Past follows player to Super Bowl
■ PATRIOTS: History of great
plays highlights the career of
Dave Meggett
The Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS — One by one
the games went by, and Dave
Meggett still hadn’t returned a
punt or kickoff all the way to the
end zone.
He made the Pro Bowl as a
rookie in 1989 and scored at least
one touchdown on a kick return
in each of his first six seasons, all
with the Giants. Then he followed
coach Bill Parcells to New Eng
land, and suddenly the end zone
became foreign turf.
Meggett never got there in his
16 games in 1995 or in his first 15
games and the first three quarters
of his 16th in 1996. But he said it
didn’t bother him.
“Oh, no. Oh, goodness gracious
no,” he insisted Wednesday. “My
job is to put the offense in the best
field position possible.”
He’s done an excellent job of
that this season. And, when he fi
nally took a kick back all the way,
it was a turning point in the Patri
ots’ march to Sunday’s Super
Bowl against the Green Bay Pack
ers.
The Patriots went back to Gi
ants Stadium for the final regular
season game. A victory would
give them a playoff bye, but that
seemed highly unlikely when the
Giants took a 22-3 lead into the fi
nal quarter.
New England cut that to 22-10,
then forced the Giants to punt.
Meggett waited. He knew how
badly the Patriots needed a big
play. The ball settled into his
hands at the 40-yard line.
“He’s fearless,” Patriots punter
Tom Tupa said. “He’ll catch the
ball, really, when he shouldn’t.
He doesn’t fair catch too many
balls, and he doesn’t fumble ei
ther.”
Meggett eluded the first rush of
defenders, weaved through others
and outraced punter Mike Horan
down the left side.
“It was a big play. That’s the
history of our team: coming up
with big plays when plays are
needed,” Meggett said. “I think
the guys on that team have done a
very good job all year.”
Meggett made the AFC Pro
Bowl team as a kick returner but
will have a tougher time making
big plays against the Packers. In
the NFC title game against Caroli
na, they held Pro Bowl returner
Michael Bates to a 12.3-yard aver
age — 18 yards below his league
leading average.
Green Bay’s Desmond Howard
led the NFL with a 15.1-yard punt
return average and scored on
three of the 58 punts he handled
in the regular season. He also re
turned a punt for a touchdown in
the Packers’ opening playoff game
against San Francisco.
“I wouldn’t say he’s a young
Dave Meggett,” said 30-year-old
Meggett. “He’s faster than I was.”
Howard, the former Heisman
Trophy winner who is flourishing
at age 26, returned the compli
ment.
“Meggett is an explosive re
turner,” he said. “We have our
hands full.”
Meggett was fourth in the AFC
with an 11.3-yard punt return av
erage and eighth with a 23-yard
kickoff return average.
“I’m not playing against
Desmond Howard. We have a
scheme that I will have to stay
within,” he said. "I can’t jeopar
dize our game plan just because I
have a one-on-one match-up with
Desmond Howard.”
Meggett hasn’t had an excep
tional postseason. His longest re
turns are 14 yards on punts and
18 on kickoffs.
Chances are he’ll have to do
better than that against a team
whose returner has made a habit
of crossing the goal line, some
thing Meggett has done just once
in his 34 games with New Eng
land.
“Every time I’m on the field,
I’m always trying my best to get
into the end zone,” Meggett said.
“Me not returning one all last year
really didn’t phase me. I really
don’t set personal goals. My only
goal is to be competitive week to
week.”
49ers owner charged with battery
■ FIGHT: The altercation between Edward
DeBartolo and fans occurred after San
Francisco lost to Green Bay in a playoff game
The Associated Press
GREEN BAY, Wis. — San Francisco 49ers owner
Edward DeBartolo Jr. and a friend were charged with
battery Wednesday for a post-game scuffle in which a
Green Bay Packers fan was punched and another
head-butted.
The fans were charged with disorderly conduct,
Police Chief James Lewis said. The charges for all
four are issued as city citations, which can be paid
through the mail, Lewis said.
The incident outside a Lambeau Field gate oc
curred after Green Bay’s 35-14 victory over the 49ers
in a Jan. 4 playoff game.
Guy Courchaine, assistant city attorney, said the
citations carry a $500 fine, plus about $140 in court
costs.
“The opinion of the city attorney is that both
charges (battery and disorderly conduct) should go
forward so we’re going to do that,” Police Comman
der Jerry Williams said. “We’ve interviewed approx
imately 12 people in connection with this incident.”
