The San Bernardino County Sun from San Bernardino, California • Page 13

C2 Tha Sun MONDAY. Ducornber 19, 10G3 no KALEIDOSCOPE HUM ImI MMlil IlL A rru- rushing attack, which fho iojo not cnasmg By CARL KOTALA Gannett News Service a singing career Florence GrifTith Joyner says reports that she is planning a career as a vocalist are far from for next year. The playoffs are a one time shot. Did the fact that the 49ers had already clinched the division title aflect their play in any way? The question echoed continuously throughout the San Francisco locker room. "I don't know, we played like it did.

We played like we left our game back at the motel room," said 49ers lineman Michael Carter. It was from that motel room that a lot of the 49er players were able to watch Morten Anderson's field goal lift New Orleans over Atlanta which gave the 49ers the title and perhaps took away some of their steam. "I thought there would be a problem," Carter said. "I was in the room I tried not to watch it, but I kept going back to the game. When I came downstairs, I kind of noticed that some of the attitudes of some of the players had changed.

It was a lighter side than what you normally see on game day." Rams quarterback Jim Everett had plenty of time to throw on most occasions, and he took advantage of it by completing 19-of-38 passes for 201 yards and four touchdowns. Vliumtu 49ers have defended well in the past, broke loose for 121 yards with Greg Bell leading the way. Bell had 88 yards on 2 1 carries and scored one touchdown. And yet in all this talk about how poorly the 49ers defense played, there may be some good that eventually comes out of it. Maybe the 49ers needed to get knocked off that pedestal.

"You have to look at everything in a positive way said 49er corncrback Tim McKyer. "I think this was a blessing in disguise. It's a humbling effect, and it let's guys know that, hey you ve got to show up every week to play. This is elimination time one loss, and you're out." The past two years, San Francisco has entered the playoffs riding on a high crest. Both times, they were eliminated.

"Last year, I think we got too caught up in reading the paper and hearing how great we were," said 49ers linebacker Charles Haley. "Now that we've lost, we should be hearing the negative side, so the guys should be really hungry." SAN FRANCISCO The pedestal came crashing down Sunday night and the San Francisco 49crs defense went along for the ride. But this isn't any Humpty Dumpty tale yet the 49ers have two weeks to pick up the pieces that made them the NFL's third-ranked defense going into Sunday's 38-16 defeat to the Rams. Despite the loss, the 49ers are still the NFC West champions. In fact, they knew it before they even took the field.

But after getting creamed by the Rams, the 49ers weren't exactly in a celebrating mood. "You don't feel like a division champ that's for sure," said San Francisco linebacker Jim Fahn-horst. "Hopefully, we can make it to our advantage. I know we're not going to be sitting on our high horse or anything like that. We're going to be playing hard from now on." They'd better, or else they can start preparing IP II.

-HI WMHB IJ I true. "I can't sing," she said during rehearsals for a television appearance in which she does sing, as part of a quar-tet with Bob Hope, Dolly Parton and Dodgers pitcher Orel Hershiser. Griffith Joyner, who won gold medals in the women's 100 and 200 meter sprints at the Seoul Olympics is Griffith Joyner jp- -r. studying acting. She will appear on Hope's Christmas Show, to be seen on NBC tonight.

She is not apprehensive about show business. Said FloJo: "There's a slight difference between competing on the track and acting. In the stadium, you concentrate on your performance; on stage it's your lines. 'But when you hear 'On your mark get set that get's your adrenalin going." Contemporary Granny The secret is out: Sam Perkins of the Dallas Mavericks is getting his 70-year-old grandmother a leather skirt for Christmas. Said Perkins: cherish this the most, because of all the things I've given her, this is the first thing she's really wanted." Stiff criticism Denver Nuggets coach Doug Moe was not impressed when little-known Bob Thornton of the Philadelphia 76ers scored 16 points in 18 minutes against his team.

Said Moe: "Those are the games when you can make Joe Stiff look good. You know Joe Stiff. He can't get into the game, and then when he scores 20, he wonders why he can't play more." Who's laughing now? Houston Oilers coach Jerry Glanville, on playing in Cleveland yesterday: "The best thing is we get to leave. I've talked to everybody I know in Houston, and nobody wants to retire to Cleveland." The joke is on the Oilers, however. By losing at Cleveland they get a quick return trip for a wild-card game on Saturday.

