The Docket, Issue 1, August 1993 - Villanova University School of

The Docket
Historical Archives
8-1-1993
The Docket, Issue 1, August 1993
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-. J,, r. -
August, 1993
THE VILLANOVA SCHOOL OF LAW
Vol. XXX, No. 1
Renovations of Student Offices Underway
by Catherine Murphy
During the summer of '91, the patio was
buih and room 103 was converted to a
computer lab. Last summer, the parking
lot was the newest improvement to the
VLS grounds. So what was this year's
summer renovation project? The much
needed and much desired office reallocation
for the 20+ student organizations is the '93
summer renovation project.
In the past, office space was allocated
to a few organizations based on their need
for work space. As the number of organ­
izations increased, so did the need for work
space. The older organizations hung on to
the office space they had. Newer groups
had no permanent storage space and had
to make due with the few available
classrooms when they needed to meet or
work on planning events. So, when the
issue of office space for student groups
came up last fall at a Student-Faculty
Committee meeting, there was unanimous
agreement that something had to be done.
School Approves Sports and
Entertainment Law Forum
On April 6, 1993, now alumni Steven
Hartman and George Schell headed a
proposal to the administration for the
creation of a Sports and Entertainment
Law Journal. One month later, the proposal
was accepted, thereby officially adding the
Sports and Entertainment Law Forum to
the law school.
The 100+ page proposal was a detailed
description benefits which would arise
through the recognition of a S&E journal.
The proposal contained subject matter that
the journal would cover, and the process
which staff would be selected. The
prcqecteo annua
^so
expenses and summaries of previous
events held by the Sports and Entertain­
ment Law Society.
Backing for the proposal came from the
Student Bar Association through a letter
of support, and a student poll of which-all
those questioned endorsed the creation of
the forum. The Forum's Editor-in-Chief,
Rhett Traband also noted that the Sports
and Entertainment Law Society's sympo­
sium on racism in sports also strengthened
the proposal.
Traband, who resigned his position on
the Environmental Law Journal, will lead
the Forum. Traband is joined by twelve
other editors, Prof. Catherine Lanctot as
Faculty Advisor and a recently selected
staff of twelve, (see Masthead)
The Forum was included in this year's
writing competition, which previously was
only for the Law and Environmental Law
Journals. Twelve staff members were
selected from the writing competition,
although Traband added that the selection
process was extremely complicated.
"Members will not receive school credit for
their work this year, therefore some people
might accept a spot on another journal."
However, Traband added "I am confident
that the people we have on our staff are
unquestionably qualified."
The Forum intends to publish two issues
next year, and conduct a symposium on
Title IX issues of gender equality in sports.
Stated that Hie pttblications and
symposium will have a strong emphasis
on quality and should help the reputation
of Villanova. Traband further noted "with
quality material, Villanova will quickly
move to the forefront of the Sports and
Entertainment Law area."
Traband, moreover, stated that the
Forum will help more students compete in
the rough job market by increasing the
number of students on journals. Traband
added that "students often complain that
the faculty does not help students compete
in the job market, but here is a clear
example of where the actions of the faculty
will help many students."
Finally, Traband wished to thank all
those people who contributed to the
proposal, and those members of other
journals and groups which supported the
creation of the Forum.
Since all the student organizations were
represented at these meetings, it was a
particularly good forum in which to discuss
the issue. A subcommittee of six students
was formed to work in conjunction with
Professor Taggert. The subcommittee did
survey office space needs and submitted
a summary of their findings based on the
current limited office space. These needs,
together with the needs of the faculty and
staff, were submitted to a Planning
Consultant who devised the renovation
plan.
The result: a new centralized student
organization office, an office dedicated to
permanent student organizations, new
offices for the Environmental LawJournal,
the Moot Court Board and the new Sports
& Entertainment Law Forum, and a
student conference room.
The Moot Court Board is taking over the
former offices of the Docket and the
Environmental Law Journal in the lower
hallway near the IL lockers. Their offices
will have several work stations and a small
conference table. The Tax Clinic will
remain in Room 4, which is also along the
lower hallway, but is undergoing renova­
tions to better serve the function of the
clinic and its clients. The rest of the
changes will be made along the central
hallway where the 2L and 3L lockers are
located.
The entire office space along the wall
opposite the Registrar and Student Services
will be used by student organizations. The
room closest to the library (the former
Word Processing Office) will be turned into
the Environmental Law Journal (EIJ)
office. The EIJ office will have a door
leading into the library's computer room
to allow after-hours access to the library
in the same manner as the Law Review.
The new Sport and Entertainment Law
Forum is also receiving their own office
space. The area of the vending room where
the machines were formerly located has
been walled off to create the Sports and
Entertainment Forum area. They will have
access to the library through the stairwell
leading to the upper stacks. The vending
machines, the seating and the student
mailboxes will remain in the reduced
(Continued on page 5)
Spring Mill Road Bridge to be
Finished by February, 1994
by Andrew E. Fischer
The original Spring Mill Road Bridge
(informally called the Villanova Bridge)
was built in 1875 by the now defunct
Pennsylvania Railroad. It was a railroad
overpass bridge that carried the road that
is now Route 320 (Spring Mill Road) over
the railway near the current Villanova
BHIli
Station.
Significant upgrades were made to the
bridge in 1945. After the Pennsylvania
Railroad went bankrupt, upkekep of the
bridge was performed by Penn Central
Railroad, the operator of the railway below
the bridge.
(Continued on page 5)
VILLANOVA SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT
lAW FORUM
Issue 1
Volume I
Editor-in-Chief
RHETT TRABAND
Executive Editor
Business Editor
DAVID A STORM
SUSAN H. STOBBART
Managing Editor of Symposium
ERIC J. SOBOCINSKI
Managing Editor of Student Work
Managing Editor of Outside Articles
JAMES M. DONAHUE
KYLE R. KRAVITZ
Editors of Student Work
Editors of Outside Articles
WnxiAM J. MURRAY
CHRISTOPHER PEPE
CANDICE POLSKY
DIANA ROSSI
JUUE SOLLENBERGER
WALTER TOUVER
•
•
Scott Brimmer, of Trinity Paving Co., hard at work measuring at the bridge
site.
The Villanova Docket
Villanova Law School
Villanova, PA 19085
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
Villanova, Pa.
ParmH No. S
Non-Profil Organizalioh
Staff
ROBERT BIRON, CHRISTINE CLARKE, SHAWN FARRELL, BILL GEORGES, ROBERT
HAHM, JENNIFER KARAM, STEPHEN KENNEDY, JOSEPH O'KEEFE, GWEN PHILLIPS,
CHRISTIAN SUPRENUK
Faculty Advisor
CATHERINE LANCTOT
WELCOME CLASS OF1996
. X VS X
-
I
Page 2 • THE DOCKET • August, 1993
•i
•
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lirtf.fflpa
Location to be announced
forum
Docket Editorial
To the Villanova law community:
In the past, The Villanova Law Docket
has been the by-product of only one or two
people, and as a result, was limited in the
amount of material which could be covered.
The paper, while informative, often was
not able to cover those stories which were
important to the Villanova law community.
This year, however, the paper will take
on many changes.
First of all, the Villanova Law Docket
will now be an objective source of news
affecting the law school, and no longer only
the opinions of the writers. All opinion
pieces will be put in the new forum section.
This section includes en editorial from the
Docket staff, and all letters to the editor.
