Banner Graphic, Volume 11, Number 104, Greencastle, Putnam County, 3 January 1981 — Page 9

Weather, strategy and luck all part of NFL playoffs

By WILLIAM N. WALLACE c. 1981 N.Y. Times News Service NEW YORK Will the muddy field be frozen in Cleveland? Will Tom Landry's play selections befuddle the young Atlanta linebackers? Do the Vikings stand a chance? These are among the questions as the National Football League playoffs move into the second round this weekend with the six division champions playing for the first time All four home teams are favored. Competition begins Saturday in Philadelphia’s Veterans Stadium, where the Eagles, National Conference East champions, will play the Minnesota Vikings, Central Division winners (CBS-TV. 12:30p.m. EST). Then the Chargers play the Buffalo Bills in San Diego (NBCTV. 4 p in EST) in a game matching the American Conference West and East champions. On Sunday, Oakland, the surviving AFC wild-card team, plays the Browns. AFC Central winner, in Cleveland (NBC TV. 12:30 p m. EST). followed by the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Falcons in Atlanta (CBS-TV. 4 p.m. EST). The Cowboys are the NFC wild-card entry ; the Falcons are NFC West champions Winners will play the following Sunday, Jan. 11. in the conference championship games, which qualify opponents for the Super Bow l in New Orleans Jan. 25. Previews of this weekend’s games (regular-season records in parentheses; point spreads from Nevada scources) : American Conference Oakland 01-5) at Cleveland (11-5) The condition of the field will be a consideration; most of the grass is gone in Municipal Stadium. Reggie Rucker, the Cleveland wide receiver, says; "Bad weather is part of our personality. It might as well be

U.S. swimmers get their shot

GAINESVILLE. Fla. (AP) - The top swimmers in the United States, denied a chance to do their best in front of the world at the Olympics last summer, met their rivals from East Germany. the Soviet Union and 10 other countries today. Seven world record holders

Phillips still not mad about being fired HOUSTON (AP) Firing professional football coaches is an owner's prerogative, and O.A. “Bum” Phillips says it doesn’t make him mad. even though he’s now out of a job. Oiler owner Bud Adams exercised his prerogative on Wednesday and in a move that shocked a lot of people including Phillips he fired the colorful coach. Phillips still had a year left on a contract with a salary estimated at $120,000 to $150,000 a year. He admitted he would have appreciated a little more warning. “I gave them seven years You'd think they could have given me 24 hours.” Phillips said Wednesday Phillips joined the Oilers in 1974 and became head coach in 1975.

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from the United States, plus most of the rest of the honorary American team that missed the Summer Games because of the United States boycott, are playing host to 16 of the 22 individual gold medal winners from the Moscow Olympics. The State Department says it

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miserable. We’re used to it.” The game will match an outstanding offense, Cleveland’s, against an exceptional defense, Oakland’s. When the Raiders have the ball, it will be a mediocre offense against a mediocre defense. Sam Rutigliano, the Browns coach, says: “We’re healthy. We’ve got the league’s best quarterback, Brian Sipe, and we’ve got an excellent chance.” The Browns’ passing attack averaged 244 yards, second only to San Diego’s, but the Raider defense led the league in interceptions. The Cleveland offensive line includes three Pro Bowl nominees. Joe DeLamielleure, Doug Dieken and Tom DeLeone. The Raider defense attacks, and it had 54 sacks, second best in the AFC Betting choice: Cleveland by 3 points. Ruffalo (11-5) at San Diego (11-5) Fouts, the quarterback with dazzling statistics, suffered five interceptions in San Diego's playoff loss to Houston a year ago. The Chargers will attempt to surprise Buffalo’s excellent young defensive unit by running the ball more often. As a result. Chuck Muncie could be a key performer. Although this will be the first playoff game for most of the Bills, they did beat the Chargers Oct. 6 in San Diego, 2(5-24. Their defense was No. 1 in the league in fewest yards allowed per game, 256, and No. 1 against the pass, 142 yards. The Chargers led the league in passing yards, 283, and were the first NFL team with three receivers, Kellen Winslow, John Jefferson and Charlie Joiner, gaining more than 1,000 yards each. Betting choice: San Diego by 5' National Conference Minnesota (9-7) at Philadelphia (12-4) - The Vikings lost Sept 14 to the Eagles, 42-7. “That was eons ago,” says Bud Grant, the Minnesota coach. His team won six of its last eight

is the first appearance for any Soviet athletes in the United .States since the Games. Their presence and that of a strong East German team should make this the best international swimming meet in 2 1 - years. “The Olympic boycott was real painful for the top swimmers and coaches,” said the U S. team’s head coach, Mark Schubert of Mission Viejo, Calif. “This meet gives a lot of incentive to us.” The competition continues through Sunday at the University of Florida’s newly opened O’Connell Center, with entries from Canada, Romania, Poland. Australia. Sweden, Belgium, Italy, the People’s Republic of China, Norway and West Germany in addition to the United States, Soviet Union and East Germany. The races will be contested in a 25-meter pool, so no internationally recognized world records can be set here.

Tracy Caulkins of Nashville, Tenn., the top all-around worn an swimmer in the United States for the last three years, said the swimmers at the meet “will be more concerned with winning and not worrying about records. Some places in Europe have long-course swimming year-round, so it should help us to have a short-course pool. ’ ’ Three world record holders who helped the East German women to 12 gold medals in 13 swimming events are at the meet. They are backstroker Rica Reinisch, breaststroker Ute Geweniger and individual medley specialist Petra Schneider. Vladimir Salnikov, the first to break the 15-minute barrier in the metric mile (1,500 meters), and winner of three Olympic golds, leads the Soviet team. Former freestyle world record holder Sergei Kopliakov, who won two golds at Moscow, joins Salnikov.

The Eagles, playing a more difficult schedule, lost three of their last four. Comparisons favor the Eagles, whose defense has the potential to hold the Vikings scoreless. Minnesota’s chances hinge on its quarterback, Tommy Kramer, who can be brilliant or quite a bit less. Ahmad Rashad will be Kramer’s primary target, and the Eagles will swarm over him. Minnesota’s running attack, what there is of it, should be of no concern to the Eagle linebackers. The Philadelphia offense is predictable, with the halfback Wilbert Montgomery representing the point of the attack. Minnesota has had difficulty in stopping a good running game The

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January 2,1981, The Putnam County Banner Graphic

Eagles will go without Charles Smith, their leading reciever. but Scott Fitzkee is an able replacement. Betting choice Philadelphia by 7. Dallas (12-4) at Atlanta (12-4) Landry calls the plays for tne Cowboys, and he will almost certainly be calling for Tony Dor sett to run “Any time Tony gains 100 yards or more we’ll Landry said last week The Falcon offensive line has been first-rate the quar terback, Steve Bartkowski, impeccable, and the running hacks. William Andrews and Lynn Cain, bruising Dallas has two players out on defense: Mike Hegman at linebacker and Randy Hughes at safety. Betting choice: Atlanta by 2.