NCAA, Gathers, Rosenblatt
provide news worth noting
In recent weeks there have been
many newsworthy items that need to
be noted.
So here are some of my thoughts
on what is going on in the world of
sports:
• If the NCAA were smart, which
it is not, it would never move the
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§2 7
McGraw
Milhaven
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College World Scries from Omaha.
Rosenblatt Stadium has all that base
ball needs, including an old-fashioned
stadium, a history and fan support.
P.J. Morgan, don’t listen to CBS,
and don’t even think about pulling a
roof on the stadium.
• How many people do you think
have filled out an NCAA basketball
tournament bracket?
How many of you who did think
the one you filled out is right? Well,
good luck because the possible vari
ations arc, 1.2689 X 10 to the 87th
power.
• When asked to pick the winner
of the tournament, Nebraska baseball
coach John Sanders shied away from
Big Eight teams Kansas and Okla
homa and chose UNLV.
Sanders said although he liked the
Jayhawks and the Sooners, a rumor
and a little luck would lead UNLV to
the title. The rumor which Sanders is
referring to was the one started by
ESPN commentator Dick Vitale, who
predicted that Running Rebel coach
Jerry Tarkanian would resign at the
end of the season.
“1 think this is the year of the
leprechaun,” Sanders said. “Las Vegas
has shamrocks in its pockets.”
• It was reported that Hank Gath
ers, the former Loyola Marymount
basketball star who died last week,
took out a S1 million dollar insurance
policy with Lloyd’s of London.
Doctors told Gathers about his weak
heart and told him he should not
play. Lloyd’s of London would have
paid Gathers in ease of heart trouble,
but death was not covered by the
policy.
It is a shame that a great person
and star had to die to show the sports
world that college players really do
play for the love of the game.
• Things arc getting so bad in New
York that children in Brooklyn were
found playing soccer with a human
head in a bag.
The children thought they were
playing with a real soccer ball. The
rest of the body was found in a gar
bage can, and still is unidentified.
• With all the postseason awards
being given, why didn’t Creighton
1 coach Tony Barone get an award for
the coach who looks most like a
bowling ball?
• Will someone please explain
why Bob Costas, a sports anchorman
for NBC, has his own talk show with
guests like Mario Cuomo.
Costas, there is only one Roy
Firestone.
• The NFL owners did PaulTagli
abue a favor by making him commis
sioner, so Tagliabuc did the owners a
favor by adding one more playoff
game for the owners.
That way the owners make even
more money.
• For all non-basketball fans I
have bad news.
There will be 63 college basket
ball games in the next three weeks,
and they all will be televised. The
good news is no soap operas will be
pre-empted.
• Monday’s anti-racist rally should
put to sleep any rumors that football
players arc dumb jocks.
The football team was out in force
along w ith the rest of the students to
demonstrate against the racist rally
that never happened. Robert Hicks, a
student-athlete, spoke in order for ihe
other student-athletes to be heard.
• One last note to baseball fans: II
you can't handle the strike, WON
(cable channel 2) is re-airing Cubs
games from last year. You know the
strike is getting had when you find
yourself rooting against the Cubs.
Milhaten tea senior history major and Daily
Nebraskan sports reporter and columnist.
TACO
3 Softshells 'BELL.
Frkr <s1 245 N. 13th St.
Location Only
Nebraska linebacker Pat Tyrance makes a diving grasp at UCLA’s Thomas Boyers.
Osborne says offense faces vacancies,
returners provide strength for defense !
By Jeff Apel
Senior Editor
An area that came under intense
scrutiny last season is being touted as
a strength for the Nebraska football
team entering spring practice.
Nebraska coach Tom Osborne said
ihe secondary promises to be one of
ihc Comhuskers’ top strengths this
year. He said his optimism isbasedon
the return of starting comcrbacks Bruce
Pickens and Tahaun Lewis and safe
ties Reggie Cooper and Tyrone Byrd.
That contingent of defenders was
blasted after it surrendered a Fiesta
Bowl record 422 passing yards to
Florida State quarterback Peter Tom
Willis. Willis’ performance led the
Seminolcs to a 41-17 victory that
ended Nebraska’s 1989 campaign at
10-2.
Osborne said the secondary' will
team with the outside linebacking corps
of Mike Croel, Travis Hill and David
White and inside linebackers Pat
Tyrancc and Mike Pctko to form the
core of Nebraska’s returning experi
ence on defense.
He said the Huskcrsdefensive line
is a question mark entering spring
practice because three starters used
up their eligibility last year.
Nebraska will open spring prac
tice April 2 and will conclude April
28.
