European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 28, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Penguins coach Dies by Alan Robinson Pittsburgh a Bob Johnson who died tuesday of brain cancer just six months after coaching the Pittsburgh penguins to the Stanley cup wanted to be remembered simply As a hockey coach. The penguins said he was much More. A the was so upbeat so positive he created such a very family like atmosphere he was really like the father to our organization a penguins general manager Craig Patrick said. A it takes a special Man to take a group of Young people and accomplish what he did in such a Short period of  Johnson died tuesday morning at his Colorado Springs Home four months after being diagnosed with brain cancer. He was 60. Doctors in Pittsburgh removed a malignant tumor aug. 30, but decided against removing another and prescribed radiation. He returned to his Colorado Home in Early september but the treatments left him weakened and unable to speak. Even As he fought for his life he communicated via notes sketching out strategy and sending frequent messages to the penguins via fax machine. A the was with us a Short time but his influence will be with us forever a i said a shaken Patrick who cried several times during a Brief interview. The penguins i Learned the news from Patrick following their usual off Day skate. Team Captain Mario Lemieux said they will meet before wednesdays game Jln Jet in with new Jersey to Johnson decide How to pay tribute to Johnson. A it is very Tough for us to lose a Man like that a Lemieux said. A it was just incredible what he did for us in one year. Nobody thought we could win the cup but Bob came Here and was so positive he made us believe anything was possible. A the cd minced us we could win the Stanley cup and that a what we  Martha Johnson said winning the cup was her husbands last unfulfilled goal in hockey but he was one of hockey a most successful coaches Long before coming to Pittsburgh. A i done to think anybody has influenced hockey in the . As much As Bob Johnson a Patrick said. A Minneapolis native and the son of a swedish immigrant Johnson played major College hockey at North Dakota and Minnesota. He was Good enough in baseball to sign professionally with the Chicago White sox. His baseball career was interrupted by the korean War and married with two children he accepted a High school coaching Job in 1956. He moved to Colorado College in 1963 and in 1966, to Wisconsin where he was 367-175-23 in 15 seasons and. Won three Mcaa championships. He then coached the Calgary flames for five seasons finishing below second place Only once and taking them to the 1985-86 Stanley cup finals. He was the executive director or Usa hockey in Colorado from 1987-90. Bored with desk work and eager to coach again he was hired by Pittsburgh in june 1990. The stars and  28,1991 c Page 24 last seasons extended playoffs left Johnson with virtually no of season yet he still worked at summer Camps before coaching team Usa in the Canada cup. Johnson was recently inducted into the . Hockey Hall of Fame and will be honoured in february As Pittsburgh a Man of the year in sports. Johnson is survived by his wife five children and nine grandchildren. His son Mark played on the 1980 a Miracle on ice Gold medal . Olympic team and later in the nil and is playing in Europe this season. Another son Peter also played for his father at Wisconsin and is an assistant coach  Vise the heats Rony Seikaly gets squeezed Between a Nicks John Starks left and Patrick Ewing at new York. Sec Roundup of tuesday nights 10 Aba games on Page 22. Lions control their destiny in key Battle against bears by Harry Atkins a sports writer Pontiac Mich. Apr Barry Sanders makes the game look easy. Jim Harbaugh makes it look difficult. Both have one thing in common though. Winning. Which is Why they will be key players today when the Detroit Lions 8-4 play the Chicago bears 9-3 in an pfc Central showdown. If Detroit wins the teams will be tied for the division Lead with three games remaining. A we control our own destiny again a said Sanders who ran for a Lions record 220 Yards and four touchdowns sunday against Minnesota. A a we be been Given another Opportunity. We have to approach it As a playoff situation. We  get intimidated. A a it a still four quarters. Its still four Downs. Its still Basic  but its All new ground for the Lions. Detroit Hasni to had a winning season since going 9-7 in 1983 under Monte Clark. Billy Sims was the Star of that team. Sims was Good too. But he was nothing like Sanders. A the makes some moves that Are just unbelievable a bears linebacker Mike Singletary said of Sanders. With 3,953 career Yards Sanders already has moved past Nick Pietrosante into fourth place on Detroit a Al time Rushing list. He has 1,179 Yards this season making him Only the eighth runner in nil history to surpass 1,000 Yards in his first three seasons. He leads the pfc in Rushing and touchdowns 14. A you Tell yourself you re going to look at his Belt buckle a Singletary said. A but with Barry its a Little bit tougher. One thing you can to do with Barry is look at his feet. That will really fool you. A basically what you try to do is get a lot of people there. That a the Best Way to tackle Barry. I remember when he was a Rookie i thought i had him tackled a and he wound up going around the other end. He can do that to  Harbaugh always gets treated Well by Silver dome crowds because he a the prodigal son returning. Lions fans remember him fondly for the grit he showed at Michigan. They recall How he guaranteed a Victory Over Ohio state then delivered and took the wolverines to the Rose bowl. That same determination has endeared him to bears coach Mike Ditka. A i like the Way he competes a Ditka said. A this kid has been dragged around this year. He a been punched and beaten. But he a like a Timex. He takes a Licking and keeps on ticking. A i never said he was great. He never said he was great. But he plays his heart out every game out  Harbaugh has thrown a touchdown pass in nine games this season. The bears won All nine games. Chicago did no to score by air against Buffalo Washington or Miami and lost each of those games. Is he the Best quarterback Ditka has had at Chicago a i think in his prime Jim Mcmahon played awfully Well for us a Ditka said. A but i think in time Jim Harbaugh will probably reach that  in the first meeting with the Lions this year Harbaugh connected with Wendell Davis for a pair of second half touchdowns As the bears took sole Possession of first place in the division with a 20-10 Victory. Both teams entered that game with 6-2 records. The last time Detroit was 8-4 was 1970, when the team coached by Joe Schmidt finished 10-4 and lost a 5-0 playoff game to the Dallas cowboys. That 1970 team won its final five games to earn a wild card berth. This years team which has won its past two probably needs to win its four remaining games. A defeat would virtually eliminate the Lions from title Contention and leave them to compete with Atlanta Dallas Philadelphia and the new York giants All 7-5 for the three pfc wild card spots. Columbus gets Olaf franchise Columbus Ohio a an Ohio franchise will help the world league of american football become known More for Good play than for its colourful jerseys and helmet mounted cameras league officials say. Columbus was awarded a franchise tuesday for the we aft a second season. The team replaces Raleigh Durham which lost its franchise after last season. The Ohio team which has not yet been named will play its Home games in Ohio stadium. The Spring football league Hopes the popularity of Ohio state University football will help attract fans. A we think this franchise has a tremendous future to it because of the great traditions Here in this state a said Joe Bailey Olaf vice president and chief operating officer. The franchise will be marketed As a regional team and Likely will carry the name of Ohio instead of Columbus Bailey said. The league operates in 10 cities in the United states and Europe. The games will be played under a tentative agreement with Ohio state which owns the stadium. About 71,000 seats in the 94,000-seat stadium will be available for Olaf games Bailey said. At least 80 percent of the franchise will be owned by the National football league. The nil picked former nil and Cleveland Browns executive Peter Hadhazy to be the franchises general manager. Another thriller in prep title rematch a Page 21 Ripken finally awarded Gold Glove a Page 21 sooner nip gamecocks in overtime a Page 22 dodgers Murray May go to mets a Page 23