European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 28, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday August 28,1989 the stars and stripes Page 23 a ranks wolverines no. 1 by he associated press Michigan s football team is picking up where Michi Gan s basketball team left o to no. 1 in the country. Five months after winning the Mcaa basketball championship the wolverines arc the preseason pick As the nation s lop College football team in the associated press top 25 poll. Michigan received 23 first place votes and 1,439 Points to Edge defending National Champion notre Dame. The fighting Irish who visit Ann Arbor on sept. 16, were ranked no. 1 on 20 ballots and received 1,378 Points. The Only other teams receiving first place votes were Nebraska 10. Miami 4southern California i and Florida slate 2. Nebraska is ranked third followed by Miami Southern Cal Florida stale Louisiana state Auburn Urcla and Arkansas. Penn state coming off its first losing season in 50 years is ranked 11th, followed by Clemson Syracuse Colorado Oklahoma Alabama West Virginia Arizona Brigham Young Pittsburgh Houston Illinois Iowa North Carolina state and Ohio state. The a is expanding its rankings from 20 to 25 teams this season. Sixty sports writers and sportscasters vote in the weekly poll which awards 25 Points for first place. 24 for second and so on. Although most of Michigan s starters return from last year s 9-2-1 Rose bowl champions. Coach to  is downplaying talk of a National title. I Don t care about All that he said. We re going to try to have a year like last year. We had a lot of heartaches but we had a lot of fun  asked if the preseason ranking puts More pressure on his team  said being no. I does t bother me. The writers probably like us or they would t have voted that Way. Of course we May or May not be that  two of Michigan s top three quarterbacks were recently declared ineligible but the wolverines still have senior Michael Taylor who started the first nine games last season before breaking his Collarbone. This is the second time Michigan has been ranked no. I in the a preseason poll which started in 1950. The wolverines also were the top pick in 1981, but they lost their opener to Wisconsin went 9-3 and finished 12th in the final rankings. The Only time Michigan finished first in the final a poll was 1948. Since Schum Buchler became coach in 1969. The wolverines Besl final ranking was no. 2in 1985. Noire Dame which has won eight National championships opens its season thursday night against Vir Ginia in the Kickoff classic. The fighting Irish have lost several key players because of injuries academics and disciplinary problems but plenty of Talent returns from last year s undefeated team. Nebraska has never won a National championship under Tom Osome. But the Corn huskers Lead the nation with 27 consecutive winning seasons. 20 straight bowl appearances and 20 seasons in a Row with at least nine wins. Last season Nebraska was 11-2 and finished 10th in the final poll. Miami which has won two National championships in the 1980s, finished second last season to notre Dame which handed the hurricanes their Only loss in 12 games. The team must adjust to a new coach and a new quarterback but Little drop off is expected. This year s preseason top 25 includes 16 teams from last season s final top Twenty. The newcomers Are Penn state Colorado Arizona Brigham Young Pittsburgh. Illinois Iowa. North Carolina stale and Ohio stale. A total of 54 teams received votes. Giants win Battle of new York by the associated press George Adams scored the go ahead touchdown from inches out on fourth Down and Rookie . Greene returned an interception 65 Yards for a touchdown to Lead the giants to a21-17 Victory Over the jct sat East Rutherford no. Saturday night in the annual preseason game for bragging rights to new York. The Victory kept the giants undefeated in three preseason games while the jets arc 1-2. Adams gave the giants a 14-10 Lead with 10 57 to play by capping a 17-Yard drive set up when Michael nil exhibitions Harper of the jets fumbled a punt return and Greg Baty recovered. Greene a ninth round draft pick stepped in front of Kyle Mackey s pass to Titus Dixon on the next so Ries and went Down the left sideline to score with 6 29 to play. Meanwhile in Oakland Calif. Al Davis gave Hometown fans a night to remember a game of brawling foot Ball just like the old Days then left town without a word on whether the raiders would return. Davis los Angeles raiders for Merly of Oakland and perhaps headed there again lost a