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
