Pago 8
Friday, March 22, 1SG5
Dally Ncbrcskan
' . 8
i 1 M' i 1. I J E I -
Gymn
as'cs
By RicH&rd Cccper
Nebraska's men's gymnastics team will try to regain the confer
ence title from Oklahoma at the Dig Eight Quxtpiasships tcniht
and Saturday at the Bob Dovurey Sports Center.
Last year the Sooners won the championship la the last event
on the high bar. EJl this year the Huskers have defeated their
rivals in both meetings.
In January, at Ames, Iowa, the Huskers came from behind to win
with a 276.75. Last month in Norman, Okla., they came from
behind to win with a 273.20.
Nebraska Coach Francis Alien said Ms team is the one to beat
this weekend.
"We have been locking realty good in practice lately," Allen
said. "It locks like our team is peaking at the right time."
Nebraska recently scored a 281.60 while finishing second to
defending champion UCLA at the Bruins' own invitational. They
also scored a 282.15 in dual meet victory against Southern Illinois.
Alien said the team lcck3 strong. Last week, Mike Epperson and
Mike Bowers had been having back problems, but both are doing
W 7" -27- T
Wrestiemanta auracts variety oi amracier
Aitilycb by
Word W. Trilctt III
and Jlilte HciUcy
New York's Madison Square Garden
and the adjacent Felt Forum are sold
out March 31. Eat the crowd of 28,003
expected to pack the nostaliic arenas
won't be there to see a Earners hockey
game or a Knicks basketball game.
They'll be there to watch "Wrestlema
nia," the latest promotion of World
Wrestling Federation president Vlnce
McMahon Jr.
But one doesn't have to pay the
required ringside seat price at $100 to
see the matches live. The matches will
be beamed to more than 200 locations
across the nation, including the Omaha
Civic Auditorium. As of Thursday, the
auditorium ticket ofklce had sold 600
tickets for the matches, which will be
shown in the 2,600-seat Music Hall.
Tickets are $9.25 each.
The card's main event is a tag-team
match pitting the team of "Rowdy"
Roddy Piper and Paul "Mr. 1-derful"
Orndorff against WWF Heavyweight
Champion Hulk Kogan and Mr. T.
Yes, the- same Mr. T who slugged it
out with Sly Stallone in Rocky III and
blows up jeeps on the weekly A-Team
series has decided to mix it up with the
meanest grapplers in the squared circle.
Hogan appeared in Rocky III as the
wrestler "Thunderlips" and recently
shewed up at the Grsmmy awards as
singer Cyndi Lauper's bodyguard.
But how did two celebrities like Mr.
T and Cyndi Lauper ever get involved in
pro wrestling?
To understand this mess, you have to
go back to the very start. Now the WWF
doesn't figure its audiences out to be
very smart. With that logic behind
them, they gave a talk show to this
Piper fellow, called it Piper 's Pit, and
stuck it in the middle of its weekly
national cable casts.
Now any smart viewer could figure
out that Piper's schtick was to invite
"good guy" wrestlers on the show start
a nice conversation, then verbally or
physically assault him or her. This is
usual wrestling in the same vein as the
referee always missing the good guy's,
pin and a wrestler coming oil the ropes
full tilt when a guy is waiting to
"cream" him. A sensible being, espe
cially one in pain, would fall down
when he hit the ropes. Why would any
wrestler go on the jshow knowing how
this Piper guy would treat him?
But, they came in droves, and pro
vided the WWF with some new feuds
such as Piper versus Jimmy Snuka,
whom he slapped and force-fed bana
. nas to, and Piper versus Blackjack Mul
ligan, a good guy who first showed up
on Piper's Pit,tlm started his own
show.
Another feud they drummed up was
the one that's currently going cn. This
started when Captain LouAlbano, then
the ultimate bad guy with a seregjly
besrd and iir.g3 in Ih face, yep, in his
face, esse cn the show gr.d tack credit
far Cyndi Lsspers access.
s sail Tksa, Bava W
aim i
ms VI mm
Has evilvrillsas BodSy Fiper
UoSSSk Si llr. T rzt ttdt
'iied-Sms!t Ul&iisim, tie
whom v;e discovered later was Cpdi's
boySiend, came on and claimed to be
Cyndi's manager, which set the Cap
tain cfT. He insisted he could get
Lauper on Piper's Pit, and she would
verbally testify to his actual status as
her lifelong mentor.
OK, so next week Lauper comes on
in all her ice cream sparkle make up
and tells Piper that Wolff is indeed her
manager. The Captain goes bezerk,
calls Cyndi names, and gets clobbered
by the singer's purse. Fcr good measure
she hits Piper, too. Defenseless before
tiils Impound female, the two wrestlers,
with a combined weight of 580 pounds,
retreat in fear and anger.
