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Van Brocklin’s assessment
Falcons improved
By DAVID MOFFIT
UPI Sports Writer
ATLANTA (UPI)—If Coach
Norm Van Brocklin’s assess
ment of the Atlanta Falcons is
accurate, the Falcons could be
headed toward their first win
ning campaign.
That may sound like a pretty
big order for a team that won
only four games last season
and only 16 in all in the five
seasons it has been in the pro
ranks.
But, like Van Brocklin says,
the Falcons have been slowly,
steadily building toward re
spectability.
“We’ve been plugging holes
year after year since 1968
(when he became Falcons
coach),” said Van Brocklin.
“We were better in 1969 than
we were in 1968 and we were
better again in 1970. We are fig
uring on that improvement con
tinuing in 1971.”
The Falcons won six games
in 1969, as many as they had
won in all their first three
seasons, and Van Brocklin had
Tarkenton will be back with Giants
By MILTON RICHMAN
UPI Sports Writer
NEW YORK (UPl)—Fran
Tarkenton will be back with the
New York Giants soon.
How soon?
A week, two. Maybe sooner.
The 31-year-old quarterback,
now home in Atlanta, figures to
rejoin the Giants following that
inevitable interval which has
become a familiar shirt-tail to
all deadlocks these days,
namely, a reasonable cooling
off period by both parties.
The plain truth of the matter
is the Giants would like to have
Fran Tarkenton back and he’d
like to be back with them.
Here is the classic case of
Jerry LeVias can
start having fun
By JOE CARNICELLI
UPI Sports Writer
Jerry LeVias can start
having his fun again.
LeVias, the speedy receiver
and return specialist acquired
by San Diego from Houston is a
trade for linemen Ron Billing
sley and Gene Ferguson, agned
with the Chargers Tuesday
after a holdout.
“It was not fun sitting around
and watching football,” said
LeVias, Houston’s leading pass
receiver both his years with the
Oilers. “Every-thing is very
satisfactory. It’s fine to be with
San Diego, especially for a
receiver.”
Contract terms were not
revealed but LeVias said it was
virtually an extension of his
B. F. Goodrich
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reason to assume that he would
field a winner last year. That
he didn’t, that the Falcons
wound up 4-8-2 after a 3-3 start,
can be blamed largely on in
juries, especially in the offen
sive line.
“We had hoped for 25 to 30
per cent improvement from our
young line last year,” Van
Brocklin said. “But, we didn’t
get it, primarily because in
juries forced us to do a great
deal of switching positions.”
The other thing Van Brocklin
felt the Falcons needed most to
become a winner was speed
among the pass receivers.
“It was no secret to the de
fenses we faced that our out
side people rarely could get
loose for the long ball,” he
said. “This is the area where
we definitely had to improve—
and I think we will.”
The Falcons went after
speedy receivers in the college
draft. The picked up Joe Prof
it, primarily a runner at North
east Louisiana; Ken Burrow of
San Diego State, Wes Chesson
what happens in any number of
divorces. Both parties wind up
unhappier than they were
before.
The fact there were no
recriminations when Tarkenton
and the Giants split has to
make the reconciliation that
much easier. Nobody will have
to walk the cat back.
Wellington Mara has left the
door open for Tarkenton’s
return and Tarkenton likewise
did not slam the door behind
him when he walked up to the
Giants’ president in the Hous
ton Astrodome Sunday and told
him he could no longer continue
playing football under the
existing conditions.
current contract.
LeVias is expected to replace
veteran receiving star Lance
Alworth, traded to Dallas, in
the San Diego lineup and will
be the Chargers’ primary punt
and kickoff return man.
Jim “Earthquake” Hunt, a
veteran of 11 years of pro
football, announced his retire
ment at the New England
Patriots’ camp.
Hunt, 32, was named an
American Football League All-
Star at defensive tackle for
four seasons and holds the AFL
record for fumble recoveries—
-14. He will be replaced in the
starting lineup by Julus Adams,
a 6-foot-4, 265-pounder from
Texas Southern was New
England’s No. 2 draft choice.
of Duke, Ray Jarvis of Norfolk
State and Alvin Griffin of Tus
kegee. All have one thing ih
common: they all run 40 yards
in about 4.5 seconds.
"By being a few good football
players short, plus suffering
those key injuries, we didn’t op
erate at the efficiency I had
hoped for in 1970,” said Van
Brocklin. “I think we can im
prove in every phase of the
game.”
The Falcons’ defense offers
promise of being one of the
best in the league. Defensive
Claude Humphrey and John
Zook, linebackers Tommy No
bis and Don Hansen and corn
erback Ken Reaves are all cut
from all-star cloth.
“Our defense is in fairly good
shape,” said Van Brocklin. “In
Humphrey we have the great
one while Zook is the steady,
high-percentage type of player.
Nobis and Hansen are coming
into their own and Reaves had
his best year in 1970.
Offense remains questionable.
“We were the kind of team
Mara says he took that to
mean Tarkenton was retiring,
presumably because the Giants
had said no to a request for a
loan of more than $200,000.
