European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 25, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Friday october 25, 1991 the stars and stripes b Page 25galaxy celebrates nil vote by Rob Staggenborg staff writer Frankfurt Germany a the nil owners decision to continue the operations of the world league of american football next season was met with a sigh of Relief for Frankfurt Galaxy officials. The vote came thursday during the nil owners annual mid season meetings in Dallas. The nil also agreed to a financial plan covering the next three seasons. Abc sports and the Usa network signed three year deals with the Olaf to televise a minimum of 35 of the 50 regular season games two playoffs and the world bowl. Last season they offered about 40 games. The world league Drew Well in Europe but battled Low Televik son ratings stateside. Frankfurt Galaxy general manager Oliver Luck and assistant Marshall Happer endured a sleepless night in their offices waiting for the result from Dallas. They Learned the Good news in the wee hours of thursday morning. A for two months we had to sit around without doing Gervin says plan an alternative by Mark wonders staff writer Kaiserslautern Germany nine time National basketball association All Star George a Many Gervin has some definite advice for aspiring athletes hoping to someday follow in his footsteps and play pro sports. Done to put All your eggs in one Basket. Gervin who spent thursday promoting saturdays Safe Usa eur inaugural tip off classic at Frankfurt he Chstr a balls Orthall stressed the need for today a Young athletes to have a Back up plan which does no to necessarily include a College degree. A not everyone is for College a explains Gervin who admits that making the pro ranks takes Luck and being at the right place at the right time. A also not everyone can afford to go to College. But everyone who is interested in being a pro athlete needs something to fall Back on. Like a Trade of some kind. There Are no guarantees in this business so going to a vocational school or something is the Best Gervin also stressed the importance of being mature and getting your life in order before making decisions which is something the former Aba scoring much of anything a a relieved yet Haggard Luck said thursday at a news conference. A but i m still confident Well do Well financially a reported $15 million loss after the world leagues inaugural season angered nil owners who Are enduring a recession Back in the . They put the league on hold and considered suspending Olaf operations for 1992. Dan Rooney chairman of the Olaf Board of directors said the league will stick with a 10-Tcam league for 1992, with plans to add two teams for 1993 and 1994. The world league champions London monarchs Barcelona dragons and Frankfurt of the european division will come Back for the second season plus Montreal new York new Jersey Orlando san Antonio Birmingham ala., and Sacramento. A 10th City will replace Raleigh Durham n.c., with Columbus Ohio being the front runner according to Rooney. Of the 28 nil owners 26 were financial backers of the league with Chicago and Phoenix holding out. This season All 28 owners will Back the league which opens its 1992 season March 21-22. The month in limbo angered the european divison Gas. Luck citing lacklustre lobbying by Olaf officials to continue the league sent fact letters to All 2s nil owners listing Frankfurt a league leading successes in ticket sales attendance 30,000 per Gam record and fan base. A the nil owners Are a curious Bunch Quot Luck said. A a they re All Worth like 10 million dollars each. And you got your old timers. Its like a Congress or parliament. There a a lot of lobbying going on. 1 tried to do my own sort of lobbying like the letters. As far As i know the owners did no to take a Chance to see a game in Europe except the world bowl where Only four of them went. I just want to make sure 1 did my part. �?o1 think the kicker might have been the game in Berlin with the 49ers and the bears a Luck said. A when you Sec 66,000 people pack a stadium for a football game its a huge Selling Point. 