Next week, Lauper comes on and,
talks about what a big fat bag of wind
the Captain is, and challenges him to a
manager's Sght'She'd manage a female
wrestler while he managed the women's
queen, the Fabulous Moolah. Lauper
picks this woman named Wendi Bich
ter, who only two weeks before had her
Texas butt kicked royally on the show'
by a skinny Canadian woman playing
an Indian named Princess something
or the other. Throughout the match,
Eichter went through all these dumb
hook-em-horns signals and cowboy
whoops, called the Princess a cheap
squaw and spit at the referee. In other
words, Eichter was a bad seed and a
bad wrestler at that. Cut, we were sup-
ership wduIJ turn this critter frera
good to bad and let her win over Albi
no's chsrsp.
Weil, cf ceirss, it fcepp snsd.
' HTV'wss there to catea it all, iscls-i-!r,2
the stepid mcmar;t vrhsn Larpar,
i a cr
full workouts and will compete In the tll-c?cur.d ccmpetitloa this
i V t WftWiJt
Allen said the tern h ready far this meet. They are not taking
Oklahoma and Iowa State Lgt!ya
"We hava learn? d to past experience that both Oklahoma
and Iowa State g -t very up for compete tgalnst us," Allen said.
"Eat the gup fed corT.dar.t they can score the nicest score
they hava scored ill season.
'This meet will be the first step towards the national
Allen said the all-around competition should fo a real battle
between Nebraska's Wcs Suter, Oklahoma's Mark Oaies and Mike
Ric and Iowa State's Ekk Atkinson.
Sutcr Us averaged 57.4 In the' last three meets, including a
career high 57.65 c:.r.at f-IU.
Oklahoma' Coach Greg Euviek doesn't sea a favorite In the
meet.
"I think our team Is Just as good as Nebraska," Buwick said.
"We have almost beaten them twice this season and I think we can
still beat them."
(lafl) szi Pes! MI.!r. hdzz2n Czzl&Sv, ill Ls ersciicJ Ullclk
inr Msxsh SI: Fr 13. mzil fr crn xr4rh t!:a rrh itt
fSast tech sstissssl veatiars f
tive Moolah in the face with her curse.
Eichter wen in just -enough time for
MTV to show the world premiere of
Lanpera' "She Bop," starring Eichter,
before the 0:30 p.m. commercial spot
OK, next thing is that Albanp apol
ogizes to Lauper and they join up to
fight multiple sclerosis. Only Piper,
still bad to the bone, shows up when
the MS people try to honor Lauper and
Albano for their "incredible contribu
tions" to the science. Piper gets in the
ring and smashes a gold record of "She
Bop" over Albano's head. He then goes
out of his way to put dsvn rock 'n' roll,
' and Lauper and MTV tell their viewers
they were supposed to hate this guy
because, for some reason, if Piper got
away with putting down rock, rock
would end forever.
. So, enter Hogan, the golden-haired
guardian who would defend the rock
and wrestling connection, an idea too
stupid to go into here. He and Piper
signed a contract cn MTV, cr scribbled
their names cn paper, ('Signing' implies '
the literacy of the behemoths, which
has to be held in some doubt.) to meet
in a specially televised match hosted
by Alan Hunter of MTV to settle the
rock and wrestling thing forever the
brawl to end it all.
By the time the match started, Piper
and his bodyguard Cowboy Bob Ortcn
were such riilians they could have won
w wvuvi it (tuv ital
Fi;:r cd Krgan t::::e the UA
z:i rlci, sr. 1 the tr. : 1 v-. ci cn. II:;-.n
I'tl'r', cr.se, t:
Sulli s'.cirg i! " ts clthej Tsn
he fc"ijf :l:nn:i (:d tl e crvi
.-t v'V, to r- te i:.':).
II: Z'Jl i4 : arc .:tl.2 i: cr.i
i I . i y 1
Buwick said Oklahoma's first man in each event is capable of
scoring a 0.2 cr better. Oklahoma scored a 283.15 on March 9.
Nebraska's highest score cf the season is 2S2.15.
Euwiek agreed with Allen that Oates and Rice nil! challenge
each other for the til around title.
Euwick said his team always gets up fsr Nebraska because they
love to beat them. "Whenever we can beat Nebraska we erjoy It a
lot," Euwick said. "It Is all going to come do;vn to who Is hitting
their routines. It will real! be a very close inset."
Iowa State is the long shot to win, but Alien said if bah
Oklahoma and the Ccmhaskers have prcbltras, then the Cyclones
could surprise everybody and win.
Eick Atkinson has a career average of 9.2 in every event As a
freshman he was an All-American in the fiocr exercise, lie is the
Cyclones' enly all-around sr. Also returning to the E;g Eight cham
pionships will be 'defending rings champion Mark E!a, a junior
who placed seventh at ths national meet last year.
Tonight's all-around compulsory competition will begin at 7
p.m. Saturday's individual events and team competition mil also
begin at 7 p.m. Reserved seats are 14 a;,d general admission is 12.
leaped cn him with a flying elbow
smash accompanied by a thundering
knee to the mat that made it sound like
poor Roddy's face was caving in.
