European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 26, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Friday april 26, 1991 the stars and stripes a hot product world league of american football commentary Bucky Fox the Olaf might stand for wont last another fantasy. Maybe this is a paper league that will crumple within a couple of years. A maybe those Bulky attendance figures a 35,294 in London and 21,065 in Frankfurt on saturday night and 40,875 in Barcelona the previous sunday Are disfigured by thousands of free tickets. Perhaps team owners Haven to paid much of anything toward the Olaf asking Price of $11 million per club. Could be that network tvs Lousy ratings will make this Olaf go Blip before we be hardly tuned in. Such is the dark Side of the world league of american football. League vice president Joe Bailey Lightens the picture by explaining _ a first whatever free. _ _ tickets floating around Are tied to promotions to. A maximize people in the league wants to avoid the caverns that helped kill the Usel. A second All franchise owners will in tally Fork Over the going rate of $11 million per team. Bailey does his Best to explain without detailing. For instance he answered a question about How much Josep Figueras put up to become owner of the Barcelona dragons by saying a the paid How much a the amount was at least it sounds Good. Which leads to the idea that maybe the Olaf plans to keep wrapping itself in Flash and Hopes it makes a world of difference. You know what it works. For now the fireworks Rock music big screen video cheerleaders a the football game itself a make the i world league a Globe Ful of entertainment. No matter what problems might one Day scald the i Olaf its product is hot. I to Snow for fans living in Europe nothing approaches the Olaf for live Pizazz. That especially applies to the game saturday night at Frankfurt a Wald stadium. The football game hardly needed the sideline Glitz a except during those maddening to timeouts. The blocking tackling passing and running weren to up to nil standards. You wont get that with $20,000 players. But it added up to engrossing football. Particularly in the last minute. The Galaxy ignited the Home crowd by driving 70 Yards to beat Raleigh Durham 30-28. The deciding pass could have been a Winner for either team. Galaxy quarterback Mike Perez threw it while getting smashed to the turf. Skyhawk cornerback Peda Samuel could have intercepted it in the end zone but let it flow Between his hands. Behind him was Galaxy receiver Cedric Gordon who pulled it in with one hand. Not bad for someone lying on his Side. No wonder he a called Flash look _ _ a a. A ����.�. A a. A. A. A Sas l Emma let a mils of. Frankfurt s Tony Baker 33 goes Down Between sky Hawks Brian Mcphatter 23 and Ezekial Gadson 52 saturday. A one hand touchdown had to Flash across the monster video screen five times. This was Gordon a first last minute winning to he never had one at High school in upstate new York. He never had one at Ferris state in Michigan. Gordon pointed out that he was Lucky. He criticized himself for failing to come toward the Ball. Then there was Samuel dropping the a that a probably Why he a a defensive Back a said Gordon. A the does no to have Good it All made that winning drive a memorable Mark in Olaf history. Said Perez a you never quit in a a v Frankfurt a fans never quit on Perez. They had reason to As bad As he looked in the Galaxy a opening loss to London last month. Yet most of the seats stayed full when he took Over that last drive with 1 19 left. How could. Perez look so much better than in the London debacle for one he faced a weak Raleigh Durham defense. For two he a using that famous helmet radio something missing in the opener. The Guy giving him play by play from the sideline Jack Elway Calls the helmet radio the Best Deal since the Tel fax. Then again Perez said a the helmet has nothing to do with the Perez Gordon heroics came with 17 seconds left. The to capped a Madcap game that can Only be described As a terrific show. There was Raleigh Dur Luvirn a a Bobby Mcallister escaping to the sideline and suddenly winging a 20-Yard to pass to a diving Marvin Hargrove. That helped lift the sky Hawks from the abyss. There was Joe Pizzo taking Over from Mcallister in the fourth Quarter and quickly turning a 23-14 deficit into a 28-23 Lead. This from a quarterback coming from a school with the improbable name of Mars Hill a Small College in North Carolina if Pizzo filled the Galaxy maybe its because he Wasny to listed in the sky Hawks depth Chart or Media guide. There was also Tom Wholihan who finally got a shot at kicking for Frankfurt and came through. 