Page 23 - AT

A23
SPORTS Monday 13 January 2020

Super Bowl-winning coach

Jimmy Johnson into Hall of Fame

By BARRY WILNER owner Jerry Jones. His initial
AP Pro Football Writer team went 1-15, but John-
Jimmy Johnson, who son rebuilt the roster — in-
coached the Dallas Cow- cluding trading star run-
boys to two Super Bowl ning back Herschel Walker
championships in the 1990s, to Minnesota for a slew of
has been elected to the draft picks and players who
Pro Football Hall of Fame. were converted into draft
The hall announced his choices. That deal is consid-
selection Sunday night ered among the most one-
Paulo Gonçalves of Portugal rides his Hero motorbike during as part of a centennial sided in sports history, and it
stage seven of the Dakar Rally between Riyadh and Wadi Al class that was chosen on netted, among others, the
Dawasir, Saudi Arabia, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2020. Gonçalves, 40, Wednesday by a special draft pick that brought Em-
died after an accident at kilometer 276. committee. Former Pitts- mitt Smith to Dallas.
Associated Press burgh Steelers coach Bill Johnson left the Cowboys
Motorbike racer Cowher was revealed Sat- after the back-to-back
urday night as the other championships for the 1992
Paulo Gonçalves dies coach being inducted. and '93 seasons in a dispute In this Jan. 28, 1994, file photo,
"The only thing I can think of with Jones. But the roster he
during Dakar Rally is all the assistant coaches built, under his college rival Dallas Cowboys head coach
Jimmy Johnson poses with the
who worked for me, all the Barry Switzer, won the 1995
great players who played NFL crown, too. Vince Lombardi Super Bowl
trophy during an NFL football
WADI AL-DAWASIR, Saudi die on the Dakar Rally, the for me are the reason," said Johnson later coached the news conference in Atlanta.
Arabia (AP) — Portuguese world's toughest rally, since a teary-eyed Johnson, 76. "I Miami Dolphins before be- Associated Press
motorbike rider Paulo Gon- Polish motorcyclist Michal can't talk. coming a Fox TV analyst.
çalves died on the Dakar Hernik in 2015 in Argentina. "This is so special to me "Think of all the great play- cludes 10 "seniors" (players
Rally after crashing in the Two non-competitors were because when you put in ers I have coached over who last played more than
Saudi Arabia desert on killed in 2016 in crashes with the work that we put in, it the years," Johnson said. 25 seasons ago), three "con-
Sunday. He was 40. vehicles. is nice for those people to "From me to you: Thank tributors" (an individual oth-
Gonçalves fell and suf- Benavides was deducted appreciate it." you." er than a player or coach)
fered cardiac arrest about the six minutes-plus he One of his best players, Hall In his nine pro seasons (five and the two coaches (who
halfway through the 546-ki- stopped and declared the of Fame quarterback Troy in Dallas, four in Miami), he last coached more than
lometer (339-mile) seventh winner of the stage to Wadi Aikman, could be seen went 89-68. Johnson led five seasons ago) and were
stage, south of the Saudi Al Dawasir. tearing up as he heard the Cowboys to three play- voted on from a list of 38
capital Riyadh. Price, the defending cham- the announcement from off appearances and the finalists. The remainder of
Australian rider Toby Price pion, stopped for more Green Bay, where he was two Super Bowl victories, the 15-person centennial
then Argentina's Kevin than an hour and his time announcing the Seahawks- and took the Dolphins to slate will be revealed live
Benavides stopped to help, was adjusted so he was Packers playoff game. three postseason appear- on "Good Morning Foot-
and a medical helicop- within 29 minutes of overall Hall of Fame President Da- ances. ball" on Wednesday.
ter arrived on the scene leader Ricky Brabec of the vid Baker made the pre- The special panel met in The Hall of Fame's overall
within eight minutes of be- United States. sentation during halftime of Canton, Ohio, on Wednes- class will consist of 20 mem-
ing alerted, rally organizers Cars leader Carlos Sainz Fox's telecast. day to elect the centennial bers, including an addition-
said on their website. won his third stage and ex- A successful college coach slate for this year's class of al five who will be added
He was flown to nearby tended his lead to 10 min- at Oklahoma State and inductees, marking the first the day before the Super
Layla hospital, where he utes over second-placed Miami, where he won a time any members were Bowl, when the modern-
was pronounced dead. defending champion Nass- national championship in elected during a selection era player finalists are vot-
"The Dakar mourns Paulo er Al-Attiyah. 1987, Johnson was hired meeting held at the hall. ed on by the usual selec-
Gonçalves, one of the most The rally ends on Friday.q in 1989 by new Cowboys The centennial slate in- tion committee.q
experienced and beloved
champions of the rally-raid
family," organizers said on Iran’s only female Olympic
their website. medalist reportedly defects
The eighth stage on Mon-
day, a loop course around
Wadi Al-Dawasir, was DUBAI, United Arab Emir- mandatory hijab heads-
canceled for motorbike ates (AP) — Iran’s only carf and accused offi-
and quad racers "in order female Olympic medalist cials in Iran of sexism and
to give the riders time to said she defected from mistreatment. “Whatever
mourn their friend," organiz- the Islamic Republic in they said, I wore,” Aliza-
ers said. a blistering online letter deh wrote in the letter
They added, "Paulo ... was that describes herself as posted Saturday. “Every
immensely respected by “one of the millions of op- sentence they ordered, I
both veterans and less ex- pressed women in Iran.” repeated.” She described In this Aug. 18, 2016 file photo, Kimia Alizadeh Zenoorin of
perienced competitors Taekwondo athlete Kimia the decision to leave Iran Iran celebrates after winning the bronze medal in a women's
who admired and were in- Alizadeh posted the let- as difficult, but necessary. Taekwondo 57-kg competition at the 2016 Summer Olympics
spired by him." ter on Instagram as Iran’s There was no immediate in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Gonçalves was competing semiofficial ISNA news reaction from Iranian au- Associated Press
in his 13th Dakar. He was agency said she had fled thorities. ISNA said Aliza- compete. Their report other nation’s flag at the
runner-up in 2015. to the Netherlands. She deh had been reported suggested Alizadeh may 2020 Olympic games in
He's the first competitor to criticized wearing the injured and unable to try to compete under an- Tokyo.q