SECOND TITLE IS BIG
RUSH FOR PRINGLE
Baltimore runner leaves
CFL pursuers far behind By Gary Lambrecht
Baltimore Sun, Nov. 1, 1995
As the Stallions look ahead to
Saturday's Canadian Football League first-round playoff
game against visiting Winnipeg, they can glance back at a
regular season that not only produced a 10-game winning
streak, a 15-3 record and Baltimore's second divisional
championship in as many seasons, but loads of impressive
statistics as well.
Running back Mike Pringle walked away with
league rushing title for the second straight season with
1,791 yards, nearly 500 yards ahead of second-place Cory
Philpot of British Columbia. Pringle did it despite
sitting out for nearly two games. Pringle's 2,067 total
yards from scrimmage also led the CFL, while his 2,387
all-purpose yards ranked fourth.
Rookie Chris Wright's 2,256 return yards
broke the CFL record set by Gizmo Williams. Alvin
Walton's 34 special teams tackles were good for second in
the league. Rush end Elfrid Payton finished second with
18 sacks. Linebacker Tracy Gravely's 83 tackles tied him
for second. Slotback Chris Armstrong's 11 touchdown
receptions ranked third. Kicker Carlos Huerta led the CFL
with 57 field goals, while finishing second in scoring
with 228 points.
Then there is punter Josh Miller, who
finished the regular season with a 47.7-yard average and
a 42.2-yard net average, both tops in the league. He
averaged 48 yards on seven punts in Sunday's 24-17
victory against Hamilton, despite a steady 22-mph wind
that he kicked into on several occasions. He was at his
best in the first half, bailing the Stallions out of poor
field position with five punts that averaged 51.6 yards.
"That was a kicker's nightmare," Miller said.
"But when you get a game with wind like that, teams
are going to set up returns because they don't expect
good kicks. Hamilton had two guys back all day. That gave
me more time to concentrate on hitting the ball right out
of my hand." Forty-nine of Miller's 118 punts
traveled 50 yards or more, compared with 24 last year.
Only 18 of his punts in 1995 went for fewer than 40
yards. Miller averaged more than 45 yards per punt in 13
of 18 regular-season games.
Carter stays focused
Defensive end Grant Carter was not around
long enough last year to appreciate Baltimore's
achievements fully. Carter signed in October 1994 after
attending the San Diego Chargers camp, and went on to
play in one regular-season game and all three playoff
games - including the 26-23 loss to the B.C. Lions in the
Grey Cup. Carter isn't a rookie anymore. After missing
the season opener with a hamstring injury, he started the
last 17 games at strong-side end and finished the regular
season with 30 tackles, 10 special teams tackles, six
sacks, two fumble recoveries and eight pass knockdowns,
which tied him for the team lead. "This was my first
real year of professional football," Carter said.
"You always have to be in shape, but I've learned a
lot about the mental side of it. Keeping that mental edge
is hard, and we have to rely on the veterans for some of
that. "Now, we have to clinch this deal. Being 15-3
is great, but it would be a terrible waste if we didn't
take care of business over the next three
weeks."
Miscellaneous
Quarterback Tracy Ham went over the
29,000-yard career mark in passing Sunday. He also threw
his 201st career touchdown pass to Gerald Alphin in the
third quarter....Payton missed yesterday's practice with
flu....The Stallions will hold a pep rally at 13:30 p.m.
Friday at the Inner Harbor amphitheater....Baltimore
coach Don Matthews named Robert Clark and Shannon Culver
as starters in Saturday's playoff game. Clark missed the
regular-season finale with sore ribs, while Culver spent
his first game on the practice roster....The backup
receiver assignment will be decided between rookies Toby
Cates and Mike Cook....Cornerback Irv Smith will return
after missing two games with a rotator cuff injury.
Linebacker Jason Bryant also returns after serving a
one-game suspension for getting ejected against B.C. on
Oct.21.
PRINGLE, WITHYCOMBE,
WRIGHT WIN CFL AWARDS
By Gary Lambrecht
Baltimore Sun, Nov.2, 1995
Mike Pringle, Mike Withycombe and
Chris Wright, who played crucial roles in Baltimore's
15-3 regular season, each was named a Most Outstanding
Award winner in the Canadian Football League's Southern
Division yesterday. Pringle, the CFL's leading rusher for
the second straight season, was voted the South's Most
Outstanding Player after finishing with 1,791 rushing
yards and 13 touchdowns. Withycombe, a 30-year-old CFL
rookie left guard, was voted the division's best
offensive lineman. Withcombe's versatility figured
heavily in the voting. He also played four games at left
tackle and five games at center, because of injuries.