Anyone may write a forum piece, however,
it must be typed and turned in to the
Docket mailbox two weeks prior to the
publication date. No anonymous letters
will be printed, so all letters must include
a name and phone number.
Second, the Docket would also like to
cover the clubs from the law school. Any
club with an event should contact the
Docket so that the event will be covered
by the paper. Furthermore, any club or
group may place advertisements about
their events in the Docket free of charge.
Third, the Docket will start carrying
advertisements from the surrounding
community in the near future. Also
included will be a classified section for the
students and administration. More infor­
mation will be posted around the school
as it becomes available.
There are some things, however, that
will remain the same. The liberal/conser­
vative series will return for the next issue,
and the sports sections will still contain
the predictions of the sports staff on
professional, collegiate and Villanova Law
sports.
The goal of the staff is to make the
Docket a respectable newspaper. However,
this cannot be accomplished by a few
people. If you are interested in becoming,
part of the Docket, we ask that you please
attend the next meeting on Thursday,
August 26. With the help of the community,
the Docket will reach its goal.
First Years: Twelve Things You Should Know
by the Angry Young Man
Welcome first year students, why are
you here? Why are you in law school is
probably the first question you must
answer. Why you are at Villanova is the
second question. From time to time
throughout the year I will be here in the
pages of the Docket discussing the darker
side of Garey High. I am a third year, so
all pledges (first years) heed my wisdom
and fetch me a beer.
First, you must learn that Garey High
deserves its name. Everyone knows who
you are, who you are sleeping with or not
sleeping with. You will feel like you are
back in high school (hence the name Garey
High). Do not expect to keep any secrets
— forget it, even the secretaries know who
you are. Don't forget there are lockers, a
cafeteria and a bell dismisses class. Oh
yeah, and there are fire drills.
You know what I hate: the human traffic
jam outside of Rooms 29 and 30. You'd
You know what I hate: the
human traffic jam outside of
Rooms 29 and 30. You'd think
the geniuses who built this place
would have thought about it.
think the geniuses who built this place
would have thought about it. (Here's a clue
— staggered dismissals.)
Second, forget about having a life outside
of law school. Oh sure, you'll hear stories
of phantom classmates who just show up
for finals and make law review (they do
exist) but you are not one of them. Even
if your lifelong ambition is not to make
law review, you will find your life con­
sumed by reading and studying. A word
to those in relationships: most of you I give
until Thanksgiving.
You know what I'd hate if I hadn't spent
the last two years trying to be one of them:
Law Review Snobs. They're not that bad
»o»ce they're stiakii^ drunk in a bar. P,S.
Get them to buy — they can afford it.
Third, you will start drinking. Why?
Maybe it's the stress, maybe it's because
there is very little else to do, except drink.
Mathan M. Murawsky I don't advocate it, it's just a fact of life.
Editor-in-Chief There are no good places to drink. It is,
Villanova Law Docket however, a first year requirement that you
patronize Marita's Cantina on Wednesday
nights and leave with someone you don't
know or like. You'll eventually wander
over to the Yorkshire, but stay out of
Mallory's — it's a third year bar, we don't
want you there.
You know what I really hate: professors
that call on students at random. I mean
it's really unfair. I go to class at random
just to confuse them.
Fourth, you will spend an inordinate
amount of time in the lounge. It's a nice
warm fuzzy place with cable (sometimes)
and invariably you will run across a
homeless person who is living at Garey
High and is showering in the locker room.
STAFF BOX — Summer Staff
Editor-in-Chief
Nathan M. Murawsky
News Editor
Andrew E. Fischer
Managing Editor
Maneesh Garg
Sports Editor
Mark Reed
Staff: Cathy Murphy, Phil Kline,
Melissa Palat, D.J. Meincke
The Villanova Docket Is published monthly
by the students of Villanova University
School of Law, Villanova, PA 19085. Letters
and articles are welcome from students,
faculty, alumni and the community. Paid
advertisements are also accepted. The
Villanova Docket is distributed free to all
current students, faculty and administrators.
Alumni who wish to receive The Villanova
Docket by mail should notify The Villanova
Docket office at the above address. The
opinions expressed herein are solely those
of the writers and do not necessarily reflect
those of the Docket editors and staff or the
Villanova University School of Law.
Faculty Advisor
Prof. John Cannon
August, 1993* THE DOCKET • Page 3
(Yes, there really is a working shower
down there — bring shower sandals.) I
suggest you show up early in the lounge
on Thursday nights for the Simpsons and
Seinfeld. If you hear someone saying: "We
can't hear" — that's me and you should
pipe down. Oh yeah, don't smoke in there,
the SBA finally did something and got them
to ban smoking.
You know what I really like: Hmmmm.
Well, how about the TGs, largely because
there's free beer (you remember that
thousand dollar activity fee); the wonderful
camraderie that exists between students
(yeah right — the person next to you would
backstab you in a second if they could steal
your class rank, or your parking spot or
your copycard); complaining; \vhining; and
lastly bitching.
Fifth, you will not find a job. Forget
about it. The economy stinks, and unless
you are a chemical engineer with a Pulitzer
Prize in Literature and are Numero Uno
in the Class you will not find a job. .So
I exaggerate a little. My plan was to wait
for the economy to improve while I had
out in law school. Nobody has ever called
me General MacArthur for my brilliant
planning. My only piece of advice is to
grade on to law review and avoid the
stresses of not finding a job. That way
you'll only have to worry about which
$60,000 a year job you want to take.
Fortunately, you won't have to worry
about getting a job until next week.
You know who I can't stand: The
Ruggers. They are having too much fun.
Play rugby in the mud, sign bawdy songs,
get in touch with their maleness, and get
drunk — what else is left in the day. 0ust
kidding — I'm more envious than it
sounds.)
Sixth, it does not get easier second year.
If you're lucky you wind up on one of the
three academic journals for which you
sacrifice the remnants of your social life
for two credits. (Unless you're on the
Villanova Sjsprts jSc Entertainment. Law
Forum in which case you're as crazy as
I am.) Two credits for an activity that takes
every minute of your free time! Oh, by the
way, you will also take TAX (with Maule),
DECEDENTS (with Rothman) and COR­
PORATIONS (with Palm). And you still
have to look for a job. Sounds groovy. By
the way doesn't the name Maule scare you?
You know what I hate: having so many
things to complaih about; the cold weather;
my lack of an appreciable social life;
sharing lockers in what amounts to the
Black Hole of Calcutta; communism;
canceled TGs; idiot conservatives; wacko
liberals^ people who do not appreciate
Howard Stern; having no returning line­
backers at Miami; Notre Damers and Penn
Staters and their wanna-bes, even though
fully two-thirds of the school falls into that
category.
Seventh, you will either hate your
arrogant classmates or you will become one
yourself. You arrive thinking you're either
not worthy or that you are too worthy.
You're neither. Every person is here for
a reason. We are all bright (well, not so
bright for choosing to go to law school) and
talented individuals. Do not start thinking
that you do not belong here because you
are either too bright (you'll get your
comeuppance on the December and May
exams) or you are not bright enough (you'll
wear out your support system, especially
when you make law review).
You know who I "really hate: those
clowns who yell at the volunteer refs
during our mandatory basketball league.
(0-k so I did yell at Kleger for not calling
a charge on Sobo and I did yell at another
ref for calling a charge on me — big deal.
You will not die waiting for your
grades, but you will age
appreciably.
it's not like I took a swing at a ref, yet!)
Eighth, you will not die waiting for your
grades, but you will age appreciably.
