waves of newcomers to America followed them.

In this generation many new pilgrims have come from the Pacific Basin nations, none with grimmer memories than those.