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Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 37

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Detroit, Michigan
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37
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the bass Is USFL fever catching? Even with the Panthers drawing 60,000, there are doubts about the USFL. Do you think the league can survive? See Sports Soundoff, 2D. bell page Standings and stats, Page 4D. Sports Phone, 1-976-1313 Tuesday, July 12, 1083 MOVIE GUIDE 6 fT COMICS 6,7 WEATHER 7 jj Call with sports news: 222-6660 I DETROIT FREE PRESS 9 Mas is Angels nernaon ra Is I Doivney i Nl I I By BRIAN BRAGG Free Press Sports Writer Larry Herndon, celebrating the birth of his first son, hammered California pitching for two singles, two doubles and a home run to lead the Tigers' on a 19-hit, 12-6 romp Monday night. Herndon, who narrowly missed hitting for the cycle, became the first Tiger this year to get five hits in a game.

He had three RBIs. The Angels tagged Dave Rozema for three runs on a homer by Brian Downing before the Tiger pitcher retired anyone in the first inning, but the right-hander then got 15 consecutive outs while his teammates assaulted Geoff Zahn (5-4) and three successors for their highest single-game hit total of 1983. LOU WHITAKER started the offense with a home run, and Zahn didn't make it out of the first inning as the Tigers added four more runs and took the lead for good. Chet Lemon, who also had three RBIs, got the game-winner with a bases-loaded single that overhauled the Angels in the first. After the blowout, Herndon who took his wife to the hospital at 7 a.m.

Monday didn't pause to rehash his performance. He sped out of the clubhouse to return to his wife in the hospital. Manager Sparky Anderson was pleased that his team broke out of its recent hitting doldrums, but he added: "I can't get very excited right now. It's going to take over 90 wins to win this thing, and we're at 44 now." Rozema made his first pitching appearance since June 25 after a bout of shoulder stiffness. He lasted just long enough for the victory, throwing 80 pitches.

He was knocked out in a sudden sixth-inning collapse as the Angels closed to within four runs, but Doug Bair shut down the visitors and earned his second save as a Tiger with four innings of one-hit pitching. ROZEMA (6-0) extended his unbeaten string to 10 games, dating back to his last loss in August of 1981. The Tigers have won all nine games he has started this season. See TIGERS, Page 4D Our O-Mcn arc possessed with bedeviling the Stars "What do you see as your roles this week?" Thorn Dornbrook and Tyrone McG riff are asked. "Jokesters," Dornbrook replies.

Although there is technically nothing funny about playing football, offensive linemen always seem to get some yuks out of it. They're so used to being ignored, they end up entertaining one another. They give each other nicknames, or hotfoots, or liquid refreshment, or whatever's necessary to get them through the week while the quarterback's off doing shaving-cream commercials. Purdue's college guys used to call themselves FOOLS The Fraternal Order of Offensive Linemen. Pro teams used to come up with names from time to time, just to give themselves a feeling of brotherhood.

When the little-bitty Washington Redskins' receivers started getting pre-Super Bowl publicity about being a bunch of Smurfs, the offensive line went right out and anointed itself the Hogs. Pretty soon, they were the most popular pigs this side of Porky. The Michigan Panthers' offensive linemen began to feel this need a few weeks back. They were in the process of vaccinating leadership into the USFL team's young front line. The Panthers had good stock, but needed seasoning.

Onto the team and into the lineup came former Pittsburgh Steelers Ray Pinney, Dornbrook and McGriff. Suddenly, holes started blowing open. Suddenly, Michigan was winning 12 of the next 14 games. Suddenly, the Panthers were one win away from the United States Football League's charter championship, something they will try to nail down Sunday in Denver. The offensive linemen were making names for themselves.

Now all they needed was a name for the group. Hyphen makes all the difference A meeting was called to order. Somebody suggested The Pitt Crew, and that sounded pretty good. "It sounded pretty good to everybody except the non-Steelers," says Dornbrook, referring mainly to Chris Godfrey and Wayne Radloff. "We had enough for a majority vote, but don't let anyone ever tell you this ain't a democracy." Somebody else thought a real clever name was The Punch still trying to figure that one out.

