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Conference 7.286::sports_91

Title:CAM::SPORTS -- Digital's Daily Sports Tabloid
Notice:This file has been archived. New notes to CAM3::SPORTS.
Moderator:CAM3::WAY
Created:Fri Dec 21 1990
Last Modified:Mon Nov 01 1993
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:290
Total number of notes:84103

289.0. "1992: Year In Review" by MSBCS::BRYDIE (The Mothership Connection) Thu Dec 17 1992 16:14

    
     1992 is almost over and while it is possible that something
    incredible could happen in the next two weeks, I thought it
    might be a good time to recap. So, use this note to enter what-
    ever you consider to be the highlights and lowlights of `92. 
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
289.1CUPMK::DEVLINThe bill is due for the last 12 years...Thu Dec 17 1992 16:2814
Hilights (to get started):

* The NLCS

* The World Series


Lowlites (to get started)"

* Mike Tyson trial

* The Super Bowl ;-)

jd
289.2MSBCS::BRYDIEThe Mothership ConnectionThu Dec 17 1992 16:2817
     The highlight of the year as far as I'm concerned was the 
    Duke-Kentucky triple overtime game in the NCAA tournament.
    Break out all the cliches for this one: an emotional roller
    coaster, no one deserved to lose, etc. Words just don't do
    this game justice. Suffice it to say that this game was ex-
    hibit A of the case for why the tourney is the best event in
    all of sport.

    
     The lowlight of the year is without a doubt Marge Schott and
    the glacier-like speed with which the ML owners are handling
    the whole situation. Marge has no more place owning a baseball 
    team than she does modeling in a Victoria's Secret catalog. She's 
    crude, she's ignorant, she's dangerous and sadly enough she's prob-
    ably not alone in her feelings.     
    
289.3LJOHUB::CRITZThu Dec 17 1992 18:1836
    	Highlights:
    
    		Ed Kross (Framingham, MA) winning Rookie of the
    		Year for the Race Across AMerica
    
    		Ray Schultz (Massachusetts; 1980 US Olympic cyclist)
    		coming in 5th at the Masters' Nationals
    
    		Andy Hampsten winning the L'Alpe d'Huez mountain
    		stage in the Tour de France
    
    		Greg LeMond winning the Tour DuPont
    
    		Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle (age 37), wins Paris-Roubaix
    		bike race
    
    		Miguel Indurain winning his second Tour de France
    		in a row
    
    		Gianni Bugno winning his second World Championship
    		in a row
    
    		Nigel Mansell winning the F1 World Driving
    		Championship
    
    	Lowlights:
    
    		Amy Regan (Hollis, NH) abandoning the Race Across
    		AMerica
    
    		Greg LeMond abandoning the Tour de France
    
    		Atle Kvallsvol coming in second (for the third time
    		in a row) in the Tour DuPont
    
    		Scott
289.4MSBCS::BRYDIEThe Mothership ConnectionThu Dec 17 1992 18:466
    >>	Lowlights:
        
    >>		Atle Kvallsvol coming in second (for the third time
    >>		in a row) in the Tour DuPont
    
        I'm still not over this.
289.5AXIS::ROBICHAUDScott...NOT! JeffCarlsonIsOurHeroThu Dec 17 1992 19:1527
	Highlights:

	Boggs signing with the Yankees.

	Chamberlain admitting the Celtics would not have won as many titles
	had he been their center.

	Seeing North Carolina choke.  Again.

	Seeing FatBob being outcoached by his Duke counterpart.

	Listening to Lou Holtz's weekly "This is the best <insert Notre 
	Dame opponent> team we've ever faced" tirade.

	Lowlights:

	The NHL cracking down on fighting.

	The Dream Team.

	The Red Sox.

	The Pathetriots.

	Sullivan's Tap no longer selling Schaefer Beer.

    				/Don
289.6CAMONE::WAYCheez-Whiz, Choice of ChampionsThu Dec 17 1992 19:196
>
>	Sullivan's Tap no longer selling Schaefer Beer.
>

Say it ain't so!

289.7IMHOCTHQ::MCCULLOUGHMelanie ate baby food!!!Thu Dec 17 1992 19:2720
couple off the top:

Highlights:

  o Arthur Ashe winning SI Sportsman of the Year
  o Despite all the crap, the Olympic T&F Competition.  A chance for people to
    actually pay attention to a great sport.
  o Personal: Seeing Lynn Jennings win her third straight World Cross Country
    championship on a snowy, muddy day in a beautifully renovated Franklin Park,
    Boston.
  o The Packers run at the playoffs
  
Lowlights:

  o The #$%^ing Red Sox, and everything they did this year, on and off the field.
  o The Butch Reynolds case.
  o Buster Douglas' miserable performance in his first title defense. (that was 
    thised year, right?)
  o Andre Agassi winning a Grand Slam tournament, and then whiping away 
    crockadile tears.
289.8PFSVAX::JACOBCheez-Whiz, Choice of NathanThu Dec 17 1992 20:0215
    Highlights:
    
    o  Meeting all of the ::SPORTSters in "big" get togethers, one in Feb.
       and one in September
    
    o  The Magic Lantern, need I say more
    
    Lowlights
    
    o  TFSO
    
    o  having to leave the Magic Lantern that night.
    
    JaKe
    
289.9DECWET::METZGERThis space being flea bombed..Thu Dec 17 1992 22:2019
Highlites...


The world serious...and the NLCS...
Fred couples spring of '92...
Watching the winter olympics on Canadian broadcasting
The lithuanian basketball team
Birth of my daughter

lowlites

Digital equipment corporation
watching the summer olympics on a US network
Deion Sanders
The Red Sux..
Larry Bird retiring

Metz
289.10ACESMK::FRANCUSMets in '93Thu Dec 17 1992 23:3917
    
    Highlites:
    
    Bottom of the 9th game 7 of the NLCS, world series especially Jimmy Key
    finally getting a chance to pitch and win 2 WS games
    Knicks taking Bulls to 7
    Retirement of Larry Bird - 'jus kidding :-)
    The birth of 2 nephews (well one was at the very end of '91)
    
    Lowlites
    
    Digital Equipment Corporation
    Rangers losing to the Pens, Mets
    Marge Schott
    
    The Crazy Met
    
289.11SALEM::TIMMONSWhere's Waldo?Fri Dec 18 1992 09:467
    Highlight - The fun I've had here in Sports.
    
    Lowlight - The loss of so many great noters - Serious ones, kidders,
    
    	       informative ones, and just ole regular sport fans.  :*(
    
    Lee
289.12CAMONE::WAYCheez-Whiz, Choice of ChampionsFri Dec 18 1992 11:5744
Highlights:

	- Watching the man who used to be a quadraplegic compete
	  and finish the Iron Man triathalon.   I cried when he
	  finished, I really did.

	- Seeing Brian Burke take over as the Whalers GM.  Nothing
	  could be better for the city of Hartford.

	- Watching the "rookies" play for the Boston Bruins at the
	  end of last hockey season.

	- Having JOJ be so smug at Giantsmania about the Jets, and
	  yet seeing them have a worse record than the Giants at
	  the time of this writing.  With all their talent......

	- Andre Agassi winning at Wimbledon.

	- The Masters.  ALWAYS a highlight for me.

	- Seeing Pittsburgh win another Stanley Cup, because it means
	  Ronnie Francis is part of the type of franchise that he was
	  always destined to be part of....


Lowlights:

	- Dennis Byrd

	- Ray Handley, Rod Rust, and the New York Giants

	- The Boston Red Sox

	- Losing a great part of the cast of characters in this
	  notes file.

	- Larry Bird retiring.

	- The Bruins losing to Pittsburgh in the conference championship.




'Saw
289.13ROYALT::ASHEFri Dec 18 1992 12:4041
    Highlights:                               
    
    Watching the NCAA's in Wustah from behind the basket
    
    Watching the Fab 5.
    
    Seeing the Lions almost go to the Super Bowl.
    
    Getting to meet dan'l,MacroHunt,JaKe,Cath, etc...
    
    The British runner at the Olympics finishing with his dad.
    
    Being able to see those RPI guys on a regular basis, same line even.
    
    Watching Probie kick Tie Domi's butt.
    
    Lowlights:
    The circumstances about the way Arthur Ashe had to tell people he had
    AIDS.
    
    Dream Team hype, could have used a little more...
    
    Controversy around Magic - Post Olympics
    
    Desmond deciding to go pro
    
    Watching the Pistons come back to mediocrity
    
    Redwings in the playoffs...
    