Grades come out sometime in mid March
and mid August (well, it's more like
February and June)^ You will begin to
question Villanova's grading system — I
mean how hard is it to give everyone C-t-'s.
For instance, Penn Law students can learn
their grades two weeks after exams. Of
course, that's why they're at Penn and
we're here (Penn Law students get grades
with happy faces, dollar signs, or mild
frowns).
You know what I hate: The idiots who
every year, without fail, book someone else
into St. Mary's when the law school
basketball league is scheduled. If it's not
the blood drive, then it's a fraternity event.
As Bill often says: "It was never this way
at Penn State."
Ninth, you will find that Villanova's
grading policy rots innards'. Every other
sane law school helps its ^tu3enS^oiuFBy
inflating grades. The median grades at
most law schools is around a 3.0; at VLS
it hovers around a 2.75. Supposedly, local
law firms know of VLS' grade deflation
policy, but that presupposes you want to
stay in this area. It is extremely frustrating
that VLS is not providing a leg up in the
competitive job market. (No, I am not a
disappointed crackpot who wants my true
grades pumped up. Everyone else is
inflating grades, why aren't we?)
You know what I hate about myself:
missing a three foot putt; choking at the
free throw line; getting drunk and embar­
rassing myself before, take your pick: a
professor, ari employer or a cute woman;
not having a date on Friday nights for
weeks, o-k months, (by the way applica­
tions accepted). Actually, I am smiling
much more this year.
Tenth, the Springmill Bridge might be
(Continued on page 5)
The Brady Bill Controversy
by Phil Kline
Why do gun nuts and their ilk continue
to resist the Brady Bill and other reasonable
restrictions on the right to keep and bear
arms? With all the criminals and lunatics
walking around, isn't it only common sense
to place some limits on our freedom of
action, like they do in most other civilized
countries?
The easy answer would be that the NRA
is just a fringe group of 3 million uned­
ucated, red-neck, Right-wing reactionaries
who are exhibiting a Pavlovian knee-jerk
All pieces for the forum section of the
next Docket must be turned into the
Docket mailbox by Wednesday, September
8, no later than 5 p.m. Each letter must
contain the name, address and phone
number of the author and must be typed.
The Docket reserves the right to refuse any
piece based upon size, and requests that
all letters not exceed five double spaced,
typed pages. Any questions regarding the
policies or any other information regarding
the forum section can be answered by
contacting an editor of the Docket staff.
response by opposing every gun control
measure. The easy answer is, of course,
wrong.
Why do the media and the ACLU
staunchly defend the 1st Amendment
rights of pornographers and neo-Nazis? No
one suggests that the typical member of
the Fourth Estate is a red-neck, Right-wing
reactionary; in fact, their leanings tend to
be noticeably to the Left. So there must
be a thoughtful, sensitive reason for their
actions.
The answer is the same for both groups:
Constitutional battles are fought on the
fringes. 1st Amendment battles are about
truly unpleasant words and pictures; 5th
Amendment battles are about the unques­
tionably guilty; and 2nd Amendment fights
are over "reasonable" infringements.
Of course guns are different than TV
shows; guns kill people. Well, not exactly.
Guns are just machines. They enable a
killer to kill, if he is motivated to kill. Guns
don't motivate anyone to kill.
The mass media motivate people. Suc­
cessful businessmen know the power of
mass communication, and spend billions
each year on ads. Impressionable viewers
dress like Maddonna, talk like Bart, buy
the new transparent cola, vote for the
candidate with the saxophone, and kill in
cold blood just like Bronson.
The media have enormous power, and
that power remains unchecked precisely
because they have successfully fought each
and every "reasonable restriction" imposed
by the government. There are no waiting
periods, no licenses subject to content
Guns are just machines. They
enable a killer to kill, if he is
motivated to kill. Guns don't
motivate anyone to kill.
approval by government officials, no
background checks, no proof of the public's
"need to know," no wholesale banning of
any particularly effective means of com­
munication, no excise taxes, not even any
requirement that they broadcast the truth.
The LA. riots expanded because the
broadcast media showed the absence of
police coverage in the affected areas, live
and in color. Over 50 people died as a result.
Sure, that's less than the annual toll from
(Continued on page 4)
Page 4 • THE DOCKET • August, 1993
forum
"Sources of Law": A New First Year Class
by John Hyson
There is a new course in the first-year
curriculum: Sources of Law in the Amer­
ican Legal System. The course is a twocredit course that will be taught in the first
semester. Professor Perritt will teach one
section; I will teach the other. The purpose
of the course is to introduce first-year
students to the various lawmaking insti­
tutions (the "Sources of Law") in the
American Legal System.
The traditional first-year curriculum at
most law schools is dominated by "the
common law." In Contracts, Property, and
It is an effort to assist first-year
students in understanding basic
questions that every lawyer
must ask when he or she seeks
to resolve a client's problem.
Torts, the prima^ focus is judge-made
law. While the principles of common law
liability continue to be important, and
continue to provide a foundation for
electives in the upperclass curriculum, law
schools are increasingly adding noncommon law courses to the first-year
curriculum.
One of my most vivid recollections of the
first year of law school is a feeling of
frustration and anxiety because I did not
know, and no one sought to teach me, how
my various courses fit into an overall
framework. When, for example, I read the
"hairy hand" case (Hawkins v. McGee) in
Contracts, I had no idea how court-made
contract law fit intoany overall lawmaking
framework.
"Sources" is an effort to provide that
framework. It is an effort to assist firstyear students in understanding basic
questions that every lawyer must ask
when he or she seeks to resolve a client's
problem. I believe that every lawyer
addresses the following questions:
(1) What "sources of law" have made
law that is relevant to my client's problem?
It isn't enough to know any relevant
common law principles. One must know
whether there is relevant federal or state
statutory or administrative law. One must
know whether there are applicable federal
or state constitutional constraints. And, at
the end of the twentieth century, one must
consider whether there is relevant inter­
national law.
(2) What is the relative status of the law
that has been created by each of the
"sources of law?" For example, statutory
law may override the common law; federal
statutory law may override state statutory
law; constitutional law may override
statutory law.
(3) What does the relevant law provide?
It isn't enough to know how to read
common law decisions. A lawyer must also
know how to interpret lengthy, and often
complex, statutory provisions and admi­
nistrative regulations.
(4) How can the lawyer work within the
various "sources" or institutions of law in
an effort to achieve the client's objectives?
Most lawyers do not carry around in their
heads large quantities of substantive law.
All lawyers know that you can always look
up the specifics of the relevant substantive
law. But all lawyers do carry around
knowledge of the framework of the Amer­
ican legal system. Without this knowledge,
a lawyer would not know where to go in
order to look up the law that might affect
a client's plans.
Furthermore, knowledge of the frame­
work of American lawmaking institutions
allows lawyers tocomprehend and organize
the massive amount of law that is part of
modern .American society. Whatever a
lawyer's field of practice, the lawyer is
confronted, on a daily basis, with "new
law." How does the lawyer organize all this
information? The lawyer hangs the infor­
mation on the appropriate "sources of law"
or institutional hooL Or, to put it another
way, the information is (literally or
figuratively) shoved into the appropriate
file — constitutional, common law, stat­
utory (federal or state), administrative
(federal or state), international. Without a
knowledge of the institutional framework
of the American legal system, a lawyer
would view the daily onslaught of new law
as a jumbled, overwhelming, disconnected
mess.
