Newspaper Page Text
Everybody Asleep
Millions (Rams Included)
Were Not Aware Os Mistake
By MILTON RICHMAN
UPI Sports Writer
NEW YORK (UPD—Sunday
Is a good day to catch up on
some sleep.
Apparently a lot of people In
the country did last Sunday
because a horrible mistake was
made in Los Angeles and more
than nine million persons
witnessed it clearly but not a
single one was aware of what
he had seen.
Norm Schachter and his
officiating crew needn’t feel
badly about missing that all
important down which maybe
cost the Los Angeles Rams last
Sunday’s game with the Chicago
Bears. Schachter and his five
crewmen had a lot of company.
CBS televised the contest and
reports approximately nine mil
lion viewed it on their screens.
CBS further reports it didn’t
receive a SINGLE call asking
w U
Murray
Olderman
NEA Executive Editor
Knee Injuries . . •
NEW YORK —(NEA) —Nowadays, it is eminently simple
to spot a football player in a crowd. He is either wearing
Shoulder pads or he is on crutches.
Football has always been a ducky endeavor for those
who like to limp. Lately, however, ‘knee injuries in par
ticular are becoming as common as cleat marks on a full
back’s face. If a player has not had at least one knee
operation, teammates scorn him like a goldbrick.
Few people who earn their living in the maimed and
maiming world of professional football are as expert on
knee disintegration as Tucker Frederickson, running back
for the New York Giants.
“He is a 25-year-old with the legs of a 45-year-old,” noted
one observer.
“That’s not altogether true,” recoiled Frederickson.
‘‘Sometimes I feel like a 45-year-old with 65-year-old legs.”
Long scars course hither and yon on both of Frederick
son’s knees, like highway markings on a road map. He
has had two serious knee operations in two years. In
training camp in 1966, his second year in pro ball, Fred
erickson ripped up things like the medial ligament,
cartilages and the cruciate—all dwelling in his left knee—
and was out for the season. The next season he played
10 leagues games, then incurred another jarring tackle and
repaired once again to the operating table; this time for
excavation of his right knee.
The medical scroll on Frederickson is well known. Foot
ball enthusiasts are also aware that Frederickson, the
cne-time All-American from Auburn, has returned to the
Giants this season—after much barroom discussion
whether he could ever come back—and is again running
with authority, though not with the speed and power of
former afternoons.
“I’ve lost a step, at least,” he said. “I don’t come out of
the backfield as quick and I don’t hit the line with as much
power as I used to. The physical things can be overcome
to a great extent, it’s the mental part that hangs you up.
“It was hardest of course coming back after the first
operation. I didn't know how I would react to being hit.
Would I be scared? Would I be flinching? Would I have
the desire? I never really got over it last year.
“I feel much better this year. What made a big differ
ence was passing the New York stock broker’s test.
“I guess it needs an explanation. Before, all I had was
football. I had to play. This year I knew that I could do
something else. So I played with more abandon. Now, if
I play, I play. If I don’t, well, I don’t.”
Coincidentally, the most headlined knee injury of the
season was Gale Sayers’, the elusive and illustrious back
of the Chicago Bears. Sayers, now on crutches and out
for the season, is also in New York City studying to be a
stock broker.
“I can’t speak for Sayers, as far as how he’ll react next
season,” said Fredrickson, "but I’m sure it’ll be different
for him. It’s a helluva lot harder to adjust to than one
might think. First, he’s going to be running with his knee
taped. That will cut down mobility. some. He’s more
shifty than I, and it will affect him more, I think. I see
the same holes I used to, but I can’t take advantage as I
used to. Maybe it will be the same for Gale.”
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about or protesting the action of
the game officials, who ruled
incorrectly it was second down
instead of first down again for
the Rams after they were
penalized 15 yards for holding
following an incompleted pass.
Everybody, it seems, was
asleep Sunday.
Nine Million Didn’t See Mistake
Among those nine million TV
viewers were some of the
highest officials in the NFL and
not one of them noticed the
mistake, either.
The eye-witnesses on the
scene were just as bad. Maybe
worse.
There were 66,368 fans in the
Memorial Coliseum in Los
Angeles, a vast majority
presumably partial to the
Rams, but not one sent any
word to their bench pointing out
the officials owed them another
down.
George Allen, head coach of
the Rams, wasn’t aware of the
error nor was any member of
his coaching staff.
Roman Gabriel, the Rams’
quarterback, didn’t notice the
boo-boo nor did any other Los
Angeles player either on the
field or on the bench. The
Chicago players, of course, have
to be exempt from inquiry
because even had they been
aware of the error they could
hardly be expected to run up to
the referee and tell him about
it. That would be like calling
back the telephone operator
after finishing your call and
telling her she just made a
mistake and returned your
dime.