This progressed cn and cn, past the
customary licks for the bad guy and the
good guy's inspiring, "I-can-take-any-thing
pu-can-dish-it-out-aetl). (That's
the one where the hero gets hit in the
face cr clubbed but still gets up and
comes after the foe "as the crowd goes
crazy"). Then, this Ortcn guy grabs
Hulk, Hulk grabs back and smashes
Orion's arm into the infamous turn
buckle. Seeing how Orion's arm was in
a sling alter an alleged break, this must
have hurt somethln' fierce since Ortcn
whimpered awsy and Orndorff, a former
Kansas City Chief and a long time Piper
ally, bounded in to take Orion's place.
Meanwhile, Piper had. gotten the
advantage alter throwing the Hulk into
the referee and knocking both out As a
prone Hulk lay on the canvas, twitching
in agony, Orion climbed on the turn
buckle and jumped knees first on
Hogan's chest. (Oh no, oh no, the
crowd screamed!) Then Lauper got up
on the ring apron (What's she dofc
cut tliarc? Eha'U gat IrtJ). She
insisted the baddies get away from the
Hulk. She shock that purse at them.
This time they didn't ran. Orndorff and
Fiperapprcaehed her,; (the sl!ns
naXSzs!) and knocked her poor stud
usd hat elf. This indignity to this sweet
wemin s grace was too much for a cer
tain television star sitting at rir-:id&
u- T cless, climbed up a the
?5? ted to separata Om
!vtpi ,tei3 hetd if he didn't
tiJt the f-k up. (WrestUng's nationsi
ca,sh phrase). They did at first, bat
f 9
iOlOiiBiliOB
when Mr. T bent to pick up the hat,
Orndorff hit him! (M.X) Then he
pulled him into the ring and he and
Piper took turra kicking him. Ey now
though, the Hulk was up. Ite swzck up
cn Piper and ruthlessly nailed hia in
the shoulder. Fiper screamed like his
heart was being removed arid crawled
away. Omdort! attacked Hogan. But
r was getting up. WO i.J Sl,
T"I)
. He discarded lib jacket and faced
the viEians. Now the cops were in the
ring. It was bedlam! " '
. Iy the time things g:t straightened
cut Mr. T ar.d the Hdk were in the
dressing roosts, telling a stunned-look-
ing hunter how much hatred they had
for Piper and how much comradery
they had for one another. Andy Warhol,
Dan Aykrcyd, Joe Piscopo and other
celebs herded in to describe their feel
ings at this "wondsrous sporting event."
Mr. T and Hulk decided they shculq go
get Oradorff and Piper. And that, ray
friends is where we sre todsjr.
The Mr. T and Cyndi Lauper fiasco is
just one of the many promotions con
jured up by McMshon Jr., who inherited
the WWF empire from his father, Vince
- USA cable network televises several
WWF tbm !sds&3 ta!k shows Pip
er'sPiitM TtczdajNXt Titans,
v,hich MaLIahon Jr. hcti alertg with
forms, wrestlcr-maifgor Lc.d Aled
Hayes. Li ci Vtrlcra and
another rdr. ho t & Tu::d. j highlight
film, and "I G;r,2 Ckerlund hosts
All-Ar.icriez?i Wt cztllj cn Sua-
Tiizis, Lhef uf r'sJ, has proven
to be a v;b;l ri yilccl battle
grord for the gr. pr'.crs. The show i3
has l.sn fs-ta ,d i i S; ::ts Hlustrat-
ed's "Zzzztn
liiarl: 1 1". :n hcta i a vedding.
Paul "11,2 r:t'.harM t.i h wedding
vows c i tv 2 1 irc: 7 to I ave "The
Do.' (.:, '. t',e c ;. A3 Ventura
v23V .ilr.g ;? cr, the 't;c : a, a melee
broke oU 1 1 v . l "i t. r . :d the
entire stu.'o. Spsrts Hi sd ran a
photo tv,o zi hter sh ;r Ventura
standing on top cf a l rl -adding
ca!:e cVl-Mrg a I :tt!? cf c" ' ' prgne.
Eat tl 0 cc. .:rg3 cf V.WT v.rsstling
doesn't '.: ) ; c:H.'? t:!:.::::n and
Sports I";. i h"ICs4C;:rts;vorld"
aired c?. I :ar L f . c 1 ths sport
last v;::rnd -J I0 investigative
reporter J-.hn C:: ".:1 had attsrjen the
W.'.T cn ZVZ'J L tiscr.th.
r3 r;7e r-.d :tt:r.ti:n this "sport"
his j:c,:.. J rr; I2 c.::":d for.
Could ill jtl atthsmlllicracff-ispro
wrestiI-3 dra; s every j ?sr ari attracted
to its th: i cr llK 2 ar.tiss Hi e v e are; or
' do th:y rtrlly thirk it's r.s:?
Any..: "Wr.stl::- V is an
iij. if
T on
Mir:"iCl,t" y.Mi
By thsrr;' cou!i f";:;r
r?.I5 and
.So
care us