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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 24, 1995)
Shaq, Hakeem set to battle ATLANTIC CITY, NJ. (AP) — Forget the NBA Finals. This time it’s a one-on-one, pay-for-view hype event. Oh, yes, and this time, there’s a cool million on the line. Shaquille O’Neal of die Orlando Magic and Hakeem Olajuwon of the Houston Rockets, who went face to face in the NBA Finals sweep by Houston, will play each other Sept. 30 at Trump Taj Mahal Casino Re sort, it was announced Wednesday. The purse: $1 million. The event at the resort will be part heavyweight prize fight, part skins game, part pickup game dubbed “War on the Floor.” The NBA, which has no collective bargaining agreement with players and is in the midst of a lockout, is taking a hands-off approach, Deputy Commissioner Russ Granik said. “In view of the lockout, the NBA will not be involved in this event nor take steps to prevent it,” Granik said. The format will be 10 rounds, or games, of 2 minutes apiece under “The building will shake, and no backboard is safe when these two basketball giants collide one-on one. ” MCADORY LIPSCOMB general manager of Showtime Eveht Television “winner’s out” rules. That is, the player who scores gets the ball again at the top of the key. The winner of each round will get $ 100,000. In the event of a tied round, the money will roll over to the next round. Whoever takes the most rounds wins. A tie-breaker will decide the winner if there is a tie. At 7-foot, 255 pounds, the 11 -year veteran Olajuwon would appear to be the underdog to the 7-1, 303-pound O’Neal, a three-year NBA veteran. But the two were fairly evenly matched in the Finals. In four games, Olajuwon averaged 22.8 points and had 46 rebounds and eight blocks. O’Neal averaged 28.0 points with 50reboundsand lOblocks. “The building will shake, and no backboard is safe when these two basketball giants collide one-on-one,” said McAdory Lipscomb, general manager of Showtime Event Televi sion, the pay-per-view promoter. “It’s a defining moment for Shaq, Hakeem and Taco Bell, and one that will go down in the record books as one of the most exciting events in the annals of sports history,” Jerry Gramaglia, senior vice president of Taco Bell Corp., said. It’s not the first, once-in-a-life time basketball showdown in Atlan tic City. In 1992, Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Julius Erving played the same kind of exhibition. Jabbar won 41-23. Peterson Continued from Page 1 guy that whoever gets him will get one heck of an employee,” Allen said. “It’s a shame that some negative information got out when it proved to be totally false. It is hard to shake that, even if it was just rumors. “He’s been totally exonerated. There was no mishandling of funds. It doesn’t seem right that the false information could cost him several top-notch jobs.” Regent Nancy O’Brien of Water loo said she knew Peterson would not return to the athletic department. “I knew Chris Peterson was look ing for a different job,” O’Brien said. “I’m pleased to learn that the job will be here at the foundation. I was a reference for him, and I think very highly of him.” Peterson was responsible for de veloping the Athletic Marketing De partment and instituting a student athlete ambassador program. “If I was guilty of anything, the foundation sure as hell ivouldn’t have hired me. It’s total exoneration, which I think I deserve. ” CHRIS PETERSON former associate athletic director He also started the selling of cor porate sponsorship for the instant re play board. Since it started, the mar keting department totaled $390,000 in cash corporate sponsorship and traded cash value for the 1994-95 fiscal year. He also started the pickle card operation for the Husker Beef Club, which raised $435,000 in 1994-95 and brought in a one-time donation of $727,000. Paul Carlson, interim vice chan cellor for business and finance, said the reports of the misuse of funds were wrong. “The university has not received any complaints of misappropriation of funds for personal gain by Chris Peterson or any other employees of External Operations,” Carlson said in a statement. _ Peterson’s job status was discussed in an executive session of the Febru ary regents meeting by Byrne and then UNL Chancellor Graham Spanier. After the meeting, sources told the Daily Nebraskan that Peterson would resign within six months. Since Feb ruary, labor negotiations have gone on between Peterson, his attorney and the university. injury dampens I-back s nse on the Husker depth chart isy uereK samson Senior Reporter When the football depth chart was updated Tuesday, I-back James Sims had moved to No. 3 behind Lawrence Phillips and Damon