Fort Worth Star-Telegram from Fort Worth, Texas • 49

I Fort Worth Star-Telegram Sports Section 3 Friday AM December 2 1988 NBC will pay a record $40 I million to televise the I 992 Olympic Games from Barcelona Spain Page 8 I 414 li Aguirre quiet after benching MacLeod plans talk says no problem exists )iOVVS Tay rter 41 1 i4 1 4' ee' i It'- I A 1 1 i- -4 1 1 AIN1AiA'- ''''I' At'j'''' A 'A L' 4 11 r'' 'I" gt l'' 4 -1 Ar i'' s' 4-: i ANN 111 0 tir: goi si i -41- -t 40 ri 1 1 1 aiF 1 i--- -1 i 7' l's A is or01er--- 4 -i' 7 2'' 1 Ag I ies in 4ith BY JENINTY BURCII Fort Worth Star-Telegram COLLEGE STATION Neither howling winds nor heavy rains visited the "Hurricane Bowl" last night but high Tide conditions prevailed at Kyle Field Crimson Tide that is Alabama the No 20 team in The Associated Press rankings downed Texas 30-10 in front of 59152 and a national television audience The victory in a game postponed from Sept 17 because of Hurricane Gilbert and christened the "Hurricane Bowl" by area businessmen raised Alabama's record to 8-3 heading into a Dec 24 date against Army in the Sun Bowl ended its season at 7-5 with all losses against top-20 opponents The Aggies considered national championship contenders in the preseason were outscored 157-59 in those losses on a two-year probation for NCAA rules violations was barred from post-season play this season loss dropped the combined record of Southwest Conference teams to 1-9 in non-conference play against top-20 opponents with 1744 give or take a hundred Or whether Alabama too shy to visit in September could come in bold and precocious in December and thus put the trimmings on its own roundly forgettable season Nope While helmets collided all minds couldn't help but wonder about Sherrill Was this his last game at Or will he live to smirk at the news media again? "He'll stick it out" said former student Burt Feiner of Houston 41 BI MARK NEWMAN Fort Worth Star-Telegram In a stormy exit from practice yesterday Dallas Mavericks forward Mark Aguirre said his coach "probably was right" in benching him the last I 7:49 of Wednesday's loss to Houston Nevertheless John MacLeod said he Mavericks facts Today: vs New York at Reunion Arena 7:30 pm Tomorrow: vs Chicago at Reunion Arena 7:30 pm Records: Dallas 9-4New York 9-5 Tickets: Both games sold out RadioTV: IVBAP (820 AM)HSE plans to chat with Aguirre before 7:30 game against New York at Reunion Arena "There's no problem" MacLeod said "Mark will bounce back The last game just wasn't a good one It's one of 82 You'd like to see everybody play consistently but he had an off night He said he was off I'll talk to him before the game We'll just talk generally talk" With the Knicks and Chicago coming to town for consecutive games MacLeod does not want to risk a full-blown funk from his All-Star forward MacLeod wants Aguirre to know he is entitled to a bad game "You have 82 games in a schedule sometimes people play very well sometimes they don't" MacLeod said "That's why you have a bench "I watched Milwaukee and Portland play the other night (Clyde) Drexler 3nd (Terry) Porter (of Portland) never got back in for the fourth quarter The coach decided to go with (Craig) Neal and (Danny) Young "The bottom line is Mark has had some outstanding games this year He's going to bounce back" Aguirre was 3 for 10 from the field (More on MAVS on Page 7) Associated Press sacks Texas ASAI quarterback Lance Pallas for a 4-yard loss Sherrill rumors made most noise pounded Gil Le Breton trusty football coach Jackie Sherrill Even worse rumor of the night: Aggie mascot Reveille would be fired at midnight replaced by not-so-trusty ex-fullback George Smith who needs eisman's his Confident Lamar eager for date with Permian SWC standings Conf Season Team WLT Arkansas 7 0 0 10 1 0 Texas ALM 6 1 0 7 5 0 Houston 5 2 0 9 2 0 Texas Tech 4 3 0 5 5 0 Baylor 2 5 0 6 5 0 Texas 2 5 0 4 7 0 TCU 2 5 0 4 7 0 Rice 0 7 0 011 0 Last night Alabama 30 Texas 10 Tomorrow Texas Tech vs Oklahoma State 10 pm Aloha Bowl Dec 25 Houston vs Washington pm Cotton Bowl Jan 2 Arkansas vs UCLA 12:30 pm In Tokyo "It's been a long year" said coach lacIde Sherrill who declined to discuss speculation