Wright, the Stallions' kick return specialist, was named
Rookie of the Year in the South, after setting a league
record for most return yards in a season (2,256) and most
games with 100 yards in punt returns (five). The
league-wide award winners will be announced in two
weeks.
BANGED-UP BOMBERS
NOT WHAT THEY USED TO BE
Team catches break,
stumbles into playoffs
By Gary Lambrecht
Baltimore Sun, Nov. 3, 1995
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have
been dragging their injured bodies around for most of the
season, but at least they survived long enough to make it
to the Canadian Football League playoffs. Not that
Winnipeg figures to be around for long. Tomorrow at 1
p.m., the Blue Bombers face the Baltimore Stallions in
the first round of the CFL playoffs at Memorial
Stadium.
The Stallions (15-3) had been angling for
the postseason long before putting together a 10-game
winning streak to end their regular season. The Blue
Bombers, uncharacteristically, are lucky to be here.
Winnipeg (7-11) makes its eighth straight playoff
appearance, although the Blue Bombers in no way resemble
the team that played in the Grey Cup championship game in
1992 and 1993. Winnipeg dropped a tough, 14-12 decision
on a late field goal to Baltimore in last year's Eastern
Division final. Only eight players in Winnipeg's starting
lineup played there last year, as trades, free-agent
signings and injuries have altered its roster. The Blue
Bombers had won only five games as of a month ago, and
needed to win their last two games against the weakest
teams in the North Division to have a shot at the
playoffs. They barely pulled it off. After beating
Toronto, a team which had beaten the Blue Bombers a week
earlier, Winnipeg came from behind in the Fourth quarter
to beat Ottawa, scoring 19 unanswered points to take a
36-33 victory.
Still, if Saskatchewan had beat British
Columbia last week, Winnipeg would be sitting at home.
Ottawa was the worst team in the CFL. Baltimore tied
Calgary for the best regular season record in the league.
Winnipeg coach Cal Murphy has done the math.
"Baltimore is an overwhelming favorite, as they
should be," Murphy said. "But Saskatchewan
played Baltimore tough, and we beat Saskatchewan.
Hamilton played Baltimore tough, and we beat Hamilton, I
think we'll show up."
It's been a trying season for Murphy, who
has watched 75 different players suit up this year, the
equivalent of more than two active rosters. "We've
almost lost a player a game. We're not the same football
team," Murphy said. "Still, the guys we've put
in there are doing pretty darn well." The Blue
Bombers are thankful that their offense has finally
showed up. Quarterback Reggie Slack, acquired from
Birmingham at midseason to replace an ineffective Sammy
Garza, has rounded into form. Winnipeg has averaged a
mediocre 22.4 points per game this year, but in their
past five games, the Blue Bombers averaged 32.6 points.
Slack's progress is a huge reason why.
In his past six games, Slack has thrown for
1,581 yards and 10 touchdowns. And his favorite receiver,
veteran Gerald Wilcox, has come back strong from an elbow
injury that sidelines him for four games earlier this
fall. Wilcox has gone over the 1,000-yard mark in
receiving for the third straight year, having rolled up
661 yards in his past six games. Then again, with the
injuries that have depleted Winnipeg's offensive line -
tackle Chris Walby (biceps) and guard Brett MacNeill
(broken thumb) are out - Slack might not have the time to
find Wilcox. Injuries on Winnipeg's defense make this
game look more like a mismatch, similar to Baltimore's
43-7 pounding of the Blue Bombers in July. Outside
linebacker Paul Randolph has been out for most of the
year with a torn biceps tendon. Middle linebacker Greg
Clark had wrist surgery last week and will miss
tomorrow's game. So will safety Daryl Sampson and
linebacker Andre Allen.
NOTES: Stallions defensive end Grant Carter was named
CFL Lineman of the Week for his performance in last
week's 24-17 victory over Hamilton. Carter had five
defensive tackles, one special teams tackle and four
quarterback hurries. He became the ninth Baltimore player
to win a Player of the Week award this season.