    Losing my stranglehold on FFL-A.
    
    Knowing that people made "End of the Road" #1 for more weeks than
    Kim Carnes and Debbie Boone.
    
    Knowing that people thought Achy Breaky Heart was a good song.
    
    Rob and Fab came back
    
    Not knowing who the next phone call's coming from about another TFSO
    victim...
289.14QUASER::JACKSONTAThe QB shuffle stinksFri Dec 18 1992 13:5226
      Hilites: 
    
     Meeting alot of new friends through DEC and not thru DEC
    
      Dissarray in faider land
    
      Buying my 1st house
    
      Mike Tyson trial, showing you can't get away with everything 'cause
    your a celeb (that was in 92 right?)...
    
      Getting another job when the sword was on its way.
    
      Seeing the not so good NFL teams get turned around with new coaches.
    
    
      Lowlites:
    
      TFSO
    
      Losing family
    
      Elway being dumb and possibly costing his team a playoff birth
    
      Tim 
    
289.15Just a few................WMOIS::CHAPALONIS_MNo. 3 Looms over FENWAYFri Dec 18 1992 14:2026
    
    
    Highlites
    
       - Lithuania winning the Bronze in basketball. (flaszka flaszka
    flaszka).
       - Red Sox in last (Bahhhhhhhh)
       - Rediscovering ::SPORTS
       - Bucky getting injured and the Donks not making the playoffs.
       - Winfield winning the big one
       - Boggs hitting .259
       - Larry and the Dream Team
       - Danielle starting School (Daddy help me with my letters)
       
    Lolites
       - The Rodney King Verdict
       - The Mike Tyson verdict
       - The KENNEDY verdict
       - The COWBOYS &*^^&$^&%$^%^$$@#$@#^&*
       - Todd Marinovich
       - Debts
       - TSFO"S
       - THE F&^%$^ng signing of WADE BOGGS
       - Thurman Munson still not in the HALL oF FAME
    
    Chappy
289.16FRETZ::HEISERarms raised in a VFri Dec 18 1992 15:088
    Highlights:
    
    - Sir Charles Barkley becoming a Sun.
    - The Dream Team
    
    Lowlights:
    
    - Sir Larry Legend retiring
289.17Some serious ones this timePFSVAX::JACOBCheez-Whiz, Choice of NathanFri Dec 18 1992 18:3516
    High-
    	The Pens--both the winning of their 2nd stratght CUP, and their
    great play so far this season
    	The STEELERS--sure, they've played ugly the last month, but the won
    the AFC Central fer the firsted time in 8-9 years.
    	The Bucs--they won the NL East fer the 3rd straight time
    
    Low-
    	The Bucs--they lost the NLCS fer the third straight time, and this
    one was the biggest heartbreaker of them all
    	The Bucs--The major dismantling of the team after the season was
    over
    	The Steelers--Bubby Brister again, need I say more
    
    JaKe
    
289.18Ups and downsPEAKS::WOESTEHOFFFri Dec 18 1992 18:5523
    Highs-
	Bill Cowher, Barry Foster, Garry Howe and company. Who ever thought
	they would be where they're at now.

	The NLCS. My team didn't win but the drama of the whole series was
	certainly sports at it's best.

	Going to Boulder and watchin the Buffs play. Especially, Kordell 
	Stewart who is going to be a great QB.
 
	Seeing signs in 3 Rivers stadium and reading notes in SPORTS about
	the "Great One", Roberto Clemente.

    Lows-
	The last play of the NLCS.

	Majic Johnson comin down with HIV.

	Mike Tyson throwing his life away.

	The Buffs losin to Nebraska.

		Keith
289.19Mine...ROCK::MURPHYFri Dec 18 1992 19:5216
Highs

Back to Back Bulls
NHL Playoffs until the Cup
Elway's Miracles
Illinois 22 Michigan 22
Rockies preparations - finally!

Lows 
Northwestern 27, Illinois 26
Notre Dame (lots) BC (little)
Elway's arrogant injury causing dive
Two Big ten teams in F4 still couldn't beat Duke...
Moving to Boston just in time for the 92 Red Sucks/Patridiots/Celtics

Murph
289.20LCALOR::PETRIE2% Milk of the LeagueFri Dec 18 1992 19:5917
Highlights:

	Miami Heat makes the playoffs for the first time

	Heat-Bulls playoff Game 3

	Larry Bird's last game in Boston Garden

Lowlights:

	Orlando Magic draft Shaquille O'Neal

	Hurricane Andrew

	Barkley elbowing Angola

 Kath
289.21MKFSA::LONG&quot;just keep it between the lines&quot;Fri Dec 18 1992 20:0130
	I've been giving this a lot of thought since the topic started.
	Each time I would start I'd delete it, cause it sounded dumb,
	but then I figured this is as good a place as any to sound dumb.

	Highs:

		- The Pens starting out my sports year in fine fashion.
		(caused me to put the first and only bumper sticker on
		my van!)
		- rediscovering the comradship with my disjointed
		family in the 'burgh
		- shakin the paws and finally putting faces to names
		like JaKe, 'saw, /Don, Kev, Dickstah, Mac, Cath, =Bob=,
		Tommy, Chappy, Walt, and more 
		- the Bucs (so close)
		- the Steelers (consistantly finding a way to keep that 
		Black and Gold blood flowing)
		- watching my son pull out of my driveway (solo) for the
		first time
		- going to my 20th reunion and seeing people balder
		and fatter (no offense JaKe) than me.

	Lows:

		- saying my last goodbyes to too many who are now in 
		the Bleachers in the Sky (two before their 16th birthday)
		- watching my son pull out of my driveway (solo) for the
		first time
		- the Bucs (so far away)
		- dwelling on these lows!!
289.22the world is a really roten place sometimes QUASER::HUNTERThe Often Quoted Big Game HunterFri Dec 18 1992 20:2829
    
     Hilites:
    
     The Packers Making a strong charge to the playoffs.
    
     My family is well.
    
     Met new friends and got to know some old ones better.
    
     Elways Miracles.
    
     The Rockies
    
     Becoming an uncle for the first time.
    
     My wonderful Dogs and the magical way they seem to drag me outs the 
     dumps when I need it most.
    
     Lowlites:
    
     The death of a co-worker (yesterday... he and wife killed by 15 yr old
                                son and 17 year old "friend") I'm still in 
                                shock over this one.
    
     Can't think of anyother lows at this point...  I'm numb   :^(
    
    bg
    
     
289.23Hi's/Low'sWILBRY::MCDONALDBoston Bruins - 1993 Stanley Cup ChampsSat Dec 19 1992 11:5752
    Highlites:
    
    Round 10 of Bowe/Holyfield
    
    4 game sweep of the Habs
    
    Otis Nixon's over the wall catch
    
    NLCS
    
    The fall of the WBF
    
    Orr,Bird & Williams together
    
    SI's pick of A. Ashe for Sportsman of the Year
    
    Bird's 49pt gem vs the Blazers
    
    Don Cherry's Grapevine
    
    Sunday mornings ESPN Sportscenter
    
    The Hurricanes march to another title
    
    Hiring of Sutter/Firing of Bowness
    
    Lowlites:
    
    Marge Schott
    
    Players salaries
    
    Pens sweep of the B's
    
    Pens sweep of the Hawks
    
    BoSox
    
    Bird retiring
    
    Magic's "up close and personal" interview
    
    Bowe's decision not to fight the #1 contender
    
    Rock Newman as the second coming of Don King
    
    The AFC
    
    Goodbyes/possible goodbyes to: Bird, Magic, L.T., Gretzky, Neely,
    Montana and Holyfield.
    
    Shawn
289.24BIRDICS::SHAWMon Dec 21 1992 14:0518
    Highlights:
    
    Bird Retiring with Grace and Dignity
    
    (here's hoping for a lottery pick and that Chris Webber comes out, and
     Danny Manning goes unrestricted free agent after next year to the
     Celts and the Celts return to the top.  Notice:  two black guys,
     -- I'm a white non-racist Bostonian Celtics fan -- who just wants
     Winners -- no matter what color.  I agree about the Red Sox being
     racist (probably moreso just Stupid, but it comes out racist) but
     not the Celts.
    
    
    Lowlights:
    
    Bird Retiring
    
    
289.25ROYALT::ASHEMon Dec 21 1992 14:404
    From what I could tell, the report said they were perceived as being
    racist, not racist...  last night's Sports Final didn't convince me
    of anything different...
    
