Pittsburgh Post-Gazette from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania • Page 15

POST-GAZETTE: Dec. 19, 198315 Harris gets his 1 ,000 yards .10 as Cleveland thousands boo 1 3 Steeler notebook i ill jJkk 'NXferv Associated Press Steeler quarterback Cliff Stoudt is sacked by Cleveland linebacker Gay Matthews, right, for a 9-yard loss in the third quarter. From local and wire dispatches CLEVELAND When Franco Harris raced over right tackle for a 15-yard gain early in the fourth period of yesterday's 30-17 loss to the Browns, it made the Steeler fullback the first player in National Football League history to rush for 1,000 or more yards in eight seasons. It also touched off a controversy. Steeler front-office personnel watching from the press box advised Kevin Byrne, the Browns' publicist, of Harris' feat and requested that the news be announced to the crowd of 72,313 in Cleveland Stadium.

Byrne said no. The refusal was not based on whim. Besides Harris, two other NFL backs had rushed for 1,000 yards seven times. One is Chicago's Walter Payton. The other is a Cleveland legend, Jim Brown.

Byrne feared that the announcement would be less than popular with Browns fans. Steeler publicists Joe Gordon and John Even-son protested, so Byrne consulted Browns owner Art Modell. "I could announce it without saying 'Brown's he told Modell. "I could just say, 'Harris has eight seasons Modell did not like the idea, and Byrne picked up a press-box intercom phone once more and called Evenson. "I just talked to Modell and he is reluctant to do it," he said.

"Maybe with about three minutes left in the game we'll "Do whatever you want," Evenson interrupted, "but if the situation were reversed we'd do it." "Let's not be expletives about this," Byrne said. But it was too late. Evenson had hung up. Finally, a compromise was reached. With just over five minutes left in the game, the public address announcer opened his microphone and read an announcement worded as carefully as any diplomatic communique.

"Franco Harris has gained 1,000 yards for the eighth season he said. "Boo!" roared the crowd. an NFL record," the annouocSr continued. "Boo!" the crowd screamed. J- "The Cleveland -Browns and their fans ct-gratulate him," the announcer said.

But the Cleveland Browns fans drowned him ouwith their chorus of congratulations, which sounded suspiciously like "BOO!" The Steelers suffered three injuries in" the game, but all were deemed minor after preliminary diagnoses. Running back Frank injured his thumb, linebacker Loren Toews his ribs, and kick returner Tim Harris his ankle, all in the first half. None of them returned to action. Tackle Larry Brown, who suffered a sprained ankle last week against the New York Jets, was replaced in the starting lineup by Emil Boures. Steve Courson returned to the lineup at guard.

Cornerbacks Harvey Clayton and Sam Washington played most of the second half in place of Mel Blount and Dwayne Woodruff. "We were just trying to play some more of our young people to a look at them," said Coach Chuck Noll he Browns announced during the game that backup quarteback Paul McDonald had signed a series of one-year contracts with them extending through the 1986 season. Like starter Brian Sipe, McDonald had been rumored headed to the United States Football League The Browns' Mike Pruitt, who gained 43 yards yesterday, passed the mark for his career, the 22nd player in NFL history to do so Greg Hawthorne led the Steelers in receiving with five catches, tying a personal career high. Steeler summary Cleveland 30, Steelers 17 .1 7 0 7 IT 14 7 0 30 First Period Sttaiert FQ Anderaon 34, 5:47 Balk 64 pan tram Sipe (kick taUed). CmmLvk) 6:07 Cleveland FG Bahr 30, 13:56 Second Period Cleveland Holt 3 pas from Slpe(Bahr kick).