about his job status after the game "I didn't know how we were going to react" The Aggies reacted by losing three turnovers and forcing one They reacted by gaining 276 yards and allowing 296 They reacted by dropping only (More on on Page 4) "He'll stay" said Tray Walton of San Antonio "and he'll just tell the newspapers everyone 'I didn't do it' "If he's concerned about all this he sure didn't look like it last Sunday on The Jackie Sherrill Show" Obviously though feigning unconcern is one of Sherrill's special gifts Rome burns Jackie fiddles film at II Or in this case rumors fly Jackie (More on LEBRETON on Page 4) 300 yards" Back to you Barry Say something Please "It's been fun" Sanders said 'We've got a great offense and we really expected to break a lot of records But individual goals never really meant a lot to me" This one could The envelope please Add this week's unscientific Star-Telegram Heisman poll to the dozens projecting Sanders as the run-a-longways runaway 1988 Heisman winner Let his 2295 rushing yards and Division I-A record 35 touchdowns do the talking Sanders cleared his last Heisman obstacle last Saturday when Southern California quarterback Rodney Peete had his trophy case locked and the key thrown away by No 1 Notre Dame In this Star-Telegram poll 10 Heisman voters across the country were surveyed by telephone Granted the 10 voters represent a small percentage of the 917 voters (sports writers broadcasters and former winners) designated by New York's Downtown Athletic Club However their geographical dispersal should make a fair representa(More on SANDERS on Page 4) Sax but Sax signed with the New York Yankees Also yesterday Cecil Espy underwent successful surgery after having suffered a fractured left cheek bone Tuesday while playing winter ball in Caguas Puerto Rico The operation was performed by Dr Larry Thomas at Arlington Memorial Hospital Espy the Rangers' 1988 rookie of the year won't return to Puerto Rico but he is expected to be fully (More on RANGERS on Page 9) Barry Sanders won't say it but he's the favorite to win the award Alabama's Derrick Thomas While pads COLLEGE STATION Rumors Get your red-hot Aggie rumors While Alabama and Texas went through the motions of playing a football game that seemed almost an afterthought rumors circled overhead like blind buzzards Best rumor of the night: Aggie coach Jackie Sherrill would be fired at midnight replaced by trusty lieutenant RC Slocum Worst rumor of the night: Dr William Mobley president would be fired at midnight replaced by Lamar vs Permian Tomorrow: Class 5A quarterfinal playoff game at 2 pm at Ratliff Stadium in Odessa Records: Lamar 11-2 Permian 11-2 Radio: KRLD 1080 AM KNRB 1360 AM bunch of psychopaths" The Vikings ended yesterday's workout with a "Beat Mojo" chant Everybody was feeling good and had smiles on their faces Even head coach Eddy Peach had a bounce in his step despite finding out a starting linebacker Mar-gene Simmons was ineligible because of grades The Vikings don't have time to be nervous scared or intimidated by Moja This bunch of psychopaths has become the toast of their high school and they're thoroughly enjoying the newly acquired fame and attention "The women have been all over me" wide recei ver Jeff Andrews announced "We walk down the halls like we're heroes or something" "Matt doesn't have that problem" wide receiver Brent Ballow said confidentially "Yeah" quarterback JJ Joe said to Ballow "I see you rapping with all the women now" "Ron Hagan had two girl friends the (More on LAMAR on Page 6) a job to repay $4400 in loans Rumors They hovered over last night's curtain-closer in Kyle Field like an unremitting fog Like a bad burr haircut on an Aggie freshman Like gunsmoke from the Aggie corps cannon Like stench from a jailhouse 7-5 season Like well you get the idea The issue last night wasn't really whether sophomore running back Darren Lewis would gallop into the Southwest Conference record books Fort Worth Star-Telegram NORM TINDELL 1' i7 fi 7 il? 7i 4 i Tk it i' -A i I il' '1 I 'i''' z0' I A -1 7" 1 t' 1 4e -4' -A -J's- '4 0744 i 1 1 4 114 i --4 444- i 0---- e'' t--- -A BY TR SULLIVAN Fort Worth Star-Telegram