THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 18, 1994 TAG: 9409180163
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C10 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: JIM DUCIBELLA
LENGTH: Long : 108 lines
It didn't get much notice, but St. Louis took a major step forward this week in its fight with Baltimore for the Los Angeles Rams.
It happened when beer distributor Jerry Clinton agreed to sell his share of the lease for the city's new domed stadium and convention center. A group of civic and political leaders called Fans, Inc. agreed to pay Clinton $4 million for his 30 percent of the lease. He'll get $4 million more if St. Louis gets a team and he's not involved.
That clears the way for St. Louis to resume negotiations with John Shaw, executive vice president of the Rams, in an attempt to bring the team to that city. Shaw had broken off negotiations because Clinton's control of the lease was blocking other St. Louis groups, including Wal-Mart heir Stan Kroenke, from getting involved.
The meeting of Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos and Maryland Gov. William Donald Schaefer with Shaw and Rams owner Georgia Frontiere Friday was seen as possible evidence that Baltimore had the edge in the race.
St. Louis, though, has an advantage because commissioner Paul Tagliabue and Redskins owner Jack Kent Cooke are attempting to block the Rams from moving to Baltimore.
Cooke is attempting to build a stadium in Laurel, Md. and doesn't want a team in Baltimore.
CHATTING WITH . . . JETS RECEIVER ART MONK.
Q - Why did you leave the Redskins?
MONK - ``Money was part of it, but not all of it. I exhausted every avenue to try to resolve and restore the relationship there and to try and come to terms. Everywhere I went, it was just a closed door. So, I knew my career there was ending.''
Q - You're from New York originally; so is your wife. Did that make the move easier?
MONK - ``I was excited about coming. Obviously, I would have liked to finish my career in Washington, but after I realized that that was a lost cause and that they really didn't want me there, then that really took a load off my chest. I wanted to go out and establish myself with another team and I'm glad it's here.''
SHOCKING: Ever wonder what makes Raiders quarterback Jeff Hostetler such a tough guy?
Would you believe electric shock treatments?
As a kid growing up and doing household chores in Pennsylvania, Jeff was often subjected to the shenanigans of older brothers Ron and Doug. One of their tricks was to grab his hand and make contact with a nearby electric fence, sending current through his body.
If Jeff cried, the older brothers wouldn't play football with him. That's where he learned to suffer in silence.
By the way, if Hostetler has a sore arm, he's doing a good job of hiding it.
He hasn't missed a repetition during practice. Thursday, his passes looked markedly crisper and more accurate. His erratic passing in the first two games led to speculation that he had a sore throwing arm, which he and the Raiders have denied.
``I have no question about the guy,'' coach Art Shell said. ``He's just out of sync right now.''
SCRIPPS HOWARD PRO POWER RATINGS: Two weeks into the season, the top-ranked team is Seattle. The Dolphins are second. You got to go down to sixth to find the defending Super Bowl champion Cowboys. (Numbers to the left are team rankings. Numbers to the right are the current power ratings. To determine the projected margin of a game, compare the ratings and allow four points for typical home-field advantage.)
1. Seattle59.4
2. Miami57.3
3. Kansas City56.8
4. New York Jets55.7
5. New York Giants54.4
6. Dallas54.2
7. San Diego53.5
8. Philadelphia53.5
9. San Francisco52.4
10. Minnesota52.4
11. Green Bay52.4
12. Atlanta52.4
13. Pittsburgh51.2
14. Tampa Bay50.0
15. Washington49.6
16. Chicago49.6
17. Detroit49.0
18. Denver49.0
19. Buffalo48.7
20. Cleveland46.6
21. Arizona46.6
22. New England46.1
23. Indianapolis45.3
24. Los Angeles Rams43.7
25. Houston43.7
26. New Orleans42.2
27. Los Angeles Raiders41.6
28. Cincinnati41.4
FILL 'ER UP AND CHECK THE CORNERBACKS: Patriots coach Bill Parcells was asked if he was contemplating changes in his secondary. ``Very few people understand this. . . . This isn't Texaco. You don't walk in and say, change the oil, put a new carburetor in, check the spark plugs and everything is OK,'' he said. ``This isn't Texaco.''
CHEAPER BY THE YARD: How much has stricter enforcement of the one-bump rule helped NFL passing games? By hundreds and hundreds of yards. Through the first two weeks there have been 13 300-yard passing games. At the same point last season? Three. Defensive backs can bump receivers once within five yards of the line of scrimmage. by CNB