5:40 Stealer biouot a run (Anderson nek). :3 Feacher 4 peas from Sipe (Bahr kick), Cleveland 14:59 Cleveland Holt 1 paesfromSlpe(Benrklck), 10:30 Stealer F. Herri 2 pass from Melon (Anderaon kick), 15:00 22 First downs 18 32-129 Rushes-yard 32-114 156. Passing yard 196 0 Return yarda 46 14-33-2 Pasaee 14-22-0 1-3 Sack by 6-36 4-38 Punt 4-25 0-0 Fumblos-tost 1-1 11-92 Penalties-yards of Possession 29:27 30:33... Lambert says umpblewit on Sipe hit By Tom McMillan Post-Gazette Sports Writer CLEVELAND Brian Sipe remembers lying there and retrieving his senses and counting the minutes until they measured him for a coffin.

"You know how it is when you get the wind knocked out of you you know you're going to live, but you feel like you're going to die," Sipe was trying to explain. Jack Lambert had slammed him into a horizontal funk in the third quarter of Cleveland's 30-17 victory yesterday at Cleveland Stadium, but four touchdown passes have a way of cleansing a quarterback's memory. Sipe could laugh about it later, and he was not disturbed. Doug Dieken remembers hopping on his horse and galloping to the rescue. Dieken was not particularly disturbed.

"I think he could've accomplished the same thing without going to the head, but Jack Lambert's an aggressive football player, which is why he's been so great for so long," said Dieken, "He plays to win." What Lambert remembers is Dieken charging toward him and unnamed Browns charging behind him and curling up in a fetal position to avoid separation of life and limb. Lambert was disturbed. "It was a bad place to be, under a pile of Browns," said Lambert, who was ejected for what referee Ben Dreith deemed to be a flagrant personal foul. "Hey, he's in bounds. He's in the Erocess of throwing the ball.

I'm going to hit him. same play happens tomorrow, I'm going to hit him." It was second-and-10 from the Steeler 29 when Lambert abruptly steamrolled the Cleveland quarterback near the Cleveland bench in front of all the Cleveland players. The flag fell because the ball had already departed from Sipe's hand, which wiped out Donnie Shell's interception, and some guys in orange pants appeared in Sipe's defense, which wiped out Lambert. Lambert limped off the field, Cleveland breezed to its fourth touchdown and Steeler Coach Chuck Noll fumed in his post-game meeting with the media. "Poor Ben, he's hobbled by directions from the league office," Noll said of Dreith.

"And there are people in the league office who don't know the difference between a good hit and roughing the passer. "I talked to Lambert and Lambert was a little upset. He said he made a good tackle, legal, in bounds, and then he got ganged, accosted, had to be helped off the field. And he got thrown out of the game." Dreith had tried to explain to Noll that Lambert was asked to leave because he thought the hit was especially vicious. "And I said, 'Well, didn't you see the guys that kicked him in the Noll shot back.

"And he looked at me surprised. He's so busy watching the quarterback." Sipe missed one play and then he returned to sting the Steelers with his fourth touchdown pass, a 1-yarder to Harry Holt. "Well, I felt like let me think of something witty to say," Sipe teased the Cleveland media. "I felt like a damsel in distress just outside King Arhtur's castle. Actually, I was just trying to gather my senses." But there was no apparent bitterness toward Lambert.

"I was running out of bounds, I was concerned with throwing the ball, and I just opened myself up," Sipe said. "Jack's the kind of guy who's going to take that shot. Frankly, that's the kind of thing that's made Jack the great player that he is." Said Dieken, the 13-year offensive tackle who appeared to pull back after immediately rushing Lambert, "Jack went down and somebody jumped on top of him. After that, I don't know what happened. That's after the fact.

It's stupid to go any farther. You make sure your guy doesn't get hurt any more and then you back off." Lambert, who once grumbled about quarterbacks wearing dresses, was in no mood to apologize for the hit that lit the fuse. "I'm no angel. I'm not trying to come across as an angel," he said. "But I had an umpire today tell me he was new at this and wasn't quite sure-what he was looking for.

"Brian has a chance to go out of bounds and he decides not to. He knows I'm going to hit him. And I do. History." GIVE SOMEONE A PART OF SECOND QUARTER Cleveland ball at Steeler 34 following interception by Gross. Green runs, 9 yds.

Walker runs, no gain. Pruitt runs, 6 yds. Pruitt runs, 8 yds. Pruitt runs, 3 yds. Pruitt runs, 1 yd.