1 think that a what got the bears to throw in their share of Money to keep this going. It sure did no to Champion feels is lacking in today a High priced athletes. A the younger the Guy is the tougher the situation can be living in a Many a world a said Gervin who now works in the san Antonio spurs front office As a scout. A the Guy Hasni to had a Chance to grow up. Imagine How hard it would be to Tell a 22-year-old making a million dollars a year that he has although not sure How to Correct the problems that plague today a Young stars Gervin feels the Burden of these changes fall squarely on the shoulders of Aba management. A they Are the ones to look to for a solution a Gervin explained. Despite the challenges he overcame becoming a Star Gervin feels it was Worth every minute. A i worked hard at it basketball All the time. Id make maybe 300 to 400 shots a Day and if i play basketball that a amps Dave Casey four time Aba scoring Champion George Gervin greets fans at the vog Cloch pm. Day the Sun did no to Shine a smiled Gervin. Playing along Side both Julius or. J Irving with the Virginia Squires of the now defunct american basketball association and Michael air Jordan while a member of the Chicago bulls Gervin hesitated to compare the two. A a there a no Way to compare the two Quot Gervin said diplomatically a at the time or. J was the greatest and now Jordan is the greatest of his time. I guess you could say that former Aba great Oscar Robinson opened the door for or. A and or. J opened the door for me and is. Air Force a sign of things to come by Rob Staggenborg staff writer the Safe Usa eur tip off classic slated for saturday has been a Long time coming but a wrong time coming some officials Are saying. The two games which feature Safe menus basketball Champion Pitburg taking on Kaiserslautern the army european championship titlist and the women a game pits the Hahn lady Hawks against the Karlsruhe lady pacers the Safe and dec champions. The game is set for 4 . With the women a contest at the balls Orthall in Frankfurt Hochst. The menus game will follow at 6 . Tickets Are do 10 or $6 at participating recreation centers and do 15 or $10 at the door. Both army and air Force sports officials had attempted to make this game an ultimate championship event that would take place immediately after the dec and Safe champions Are crowned in Early Spring. Yet with the Safe season running ahead of the Usa eur season by about four weeks the dreams of such a title game had been held in limbo. Saturdays game will amount to nothing More than a preseason exhibition for Community level basketball fans in Europe yet All four teams Are out for blood. With a town and Pitburg located in the Eifel Region the natural rivalry should come into play. Hahn a reputation is at stake and Karlsruhe has been known to put a sour note in on Many a Swan song. A a what a the Point a one sports director who asked to remain Anonymous said. A a you re getting two teams but How different Are the two teams from when they won the championship a the Finger pointing has the army pointing fingers As the air Force for not lining up the seasons but the air Force contends a Compromise was sought with the Safe season extending two weeks if the army would come in two weeks. A the Compromise did no to happen because the corps did no to want it a said Tom Burkett of the Safe sports office. A ridiculous a was How v corps sports director Joe Mulligan met with those words. Mulligan Heads the dec committee. Army insiders Point the Finger at Burkett and the Safe office for going through Usa eur sports which has been out of the championship business for two years. Hence the dec was born. Burkett contends that he did go a directly to the communities involved and they agreed. We had a lot of Good response from the top army commanders and that a a Good against the backdrop of All the Finger pointing the blame the denials the game will go on. Ticket sales have been slow but Safe and dec officials Arentt panicking a yet. With former Aba Star George Gervin in attendance and Slick print and television ads the game should draw Well. For example a town which possesses in its posse perhaps the most Loyal fans in Europe is sending five buses of fans to the game. On the women a Side Hahn has been one of the More dominant teams in Safe in the past three years with All Star players like Sheila Lamar and Trae Tolbert leading the pack. Karlsruhe has emerged As one of the Premier teams in Usa eur for years. Kaiserslautern steam will virtually Mirror last seasons team. Only two players have been lost due to rotation a Greg Merritt and Tony Marsh both starters. But remaining Are Donald Robinson the Point guard and the teams spark plug. Linzie Stovall returns As does George Bennett. Pitburg will be led by guard Kyle James and Ralph Baltimore along with Guy Lynch. A a we be been competitive a said Gloria Taylor a towns sports director and head of the travelling band of fans known As the panthers posse. A i done to know who All these sceptics Are but we re very excited about the game and the entire concept a she said. A the Way things Are going this is going to be the wave of the