PRINGLE GETS
STALLIONS OFF AND RUNNING
RB gains 211 yards,
scores twice to lead 36-21 rout of Bombers
Division final is next
By Gary Lambrecht
Baltimore Sun, Nov. 5, 1995
Since training camp opened five
months ago, the Baltimore Stallions have talked about
returning to the Grey Cup game to win the Canadian
Football League championship that barely eluded them last
year. Yesterday, the Stallions took the first postseason
step toward that goal with a 36-21 victory over Winnipeg
before 21,040, the smallest crowd in the franchise's
two-year history. The sparse gathering got to see the
Stallions show off the familiar weapons that have helped
Baltimore (16-3) reel off 11 consecutive victories -
starting with running back Mike Pringle.
A week after coach Don Matthews pulled him
early in the meaningless, regular-season finale against
Hamilton, a well-rested Pringle returned to full-time
duty and brought down the Blue Bombers with a season-high
211 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Pringle scored to
wrap up successive scoring drives in the middle of the
game, his second touchdown coming with 9:12 left in the
third quarter to give Baltimore a 25-1
cushion.
The Stallions move on to next Sunday's
Southern Division championship game. Baltimore will play
host to the winner of today's Birmingham-San Antonio
Southern Division semifinal. Next week's winner will
advance to the Nov. 19 Grey Cup game in Regina,
Saskatchewan. "Playoffs automatically bring you to
another level emotionally. Our players came out of the
tunnel hot and ready, and I knew we were going to have a
good day," said Matthews, who saluted Pringle's
remarkable afternoon. Pringle is the favorite to win the
CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award after gaining 1,791
yards to win his second consecutive rushing title.
"That's a typical game for Mike. That's what we've
come to expect from him each time he gets the ball,"
Matthews said. "Our offensive line has been super
all year. When they give Mike the space he needs, he
makes big plays." Pringle carried the ball 28 times
while piling up the third-highest rushing total in CFL
playoff history. He did it by sprinting through wide
holes in the Blue Bombers' defense, and by powering
through Winnipeg tacklers when the openings were not as
inviting.
"We've been able to run on people all
year, so nothing should have been different today,
especially in a playoff game," Pringle said.
'Everybody came out with their game faces on and we just
took it to them. Our offensive line blew out some huge
holes. I couldn't ask for a better day." Said
offensive tackle Shar Pourdanesh: "When we've got a
great athlete like that [Pringle], it's easy to take him
for granted. We know we can run on any defense."
Pringle hurt Winnipeg's injury-ridden defense in more
ways than one. His presence often forced the Blue Bombers
)7-12) to crowd the line of scrimmage, which gave
quarterback Tracy Ham room to exploit the defense with
timely passes into man-to-man coverage. The result was a
218-yard performance for Ham, who completed 10 of 19
throws to six different receivers. His 46-yard completion
to slotback Chris Armstrong (three catches, 82 yards) set
up Baltimore's first touchdown, a 4-yard run by Ham that
put the Stallions on top, 7-1, midway through the opening
quarter. Ham's 38-yard strike to fullback Peter Tuipulotu
set up Pringle's first touchdown, a 4-yard run late in
the first half that made it 18-1.
The Stallions' defense picked up the rest of
the slack. It stuffed the Winnipeg attack in the first
half, allowing just six first downs and 66 total yards.
Baltimore gave up two fourth-quarter touchdowns to let
Winnipeg make the score look somewhat respectable,
although linebacker Tracy Gravely offset that with one of
the plays of the day. Gravely intercepted quarterback
Reggie Slack over the middle, took off down the left
sideline, and ran to the end zone untouched for a 95-yard
touchdown that put Winnipeg in a 36-14 hole with 1:52
left to play. That was one of three Baltimore
interceptions.
In the locker room, the Stallions' veterans
compared this year's playoff atmosphere to that of a year
ago, when Baltimore was making a historic run to the Grey
Cup as an expansion team. "There was
playoff-motivated electricity in the air today,"
said linebacker O.J. Brigance who had four combined
tackles and a sack. "We're not as excited about
things as last year, and I mean that in a good
sense."
"Last year, we were excited to be here.
It was new to us," Pourdanesh added. "We're not
surprised or shocked this time. We know what we have to
do, and we know what we're going to do."
PUTTING DOWN THE
BROWNS
Most Stallions fans
would rather stick with team that's here
From Staff Reports
Baltimore Sun, Nov. 5, 1995
"Big, Bad and Blue, Not
Brown." That was the slogan on the sign carried by
Judy Huntley as she entered Memorial Stadium before
yesterday's CFL playoff game between the Stallions and
the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, and it seemed to be the
sentiment shared my many Stallions fans concerning the
possible move of the Cleveland Browns to Baltimore.
