The Lincoln Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • Page 25

SDOftS THE LINCOLN STAR Wednesday, 1577 Page 25 'Crazies' to win it for Vikings? Sports Signab Allen liked that theory. "Every one of our guys tries to do something exceptional every game," he said. Sunday, of course, will be an exceptional game for the "Crazies." "We want this one bad," said Allen. "We want it for ourselves and for our pride. We'll do whatever we have to do to get it." Rashad said the emotion will begin building around Thursday and by Sunday it will reach its peak.

"It always helps," he said with a glint in his eye. "We talk in the dressing room and throw around a few things you'd have to delete. And we finish by saying something about 'going crazy. We used it in Buffalo, too." How does Coach Cud Grant feel about all this? "If it helps, fine," said Grant, cracking the trace of a smile. "You know," said Rashad, "that stuff about Grant being a stone face.

That's just not true. He's not like that at all." Rashad has evidence that the technique works. Just ask Allen. "You know, a few years ago in Buffalo O.J. Simpson said before the season he was going to try to gain 2,000 yards," said Allen.

"Everybody thought, 'that's Well, he did it. didn't he? He went crazy. That's how we go. And that's how we'll But don't try to sell that losing image to Tarkenton. He won't buy it.

"Who'd we lose to in the Super Bowl?" he asked. "Miami and Pittsburgh the last two times. Hey, they were some pretty good teams, maybe great ones." Still, though Minnesota hasn't won an NFL championship yet and that spectre hangs over the Vikes. Some veterans like defensive linemates Carl Eller and Jim Marshall have played in three Super Bowls and haven't won one yet. "They were in my room last night," said Rashad.

"We talked about it and about the pride a professional player feels, the pride that makes you want to go out and win the Super Bowl. Those guys who've been here and lost are determined not to let it happen again. They were saying, 'This time, let's take it That's what the Vikings are building for and the dressing room emotion will come primarily from the younger players, who have adopted Rashad's "Go Crazy" routine. Defensive back Nate Allen is one of Rashad's converts. Allen owns five of the 15 blocked kicks the Vikings have had this season.

He was the man who submarined a Los Angeles field goal attempt in the NFC championship game, producing a 90-yard touchdown return by Bobby Bryant. "Rashad told us before the game that the Rams were outnumbered," said Allen. "He said, 'They don't have enough players. They only have 43. It'll take 10 of them to stop one of Los Angeles (AP) Fran Tarkenton has been playing professional football for 16 years.

He's long past the rah-rah stage. But ask the Minnesota Vikings quarterback about this year's Super Bowl team and he becomes positively effervescent. "There's a new spirit and a new togetherness on this team," said Tarkenton Tuesday. "Every man on our team feels in every fibre of his body that we will win." That's strong stuff, but the Vikings believe they've got something extra going for them this time against the Oakland Raiders. Most people would call it emotion.

The Vikes call it "Going Crazy." The man most responsible for the new ingredient is wide receiver Ahmad Rashad, acquired early in the year from Seattle. It was Rashad who imported "craziness" into the Viking dressing room. "You take a team that has all kinds of ability," he said. "If you can add another dimension, it helps." For the Vikes, "craziness" was the dimension. Rashad learned about it in Buffalo when he played with the Bills.

"We just said we'd go crazy on Sunday," he said. "It's a controlled kind of frenzy." The Vikings had a reputation as one of the National Football League's more businesslike franchises. They also had a reputation for losing the last game of the season the big one. Huskers 7th, 9th in final FB polls us. mm MM Nebraska's Bluebonnet Bowl foe, Texas Tech, previously ranked ahead of NU, ended up 13th in both listings.

"That's great, great news," said Pitt coach Johnny Majors concerning the No. 1 ranking. "I hope I get another one in the next 25 years." Majors is leaving Pitt to assume head coaching duties at his alma Phoenix, Am. In a matter of hours, lit tee off in the pro-am of the Phoenix Open, the first stop on the 1977 PGA Tour. I didn't think too much about it when I accepted the invitation to play.

Great opportunity to see all the big name pros in action. A fun time. Now I find out there will be several thousand people in stands lining both sides of the first fairway to watch us tee off. That's bad news for a bogey shooter. Do you holler "duck" before or after you yell And I'm not playing in an early-morning group, or toward the end of the day when the crowd will have thinned out.

Tee time is during the lunch hour, right in the heart of the action. I've been paired with Mark Hayes, who earned $151,699 last year swinging a golf club. He was the 11th leading money winner on the tour. That's more money than that earned by Tom Watson, Lee Trevino, Johnny Miller, Tom Weiskopf, Miller Barber, Gene Littler, Gary Player, Bruce Crampton and a bunch of others. Paired with amateurs Each pro is paired with four amateurs.