1 be made a 22-Yard Field goal and three extra Points. Whelihan was about All Missouri had in its drought years of 1985 to �?T87. He supposedly out kicked Stephan Maslo before Frankfurt a season but the German landed the starting Job for the Sake of his countrymen. Once Maslo blew a couple of Field goals in the loss at Sacramento Whelihan filled the void. Now Maslo is griping about his benching. Just like a real pro football player in a real pro football league. Which the Olaf is for now anyway. A a Quot a a a. To it stare and strip. A Galaxy gears up for slumping machine by Rob Staggenborg staff writer the Montreal machine May have lost its last two games by a combined score of p7, but Frankfurt Galaxy safety Mark seals Isnit taking Montreal lightly. The Galaxy play Host to the machine on saturday at 8 . At the Wald stadium to open week 6 of the world league of american football. The Galaxy comes in 3-2 after a last Tinute rally last saturday beat the ral Pigh Durham sky Hawks 30-28. The machine has lost its last two tames but still leads the North american ast division at 2-3. Montreal was Wal pred by the new York new Jersey nights 44-0 on april 13 and suffered a 15-7 trouncing in London last week. Still seals said the Galaxy has a Tough ask trying to contain former Dallas cowboys a a Kevin Sweeney arid Murray mates Michael Proctor. A it s the teams that have lost two in a Row that worry me the most a seals said. Frankfurt defensive end Mark Mraz agreed. A a they re going to be fired up and ready to get that win and break out of the Montreal ranks last among the we aft a offences and defences. Its offence has rushed for 570 Yards and passed for 338 Yards for 908 Yards of total offence. Its defense has allowed 1,831 Yards -r-530 on the ground and 1,301 via air. Frankfurt a defense is ranked fourth in the world league but its offence has struggled a bit and is ranked sixth in the 10-team league. The Galaxy defense has allowed 524 Yards Rushing and 746 Yards passing for 1,270 Yards of total offence. Led by running Back Tony Baker Frankfurt a offence has rushed for 467 Yards and quarterback Mike Perez has thrown for 941 Yards. The Galaxy a Giveaway Takeaway ratio is second worst in the league. The Galaxy is at minus 7 in that category while Montreal is minus 2. Stats done to Tell the entire Story Sweeney said. A a in a. Figured that Frankfurt a defense would be aggressive with that 46 look Quot Sweeney said. A a it san aggressive attack defense. It does no to give up the big plays and teams have had difficulty blocking it. Frankfurt coach Jack Elway a personal Friend of Sweeney a father Fresno state coach Jim Sweeney has had problems with that defense oblate. Essentially it fell apart last weekend. The Galaxy secondary was burned for to passes of 6,20 and 29 Yards. The machine secondary Hasni to been much better. It has allowed 84 first Downs and has yielded 1,83lyards a 366.2 Yards per game and 6.4 Yards per play. It has forced seven fumbles but Only recovered four of those. Montreal has 10 sacks this year and has allowed opponents 20. Linebacker Tracy Simien leads the defense with 3.5 sacks. Frankfurt has allowed 71 first Downs to the opposition 1,270 Yards of offence and has intercepted Only three passes. Galaxy linebacker Rickey Williams leads the team with 5.5 sacks and Mraz has 4.5, la Cris Alexander has 3 5 sacks a. Game. Frankfurt must win to remain in Contention for a wild card berth for the world league playoffs. London is cruising along at 5-0, Barcelona is in second at 4-1 and the Galaxy is third. Frankfurt still must play Barcelona later this year and London doses out the regular season against the dragons. Tied with the machines 2-3 in the North american East division Are Orlando and new York new Jersey. Raleigh Durham Bri rigs up the rear at 0-5