The focus, then, of the new course is
upon lawmaking institutions — not upon
any particular substantive area of the law.
But the materials for the course seek to
avoid abstract discussions of American
lawmaking institutions; or, to put it more
positively, the materials seek to present
institutional questions in the kind of
concrete, practical context that lawyers
must confront. Thus, Professor Perritt's
materials describe how lawmaking insti­
tutions have addressed the employment
relationship; my materials describe how
lawmaking institutions have addressed the
Furthermore, knowledge of the
framework of American
lawmaking institutions allows
lawyers to comprehend and
organize the massive amount of
law that is part of modern
American society.
problems presented by waste disposal.
Students will not, in Professor Perritt's
section, master substantive employment
law; and students will not, in my section,
master waste disposal law. But we do hope
that, in both sections, students will master
"sources of law" — that is, students will
emerge from the course with a basic
understanding of the framework of the
American legal system.
"Sources" will not supplant the more
thorough and sophisticated treatment of
lawmaking institutions that may be found
The materials seek to present
institutional questions in the
kind of concrete, practical
context that lawyers must
confront.
in many upperclass electives — for exam­
ple, Constitutional Law. But it will
introduce first-year students to some of the
basic concepts in those courses and will,
we hope, help students to understand how
all their courses interrelate.
The Brady Bill
(Continued from page 3)
gun abuse, but "isn't even one unnecessary
death too many?"
Terrorists commit atrocities because
they crave publicity, and they are guaran­
teed to get it with violence. Without that
guarantee of coverage, the bombs wouldn't
be planted.
The NRA and other pro-gun groups are
likely to continue to resist each new
The NRA and other pro-gun
groups are likely to continue to
resist each new "reasonable
restriction" as it is proposed, for
the same reason that the ACLU
and the media will resist any
infringement on their turf.
"reasonable restriction" as it is proposed,
for the same reason that the ACLU and
the media will resist any infringement on
their turf. Once the line is crossed and the
right is infringed, there is no longer any
"right" to be protected; there is only a
privilege, to be granted or withheld by the
State.
August, 1993* THE DOCKET • Page 5
news
Spring Mill Road Bridge to be
Finished by February, 1994
(Continued from page 1)
Following Penn Central's bankruptcy,
Amtrak operated the railway under the
bridge and repaired the bridge as needed
to protect its rail lines. Likewise, the
Pennsylvania Department of Transporta­
tion (PennDOT) made bridge repairs and
inspections sufficient to protect its road­
way, which the bridge carried.
However, neither Amtrak nor PennDOT
owned the bridge. Neither agency was
willing to commit the capital resources to
rebuild the bridge, which was rapidly
deteriorating with age. The Villanova
Bridge became a "bridge without a
country."
The Villanova Bridge is not unique in
this aspect; many railroad overpass bridges
throughout the Commonwealth of Pen­
nsylvania fit into this "refugee" category.
In an effort to facilitate the rebuilding of
these decaying bridges, the Pennsylvania
legislature passed the so-called "Billion
Dollar Bridge Bill" (actually closer to $1.4
billion dollars).
This program (which was periodically
reauthorized) provided state funding that
public agencies could tap for bridge
rebuilding (provided that the agency then
would take on the responsibility for future
upkeep of any bridge that it rebuilt with
Bridge Bill funds).
The Route 320 Bridge was one of those
bridges slated to eventually be rebuilt.
Moreover, in the summer of 1991, a drunk
driver crashed his pickup truck into one
of the bridge's main trusses. The bridge
was severely damaged and rendered
unsafe. Bridge Engineer James Rowan,
P.E., said that at this point "[the bridge]
was doing about all that it was worth to
hold itself up." The design for a replace­
ment bridge was only about seventy-five
percent completed, so the bridge was closed
and has so remained.
Furthermore, bridge demolition and
subsequent construction has been slowed
by the contractors and subcontractors
having to work around the schedules of
Amtrak and SEPTA.
Unlike the old bridge which had a sort
of "dip and hump" in the approach from
the north on the Villanova Law School side,
the new grade will be a gradual slope. The
new bridge will also have an extra span
to accommodate a new roadway under the
bridge. The underbridge roadway will
connect the driveways and lots on either
side of Spring Mill Road. This roadway will
also allow pedestrians access to either side
' of Route 320 without having to cross over
Spring Mill Road.
Nyleve ["Evelyn" spelled backwords]
Bridge Corp. is the prime contractor on the
Villanova Bridge. The date for the com­
pletion of the bridge contract is midJanuary 1994. According to Rowan, the
contracted length of time is "not unreas­
onable" for a bridge of this type. However,
workers at the bridge site indicated that
February 1994 was the current expected
date'of completion of the project. The total
contract cost of the Villanova Bridge and
approach is $2,886,735.90.
One more bridge in the Radnor area is
slated to be rebuilt in the near future. That
bridge is located at Eagle Road over the
Amtrak lines and is also expected to cost
about three million dollars.
Ill(B [l)(])(Bk®lte
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to 11)©IDII11(B
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Angry Young Man
(Continued from page 3)
done by the time the rookies graduate.
(Maybe.) What are jughandles anyway and
why are they putting them in at the bridge?
The bridge will cut down travel time to
where? Genuardis? Peyton Place, a.k.a.
Sugartown Mews.
You know what I really, really hate:
getting the Heismari on a weekly basis at
Marita's, the Yorkshire and Mallory's.
Eleventh, (this isn't a Top Ten list) you
must learn to protect yourself. Whether it
be from being ambushed in class to
brawling over a study room (litigation is
pending) or over a computer terminal the
night before briefs are due or from who­
mever you wind up with after the Orien­
tation TG for the rest of the year.
You know what I really like: the fireplace.
You know what I really hate; We never
use it (great admissions photo isn't it —
those are actors).
Twelfth, you will lose sight of why you
are here. You will become buried in the
minutiae of defeasible fee estates and Rule
11 sanctions and you will forget why you
are here. Oh, some of you may be here for
the big paycheck, some people (guys too)
are here shopping for a spouse; some are
here satisfying lifelong ambitions; some
are here to hide out until the economy
improves and some are here for no discern­
ible reason. But you will leave here with
an ability to help people who are less
fortunate than you or who need your
professional assistance. Remember that
and absorb information like a sponge (don't
absorb beer like a sponge). Lawyers have
a bad reputation right now and it may be
deserved. Remember to do your part to
restore the profession's good name by
ethically representing clients without
expanding the burden on the overlitigious
legal system. Good luck ... It's not quite
as bad as it sounds.
Renovations of Offices
(Continued from page 1)
space.
Next to the EIJ office in the old SBA
and Moot Court/Honor Board rooms, an
office will house the Honor Board, the SBA
and the Docket. The Honor Board has a
secure area for their confidential work, the
SBA has a work station and a storage
closet, and the Docket is provided a
publication area. The publication area will
also be available to other student organ­
izations for their publishing needs.
From this area, a doorway leads to the
new central student organization area
which will extend all the way to the,
stairwell. This central office will take over
the space formerly occupied by BALSA,
Women's Law Caucus, Phi Delta Phi and
• the Federalist Society. The lockers along
the wall in what used to be the copier'room
will be allocated to the various student
organizations for storage use. The rest of
the central student organization office will
be set up with several work stations. These
areas viiH each be equipped with" a phone
to be used for official business only. The
student organization mailboxes will also
be located in this area.
