European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 19, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday March 19,1989 the stars and stripes Page 25 euro nil would face empty seats by Larry Siddons London a teams would probably play in near empty stadiums if the National football league goes ahead with plans to place a springtime league in Europe sports officials and observers in some of the prospective venues say. A Survey by the associated press in five european countries mentioned As possible franchise Sites found Little Contact so far with the nil and doubts about where the teams would play and How they would be supported by fans More used to soccer. I doubt the games will draw any big crowds even if the or Guys arc doing their marketing Job Well said Yngve Sarlund a spokesman for sports authorities in Stockholm Sweden. Even in Britain where interest in american football probably is the highest in Europe officials count Only 25,000 to 30,000 dedicated fans and say a foreign sport played by foreign players probably would pro Duce about four limes More vacant scats than spectators in a 26.000-seat stadium. Other areas checked included West Germany Italy and Spain. All were mentioned by Minnesota Vikings general manager Mike Lynn As possible nil european Sites although Lynn also said that he was working from a i 5-Ycar-old list. American professional football is widely followed i Europe. The super bowl is televised live across the continent each january with millions of european staying up to watch. Football leagues with local players have sprung up from Nottingham to Naples. Virtually every euro Pean country has at least one publication devoted to the sport known As  world fiure Satin Ito bounces to women s championship Paris a Midori Llo put on stunning display of jumping to capture the first title Ever for Japan at the world figure skating championships saturday. Ito earned five 6.0s for technical Merit for a program that included seven triple jumps. At it 50 seconds into her Rou Tine she did a triple Axel the first time it has been completed by a woman in the world championships. Lio s program won the plaudits of the crowd and judges. In addition to the 6.0s, she received four 5.9s for the tech Nical Merit Marks. Her artistic impression scores were All 5.8s except for one5.9. The 19-year-old from Nagoya Japan shut the door on her opposition in a win nor take All showdown in the final free skating which counted 50 percent of the total score. She was third entering the final routine. Claudia Leistner of West German edged Jill Trenary of the United states for second. Both made a number of mis takes in their routines As they battled for the  fell Early while Trenary completed just two triple jumps and scale Down two double axes into singles in her program As her name was announced As Goldmedal St Llo s face lit up As her Turquoise and Blue sequined costume sparkled Smuch As she did. Trenary s american teammate Krist Yamaguchi skating in her first world championships put on a Strong performance to climb one place to sixth. Ito put on a jumping exhibition that was stronger than she did last year at the Calgary olympics where she was  was sixth at last year s world Cham  year with the top three of last season retired it came Down to a free skating Battle among Ito Leistner and  was no contest. I had no pressure on me Ito said. Wanted to do my  but the nil s idea would take this growing interest a big step further. The plan would create a farm system to allow nil clubs to try out untested prospects in Spring games. Most of the franchises in this league would be based i Europe although some might be in . Cities. Nil spokesmen Joe Browne described the plan As in the Early and i mean very Early discussion stage but the package is to be considered at the nil owners meeting starting sunday in Palm desert Calif. So far Steps to Lay the foundation for a european league have been very tentative the a Survey found. The italian Amateur football association said it had conducted talks with . Officials regarding . Pros playing there. It could be very useful for making this sport More popular in Italy said Vinconzo Brambilla. The federation s vice president. In Frankfurt the West German sports federation said it had a recent appointment with representatives to discuss the possibilities of league american foot  those talks however were cancelled for an unknown reason and have not been rescheduled Accord ing to a Secretary for Hermann Latz the federation official handling the matter. The Secretary also said the american football association in Cologne was involved in the proposal but that no written application had been submitted. Repeated attempts to reach the association by Telephone were unsuccessful. Officials and others with close tics la football in Barcelona Spain Stockholm Sweden and London said they knew of no Contact Between local authorities and the nil. They also said a springtime league would face prob lems and cause a few As Well. It takes such a Long time to remove the Yard lines on the soccer Field Mats Jansson. Secretary of the Dju Garden soccer team in Sweden said. Most european soccer leagues wind up their seasons in late april or Early May and the biggest stadiums would be reserved for those matches. We have nothing against american football Jansson said. But we would prefer to have All soccer games