289.2692 hi's and low'sBUMP::MMARLANDMon Dec 21 1992 14:5528
    Highlites:
    
    Larry's lat game against the Cavs' in the Garden, and the game against
    against Portland,
    
    B's sweeping the Habs'
    
    USA hockey team in Olympics
    
    Some great collge football games.
    
    Sox finally adding some speed.
    
    Low lites.
    
    Sox new speed turns out to be Andre Dawson
    
    Pat's as usual
    
    C's losing to Cav's
    Bs' losing to Pen's
    
    Bird retiring, a quick 13 years....
    
    
    
    
    
289.27Year-end basketball reviewPLUGH::NEEDLEMoney talks. Mine says &quot;Good-Bye!&quot;Mon Dec 21 1992 17:24237
Thu Dec 17 17:14
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
SPORTSTICKER 1992 PRO BASKETBALL YEAREND REVIEW
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

BY VIC SPARACCIO 
STAFF WRITER 

The year 1992 marked the official end of the Magic Johnson-Larry
Bird era in the National Basketball Association and left the
spotlight entirely on the extraordinary talents of Michael
Jordan. 

Johnson, who shocked the world before the 1991-92 season with
his retirement from the Los Angeles Lakers after testing
positive for the H-I-V virus, returned to the court for the 1992
N-B-A All-Star Game and participated in the Summer Olympics with
the United States' "Dream Team". 

Johnson was added to the Western Conference All-Star squad as
the 13th man and captured the Most Valuable Player award with an
amazing 25-point performance in the West's 153-113 win over the
East. 

Johnson, teammed with Bird, Jordan and Charles Barkley among
others, ripped through the Olympic competition, winning by an
average margin of 43.8 points. Barkley was the leading scorer
and third-leading rebounder on the U.S. team, the first such
team to include N-B-A players. 

The team, coached by former Detroit Pistons coach Chuck Daly
also boasted N-B-A stars David Robinson, Scottie Pippen, Patrick
Ewing, Chris Mullin, Clyde Drexler, Karl Malone and John
Stockton.  The only collegiate player, Christian Laettner of
Duke, rounded out the best group of basketball players ever
assembled. 

Following the Dream Team's gold-medal performance in Barcelona,
Johnson announced his comeback to the N-B-A. But amid reports
that some of his peers were reluctant to play against him
because he had contacted the H-I-V virus, Johnson announced on
November 8th that he was leaving the N-B-A for good. 

"It has become obvious that the various controversies
surrounding my return are taking away from both basketball as a
sport and the larger issue of living with H-I-V for me and the
many people affected," said Johnson. 

Johnson led the Lakers to five N-B-A titles in 11 trips to the
Finals and won M-V-P awards. 

In addition to the loss of Magic, the Lakers had to contend with
injuries to starters James Worthy, Sam Perkins and Vlade Divac
and still made the playoffs at 43-39.  However, they were ousted
in the first round of the playoffs by Portland. 

Bird announced his retirement in August, ending a fabulous
13-year career which saw the Indiana native earn the Rookie of
the Year honor in 1980 and Most Vauable Player awards three
seasons in a row -- from 1984 to 1986.  Bird led the Celtics to
N-B-A titles in 1981, 1984 and 1986. 

Bird underwent back surgery in June, 1991, and played well in
the first two months of the 1991-92 season before his back gave
out once again and he was placed on the injured list.  He
returned in March and scored 49 points in a 152-148
double-overtime victory over Portland. But Bird's back acted up
again and he did not return until the playoffs. 

In Bird's absence, the Celtics, led by Reggie Lewis, rallied to
beat out New York for first place in the Atlantic Division. Bird
returned in the playoffs but Boston lost in the second round to
Cleveland in seven games. 

It was fitting, perhaps, that Johnson and Bird, whose entrances
into the N-B-A in 1979 rejuvenated the league, would leave the
game in the same year. 

With Bird and Magic gone, the torch was officially past to
Jordan, perhaps the greatest player in N-B-A history. 

Jordan won his sixth straight scoring title, averaging 30.1
points per game, a feat surpassed only by Wilt Chamberlain, who
won seven.  He guided the Chicago Bulls to a league-high 67 wins
and was named the league's Most Valuable Player for the second
straight season. 

Chicago rolled past the Miami Heat, who made the playoffs for
the first time, in three games before meeting New York in a
seven-game war and prehaps the best post-season series in 1992. 

The Knicks, who got past Detroit in five games in the first
round, had a tough defensive posture under new head coach Pat
Riley. New York physically tested the Bulls throughout the
series and attempted to intimidate the champions with elbows and
rough play. But Chicago, led by Jordan and Pippen, took the
seventh game, 110-81, to advance to the Eastern Conference
Finals against division foe Cleveland, which posted a 57-25
record and recorded playoff victories over New Jersey and
Boston. 

Chicago, relieved to get past New York and be in a less-physical
series against Cleveland, took the Cavs in six games to advance
to the Finals against the Portland Trail Blazers, who finished
with the best record in the Western Conference (57-25). 

Portland beat the Lakers, Phoenix and Utah to advance to its
second N-B-A Finals in three years.  The Blazers lost to
Detroit, 4-1, in 1990. 

The championship series featured the matchup of superstar
shooting guards -- Jordan and Drexler, who had an M-V-P-type
season himself, averaging 25.0 points a game. 

However, the series never lived up to its billing as Chicago's
defense smothered Portland's high-powered offense. 

The Bulls won the opener, 122-89, at Chicago Stadium behind
Jordan's 39 points and 11 assists.  Drexler was held to 16
points on 5-of-14 shooting. But Drexler redeemed himself in Game
Two with 26 points and Terry Porter added 24 as Portland evened
the series with a 115-104 overtime victory.  The Blazers had to
feel good about their chances going home to Portland. Jordan
scored 39 points in the loss. 

Jordan was outscored again by Drexler in Game Three, 32-26, but
the Bulls prevailed, 94-84. 

Drexler and Jerome Kersey scored 21 points apiece in Portland's
93-88 win in Game Four.  Jordan (32 points) and Pippen (17
points) were the only Bulls in double figures. 

Game Five was a game the Blazers felt they needed to win before
going back to Chicago.  But the Bulls showed why they were the
defending champions and Jordan showed why he is the best in the
game as he poured in 46 points on 14-of-23 shooting. Pippen
added 24 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists in a 119-108
victory.  Drexler scored 30 points in the loss. 

The Blazers appeared to be on their way to stretching the series
to a seventh game, leading 79-64 after three quarters.  But
reserves Bobby Hansen and Stacy King ignited a fourth-quarter
rally and Jordan and Pippen combined to score Chicago's last 19
points to close out a 97-93 victory, giving the Bulls their
second consecutive N-B-A title. 

Jordan averaged 35.8 points in the series to earn Most Valuable
Player honors for the second straight year. 

Jordan, of course, headlined the All N-B-A First Team.  Joining
Jordan were Drexler, center David Robinson of San Antonio and
forwards Karl Malone of Utah and Chris Mullin of Golden State. 

Robinson became the third player in N-B-A history to finish in
the top 10 in five statistical categories. Robinson placed
seventh in scoring (23.2) and field-goal percentage (55.1),
fifth in steals (2.32), fourth in rebounding (12.2) and first in
blocked shots (4.49).  Robinson suffered a broken thumb late in
the season and the Spurs were beaten in the first round of the
playoffs by Phoenix. 

Malone finished second in the league in scoring with a 28.0
average and ninth in rebounding as the Jazz won the Midwest
Division with a 55-27 record.  But, as usual, the Jazz fell
short in the playoffs, losing to Portland. 

Malone's teammate, point guard John Stockton, won the assist
title for the fifth straight season with a 13.7 average.
Stockton had over 1,000 assists (1,126) for the fifth straight
season, becoming the first player to accomplish the feat since
Boston star Bob Cousy's eight consecutive assist titles
(1952-1960). 

Mullin enjoyed his finest season and finished third in scoring
with a 25.6 point average.  The Warriors, led by Mullin and
lightning-quick point guard Tim Hardaway, were one of league's
surprise teams under head ocach Don Nelson with 55 wins but lost
in the first round to Seattle. 

Larry Johnson of the Charlotte Hornets was named the league's
Rookie of the Year.  Johnson, the first pick in the draft,
averaged 19.2 points and pulled down over 10 rebounds a game for
the Hornets, who finished tied for last with Milwaukee in the
Central Division. 

Joining Johnson of the All-Rookie team was Dikembe Mutombo of
Denver (16.6 ppg, 12.3 rpg, 2.96 blocks per game), Billy Owens
of Golden State (14.3 ppg), Steve Smith of Miami (12.0 ppg) and
Stacey Augmon of Atlanta (13.3 ppg). 