Ditka down on dome Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka is not a fan of Minnesota's Metrodome, where the Bears play the Vikings tonight. "The only thing I think is that they could convert it into the National Armory and it would be more useful than what it is used for now. I know they could grow grass and use it for livestock." Sll x-vfi "S.J ALEXANDER GALLARDOThe Sun ALMOST: Raiders receiver Willie Gault (far right) has fingertips on ball, but falls to make catch in end zone on what turned out to be Raiders' final offensive play of 1988 season. Others trying to catch the desperation pass attempt are Seattle's Patrick Hunter (23), Nesby Glasgow (22) and Terry Taylor, and Raiders' Mervyn Fernandez. Krieg throws Raiders for a loss By JOHN NAOEL Associated Press all-time leading receiver.

"David Krieg was the difference," Seattle coach Chuck Knox said. "He is a great competitor, he throws the ball with great touch, our players rally around him. We are a different ballclub with him in there." Krieg missed seven games after he suffered a separated shoulder in the Seahawks third game of the season. "David coming back has made all the difference in the world," Seattle guard Bryan Millard said. "Our players feel like we are going to win when he is in there." Raiders coach Mike Shanahan also singled out Krieg as a winner.

"Over the years, he finds a way to win," Shanahan said. "Every time I looked up today, he was getting the job done. He's cool, calm and collected. He demonstrated today what kind of competitor he is." Krieg was sacked three times and it could have been more, but the 30-year-old quarterback scrambled well and picked up secondary receivers several times for big gains. Twice, the Seahawks used flea-flickers, and both times the play worked, for gains of 21 and 55 yards, both to rookie Brian Blades.

"We used every play we have, and if the game had gone any longer we'd have been out of plays," Seahawks offensive coordinator Steve Moore said. "David Krieg is a great competitor. Not many players are capable of coming back from an injury like he had and playing like he did in a championship game like he did today." Rams: Defeat 49ers, gain playoffs Continued fromC1 Orleans 1-3. The only way the Rams could crash the Super Bowl party was by winning Sunday. And they had to defeat a team that had beaten them four straight, including a humiliating 48-0 thrashing here last season.

"Well it was better here tonight than a year ago," said Robinson, smiling. They got there on the arm of Everett (19-of-38, 201 yards one interception), who threw four touchdown passes three to tight end Damone Johnson to set a Rams single-season record with 31. The old record (30) was set by Vince Ferragamo in 1980. "We remembered last year," said Everett, who did not play in that game because of injury. "It was a huge factor for us.

We were very intense tonight. "They had us early; they were calling defenses that worked. But after the Chicago game (which L.A won 23-3 on Dec. 5) we knew we could play with the NFL's best." Also setting a Rams record was receiver Henry Ellard, who is headed for the Pro Bowl. His six receptions (for 74 yards and a touchdown) gave him 86 catches on the season, surpassing the 84 caught by Tom Fears in 1950.

"Until (offensive coordinator) Ernie Zampese came here I used to dream about a season like this and that's all," Ellard said. But also playing its part was the Rams defense, which sacked starting 49ers QB Joe Montana eight times and backup Steve Young once for nine sacks total as many as they had accumulated in the past eight games. They also put some heavy clamps on Roger Craig. The 49ers' star running back "the league MVP," Robinson said ran for 190 yards and three touchdowns the first time the two teams played Oct. 16.

He only got 51 yards (on 16 carries) and was scoreless Sunday. "The thought crossed my mind that this might be the last game of my career," said Gary Jeter, who had l' sacks. "I was going to give it my best effort. We knew if we dominated the offensive line we'd win. But if you want to beat the 49ers here, you've got to bring your best." Kevin Greene, who had four sacks in the first quarter and 4V for the game, said the Rams were highly charged after watching the Jets-Giants game.

"I didn't watch," Greene said. "I was looking at something about an Eskimo and a polar bear. They were friends. "But I could hear every one else running up and down the (hotel) halls." The 49ers used the first of Mike Cofer's three field goals to take an early 3-0 lead. But the Rams responded with three second-quarter touchdowns to take control.

