European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 18, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday january 16, 1987 the stars and stripes Page 21 sports Donahue rejects offer by Atlanta los Angeles a Urcla coach Terry Donahue facing what he called a no lose situation Friday turned Down a Multi million Dollar offer to coach the Atlanta Falcons of the National football league Donahue who was approached by he Falcon last tuesday rejected a five year offer that reportedly would have paid him a minimum of j2.5 million he earns approximately 1250,000 per year at Urcla where he has a five year con tract that Renews in self every year. I made a decision to stay at Urcla Donahue said at an afternoon news con Ference on Campus. I m delighted with that decision. In terms of dollars obviously there s a difference. I never did do Well in math at Urcla anyway. I certainly feel the Opportunity the Atlanta Falcons offered me was unique and very special. I Don t think an Opportunity like that Wilt Ever be presented to me again. I had to look at that. That was something t had to look at very hard and i did look at it very hard. What was really appealing in Atlanta was not the financial considerations. I live a comfortable life in California. The Appeal was the Challenge of the nil and the Opportunity to go in and build a pro Gram in Atlanta Donahue said. It was a very Nice position to be in. In my mind i could t go wrong either Way. I really had a no lose situation. 1  Boot takes 3-1 cup Lead Fremantle Australia a stars & stripes Rode a powerful wind to a runaway 3-Rninutc, 38 second Victory Over a limping new zealand saturday bringing the american boat skippered by Den Nis Conner to within one Victory of the America s cup finals. The Southwest Breeze reached 27 knots and favored the heavier Stan &. Stripes which look a 3-1 Lead in the Best of seven challenger finals. Kookaburra ill s 2 06 Victory Over Australia in saturday in the defenders finals was equally impressive. It gave Kookaburra Iii a 3-0 advantage in the Best of nine series. The winners of the two series will meet in the Best of seven America s cup finals beginning Jan 31. With one More Victory Conner will get the Chance to re gain the cup from Australia which won it in 1983 after 132 years of american control. The heavy chop on the Indian Ocean battered both challenger boats but new zealand a lighter vessel made of fibreglass suffered the most. A backstay broke Early in the race causing Mast prob lems and late in the race a Large rip appeared in the Mainsail but by that time Conner s Victory was virtually certain. Stan & stripes which lost the third race after a Spinnaker col lapsed because of a snap shackle problem had no equipment difficulties saturday. Just had to decide t put a deadline of 9 o clock this morning somewhere around 3 or 4 this morning i  Donahue s decision was announced Friday morning by Taylor Smith executive vice president of the Falcons who said that Donahue decided it was in his Best interest to remain at Urcla where he was Well  we obviously Felt he was a qualified candidate and Are disappointed in the decision but respect it Smith said. Donahue. 42, has compiled an 88-34-7 record in 11 years at Urcla. The Bruins have appeared in bowl games fallowing each of the last six seasons and have won their last five postseason appearances. They were 8-3-1 this season including a 31-10 Victory Over Brigham Young in the Freedom bowl. Donahue had been recommended to the Falcons by Dick Vermeil a former Urcla and Philadelphia eagles coach who also rejected an offer from the nil team on dec. 27. Smith said the Falcons would have no further comment until a successor has been found for Dan Henning who was fired the Day after the regular season ended. Louisville coach Howard Schnellen Burger was often mentioned in reports As a candidate for the Job until he held a news conference last week to say he Mchale Bird set Pace Urcla s Terry Donahue. Resolves no lose situation planned to remain at Louisville the Falcons have also talked to Rollie Dotsch coach of the Birmingham Stal Lions of the United Stales football league according to newspaper reports. Vermeil also has recommended Illinois coach Mike White Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator Bob Schnelker and Washington redskins quarterback Roach Jerry Rhome. White issued a statement Friday say ing he Falcons had not contacted him and As 1 have stated before i am very Happy to be at the University of Ullh celts beat cars in of by the associated press Boston gelling 38 Points from Kevin Mchale and 35 from Larry Bird the Boston celtics won for the 10th Lime in ii games beating Cleveland 133-128 in overtime Friday night to extend the Cavaliers Boston Garden losing Streak to 21 games. Cleveland tied the game at 122-122 on Rookie Ron Harper s jump shot As Regula Tion play ended. Mchale and Bird made two free throws apiece to Start the extra period but the cars came Back to a 126-126 tie on baskets by Harper