The Buffalo News from Buffalo, New York • 37

final D6 The Buffalo NewsSunday ebruary 6 2005 Continued from Sports Cover Young and old make Hall of ame class Quarteilxuks Dan Marino Steve Young and Benny riedman along with running back and coaeh ritz Polla rd were elected Saturday to the Pro ootball Hall of ame SUPER BOWL NOTEBOOK Owens held out of walk through 4U NL Career ningback in league first black head coach 1921 Dan Marino Quarterback Steve Young Quarterback paBayBucca neers 1987 1999 San rancisco i 49ers Highlights i Gilberton Cada mounts 1925 Provi i dence Steam Roller Highlights Exciting elusive i runner who was Benny riedman Quarterback i ritz Pollard Running backcoach i NL Career i 1919 1921 1925 1926 Akron Pros 1922 Milwaukee Badgers i 1923 1925 Ham NL Career 1937 Cleveland Browns 1928 De troit Wolverines 1929 1931 New York Giants 1932 mond Pros 1923 24 1934 Brooklyn Dodgers Highlights Threw league record 11 touch down passes as rookie 1929 led most feared run league in TD pass es four straight years could run NL'Career 1983 1999 Miami i 1985 1986 Thm Dolphins Highlights Most prolific passer in NL historv: 4967 completionsand Threw for 3000 420 touch plus yards six downs fust play i times and 20 or er to pass for i more touch 5000 yards in a i down passes in season threw a season five then record 48 i times rushed TDs all AC six i for 4239 yards times selected and 43 TDs se pass and kick to nine straight i lected to seven Pro Bowls i Pro Bowls SOURCE: Pro ootball Hall of ame AP I Marino retired with 21 NL records HALL AME from D5 NL history: put a lot of pres sure on me Then it was Marino applying the pressure to defenses Al though he never won a Super Bowl Marino was the 1984 league MVP made three All Pro teams and nine Pro Bowls When he re tired he owned 21 NL marks in cluding most seasons with 3000 yards or more passing (13) most yards passing in one season (5084 in the only year he won a conference championship) and most games with 300 yards or more passing (63) Young broke in with the Los Angeles Express moved to the Tampa Bay Bucca neers then won the 1995 Super Bowl with San rancisco He was the Most Valuable Player in 1992 and is the place going to find out how good going to be This is the spot I embraced Young said recalling his move from the USL to the NL here because I did embrace A clever runner with a strong arm and great field vision Young made seven Pro Bowls and was a three time All Pro He held the highest passer rating in league history (968) when he retired in 99 He also set the highest single season rating of 1128 which Manning also broke this season In 1921 Pollard became the first black head coach in the NL He was a superb running back leading the Akron Pros to the fledgling 1920 champion ship with an undefeated record He later organized the Chicago Brown Bombers an independent team of black players that barn stormed the country from 1927 to He died in 1986 think it was the historical significance of being the first black player and the first black said Don Pierson a writer for the Chicago Tribune and a member of the Seniors Commit tee look at him as a player a coach and a contributor I think he did all riedman who died in 1982 played for four teams from 1927 to and was one of the early great quarterbacks A contempo rary of Red Grange he also was a strong draw at the box office Gi ants owner Tim Mara purchased the Detroit Wolverines for whom riedman played in 1928 not only to get him in New lineup but to fill the stands both appreciate and hon or tlie people who played in an other Young said speaking for Marino as well here on the backs of so many other play ROM NEWS WIRE SERVICES JACKSONVILLE la As a precaution Philadelphia Eagles receiver Terrell Owens was held out of a 25 mmute walk through Saturday in Alltel Stadium by coach Andy Reid see how he does tomor Reid said Asked if Owens had any extra soreness the coach said nec essarily Owens has said he will play in Super Bowl against New England even though his doctor' refused to clear him following surgery to implant two screws and a plate in his right leg How ever Reid said riday that he might not start Throughout the week Owens practiced fewer than half the Ea Defensive end Jevon Kearse was fine one day after missing practice with the flu ready to Reid said Linebacker Mark Simoneau coming off a foot injury partici pated in the walk through and moved well according to a pool report Players wore sweats and shorts and ho helmets while test ing the Alltel field for the