The first was a 16-yarder from Everett to Johnson, who caught the ball at the 49ers 10, shook off hits by Eisenhower High School-alumnus Ronnie Lott and Jeff Fuller, and rumbled in. San Francisco came right back with a score on a 1-yard plunge by Tom Rathman. But on the Rams' next possession, Everett fired a 9-yard pass in the end zone that Ellard caught over his head and between the arms of Tim McKyer to go ahead 14-10. Then came two big breaks for the Rams. With 39 seconds left in the half, San Francisco punter Barry Helton got a low snap and was swarmed under at the 49ers 19.

The Rams sent Ellard into the end zone on the next play, where he was interfered with by Darryl Pollard, setting up Los Angeles on the one. Greg Bell then ran in his 18th touchdown of the season, and the Rams were up 21-10 and on their way to the playoffs. "They never packed it in," Rams tackle Irv Pankey said of the 49ers. "You don't win two Super Bowls when you do that." But, from the Rams perspective, they did not have to pack in their season. There's at least one more game to play.

LOS ANGELES Dave Krieg got the dirty work done and it gave the Seattle Seahawks the first division title in their 13-year history. "I'm not one of the Marinos or El-ways of the world," said Krieg, who passed for 410 yards and four touchdowns Sunday in Seattle's wild 43-37 victory over the Raiders. "I guess you could call me a blue-collar quarterback." Krieg, who earlier in the season threw five touchdown passes againat the Raiders, completed 19-of-32 passes. "Dave Krieg made big plays throughout the game," said Seattle wide receiver Steve Largent, the NFL's Raiders: Miss playoff berth by losing finale to Seahawks, 43-37 SPORTS IN BRIEF Hill, Walker win in team golf DORADO BEACH, Puerto Rico Dave Hill sank six birdie putts on Sunday as he and teammate Colleen Walker breezed to a four-stroke victory over hometown favorite Chi Chi Rodriguez and Jan Stephenson in the $850,000 Mazda Champions team golf tournament. After rounds of 60 on Friday and 62 on Saturday, Hill and Walker shot an 8-under-par 64 on Sunday to complete 54 holes at 186, 30 under par for the Hyatt Dorado Beach East course.

The tournament paired members of the PGA Seniors Tour with those from the LPGA. Hill and Walker divide the first prize of $500,000. Rodriguez and Stephenson split $100,000. Oklahoma braces for NCAA report OKLAHOMA CITY Oklahoma athletic officials huddled Sunday after a report that the NCAA would place the school's football program on probation for three years, banning the Sooners from bowl appearances for the next two years and keeping them off television in 1989. Meanwhile, the NCAA was wondering how Oklahoma City television station KOCO received a copy of the sanctions that were not to be released until Monday.

The station reported Saturday night that aside from the TV and bowl sanctions, the NCAA will limit Oklahoma to 18 scholarships in each of the next two years instead of 25. Satellite goes on blink WASHINGTON A satellite being used to broadcast the Raiders-Seahawks game went on the blink Sunday, causing millions of viewers to miss a segment of the contest. The K2 satellite, operated by GE American Communications had not been restored to service late Sunday, said an engineer for GE operations at the "uplink" site in Vernon Hills, N.J., where signals are sent to the satellite. After programming on the satellite went out, NBC swiftly started moving to an alternate satellite, dubbed Kl. Swede wins pro ski race WESTFORD, Mass.

Sweden's Jorgen Sundqvist won his first race as a professional Sunday when he took the slalom event in the $20,000 Coors Light Mahres Cup, moving into second place in the U.S. Pro Ski Tour. BRIEFLY NOTED: Stefan Edberg salvaged some lost pride for Sweden's beaten Davis Cup champions by defeating West Germany's Carl-Uwe Steeb 6-4, 8-6 at Goteborg, Sweden, but the Swedes defaulted the final match to give West Germany a 4-1 victory. The Germans had clinched the Cup on Saturday. Jan Bokloev of Sweden turned in the day's longest jump of 115.5 meters on his first try and won the 90-meter event in the Sapporo World Cup ski jump competition.

Kristina Egerszegi, the 1988 Olympic gold medalist in the 200 backstroke from Hungary, set a meet record of 2:11.03 in the event at the U.S. Open Swim meet in Indianapolis. From Sun News Services Continued fromC1 and they come up with stuff." They couldn't come up with enough this time. The Raiders had a final opportunity when they got the ball back at their own 33 with 1:08 to play. They had all three timeouts and needed a touchdown to win, but after moving to the Seattle 45, quarterback Jay Schroeder (22-of-49 for 354 yards) threw four consecutive incompletions and that was your Raiders season.

