European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 23, 1981, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 22 the stars and stripes january 1981 Jinx Beaver underneath Blands old the ghost still lives by Tom Washington Star when they came Back to the locker the Oakland raiders looked less like they Knelt Down and and Jim Plunkett practically took a fou Point then Gene Upshaw arose and awarded the game Ball to Al and Plunkett sent a clubhouse Man for his clothes because he didst think hed Ever make it through the mob to his at the locker next to Cliff Branch the ghost still though nobody got it right you dont win a Heisman trophy if youre not a Branch which int always the Way you hear it in the and Jim Plunkett exemplified a Winner he took us to the super ten badly jinxed and mostly junked years after his Heisman season at Plunkett is now 14 and 12 into a comeback that shows a legendary he int a ghost like Grange or Grange never died and Gipp never came Back to its Plunkett Story that seems to be from More storied none of which was what Branch he wears that old 16 that Blanda the wide receiver the ghost still in George Blanda just then entered the locker room looking around for and found him in an Annex towering everyone thinks the Black 16 is the quarterback coming of age looked up and told the ageless Blanda said with a Grin i didst have such big a i need Plunkett he Slid into the end zone on it for one of the four touchdowns Oakland scored in hardly More than a this game was from another time and another this old Al show started off with an immaculate and from then on be came a spectacle of 55and 65yard 60and 71yard yet at the the most Basic Ball control at plunk its command denied san Diego even the scant time the chargers require to make up a Plunkett did huh Davis said gleefully when he came out of that Little room ahead of he thought he was winning the Rose bowl striking an expected the German and Irish blood sloshing around in Jim Plunkett Combine to make him look More like an Indian or some Island an effect helped by a loud hawaiian he is larger than perhaps he looks on the standing weighing he has needed a big heart More than a big both of Plunkett parents were the who sold newspapers at a Street died in the Mother is still i thought i was going to come into the pros and go right to the Plunkett admitted when enough room was made finally for All of those who wanted to hear it didst work out that it the new England patriots crumbled around Plunkett and the san Francisco 49ers released that was the Low he and then spending a whole year 1978 with Oakland without playing a this very preseason he asked torn the head coach if you dont count to Trade Dan Pastorini had come in from Houston and been handed the i thought there was no Way to come Back from it in a Plunkett but i wanted to go anywhere and can i play i i doubted but i stuck it out pretty Branch said Jim had been playing too much with people who didst have enough but now he was with the raiders and i knew his Chance was coming if he because Pastorini didst know the and Jim if Pastorini haunt been injured in the seasons fifth game could the raiders possibly be going to the super bowl id rather not answer that Branch that answered asked if he had proved something to Plunkett said i dont care if i did or i proved something to completing 14 of 18 passes for 261 with no Plunkett pestered the chargers with those Short passes they despise but also popped a 48yarder to Branch in addition to that tipped opening touchdown pass to Raymond Chester that Al told went for if that the Way its going to i thought at the lets Oakland quarterback Jim Plunkett behind the a Heisman push lets i thought an i Felt i dont know How Calm i was but i Felt pretty in those last drives to Field Plunkett described the feeling in the Raider he talking about getting the Job no no confident we could get it a smile came Over him when he was asked to number his supporters during bad my he my close and Al kept say was this better than the Rose bowl you go on a Little he but in looking Forward to the super even if i haunt gotten this i think this year i proved that i can its All about being Branch Jim Plunkett is a very unselfish i always knew he was a Davis Al is the lord of us said the Genius with a Plunkett or keeps it i dont think Pete Rozelle will even show up at the super this is the first time two California cities will have a team in the super bowl and its the same Guy hits Gondola new Orleans a Ray Guy promised the Oakland fans he kick the Ball into the super dome in Stant replay tuesday Guy boomed a punt into the six sided gon suspended 90 feet above the but the nil wont give him a Chance to duplicate the feat in the super the they would be raised from their usual 90 feet to 200 feet for the nil sends super bowl programs to Germany for former hostages new Orleans a the nation Al football league shipped 100 souvenir super bowl Xiv game programs to the air Force Hospital at Ger wednesday for distribution to the 52 former who were released by Iran the game programs were sent on the same plane carrying former president Jim my Carter to Wiesbaden As special envoy of president nil commissioner Pete Rozelle also sent a personal note along with the super bowl Xiv will be televised into american military installations in West Germany sunday at Midnight through the facilities of the american forces television Leavell theft lets rockets eclipse suns by Mike Tully up sports writer truck Robinson May have scored 27 Points thanks to Allen he never scored the most important ones of i was fortunate enough to anticipate which Way Robinson would turn and i got a hand on the Leavell said wednesday re Ferring to his critical steal with one minute to play that helped Houston to a 106100 Victory Over the Phoe Nix it came free and i Ivas Able to come up with Moses Malone had 25 Point and 15 rebounds and Leavell hid 18 Points and nine assists but defensive play meant even More to the with one minute remaining and the rockets clinging to a 9998 Leavell stole the Ball and Aba Roundup drove the court for the decisive Bas he scored six Points in the final two we decided we had to play de sense to win this said Robert who had 17 Points and a Ca ree High 14 Reid added 17 Points and a Ca reer High 14rebounds and Calvin Murphy had 24 Points for for Dennis Johnson added 14 and Alvan Adams celtics jazz 87 Larry Bird had 20 10 re Bounds and 10 assists for which has won 10 in a 22 of and which has held four consecutive foes to less than 100 utahs Rookie sensation Darrell Griffith scored Only two his lowest this Adrian Dantley led the jazz with mixers pacers 104 Julius Erving scored 17 of his game High 31 Points in the third Quarter for Lionel Hollins added 14 Points and Essix or George Mcginnis led Indiana with 25 Points while James Edwards added nets supersonics 122 new jerseys Mike Mike Okoren and Darwin Cook scored in the first 90 seconds of overtime to Settle Mike Newlin led the nets with 35 Points and Gminski added 25 and Maurice Lucas Jack Sikma had 28 for followed by Paul Westphal with Kings spurs 108 Phil who missed part of the third period with a leg scored a season High 32 Points to help Kan Sas City Down its Midwest division rival for the first time in four games this clippers nuggets 116 Swen Nater scored eight of his 16 Points in the last four minutes to lift san which was led in scoring by Freeman Williams 23 David Thompson had 30 Points for Denver and Dan Issel added lakers Hawks 106 Jamaal Wilkes scored 26 Points and Norm Nixon hit four baskets in the final seven minutes to help los Angeles take advantage of which was playing without Wayne Rollins and Dan Bucks warriors 98 Milwaukee scored the last 10 Points five by Junior Bridgeman and four by Marques Johnson to win its sixth straight and 12th in