The three groups ahead of us off the first tee are Weiskopf, Don January and Miller. We're followed by fivesomes headed by Jerry Pate, Ray Floyd and Tom Kite. At the same time, over on the 10th tee, Hale Irwin, Hubie Green, Barber and Watson will be starting. How did I wind up down here in such elite company? A two-word answer Lou Grubb is sufficient for those of you who read the story in the Sunday Journal and Star Focus magazine of our experience here a year ago during the Fiesta Bowl. Lou Grubb and his wife hosted our entire family in their fabulous home during that time.

He had us back last spring. I was his partner in his country club's member-guest invitation 'Swingfest' golf tournament. An incurable sports fan, Lou and his wife were our house guests this fall for a five-day visit to see a Nebraska home football game and bea part of the Big Red hysteria which grips Lincoln on such a Saturday. Now, I am back here again. Our playing partners in the pro-am today, along with Hayes who, incidentally, played his collegiate golf at Oklahoma State are Fred Miller and John Meeker.

Athletic director Miller is the athletic director at Arizona State. Maybe he'll tell me what really happened to the Son Devils this fall. Meeker is a member of the Thunderbird organization which organizes and sponsors the Phoenix Open. Meeker heads the Del Webb Development Company in the Valley of the Sun. I've told Grubb Lou is one of the largest, if not the largest Chevrolet dealer in the country that if the fact that he's rich and I'm poor ever gets in the way of our friendship, that's it! Despite that, a warm relationship continues to grow between our two families.

I gotta admit to being impressed. I've written before that columnist Erma Bombeck lives across the street. Well, the Grubbs had an open house the afternoon of my arrival Sunday. Among the many guests was another neighbor, Bill Keane. He draws the 'Family Circus' cartoon which appears in this paper.

When folks left, they signed the guest register in the entry hall. Not Keane. He drew a cartoon. Billy was saying, "Wow: Whatta house." And Dolly was answering, "Dear, I wish our daddy sold Chewies!" Warmth and cheer Well, just thought I'd devote the column today to golf and all this friendly, newsy business as a way of bringing some warmth and cheer into your life. Understand it's been snowing pretty bad up there in Lincoln.

Too bad. Although it probably won't muster up much sympathy from you in return, you might like to know that the blue sky isn't showing through completely. It's a little overcast down here. Kinda chilly too. Only about 60 or so.

Also. I'm sure you feel at least a little sorry for me in that I've got to go out and try to play golf without looking like a fool in front of all those people. Slice. Souff. Hook.

Divot. I just hope I can get my hand to stop shaking long enough to get the tee in the ground. Taller Denver hits Wesleyan, 104-78 From news wires The University of Pittsburgh handily corraled the top spot in both final wire service college football ratings Tuesday. Pitt completed an undefeated season Saturday by besting Georgia, 27-3 in the Sugar Bowl and insuring the Panthers the No. 1 spot.

Nebraska, with a 27-24 win over Texas Tech in the Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl last Friday, moved back into the Top 10 in both the Associated Press and United Press International polls. UPI, which reflects the major college coaches' thinking, picked NU seventh while AP's poll, done by college football writers, had Nebraska ninth. Both polls listed the top four teams in the same order with Pitt followed by USC, Michigan and Houston. Oklahoma was rated fifth by AP, however, the Sooners were sixth according to UPI, giving way to Ohio State. With Oklahoma and Nebraska leading the way, the Big Eight Conference had five teams ranked in both top 20s, best of any league.

Also rated were Oklahoma State (14th in both); Colorado (16th in both) and Iowa State (18th by UPI, 19th by AP). Nadia Comaneci is Female Athlete of Year. By Virgil Parker Otto with 10 points each. The Plainsmen will travel to Colorado Springs to face Colorado College Wednesday night before returning to Lincoln for a 2 p.m. Saturday game at Taylor Gym.

Builer Hatfield Miller Pelets M0 1 Tetm reoouftd 35-75 t-U 71 Sinlley tUl 1H1 H17W Techmrjl mii Dew (J) ran every weeneoa inrxwgn Sunday. May. 1. The mens state toarney will begin Satar- day, March 5. and ran every weekend throagh Sunday.

April 17. Both state tournament will not bowl on Easter Sunday, April 10. ror tne city lonrnameni, men will bowl teams at Plaza and doubles and singles at Parkway. For men's state, Parkway will entertain the Comaneci gets top award Van Zandt hired for NU grid job mater, Associated Prets 5 Oklanoms 6 Ohio State 7 Texas 12 Notre Dame 13 Texas Teen li Oklahoma State 15 UCLA 16 Coloraco 17. Rutgers United Press International Team Point 1.