After posting a disappointing 35-47 record, Philadelphia 76ers
owner Harold Katz finally parted ways with controversial forward
Charles Barkley, shipping him to Phoenix in a blockbuster trade.
In exchange for Barkley, the Sixers got guard Jeff Hornacek and
forwards Tim Perry and Andrew Lang. 

Barkley has been nothing short of sensational for the Suns, who
have started fast and have led the Pacific Division for the
first two months of the 1992-1993 season. 

The Knicks, after posting a 51-31 record in their first season
under Riley, were busy in the off-season and acquired veteran
sharpshooter Rolando Blackman from Dallas and versatile forward
Charles Smith, reliable point man Doc Rivers and reserve Bo
Kimble from the Los Angeles Clippers for guard Mark Jackson. 

Chuck Daly, who led Detroit to back-to-back titles in 1989 and
1990, resigned his post with the Pistons after their playoff
loss to the Knicks and was hired to coach the New Jersey Nets. 

Daly, like Riley, has commanded the Nets' players respect and
has them playing hard during the early part of the season.  New
Jersey is a young, talented bunch with Derrick Coleman, Kenny
Anderson and the always-improving Drazen Petrovic. 

Other new faces in different places are Mike Dunleavy, who moved
from the Lakers to Milwaukee, Doug Moe in Philadelphia, former
Nevada-Las Vegas coach Jerry Tarkanian in San Antonio, Ron
Rothstein in Detroit, Paul Westphal in Phoenix, Randy Pfund in
Los Angeles (Lakers) and Garry St. Jean in Sacramento. 

And how can one forget that head coaching nomad, Larry Brown,
who left San Antonio in January, only to hook up later in the
season with the Clippers. 

This year's top draft pick, 7-foot-2 Shaquille O'Neal of
Orlando, has given the N-B-A another marquee talent.  O'Neal has
shown the ability to dominate a game and he runs well and is an
intimidator. 

Alonzo Mourning, the second overall pick in the draft by
Charlotte, has also shown that he belongs with the big boys. 

Laettner of Minnesota, Tom Gugliotta of Washington, Todd Day of
Milwaukee, Clarence Weatherspoon of Philadelphia, Anthony Peeler
of the Los Angeles Lakers and Oliver Miller of Phoenix also have
shined in the first two months of the 1992-93 season. 
289.28Year-end football reviewPLUGH::NEEDLEMoney talks. Mine says &quot;Good-Bye!&quot;Mon Dec 21 1992 17:26280
Thu Dec 17 17:07
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
SPORTSTICKER 1992 PRO FOOTBALL YEAREND REVIEW
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

(REPEATING BY REQUEST)

BY JIM MORGANTHALER 
SENIOR EDITOR 

If it was important and concerned football in 1992, it probably
happened in Minneapolis. 

Minneapolis hosted the World Series and the National Hockey
League's Stanley Cup Finals in 1991, but in the 1992, the city
was the focal point of the National Football League. 

Minneapolis, home of the resurgent Minnesota Vikings, played
host to its first-ever Super Bowl in January and was the site of
September's landmark legal decision which could drastically
alter the face of the game. 

The Washington Redskins have fine memories of the city.  They
defeated the Buffalo Bills, 37-24, in Super Bowl 26 on January
26th as Most Valuable Player Mark Rypien threw for 292 yards and
two touchdowns and Minneapolis-native Chip Lohmiller kicked
three field goals. 

The Bills and National Football League owners, on the other
hand, have every right to feel differently. 

The loss to the Redskins was Buffalo's second straight in the
Super Bowl and the eighth consecutive defeat suffered by the
A-F-C in the league's championship game. 

Owners fear the ramifications of the Federal Court ruling which
struck down the league's Plan B free agency system and the
outcome of another suit which could grant free agency to
approximately 280 players at the end of the 1992 season. 

N-F-L players have been seeking total free agency, like that
which exists in baseball, but under the Plan B system, movement
was limited primarily to marginal players and veterans at the
end of their careers. 

The decision rendered by an eight-woman jury in the case of
Freeman McNeil vs. the National Football League brought Plan B
to an end.  McNeil, a running back for the New York Jets, was
one of eight plaintiffs challenging the league's free agency
system. 

The jury found that the restrictions imposed by Plan B were in
violation of the N-F-L's anti-trust status and awarded four of
the eight plaintiffs a total of $543,000.  Under federal
anti-trust law, the damages were tripled to $1.63 million. 

The decision had a domino effect.  Four days later, 10 N-F-L
players asked the court to grant them total free agency.
District Court Judge David Doty, who presided over the McNeil
trial, responded by declaring All-Pro tight end Keith Jackson of
the Philadelphia Eagles, receiver Webster Slaughter of the
Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions running back D.J. Dozier and
defensive lineman Garin Veris of the New England Patriots
temporary free agents for five days. 

N-F-L teams had relinquished the rights to five of the other
players and a sixth, Pittsburgh safety Thomas Everett, was
traded. 

Jackson quickly signed with the Miami Dolphins, Slaughter came
to terms with the Houston Oilers and Veris signed with the San
Francisco 49ers, marking the first major free agent activity in
the N-F-L since linebacker Wilbur Marshall went from the Chicago
Bears to Washington Redskins in 1988. 

Still pending before Doty is a suit filed by the N-F-L Players
Association seeking free agency for all players not under
contract after the 1992 season. 

Perennial All-Pro defensive lineman Reggie White of the Eagles
is the lead plaintiff in the suit, which seeks a preliminary and
permanent injunction prohibiting  N-F-L teams from restricting
the freedom of players to negotiate with other teams when their
contracts expire on February 1st, 1993. 

A decision in favor of the players could lead to widespread
movement and salary escalation.  The threat of such a ruling has
driven the N-F-L to seek a solution to the long stalemate that
has existed with the Players Association since 1987. 

N-F-L players have been without a collective bargaining
agreement for five years, but a tentative deal reportedly has
been struck. N-F-L officials are still trying to work out the
final details of the agreement, but it reportedly includes a
provision which will make all players eligible for free agency
after five years in the league. 

The owners would also benefit from the reported deal.  Other
provisions would reduce the college draft from 12 to seven
rounds and institute a salary cap for rookies. 

While lawyers and judges will determine the game's fate beyond
the 1992 season, the players continue to battle on the field. 

San Francisco missed the playoffs for the first time in nine
seasons last year, but the 49ers are back with a vengence in
1992. 

With scambling left-hander Steve Young calling the signals, the
49ers have been the N-F-L's most dominant team.  Through Week 15
of the regular season, they lost just twice.  San Francisco
already has clinched a playoff berth and is the likely choice to
defend the N-F-C's honor in Pasadena, California, next month. 

The 49ers, Super Bowl champions after the 1988 and 1989 seasons,
feature the league's highest scoring offense and Young, the
former Brigham Young star, has been the key. 

Young inherited the unpleasant task of replacing three-time
Super Bowl M-V-P Joe Montana, but he's getting the job done.
Young, the league's top-rated passes, has completed over 66 per
cent of his attempts for over 3,000 yards. He has thrown for 22
touchdowns and just seven interceptions. 

Montana, meanwhile, remains sidelined with an elbow injury and
his future is uncertain.  He has not played since the 1990 N-F-C
Championship Game against the New York Giants. 

Young has emerged as a leading candidate for the league's M-V-P
Award and his main opposition could come from Emmitt Smith of
the Dallas Cowboys, one of many strong teams in the N-F-C this
season. 

Smith leads the N-F-C with 1,408 yard rushing and has caught 55
passes for another 322 yards.  His 16 touchdowns lead the N-F-L.

The Cowboys, who along with San Francisco and the New Orleans
Saints have secured berths in the post-season, are closing in
their first N-F-C East title since 1985.  Dallas and New Orleans
shared the league's second-best record at 11-3 after 15 weeks. 

New Orleans, one game behind San Francisco in the N-F-C West,
features a defense which has given up a league-low 182 points.
The Saints' trio of defensive end Wayne Martin and linebackers
Rickey Jackson and Pat Swilling have combined to terrorize
opposing quarterbacks and record 36 sacks. 

The Redskins, Eagles and Minnesota Vikings have struggled at
times during the 1992 season, but each appears headed to the
playoffs with 9-5 records. 

The Redskins have learned, like Super Bowl champions before
them, that it is difficult to repeat.  The troubles started
during the off-season when Rypien threatened to go to Canada. He
reportedly looked into signing with a C-F-L team, but eventually
joined the Redskins two weeks into camp. 