The Raiders were left to another winter of questions, looking for clues after having consecutive losing seasons for the first time since they started with losing years as a new franchise in 1960-61-62. "What was going to happen, happened early in the season," said Raiders linebacker Matt Millen. "We could never get going, whatever the reason. Nobody could figure it out." The Raiders could figure out how to move the ball Sunday, they just couldn't figure out how to stop Seattle. Seattle punted only twice all day, rolling to 490 net yards and averaging 7.5 yards per play.

"Anytime you give up 40 points, you're not pleased," said Raiders coach Mike Shanahan. "We have to take a hard look at ourselves during the offseason." There wasn't much secret to the Seahawks' success Sunday. Running backs Curt Warner and John Williams had each rushed for over 100 yards in Seattle's 35-27 victory in the Kingdome three weeks ago. This time the best Williams could manage was 59 yards and Warner21. But the Raiders had no answer for Krieg, who hit Williams seven times for 180 yards, including a 75-yard TD score that stunned the Raiders in the third quarter and all but ended their season.

"We pretty much shut 'em down on the ground," said Raiders nose tackle Bill Pickel. "Our offense was moving the ball, but then they'd come back with a big play." The Raiders started the scoring when linebacker Jerry Robinson forced a Krieg fumble and Pickel recovered at the Seattle 5. Tim Brown scored when he recovered his own fumble in the end zone. But the Seahawks came right back, going 82 yards with Krieg hitting Steve Largent on a 35-yard touchdown pass. Largent caught only two TD passes all season, both against the Raiders.

A high-scoring pattern was going to hold up. "Right from the start, we had a feeling it would go that way," Millen said. "When Largent scored, one of their linemen walked by and said, 'It's going to be one of those Schroeder forced a bad pass, it was picked off by Terry Taylor and returned to the L. A. 23.

Three plays later, Krieg found Brian Blades streaking across the middle for a 17-yard scoring pass. Then something amazing happened. The Raiders rediscovered Willie Gault. Schroeder hit Gault, who had caught only two passes in the last 11 games, streaking down the middle for a 51-yard scoring pass. He next caught a 57-yard pass.

"It felt good, it had been such a long time," Gault said. "It was basically a clearing pattern for Mervyn (Fernandez), but Jay told me to be alert. I looked up, and here comes the ball. I said, 'Oh, God, thank you. Now just catch if The Seahawks added three Norm Johnson field goals (29, 24 and 40 yards) and the Raiders a 26-yarder from Chris Bahr to leave Seattle up, 23-17, at the half.

Then in the second half the Seahawks dug deep into their playbook, leaving behind "Ground Chuck," as coach Chuck Knox's conservative offense was once derisively known, and going Hollywood. Krieg handed off to wide receiver Ray Butler, who handed back to Largent who pitched back to Krieg. He fired to an all-alone Blades for a 31-yard TD. "We didn't figure we could run the chug-chug-chug all day against them," said Knox. The Raiders recovered a B.J.

Edmonds fumbled punt return at the Seattle 17, but had to settle for a 28-yard Bahr field goal. Then the Seahawks stunned the Raiders with that 75-yard scoring toss to Williams, who took a little screen pass and bolted down the middle to leave Seattle up, 37-20. The Raiders, who had been unable to put their offense together all season, responded with 59-yard scoring drive, Schroeder hitting fullback Steve Smith with a 4-yard scoring toss on fourth down to pull back within 10. But on a day the offense responded, the defense could not. Warner pitched back to Krieg, who fired 55 yards to Blades to set up Norman for a 35-yard field goal.

"We ran out of plays to throw by the end of the game," Largent said. The Raiders continued to make it interesting when Schroeder passed 54 yards to Fernandez, who outjumped a pair of defenders in the end zone for the touchdown. Seattle answered with Norman's fifth field goal, this one from 32 yards. Four passes to tight end Todd Chris-tensen left the Raiders at the Seattle 6, before they stalled and settled for a Bahr 24-yard field goal with 2:21 to play. The Raiders got to midfield in the waning seconds, and two Schroeder passes into the end zone came tantali-zingly close to touchdowns.

But the ball fell wrapping up the Raiders' big fall..