game saturday night but created a lot of memories for 50,000 diehard fans. It was inspirational and it was emotional Davis said though he did t like the Way the game ended a 23-21 Victory by Houston on a i Yard touchdown run by Allen pick Ett with three seconds left. This was the Best crowd i be seen since i be been in the pros said Raider receiver Zvillie Gault who caught an 11-Yard to pass from Jay Schroc Darin the first Quarter. The teams got caught up in the excitement with a half dozen fights breaking out on the Field. In other games saturday it was Philadelphia 38, Pittsburgh 14 new England 23, Atlanta 7 Phoenix 21,Cleveland 7 Denver 24, Dallas 21 Indianapolis 30 Tampa Bay 0green Bay 27. Buffalo 24 and the la. Rams 24, Minnesota 14. Final grand slam show opens monday in . By Bill Glauber the Baltimore Sun new York bring on the Thunder of 747s circling overhead the stockbrokers turned spectators the smog the heat the rain the matches that begin before noon and others that end after Midnight the human traffic Jam along the outer courts and the mayhem on a Center stage named Louis Armstrong stadium. It s called the 1989 . Open. The final grand slam show on the world Tennis circuit opens its two week run monday at the National Tennis Cen Ter an Urban theater near Shea stadium and Laguardia Airport. Melbourne Australia has its retractable roof. Roland Garros its red Clay an Wimbledon its grass carpet and Royal family. All the open offers is corporate clutter hard courts and the Roar of a mob. The ultimate new York experience. Guerrilla Tennis. Sandwiched into this volatile setting is a sport quaking from a generational take Over. Goodbye Chris Evert. Hello Mon Ica Seles. Who s hot Michael Chang. Who s not Andre Agassi. John Mcenroe at age 30, is an elder statesmen. Jimmy Connors who turns 37 during the open is an elder period. Evert 34, makes her 19th and final open appearance. Can l believe it it says so right there in a sports illustrated article Evert dictated to Curry Kirkpa trick. After winning 157 singles championships and 18 grand slam singles crowns and amassing nearly $9 million in career earnings. Evert is leaving the Road to Bike hike Cook and become a full time wife to her husband Andy Mill. I wish everybody would do me a favor and not mention the significance of this open she said. Don l remind me it s the last one. I hate any tone of finality. I be never had to Deal with end Ings. Even winning the tournament won t necessarily make the ending Happy. Giving up Tennis will leave a void in my life  Evert said it was unlikely she could win the tournament for a seventh Lime. The reason Steffi Graf. If not f9r eating a tainted slice of pizza or wilting from the relentless precision of Spain s Aranta Sanchez vicar to in the French open final Graf would be aiming for her second straight grand slam. Instead she will try to win her second open title adding it to the aus Sec Fol Graf of West Germany will he seeking her second . Open title this week. Ralian and Wimbledon crowns. The men s draw is filled with questions. Whatever happened to Mats Wilander will Boris Becker s aching Back flare up has Brad Gilbert really won three straight tournaments will Stefan Edberg finish a wonderful year As a three time loser in the grand slam finals is Mcenroe ready for one final run can Chang repeat his French open magic it Agassi edging toward Tennis greatness or is he merely the world s highest paid male Model the answer to All of these questions probably can be summed up in two words Ivan Lindl the Squire of Greenwich conn., May walk away from this tournament As the open s player of the decade. You could look it up seven straight final appearances and three titles. Char isma does t count in this contest. The Only other men who come close to Matching Lindl s open record Are Mcenroe with three crowns in the 1980s, and Connors with two. Wilander won his first open last year then Slid Down the  has a slim Chance to win his fourth title of the decade and fifth Over All. Honest. Forget the straight set loss reabsorbed against Lindl in Toronto. He is displaying flashes of temper and Genius. And now he is on his turf. But this sport can treat older players harshly. It s made f9r the Young who Rise like comets streaking across the Tennis Galaxy before flaming out. So there is Agassi trying to silence his critics who yearn to see competitive desire not Fash Lon Abl Denim. And Chang a teen who plays like a Sage. And Becker the mature Wimbledon King who has yet to conquer the  turn May come. Jets. Crowds. Action. Only in new York