European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 21, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday april 21,1989 the stars and sth1pes Page 23 High scoring suns win. V. With lights out defense by Walter Berry Phoenix a the Phoenix suns boast the Aba s no. I of tens and they have scored 277 Points in their last two games which were re Cord setting blowouts. But As their winning Streak has grown to eight games the suns also Nave tone a dig Job on defense. We be been emphasizing defense in practice with the playoffs coming up said Forward Tom Chambers who leads the team in both scoring 25,8 and re bounding Barry Vun Fly new York. A if on it was 15 83 again. Thai s How just about every nil Gen eral manager and director of personnel feels about the draft in the last decade. If every crop of available College players was As talented and deep As it was in 1983,-they might not have to spend every waking minute breaking1 Down film making personal scouting trips or Cheek ing out tips. The 83 was a Ery deep draft says Dick Steinberg player development director for the patriots. Not Only the quarterbacks six went on the first round. Curl Warner and Eric Dick Sori were in. That draft  adds Jim Finks no general manager of the saints but six years ago the Cuti Cago hears team president one year that jumps out Al me is 1983. As an idea of the Quality of player Buffalo got Jim Kelly Chicago we Jot Jimbo it Vert and Willie Paull. Cincin Nati got Dave Rimington Denver got Chris Hin Lon and Baltimore took John Elway and they made the Trade of two Quality players. Detroit got James Jones who is still very productive Hoiu Ion got Bruce mat thews a guard from Southern cat. The rams got Eric Dick Crown. And Miami got Dan manna. New England got Tony Eason and the pcs got Ken o Brien.  my that draft stands out. A Cou ple of those Guys look to me As if they have it Good poor Unity to wind up in Canton  if there was a Hall of Fame for drafts 1983 certainly would be in it. Elway Marino Eason o Brien Kelly and Todd blackly dec How did he get in there John Elway Eric Dicki Rynn Jim Kelly Puiul curl Warner arc products of 83 draft. Were selected in a first round. Elway was. The top pick followed by Warner Dickerson and Hinton. Darrell Green silly Ray Smith and Joey Browner also were first rounders. But you Don t measure the strength of a  by the top 28 picks Down in the eighth round the bears found Kich Jiff Dent Cincinnati tame up with Tim Nimrie in 10th and Denver Dis covered Karl. Mecklenburg on the 2lh and final round. All three have been All pros. Not everyone prospered in 83. Pittsburgh s first Choice was Gabe Rivera a Massic defensive tackle from Texas a4m who was Parale cd in an Auto Accident and never played for the sect cars. Pittsburgh got virtually nothing from that draft Kansas City needing a Pisser went for Abc pledge of National Champion 1 can slate when Marino Kelly. Eason and o Brien were around Blackledge was a bust. Overall however no group in this decade compares with s3, we can Only dream of coming up with another group like that one says Mike Hickey who handles inc draft for the jets. Kicky and the jets were thrilled by last year s grab bag even though it was considered to Lack substance beyond the first 50 players. If any team proved that wrong it was the jets who got safety  the defensive Rookie of the year and James Hasty who could be just As Good on the Corner in the third round lots of times Loo much focus is put on he1 no  jots coach Joe Walton says. The Mou important picks Are the mid rounds Ashen you can Gulso Mclarn Good football players like we did last year. If pc come out of this one with whal we got last year Well be  a lot of folks were smiling coming out of the 19s-1 draft. In the second round Cincinnati grabbed Boomer Esiason and Atlanta got sell Case. Both Mem to this year s pro bowl. So have Fredd Young whom Seattle drafted on the third round Michael car Ter taken on the fifth by san Francisco and Earnest byner to bargain basement pick for Cleveland on round 10, since 1984, none of them have been that  Steinberg says. I know that there s been a smaller College age population which has affected a lot of industries not Only football. There s also been a lot of injuries not Only in the pros but in College. A lot of football types Are playing basketball defensive ends and tight ends because of the exposure basketball gets. Proposition 48 is a Factor. Instead of practising and working and devel Oping for five years and playing for four icy re Only developing for three years thai s two years lost. I m sure thai drugs and steroids Are   Al the beginning of the 80s. Drugs arid so crowds weren t nearly As big an Issue in football. But they have changed the com. Pm Ixion of inc draft Hickey says you can t afford. To Lake a steroid Type Hickey  is using and Greis caught you be blown it. He could be Tost to the team for some Lime and when he gets off it he s a different Guy while the cims and personnel people might yearn for the simpler Days of ear Lier decades they also keep in mind that it matters Little How Good an entire crop is As Long As they pick the Best of it. What turned out Good for the new Orleans saints Finks says of 19s6, particularly in the second and third rounds Calion Milliard rub in macs and Pat Swilling did not necessarily fall Well for the other clubs the one thing i have Learned in the few campaigns i have been around is that none of them arc a sure thing not even the class of 83, but it was close