Pittsburgh (39) (12-0) 411 2 Sp-j-n-rn California (3) (11-1) 37? 3. Michigan (10-2) ZS 4 Houston (10-2) 24i 5 Ohio State (9-2-1) IK 6 Oklahoma (10-2) 9 Alabama (9-3) 10. Georgia 11. Warybnd (11-1) 12. Notre Dame (9-3) 13 Texas Tech (10-2) 14.

Oklahoma State (9-15 UCLA (9-2-1 16. Colorado (8-4) 17 Rutgers- (11-0) State (8-3 Ke' 'rk8' Lance Van Zandt defensive boss "Lance is an experienced coach with excellent credentials in both coaching and recruiting. We are confident he can do the job as the defensive coordinator and also in coaching the defensive secondary." Van Zandt was the defensive coordinator at Oklahoma State for two year's before joining Coach Bud Moore's Kansas staff. Before that. Van Zandt coached at Rice.

Texas West Texas State. New Mexico Highlands. Graham. High School and Stephenville, High School. event must be confirmed by-Jan, it if the bowlers wish to retain their spot.

For the men's part of the city tournament, the big changes are the handicap, moved from 75 to 80 per cent from 200 50c additional cost per event and a change in the all events. The all events will now pay out to one out of every seven entries instead of 10 as past years and the entry fee has been raised 1 City men's bowling secretary Bernie Kossek said IP New York (AP) Nadia Comaneci. the acrobatic sprite from Romania who won gold and glory at the Montreal Olympics, was named Tuesday as Female Athlete of the Year by The Associated Press. Miss Comaneci, virtually unknown outside of gymnastics circles, burst onto the international scene in Montreal with a perfect score of 10 on the uneven parrallel bars the first perfect score in Olympic history on the first day of competition. Before the week was out, she had accumulated six more 10s, three gold medals and.

through the magic of television, massive worldwide exposure. Miss Comaneci was a runaway winner in balloting for the Female Athlete award. She compiled 343 of 605 votes cast by a nationwide panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. Dorothy Hamill. gold medalist iii figure skating at the Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, was runnerup with Weather sets back area slate the Associated Press 106 votes.

Tennis star Chris Evert was third with 80 votes, speedskater Sheila Young was fourth with 32, East German swimmer Kornelia Ender fifth with 13. golfer Judy Rankin sixth with nine and West German skier Rosi Mittermaier seventh with seven. Miss Comaneci, a 14-year-old dynamo at Montreal, won individual gold medals on the uneven bars and the balance beam and captured the gold in the all-around event-symbolic of the world's premier female gymnast. "Virtually fearless, she whipped her 90-pound body-around the bars with grace and daring and executed flips and somersaults cn the hazardous beam with remarkable poise. She dazzled the judges into unprecedented scores, thrilled standing-room only crowds at the Montreal Forum and became a media superstar.

She appeared on the covers of Time. Newsweek and Sports Hlustrated magazines. She was the subject of a television A winter weather watch has forced postponement of two scheduled girls high school basketball games involving Lincoln schools. Lincoln Pius' scheduled Tuesday night game with unbeaten Seward has been set back to January 29. according to Thunderbolt coach Mike Schmidt.

for doubles and singles. Last year 145 and below was B. 146 and above was A This year 140 and below will be B. 141 and above will be A. Handicap will be 80 per cent from 190 for A and 80 per cent from 170 for B.

Teams will remain the same with 665 and below Class B. 696 and above. A. Class A handicap will be 80 per cent from 950. Class will be 80 per cent from 850 We changed A and 8 hoping to get more new bowlers." says Stoner.

We think the Class bowlers should feel they have just a good a chance Denver The Denver Pioneers evened their record at 6-6 with a M-point scoring performance by Brad Hunt and superior rebounding as they clobbered Nebraska Wesleyan 104-78. here Tuesday night The Plainsmen, now 5-5. never led in the contest and despite staying within eight points at the half couldn't stay with the much taller Pioneers through the second half. Denver. led by 6-9 center Robert Harris, who grabbed 12 rebounds, outreboanded the Plainsmen 56-36 and outshot NWU.

hitting 45-87 from the field while Wesleyan managed just 35 of 75 field goal attempts. Ken Hatfield led NWU with 30 points, a career high, while Steve Harris added 13. sophomore Kim Gtoystein 11 sad Dwight Petersen sod Bob Since Montreal. Miss Comaneci has turned 15. put on some weight and erased rumors of a decline in her abilities by winning the ail-around championship at the Chunichi Cup competition in Japan against a strong field, including Miss Kim.

