European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 22, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Wednesday August 22t 1990 the stars and stripes Page let 49ers defeat Broncos theft late Fig Denver apr defensive lineman Dennis Brown returned an interception 23 Yards to set up Mike Cofer s 22-Yard Field goal with 14 seconds left climaxing a 20-Point comeback that gave the san fran Cisco 49ers a 27-24 Victory Over the Denver Broncos. The 49ers, who trailed 24-7 Early in the second half after John Elway threw two touchdown passes and ran for another rallied behind backup quarterback Steve Young. A a a a a Elway staked Denver to an apparently comfortable 24-7 Lead As the Broncos sought to erase part of the stigma from their 55-10 super bowl Blowout loss to the49crs in last january a nil title game. Young replacing Joe Montana late in the first half had a pair of second half id passes. One was the 4-Yard flip to tight end Jamie Williams which tied the score 24-24 with 40 seconds to go. Two plays later Denver a Gary Kubiak threw a Short pass to fullback Melvin Bratton who hobbled the Ball and then knocked it into the air who his knee a right into the 290-Pound Brown s hands. Brown rumbled to the 4-Yard line where he was tripped up by Kubiak with 17 seconds left col or kicked the 22-Yardcr on the next play squaring san Francisco s pc season record at 1-1. Denver dropped to 2-1. Elway completed 14 of 17 passes for 177 Yards. Having what coach Dan Reeves has called his Best pc season Elway has completed 26 of 32 passes for 295 Yards in limited pc season action thus far. After running for a 2-Yard touchdown following a 49ers�?T turnover Elway capped an 80-Yard drive with a 13-Yard to pass to Vance Johnson for a 14-0 first Quarter Lead. He completed five of six passes on that drive. Kubiak replaced Elway for one series in the second Quarter but Elway returned with 1 26 left in the Hal National football Lea yet of a % 0 49cr quarterback Joe Montana is sacked by Bronco linebacker Karl Mecklenburg it first Quarter at Denver and directed a hurry up offence that produced a Field goal and a 17-7 halftime Lead. Elway then took Denver 77 Yards on the opening Possession of the second half before retiring. He completed All four or his passes for 72 Yards on that drive including the scrambling i4-yarder to Rookie Shannon Sharpe at the rear of the end one for a 24-7 advantage. Montana led san Francisco on a trademark 79-Yard, �18-play scoring drive Early in the second Quarter getting the score himself on a i Yard dive. He then gave Wray to Young who threw a Tohaid scoring pass to Rookie wide receiver Ronald Lewis As defender Elliott Smith misjudged the Ballon an apparent interception. That made it 24-17 late in the third. Quarter. Young s 25-Yard scramble with barely one mute left Sei up his tying to pass to Williams. Rozelle retired to California dreaming by Samantha Stevenson Rancho Santa be Calif not. M a his most difficult decision suspending Paul Hornung. His biggest mistake playing games two Days after president Kennedy was assassinated. His toughest project the merger with the american football league. For most of his three decades As commissioner of the National football league Pete Rozelle wrestled with these and other problems in a sport he nurtured into financial Security and Cnthu-3 spastic Public acceptance. J now Rozelle is living in retirement i with his wife Carrie in this moneyed Community 20 minutes North of san j Diego and his biggest project is overseeing the building of a new italian country i style Home overlooking a big Green Valley with stables pastures and the Ocean As a backdrop. A i did no to think much about retire foment. It started growing More and More As Carrie and i talked. We thought wed he to have another phase of our life be retirement rather than staying on the Job Back a so instead of being concerned about shaping pro footballs image and spending his Days in boardrooms or courtrooms Rozelle at age 64, has the Choice a i an afternoon at the race track eight a minutes away or helping his wife with some of the Many new projects in her film company Reding Roelle productions. Rozelle announced his retirement in March 1989, left the Job on nov. 21 and few to san Diego the next Day. At the time he appeared Ashen and a tired but last week he appeared Crisp in faultlessly tailored clothes relaxed and incongruously less Tan. Trying to be healthy he is spending less time in the Sun he said. He glowed when reflecting on the Early Days a Lombardi the old ownership the merger a but was More subdued when the conversation turned to the 1980s and their Many problems. He is disappointed that he left office without labor peace and most concerned that he is perceived to have lacked initiative in dealing with drug problems Rozelle said that no owner had caused him More problems than Al Davis the managing general partner of the raiders neither of us have invited the other one for lunch or although having yielded his Job to Paul Tagliabue Rozelle is still not far removed front current nil activities. He will remain As a consultant to the league for another six years. �?�1 have a financial arrangement that goes through 1996,�?� Rozelle main thing is that i have a continuing relationship. It was a big part of my life. The people in it i am very close to. I like to be around the players. Its not something i just want to Cut off or dispense with. Rozelle delights in needling his former staff m new York with Handwritten notes about his new lifestyle. Quot i was Reading our Community newspaper Quot Rozelle said smiling with his eyes twinkling. Quot i was struck with having left the East and the big metropolitan cities All the problems they have today. In our paper there was a Little Box. A crime log. And there were Fine items. Quot the first item had stolen 2 trash the last one was a malicious damage to four water i sent a copy of it to a lot of my the Rozelle arc part of the new Gentry that has bought land in a fashionable area of Rancho Santa be although they Are outside the 3.000-plus acres known As the covenant that is governed by an elite homeowners association. Rozelle once one of the highest paid executives in professional sports laughed at the notion that he had not qualified for an area that has the highest property values in California. The recurring question about resolving collective bargaining became a painful Echo to Rozelle during countless interviews in recent years. A a i am frankly rather dubious As to whether they can reach an agreement before some of the litigation winds Down or at least gels closer to an end a he said of the players and management Quot i think it s a tragedy because its too great a sport there is Money available for everyone not to have that bargaining agreement solved a he said. Rozelle Felt the Public often perceived the league in the wrong Light on their drug enforcement he continually found himself defending their position. Quot a think anytime i or any other commissioner would have enough information and have the Freedom to move on something they would a a he said. Quot but As far As the nil and other sports they have been tied up frequently by the players association who have blocked and fought testing. I think its very Rojle said he had been aware of drug use on teams since the 1 950s, Quot a knew about amphetamines a he said. Quot Greenier. But nobody knew Oiler eve nil commissioner Pete Rozelle. Finds better life on West Oast than they just keep you awake. We became More aware in the �?~60s. We had Early stories from our Security people but you would have to prove just like a court of Law to be Able to take sanctions against a player. Quot we want to be Able to test More establish it one two three and you re out but we would gel arbitration and come out with a decision splitting it Down die Middle. It would just cripple our Ai tempts to Zero in on it. A the most difficult decision he made. Rozelle said was suspending Paul i fuming for betting on football. "1 have a lot of respect for Hornung Quot Rozelle said. A the was a great football player but he was also a decent line Man. 1 railed Vince Lombardi and asked him to Fly in. Me came to the of fice. I said a Lake a look at tins Vince looked Al it. He said 11 Here son a one decision you can make. I said a Shafis he said a lets go Lias e a or in k
