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Williams had just completed his second full year as head coach of the
Loboes. After posting a 4-6 record, and a 2-3 mark in district 4-4A in
1995, Williams led the Loboes to a 10-2 record this past season as a
member of District 3-3A. That included wins over former district rivals
Big Spring, Pecos and Fort Stockton, and a 5-0 record in district.
Williams son, Garett, was an all-district linebacker for the Loboes in
both his junior and senior seasons. He was part of last week's Monahans
High School graduating class.
No reason was given for Williams' reassignment. A call to M-W-P Superintendent Clifton L. Stephens was not returned before presstime.
The Cowboys signed free-agent receiver Anthony Miller on Monday, but it
was another star wideout, Michael Irvin, who stole the spotlight by
pulling another no-show at a team minicamp.
Irvin's continued absence is starting to irk some of his teammates.
``It's discouraging, no question about that,'' quarterback Troy Aikman
said Monday when Irvin didn't appear for a mandatory quarterback school.
``It comes down to whether he wants to play for us or he doesn't. If he
wants to, we want him to start working with us. If he doesn't want to
play, we want to know that too so we can go in another direction.''
Irvin, the Cowboys' all-time leader in catches and receiving yardage,
has given no reason for his absence. He also missed a minicamp last
month.
Head coach Barry Switzer said he was told by team owner Jerry Jones not
to expect Irvin.
``It think it disappoints all of us, but Jerry said not to expect him so
we just go about our business,'' Switzer said.
Jones acknowledged Monday that Irvin has asked to be traded, but the
Cowboys owner insisted that can't and won't happen and said he's
confident Irvin will be at training camp next month.
The Cowboys will at least have Miller, released earlier Monday by the
Denver Broncos for salary cap reasons. Terms of his deal with Dallas
were not disclosed.
Miller will serve as the deep threat Dallas missed last season when it
finished 24th in the NFL in total offense.
``I'm definitely excited,'' Miller said. ``You won't see too many dual
receivers in the league like me and him (Irvin). This was my first
choice. This is a team that has a chance to get to the top.''
Miller had 56 catches for 735 yards and three touchdowns for the Broncos
last season. He's had five 1,000-yard receiving seasons.
Aikman's mood brightened at the idea of throwing to Miller. Irvin had 64
receptions last season, but the Cowboys got only 89 catches from their
other wide receivers.
``He's a guy who gives us a tremendous deep threat, something we have
not had,'' Aikman said. ``He's a guy who's proven what he can do in this
league.''
But most of the locker room buzz Monday surrounded Irvin, whose problems
have marred team morale since he face drug charges and a resulting
five-game NFL suspension last year.
He continues to put in community service time linked to his sentence of
four years of adjudicated probation for pleading no-contest to felony
cocaine possession.
Irvin has told friends he is tired of the public scrutiny in Dallas and
would prefer to play elsewhere, but the Cowboys would take a major
salary cap hit if they were to trade the five-time Pro Bowl receiver.
``I'm not the brightest guy in the world, but I do realize that won't
happen,'' Aikman said. ``He won't get traded just like I won't or Emmitt
(Smith) won't or some other guys won't. It's not going to happen.''
Smith said he understood why Irvin might want to leave, given the
negative attention he's received regarding his brushes with the law.
``And I've heard some rumors of some things that have been going on that
I found very apalling,'' Smith said. ``With that in mind, if the rumors
are true, then I can understand where he's coming from.''
Also Monday, the Cowboys released 39-year-old center Ray Donaldson for
salary cap purposes. Switzer said he would not rule out Donaldson being
re-signed by the Cowboys, but not at the $800,000 he was scheduled to
make this season. Donaldson balked at the team's request that he take a
pay cut.
Clay Shiver and John Flannery are expected to contend for the starting
center job.
Dallas also announced the re-signing of two veteran free agents --
running back Herschel Walker and safety Bill Bates -- to one-year
contracts. Walker and Bates were both key members of the Cowboys special
teams last season. Walker will be entering his 12th NFL season; Bates
will be playing his 15th and what he has said will be his final season. (Copyright 1997 by The Associated Press)
That's right, Dennis Rodman said he's through standing around and
watching the Chicago Bulls' big shooters hog all the glory while he gets
ignored by Karl Malone and other Utah Jazz defenders.
When the NBA Finals resume Wednesday night, Rodman said, ``I'm going to
have to shoot the ball more.''
``I'm going to have to be more aggressive, be more of a threat, take the
ball to the hole, put up shots,'' he said Monday, a day after the Bulls
won the series opener 84-82.
Rodman, the NBA's six-time rebounding champion, has averaged only five
shots a game this season. During the playoffs, he has more technical
fouls (16) than free throws (12), is shooting 40 percent from the floor
and 60 percent from the line and is averaging 4.9 points.
Nevertheless, he believes he's the man to keep Utah's defense from
concentrating so heavily on Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, who
combined for 58 of Chicago's 84 points in Game 1.
``Karl's not going to play defense outside,'' Rodman said. ``I have to
shoot that 15-footer. If I make it, great. If I miss it, get back and
play defense. I've got to make them play 5-on-5 instead of 5-on-4.''
That Malone, the league's MVP this season, outscored Rodman 23-4 wasn't
surprising. That the Mailman outrebounded the Worm 15-12 was somewhat
unexpected. That Rodman, a world-class instigator, never tried to mess
with Malone's mind was downright stunning.
Rodman said that the Jazz are too well-coached and mature to be bothered
by his shenanigans -- taunting, flopping, grabbing, undercutting, etc.
``I'm not going to do too many of my antics,'' Rodman said. ``I'm just
trying to get through this, be more offensive-minded and do my job.''
Malone, a summer league teammate of Rodman's when both were NBA
neophytes, has had numerous confrontations with Rodman since the Worm
become an in-your-face, tattooed cross-dresser with multi-hued hair.
``As well as I knew him then, I don't even know who he is now,'' Malone
said. ``But that's his path, and I have mine.''
Asked if he was worried about Rodman's behavior, Malone said: ``I'm
worried about how my kids behave themselves. On the court, I don't worry
about guys behaving themselves.''
Rodman gave no cause for concern in Game 1, anyway. It was the first
game this postseason in which he didn't get a technical. And he didn't
really commit an obvious foul until 9.2 seconds remained, when referees
caught him grabbing Malone around the waist during a loose-ball
situation.
But with the score 82-82, Malone missed both free throws. Jordan then
hit the game-winning jumper at the buzzer.
``It's typical,'' Rodman said of Malone's misses. ``He's known to miss
free throws in clutch situations. He's still a great player, but there
are a few guys in this league who are great players that you want to put
on the line.''
Malone has made 76 percent of his foul shots this postseason. But he
built a reputation as a poor clutch shooter in last year's playoffs,
when he shot 57 percent and missed six free throws as Utah lost Game 7
of the Western Conference finals to Seattle.
``He won't say it, but I'm sure he had some jitters'' Sunday, Jazz
center Greg Ostertag said. ``If we had to do it over again, though, we
would want the same guy up there.''
Malone admitted that edging out Jordan for the MVP award has created
expectations he has never experienced in his 12-year career.
``It's no longer Karl Malone anymore, it's MVP Karl Malone. Yes, there
is a lot more pressure,'' he said.
``But what I don't want to do is go out and try to play up to the MVP. I
never said I wanted to play at that level. I don't want to raise my
game. I just want to find consistency.''
(Copyright 1997 by The Associated Press)
State and Regional Sports Pages--San Angelo Standard-Times
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