Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 40

COLLEGE FOOTBALL Michigan 24, Iowa 7 Penn St. 70, Maryland 7 Ohio State 51, Northwestern 3 Indiana 23, Minnesota 19 Illinois 28, Purdue 10 EMU 15, Miami, Ohio 7 Ashland 12, Wayne State 0 Florida St. Alabama 17, S. Carolina 6 Miami 30, Georgia Southern 7 Notre Dame 48, Stanford 20 Florida 38, Miss. St.

24 Oklahoma 24, Iowa St. 7 College report, 6-1 1E Tough guy: Red Wings' Darren McCarty says he's willing to do anything, everything to make the team. 3E Positively: Sparky praises Fryman, Kreuter after 4-1 win over Yanks. 13E (JLlLsal j' 4- 4 rl- Sunday Section sports Bob WOJNQWSKI Lions fans have suffered longer, but there's no doubt Bucs NFL's worst franchise on merit I Braves, Giants tied with one day to go OCTOBER 3, 1993 Walker assesses state of Tigers It was a good season for the Tigers, it was a bad season. It was every kind of season rolled into one easily one of the strangest years the Tigers have had in quite some time.

But as of today, it's history. Though it deserves a look back, more attention should now be directed toward the future. In a conversation with General Manager Jerry Walker, conducted in a question and answer format with Detroit News baseball writer Tom Gage, the Tigers' future is addressed as well as the past and present. Page 13E A 4 CJ DETROIT NEWS WIRE SERVICES It ha9 come down to a one-game, one-day regular season in the National League West. Greg Maddux won his 20th game, and host Atlanta beat the Colorado Rockies 10-1 Saturday.

Later, visiting San Francisco defeated Los Angeles, 5-3, as seldom-used Dave Martinez put the Giants ahead, 5-2, with a two-run double in the seventh. Atlanta and San Francisco are 103-58. If they are tied after today, there will be a one-game playoff Monday night in San Francisco. How do some of the participants look at the situation? "Hopefully we can win it tomorrow," Maddux said. "We have our best pitcher (Tom Glavine) on the mound.

If not, we have to go to San Francisco and see what happens. It has been fun. Nerve-racking, but fun. I am enjoying it. But I will enjoy it a lot more if we win." Said Braves Manager Bobby Cox: "It is just another ballgame we have to win.

It has been that way for months. Please see West, 13E i 1 4 i ASSOCIATED PRESS Dodgers' Raul Mondesi (left) is safe at third, but tumbling Jody Reed is tagged during a steal try. Meeting leads to toeatita i in naii in ii luiiRi mi. iMiPwn iuhjij, hhiwi i ju-wpuu. if Mm mam i- niiuiui mi i.iiii.l nwuiw TVRADIO 2E HORSE RACING 17-18E N.L.

West: The great race What happened Saturday? Atlanta beat Colorado, 10-1, and San Francisco defeated Los Angeles, 5-3. The Braves and Giants are 103-58. What is scheduled today? The final regular-season games. Atlanta plays host to Colorado at 1 p.m. on TBS with Tom Glavine (21 -6) starting against one-time Brave David Nied (5-8).

The Giants visit the Dodgers at 4 p.m. on ESPN with Salomon Torres (3-4) opposing Kevin Gross (12-13). What if there's a playoff game? If the Braves and Giants both win or both lose today, there will be a one-game playoff Monday at 10:30 p.m. at San Francisco on ESPN. Big Ten opener: Wolverines defense dominates Hawkeyes.

By Angelique S. Chengelis THE DETROIT NEWS ANN ARBOR Perhaps Michigan Coach Gary Moeller should sign on Buster Stanley as co-defensive coordinator. Falls: U-M can't repeat lackluster effort. Page 10E. It was, after all, Stanley who coordinated a players-only meeting of the Michigan defense last Sunday morning to air out the many problems that were affecting those players.

And for a change, it was U-M's defense that was effective in the Wolverines' 24-7 victory over Iowa on Saturday before 105,423 at Michigan Stadium in their Big Ten opener. It was the lowest score by a U-M opponent since last season's 40-7 victory over Northwestern. "It wasn't that low key," junior Please see U-M, 1 1E Ten for 20-plus Tyrone Wheatley has had 10 plays of 20-plus yards this season, including three for touchdowns. 59-yard TD run, Washington State. 50-yard KO return, Washington State.

49-yard KO return, Notre Dame. 48-yard TD run, Iowa. 45-yard run, Notre Dame. 40-yard KO return, Washington State. 26-yard KO return, Notre Dame.

25-yard TD run, Houston. 25-yard run, Notre Dame. 22-yard run, Notre Dame. TERRY FOSTER know about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' bungled draft picks. You know about their 0-26 beginning, their 10 consecutive seasons of 10 or more losses, their long-running role as the los-ingest team in professional sports history.

