Newspapers / The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, … / Jan. 23, 1997, edition 1 / Page 15
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1B Cljarlotte ^osit SPORTS THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 1997 Pack all business - sort of PHOTO/WADE NASH Green Bay coach Mike Holmgren (left) is mostly business, as is defensive end Reggie White and the other Packers. By Amie Stapleton THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW ORLEANS - It’s a business trip for the Green Bay Packers, but it’s a plea sure trip, too. The players are expected to have a good time, but not too good of a time. That was the message Packers coach Mike Holmgren impressed upon his players Sunday as they escaped frigid Wisconsin and journeyed to mild New Orleans for the fran chise’s first Super Bowl in 29 seasons. “That’s part of the drill,” defensive end Sean Jones said. “Hey, it’s fun being here. Don’t be just totally stonefaced and go around acting like there’s no enjoyment. “Sure, enjoy it, but keep your focus.” Holmgren said he wasn’t going to deny his team its due. “While we won’t lose sight of what our ultimate goal is, there’s nothing wrong with enjoying the moment,” he said. “You’ve got to enjoy the jour ney, all the way. It’s been a long trip, and we should. We’ve accomplished quite a bit already.” Holmgren also gave his play ers a not-so-subtle reminder of the spoils of victory. He wore his diamond-encrusted cham pionship ring from the 1990 Super Bowl, when he was San Francisco’s offensive coordina tor and the 49ers whipped Denver 55-10, also in New Golden opportunity J.C. Smith sweep can make CIAA interesting By Herbert L. White THE CHARLOTTE POST If Johnson C. Smith is going to move closer to the top of the CIAA Southern Division standings, this week is a good time to do it. The Golden Bulls 1-2 in the division and 5-10 overall, play Southern rivals Fayetteville State Thursday and Shaw Saturday at Brayboy Gym. A sweep would propel Smith into third going into a Jan. 30 showdown with N.C. Central at home. A loss would put the Bulls into a deep hole as far as seeding for next month’s CIAA tournament. “This week will tell a lot of that,” Smith coach Steve Joyner said. “We can do a lot for ourselves in terms of the Southern Division. I call it a pivotal week. We go to the top of the heap in the Southern Division or we can go down and keep looking for a way to move up.” The Bulls have been inconsistent this season. A team made up mostly of freshmen and sopho mores, Smith’s wins include road victories over Virginia Union and Winston-Salem State, but among the losses are blowouts at St. Paul’s and Central. At times, Smith plays like world-beaters. At others, the Bulls look lost. As a result Smith is 10th in the 13-team CIAA in scoring with an aver age of 72.4 points a game and near the bottom in scoring defense at nearly 80 points a contest. “We’re still striving for consistency,” Joyner said. We don’t have consistency from one half to the next or one game to the next.” Part of Smith’s trouble stems from inexperience. Aside from senior forward Alex Thompson’s 17.9 points per game scoring average, the Bulls don’t have a go-to offensive threat who can take over a game down the stretch. Ahmed Evans, a sopho more who was supposed to give Smith that capa bility, has struggled along with his teammates. “He’s indicated that his approach to his sopho more year wasn’t correct,” Joyner said. “He wasn’t getting the ball when he needed to get it and he wasn’t moving to get the ball.” Even with their uneven play, the Bulls can become a factor in the Southern Division by beat ing Fayetteville (7-9, 3-2) and and Shaw (8-10, 2- 4). Smith, which beat Winston-Salem Saturday for its first division win, doesn’t have a great won-loss record, Joyner said, but is capable of putting together a winning streak. “We’re a little disappointed, but we see signs that it’s coming,” he said. “If our chemistry contin ues to improve, I think we have a good chance of moving up.” PHOTO/WADE NASH Johnson C. Smith forward Alex Thompson has been a consistent offensive force for the Golden Bulls, averag ing 17.9 points per game. For Smith to move into contention in the CIAA Southern Division, the Bulls will have to give him some help. Smith plays Fayetteville State Thursday at Brayboy Gym. Orleans. “I put it on this morning and I haven’t worn it all season. I thought this would be a good time to wear it, because we got this one in New Orleans,” said Holmgren, who also has a ring from the ‘89 Super Bowl. “I showed it to the young guys at the first meetiiig in July. I said. This is what Fd like all you guys to have.’ But I’m going to take it off and let’s earn another one, a new oiie,”’ See PACKERS on page 3B Worm turns the Bulls By Rick Geino THE assck:iated press CHICAGO - The latest' episode of “As The Worm ’Turns”' features the defending NBA champion Chicago Bulls, once again sporting the best record in the league, facing at least 10 more games without their top rebounder. Can the Bulls win 70 again, or will Dermis Rodman’s latest sus pension sidetrack them? Who’ll pick up the rebounding slack? Who will guard players like Shawn Kemp? How will the Bulls accept Rodman if he does return? Will Rodman do as he’s been told and go to counseling, then later meet with the man he has often criticized, NBA Commissioner David Stem? Stay tuned. “We’ve been without Dermis quite a bit in the last couple of years,” guard Steve Kerr said. “And we’ve done very well. Ultimately we know we need Dennis come playoff time. We’ve proved we can take care of busi ness without him for a while and that’s the plan.” Rodman drew the second hefti est suspension in league history last week. He got at least 11 games, was fined $25,000 and ordered to undergo counseling for kicking a court-side camera man during a game at Miimeapohs. T thirik Dermis has to change himself. We can’t change Dermis. ’The system is trying to change Dennis,” Michael Jordan said. “We have to survive until he possibly comes back. We can’t change what the league has done, no matter what our com ments or our views are,” Jordan said. There are also legal entangle ments to consider. Eugene Amos, the cameraman who was kicked in the groin, has been inter viewed by poUce. After beating the Milwaukee Bucks 100-73 in the first game of See RODMAN on page 3B Cubs try to compete for NL Central with bargain acquisitions By Mike Nadel THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CHICAGO - Saying he felt no pressure to inatch the crosstown White Sox dollar-for-dollar, Chicago Culrs president Andy MacPhail believes that his team will compete for the National League Central title in 1997. “We get compared to the White Sox, sure, but they broke the bank,” MacPhail said. “We’re satisfied that we’ve improved. When you look at the offseason expenditures we’ve made, we probably ranked fourth or fifth in all of baseball.” The Cubs signed four free agents: reliever Mel Rojas (three years, $13.75 million), starters Kevin Tapani (three years, $11 milhon) and Terry Mulholland (one year, $2.3 million), and short stop Shawon Dunston (one year, $2 million). See CUBS on page 3B Alexander’s great for Myers Park wrestling PHOTO/SUE ANN JOHNSON Kwame Alexander has been one of Myers Park High’s best wrestlers. He usually competes in the 130 pound division. By Eric Bozeman FOR THE CHARLOTTE POST Kwame Alexander is an easy-going kind of guy. Until he steps onto a wrestling mat. Alexander, a Myers Park High senior, has a record of 100-33 over four years. His 26- 3 record this season, mostly at 130 pounds, has launched him into the top 10 in the state. “Kwame is really very popu lar at school,” said Myers Park coach Dale Stefano. “In fact, I have to get him up and get him mad before matches...he’s a very meek. It’s not beneath him to mop the mats. Don’t get me wrong, he has confidence, but I don’t deal with egos with him. It’s not in him.” Alexander is a small but powerful wrestler who is amazed at his approach to tak ing an opponent out. “I don’t really have the kind of mean attitude people would expect from a wrestler...I’m surprised when I watch myself on video tape at how mean and aggressive I am,” he said. “Yes, he is powerful, but we are trying to get him to settle down a little bit, to be more disciplined and fundamental,” Stefano said. “Kwame takes a lot of risks, and those are things he won’t be able to get away with in the state (tour nament) He can win with a fundamental way of See ALEXANDER on page 3B
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