European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 10, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday january 10, 1986 the stars and strides Page 23 commentary they once called it America s team it always seemed a bit presumptuous to be a Csc Ilire was such a thing As America s team " How could any group reflect purple Mountain mics pics the founding fathers Wyatt Earp. Apple pie not to mention Mcdonald a drive in movies an break dancing Only Texas would have tried on the notion that a team could represent the 50 states. Massachusetts would have been Loo traditional Ohio too polluted California too trendy. Texas was unique. Texas team was the cowboys Houston s oilers never rivalled the attention Given their Northern neigh Bors. Dallas represented growth size and Oil Money let others play in places like municipal stadium or Lambeau Field the cowboys would play in Texas stadium. Lei others entertain tans with Organ music Dallas would bring on the Cowboy cheerleaders. Let others discard head conches like dirty laundry Dallas would slay the course with Tom Landry it look a while for the cowboys to learn the ropes. Born in i960, the franchise needed six years before posting a winning season. Since then Dallas has be come a perennial contender winning the super bowl twice and finishing second three times. In its infancy no one dared called the cowboys America s team. But the Label stuck As the team continued to win facing the major networks to expand their coverage of the team from North Texas. It stuck because the cowboys won and the Caw boys won because they stayed ahead of the Competition. Landry May not have invented the Shotgun for mation but he was the one 16 make it Standard hire on offence defensively the cowboys offered the flex defense extra men in the secondary us safety blitzes. Such tactics left most learns running for cover invariably toward the losing end of the Field. As victories piled up. So did the cowboys fallowing. No one loves n Winner Mare than Ameri cans. Focus on any player whose  is ahead and you la find a we re no. I Finger waver. Americans love winning so much they la dress up in hog attire Bare i hair chests in bitter cold or fait victim to the belief that using a 300-Pound defensive lineman to catch a pass is Brilliant strategy. But winners Don t get pummel cd shut out. Blanked or humiliated. That s what happened to the cowboys saturday As lot Angeles used Eric Dickerson As n battering ramen route to a 20-0 Victory. Had it Only happened once you might Hiye for Eiven the Guys who Wear stars on their uniform. La Crone makes i Sakcs so Why should the cow boys be different but nut everyone is so pathetic As in lose 20-0 in the playoffs or 50-24 to the be Jials or 44-0 to Llic bears All in one season. This is America s team if America is outraged Over the humiliation of its team it has u curious Way of showing it. Silence has never been n hallmark of american culture yet Tew words have been uttered about the cowboys loss to the rums. Even the lowly Browns received More re views in defeat than the cowboys. The fact is America does t care about the cow boys and never did. America s football fans care Riboul winners that leaves the 1985 cowboys a Clud cd from the conversation. Not Long ago Dill Walsh of the 49crs was called a Genius. Now he s called a coach not Long ago he Washington offensive line was called the hogs. Today they re More like dead meat. The cowboys too suffered from the burdens of Nype of a slogan. They tried to be creative in the forefront of a nation that likes its heroes live and in color via television. And for a while the Dallas cowboys did just that. Tim Stan and str Len nil from Page 21 Gibson Fisk of contract terms and the staunch defense that shut out the cowboys. The bears blanked the new York giants to Advance to the conference championship matchup. The difference Between the giants and the rams is the offensive line said bears Middle linebacker Mike Singletary yet an other All pro they Are big physical and  comparing dickers to the giants Joe Morris sing Clary said the Guy we re going against this week is bigger has More Speed and is powerful. You can bring Morns Down with one Arm. Thai won t happen his we. The More Yards Dickerson Geti he better the offensive line gets and the Belier he  while he bean try to Stop the nil s one season Rushing record Holder the rams face the greatest statistical runner in nil history. To me said rams Cadi John Robin Ion Waller payt a epitomizes competitiveness. He s to football what Pete Rose is to baseball the dynamic Energy Payton brings to the game is fascinating to watch. As is the bean defense which was Superb in manhandling the Cianti. Toul i a great defense they have in Chi Cago said Robinson. And they re playing their Bat football right  in other nil Neus m Chicago coach Mike Ditka said he May iry to convince defensive end Richard Deal not to Boycott a possible super bowl appearance if the player s contract is not  had what Ditka labelled