''What are we doing out there?" he asks. "Selling Kool-Aid?" I -4 1 Free Press Photo bv MARY SCHROEDER Lou Whitaker slides between umpire Jerry IMeudecker and Angels catcher Bob Boone in the third inning, scoring the Tigers' seventh run. The last time they met: Philadelphia 29, Panthers 20 THE GAME: The loss on June 5 in Philadelphia put the Panthers on the brink of elimination from the playo'f picture with an 8-6 record. Bobby Hebert figured in all Panther scoring, throwing TD passes to Mike Cobb for five yards and to John Williams for 53 yards. He also ran in from the one.

For the Stars, Chuck Fuslna threw three touchdown passes and Kelvin Bryant rushed for another. THE QUOTE: "We don't have to duck our heads," said coach Jim Stanley. "The race is still on. Good things will happen if we keep on going." THE POSTSCRIPT: The Panthers did keep on going, winning their final four regular-season games to qualify for the playoffs. Title game at a glance All about the first USFL championship game: Where: Mile High Stadium, Denver.

When: Sunday, July 17. Teams: Michigan Panthers (13-6, Central Division champions) vs. Philadelphia Stars (16-3, Atlantic Division champions). The Line: Philadelphia by 4. Game time: 8 p.m., Detroit time.

Television: ABC (Channel 7 In Detroit). Radio: WXYZ 1270-AM. Tickets: Priced at $22 and $14. Available locally through the Panthers' box office. For more information, call 651-1488 or 1-800-221-3668 from 9 a.m.

to 5 p.m. Super crowd not expected forUSFL title game By CURT SYLVESTER Free Press Sports Writer It's not the Super Bowl, the Duper Bowl, Super Bowl Too, the Summer Bowl or anything else cute, clever or fancy. It's the 1983 USFL Championship Game that the Panthers will be playing in Denver's Mile High Stadium Sunday. And league officials can only wonder after the 60,237 turnout for Sunday's playoff game against Oakland what kind of crowd they would draw if the game were played in the Silverdome. 5: ft ft 6.t 5: McGriff looked into the Silverdome stands during Sunday's game with Oakland and spotted a bedsheet banner.

On it was written a nickname for the offensive linemen the very nickname Dornbrook had recently dreamed up. "He calls us The Omen," McGriff says. "The Old Men? IT" nr. "Naw. O-m-e-n," McGriff says.

Thorn Dornbrook How come? "Beats me. Better ask Thorn." Thorn is asked. "Maybe it means we're possessed," Dornbrook says. You have to have seen that devil of a movie "The Omen" to understand this. IS "No, not really," Dornbrook says.

"We're the O- Men. The Offensive Linemen. O-Men with a Thorn Dornbrook is sort of a wild and semi-crazy guy who has been to a couple of Super Bowls and keeps Mile High Stadium can hold 75,123. As of Monday morning, slightly more than 31,000 tickets had been sold for the title game and, according to USFL director of marketing Dom Camera, league officials are expected to sell at least "another 15,000" by game time Sunday. THAT STILL won't compare with the crowd that turned out Sunday to watch the Panthers beat Oakland, 37-21, for a spot in the championship game.

USFL officials might have struck it rich if they had awarded the title game to the Silverdome, which was one of six locations bidding for the contest. At the time the decision was made, however, there was no indication the Panthers would be involved, or that Detroit would support USFL football. They had to decide whether to play the game at the home field of the team with the better record, or to award the game to one of six locations that wanted it Los Angeles, Denver, Michigan, New Orleans, Indianapolis or Seattle. "We considered Tampa Bay and the Silverdome from the beginning," USFL commissioner Chet Simmons said. "But here in Detroit it was a while before the team took off and they were not drawing well, so we didn't pick Detroit.