"Having football to watch with the Stallions has
been great," said Huntley, a Stallions season-ticket
holder who has traveled to Calgary and Hamilton to watch
her favorite team. "I'm crushed that [Stallions
owner Jim] Speros will have to move. I'm disappointed
that the city and media didn't support them better."
Huntley, who also had a sign that said "Modell =
Irsay", has a unique perspective on the situation.
She moved from Cleveland to Baltimore 11 years ago,
arriving as the Colts were leaving. "I can really
sympathize with the Cleveland fans," she said.
"I didn't go through the Baltimore move to
Indianapolis, but I saw the impact it had on the
Baltimore fans. I've called the family a lot in Cleveland
this week, and their motto is, "Let them
go."
Pat Geiger of Darlington also entered the
stadium with a variety of anti-NFL, pro-CFL placards.
"We're very disappointed and disillusioned. I don't
think anyone's been at all fair to Jim Speros,"
Geiger said. "He's brought a good product here. He's
done everything he could for the fans, and we feel like
we've been sold out. I wouldn't go to an NFL game if they
paid me. Never ever." Joe Blinke, a Baltimore Colts
season-ticket holder for 22 years, also praised Speros'
efforts. "This owner knows how to operate a
team," said Blinke, 45. "He knows that fans are
their lifeblood, and he works to get the fans in this
town. No NFL owner has ever done that." Vernon
Wallace of Baltimore took his loyalty to Speros a step
further. "We've been talking about taking road trips
to Virginia or wherever Speros moves the team,"
Wallace said. "We're going to follow. The man gave
us something and I think he deserves a chance. "He
gave us ticket prices that families can appreciate and
afford. We're being sold out, so some big-name people can
make money."
Leonard "Big Wheel" Burrier, who
works for the Stallions as special teamers coordinator
and strolls the sidelines urging the crowd to spell out
various cheers, said he will not be spelling out
B-R-O-W-N-S. "I won't be leading Browns cheers,
" said Burrier, who led the C-O-L-T-S cheer in the
1970s. "I wouldn't come to a Browns game if they
paid me to come, and the people of Baltimore aren't going
to be able to afford to come to a Browns game. "The
NFL has played Baltimore for a patsy since our Baltimore
Colts left. And they're still playing us for a
patsy."
There were some Stallions fans willing to
embrace the NFL, however. "The NFL is big league,
and if Baltimore wants to be big league, they have to
have an NFL team," said Paul Weisengoff of Ocean
City, who was wearing a Stallions cap and jersey.
"Whether it's the Browns, Patriots, Tampa Bay - I
don't care, but it's the big league." Weisengoff's
brother, John, said: "The proof is in the number
here today [the crowd of 21,040, lowest in the team's
two-year history]. If there's such a great loyal
following for the Stallions, there should be 60,000
people here, knowing they could be leaving. And who would
you rather watch play - Reggie Slack or Troy
Aikman?"
Already worried
Even though she was dressed warmly in a
winter coat and gloves, Michelle Beasley, 30, was
shivering in the shady mezzanine section of Memorial
Stadium as she watched the Stallions game. She became a
football fan while studying at the University of Virginia
and said she would be delighted to see an NFL franchise
come to Baltimore. But already before a NFL team has
arrived, she's worrying about it moving on. "I'd
love to have the Browns," she said. "But the
sad thing about sports nowadays is it's just about who
has the best deal, who has the most money. Sure, there's
a great deal of concern that they'll pack up and move
after they get here to a stronger, more sports-oriented
state."
Entering a different era
Baltimore may embrace the Browns, said Colts
Hall of Famer John Unitas, but it won't be the same as
when the Colts were here. "It was a different
era," Unitas said. Unitas even seems resigned to the
idea that someday Baltimore fans might forget the Colts.
"Everything changes," he said. "Most of
those people [Baltimore Colts fans] are dying off pretty
soon. The young people only know about the NFL teams of
today." However, one of Unitas' former teammates,
Tom Matte, said those memories never will die.
"That's a tradition that will always be remembered
by the people of Baltimore," he said. "It will
never be forgotten." As for the Browns, Matte said:
"I have real mixed emotions. First of all, I grew up
in Cleveland. They were my heroes when I was growing up
as a kid. Losing the Browns would be a tragedy to the
city itself." Matte, an executive vice president of
the Stallions, expressed regret that the CFL team could
be leaving town. "I just feel very badly for all the
[Stallions] ballplayers," he said. "Not to be
endorsed by the city, the state, the stadium authority.
It's a shame."
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