As one of the Bat performances in a playoff game he d Ever main sunday s 21-0 shutout of the  s agent. Everett Glenn indicated his client might stay Home should the bears get pail the ram in sunday s pfc championship game and reach the super bowl. The remaining 7,000 tickets for Sun day1 pfc championship at Soldier Field were old out in 19 minutes monday bears defensive lineman Dan Hamp ton and Reserve Back Dennis Gentry had Iti Tcha after the Victory Over the of anti Abo defensive lineman Steve Mcmichael had fluid drained from his knee and May it Jome practice Lime in Atlanta uni week but jul Slart in the pfc championship the bears said. Pro bowl Center Doug Smith or the rams will be activated off injured Reserve n he can go full Speed. By the associated press the Detroit tigers came to terms with outfielder Kirk Gibson and Catcher curl ton Fisk reached agreement with the Chi Cago while sox As major league baseball clubs worked hard to sign their free agents before wednesday night s deadline. The 28-year-old Gibson and the 38 year old Fisk were two of several free agent players who agreed to contracts with i hair clubs before the Midnight deadline others were tigers third baseman Tom Brookens reliever Donnic Moore of Cali fornia Brothers Phil and Joe Niekro both pitchers and Catcher dutch Wynegar of he new York Yankees and second base Man Tony Bernazard and Pitcher Jamie Easterly of the Cleveland indians under the free agent system players who reject their team s offers and choose not to go to Alary arbitration had until 11 59 . Est wednesday to re sign after the deadline learns must wait until May i to negotiate with their free agents. In the meantime free agents arc eligible to negotiate or sign with any other team. The one player left unsigned was Pinch hitting specialist Kurt Bevacqua of san  spokesman Dan Ewald said Gib son s agent Doug Baldwin agreed to a three year contract moments before the deadline. Ewald said the club s longstanding offer of s3.9 million was in the Ball  s not precise but it s close Ewald said. He said Gibson s agent has the con tract before him now in Seattle. All he has to a is sign it and return  Gibson was on his honeymoon in Australia and had Given Baldwin his Power of attorney. As of Early thursday morning Baldwin had no returned Telephone Mes sages left earlier wednesday at his office. Fisk who hit 37 homers and drove in 107 runs last season came to terms on a two year contract. The agreement was actually reached Early thursday morning after he major league player relations committee gave he two sides a two hour Extension on the deadline. It was Only because of that that i hey were Able to work it out White sox spokesman Paul Jensen  re delighted we worked it out. Said Jerry Reinsdorf White sox chairman of the Board. It was a Long and difficult negotiation but a great Deal of integrity always remained. The differences were worked out basically because Carlton wanted to come Back Detroit slugger Kirk Gibson Fisk had sought a three year contract but the while sox had offered a three year pact thai called for a decrease in salary each year. Recently the while sox had hoped to sign Fisk and Trade him to the new York Yankees in Exchange for designated Hitler Baylor. Brookens agreed to a two year Deal which will pay him $360,000 per year with an option for a third year Ewald said. Moore s contract was for three years. No other terms of the agreement were disclosed. "1 really wanted to be in Angel again said Moore who had a club record 31 saves in 1985. It s really Nice i m Kinda speechless. There was always Hope. We simply got together and both sides Bent a Little the 46-year-old Phil Niekro mean while agreed to a one year contract with the Yankees. Phil has won 16 games each of the past two years for the Yankees and picked up the 300th Victory of his career at the end of last season. The 4l-year-o d Joe. Acquired from the Houston astros in. Agrees to three year Deal mid season agreed to a three year Deal. And Wynegar accepted a contract for three years with an option for a fourth. Bernazard signed a two year contract with an option for a third with the indians and Easterly signed a two year Deal with no option year Cleveland spokesman Bob Dibiasio said. Easterly reportedly was offered about j360.000 Pur season. He made about 1340,000 last season. Gibson one of the american league s lop Power hitlers and coming off a season in which he hit .287 Wilh 29 homers and 97 Rols and stole 30 bases was the big s so name among potential free  had been asking for a five year contract. No More names were added wednesday to the three who have filed for salary arbitration since the period for tiling began sunday. Pitcher Jesse Orosco of the new York mets Catcher Alan Knicely of the Philadelphia Phillies and Pitcher Jeff Dedmon of the at Lanta braves filed previously. Other players who did not become free agents but Are unhappy with the 1986 Sal Ary offered by their clubs have until Jan. 15 to ask in writing for arbitration