first time this week Temperatures were in the high 50s and sunny a welcome change from the wind cold and rain that lingered the past few days field was in good Reid said wet spots It was Though there were team meet ings Saturday night the Eagles were allowed to have some family time too Asked if he was doing any thing special to help his players get a good sleep Reid said they are ready to Associated Press The Terrell Owens left and Jeremiah Trotter had no worries Saturday Related photo on the Picture Page CIO The Patriots skipped their walk through been two weeks since our last said coach Bill Beli chick who has bypassed the final walk through before several games late in the season pretty much hit eveiything we The team took a bus to Alltel Stadium for photos and many players brought cameras or cam corders families and chil dren also joined them Injured cornerback Ty Law got around on a motorized scooter Belichick posed for a picture with coordinators' Charlie and Romeo Crennel perhaps for sake Weis is leav ing New England to take over as head coach at Notre Dame and if Crennel is' expected to be hired the Cleveland head rf coach great to be Belichick said to be a part of Ty wife is going to have to find him another birthday present sy The Patriots defensive line man who turns 24 today was planning to come to the gameoa even if the Patriots didn't make it was talking to my wife earli er in the year and she asked me what I wanted I said that would 3 be a good present for he said we were planning on going And how about a second Super if Bowl ring for the second yearM player? would be icing on the he said tfB Despite sagging attendance and a decision to cover seats nextat season NL Commissioner Paulni Tagliabue says the future of the Jacksonville Jaguars is safe think everyone realizes them stadium was somewhat oversized' in terms of capacity because ofv the goal of having it big enough so 'D that you could play a Super Bowl here having it big enough so thatfei you could play the lorida Geor OI gia game here having it bigor enough so you could play college bowls Tagliabue said Jaguars owner Wayne Weaven'I decided in December to covers 9700 seats in hopes of alleviating!) i local television blackouts whichui have become common iff Vincent wins Starr Award By Mark Gaughan NEWS SPORTS REPORTER JACKSONVILLE la Buffalo Bills safety Troy Vincent on Saturday received the Bart Starr Award given to an NL player who ex emplifies strong character and leadership in the home on the field and in the community The award is given in conjunction with Athletes in Action the Christian fellowship or ganization and is named after the Hall of ame quarterback of the Green Bay Packers Past winners of the Bart Starr Award in clude Trent Differ Darren Woodson Bruce Matthews Aeneas Williams Irving iyar Brent Jones Darrell Green Jackie Slater Cris Carter Warren Moon Gill Byrd Reggie White Mike Singletary Anthony Munoz and Steve Largent Vincent was voted Sporting No 1 Good Guy in pro sports in 2003 He and his wife run the Love Thy Neighbor Community Development Corp which strives to build thriving neighborhoods by creating opportu nities for positive social and economic change Through workforce development improved housing projects life skills training and in creased open space and recreation Love Thy Neighbor strives to empower impoverished communities to self sufficiency Vincent was not in attendance to accept the award because he was attending the funer al for his father who died this week Vincent is an active participant in the Christian Business Network Philadelphia Business Leadership Series Professional Busi ness inancial Network Boys and Girls Club of Trenton NJ American Cancer Society Po lice Athletic League of Trenton Leukemia oundation Breast Cancer oundation NLg Women in Distress and Urban Youth Racing School ci in mail: mgaughanbgffnewscom A2 Griffins hit free throws to seal win i i ykf Mark MulvilleBuffalo News Anthony Byrd goes for a rebound with Jack McClinton CANISIUS frornDj simple plays for each other Boxing out hitting free throws Those are simple plays that we had to do to win the game We done that yet this i The teams played a rather lifeless first half as Siena took a six point lead 28 22 with 2:11 left Downey hit a three pointer then nailed a jumper with four seconds left to close the mar gin to 28 27 at halftime The Griffs came out with more ener gy in the second half They extended their 5 0 run at the end of the first half to 11 0 by scoring the first six