Tarkenton insists his request
for a loan had nothing to do
with the basic issue of his not
wishing to keep playing without
a signed contract. Further
more, he makes it clear he
hasn’t retired.
“I like New York and I want
to play for New York,” he says.
“I just don’t want to play
without a contract. I have not
retired as such. I’m only 31.
Most quarterbacks don’t even
reach their prime until they’re
in their 30’s.”
Los Angeles traded offensive
tackle Mitch Johnson to Cleve
land as payment for Joe
Taffoni, a lineman the Rams
obtained from the Browns last
week.
Larry Smith, the running
back who missed Los Angeles’
first two pre-season games
while recuperating from off
season ankle surgery, may open
against Cleveland Friday night.
John Wright, out last year
with a severed Achilles tendon,
informed the Detroit Lions that
he is quitting football. Wright, a
wide receiver, told Coach Joe
Schmidt he had lost his speed
and couldn’t play the position.
Dan Devine, attempting to
compensate for the loss of
offensive tackle Francis Peay,
who walked out of camp
Monday, has moved center Phil
Vandersea to left tackle, Cle
Walker from linebacker to
center and Kevin Hunt from
defensive to offensive tackle.
The New York Jets an
nounced the signing of veteran
running back Emerson Boozer
while the New York Giants
were still trying to iron out
contract difficulties with quar
terback Fran Tarkenton, who
left the team Monday.
In this week’s pre-season
action, Cleveland is at Los
Angeles and Miami plays host
to San Francisco Friday night.
Saturday action finds Chicago
at Baltimore. Cincinnati at
Detroit, Houston at St. Louis,
Atlanta at Kansas City, Pit
tsburgh at Green Bay, New
Orleans at Dallas, Washington
at Denver New York (AFC) at
Oakland and Minnesota at San
Diego.
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last season which did not have
the offensive personnel to domi
nate anyone,” Van Brocklin
said. “We had to make up for
lack of offensive punch and
over-all speed by being highly
aggressive. With that kind of
team you usually win close or
lose close.”
Bob Berry, who ranked
among the leading passers in
the NFL last season, will start
atquarterback. Randy Johnson,
who changed his mind about
quitting, probably will be the
backup quarterback and rookie
Leo Hart of Duke should stick.
“Berry is capable of doing
the job if we can get him more
offensive help,” said Van
Brocklin.
That help should come from
the new speed and a prospec
tively fine group of runners.
With people like Jim “Cannon
ball” Butler, Paul Gipson, Art
Malone, Harmon Wages, Sonny
Campbell and Profit to choose
from, Van Brocklin says “The
Falcons are in good shape at
running back.”
Howard Cosell, the sport
scaster, went on the air and
said the Giants became
disenchanted with Tarkenton
when he was so vocal in behalf
of the players during their brief
strike against the owners a
year ago. Cosell also said
Tarkentonbecame disenchanted
with the Giants when they
sought to lure Don Meredith out
of retirement and obtain him as
their regular quarterback last
year.
The report has that good ring
of truth about it despite the
fact that Tarkenton discounts it
as having anything to do with
the present situation.
“Neither of those points are a
[Season tickets]
| on sale here I
g Season football tickets will go on sale tomorrow at the g
g superintendent’s office on the Griffin High campus. S
Adult tickets are $7.50 for five home games. Students g
g tickets are $3.75. g
g Griffin High officials are hoping for one of the best g
g advance ticket sales in years. g
g “We are expecting to field a fine football team,” an
g official said. “There seems to be a lot of interest in the $
g 1971 team. Fans can buy season tickets, which assures
ig them an excellent seat. Besides that, they will avoid
g having to stand in line,” the spokesman said. :g
•g Griffin High had a fine season in 1970. Most fans expect g
g this year’s team to be better. g
;g Griffin’s five home games are against Washington, g:
S Price, Newton County, Forest Park and Jonesboro. g
g Coach Max Dowis said today that his players were in g
g good physical condition. g
g “The team doctor said last night that the players were g
g in better shape now than last year’s team was at the same g
g time in practice,” Coach Dowis said.
■g The Bears will continue their one-a-day conditioning
g drills the rest of this week. g
Two-a-day practice starts Monday. The morning :g
g session will begin about 9 a.m. and the afternoon session g
•g about sor 5:30. g
g Besides the pulled muscles and other normal ailments, g
g the Bears have suffered only one injury. g
g Tony Head suffered a broken bone in his hand. g
g However, the injury is not considered serious. g
Stacy
favored
AUGUSTA, Ga. (UPI) - The
U. S. Golf Association’s Girls
Championship gets under way
today at Augusta Country Club
with Hollis Stacy of Savannah,
Ga., shooting for her third
straight title in the match play
tournament.
The 32 - girl field, filled by
qualifying rounds Monday and
Tuesday, was to play 36 holes
today. The tourney continues
Thursday, Friday and Saturday
with 18 holes each day.
Miss Stacy finished seventh
among the qualifiers with a 78-
79-157, 11 over par.
Top qualifier was Janet Aulisi
of West Caldwell, N. J., who
shot a 78-74-152. Miss Aulisi lost
to Miss Stacy in last year’s
finals.
