European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 21, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 22 b the stars and stripes thursday March 21,1991 a by Rob Staggenborg. Staff writer. The big question lingers Over Europe. / the question is not one of economic or political nature. No its athletics. American football to be precise. The question deals with the world league of Amer ican football a Debutante daughter of the National football league will it work the new Spring league will provide an answer at 8 . Saturday in Frankfurt Germany where the Galaxy plays Host to the London monarchs in the first Olaf game. Ten teams a three from Europe one from Canada and six from the . A begin play this weekend in what some scoffing critics say is a hapless venture. Yet Olaf officials including world league i resident Mike Lynn have High expectations for the eague. Talk of expanding the world league to Tokyo and Moscow next season abounds a a put it this Way a said Joe Bailey the leagues no. -2 Man behind Lynn a we have no contingency plans for it not to with the big question looming Here show the european division shapes up London monarchs world league european division preview whom Hicks Calls a the Best technician in be Ever seen. Probably the Best technician in the league. John s a very intense Guy.�?�. ,.Hicks signed Frankfurt Stop linebacker pm a Vry a Robertson from the waiver list Robertson flew into London on monday Only to find out he could t enter the country until he had the proper paperwork Leam. Spokesman Jack Gallagher said the paperwork is in route and Robertson will suit up against his old mates a this weekend. A a a prognosis the monarchs Are deep at quarterback and their receivers Are Able and aggressive. The Olaf is being billed As a hurry up offence for 60 minutes with the Ball going airmail 40-50 times a game. If Witkowski performs the monarchs will finish first in the not there a always Gilbaugh in waiting Frankfurt Galaxy v whoa a a. V you can say that again if i Way a defense produces Points the Galaxy will rive London headaches. If that big play defense gets covered with one too Many third degree Burns the Galaxy will go up in dragons touted by sports illustrated As one of the brightest Young executives in the league general manager Billy Hicks will try to prove his Worth it his first venture As a general manager. What Hicks has going for him is Larry Kenhan a respected former nil quarterbacks coach. His Blair in the nil included Jim Plunkett and Indianapolis Jeff George. Plunkett Quarter backed the raiders to two nil titles. George is on the Brink of greatness. That a what the Colts thought when they drafted him with the Overall no. 1 pick last year and gave him to Kennan for shaping and molding. In London Ken Nan steam will be led by 6-foot-1, 221-Pound quarterback Steve Witkowski a four year nil vet. Witkowski came from the finest Halls of Academia a Columbia a and will provide the monarchs with Headstrong passing attacks. If he flunks the test the monarchs have former Maryland starter Stan Gelbaugh in the Bull pc right now it looks like Witkowski will get the nod Over Gelbaugh but they be both been great a Hicks said by phone monday. A what it boded Down to was the fact that Witkowski was in Camp five Days longer than gel Baugh. Both Are class Guys on Field leaders. We hesitate to put Gelbaugh in at any two year pro vet Dana Brinson Heads Kennan receiving corps. Brinson so wowed the Monarch scouts in the Orlando Fla Combine that Hicks made the 5-foot-9, 165-Pound receiver London Stop pick in the position by position draft. Joining him downfield Are Jon Horton Andre Riley and tight ends David Harbour and Pat Davis. Judd Garrett a 23-year-old running Back from Princeton will also line up wide Hicks said. ,. A Quot the other Day the coaches and the team were watching some film and Garrett dropped a pass Quot Hicks recalled. A there was a definite Buzz around the room. Kennan looked at Garrett and said a Judd was that the first pass you be dropped since Camp opened a he said yeah it was. He can really add to our receiving game. He a got great hands and is the most precise pass pattern runner in be Ever defensively the monarchs stack up Well. Former Safe Star Marlon Brown Heads thetis backing corps. Brown last appeared in an nil uniform in London As a Low draft pick trying to Hook on with the Cleveland Browns in 1989. The Browns played the Philadelphia eagles in the 989 american bowl at Wembley stadium. A we looked at Marlon at the draft and said he was a Guy with Speed who would be a Good cover Guy and that s what we needed in this Typ of league where puss ing dominates the of tense i licks said l in s not Small either. He s a big Guy. Very aggressive. A a in a very Volt Ortale with the tin backing corps. We be got Good Speed size and some great cover Brown the 1983 stars and stripes most valuable player during his Davs with the Wei Brincken warriors of the Continental sports conference is projected As a starter at outside linebacker. A ,. Heading the defensive line is a cud John Shannon. The Galaxy coaching staff boasts of its big play de. a a a a a a. A a. L a a. But no one Ever said the Olaf was going to be a de. Tensive league. A. I. That a Why pm Oliver Luck plugged Jack Elway the father of nil quarterback John Elway and a former Stanford head coach into Luck a Galaxy football machine. A a a a a a a a is a respected coach who is hellbent on an explosive offence. Lighting the fuse is Mike Perez a former Nufler who was edged out of a Job with the Newyork giants by two super bowl winning lbs a Jeff Hostetler and Phil Simms. Elway gave him a shot. Perez has a Bazooka like Arm Able to launch missiles with the accuracy of a shiny new Patriot missile system Perez a Down Range targets include receiver Keith Craig a former Safe player and one of Frankfurt a operation discovery products. Though Craig had been hampered by