“We have some major replace
ments to make in the defensive line,”
Osborne said. “The major task in the
spring on defense will be to see how
we shape up there.
“The rest of the defense has a lot
of experience.’’
Osborne said that experience is
not carried over to the Nebraska of
fcnse, which must replace eight full
time starters. He said the large num
ber of vacancies means the Huskers
will have a major rcbuildingjobtodo
on offense.
Osborne said one of Nebraska’s
biggest areas of concern is at quarter
back, where Gerry Gdowski has used
up his eligibility. He said Gdowski’s
absence means Mike Grant will battle
Mickey Joseph for the starling quar
terback job.
“Replacing Gerry Gdowski at
quarterback will be a major point of
interest,’’ Osborne said.
The Huskers also must replace three
starters on the offensive line, and
must find someone to fill the void left
by the departure of I-back Ken Clark
and fullbacks Bryan Carpenter and
Sam Schmidt. Osborne said the run
ning back position is a concern even
though Nebraska possesses several
capable replacements in Leodis Flow
ers, Terry Rodgers, Scott Baldwin
and incoming freshman Calvin Jones.
Osborne said Nebraska’s inexpe
rience will make spring practice
important. He said the Huskers will
try to give their players some valu
able experience throughout the spring.
“Asalways, we’ll try to getagood
look at all of our players, evaluate
them and try to get our best people
ready for the fall,” Osborne said.
“And, as usual, we’ll look at making
some adjustments in our offensive
and defensive schemes.”
Colorado coach Bill McCartney
said the Buffaloes also plan on insti
tuting some changes this spring. He
said die biggest change Colorado wants
to make is in its passing game.
McCartney said Colorado made
great strides in its passing game last
season cn route to capturing the Big
Eight championship, but still needs to
improve. Colorado threw for an aver
age of 101 yards per game last season
while compiling an 11-1 mark and
dropping a 21-6 decision to Notre
Dame in the Orange Bowl.
‘ ‘We’ve made great strides (in our
passing), but we need to be better,
especially if we want to win in postsea
son,” McCartney said. “I’m con
vinced you have to pass not only
when you want to, but when you have
to.”
McCartney said the strength of hi
team lies in 13 returning starters who
will provide a solid core to build
around on offense and defense. He
said Colorado’s biggest task this spring
is to replace departed defensive line
man Arthur Walker and Oklund
Salavca.
“We have a great nucleus of kids
reluming, but we have to replace two
seniors up front,” McCartney said.
“Thai’s a big key to our defense.”
McCartney said Colorado’s main
experiments this spring will involve
moving Greg Blckert from outside to
inside linebacker, David Brown from
outside linebacker to tight end and
Julian Howard from defensive back
to wide receiver.
Oklahoma coach Gary Gibbs said
his team won’t conduct any big ex
periments during the spring. Instead,
he said the Sooners w ill work hard in
all areas in hope of improving the 7
4 mark they finished with last year.
“We’ve got to get better in every
area,” Gibbs said. “It’s critical that
our junior college recruits show im
provement and progress in the spring.
That progress will determine how good
we arc in the fall.”
Gibbs said his team’s strengths lie
in the offensive line and at the run
ning back position. Oklahoma returns
three starters in the offensive line,
while the Sooners’ alrcady-potcnt
ground attack will receive a huge
bonus if Mike Gaddis returns.
Gaddis suffered a season-ending
knee injury midway through last year,
and will not participate in spring
practice. If Gaddis isn’t able to play,
he will be replaced by either Rod
Fisher, Dewell Brewer or Ike Lewis.
Gibbs said Oklahoma’s backs will
have to split time with the Sooners’
passing attack.
“We will spend much more lime
throwing the football,” he said. “This
means ail phases of the game -- play
action, three-step drop and a better
screen package.
‘ Our quarterbacks will throw more.
The receivers will work on routes.
And the lineman will work on pass
protections.”
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Continued from Page 9
a strong challenge.
“They’ll compete very hard,”
Sanders said. “I expect them both to
play very hard.”
Notes:
• Nebraska is being led offen
sively this season by four players who
all are topping the .340 mark.
Shortstop Bill Vosik leads the
Huskers with a .409 average, while
senior outfielder Kevin French has
posted a .380 mark.
Junior outfielder Brian McArri is
third among Nebraska regulars with a
.311 average, while junior outfielder
Kevin Jordan has a .343 average.
• In the pitching department, left
hander Dave Malranga is the leader
with a 3-0 record and a 1.74 earned
run average.
Zajcski also has a 3-0 mark, while
□oug leguncier is tied with Armondo
Garza lor the team lead in saves with
one each.