The whole scenario took its toll on Rypien.  His timing has been
off all season and he is ranked last among the conference's
regular starting quarterbacks. 

The Eagles picked up running back Herschel Walker from the
Vikings in the off-season and quarterback Randall Cunningham
returned from a knee injury that sidelined him for all but one
quarter of the 1991 season.   But the tragic death of All-Pro
defensive lineman Jerome Brown in a June 25th car accident and
the loss of Jackson to free agency earlier in the year were two
severe blows the team had trouble handling. 

The Vikings cleaned house in the off-season, getting rid of
Walker and veterans Joey Browner, Keith Millard and Wade Wilson.
Minnesota also made former 49ers assistant Dennis Green the
second Black head coach in the N-F-L when they named him to
replace Jerry Burns. 

Minnesota, led by a defense that has scored eight touchdowns,
won seven of its first nine games before losing steam.  The
Vikings have dropped three of their last five and are not yet
assured of a playoff berth. 

Another former member of the 49er coaching staff has helped turn
around the Green Bay Packers.  Former San Francisco offensive
coordinator Mike Holmgren has the Packers, who were 4-12 in
1991, just a game behind the Vikings in the N-F-C Central.
Holmgren and Green should vie for Coach of the Year honors in
the N-F-C. 

First-year coaches Bill Cowher and Bobby Ross are enjoying
tremendous success in the A-F-C, which has been without a
dominant team all season. 

Cowher, a former defensive coordinator with the Kansas City
Chiefs, has guided the Pittsburgh Steelers to their first A-F-C
Central title since 1984. Pittsburgh is tied with the A-F-C East
leading Bills for the best record in the conference at 10-4.
Cowher replaced Chuck Noll, who led Pittsburgh to four Super
Bowl titles. 

After an 0-4 start, Ross has the San Diego Chargers in
contention for the A-F-C West title.  San Diego has won nine of
its last 10 games and shares first place with the Kansas City
Chiefs. 

The season's best turnaround has been by the Indianapolis Colts.
Indianapolis won just one of 16 games in 1991, but is in the
playoff hunt with a 7-7 mark this year.  The man behind the
Colts' improvement is Ted Marchibroda, who is in his second
stint as the team's head coach. 

The Colts used the first two picks in the 1992 draft to select
University of Washington defensive lineman Steve Emtman and
Texas A&M linebacker Quentin Coryatt.   Emtman and Coryatt are
both talented players, but their contributions were limited by
season-ending injuries. 

The New York Giants and the Chicago Bears, two proud franchises,
are both 5-9 and on the decline.  To make matters worse, neither
team's coach is handling the situation very well. 

The Giants' Ray Handley, who is almost certain to be let go
after the season, inherited an aging Super Bowl champion from
Bill Parcells in 1991, but the Giants' 13-19 record the last two
years is well below expectations.  Handley's inability to
communicate with his players or the media probably has assured
his ouster. 

Chicago's Mike Ditka had numerous run-ins with his players, the
media and fans this season and the Bears may be getting tired of
his act. 

The Bears and Giants are also losing big pieces of their
identity with the retirement of linebackers Mike Singletary and
Lawrence Taylor. 

Singletary, one of the last true middle linebackers in football,
is calling it quits after 12 years with the Bears. Taylor,
perhaps the greatest linebacker in N-F-L history, announced that
he also would retire after 12 years with the Giants.  His season
came to an abrupt halt however when he suffered a ruptured right
Achilles' tendon against Green Bay on November 8th. 

There had been speculation that the injury made Taylor
reconsider his decision and think about returning for a final
season, but he has yet to announce his plans. 

Injuries were a major story in 1992.  Only seven quarterbacks
have started every game this season and some of those have been
forced to leave games early. 

The most serious injury of the season was suffered not by a
quarterback, but by New York Jets' defensive lineman Dennis
Byrd.  Byrd broke vertabrae in his neck against Kansas City on
November 29th and remains partially paralyzed. 

Byrd's injury was a reminder of the violent reality that is pro
football.  It came just three days after Detroit's Mike Utley,
paralyzed as a result of a freak fall in a game against Los
Angeles in 1991, returned to the Silverdome on Thanksgiving and
two day's after Byrd's teammate, wide receiver Al Toon, ended
his career prematurely due to post-concussion syndrome. 

There were tragedies off the field in 1992 as well.  Lions'
offensive lineman Eric Andolsek died after being struck by a
truck outside his Louisiana home two days before Brown died in
the auto wreck.  Detroit assistant coach Len Fontes, the brother
of Lions' head coach Wayne Fontes, died of a heart attack six
weeks earlier. 

Three of the game's top receiving records -- each held by former
Seattle Seahawk great Steve Largent -- were broken within a
two-month span. 

Buffalo's James Lofton became the game's all-time leader in
receiving yardage in the Bills' season-opening 40-7 win over the
Los Angeles Rams on September 6th. Washington's Art Monk
surpassed Largent's record 819 career receptions in a 34-3 win
over the Denver Broncos on October 12th. San Francisco's Jerry
Rice broke another of Largent's records with his 101st career
touchdown reception on December 6th against the Miami Dolphins. 

289.29Year-end baseball reviewPLUGH::NEEDLEMoney talks. Mine says &quot;Good-Bye!&quot;Mon Dec 21 1992 17:27292
Wed Dec 16 15:45
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
SPORTSTICKER 1992 BASEBALL YEAREND REVIEW
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

BY DOUG MITTLER 
SENIOR EDITOR 

It has become commonplace for off-the-field events to dominate
the baseball news in recent years, but that trend reached new
heights in 1992. 

Many of the events did not enhance the game's image. Baseball
owners led a successful ouster of Commissioner Fay Vincent. A
seven-time drug offender, Steve Howe, was permanently banned
from baseball by Vincent only to be reinstated by an independent
arbitrator. Cincinnati Reds owner Marge Schott apologized for
alleged etnic and racial slurs. 

The Seattle Mariners threatened to move to Tampa before being
sold to a predominantly Japanese investment group, sparking a
nationwide debate on whether a baseball team should have foreign
ownership. 

San Francisco Giants owner Bob Lurie tried to sell his team to a
group of Florida investors, but the Tampa area was left at the
altar a second time when the sale was rejected by Lurie's fellow
club owners. 

Player salaries continued to climb, but that did not prevent the
players from publicly asking for more. The clubs keep talking
about how some of them are going broke in the free agent market.
But they went right out handing out millions of dollars. 

By the end of the winter meetings in early December, 13 players
were earning over $5 million a year and the average annual
salary passed the $1 million mark.  Last year's benchmark deal
was a five-year, $29 million offer to Bobby Bonilla by the New
York Mets. The new milestone was a six-year, $43 million deal
the San Francisco Giants gave to Barry Bonds. 

The game's image took another hit when television executives
warned baseball that they would receive far less money when the
network contract expires after the 1993 season. E-S-P-N
announced that it would not exercise its option to show games in
1994. 

To make matters worse, the year ended with the possibility of a
work stoppage in 1993. The owners decided at their meetings in
Louisville, Kentucky, to reopen contract negotiations with the
players union instead of waiting until after next season. 

Player antics did not help baseball's image. Vince Coleman of
the Mets said that poor work by the ground crew at Shea Stadium
slowed him down and was keeping him out of the Hall of Fame.
Wade Boggs and Roger Clemens of the Boston Red Sox staged a
verbal war when Boggs persuaded the Fenway Park scorer to change
an error to a hit, thus raising Clemens' earned run average.
Deion Sanders of the Atlanta Braves celebrated a pennant
clinching victory by angrily dousing C-B-S broadcaster Tim
McCarver three times with ice water for what Sanders felt were
negative comments. 

Bad luck also plagued baseball. The California Angels' team bus
crashed en route from New York to Baltimore, injuring several
players, team officials and manager Buck Rodgers. Reliever Matt
Keough was nearly killed when he was hit in the head by a foul
ball during a Cactus League game.  The Los Angeles Dodgers and
San Francisco Giants were forced to postpone games due to civil
unrest in California in the aftermath of a verdict in the Rodney
King case. 

The avalanche of lawsuits and bad press obscured what was
another interesting season on the field. The World Series was
held outside the United States for the first time and the
Toronto Blue Jays became baseball's first international
champions. 

Robin Yount of the Milwaukee Brewers and George Brett of the
Kansas City Royals joined baseball's 3,000-hit club.  Yount and
Brett represent an anachronism in this era of free agency --
premier players who have spent their entire career with the same
club. 