a slight hamstring Strain he should be ready to Start saturday for the opener. T a really Good hands a Elway said of Craig. A Keith s definitely going to if Craig is smitten with big league jitters Elway and Luck have receiver Charles Lockett a former third round Choice of the Pittsburgh stellers and tight end Chad Fortune an associated press honorable mention All american at Louisville. A Lockett will be Perez a main target. Lockett is the second leading receiver in Cal state Long Beach and Pacific coast athletic association history. Elway can also toss versatile running Back Tony Baker into the fray. Baker who lists at 5-foot-10, 190 pounds has already been touted As the european divisions Premier Back. His nil career was Cut Short by untimely injuries a a wrist injury that led to his release from Cleveland in 1987 and a knee injury that scrapped his 1988 season. Baker is Back and feeling Fine. He Felt and looked Good enough in Orlando for Luck to Pluck him Over sex Kansas City chiefs running Back Paul Palmer a former no. I nil draft pick who runs for Barcelona. Joining Baker in the Backfield will be fullback Steve Bartalo Colorado state and Dewaine Jones Wyoming v. A a Frankfurt will also get help from tackle Garry Frank whom Luck picked As the first Frankfurt player on the first Day of the Orlando draft. A the Beauty of picking Frank is that he can play virtually every position across the offensive line. He a a smart kid very talented a Luck said. Frank lists the Arnold Schwarzenegger film a total recall As his favorite movie and the heavy Metal band Slaughter As his favorite Rock group. When you dead lift 710�?~pounds, heavy Metal and Arnold flicks Combine for the makings of a Banshee football player. Former All big 8 conference kicker Tom Whelihan Missouri will handle the kicking duties. A defensively the Galaxy boasts a vicious front line with end Mike Teeter a United press International second team All big 10 Choice at Michigan where he played in two ruse bowls As the Lead Bruiser. In the secondary cornerback Cedric Stallworth All Atlantic coast conference at Georgia tech and Keith Mccoy St. Louis cardinals 11th Rounder in �?T88 bolster Elway a big play defense. ,.prognosis the Galaxy could be hurting behind Center. Perez certainly is Able to do the Job asked of him a launch rainbows to his hares downfield. But if workouts and spit squad scrimmages Are any indication Perez appears to have mobility problems. If this Duck sits too Long he May find himself tasting the Wald stadium turf More than head like. Should Perez go Down the Galaxy sub contingency plan includes two also rans a Alex Espinoza and Sammy Garza. Tony Rice Tony Rice and Tony Rice. Those Ard the three reasons Why Barcelona is looking at either a very Long season or a very Sweet season. The Fine line Between utter mediocrity and the european divisions Sleeper is spelled a i Cre. First name. Tony. A. Quot a a a a a. Tony Rice reason 1 Why Barcelona is so unpredictable pm Andrew Brandt looked at quarterbacks in Orlando and liked what he saw Kevin Sweeney Montreal Mike Perez Frankfurt Steve Witkowski London. Of yeah Tony Rice. Unfortunately by the time Brandt was Given his draw Sweeney a the highest rated Bat the Combine a was nabbed by Montreal pm Gordon Cahill. That left Rice. A Rice does come with Nice credentials. You May re member him As the football news College player of the year in 1989, a Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Winner and a first team All american at notre Dame Rice led the Irish to the 1988 National championship Rice played with Saskatchewan of the Canadian foot. Ball league last season and will have to beat out Scott Erney for the dragons starting Job. Erney a Rutgers Alum set school passing records for completions 614attempts 1,128 and yardage 7,188this brings up Tony Rice reason 1. The Competition and Erney a breath beating on Rice a Back should make Tony the dragon return to his �?T88 Dame form. Tony Rice reason 2 Why Barcelona could Shock the division Rice has help. There s Paul Palmer a runner up for the 1986 his Man trophy carrying the Ball. There a fullback Lydoll Carr and running Back Jim Bell to take the pitches. Raghib Ismail they re not. Carr was a key figure at Oklahoma when he helped the soon cars take the National title in 1985. Can he do the same for coach. Jack Bicknell a dragons tune in. Tony Rice reason 3 Why Barcelona could be a Pesky Little Booger Rice is capable of pulling rabbits out of his hat a or in the dragons Case out of the Backfield. But this is the mighty Olaf mind you. A league that promises As Many Aerial attacks As the . Military a bomb a minute. Galaxy players and coaches find Rice to be overrated. A does no to have a Strong Arm a one Galaxy . A you need that in this Bicknell. A. A a a a a this is the Jack Bicknell of Boston College who folded Doug Flutie into a Heisman Winner in 1984. This is the Jack Bicknell who has a torrid love affair with the a a passing game. A a a. This is the Man who could bring Rice out of the pad Dies of mediocrity. A in Barcelona writers Are hailing a Tel Caballero a Cowboy Jack v a the reminds us of Gary Cooper a several visiting journalists to Barcelona have said. While Cooper made being the Pride of the Yankees an easy task Bicknel Wili have to wait until the High noon shootouts against Frankfurt at Home May 19 and London May 27 in the final weeks of the season to find out it hell be the Pride of Barcelona. A prognosis for Barcelona to set the league ablaze Bicknell will need the cliche Quot total team de Rice to learn the values of going deep deep deep it Ell need Carr and Palmer to dominate in the Flat and be hell need Erney to keep the pressure on Rice too much to ask. Where finish keep in mind that this is an inaugural season picks Are based solely on paper stats. Drum Roll Oom pah pah band maracas please a 1. London monarchs 2. Frankfurt Galaxy a 3 Barcelona dragon and Chi
