Tampa Bay Times from St. Petersburg, Florida • 35

mm section (r THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1990 ST. PETERSBURG TIMES too yVT SPORTS COLUMNIST HUBERT -N QMIZELL r- f'' Chris Chandler will start Sunday in New Orleans. It's the first time since '87 that Testaverde hasn't started when he wasn't injured. 2 Mi Dear Ray: It's time for this team to be a winner By RICK STROUD Ttm Sufi Writer it r. Ray Perkins lllll I IF Head Coach Tampa Bay Bucs taverde stuck on the bench.

He has two seasons remaining on a six-year contract worth more than per year. Chandler, who was obtained from the Indianapolis Colts for a first-round pick in 1992, signed a four-year deal with the Bucs worth about "I just feel like it would be good for our team to make a change at this time," Perkins said. "I think we need something different. "We've gone five weeks in a row without scoring any more than five touchdowns one per week. And that won't get it in this league." The Bucs, who fell to 4-5 following Sunday's 26-6 defeat by the Bears, are reeling after three consecutive losses.

But Perkins said not all the blame should be placed on Testaverde's shoulders. In fact, Testaverde missed a start two weeks ago in the Bucs' 41-10 loss at San Diego because of a turf toe injury. But he was ineffective trying to come back against Chicago, at one point missing on 11 consecutive passes. He finished the game 10-of-24 passing for 149 yards, the five interceptions and a touchdown with eight of the completions and 136 of the yards coming after the Bucs trailed 26-0. Prior to the Bears game, Testaverde had thrown just four interceptions and, at one point early in the season, had gone 97 consecutive attempts without being picked off.

"I'm still kind of thinking about things," Testaverde said. "It's not a good feeling. Whether you're second-Please see BUCS 7C TAMPA Through turnovers and turmoil, the Tampa Bay Bucs have always stood up for Vinny Testaverde. But on Wednesday, Testaverde was told to sit down. Trying to shake the Bucs offense to life, coach Ray Perkins said Chris Chandler will replace Testaverde as the starting quarterback for Sunday's game at New Orleans.

Testaverde, who tossed five interceptions against the Chicago Bears last week, hasn't been benched for something other than an injury since taking control of the Bucs offense from Steve DeBerg three years ago for a game at New Orleans. Testaverde's troubled past appeared to have faded a week ago as he prepared to face the Bears as the league's second-highest-rated quarterback. But Wednesday's move left the Heisman Trophy winner pondering his future in Tampa Bay. "I really have to think about it (the future)," Testaverde said. "Chris is a top-notch quarterback.

Depending on how he does, how far he takes the team if Chris has success and we're winning, you stick with what's work-ing. Apparently, that would leave Tes 3 -4 i Mil. T'W 41 Tampa, FL Dear Ray: Happy birthday. On Tuesday, with the elections and with sporting brickbats abounding over your Tampa Bay troupe's latest cataclysm against the Chicago Bears, most of us forgot to dial 1-800-Merlin-Olsen and order a "Happy 49th" bouquet of roses. Anyway, best wishes.

But Ray, it is non-celebrating reality that Bucs fans, a constituency so consistently deprived during the 1976-90 Cul-verhouse Administration, never have been angrier. Can you blame them? August promise evolved into November disgust. Long-running community frustrations eased into September remission, as your Bucs won three times in four, but then a disgraceful run of Dallas-Dallas-San Diego-Chicago disasters recreated an ugliness that keeps refusing to leave town. Since Sunday's stench, when quarterback Vinny Testaverde and the rest of your offense entertained a Tampa Stadium sellout with a poor slapstick imitation of the Keystone Kops, it has been a 100-hour "talk show" around here, with well-meaning but appalled citizens asking I "Will Perkins ever exceed 5-11?" "Does Testaverde have what it takes?" "Is Culverhouse football-blind?" "Can't we hire an offensive genius?" "What about a general manager?" "Will this crap ever end?" But, of course, I don't need to tell Ry got eyes, Cars and coaching ego. You're ticked off.

Your pside is suffering. I can hear it in your uijhappy voice. Your faith in some Bucs payers is cracking, perhaps including 1986 Heisman Trophy winner Testaverde. i Nobody enjoys tough, massive, highly! negative scrutiny. Not you, not George Bush, not Donald Trump, not lAike Tyson, not even Saddam Hussein.

Everybody heard Bucs owner Hugh Chlverhouse's ill-timed, ill-advised guarantee that the head coach will return in 1991, even if your pupils lose this season's final 10 games. What kind of talk is that? Nobody should ever say it's absolutely; non-punishable for a National Football League team to lose and lose and lose, despite having a moderate reservoir of tajent. Culverhouse obviously doesn't run hif law practice, or real-estate ventures, with the same permissiveness. Otherwise, instead of living in a penthouse, h'd be standing beside a street corner holding a "Will Work for Food" sign. All this, Ray, is correctable.

Winning isithe (only) antidote for these poisons of lofeing. Go 5-2 for the rest of the season, oi even 4-3, and callers to radio talk shows will say, "I never lost faith." You will be a near-hero, perhaps even to newspaper editorialists. But it'd better start soon, like on Sunday at New Orleans. Your employees m. m.