Major League Baseball welcomed foreign ownership when the sale
of the Mariners to a group of predominantly Japanese investors
was approved. The sale was approved despite the objections of
some owners. 

The Mariners went to a group headed by Japanese investors that
include Hiroshi Yamauchi, the president of Nintendo, the
Japanese video game maker. 

The Giants' saga continued for most of the year. It started when
voters in San Jose turned down a proposal to build a new stadium
for the Giants. It was the third time that Bay Area voters had
turned down funding on a new home for the Giants. 

Owner Bob Lurie quickly agreed in principle to sell his team to
a group of Tampa investors for $115 million. 

Sensing that their team was gone, San Francisco officials sprang
into action and a group headed by Peter Magowan, the chairman
and president of the Safeway supermarket chain, offered $100
million for the team. 

The sale to the Tampa group was rejected by National League
owners and the final approval of the sale to the Macgowan group
is expected soon.  Jilted again, Florida officials have taken
legal action and some legislators are trying to have baseball's
treasured anti-trust exemption removed. 

Vincent was never a favorite of some influencial owners and a
series of events eventually led to his ouster.  He cared deeply
about the game, but some owners, most notably Jerry Reinsdorf of
the Chicago White Sox, felt he was overstating his boundaries in
using the "best interest of baseball" powers of the
commissioner. 

Vincent took the unprecedented step of realigning the National
League divisions for the 1993 season due to the addition of the
expansion Colorado Rockies and the Florida Marlins.  Vincent
shifted the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals to the West
and moved the Atlanta Braves and the Cincinnati Reds to the
East. 

The Cubs led the protest because more of their games would start
later on the west coast, which hurts television revenue on
superstation W-G-N.   The realignment was overturned. 

Vincent came under fire for his handling of the Howe case. In
July, Vincent called Yankee manager Buck Showalter and two
Yankee executives away from an afternoon game at Yankee Stadium
because he was upset with their testimony on behalf of Howe. 

The situation came to a head in early September when the owners
issued a vote of "no confidence" and asked for Vincent's
resignation at a special meeting in Chicago.  Vincent at first
refused, but later stepped down in a Labor Day announcement.
Since then, baseball has been run by an Executive Council with
Bud Selig of the Milwaukee Brewers as chairman. 

Before his ouster, Vincent announced that Yankees owner George
Steinbrenner could resume active control of the team on March
1st, 1993. Steinbrenner had been banished by Vincent because of
his past involvement with convicted gambler Howard Spira. 

While Vincent's battles raged on, baseball was left without a
major pennant race to attract the attention of the fan. 

The Pittsbugh Pirates won their third straight National League
East title by nine games, but the surprising Montreal Expos did
stay competitive until the middle of September. 

The Atlanta Braves won their second straight N-L West crown with
an eight-game cushion over the Cincinnati Reds. The Braves,
however, were in last place on May 26th before beginning their
surge. 

The Oakland Athletics built a big lead in the A-L West and
finished six games in front of Minnesota. It was the fourth
division title in five years for Oakland, which moved into first
place by sweeping a three-game series from the defending
champion Twins in July. 

The only significant race was in the A-L East, where the Blue
Jays were challenged by the Milwaukee Brewers and the Baltimore
Orioles. Toronto did not clinch the pennant until the final
weekend of the season. The Blue Jays helped seal the division
crown with the acquisition of pitcher David Cone from the Mets
in late August. 

For the second straight season, baseball was blessed with
stirring post-season play. Toronto won the A-L-C-S from Oakland
in six games,  rallying from a 6-1 deficit off relief ace Dennis
Eckersley in Game Four. Roberto Alomar tied the game for Toronto
with a dramatic two-run homer in the ninth. 

Atlanta and Pittsburgh went to a seventh and deciding game in
the N-L-C-S for the second straight year.  The Braves rallied
with three runs in the bottom of the ninth to win Game Seven,
3-2. Pinch-hitter Francisco Cabrera's two-out, two-run single
off Stan Belinda capped a three-run rally. 

The Blue Jays and the Braves did not quite match the excitement
of the 1991 series between Atlanta and Minnesota, but the teams
did play an interesting six games in which four of the contests
were decided by one run. 

An unlikely hero, Ed Sprague, hit a pinch-hit, two-run homer off
Jeff Reardon in the ninth inning to give the Blue Jays the win
in Game Two. Another obscure catcher, Damon Berryhill, homered
to give Atlanta the victory in Game One. 

Game Two began with a U.S. Marine color guard inadvertently
carrying the Canadian flag upside down and creating an
internationl fuss. 

Dave Winfield's two-out, two-run double snapped a 2-2 tie in the
11th inning and gave the Blue Jays a 4-3 triumph in Game Six and
the first World Series title in their 16-year history. 

The double capped a remarkable season for the 41-year-old
Winfield, who became the oldest player to drive in 100 runs. It
also erased the memory of a 1-for-22 performance in his only
previous World Series appearance in 1981. 

The losing pitcher was Charlie Leibrandt, who was also on the
short end of Game Six of the 1991 series when he allowed a
dramatic homer to Kirby Puckett. 

The surprising teams in the National League include Montreal and
Houston. The Expos were a young team that turned around their
season after Tom Runnells was fired and replaced by Felipe Alou.
The Astros, a team even younger than Montreal, finished a
surprising .500 (81-81) and endured a 26-game, 28-day road trip
necessitated by the Republican Convention in the Astrodome. The
Astros were 12-14 on the trip. 

Oakland and Baltimore turned heads in the American League. Tony
LaRussa, the A-L Manager of the Year, overcame a series of
injuries to lead his team to an unexpected division crown. The
Athletics clinched the title without controversial outfielder
Jose Canseco, who was shipped to Texas in a late-August trade. 

Baltimore enjoyed a 89-73 season and a ticket to Camden Yards,
the team's new ballpark, became a hot commodity. 

Some of the nation's biggest media markets had baseball's most
disappointing teams in 1992. The Mets gave $29 million to
Bonilla, but finished fifth. Last place in the N-L West belonged
to the Los Angeles Dodgers, who committed a major-league high
173 errors. 

The Boston Red Sox stumbled to last place in the A-L East and
had none of the offensive punch of recent season. Boggs, a
career .328 hitter, hit a career-low .258 and left the team for
a free agent offer from the New York Yankees. 

Eckersley was baseball's top award winner in 1992, capturing the
Cy Young and Most Valuable Player Award. He became the first
player to win both awards in the same season since Clemens in
1986. 

Bonds won the N-L Most Valuable Player Award for the second time
in three years before leaving Pittsburgh for San Francisco. 
Greg Maddux of the Cubs was a near unanimous choice for the Cy
Young Award. Maddux and Tom Glavine of the Braves were the only
two 20-game winners in the National League.  The American League
had three -- Toronto's Jack Morris, Chicago's Jack McDowell and
Kevin Brown of the Texas Rangers. 

Gary Sheffield of the San Diego Padres made one of the strongest
bids for the Triple Crown since Boston's Carl Yastrzemski
accomplished the feat 25 years ago. Sheffield faded late in the
year, but did end up as the league batting champ (.330).  The
American League leader was Edgar Martinez of Seattle. 

Juan Gonzalez of Texas led the American League with 43 homers
and at 22 became the youngest home run leader in baseball since
Johnny Bench in 1970. Fred McGriff of San Diego led the N-L with
35 homers. 

Cecil Fielder of Detroit drove in 124 runs to lead the league in
R-B-I for the third straight seasons. The National League leader
was Darren Daulton of Philadelphia with 109. 

As for unusual achievements, Philadelphia second baseman Mickey
Morandini turned an unassisted triple play, the first in the
National League since 1927. Bip Roberts of Cincinnati tied a
National League record with 10 straight hits. Jeff Grotewald of
the Phils had pinch-hit homers in three straight games. Danny
Tartabull of the Yankees drove in nine runs in a game against
Baltimore. 

The lone no-hitter of the year was by Kevin Gross of Los
Angeles, a 2-0 gem over San Francisco on August 17th. Jeff
Reardon of Boston broke Rollie Fingers' all-time saves record
with his 342nd in a 1-0 win over the Yankees on June 15th. 

Fingers and Tom Seaver were inducted to the Hall of Fame in
August. 

The most unusual game of the year took place August 28th, when
the Milwaukee Brewers trounced the Blue Jays, 22-2, setting
league records for hits (31) and singles (26) in a nine-inning
game. 