Miss Comaneci is the second gymnast to be named Female Athlete. Miss Korbut was the first in 1972. Miss Hamill. of Riverside. Conn became the latest American skating star to capture Olympic gold, following in the graceful path of Tenley Albright.

Carol Heiss and Peggy Fleming. She has since turned professional. Miss Evert, who won the award the past two years, further established her credentials as the world's No. 1 woman tennis player by winning Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, and by running her amazing winning streak on clav to more than 100 matches.

girls gymnastics trip to a meet at Omaha South It has been set back to Jan. 27 at 4 p.m. Numerous area and state high school contests were either canceled or postponed because of the snow, which measured approximately five inches at Lincoln late Tuesday-evening "Last year we had 1.134 teams, which was the record." she notes "This year we have roughly 1.200 teams We also have approximately 5.600 doubles." Haase notes the 3977 entry-figures point out the tremen dous growth of the state tournev The last time Lincoln held the event was 1964." she special. She received her country's highest honors. She has been sought for personal appearances by promoters all around the globe.

Through it all, she remained calm. cool, almost disinterested. Newsmen, trying the fathom the little girl behind the superstar, pursued her vigorously but with little success. Her responses to question were brief and not very illuminating. I am very pleased with my scores." she said.

"I worked very hard to prepare. I hope to do better in the future." If she was less than talkative away from competition, she wasn't much less than perfect during it. Her performances at Montreal were virtually flawless and she successfully-upstaged the Soviet triumvirate of Korbut. darling of the Munich Games in 1972. Ludmila Tourischeva.

all-around champion in Munich, and Nelli Kim. the rising star of the Russian team. Lincoln Southeast's Tuesday game at Grand Island has been set back just one day. to Wednesday, weather permitting A Pius X-Waverly dual wrestling meet also fell victim to the weather, although a new date has not been set. Another postponement involved the Lincoln High School to do well in their division and we'd really like to get a lot of new faces in the tourney With entries just now getting out.

Kossek says it is hard to assess how mam- entries will be taken for the state tournament "Last year Beatrice had roughly 500 teams and 1.200 doubles and we think we'll do at least that well this year." he savs Women's state bowling secretary Rosemary Haase says the women's state tourney will be the largest evcr As expected, Nebraska football Coach Tom Osborne announced Tuesday the hiring of Lance Van Zandt to join the Comhusker coaching staff. The hiring came as no surprise, as Van Zandt, who served the past two seasons as assistant head coach and defensive coordinator at Kansas, was on the Nebraska sideline last Friday night as the Huskers defeated Texas Tech, 27-24 in the Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl in Houston. Originally set to fill the defensive secondary position vacated when Warren Powers accepted the Washington State head job. Van Zandt was given additional responsibilities at his hiring Tuesday when Osborne named the 36-year-old Van Zandt as Nebraska's defensive coodinator. Monte Kiffin.

the Huskers' defensive coordinator the past four years, resigned Sunday to accept a similar position at the University of Arkansas. "We are very pleased to have someone of Lance's caliber on our staff," said Osborne. "We've been very impressed with the job be has done at Oklahoma State and Kansas. women will have teams at Bowl-Mor and singles and doubles at Hollvwood. Entries are available at any local bowling center for city tournament.

Women's state tourney entries are closed, however. Men's state entry blanks will be at local houses by the first of next week. Deadline for city entries are Jan 35 for the women and Jan. 23 for the men. However.

Dorothy Stoner. city women's bowling secretary, said telephone reservations for the women's portion of the city Lincoln to offer city, state bowling tournaments soon BytkMoyr SMI Sports Writer If voo like bowling torn- naments. Lincoln is the place for voa starting late in January As usual Lincoln will hoM its city tournament for men and women's state tournaments will also be in Lincoln this year TtedtylMraament will get ender way Saturday. Jan the increase in price for the tourney was to cover the increase in bowling costs by the individual bowling centers Kossek is hoping to get more bowlers involved in the tournament with the increased handicap. "We hope to encourage the lower average bowlers to enter." he says.

"Plus, a lot of leagues are going to 80 per cent handicap so we decided we'd go along with it." The women's tournament will again be in two divisions, however, the break off point between A and has changed jaVS "That vear we had 660 teams and 1,217 doubles, which were records at the time This year we 11 have roughly twice as many bowlers and ran lor tene dwys Orvaga uwm whk nnarpari win Swadtv. Feb I The women's host the doable and single state toaramertwatbea get For both city and state, the NewspaperHRCHIVE ARCHIVE EWSPAPER.