Benning. But on Wednesday — Nebraska’s final scrimmage before its Aug. 31 opener at Okla homa State — Sims stood on the sideline, wearing a No. 34 Charles Barkley jersey in stead of his No. 31 Nebraska uniform. Sims strained his right hamstring in prac tice last week, and has practiced sporadically since. But Wednesday was the first day he did not suit up. “It’s very frustrating sitting on the sidelines without any pads on,” Sims said. “But the coaches know I’m not just taking advantage of an injury. They know I’ve tried to be out there, and that I could make it worse by being out there. It’s been the coaches and trainers telling me to sit out.” Going into spring football, Sims was fifth on the depth chart with talented Husker fresh man Ahman Green still in high school. Sims was somewhat of a mystery, with the spring roster listing the wrong high school and age. But the 24-year-old sophomore — who graduated from West Memphis, Ark., after attending Omaha Central until his senior year — quickly turned heads. At 6-foot-1, Sims weighed 204 pounds in spring ball and ran a 4.40 in the 40-yard dash, a 1.48 in the 10-yard dash, posted a 38-inch vertical jump and totaled 2,914 points in the performance index. The 2,914 points was a record for Nebraska I-backs and third best all time for any position. Sims was able to get plenty of work because nagging injuries to Benning and Phillips left Sims one of the top backs. He eventually moved up to fourth-team by the start of fall practice because Clinton Childs moved to fullback. “No one was asleep as far as not noticing me,” Sims said. “Damon and Lawrence were just out a lot this spring, and that helped me because I was getting so many reps. I was able to understand my position and the offense so much better. “My problem before was that I wasn’t able “Damon and Lawrence were just out a lot this spring, and that helped me because L was getting so many reps. ” JAMES SIMS Nebraska l-back to react to the defense quick enough. The ball would be snapped, and I couldn’t read what the defense was doing quick enough. With all that repetition, I now line up and recognize right away what is going to happen and what I’m supposed to do.” Over the summer, Sims added 15 pounds, but it didn’t slow him down any. In the fall testing, he ran a 1.47 in the 10-yard dash, registered a 39-inch vertical jump and scored 2,336 points in the performance index. “I’ve worked hard over the summer,” Sims said. “I just figured to keep doing what I’ve been doing, and it will pay off. I just try to work as hard as I can to improve and let everything take care of itself. Tne coaches will put the players where they deserve to be, and I just need to work as hard as I can so they’ll look at me.” Sims didn’t want to guess where his hike up the I-back depth chart will end. “I’ll just keep doing the same things I have been doing,” Sims said. “It’s up to the coaches who plays. It’s up to the players to show the coaches that you can play. My attitude all along has been to do the best I can, and I won’t have any regrets. “I just have to stay prepared. I just want to play and help the team wherever I can — the backfield or special teams. If my number gets called, I’ll be ready.” But for his number to be called, he first must be wearing it. “Oh, I know I need to be out there,” Sims said. “I want to be so bad it’s not funny. When you’re competing so hard and everything is so tight, it is hard to sit out. I know it’s the best decision. I’d rather have to sit out one scrim mage than an entire season. But I was really looking forward to this one.” ALL RESIDENCE HALL PICNIC Friday, 8/25/95 4:30pm - 6:30pm at the Greenspace West of Selleck Under the big tent you’ll find: Godfather’s Beef and Cheese Pizzas Hoagies Chicken Fillet on Bun Polish Sausage/Bun Also: Baked Beans, Potato Chips, Watermelon, Relish Tray, Fresh Fruit Salad, Popcorn, Caramel Apples, Frozen Treats, Snowflakes, Rice Krispies, Funnel Cakes., Show your ID to the checker in front of Selleck. The checker will stamp your hand. Only those with stamped hands may enter the Greenspace. ($6.20 if you don’t have a Board Plan.) SALE DATES: —, - “ MONDAY aug.21 ^DELUXE -™Syh w&f-k WHIM aug. 28 2348' 435-77221 NEBRASKA UNIONS Ifour Campus Activities Centers City Union • East Union • Culture Center wa.coM6 BACK STUD6nts .. . City Union Monday-Fnday 7:00 a.m.-ll:00 p.m. Saturday 9:00 a.m.-ll:00 p.m. Sunday 12:00 pjn.-l 1:00 p.m. w ^ East Union Monday-Fnday 6:45 a.m.-ll:00 p.m. Saturday . 7:30 a.m.-l 1:00 p.m. Sunday 8:00 a.m.-ll:00 p.m. x, , . Culture Center Monday-Thursday 12:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. Friday 12:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. Weekends by reservation only