Steelers penalized 4 offside. Sipe complete to Holt for 3-yd. TO. Bahr kicks extra point. Browns 16, Steelers 3.

Steeler ball at their own 29 following kickoff. Stoudt complete to Hawthorne, 21 yds. Abercrombie runs, 11 yds. Stoudt throws incomplete. Harris runs, 2 yds.

Stoudt runs, 13 yds. Stoudt throws incomplete. Stoudt complete to Hawthorne, 18 yds. Harris runs, 3 yds. Stoudt runs for 3-yd.

TD. Anderson kicks extra point. Browns 16, Steelers 10. Cleveland ball at SO after Steelers miss fourth-down conversion. Green runs, 12 yds.

Sipe complete to Jones, 8 yds. Green runs, 1 yd. Green runs, 8 yds. Sipe throws incomplete. Sipe runs, 5 yds.

Steelers penalized 8 roughing the passer. Sipe thows incomplete. Steelers penalized 4 offside. Sipe throws incomplete. Sipe complete to Feacher for 4-yd.

TD. Bahr kicks extra point. Browns 23, Steelers 10. THIRD QUARTER Cleveland ball at Steeler 49 following punt. Holt runs, 4 yds.

Sipe complete to Newsome, 16 yds. Green runs, 4 yds. Browns penalized 5 false start. Sipe pass is intercepted by Shell, but Steelers penalized 15 yds. for flagrant personal foul by Lambert.

Pruitt runs, 4 yds. Steelers penalized interference. Pruitt runs, no gain. Sipe complete to Holt for 1-yd. TD.

Bahr kicks extra point. Browns 30, Steelers 10. FOURTH QUARTER Steeler ball at their own 31 following punt. Malone complete to Capers, 21 yds. Malone complete to Abercrombie, 9 yds.

Malone complete to Harris, 7 yds. Malone sacked, 11 -yd. loss. Malone throws incomplete. Malone complete to Garrity, 38 yds.

Malone throws incomplete. Malone throws incomplete. Browns penalized 3 holding. Malone complete to Harris for 2-yd. TD.

Anderson kicks extra point. Browns 30, Steelers 17 El 0 DEI Sp INDIVIDUAL. STATISTICS RUSHING Stealer, F. Harris 20-56. Abercrom-ble 6-40.

Stoudt 4-29, Pollard 2-4. Cleveland, Green 12-66, Prultt 15-43, Walker 2-4, Holt 1-3, Sipe 2-mlnus 2. PAStWM Steelers, Stoudt 7-2 1-1-94, alone 7-12-1-106. Cleveland, Sipe 14-22-0-199. RECIIVMO Steeler, Hawthorne 5-66, F.

Harris 3- 18, Garrlty 2-57, Capers 1-21, Sweeney 1-18, Cun-mnghem 1-13, AbercromMe 1-9. Cleveland, Newsome 4- 30, Feacner 3-45, Jones 2-16, Holt 2-4, Balk 1-64, Green 1-33, Walker 1-7. MISSED FIELD QOAL8 None. How they scored FIRST QUARTER Steeler ball at Cleveland 43 following punt. Harris runs, 3 yds.

Pollard runs, 2 yds. Stoudt runs, 8 yds. Pollard runs, 2 yds. Abercrombie runs, 9 yds. Harris runs, 5 yds.

Abercrombie runs, 3-yd. loss Stoudt throws incomplete. Anderson kicks 34-yd. FG. Steelers 3, Browns 0.

Cleveland ball at its own 36 following kickoff and facemask penalty. Sipe complete to Belk for 64-yd. TD. Bahr misses extra point. Browns 6, Steelers 3.

Cleveland ball at its own 39 following punt. Sipe complete to Feacher, 16 yds. Green runs, 3 yds. Green runs, 12 yds. Sipe complete to Feacher, 25 yds.

Sipe sacked, 8-yd. loss. Sipe throws incomplete. Sipe throws incomplete. Bahr kicks 30-yd.

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