The work stations are available to
official student organizations and will be
checked-out on an as-needed basis. Thus,
groups that are planning events will have
an area where they can work on seminar
materials or advertisements and contact
event participants. Because of the speed
with which the renovations began, SBA
did not have an opportunity to formulate
the sign-out policies. They anticipate
coming up with preliminary procedures
soon after the start of the school year.
The final change affecting student space
is the conversion of the jwano alcove into
a conference room for use by student
organizations. The area, which was part
of the student T.V. lounge, is walled off
from the student lounge with a glass wall.
A doorway has been added to provide
access directly onto the hallway. The
renovations are scheduled to be completed
shortly after school starts. Once completed,
consensus appears to be that the changes
should go a long way to elevating the worst
of the space problems for student groups.
Has the litter problem
in your area reached
new heights?
Household trash cans and trash
bags are a leading source of litter
in Philadelphia. Don't throw away
the chance for a cleaner city.
Help us keep Philadelphia clean.
It's your business^
THE SEVEN SOURCES
OF LITTER
1. Materials thrown or dropped by
.
pedestrians
2. Household trash cans and
trash bags
3. Materials thrown or blown from cars
4. Illegal dumpsite.s
5. Business and commercial trash
cans, dumpsters and loading docks
6. Trucks with loads improperly tied
down or improperly covered
7. Construction or demolition sites
KEEP PHILAOELgHIA CLEAN
•
€f
Page 6 • THE DOCKET • August, 1993
m
NFL Predictions - Oilers Super Bowl Bound?
(Continued from page 8j
Ingram (ex-Giant) who replace the Marks
brothers (Duper and Clayton). The only
suspect on offense is ex-con RB Bobby
Humphreys, unless another ex-Eagle
(Mark Higgs) or draftee Terry Kirby steps
up big. On Defense, the Dolphins will go
as far as their LBs (John Offerdahl, Bryan
Cox, and Marco Coleman) and their
secondary (led by CB Troy Vincent and S
Louis Oliver) can take them. Draftee OJ.
McDuffie will make their Special Teams
led by P Reggie Roby and K Pete Stoyanovich only better. Definitely a Super Bowl
caliber team that could give the NFC a
problem in extending their Super Bowl
streak to ten straight wins. 11-5.
2. Buffalo Bills. The Bills known as the
3-time-in-a-row-Super-Bowl-losers were
one of the teams hurt by the new system
of free agency which will end their Super
Bowl losing streak at three. Stripped from
the offense is all-pro offensive lineman Will
Wolford (Colts) and record-breaking WR
James Lofton (Raiders) while LBs Shane
Conlan (Rams) and Carlton Bailey (Giants)
are gone from the defense. Their offense
led by QBJim Kelly may shift the emphasis
from the air to the ground with perhaps
the best RB tandem in the NFL in Thurman
Thomas and Kenneth Davis although their
receiving Corps (WRs Andre Reed, ex-Cold
Billy Brooks, Don Beebe, and- TE Keith
SEE WHAT
TAKES SHAPE.
EXERCISE.
American Heart
Association
McKeller) are still outstanding. The
Special Teams is outstanding led by Steve
Tasker. 10-5-1.
3. New York Jets. Besides the Cards, the
Jets probably were the busiest team during
the off-season, unfortunately busy does not
necessarily mean better. They made a
great draft day trade to get stud LB Marvin
Jones and RBJohnny Johnson, but probably
filled too many shoes with over-the-hill
players like S Ronnie Lott, QB Booner
Esiason and DE Leonard Marshall. All of
those players are capable of having monster
seasons, especially Lott and Boomer.
Unfortunately, the Jets lost a lot of quality
players such as DE Dennis Byrd and WR
A1 Toon to retirement. The Jets have to
hope that their offensive line can protect
Boomer for more than two and half second
and open up enough holes for Johnson andd
RB Blair Thomas to keep the opposing
defenses honest. The corps of WRs Rob
Moore and Chris Burkett are very good but
might have to shorten their routes if the
line does hold for Boomer, thus making
them less effective. The Defense will rely
heavily, possibly too heavily on draftee
Jones, LB Jeff Lageman and Lott. 9-6-1.
4. Indianapolis Colts. The Colts are
another of those up and coming teams that
needs to put up or shut up by rising to
that next level (the playoffs). The made
a huge jump from 1-15 to 9-7 in just a
season, so there is pressure to improve.
Their new offensive line is impressive with
ex-Colt Wolford and ex-Viking Kirk Lowdermilk leading the way, but unfortunately
they don't have a RB to get the job done.
Their offense relies on the arm of QB Jeff
George who has no one to throw to besides
inconsistent WR Jessie Hester and draftee
Sean Dawkins. George needs to grow up
and take the pressure of the fans' impa­
tience like a man. Signing QB Don Majowski was a good insurance policy if George
can't handle the pressure. (The Colts can
not afford the George issue to sidetrack
them from improving, but will.) The
Defense is the Colts strength led by DE
Steve Emtman, LBs Quentin Coryatt and
Duane Bicket and the Emergence of DB
Ashley Ambrose. This defense is awesome
and is capable of shutting down any
offense. Their Special Teams are led by
P Rohn Starks and K Dean Biasucci. 885. New England Patriots. The only
positive things that can be said of the Pats
are the hiring of Bill Parcells, the drafting
of Drew Bledsoe, the change of uniforms,
the play of LB Vincent Brown and the
signing of KR Reyna Thompson, not
necessarily in that order. The Pats assured
their fate of being the worst team in the
league by either trading or letting go of
players (WR Irving Fryar, RB John Ste­
phens and QB Hugh Millen) and by paying
Bledsoe over 50% of the Rookie salary cap.
With less than 50% to pay their other draft
picks, they will not be able to get all their
draftees signed and if they do, they'll be
disgruntled, (especially with Bledsoe
standing on the sidelines with a clipboard).
Parcells wants to start rebuilding from the
ground up, but perhaps went a little far
below the surface because this will not be
a very competitive team, let alone one that
could match last year's 6-10 record. Special
Teams may be the highlight of this team
with Thompson running kickoffs for TDs
(probably their best way of scoring). 1-15.
THE AFC CENTRAL
) 1992, American Heart Association
1. Houston Oilers. Buddy's back and
poised to lead another team toa Super Bowl
title as the Defensive Coordinator with exSkins LB Wilbur Marshall in tow. With
Buddy, the Oilers don't have to worry
about losing a 35 point second half lead
in the playoffs and suffering the embar­
rassment that follows. The Oilers are
loaded at all the positions and arechomping
at the bit to avenge that debacle in last
year's playoffs. The Oiler's QB position is
led by the great Warren Moon and perhaps
the best backup QB in the league in Cody
Carlson. Their plethora of WRs, unbeliev­
ably, produced three Pro Bowlers in
Haywood Jeffries, Ernest Givins, and
Curtis Duncan and could possibly increase
to four with the talented Webster Slaugh­
ter. Their running game is not that multifaceted, but nonetheless effective with RB
Lorenzo White and their huge, solid
offensive line. The suffocating Defense led
by DT Ray Childress, LBs Marshall and
Lamar Lathon, and S Bubba McDowell will
only be stronger with Buddy's renegade
spirit. Their stellar Special Teams are led
by P Greg Montgomery, K A1 Del Greco
and PR Slaughter. This could be the Oilers
last serious push towards the Super Bowl
because a lot of their key players are getting
old and/or entering their last year under
contract. 13-3.
2. Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers are
probably a team that will not enjoy the
success that they had last year because
of question marks. Will RB Tim Worley
and TE Eric Green stay off of drugs? How
much is the defense effected with LB
Hardie Nickerson gone? How will QB Neil
O'Donnell respond now that Bubby is
gone? If all these questions can be answered
positively, then the Steelers have a chance
to surpass last year's success. If not, they
could be looking up at the Bengals and
Browns from last place. They need more
than Foster if they are going to make any
kind of challenge to the Super Bowl.
O'Donnell can not rest on his laurels, but
has to keep improving. If Green is sus­
pended, O'Donnell will need forever to find
someone to catch his passes. The Defense
will be led by LB Greg Lloyd and potentially
the best set of corners in the NFL with
stud Rod Woodson & draftee Deon Figures.
Returner Woodson is their Special Teams.
9-7.
3. Cincinatti Bengals. The Bengals, led
by promising QB David Klingler and^
emerging star RB Harold Green, are one
of those teams that is on its way up. The
only thing is that both will have to
improvise because the inability of their
offensive line. WR Carl Pickens will have
the opportunity to become a star and will
only be helped by ex-Dolphon WR Mark
Duper. Draftee DE John Copeland will be
asked to be a core part of the defense that
is led by LBs Alfred Williams and James
Francis and S David Fulcher. Their Special
Teams are led by K Jim Breech and P
Norman Johnson. The Bengals will be a
fun team to watch, because of all their
emerging stars. 7-9.
4. Cleveland Browns. God told Reggie
White that Cleveland was not the place
to go to establish his church thus damning
the city forever. A team that was so close
so many times in the past is so far away
now with aging stars QB Bernie Kosar,
C Jay HilgenBerg, LB Clay Mathews, and
rejects QB Vinnie Testaverde (ex-Buc) and
Jerry Ball (ex-Lion). The Browns' offense
will depend on the often-injured QB Kosar
who will most likely be injured with the
nonexistent offensive line. His favorite
targets will be all-purpose RB Eric Metcalf
and ex-Buc WR Mark Carrier. Their
running game is severely hurt because or
RB Kevin Mack's retirement. Their defense
rests with stud DE Michael Dean Perry
and possibly NT Ball, if he can come back.
Their Special Teams is Metcalf. 4-12.
THE AFC WEST
1. San Diego Chargers. The team that
came out of nowhere last year will now
seriously contend for theSuper Bowl. They
were one of those up and coming teams
that upped and came. They are here and
loaded with young talent that can only be
rivalled by the Cowboys in terms of the
cream rising to the top. With LB Junior
Seau hitting, QB John Friez throwing, WR
Anthony Young catching, I need not say
more. Stan Humphries, however, will run
this offense fueled by RBs Ronnie Harmon
& Marion Butts and WR Miller. With RB
Rod Bernstein gone, it will only give Butts
the opportunity to carry enough to gain
1,000 yards and help develop draftee RB
Natrone Means faster. The Offensive line
can only get better. The defense is led by
stud LB Seau and stud DE Leslie O'Neil.
The Special Teams are led by the Johns
(P Kidd and K Carney). 12-4.
2. Kansas City Chiefs. Can QB Joe
Montana lead the Chiefs to the Super Bowl
and ^t his 5th ring? The Chiefs are
banking on it, but I will bet against it.
Picking up Joe and ex-Raider RB Marcus
Allen were great acquisitions to revitalize
this offense which stumbled last year.
Offensive Coordinator Paul Hackett will
love that passing tandem, but will be
frustrated with this jumbled-but-talended
backfield of RBs (Allen, Harvey Williams,
Christian Okoye, Barry Word and Todd
McNair). This will give them many differ­
ent looks, but it would have been wiser
to trade one or two of these players to
improve their WRs Corps and/or offensive
line. The WRs of J J. Birden and Willie
Davis are decent, but they're not Rice and
Taylor; less can be said of their TEs. The
offensive line is adequate, but has to be
better to protect Joe or they'll be protecting
his backup (David Krieg) which greatly
diminishes their Super Bowl chances.
Their superb defense is led by stud LB
Derrick Thomas, DE Neil Smith, and their
whole secondary of CBs Dale Carter &
Albert Lewis, and Ss ex-49ers David
Whitmore & Charles Mincy. The Special
Teams led by K Nick Lowery and PR
Carter. 11-5.
3. Los Angeles Raiders. This was the
team that everyone thought the mercen­
aries would run to, but only ex-Bronco RB
Gaston Green, ex-Ram OT Gerald Perry,
ex-Giant QBJeff Hostetler, and ex-Bills WR
James Lofton came west. The signing of
Hostetler did not end the QB controversy
with Todd Marinovich, Vince Evans and
Billy Joe Hobert competing. The Raiders
have a potentially explosive offensive with
RBs Green and Nick Bell and WRs Tim
Brown, ex-CFLer Rocket Ismail, and
Lofton. The TEs (Ethan Horton and
Andrew Glover) are good pass catchers and
blockers. Their offense line led by Perry,
Steve Wisniewski and Don Mosbar will be
one of the best in the league. The defensive
line is mixed with the old (Howie Long and
Greg Townsend) and the young (Chester
McGlockton and Nolan Harrison). Their
LBs Corps (Anthony Smith, Winston Moss
and Aaron Wallace) are pass-rushing
(Continued on page 7)
Interested in covering sports events
for the Doclcet?
Leave your name and numbler in the
Docket mailbox
Attn: Mark Reed, Sports Editor
August, 1993* THE DOCKET • Page 7
Oilers Super Bowl Bound?
f
(Continued from page 7)
specialist who are non-existent on running
plays. The secondary is o.k. led by CBs
Terry McDaniels and Lionel Washington.
Special Teams is Ismail. 9-7.
4. Seattle Seahawks. The defense is
great with DE Cortez Kennedy, LB Rufus
Porter and Ss Eugene Robinson and Robert
Blackmon. With the drafting of QB Rick
Mirer, the Seahawks QB problems are
over; maybe not this year but definitely
in the next two years. The Seahawks
improved their offense greatly with exCowboy WR Kelvin Martin and ex-Dolphin
TE Ferrel Edmunds. Add those players to
their offensive mix of RBs Chris Warren
and John L. Williams and WR Brian Blade,
and you have a pretty good offense to go
with that tremendous defense. If Mirer can
step in and take control of that offense,
you could possibly have the sleeper team.
As we learned last year with the Chargers,
a team with a last place schedule has the
potential of sneaking up on people. 7-9.
5. Denver Broncos. The good news is
that the Broncos made two great pick ups
in free agency (ex-Oiler Don Maggs and
ex-Viking Brian Habib) to vastly improve
their offensive line to protect QB John
Elway. The bad news is with all that extra
time, QB Elway won't have anyone to
throw it to. The good news is that they
picked up ex-Charger RB Rod Bernstein to
run through the big holes the line will open
up. The bad news is that Bernstein has
never played a whole season, so will he
be consistent enough. The good news is
that the offense is being run by the
comeback king Elway. The bad news is,
if QB Elway goes down, the offense will
be in the hands of raw backup QB Tommy
Maddox. The defense is led by old men (DE
Karl Mecklenberg, LB Simon Fletcher and
Ss Dennis Smith & Steve Atwater) and
youngsters (LB Mike Croel and draftee DE
Dan Williams). There is nothingg to say
about the Special Teams. 5-U.
NFL Predictions
Super Bowl Contenders:
NFC
L Green Bay Packers
2. Dallas Cowboys
3. San Francisco 49ers
4. Detriot Lions
AFC
L Houston Oilers
2. Miami Dolphins
3. San Diego Chargers
4. Kansas City Chiefs
AFC
.