and John w11 Liams. Bird put Boston ahead again with two More free throws and then hit Dennis Johnson with a Lead pass to set up a breakaway for a Layup. Craig Ehlo Sank a Hook shot to pull Cleveland within two again with seven seconds remaining but Jerry Sichting Aba Roundup made three free throws for Boston. Harper finished with 30 Points Brad Daugherty added 26 and Williams and John Bagley had 24 apiece for Cleveland which has not won at the Garden since oct. 13,1978. Robert Parish and Dennis Johnson had 20 Points each for the celtics who increased their record to 26-10 for a s a game Lead in the Atlantic division in other Aba games Friday rockets 112, pistons 106 Pontiac Mich. The Houston rockets got 33 Points from Akeem Ola Juwon and survived a late scare to extend their longest winning Streak of the season to five games Detroit with Vinnie Johnson and Joe Dumars getting 18 Points apiece and Bill see Aba on Page 25 Ditka May quit bears paper says Chicago a Mike Dilka threatened to resign As coach of the Chi Cago bears last week and still May leave the team he led to the super bowl championship last year according to reports published in the Chicago Tribune. When Ditka first heard last week that Jerry Vainisi Hii close personal Friend was being Lei go As general manager he tried to talk Mike Mccaskey club presi Dent out of it and threatened to quit reporter Don Pierson wrote in the trib Une. Ditka strongly hinted to friends that he will will Noi work Tor Mccaskey beyond the 1987 season when his contract expires Pierson who helped Ditka write his autobiography last year wrote. Brian Hewitt who covers the bears for the Chicago Sun times wrote it May be Only a matter of time before Ditka goes Hewitt quoted a source close to the bears As saying Vainisi was the glue that held this organization together. Had Mike Ditka left Jerry Vainisi would have  Ditka was visibly upset thursday at a news conference announcing Yamisi s departure. He said he was very very Hurt by Mccaskey s decision to let Vai Nisi go. On Friday afternoon radio station wbb am quoted sources saying the Atlanta Falcons whose offer of a head coaching position was turned Down by Urcla s Terry Donahue had asked the bears for permission to talk with Ditka. The Falcons promptly denied that re port. To my knowledge nobody has contacted us to talk to Mike did bears spokesman Bryan Harlan. Besides their personal Friendship Dilka and Vainisi Are partners in a Chi Cago restaurant and nightclub. On thursday Mccaskey old report in he was confident thai Ditka will have a Long coaching career As head coach of he Chicago  Vainisi 45, was one of the three men along with Dilka and Bill Tobin player personnel director that operated the defending super bowl champions. But 10 Days after the bears lost their nil playoff opener 27-13 to the Washington redskins Mccaskey said Vainisi and the bears agreed to part  fired is too harsh a word said Mccaskey grandson of the late George Halas the bears founder Vainisi is being kept on As a Consul Tant until a contract payoff can be worked out he said. Clippers Deal Maxwell to Houston Pon Telic Mich. A the hous ton rockets attempting to fill the void created by the ban of guards Lewis Lloyd and Mitchell Wiggins acquired Veteran Forward Cedric Maxwell from the los Angeles Clipper on Friday for a first round 1987 draft pick and a third round Choice in 1988. The Trade was announced in a press release distributed prior to the Start of Friday night s game Between the sockets and the Detroit pistons. The rockets third in the Aba Midwest division re signed eight year Veteran guard Allen Leavelt earlier this week. Lloyd and Wiggins were banned after they tested positive for drug use. The action against the Houston players was announced tuesday by Aba commissioner David Stern. If the players had come Forward voluntarily they would have had a Chance to seek treatment without being banned. The 31-year-old Maxwell was in his second season with the clippers whose 5-31 record is by far the worst in the league. The 6-fool-s Maxwell known As co bread spent eight years with the Boston celtics after paying College Ball at North Carolina Charlotte. I think we got a basketball player who is belter than anybody that would have been available to us in the first round of the draft Houston coach Bill Fitch said after the rockets 112-106 Vic tory Over Detroit. We will be Able to play Akeem Ola Juwon Ralph Sampson Maxwell Rodney Mccray and Robert Reid to Gether and i know i would have trouble Matching up against that  Maxwell was the celtics first round Choice in 1977, the 12th player drafted Overall. Maxwell whose career scoring average is 13.7 Points per game was averaging 13.6 this season for the clippers. He came to loj Angeles for Center Bill Wilion. Last season Maxwell averaged 14.1 Points per game. He was the Aba playoff map in 1981 and also played on the celtics 1984 championship learn. Maxwell led the league in Field goal percentage in 1979 with.is4 and in 1980 with .609