European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 8, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday january 8, 1987 the stars and stripes Page 19 commentary big game to hum who cores most red blooded americans would whee dle and scheme just to be in giants stadium on sunday when those magnificent linebackers try to sack Jay Schmo Cocrof the redskins. After the latest Legal assault on a quarterback last sunday against the 49crs, the giants look like an excellent team just gathering momentum in the most critical weeks or the season. Those Royal and positive souls known As giant fans cannot imagine losing to a team they have already beaten twice this year. One Man will be among the missing however. Mayor Edward i. Koch has pulled off a plot worthy of Machiavelli. Or maybe even the great Al Davis himself. He has managed to skip football and give a High moral reason for doing it and he has also Man aged to avoid any kind of Wager with his fellow May ors. What a Guy although the giants now play their games in a state to the West of new York they have roots in the City. The City s population and image helped create the giants and its tax dollars helped shelter the giants until they got a better offer that is. Despite the defection most mayors would have volunteered for a diplomatic Mission to new Jersey for such a big game but Koch has found a loophole. It is no secret thai the mayor is not exactly a sports fan. He flings up his arms and Waves to the voters but the weary campaigner s smile cannot Dis Guise his ennui during obligatory trips to the Ball Park. And when the mels win a championship he puts on his oldest suit and makes the Best of it even when people he never heard of. Named Carter and Hernan Dez and Strawberry squirt Champagne at him. The Man obvious likes travel. Chinese food movies books and making statements on foreign pol icy. Everybody needs a Hobby and he has his share. With the giants playing the redskins on sunday for the right logo to the super bowl the mayor could t just come out and say. Dec huh fifteen min utes of sporadic action three hours of wailing Dur ing commercials i should freeze outdoors in january just to be part of a studio audience no  like one of those new York Street signs written with Kochian inflection Don t even think of parking Here he might have said Don t even think of making me  instead the mayor found a Way out of this morass while upholding the very integrity of his of fice. Last year Koch made a bet with mayor Dianne fins twin of san Francisco Over the outcome of the 49crs-giants playoff game and fins twin paid off with a dozen prime steaks. Why she did t Send Aba Lone or dung Sciss crab or dim sum from any restau rant on Grant Street is another question. This year when fins twin proposed the same Wager Koch referred her to a municipality in the swampland. He said he thought they made a very Nice Choc Sestak Sandwich in Moo Wachic which he pronounced Mah Noo Che instead of Moo  this year Koch said he was not interested in Back ing a team that had left new York. The sly dog also managed to avoid the ghastly stadium food and the dreadful traffic jams around a stadium unreachable by subway or train. Not Only that but the mayor avoided a Wager with the mayor of Washington a City once described by rep. Tom Downey the basketball playing Democrat from Long Island As a theme  its theme is government and politics. New York is known for its pasta its chinese food its Fine French sauces maybe even a Little potato Pancake Here and there. Washington s most tangible product is paper the c9ngrcssional record vol Umes of statistics and publicity releases from elected officials to constituents. Imagine the mayor cheering while Harry Carson and his pals flatten the redskins on sunday and the next Day receiving a truckload of confetti from Oliver North s paper shredder no sired Koch is no fool. He has managed to get new York virtually to himself on sunday which will be the closest Day the Region is Likely to Ever have to staging a super bowl. I should t be telling you this but new York is at its Pacific Best when everybody is watching a big game. In the years when i was not working in sports we used to spend super bowl sunday in Midtown wherever there was not a television set. Never will i forget the civility of head waiters glad to find us a quiet table eager to inform us of the specialities of the Day. I recall one touch of football mania when Maestro Michta requested thai patrons refrain from wearing radio earphones during the con Cert let they cheer out loud during the cello Solo. With football fans All present and accounted for in front of the lube you could walk at a brisk Pace on the sidewalks. You could browse through the stacks at a record store. You could do your grocery shopping for the week. You could buy a new wardrobe. Whatever else you want to say about him de Koch knows his City. While those patient faithful giant fans arc cheering their heroes at least until Phil Simms misses on third Down new York is going to be Paradise. The  Yak Tom Mcaa from Page 17 a photo Oklahoma s Brian Bosworth wears to shirt attacking the Mcaa at the Orange bowl. Boz from Page 17 i have mentioned and everybody else would accept my sincerest apology Tom Mccurdy a member of the okla homa Board of regents said tuesday he had received 25 to 30 Telephone Calls in support of Switzer s action. Bosworth was banned by the Mcaa from playing in the Orange bowl because drug tests snowed he had used steroids. He later blasted the Mcaa for its drug testing policy and during the Orange bowl game wore a to shirt that read National communists against  Mccurdy said he was contacted by former sooner football players who said if Switzer had not reacted to Boson a s conduct he would in time lose control of the  in his statement monday Switzer said Brian is one of the greatest players to have Ever performed for the sooner. I am sure his future with the National football league will parallel if not exceed his career accomplishments at the University of  Ball playoff comes from the Public and the Media. The institutions do not seem As interested he said. There have been several studies previously into a major College football playoff system. It is the Only Mcaa sport which does t have a National championship playoff. Football teams in divisions i a ii and Iii have had play offs for several years. One advantage Well have this time is Well know what happened with the fiesta bowl Dodds said. Top ranked Miami fla., and no. 2 Penn state both independents met in a championship showdown in the fiesta bowl. The game won 14-10 by Penn state Drew intense interest around the country. I m not sure what the factors will be in the decision Dodds said. I can t speak for others. But some of the considerations would be the time demands on the student athletes Public interest interest among the coaches and the  we go through this every year said Dan Mcnamara a member of the Orange bowl committee. The playoff thing goes on and on. This is the farthest the process has gone a we Don t think it will happen. This is just a committee of the Mcaa. Even if the idea is approved it s still got to go to the Mcaa Council and then to the  the sugar bowl would t feel compromised by a major College National championship playoff according to Tom Wicker the president of the 33-year-old postseason game. Basically All bowls have traditionally been opposed to playoffs generally Wicker said when contacted in new or leans. If the playoff system which is still a Long Way off is adopted the sugar bowl will adapt to anything the Mcaa advances. I am assuming that the playoff games would be played following the bowl games. How the Sites will be selected we still Don t  Erickson oks 5-year Deal with Usu Spokane Wash. A Wyom ing s Dennis Erickson confirmed tues Day night that he will sign a five year contract to become Washington state University s new head football coach. Erickson arrived tuesday night at Spokane International Airport with Usu athletic director Dick Young said he decided to accept Usu s offer monday night in san Diego where he was attending the Mcaa Conven Tion after Ponder ing the offer for More than a week. Erickson Wyoming is on Usu s schedule for the 1987 season.  s Good to be Back Erickson said upon his arrival. I be always wanted to coach at  Erickson fills the vacancy left by Jim Walden who resigned dec. Is after nine years As head coach to Lake the head coaching position at Iowa state. Erickson said his contract will be Simi Lar to the one Walden had and offered to bring his entire staff from Wyoming if they wanted to come. Many of his assist ants were also with him when he coached at the University of Idaho. Erickson 36, is an Everett native whose father Pinky Erickson was an assistant coach at Usu from 1968 to 1973. I was bom and raised in the stale Eric Luon once said in an interview. I be always been a Cou Jar All my  at Wyoming he scrapped the wish Bone in favor of a More daring passing game and the cowboys improved from 3-8 in 1983 to 6-6 last season