But you don't know the real juicy stuff, the hard-hitting, sidesplitting stuff. You don't know the unseen pitfalls and pratfalls that have helped the Bucs defy parity, defy logic and define futility for most of 17 seasons. I do. From 1985-88, 1 covered the Bucs, although my doctor has advised me to stop admitting it. I saw them win 13 games and lose 50.

I saw linebacker Keith Browner fall asleep on the bench during a loss to the Cardinals. I saw plenty, and I have a message for disgruntled Lions fans: quit your griping. You think your favorite NFL franchise has been run by buffoons? You think the Lions have lacked a commitment to winning? You think the Lions are cheap? Hummmph. When you flick on today's Lions-Bucs game, say a silent prayer for the most-beleaguered, least-understood creatures on the planet Bucs fans. It has taken more than a curse to keep the Bucs the worst.

It has taken relentless stupidity, such as that displayed the night Bo Jackson visited after Tampa Bay made him the league's No. 1 pick in 1986. All indications were that Jackson wanted to play football. He came to Tampa, met the head coach, Leeman Bennett, then headed out for a night on the town. He ended up at a restaurant owned by linebacker Hugh Green, whom the Bucs had traded to Miami a year earlier.

While Green was extolling the virtues of playing anywhere but Tampa, former Bucs quarterback Doug Williams strolled in. Williams had left Tampa after a bitter contract dispute that ended with the sides $200,000 apart, a relative pittance for the team's top player. Shortly after Green and Williams had finished showing their battle scars, Jackson decided to play baseball. From the sublime to the ridicu- ai i.1 a iuus, wiere was wie case ui punier Frank Garcia. After a particularly poor 1987 season, X-rays revealed he had a hairline fracture, likely making him the only player in league history to kick for an entire season with a broken leg.

In the mid-1980s, the Bucs had another punter (who shall remain nameless) with a strong leg and a weak liver. In the bushes bordering the team's practice field, this punchy punter hid a bottle of tequila. He then purposely booted the ball into the shrubs, and took his time finding it. I couldn't make this stuff up. Vinny Testaverde, one of numerous first-round flops, was stymied by colorblindness, which allegedly made it difficult to pick out teammates' jerseys downfield.

Later, he complained of vertigo. Keeping the Bucs' dizzy world spinning has been owner Hugh Culverhouse, who never knew how to hire a coach John McKay remains the franchise's winningest at 44-88-1 and certainly has no idea how to fire one. In 1986, Culverhouse brought Bennett to a postseason news conference, ostensibly to have him outline his plan for the team's future. As Bennett stood to the side, handwritten plan in hand, Culver-house announced his firing. Bennett, stunned speechless, mumbled a few words and walked out.

Two days later, Culverhouse hired Ray Perkins and called him "my Vince Lombardi." Perkins performed more like Vince McMahon. One of his first acts was to have the team switch sidelines at Tampa Stadium, so TV cameras could more easily focus on the Bucs. Sounds reasonable, except the move took the team out of the shade and directly into the 95-degree, midafternoon glare. Today, the Bucs look as bad as ever, and there is talk of 0-16. It won't be easy.

The Lions, who are .500 (15-15) lifetime against the Bucs, are a major obstacle. The Cardinals (6-6) are the only other Tampa Bay opponent without a winning mark. If the Bucs have a winning record against the Lions after today, you may resume griping. li j-l 1 i'rn -75 it'. 'swMmmiJImmmm 1 1 v.

I s'A I 'A A 1 fw CLARENCE TABB JR. The Detroit News Thompson (17) and Jarrett Irons (37) after pass reception. "I No Rodman, no headaches With Worm off to Spurs, Pistons have renewed hope Mark Roussell takes a pounding As, v'V A I I A 4V from Wolverines defenders Clarence A -L Feeling good: Pistons' Billy Mc-Kinney stuck to his guns. Page 5E Even when it appeared that his basketball world was crumbling around him, Isiah Thomas could talk optimistically about the future. He envisioned the Pistons rising from the ashes and becoming title contenders again.

He talked about youthful players battling alongside and learning from veteran players at The Palace. He envisioned fans embracing the Pistons again. I told him that might happen but only after his playing days were over. Thomas smiled and told me I was wrong. That was a year and a half ago.

Friday night, Thomas walked into The Palace with a broad smile and an even clearer vision than 18 months ago. The visions of the past are turning into reality. The walls are no longer crumbling around him. There is hope. The Pistons are not quite title contenders following Friday's much anticipated trade of Dennis Rodman.

But they are only a couple of pieces away from rejoining the league's elite. Please see Foster, 16E THE DETROIT NEWS The Pistons will miss forward, Dennis Rodman's rebounding and defense, but not his moody behavior of last season. i 1.