Witnesses, including an off-duty sheriffs deputy,
told police DeBartolo punched a Packers fan, who
then fell backward over a garbage can. The deputy
said another man head-butted another fan.
Edward Muransky, 37, of Atherton, Calif., also was
charged with battery, while the fans, Dale Nault and
William Scharlas, both of Waukesha, were cited for
disorderly conduct, Lewis said.
Outagamie County Sheriffs Sgt. Michael Heenan
witnessed the exchange as he was leaving the stadi
um near the 49ers buses. He said DeBartolo punched
the fan and DeBartolo’s companion head-butted an
other.
DeBartolo did not immediately return telephone
messages left Wednesday at his Youngstown, Ohio,
office. There was no telephone listing in Atherton for
Muransky.
Williams said police attempted to contact DeBar
tolo during he investigation, but were told by legal
counsel that he had no comment.
“Our relationship with the San Francisco 49ers
has been great and this is unfortunate,” Williams said
of the Lambeau Field incident.
Nault, 64, and Scharlas, 30, told police they were
hit, but could not identify who struck them. They
were among Packer fans waiting for the 49ers play
ers to come out so they could heckle them, Scharlas
said in January.
“Everybody was yelling ‘40-whiners’ and things
like that,” Scharlas said.
Scharlas’ phone number is unlisted. Nault was not
home when called by The Associated Press.
Williams said DeBartolo’s involvement increased
public interest in the case, and that was impetus to
get through the investigation more quickly than other
battery cases.
“It probably forces us to put a little more time into
it,” he said.
But he said from an investigator’s standpoint there
are more important cases.
“We do have other things to do than worry about a
battery that occurred at Lambeau Field,” he said.
RENTALS!
10
Downhill &
Cross Country..
Snowboards ^
Mon-Thurs 10-7 • Fri & Sat 10-9
Open Sunday 12-5
13th& Lawrence* 683-1300
• \A/n\AI UAI I S15 ADV • 8PM • ALL AGES • TIX
I I * l/UUI/U rlMLL also at wow Mailbox office
TICKETS AT ALL TICKETMASTER OUTLETS OR CHARGE BY-PHONE iS03l 224 4400 UONQUI
SUBJECT TO SERVICE CHARGE. OPENING ACTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE. " t" NTS
TOUR THAILAND
Intimate tour groups to the most beautiful & exotic locations
•BANGKOK’S Grand Palace • Cultural HUA HIN • AYUTTHAYA’S timeless rains
• KOH SAMUI’S pristine beaches • CHAING MAI’S tribal highlands
15 DAY TOURS: APRIL 18 - MAY 3. MAY 2-17, 1997
-#• MUCH, MUCH. MORE
contact Anne Mong at
PVemier Travel & C-ruise
541-747-0909
CaifconWhgoallifcg.
BREW YOUR OWN BEER
■ Barley ^
■ Bulk Malt Extract
■ Books
Instruction
Coffee Porter Kit $21.95
17th &Willamette 683-4064
Hong Kong
Fun Fair
25th Jan., 1997 (Sat)
Dinner : 5:30pm EMU Dinning Rm
Fun Fair- 6:30pm EMU Fir Rm
3?^*8:30pm Willamette 100
t|^undlerb olt
A iIaftMer@Kati Production
JTTP"-^ ; <
O threr- A ctivi ti es
iv
_ _ . mesej Painting Performance,
Fortune Telling, HK MTV,
.! J3uitur!al Display and etc.
$6 (UO Student) $10 (General Public) $5 (Children <12)
’Tickets are available at EMU Ticket Office
Allstate Insurance Company, a leader in the industry, is
currently recruiting for positions in the Portland area. Allstate is
a Fortune 50 company that succeeds by creating a diverse work
place that provides professional growth and challenge. Our
Professional and Administrative Support positions utilize skills
in business, marketing, finance, management, customer service
and communication. To learn more about the opportunities
available with Allstate visit us at one of the following career
fairs.
KXL Radio Career Fair
Saturday, January 25, 1997
Portland Convention Center
10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
University of Oregon Career Fair
January 28 - 29, 1997
Eugene, Oregon
11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Allstate Career Fair
Thursday, January 30, 1997
12 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Friday, January 31, 1997
12 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Tualatin Commons
8100 SW Nyberg
Tualatin, Oregon 97062
For people who are really going places...
Being in good hands is the only place to be.
/instate'
You’re in good hands.
For Jobline/More Information call 1-800-497-7944 or visit us at www.allstate.com