European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 16, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Oilers fire Pardee by Michael a. Lutz Houston a in less than year the Houston oilers have gone from a playoff team to the nil s worst  monday the plunge Cost Jack Pardee his Job. He was replaced by defensive coordinator Jeff Fisher who inherits a 1-9 team heading for Houston s first losing seasonsincei986. I would never have thought we Wouldhave fallen so fast and so far Fisher said. It goes to show you How volatile the National football league is. It also teeters beat Bills Page 39, More nil Page 37 shows you the head coach is obviously responsible for that. The weight Falls on his shoulders and now the weight is on  Pardee 58, is the first nil coach to be fired this season. He was in the last year of a five year contract. The oilers made the playoffs the Pas four seasons but lost in the first round three times. It s part of the business Pardee  you Start struggling you try every thing. We probably coached harder this year used More  under Fisher Houston s defense has been a Bright spot in an otherwise dismal season. The oilers defense ranks third inthe acc and eighth in the nil. Jeff had done a fantastic Job keeping our defense going owner Bud Adams said. We feel Jeff is a very capable Young Man and has a great future in the National football league. We Felt we had the Man on Board to be the head coach for the Houston oilers for some years to  Fisher 36, said he s looking Forward tothe Challenge. We re starting Over he said. "weareo-0." Adams said he and general manage Floyd Reese decided to dismiss Pardee sunday night after the oilers lost to the Cincinnati bengals who also entered the game with Only one win. I m sorry we did t have better result sin the first part of the year Pardee said. When you lose your livelihood it s Prefty  the stars and stripes november 16,1994 r Page 40 head coach Jack Pardee is out after his Houston oilers won Only one of 10 games. Also dismissed monday was assistant head coach Kevin Gilbride who was punched by former head coach buddy Ryan during a sideline confrontation last season. Ryan left after the season to be come coach of the Arizona cardinals. I predicted he d be Selling insurance in two years Ryan said of Gilbride s fir ing it a year ahead of  oilers struggled to a 1-4 Start last year but rebounded with 11 straight Vic tories to win the acc Central. They lost to Kansas City in the first round of the playoffs. Team officials blamed the new of salary Cap for an of season roster Over haul that Cost the oilers four pro bowl  linemen William Fuller and Sean Jones left after becoming free agents quarterback Warren Moon went to Minnesota for a fourth round draft pick and Greg Montgomery went to de troit. /. How do you Cut $12 million off the budget and get better at the same time Pardee said. In reality that s what Hap Pentel this  and Gilbride were the architects of the team s run and shoot of sense which piled up huge numbers when Moon was  became Houston s coach in 1990, succeeding Jerry Glanville. Offer players a new plan new York a baseball owners will drop their demand for a salary Cap in their new bargaining proposal and in Stead will ask for a tax on team payrolls. The shift revealed monday by the owners chief negotiator red sox chief executive officer John Harrington Marks manage ment s first change in strategy since june 14. The new proposal will be Given to the Union thursday when talks resume in   s not a salary Cap in the strictest terms Harrington said from his Home in Massachusetts. A tax concept can lookalike a salary Cap and any tax plan is meant to put some controls on labor  payrolls would be taxed at a Low percentage. All clubs would be affected above a certain  the significance of the proposal will de Pend on the level of the tax. A High percentage presumably would be rejected bythe Union. A lower number could Lead to additional  from a salary Cap has been expected since three Days of talks betwee players and owners in Rye Brook n.y., ended  would t get Overly optimistic about movement off the Cap because there pretax programs that Are worse than a salary Cap and tax programs that Are better Union lawyer Dene Orza said. Zero win  Germany a Andre Agassi seemed in a hurry to make up Tor All the Tost  took just 45 minutes to rout Alberto Berasa Tegui 6-2, 6-0 for his opening Victory at the $3-Millionibm-atp tour world championship on tuesday. Boris Becker and Sergi bruguera also won on the first Day of round Robin play in the event that involves the top eight players in the  Becker and bruguera had to Battle much harder ". ,. Becker survived 26 aces by Goran Ivanisevic before prevailing in 1 hour and 53 minutes 6-3,3-6,7-6.bruguera edged Michael Chang 7-6 7-17-5. The losers were not eliminated because players Inthis tournament Are split into two round Robin groups with the top two advancing to the , no 1 in the rankings and Stefan Edberg grouped with Becker and Ivanisevic were of tuesday. Berasategui plays Chang Becker meets Sampra Sand Ivanisevic faces Edberg on wednesday. Agassi came into the tour ending finale As the hot test player on the tour and he was blazing tuesday. I am impressed he said of his Victory Over Berasategui a spaniard who is purely a Clay court specialist and who is making his first appearance in Frank Furt. I m hitting the Ball very Strong i m very confident. When i hit like this i d feel very confident against  a year ago things looked much different for Agassi the Champion in the first tournament Here in 1990, and a Wimbledon Champion who never seemed to be realizing his full potential. He had wrist surgery in december and dropped Tono. 32 in the rankings. But then he found a new coach Brad Gilbert and a new Dedica Tion to the game. Eleven months after the sur Gery he is no. 2 in the world Winner of five titles this year including the . Open. He has won 20 of his last 21 matches. Agassi was never in trouble against Berasategui. He broke twice for a 4-0 Lead and the picked the spaniard apart with sizzling winners from All Over the. Court. His surface is Clay i think he was a bit uncomfortable but i still had to hit Well to win Agassi said. While saying Berasategui deserved to be Here Agassi also criticized the at for its ranking system in which the players Are ranked according to the performances Agassi in their 14 Best tournaments in a season. I Don t think you should be Able to go play 35 minor Lay court tournaments and take your Best 14. Every time you step on a court should count you have to play on All surfaces to be Able to come Here Agassi said. Becker is one player who thrives indoors. He won this event in 1992 but failed to qualify last year. He is also on a comeback. After having dropped out of the top 10, he Back at no. 5. _ Ivanisevic no. 4, also lost to Becker in a decisive tie break in the 1992 semifinals Here and suggested that Becker was a better player on big Points. The German agreed. He has to beat me i Don t give him much said Becker who lost to Ivanisevic in the Wimbledon semifinal this summer but holds a 8-4 career Edge Over the croat. �. Becker had Only eight aces but prove