Real Playoff Contenders with 2 last
spots:
NFC
L Atlanta Falcons
2. Washington Redskins
3. Phoenix Cardinals
4. Philadelphia Eagles
L Pittsburgh Steelers
2. Los Angeles Raiders
3. Buffalo Bills
4. New York Jets
Super Bowl Matchup
NFC
1. Green Bay Packers
la. Dallas Cowboys (b/c Smith's status)
L Houston Oilers
AFC
Super Bowl Champs:
Houston Oilers
NFL MVP:
Barry Sanders, Detroit Lions
Rookie of the Year:
Garriston Hearst, Phoenix Cardinals-
SUPPORT
It Works Wonders.
9
American
Heart
Association
Does your club have an event you want
advertised in the next issue of the Docicet?
Just have a camera-ready ad to the Docicet
maiibox by 5:00 p.m. on SeptemberiSth.
Any Questions? Contact IN/laneesh Garg or
Nathan i\/lurawsl^ at the Doclcet office.
Page 8 • THE DOCKET • August, 1993
NFL Predictions - Oilers Super Bowl Bound?
It's that time of the year football fans,
but with one huge difference, seeing some
of your favorite stars in different uniforms
courtesy of Freeman McNeil, the martyr
for free agency. You'll see Reggie White,
not in the green and white of the Eagles,
but the green and gold of the Packers, Joe
Montana, not in his familiar number 16
of the 49ers, but number 19 of the Chiefs
and Shane Conlan, not in the blizzards of
Buffalo, but in the sunshine of Los Angeles
(the Rams that is). With those and many
other changes as well as the strong
possibility of not seeing Emmitt Smith, in
a Dallas uniform, will the genuine ambi­
tions of the Super Bowl shift from the
Eagles, the 49ers, and the Bills to the
Packers, the Chiefs, and the Rams? You
might even find some Eagles playing for
the Super Bowl, unfortunately, fans
(namely Henry Felix) they'll be in Miami
where a large portion of the best has come
to roost. With all these changes, the power
has shifted from the NFC to the AFC. So,
"Are you ready for some football?" In the
Year of Change, even the theme song for
Monday Night Football won't even be the
same.
On defense, you no longer have the physical
smash-mouth front four, now you have a
more raw, finesse, old and bandaid line in
rookie Mike Renfro, Tim Harris and
Michael Carter and Keith Millard, respec­
tively. The defense will hinge upon the play
of Seth and Clyde who have seen the core
of their team gutted. The only note on the
Special Teams is P^ Vai Sikahema and
Ken Rose. 8-8
5. New York Giants. Firing Ray Handley
was a plus, not that he was that bad of
a coach, but because his players were
nonresponsive to him due to the huge
shadow of Bill Parcells looming over him.
This is just a very old team, where their
stars are past their prime i.e. Phill Simms
and Lawrence Taylor. The offense with
Simms will have to be a grind out team
that is led by its' RBs (Rodney Hampton,
The NFC East
1. Dallas Cowboys. Their season all
depends on how long it takes for Emmitt
Smith to get "Emmitt-kind" of money. If
he signs early, they'll have the grandeur
expectation of going to or winning the
Super Bowl; if they don't, then only the
playoffs. With the top-rated, no-name
defense intact led by LB Ken Norton, Jr.,
they'll become recognizable. They'll miss
a click on special teams, however, where
they won't have the explosiveness of
Kelvin Martin, the same can be said of the
offense, if QB Troy Aikman doesn't get
over his achy-breaky back because Hugh
Millen is his backup. Their offensive line
is big, powerful, and young, but without
Emmitt, it won't be able to create holes
big enough for his replacements. The
offense fueled by WR Michael Irving and
TE Jay Novacek is still dangerous, but not
scary. One thing even the biggest Boyz fan
will admit, is that they were fortunate they
did not have any serious injuries. With
Aikmans' back and the rash of preseason
injuries sustained already, it doesn't look
encouraging. 11-4-1.
2. Washington Redskins. Gone is Coach
Joe Gibbs to retirement and his talent to
get his players to go that extra mile. On
defense, they go down a notch because
Wilbur Marshall is gone and most of the
defense is getting too old; Carl Banks was
a nice addition but is old as well. On
offense. Skins fans have to hope for a 199192 season from QB Mark Rypien and that
former Heisman trophy winner WR Des­
mond Howard plays like one on the pro
level. They're led on Special Teams by PK
Chip Lohmiller who could make the
difference in winning or losing a few games
this season. 9-7
3. Phoenix Cardinals. Unexpectedly, the
Cards were one of the few "players" in
this new game of free agency and came
away big. They also improved themselves
through the draft. They got QB Steve
Beuerlein, formerly of the Cowboys to
throw to WR Gary Clark, formerly of the
Skins on offense. In the draft, they got a
great potential RB in Garrison Hearst and
a pair of 300 pound plus offensive linemen
in Ernest Dye and Ben Coleman to their
already seasoned line. On defense, they got
Chuck Cecil, formerly of the Pack, who
should add more pop to the Cards secondary
and solidify this up and coming defense.
On Special Teams the Cards have great
ones in P Rich Camarillo and PR Johnny
Bailey. 9-7
4. Philadelphia Eagles. Alienating your
top players such as Reggie White, Keith
Byars (former ones), Fred Barnett, Seth
Joyner, Clyde Simmons (current but
probably former ones) does not help build
a Super Bowl team. Nor does it present
an attractive nesting place for other teams'
soon-to-be free agents. That is probably
why they lost 11 players (the most in the
NFL). On offense they still have Randall
Cunningham at QB, one of the games' most
talented players, who has to show leader­
ship and his potential through his on-field
perforinance. With Barnett at WR and solid
RBs (Herschel Walker, Heath Sherman,
James Joseph), the offense is very good, but
not as great when it had the two Keiths.
two-year reign as rushing champion is
over. Teaming Swilling up with Chris
Spielman and Tracy Scroggins creates a
hell of a LB corp. It's their defensive
linemen that won't put any fear into
opposing teams; this can't be said of their
secondary with hard-hitting Bennie Blades
manning it. Nothing of note on Special
teanms. 10-6
3. Minnesota Vikings. One of the sur­
prise teams of last year takes a step back
because they have to play a first-place
schedule and have injured-proned QB Jim
McMahon at the helm. When McMahon
gets hurt either Rich Gannon or Sean
Salisbury will step in and try to produce.
With age starting to show at the WR
(Carters; Anthony and Chris), TE (Steve
Jordan) and RB (Roger Craig) and the
improbability that Terry Allen can dupli-
such as WR Jerry Rice and ex-Card S Tim
McDonald. The 49er's take a step back,
however, not only because of the loss of
Montana and their best defensive player
in Pierce Holt, but because of the age in
their offensive line. Coach Seifert will be
hard pressed to get the 49er's to the NFC
Championship again, although the 49ers
could do it on shear talent alone. The
Offense will be challenged by the following:
the average age of the offensive line is 31,
Rice can't keep up his pace (Can he?), WR
John Taylor is getting older, and the
backfield of RBs Ricky Watters, Amp Lee,
and Tom Rathman are inconsistent. On
Defense besides Holt, they lost valuable
veterans like Tim Harris and Michael
Carter, and besides McDonald, only CB
Don Griffin is a plus. Special Teams,
nothing to mention. 10-5-1.