points of the second half (two buckets from Dar nell Wilson and one from Jon Popof ski) for a 33 28 lead Canisius never trailed the rest of the game Siena continued to hang around thanks in large part to guard Jack game high 21 points but the Griffs made enough plays down the stretch to hold the lead With 24 seconds left Siena came within four 61 57 but Dewitt Doss and Downey each made free throws to seal the win just came out flat to start the second half a good thing it only lasted a couple of plays and we stopped die said Siena center Brent Sniezyk who scored 14 points with 13 rebounds just come up with big plays We gave up a couple of offensive rebounds and turned the ball over 10 times in the second half It was just plays like that We have to come up with those scrappy Canisius came up with scrappy plays all over the floor The undersized Griffs even held a 21 16 second half ad vantage in rebounding They turned Si 15 turnovers into 14 points That said Downey is the difference between last squad and this one attitude is different from last Downey said we played this game last year go up by eight and they cut it to (four) we would have given up I told the guys in a huddle 1 that they made their run now its time for ours Division I basketball is about making Of course without Downey weath ering those runs and counterpunching would be difficult It only his 19 points and three point shooting that helped the Griffs his six assists with just one turnover and three steals helped set the tone for the team "We call some things but got some MacDonald said want him to make plays making plays and trusting his teammates knows how to play I think tough on him sometimes because it seems the team goes as he goes almost our security blanket in some ways When making shots other guys feel eveiything is OK in the world Now starting to find people and other guys have more The Griffs are going to need that boost of confidence as they head down the stretch of the MAAC season ive of their final seven games are on the road Bucky column on Page DIO mail: amoritzbgffnewscom da Marist changes approach a runs methodical offense 1 NIAGARA from D5 Initially game had the makings of a rout Marist (10 10 7 4) played without 6 foot 9 senior Will McClurkin (suspended) and 6 8 freshman Ryan Stilphen (back spasms) and had lost its last two games The Purple Eagles are in line for a run at the MAAC title and were still smarting from their 88 87 loss at Marist on Jan 15 But while Niagara expected the Red ox es to run Marist ran a methodical offense and spread the floor As the shot clock wound down inside of 10 seconds it set ball screens and looked for open three pointers off dribble penetration Marist the top three point shooting team in the MAAC hit 10 of 27 three pointers Niagara expected some kind of new wrinkle but not this thought we were playing Princeton a little said Niagara coach Joe Mihalich did what they had to do which was a credit to them I don't think we were mentally prepared to see that kind of Niagara seemed to kick it in gear with a 9 0 run to start the second half and built the lead to 17 at 39 22 with 16:57 remaining fol lowing a Mendez layup Marist didn't hit its first field goal until Will Whittington sank a three pointer wit 15:36 left yet it ignited the team just as Niagara went cold The lead was trimmed to 58 55 with 5:39 left when Jordan blew past Cruz down the lane for a layup when Niagara 732 percent from the foul line this season con nected on its freebies their seniors went to the said Jordan who finished with a team high 23 points experienced guys and been in those situations plenty of times nothing new to them We were hoping they would miss and they Eveiything seems to be falling in place for Niagara Although four of its remaining fol MAAC standings Barry Durosier and Niagara are a half game out of first place i rii 11 iWkV Mark MulvilleBuffalo News Conference Overall Games "iMog Pct Pct Rider 9 2 818 13 7 650 Niagara 9 3 750 14 6 700 airfield 8 3 727 11 9 550 Marist 7 4 636 10 10 500 Manhattan 5 6 455 10 9 526 Canisius 5 6 455 7 13 A50 Iona 4 6 400 8 12 400 St 4 '7' 364 9 1L'45O Siena 2 9 182 4 18 182 ft Loyola Md 2 9 182 3 17 150 Niagara 79 Marist 68 Canisius 65 Siena 57 Rider 78 St 73 six league games are on the road the only potential speed bump between it and a reg a ular season finale showdown at Rider onw eb 26 is game at airfield three weeks Mendez said of Rider "There's still a lot of basketball to be iff ad maih rmckissicbgffhiewsMmi ud i SA 4V.