To his credit, Pete Rozelle,
pro football's Commissioner,
saw his duty and he did it.
It was a painful duty but he
realized Schachter and his
crew, ordinarily one of the
finest around, had made an
obvious error and something
had to be done about it. So
Rozelle rulde they would
receive no further assignments
this season.
That could cost each man
involved as much as $1,500,
which is a pretty stiff slap on
the back. Schachter, for exam
ple, worked the first Super Bowl
Game after the 1966 season and
also the NFL championship
Game last year.
When one NFL spokesman
was asked Wednesday whether
he knew of anybody who had
caught Sunday’s mistake imme
diately, he said, “If there is
anybody like that, we certainly
haven’t heard about him.”
"The whole thing was unfor
tunate,” he added. “Unfortunate
for the officials, for the Rams,
for everybody. It wasn't a
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matter of judgment on the
part of the officials; it was a
matter of mechanics. How did
Norm Schachter and the five
others accept the ruling? Like
the champions they are. There
wasn’t a peep out of them.
Schachter’s Crew Will Be Back
“You can be sure of one
thing. Schachter and those other
five men are as good as they
come. They’ll be working
football for us again as soon as
next season rolls around.”
Unlike some baseball people,
Rozelle didn’t shilly-shaly when
he had to do something about a
sticky situation. He did it and
right or wrong, at least he
didn’t stand out there in traffic
trying to make up his mind.
Good officials like Schachter
and those five others are tough
to come by and they have a
tendency to be a little sensitive
sometimes but Rozelle’ made
the right move. Even if it hurt.
The entire business in Los
Angeles last Sunday has a few
amusing implications. It’s some
what reminiscent of that classic
football foul-up reported to have
taken place in one of the minor
leagues a number of years ago.
Players from three different
teams and as many cities, all
suited up and ready for the
opening kickoff, converged at
mid-field before the start of the
game understandably looking at
each other with some confusion.
The players from the three
cities stood out there scratching
their heads until the referee
walked into the middle of the
pack. He was a little puzzled,
too. He took in the three
different colored uniforms sur
rounding him and finally said:
“Okay, okay, which one of
you guys brought a schedule?”
Senior Bowl
Announces
Coaches
MOBILE, Ala. (UPD—Senior
Bowl officials have announced
Allie Sherman of the New York
Giants will coach the North
team and Charlie Winner of the
St. Louis Cardinals the South in
the game here Jan. 11.
Sherman and Winner have
previously coached as assistants
in the game.
Winner has been head coach
of the Cardinals for the past
three years. Prior to going to
St. Louis he was with the Balti
more Colts as an assistant for
two years.
Winner of three Eastern Dlv
sion titles, Sherman has been
with the Giants since 1961.
ROSE AWARDED
CINCINNATI (UPD—Outfiel
der Pete Rose of the Cincinnati
reds was named winner of the
1968 "Hutch Award” in balloting
by major league baseball
writers and broadcasters.
The award is given to the
major league player who best
typifies the fierce competitive
desire and spirit of former
major league manager and
pitching star Fred Hutchinson,
who died of cancer in 1964.
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Dr. Trammell Buried
In Scottsboro, Ala.
SCOTTSBORO, Ala. (UPD —
A silent, overflow crowd of 3,000
persons at First Methodist
Church listened Wednesday as
University of Alabama Presi
dent Frank A. Rose conducted
services for former Alabama
quarterback Pat Trammell.
The 29-year-old doctor, who
was serving his last year of
residency in dermatology at the
University of Alabama Medical
School, died Tuesday morning
of cancer.
Rose, an ordained minister,
described Trammell as a man
Practice Tilts
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The Bunnies meet the Kittens
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Griffin Daily News
who “possessed great qualities
of character, a man who was
idealistic, strong, competent
and knowing.”
Referring to the early death
of Trammell, who led Alabama
to its first national champion
ship in 1961, Rose quoted from
Ecclesiastes'.
“To every thing there is a
season, and a time to every
purpose under the Heaven;
“A time to be born, and a
time to die; a time to plant,
and a time to pluck up that
which has been planted.”
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Morrow power
Thursday, Dec. 12, 1968
7
Coach Paul Bryant was at the
funeral along with Auburn
coach Ralph Jordan, members
of the Alabama A-Club alumni,
representatives of Gov. Albert
Brewer and members of the
1968 Alabama football team.
Also attending were members
of the house staff at the Birm
ingham Medical Center, the Al
abama coaching staff and all
doctors in Scottsboro. Tram
mell’s father and one brother
are physicians. Another brother
is a student at the university
school of dentistry.