The December free agent sweepstakes not only saw the Pirates
lose Bonds to the Giants but also former Cy Young Award winner
Doug Drabek to Houston. The Braves' pitching staff grew even
stronger with the addition of Maddux from the Cubs. 
289.30Year-end hokey reviewPLUGH::NEEDLEMoney talks. Mine says &quot;Good-Bye!&quot;Mon Dec 21 1992 17:29308
Wed Dec 16 17:03
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
SPORTSTICKER 1992 HOCKEY YEAREND REVIEW 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

BY LARRY FATA 
STAFF WRITER 

The mark of true greatness in sports, even more so than pure
athletic achievement in the arena, is the ability to rise above
and transcend turmoil and produce unequalled feats. If this is
indeed the case, then 1992 served to illustrate once again the
greatness of Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Mario Lemieux. 

For while 1992 can be best remembered for the first work
stoppage in the 75-year history of the National Hockey League,
or the continuing craziness surrounding the entrance of super
rookie Eric Lindros into the league, Lemieux's star continued to
outshine all the negative clouds that swirled around the sport
during the past season. 

Lemieux led the Penguins to their second straight Stanley Cup
championship last spring and, just when the N-H-L appeared to be
heading towards an era of parity, Pittsburgh served notice that
another dynasty in the tradition of the Montreal Canadiens, the
New York Islanders and the Edmonton Oilers could be in the
works. 

Lemieux, who played in only 64 regular-season games due to his
cranky back, nevertheless won his third scoring title in five
years with 44 goals and 131 points.  Lemieux then proceded to
win his second consecutive Conn Smythe Trophy as Most Valuable
Player of the playoffs.  Lemieux led all scorers with 34 points
despite missing five games due to a broken right hand suffered
after a slash from the New York Rangers' Adam Graves which
created quite a furor. 

The Penguins won their last 11 playoff games, tying an N-H-L
record, and swept both the Boston Bruins and the Chicago
Blackhawks in claiming hockey's holy grail. But the Penguins,
much like hockey in general in 1992, did not always enjoy a
smooth ride. 

The 1991-92 season, which was supposed to be a celebration of
the league's 75 years, began with the possibility of a strike
always lurking.  A lesser problem for an organization in dire
need of as many marquee names as possible was the Lindros
situation and his continued insistance on entering the league on
his terms. 

The regular season belonged to the Stanley Cup-starved New York
Rangers and their Calder Trophy-winning captain, Mark Messier.
Led by Messier's 107 points, the Rangers ran through the
schedule to the tune of an N-H-L-leading 50-25-5 mark.  Brian
Leetch, who won his first Norris Trophy as top defenseman,
became the fifth backliner in N-H-L history to score 100 points.

All these achievements, however, didn't amount to anything when
the schedule was interrupted by the strike.  Play resumed 10
days later but New York struggled through seven games before
prevailing over the New Jersey Devils and advancing to the
Patrick Division finals. 

The Penguins, on the other hand, seemed to use the regular
season to see how far they could test the patience of their
unwilling coach -- Hall of Famer Scotty Bowman.  Bowman moved
down from the front office to take over behind the bench after
the Bob Johnson was stricken with brain cancer.  Bowman preached
defense but the Pens seemed to know almost better than their
coach when it was necessary to turn it on. 

Pittsburgh actually was battling the New York Islanders for the
Patrick Division's final playoff berth as late as early March
but ended with a 10-3-1 run to finish third with 87 points. 

General Manager Craig Patrick, who had pulled off a blockbuster
trade that brought defenseman Ulf Samuelsson and center Ron
Francis the previous year, produced some trading deadline magic
once again.  Patrick acquired power forward Rick Tocchet and
steady defenseman Kjell Samuelsson in another late-season trade
and that move made Pittsburgh even stronger heading into the
playoffs. 

The Pens had even more trouble than the Rangers in the first
round, falling behind the Washington Capitals, three games to
one.  But Lemieux, with seven goals and 10 assists, led the
Pittsburgh charge back to set up what would become a nasty
confrontation with New York. 

Many said the Patrick Division final between the Penguins and
Rangers was the true Stanley Cup final and Pittsburgh's
performance in later rounds did little to dispell those
theories. 

The series took an ironic turn, with Messier having back
problems rather than Lemieux.  And then it took a turn towards
the nasty when Lemieux was knocked out in Game Two by Graves'
slash. The Rangers would take a 2-1 lead in the series but
Graves was suspended for the remainder of the Patrick final. 

New York had a chance to take a 3-games-to-1 lead in Game Four
with a two-goal lead and less than five minutes left in the
game. The series would never be the same from that point as
Pittsburgh staged a rally and evened the series with an overtime
victory. 

Francis picked up the slack for Lemieux, Kevin Stevens continued
his superb play and a new legend was born in Jaromir Jagr.  The
20-year-old Czechoslovak arrived with spectacular goals and
highlight-making abilty that even Lemieux could marvel at. 

Jagr scored the clinching goal in Games Five and Six and when
Lemieux returned ahead of schedule against Boston, it was over. 

The Chicago Blackhawks, making their first appearance in the
finals since 1973, were the next victims. 

Chicago came in riding the record 11-game winning streak that
Pittsburgh was about to match.  The Hawks appeared to be on the
verge of continuing that streak with a 4-1 lead in Game One but
the Pens charged back and an amazing goal by Jagr, who weaved
through three Chicago defenders and tied the game in the third
period.  Super Mario won it with a power-play goal with five
seconds left. 

The remaining three games showed the Penguins at their versatile
best -- winning defensive struggles at 3-1 and 1-0 and then
outscoring Chicago, 6-5, in the clincher.  Goaltender Tom
Barrasso's performance, particulary in Game Three, silenced
critics who had made empty claims that he wasn't a "big-game"
goalie. 

Before the Pens could defend their title, however, there was the
small matter of the player's strike to take care of.  The
possibility of the players sitting out the playoffs seemed
impossible to believe. 

But strike they did, with the players walking out on April
Fool's Day. When the dust settled, who exactly the Fool was
wasn't easy to say.  At first glance, the players didn't seem to
get much of what they wanted, especially in the way of a more
liberalized form of free agency.  In fact, as the strike wore
on, it seemed that the Players Association was fortunate to keep
what it had when the job action began. 

But a closer look at what happened in the wake of the strike may
reveal that the players gained in areas they weren't even
targeting. 

The strike resulted in do-nothing President John Ziegler's
resigning and hard-line Chicago Owner William Wirtz leaving his
position as Chairman of the Board of Governors.  In their place,
 Gil Stein took over for Ziegler on an interim basis and
moderate Los Angeles Kings owner Bruce McNall claimed Wirtz'
former position. 

Stein has seemingly accomplished more in a few months than
Ziegler was able to do in 15 years. 

Stein got the N-H-L back on national cable television in the
United States with a deal with E-S-P-N.  Not only could E-S-P-N
deliver far greater exposure to the N-H-L than its previous
carrier, SportsChannel America, but it also provided more money
for the owners' coffers.  There was even hope that the N-H-L
could land a handful of games on network television in the U.S.,
something that hasn't happened since 1980 (with the exception of
All-Star games). 

With an eye towards making the N-H-L a more appealing league to
a wider audience and to also take advantage of the many skilled
players in the league, Stein helped push through many rules
changes for the current season. 

With the Lemieux-Graves incident as an inspiration, the league
is cracking down on stick-related fouls, ruling that such
penalties anywhere above the waist result in a major penalty. 
Previously, a major was given only if the foul was above the
shoulders. Also the league has attempted to curb "goonism" by
making the instigator in a fight subject to ejection. 

The job Stein began will be entrusted into the hands of Gary
Bettman, formerly the Senior Vice President and General Counsel
of the National Basketball Association, who was named the
N-H-L's first commissioner. 

Stein will remain as President through February and could be
kept on in another capacity following that. 

Bettman earned the unofficial title, "Father of the Salary Cap"
while with the N-B-A and is given much of the credit for making
the league one of the best marketed sports in the world.  N-H-L
owners are hoping that Bettman can help hockey achieve a
fraction of the success the N-B-A has in the U.S. 

The N-H-L came into this season with its new television contract
and free of fears concerning a work stoppage and it also finally
had a new superstar to show off to the American viewing public
-- Eric Lindros, the "Next One." 

Lindros' entrance into the league was delayed by a year but, in
retrospect, probably came at just the right time. It is ironic
that the massive Philadelphia rookie's nickname - "The Next
One", is an obvious reference to Wayne Gretzky's "The Great
One".  Lindros is being asked to fill the mighty skates left
empty by Gretzky's battle with a serious back injury. 