Hindsight is always 2020. See PANTHERS, Page 2D ANSWERTO PRAYER his rings under lock and key, "so I have all my fingers free for picking my nose." In his first Super Bowl, he says, he was so tight you couldn't have knocked a thumbtack into his seat with a hammer, and that nervousness is no big problem before a big game because "that's what Jack Daniel's is for." v2 Free Press Pholo bv MARY SCHROEDER O-Men' is a sign they've arrived Seriously, folks, Dornbrook calls his already-into- Quarterback Bobby Hebert flashes the thumbs-up sign to fans after the Panthers' victory the-seson invitation from the Panthers "kind of a godsend, because I was left out in the cold. I was left there because of (team president) Carl Peterson and the Philadelphia Stars, which is another reason I've got a i.iiiiii)yiM'iiiMi Mi'- cause to win this week." Philly owned the territorial rights to Dornbrook and kept him dangling until the end Stanley wanted rematch of training camp, then let him go. "I owe them one," he says. Dornbrook, McGriff and Pinney came along to give guidance to the Michigan offensive line.

McGriff, holding his fingers a few inches apart, says, "You could sense this team was about that far from being a good team. We came in and sewed the loose ends up." The Pitt Panthers taught the younger players a few NFL moves. They were, used to dealing with the Mark Gastineaus and Harvey Martins of the world who would do anything except use a Jeep to get through you and to the quarterback. "Mostly, though," Dornbrook By TOMMY GEORGE Free Press Sports Writer Jim Stanley's prayer was answered: His Panthers will get another shot at the Philadelphia Stars this time for the USFL championship. That's what was on the coach's mind Monday as his team began preparing for the final game.

Michigan, the Central Division champion, and Philadelphia, Atlantic Division champ, will meet at 8 p.m. at Denver's Mile High Stadium Sunday. The game will be covered by ABC-TV (WXYZ, Channel 7 in Detroit) and by radio (WXYZ, AM-1270). Philadelphia (16-3) advanced to the championship with a 44-38 playoff win over the Chicago Blitz Saturday. The Panthers Stars' GM plans for '84 title game PHILADELPHIA (AP) While the Philadelphia Stars prepare for the first USFL championship game Sunday in Denver, their general manager said Monday he was already planning for the 1984 title match.

Stars GM Carl Peterson told a news conference that he hoped to bring the title game to Philadelphia next year. "I've already talked to Mayor (William) Green about it and discussed it with the Chamber of Commerce," Peterson said. "But this will have to be a league decision." Peterson said he tried to get this year's game scheduled in Philadelphia, but Veteran's Stadium was reserved for the Philadelphia Phillies. i So the Stars will travel to Denier to meet the Panthers at Mile High Stadium, a contest that Stars coach Jim Mora called a fitting See STARS, Page 2D says, "our job has been to keep the guys loose. When I was in Pittsburgh, the guys kept me loose from my nose 1 3-6) drubbed the Oakland Invaders, 37-21 Sunday.

The Stars topped Michigan during the regular season, 29-20, June 5 at Philadelphia's Veterans Stadium. Stanley said then, "The most disheartening thing losing was we were the better team." His opinion has not changed. "I said it then, and I still believe it now," Stanley said. "It was my sincere prayer when we lost up there that we'd get the chance to play them again. Now I hope we just don't mess it up." THE STARS relied most of the season on the bruising running of tailback Kelvin Bryant, the league's Most Valuable Player.

But Philadelphia surprised Michigan in their first meeting, ambushing the Panthers with crisp, short passes from quarterback Chuck Fusina to receivers Scott Fitzkee and Willie Collier. Bryant still managed 74 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. See STANLEY, Page 2D to my toes. They'd jolt me all over the field." Godfrey, the young lineman from Michigan, says, 'In the papers, I've read a lot about how the three ex- Steelers have made our line strong. Well, it's true.

They've taught us a lot." They've even given them a name The O-Men. Now all they to do is give the championship game a name. What a release! After the Michigan Panthers beat the Oakland Invaders Sunday, the Silverdome crowd made up for years of frustration. See Bob Talbert's column on Pge UC. "I thought it already had one," McGriff says.

"I Jim Stanley's prayer has been answered: His Panthers will face Philadelphia for the USFL championship in Denver. thought it was the USFL Cup. Ain't it?" Better ask Thorn..

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