The other Flutie brother

HAMILTON, Ontario — He’s 5-10, a product of Boston College, sells dirt
for a living and has become a star in the Canadian Football League.

His brother is 5-10, if he stands on a couple of Buffalo phone books, a
product of Boston College, plays in a band with his kid brother, and also
is a star in the National Football League.

Yesterday afternoon, the Brothers Flutie — Darren and Doug — kept their
teams alive in the search for football’s Holy Grails, north and south of

the border.

Darren Flutie, who turns 32 on November 18, grabbed a 30-yard toss from
Hamilton QB Danny McManus in the first quarter as the Ticats toppled the

East Division Montreal Alouettes 22-20 before 25,731 boisterous fanatics in
this lunch-pail town.

Hamilton’s Flutie will now be heading for Winnipeg and the Nov. 22 Grey Cup
showdown against the Calgary Stampeders in the CFL championship game. The
Stamps slugged the Edmonton Eskimos, 33-10 in the West finale.

Meanwhile, 36-year-old Brother Doug and the Bills ran over the New England
Pats, 13-10, in Orchard Park’s Rich Stadium.

While Brother Darren was instrumental for Hamilton, it was up to the weatherman for the winning points off the boot of Paul Osbaldiston.

On the opening kickoff, Hamilton won the toss and deferred to the second
half and the Cats started piling up the points in the early slugging. However, by the fourth, the Cats again had the 35-kilometer wind to their
backs and Osbaldiston side-winded one from 54 yards out as time expired.

Last season, he toiled for the Eskimos, but ended up in Hamilton because
Edmonton coach Ron Lancaster had moved on to the Ticats.

“The main reason for leaving Edmonton was being closer to home (closer to
Boston),” Brother Darren was quoted as saying. “I think communication with
the players makes (coach) Lancaster one of the greatest coaches in the league.”

While Brother Doug ate up the CFL record book for breakfast, Brother Darren
hasn’t been too shabby, either. After being released by the San Diego Chargers and Phoenix Cardinals, he then joined the B.C. Lions, Edmonton Eskimos and Ticats and has been an all-star wide receiver five times — in
’92, ’94, ’96, ’97 and 1998.

As for selling dirt, Darren Flutie works for Read Custom Soil during the
off-season in Boston and peddles his product to golf courses and playing

fields.

However, he doesn’t intend to join his brother, Doug, with the Bills. He’s
happy with Hamilton, with his coach, Lancaster, and his favorite flinger,
Danny McManus.

In Calgary’s slippery McMahon Stadium, the Stamps manhandled the Eskimos
while QB Jeff Garcia ripped through the Edmonton defense with David Archer,
troubled by a “shot up” achilles and thumb, being slam dunked.

Archer and his coach, Kay Stephens, have had a falling out before yesterday’s tilt and there’s every reason to believe Archer won’t be back.
As for Stephens, he wants to be Edmonton coach in ’99.

Stay tuned.

SPEAKING OF BEING SLAM DUNKED: Dennis Rodman, the man with all the tattoos for the locked out Chicago Bulls, has been sued by a cocktail waitress who contends Rodman jammed a $100 bill down her blouse and grabbed her breast. His agent counters with: “We have experience in dealing with frivolous lawsuits against Dennis in the past and we have vigorously fought them.”

UN-WELCOME HOME: Georgia’s own Garrison Hearst tried to rumble against the Atlanta Falcons in the Dome yesterday. All that Hearst got for his effort
was a big fat lip from ex-boxer, turned defensive tackle Shane Dronett. The
Vicious One for the Falcons also cracked into Frisco QB Steve Young four

times as the 49ers were bounced 31-19. Atlanta coach Dan Reeves, who claimed his team had to get through Frisco if they wanted to be considered
NFC West contenders, should now have the inside track for coach of the year. It’s about time. Reeves is one smart tactician. Hearst, incidentally, carried 16 times for 56 yards and 0 TDs. His counterpart, Jamal Anderson, had two TDs and 31 for 100 yards.

CALLING ART MODELL: So the Baltimore Ravens owner Art Modell has given
coach Ted Marchibroda a vote of confidence midway through the NFL season. Is it so much hot air? Remember the slick Modell is the one who swiped
the beloved Brownies out of Cleveland and transplanted them in Baltimore.
So Marchibroda shouldn’t be buying up all the real estate in Maryland after
the Ravens lost 14-13 to San Diego yesterday.

AN ATTITUDE TO FORGET: The whining you hear all the way from Toronto is
just stellar pitcher Roger Clemens. Is his arm worth the aggravation of his
“Me, me, me” attitude? This observer says “Dump him.” And now.

EAGLE SURFACES: Alan Eagleson, the disgraced global czar of hockey, who
spent some time in a T.O. area dungeon for ripping off a number of NFL players, including Brad Park, has surfaced again. This time playing tennis
with some of his cronies.

BATTLE OF THE PLAINS: To at least the three fans who wanted to know the
score from a week ago Sunday at Hill City, KS., Denver (Metropolitan Wolverines) smacked Kansas Plainsmen 31-11 before 1,600 yahoos in Ringneck Stadium. Aren’t you happy you asked?