2. Atlanta Falcons. With the pressure on
Jerry Glanville, the Falcons will make a
storng push to the playoffs thanks to the
arrival of ex-49er Pierce Holt, and ex-skin
Jumpy Geathers, to the defensive line and
RB Eric Dickerson, late of the Raiders, to
the offense. What the Falcons need to do
is make a decision on who is going to be
their QB: Chris Miller or ex-Saint bobby
Hebert, so they don't have a distracting
QB controversy which would only hurt
their chances. Whoever is chosen to be the
QB (Miller deserves it) will have a plethora
of \^s to throw: Andre Rison, Michael
Haynes, and Mike Pritchard. Dickerson
adds a dimension that the Falcons lacked
for years; a decent running game. Their
offensive line anchored by Chris Hinton,
Bob Whitfield, and huge draftee Lincoln
Kennedy will make Dickerson's job easier.
Their LBs are spearheaded by the tandem
of Jessie Tuggle and aging Jesse Solomon
and their secondary is led by two sport star
Deion Sanders. The Special Teams are led
by K Norm Johnson and PR Sanders. 106.
Jarrod Bunch and Dave Meggett). Simms
has to keep to the short stuff underneath
to Meggett and the TEs and the occasional
long one to WRs ex-49er Mike Sherrard and
ex-Bronco Mark Jackson. To rely on Simms
for anything more is asking too much; if
their runninggame is not working, Simms'
career is in jeopardy. If the Giants' defense
relies on Taylor too much, their star and
possibly the unit themselves will go down
in smoke. Their Special Teamers are PR
Meggett and K Sean Landeta. 5-11
The NFC Central
Green Bay Packers. The Pack is Back!
With QB Brett Favre running Coach
Holmgren's imported offense from San
Fran and the signing of Reggie White
anchoring the defense, watch out world,
we might be seeing the team that knocks
Dallas off its repeat Super Bowl quest.
They are that good, Favre is probably the
best young QB in the game today and now
he has ex-Dolphin Mark Clayton to throw
to as well as record-setting WR Sterling
Sharpe and TE Jackie Harris. They also
have a quality running game with ex-Pat
John Stephens, Edgar Bennett, and Darrell
Thompson at RBs. The defense led by DEs
White and ex-Chief Bill Maas, young LB
Tony Bennett, and superstud CB Terrell
Buckley, will command the opposing
teams' respect. Drafting Bama's CB
George Teague was a plus. The only player
on Special Teams worth mentioning is
Buckley. 11-5
2. Detroit Lions. This is my sleeper
team. With a weak schedule, a talent like
RB Barry Sanders on offense and the
addition of Pat Swilling on defense, this
team might find itself back where they
were two years ago, the NFC Champion­
ship game. Barry is that good and better.
If one of their three QBs (Rodney Peete,
Andre Ware, or Erik Kramer) can step
forward, it will make it easier on Barry
and their WRs. With the addition of exBengal Rodney Holman to the "Silver
Stretch" offense of WRs Herman Moore
and Brett Perriman, the Lions will roll up
some huge points. The Lions signing of exFalcon Bill Fralic and ex-Chief David Lutz
rtiakes the line exceptional with all-pro
lineman Lomas Brown anchoring it.
Translation: Barry is back and Emmitt's
3. Los Angeles Rams. The Rams are
another team that did well in the off-season
with free agency and the draft. Coach
"Ground" Knox will be able to run his kind
of offense with the multidimensional
cate last year's effort, the Vikings are a talents of draftee Jerome Bettis and
team in trouble offensively. Unless they Cleveland Gary at RBs. The arrival of
get solid performances from two of their Shane Conlan from the Bills and Henry
draft picks (Robert Smith at RB and Qadry Rollins from the Chargers that will onoy
Ismail at WR) you're not looking at a very make DE Sean Gilbert and S Todd Lyght
good team at all because their offensive line better. The WRs Corpsof Flipper Anderson,
was depleted by free agency. Their defense Henry Ellard, and draftee Troy Dayton
is DE Chris Doleman, period. No Special should make the real Jim Everett step
forward and the offense click. Their
Teams. 7-9
4. Tampe Bay Buccaneers. Surprise! ancient offensive line can still get the job
The BUGS are not in last place. Sam Wyche done and will open enough holes for the
is slowly making this team a respectable talented backfield of Bettis and Gary. Todd
team on the way to a possible playoff Kinchen return of two punts for TDs in
contention in a year or two. Having 39 yr. last year's finale is the star of their Special
old Steve DeBerg at QB is not reassuring, Teams. 8-8.
4. New Orleans Saints. The Saints are
but the man can get the job done. Another
a
team
that will take a huge step back by
year of Craig Brickson caddyingfor DeBerg
should do the young QB a world of good. not solidifying their QB position when they
They just need to hand the ball to RB signed over-the-hill Wade Wilson. The
Reggie Cobb and see him run behind the Saints are an example of a team who really
side of the line which Paul Gruber and does not know what to do in this era of
back-from-retirement Anthony Munoz are hiring mercenaries. The trading of LB Pat
on. The defense is where the Bucs improved Swilling LBs (Ricky Jackson, Sam Mills
the most where they picked up all- and Vaughan Johnson) average age being
everything middle LB Hardy Nickerson, over 33. Their LB unit may still be the
the ex-Steeler, CB Martin Mayhew, the ex- best unit the Saints have. The Saints
Skin and drafted Bama's DE Eric Curry aren't a team that could rely on their
to enhance the hungry defense of LBs Keith offense and now they can rely on it even
McCants and Broderick Thomas. Nothing less. Their RBs of ex-Bear Brad Muster,
Vaughn Dunbar, and Dalton Hilliard and
to mention on Special teams. 5-11
5. Chicago Bears. Dave Wannstedt is their WR combination of Eric Martin,
going to wish he had stayed in Dallas Floyd Turner, and Quinn Early scares no
because the Bears are not the Cowboys and one. Draftee TE Irv Smith will command
won't be making any trips to the Super respect, especially in this offense. Their
Bowl any time soon. On Offense you have LBs Corps, DE Wayne Martin and their
Neal Anderson and the twosome pf Wendell secondary will not be able to hold opponents
Davis and Tom Waddle and possibly rookie to the least amount of points scored for
Curtis Conway at WRs, but the question a third year in a row. The Saints have got
is can Jim Harbaugh get it to them enough. to hope it comes down to Special Teams
I say no. Last year Anderson was not given where K Morton Anderson has the oppor­
the ball enough by the Bears, but with this tunity to win the game. 5-10-1.
THE AFC EAST
offensive line, it probably won't matter
1. Miami Dolphins. Have you ever seen
how many times he gets the ball. On
Defense, the Bears are old, and toothless a fish fly? Well you'll be able to witness
this rare feat when the Dolphins take the
or fat, i.e. Richard Dent and The Fridge.
They have to hope that Man-Child Alonzo field with a hybrid of their former selves
Spellman grows up and becomes a Man and the Eagles. This team has five exand that S Mark Carrier can return to his Eagles namely Keiths Jackson and Byers.
rookie form. K Kevin Butler is their Special The new form of the Dolphins will light
up the board on offense with QB Dan
Teams. 3-13.
Marino
throwing to the two Keiths and
THE NFC WEST
1. San Francisco. Will Steve Young step WRs Irving Fryar (ex-Pat) and Mark
it up with Joe gone? The 49ers possess some
(Continued on page 6)
of the best talent in the NFL besides Young