ME, i Time photo JIM DAMASKE Chris Chandler threw four interceptions two weeks ago at San Diego. Times photo VICTOR JUNCO Vinny Testaverde threw five interceptions Sunday against Chicago. PtoeiniDJi apparently Doses Sypeir IBowD NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue says Arizona voters' rejection of a holiday to honor Martin Luther King Jr. makes Phoenix an inappropriate site for the 1993 game. Phoenix Cardinals owner Bill Bidwill whose team's home stadium is actually in the suburb of Tempe said he was disappointed both at the voters' decision and Tagliabue's action.

About 60 percent of NFL players are black, and the league has been sensitive to calls to add minorities to coaching and front-office staffs. Art Shell of the Los Angeles Raiders is the only black head coach in the league and there are no black general managers. The NFL Players Association endorsed Tagliabue's decision. Please see PHOENIX 7C all of the 28 NFL teams will go along with his recommendation. A total of 21 votes are necessary to move the game, which will probably go to San Diego, Los Angeles or San Francisco, the other cities that bid for it.

"I can't imagine that people won't go along with the commissioner," said Norman Braman, owner of the Philadelphia Eagles and chairman of the Super Bowl site selection committee. "I think it's tragic for the people who worked so hard to get the game there. But I think it would be an affront to our public and our players if the game is played in Phoenix." Aiiodated Prea NEW YORK NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue summarily pulled the 1993 Super Bowl out of Phoenix on Wednesday after Arizona voters rejected a proposal to make a holiday of Martin Luther King birthday. "I do not believe that playing Super Bowl XXVII in Arizona is in the best interests of the National Football League," Tagliabue said after the Arizona electorate rejected the King measure by 15,000 votes of nearly 1-million cast. While Tagliabue's statement doesn't make the move official, it's expected that most if not INSIDE Illinois touted for Fame Bowl Hall of Fame officials say they want the Big Ten school.

Meanwhile, FSU's shot at a major bowl bid appears remote. Now it's Jesse The Governing Body' Ventura The Bucs radio analyst and former pro wrestler is elected mayor of a Minneapolis suburb. By BOB HARIG Timet Staff Writer 5 :4 have minted tne easy part ot the season, with the double-dump against Dallas, so nw it's imperative that Perkins people sijcceed against the odds. First the Saints, then San Francisco and Green Biy, all on the road. Are you guys capable? You've begun, Ray, with a quarterback change.

Handing a clipboard to Testaverde, and starting Chris Chandler in, the Superdome. It's time to gamble. Dpuble up to catch up. Tampa Bay's offensive canister needs a shaking. Even two weeks ago, in a 41-10 debacle at San Diego, you gave Chris a shot and he hd what he called "The worst game I've ejer played at any tevel." Chandler badly i teds to prove he's worth the first-round 1992 draft choice ydu spent to get him from the Indianapolis Colts.

I'm no X's-and-O's chemist, Rjy, as I'm sure you will agree, but shouldn't such a troubled Tampa Bay operation be reaching even deeper for offensive creativity and effort? Enough relapses, Ray. This team, even now, should be expected to have an 8-8 season, minimum. If not, the Bucs owner should reassess everything, including guarantees. No-bcjdy needs what's gone on since September. Unless the fountain soon begins to! fill, somebody should have the courage tojpull the plug.

Sincerely, Hubert Mizell NCAA hits Illinois Basketball gets probation, cutbacks 3C Dick Schultz likes reform NCAA boss looks out for students 8C Alomar Jr. is top choice Catcher is AL's rookie of the year 9C Correction Dunedin running back Ben-, nie Thomas missed the football game against Lakewood on Friday because of injury. A story Saturday stated By DARRELL FRY Tlmei Staff Writer TAMPA Jesse the Body is now Jesse the Mayor. Jesse Ventura, an actor and former professional wrestler who also works as a commentator on Tampa Bay Bucs radio broadcasts, was elected mayor Tuesday in Brooklyn Park, Minn. He won a landslide victory over incumbent James Krautkre-mer, who had been in office for 18 years.

Ventura carried all 21 of the city's precincts, collecting 12,728 votes to Krautkre-mer's 7,390. Brooklyn Park, a middle-class Minneapolis suburb that also is home for Minnesota Twins player Kirby Puckett, has a population of about 55,000, making it the sixth-largest city in Minnesota. Please see VENTURA 6C A day after apparently securing Clemson, the Hall of Fame Bowl has what appears to be a good bet in Illinois as an opponent for the Jan. 1 game at Tampa Stadium. Official bids cannot be extended until Nov.

24, but bowls and teams traditionally strike "unofficial" deals well in advance. Meanwhile, the Florida State Seminoles could be shut out of a major New Year's bowl and possibly out of New Year's Day altogether after a couple days of behind-the-scenes dealing. The Hall of Fame Bowl would like to pit nth-ranked Illinois (6-2) against 18th-ranked Clemson (8-2). "We anticipate, if nothing goes wrong, we'll get one of three teams: Illinois, Iowa or Michigan," said John Adcock, team selection committee chairman for the Hall of Fame Bowl. "But we think it'll be Illinois.

That's who we want. But it is not a sure thing." Adcock said that Illinois could still be the Big Ten Please see BOWLS 4C IB In the race, Ventura says, "Too much was made of my career. That's not relevant".