in one stadium and american football other sports and events like Rock concerts in another  the problem could be especially severe in Italy where most of the nation s major stadiums will be used for the soccer world cup in the late Spring and Early summer of 1990, Brambilla said. In London where sellouts of 80,000 fans have watched nil preseason games at Wembley stadium the last three Summers observers said a 10-Wcck Over seas league would have to find another site. Wembley starts to fill in in the Spring with soccer and other events and besides you re not going to draw 100.000 people every week although i would love to be proved wrong on that said Nick Price a London publicist who has been closely involved with football Here for four years. Price said a better venue would be Crystal Palace i Southeast London with 26,000 scats and Good football facilities. The London Ravens of the British Budweis or league play there and the stadium hosted a College game Between the University of Richmond and Boston University last october. Duke from Page 21 Japan s Midori Ito. No pressure on me at times Ito leaped so High she completed the rotations of her jumps with room to spare. The Only jump that gave her trouble was the triple Axel 3 a turns in the  landed it roughly but managed to slay on one foot and her Mouth opened wide when she realized what she had done. After that it was Clear sailing even doing a difficult double Axel As her final jump after a split  last. Trenary had a minute Chance to catch Ito if she had a perfect it cautiously after that. I can skate better Trenary said. I let my nerves get to me More than 1 Ever did before. I was disappointed with How i  Nesic of West Germany who was bom and raised in the United states came in fourth with Natalia Lebedeva of the soviet Union fifth. Cardinals and advanced to the Mcaa regional semifinals for the first time since 1985. The Zillini. Seeded no. I in the mid West hit their first six shots and 10 of their first 11, steadily pulling away from Ball state after the opening minutes of the second round game at the Hoosier dome. Ball state had 12 first half turnovers including eight on Illinois steals. Four More Cardinal errors in the first four minutes of the second half helped the Zillini to the first of three 15-Point leads their biggest of the game. Anderson Only the fourth player to score 20 or More Points against Ball slate All season was backed by Lowell Hamilton with 19 Points and Kendall Gill with 17. Curtis Kidd had 16 Points and Paris Mccurdy added 15 for the cardinals. Hamilton had seven Points during a 9 2 burst that put Illinois ahead 15-6 five minutes into the game. Ball state seeded ninth and coming off its first Victory in three appearances in the tournament trailed by seven Points two minutes later before Anderson scored and Gill added another Basket and a 3-Point goal follow ing successive turnovers by the Cardi nals. Illinois ranked third in the final associated press College poll raised its record to 29-4 going into the Midwest regional at Minneapolis on March 24. Ball state ranked no. 18 with the Best record in division i going into the game had a 16-game winning Streak snapped and finished 29-3. The cardinals Only rally came with less than six minutes left in the first half when a Streak of six Points including four on free throws Cut the Illinois Lead to 30-23. Their final comeback attempt ended Midway through the second half with an 8-2 Illinois spurt after Ball state closed within six. Oklahoma 124, Louisiana tech 81 Nashville Tenn. Cookie Blay lock scored 34 Points and Stacey King had 21 with is rebounds As fourth ranked Oklahoma recaptured its killer instinct and routed Louisiana tech in the second round of the Mcaa South cast regional. The top seeded soon cars. 30-5, showed a spark that had been missing for several games As they advanced to the regional semifinals for the third straight year. They will play next thursday in Lexington ky., against the Winner of sat urday s game be i tween Virginia and i Middle Tennessee state. Oklahoma made the 3-Point shot \ and the full court press part of its at Blalock tack again and dominated the bulldogs from the Start it was a performance reminiscent of the weeks when the soon cars were no. 1 in the country. Their first nine Points came on 3 pointers and the big eight regular sea son champions finished with 30 Points from that Range. Ninth seeded tech which beat la Sally in thursday s first round stayed with the soon cars in the Early going. A shot by Randy White who scored 18, tied the score at 17-17 with six minutes gone in the first half. Then the soon cars pressing relentlessly went on an 18-2 run in 5v minutes. Four players scored during the spurt led by Sec Clur Henry with six Points. Henry finished with 17. One of Tyrone Jones four first half 3 pointers started a 9-0 run moments later that stretched Oklahoma s Lead to 46-23. With tech shooting Only 28 percent in the half Oklahoma led by 24 at the break. The bulldogs got no closer in the second half. Oklahoma forced Only nine turnovers in its first round 72-71 Victory Over 16th-Sccdcd East Tennessee slate last thursday. The soon cars forced 29 sat urday As they scored 100 Points for the first time in five postseason games after having done it 17 times during the regu Lar season. The bulldogs champions of the Amer ican South conference ended their sea son 23-9