ARLINGTON Lamar tackle Matt Sign made a prediction last year as he and linebacker Scott Loftin sat in the stands at Texas Stadium watching the Arlington Colts play Odessa Permian "I told Scott at that game that we were going out to Odessa next year" Sign said "I told him our goal is to go out to Odessa and beat Moja" It was a prediction born out of confidence and a little frustration The Colts became the toast of Arlington by reaching the state quarterfinals and the Vikings their crosstown rivals admitted they were envious "The week they played Odessa Permian" Loftin said "we wore black arm bands at school in support of Moja We wanted Permian to win If we couldn't be in the playoffs we didn't want Arlington to be there either" Half of Sign's prediction has been achieved The Vikings will play the Permian Panthers at 2 pm tomorrow at Odessa's Ratliff Stadium in a Class 5A state quarterfinal game Beating them is another matter But the Vikings sounded loose and confident as they talked after practice yesterday "Yeah they'll have 20000 fans there -and we'll have 5000 fans" Sign said when their band starts playing 'Hawaii Five-a it will get this bunch fired up They don't know we're a Nolan Ryan: Offered I-year contract by Rangers 3 Nolan Ryan: Offered I-year contract by Rangers BY MIKE TOWLE Fort Worth Star-Telegram DFW AIRPORT Last call for boarding the Japan Airlines flight to Tokyo had just been announced But Oklahoma State running back Barry Sanders stood motionless against a gate-area wall No hurry for him Perhaps he was waiting for the nearby pay telephone to ring Perhaps a caller soon would be spilling the beans on the Heisman Trophy balloting Sanders can run but he can't hide in airports Perhaps Sanders wouldn't answer the phone anyway Perhaps Sanders doesn't want to talk about the Heisman period "No comment Talk to these guys they'll talk to you" Sanders said pointing to quarterback Mike Gundy and wide receiver Hart Lee Dykes teammates standing next to Sanders awaiting their flight to Japan for tomorrow's game against Texas Tech "I knew he had a chance to win the Heisman the first time I saw him practice' Gundy said "It's been good for me and my career just to be playing with the guy" Dykes said "I knew he had a shot at the Heisman the first time he gained free-agent right-hander Mike Moore The Rangers extended an offer for Moore but he signed a three-year $39 million contract with Oakland on Monday "There are several pitchers out there who would help us" Grieve said "It could get a little sticky negotiating with' more than one at a time We thought we'd at least explore the possibilities with Nolan" The Rangers also had made an offer for free-agent second baseman Steve Jan Howard left and Vicki Balsinger get Barry Sanders' autograph Still seeking free-agent help Grieve makes pitch for Ryan BY TONY DEMARCO Fort Worth Star-Telegram ARLINGTON Next in line in Texas Rangers general manager Tom Gdeve's search for free-agent pitching help is Nolan Ryan Grieve has made the 41-year-old right-hander a one-year offer Terms were undisclosed but it is believed to be worth at least $12 million "I don't think it's the best offer he's received but at least it shows them we're serious" Grieve said Hoping to lure Ryan from Houston the Angels have offered a one-year deal worth about $16 million with attendance clauses that could push it higher Ryan is said to be seeking an option for 1990 and a signing bonus of about $250000 The Astros who have the fact that Ryan lives in nearby Alvin on their side have offered considerably less They recently raised their one-year offer from $800000 guaranteed plus incentives to about $15 million sources said "We still feel we have a good shot at signing him" Astros manager Art Howe said Neither Ryan nor his agent Dick Moss could not be reached Ryan has put off negotiations in the last few days because his mother remains hospitalized after an automobile accident The Rangers are seeking a starting pitcher as protection against the probable trade of either Jose Guzman Jeff Russell or Paul Kilgus The Rangers are looking to bolster their offense with a trade The Rangers already have lost out on I.