Gretzky, despite Mario's coronation as the best hockey player in
the world, is still the single most recognizable hockey player
in North America.  Gretzky has not played a game this season due
to the back problems but things seemed brighter as December
arrived that he could be playing again as early as March. 

The Los Angeles Kings' superstar has earned every accolade he
has ever received. Playing the first 10 years of his career with
Edmonton, Gretzky is the holder of 58 league records and is its
all-time leading scorer. Gretzky is the single-season
record-holder for goals with 92 and points with 215. 

The 6-foot-5, 225-pound Lindros enters to fill the void on the
E-S-P-N screens left by Gretzky.  The cable sports network likes
to showcase superstars and had plans to feature Gretzky but
Lindros has not dissappointed as a replacement. He appeared
opposite Lemieux in the first E-S-P-N game. 

Lindros' play this season has made it almost seem that competing
in the N-H-L is easier for him than actually getting into it. 

Lindros' adamant refusal to play last season in Quebec with the
team that drafted him set up a bidding war for his services
which culminated in June at the N-H-L draft in Montreal.  The
Nordiques, seeking to acquire as much talent as possible, took
that idea one step too far when they apparently traded Lindros
to both the Rangers and the Philadelphia Flyers. 

Arbitrator Larry Bertuzzi was appointed to conduct an
investigation to determine which team had actually made a
binding transaction with Quebec for Lindros' services.  Bertuzzi
did his best Sherlock Holmes as he consulted phone records and
interviewed rival general managers to determine what type of
things Quebec owner Marcel Aubut was saying during negotiations.

Bertuzzi needed over a week to make a decision and he became an
instant hero on Broad Street by ruling that Lindros was a Flyer.

The Ottawa Senators and the Tampa Bay Lightning also made their
first appearances this year, joining last year's new club, the
San Jose Sharks, as the N-H-L continued its ambituous expansion
plans.  The N-H-L returned to Ottawa for the first time since
1934 when another band of Senators were finishing their stay in
the city after four Stanley Cups. 

The Senators and the Lightning went in different directions
after the fledging franchises both won the first games of their
histories. The Senators did not taste victory after their
opening-night triumph over Montreal for 21 one more games,
suffering through an 0-20-1 streak. 

The Lightning, on the other hand, were actually very competitive
in the early going and even moved into first place in the Norris
Division on some occassions.  Tampa Bay has behaved much more
like an expansion team lately, however. 

Tampa Bay and Ottawa won't be the N-H-L's newest franchises for
long, however. Two new franchises, in Miami and Anaheim,
California, will be joining the N-H-L, perhaps as early as next
season.  The N-H-L is obviously trying to expand its horizons in
the areas of the United States that it has lacked a presence --
the south and southwest.  The new franchises will be owned by
the Walt Disney Corporation and Blockbuster Entertainment. 

The N-H-L is convinced that the vast amounts of talent now
available with the crumbling of the Iron Curtain will allow it
to support more teams, as many as 30 by the year 2,000. The fact
that Tampa Bay and Ottawa made Czechoslovak defenseman Roman
Hamrlik and Russian center Alexei Yashin the first and second
picks respectively in the last draft clearly illustrates that
point. 

A record 88 of the 264 players selected were Europeans in the
last draft. In fact, the Calder Trophy for top rookie was won
for the second time in three years by a Russian player as
Vancouver's Pavel Bure electrified the N-H-L with 34 goals in
only 65 games. 

As the calender turns towards 1993, some virtuoso performances
already have been turned in this season and the parade has been
led by none other than Lemieux and the Penguins. 

Lemieux is threatening to break the 100-goal barrier and break
Gretzky's record of 92 and also is trying to smash the "Great
One's" mark of 215 points in a season. The Pens got off to a
fast start and were threatening to run away with the Patrick
Division. 

Over in the Adams Division, the Montreal Canadiens are the
customary leaders, but the Quebec Nordiques have awakened from
their long slumber to post 37 points in the first 31 games.  The
truck-load of talent acquired for Lindros -- defensemen Steve
Duchesne and Kerry Huffman and center Mike Ricci among others --
have helped and Mats Sundin was one of the N-H-L's hottest
players, scoring at least a point in the first 30 games. 

The Los Angeles Kings also have been a major surprise under
first-year coach Barry Melrose.  Despite missing Gretzky, his
former cohort in Edmonton, Jari Kurri, has helped pick up the
slack and the Kings have been in first in the Smythe. 


289.31Excerpts from Dave Barry's Year in ReviewPATE::MACNEALruck `n' rollMon Dec 28 1992 14:5687
From: clarinews@clarinet.com (Dave Barry)
Subject: THE YEAR IN REVIEW, ACCORDING TO DAVE BARRY
Date: Sat, 26 Dec 92 18:08:01 PST
Note: (Supremes Court in Nov. 11 item is correct.)

DAVE BARRY
	
	JANUARY
	3 -- In an unprecedented broadcasting development, an entire hour
passes during which there is not ONE SINGLE COMMERCIAL featuring Michael
Jordan. The FCC vows to investigate.
	26 -- In the most surprising Super Bowl finish in the game's 27-year
history, the Washington Redskins and the Buffalo Bills agree to stop
playing in the third quarter so they can watch Bill and Hillary Clinton
discuss their marriage on ``60 Minutes.''
                             	------
	FEBRUARY
	1 -- In sports, heavyweight rocket scientist Mike Tyson KO's himself.
	21 -- In Winter Olympics action, NBC elects to simply re-broadcast
videotapes of the luge and bobsled events from 1976, since nobody can
tell the difference.
                             	------
	MARCH
	13 -- Controversy flares anew over professional baseball's escalating
salaries when the Chicago Cubs sign a five-year, $43 million contract
with catcher Tom Daily, who died in 1939.
	18 --Concerned about the pacing of its games, the National
Football League decides to eliminate the ``instant replay'' after a
study shows that seven games from the 1991 season are still going on.
                             	------
	APRIL
	5 -- Sam Walton experiences the Ultimate Discount.
	6 -- True Item: The ceremonial first pitch of the 1992 baseball
season, thrown by President Bush in Baltimore's new stadium, lands in
the dirt. 
	10 -- The Bush administration proposes legislation to shorten the
distance between the pitcher's mound and home plate. 
                             	------
        JULY
	29 -- In Olympic basketball action, the Dream Team defeats the
Republic of Zwit 563-4, with Charles Barkley scoring 153 points before
being ejected late in the second quarter for arson.
                             	------
	AUGUST
	2 -- In Olympic basketball action, the Dream Team, seeking to save
time, defeats teams from Brazil, Poland and Canada simultaneously.
	6 -- In Olympic basketball, the Dream Team defeats an invading force
of Atomic Death Robots From The Planet Dorg. Elsewhere in sports, the
San Francisco Giants threaten to move to Tampa Bay.
	8 -- Basketball legend Larry Bird retires, citing concern over Ross
Perot's daughter's wedding.
	19 -- The Giants threaten to move to Dayton, Ohio.
	22 -- The Giants threaten to move to France.
                             	------
	SEPTEMBER
	4 -- The Giants threaten to move to the National Hockey League.
	12 -- In sports, the Giants threaten to move to the 14th Century.
                             	------
	OCTOBER
	18 -- In Atlanta, during ceremonies opening Game Two of the World
Series between the Braves and the Toronto Blue Jays, the Marine Corps
color guard carries the Canadian flag upside-down. The Marine Corps
stresses that this was ``totally unintentional.''
	20 -- During ceremonies opening Game Three of the World Series in
Toronto, a Royal Canadian Air Force marching unit, in a development that
the Canadian government later stresses was ``totally unintentional,''
opens fire on the Marine Corps color guard.
	22 -- Red Barber calls his final out.
	26 -- A post-[Presidential] debate poll of prospective voters shows 
    that the majority of them believe the Braves should have used their relief
pitchers more.
                             	------
	NOVEMBER
	13 -- In sports, Heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield is defeated by
challenger Bobby Fischer.
	29 -- In other space developments, the Giants threaten to move to 
    Saturn.
                             	------
	DECEMBER
	3 -- Professional baseball's owners, meeting to set the 1993 schedule,
vote unanimously to eliminate the actual games so everybody can devote
full time to contract hassles.
	27 -- Saddam Hussein purchases the Giants.
	
	(C) 1992 THE MIAMI HERALD
	DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.
    
289.32It's not easy!CGVAX2::STORYWed Dec 30 1992 21:233
    I'm King of the Hill?