Three Languages
The Dead Sea Scrolls were
written in three languages—
Hebrew, Greek and Ara
maic, the language of Jesus.
A 23-foot-long scroll with the
complete text of the Book of
Isaiah in Hebrew was among
them.
■s/ 1
Jr ' k
Cl
BLOOMINGTON, Minn.—Twins’ manager Bill Rigney (1)
and first base umpire Ronald Luciano are nose-to-nose as
they argue over a disputed play in which Orioles’ Mike
Cuellar (not shown) was ruled safe during the second inning
of the Minnesota-Baltimore game. (UPI)
factor,” he says. “I heard
rumors about the Giants
making overtures to get Mere
dith but I don’t know that they
actually ever did. Some people
are trying to make it look like
there are murky overtones to
this whole thing but it all
comes down to one basic fact—
the simple labor-management
contract difference. There are
no other reamifications.”
What there really seems to
be now between Tarkenton and
Mara is a language barrier.
The Giants’ owner claims
there is “no unbridgeable gap”
between Tarkenton and him
SLIMS IN NEWPORT
NEWPORT, R.I. (UPl)—The
$20,000 Virginia Slims court
championships will be played in
Newport August 23-29 an
nounced James Van Allen,
tournament director Monday.
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insofar as contract is con
cerned. Tarkenton received an
estimated SIOO,OOO last year and
is said to have been offered a
raise this year.
The entire bone of contention
is the loan Tarkenton asked for,
Mara says.
Taik enton says no, it’s not
that at all. It’s only the terms
of the contract.
Somewhere along the line
both these fellows should get
together on exactly what they
mean. I think Wellington Mara
already has. I also think that’s
what has Fran Tarkenton so
upset.
Dodgers
sign
Hoyt
LOS ANGELES (UPI) - The
Low Angeles Dodgers reported
Tuesday night they have pur
chased the contract of veteran
knuckleballer Hoyt Wilhelm
from their Spokane farm club.
Wilhelm, 48, who has pitched
in 1,045 major league games, a
record, will join the Dodgers
Wednesday night here in time
for their game against Philadel
phia.
Spokane signed Wilhelm July
10 after he was released by the
Atlanta Braves. He was 0-0
with the Braves, appearing in
three games.
His record with Spokane is 2-3
and he had a 3.89 earned run
average. He started six games.
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Griffin Daily News
Middle Georgia
tourney continues
Several championships were
decided yesterday in the annual
Middle Georgia Tennis Tour
nament sponsored by the
Griffin Recreation Department.
Mark Crespin defeated Todd
Anderson to win the boys 12 and
under singles. In another match
Todd Anderson beat Andy
Anderson.
J. Sadler and Tommy Mc-
Daniel won the 12 and under
doubles by beating Andy An
derson and Mark Crespin 6-4, 8-
6.
Resia Wells won the 15 and
under girls singles be defeated
Tanda Witherspoon 7-5, 6-3.
In the 15 and under boys
angles Kevin Gross defeated
Eddie Parker, Tony Jones
defeated David McLane, Gary
Merriman defeated Mark
Peeples, Glenn Bougneis
defeated Patrick McCabe.
Gary Merriman and Glenn
Bougneis won the 15 and under
doubles by beating Patrick
McCabe and D. Dashill.
Steve Lawrence beat Mickey
Jones 6-0,6-6 in the boys 18 and
under singles.
Al Jolly and Jimmy Whitmire
beat Glenn Bougeis and Gary
Merriman in the 18 and under
doubles.
Beth Barron and Shelly
Vaughn defeated Kathy Hick
man and L. Malone 6-3, 6-3 in
the 18 and under girls doubles.
James Niemeyer and Kathy
Brady beat D. Newberry and S.
Hudson in the mixed doubles.
Tommy Mike and Kathy
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11
Wednesday, August 11,1971
Shuford defeated J. Smith and
L. Malone 6-1, 6-1.
D. Keller and J. Briansfield
defeated Doug Patton and R.
Chase in the senior men’s
doubles. K. Orahood and B.
Kallenberg beats. Smith and E.
Ray.
Bill Simons and Frank Jolly
won over R. Spangler and B.
Newberry 6-1, 6-1.
In the men’s doubles Ronnie
Grogan and Wayne Newton beat
James Brown and Hiram
Jackson, Bubba Westmoreland
and Dyke Goodin defeated
Eddie Rhett and Charles
Houghton 11-9, 6-4.
Jack Phipps and Harold
Mitchell beat Jerry Anderson
and Henry Walker 3-6, 7-5, 6-4.
Chiefs
lose cup
ATLANTA (UPI )-The fading
Atlanta Chiefs lost the Interna
tional Cup and missed a chance
to boost their precarious lead in
the Southern division of the
North American Soccer League
when they lost 2-0 to Bangu of
Brazil Tuesday night.
The Chiefs have won only two
of their last nine games and
have not scored a goal in their
last three contests. During the
tailspin, their lead over Dallas
has plummeted from 40 points
to only six.
With the Chiefs’ loss, Roches
ter won the International Cup.