Newspaper Page Text
Page 14
— Griffin Daily News Wednesday, November 2,1977
Jazz, Hawks not supposed
to be in fight for lead
By ALEX SACHARE
AP Sports Writer
The first-place New Orleans
Jazz?
The second-place Atlanta
Hawks?
There was supposed to be a
dogfight for the lead in the Na
tional Basketball Association’s
Central Division, but the com-
Sports roundup
By The Associated Press
Tennis
Nagelsen beats Bonicelli
BUENOS AIRES - Betsy Nagelsen of Chicago beat
Uruguay’s Fiorela Bonicelli 6-4,7-6 in the first round of the
SIO,OOO Argentine River Plata tennis tournament.
Argentina’s No. 1 woman player, Beatriz Araujo, de
feated Jane Stratton of Salt Lake City 6-7, 6-2, 6-4 and Vi
viana Gonzalez Locicero of Argentina downed Romanian
Virginia Ruzici 2-6, 6-2, 1-0 when Miss Ruzici defaulted
with a leg cramp.
Football
Player dies of injuries
OXNARD, Calif. - Greg Cole, a 17-year-old high school
football player, died of injuries suffered in a game last
Saturday, St. John’s Hospital officials said.
Cole, a 6-foot-3,220-pound senior tackle for Agoura High
School, died of a blood clot on the brain, officials said.
Cole made a tackle, seemed stunned, but made it to the
sidelines. He collapsed moments later and was taken to
the hospital, where tests disclosed that he was
hemorrhaging.
Hockey
Fines levied in fight
PHOENIX, Ariz. — Fines totaling $1,725 were levied
against the Phoenix Roadrunners and Kansas City Red
Wings following a bench-clearing incident last Friday,
Central Hockey league President Bud Poile said.
Poile said midway through the first period, Roadrunner
defenseman Roger led the charge off the bench
that began the wild battle between the two clubs.
The Roadrunners were fined SSOO while each of its
players was fined SSO. Each Kansas City player was
assessed SSO.
Sports events
TV scheduling
hearing open
By TOM SEPPY
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - A
House communications sub
committee is beginning two
'days of hearings to discover
whether ABC, CBS and NBC are
covering or controlling the
sports events they broadcast.
Possible conflicts of interest,
sports event scheduling to ac
commodate television and TV’s
advertising and promotional
policies are subjects being stud
ied by the panel.
Alvin Rush, president of NBC
sports, was to testify today, fol
lowed by Roone Arledge, presi
dent of ABC News and Sports,
and sportscaster Howard Co
sell. Bob Wussler, president of
CBS sports, is scheduled for
Thursday morning.
“In general, we will try to
determine whether the net
works have become so involved
with arranging, promoting and
scheduling sports events that
they in effect, have come to
control these events,” said Rep.
Lionel Van Deeding, D-Calif.,
the subcommittee’s chairman.
“In other words,” he said, “is
the public seeing an inde
pendent event covered by elec
tronic journalists or an event
staged for and controlled by
television?”
Among the areas to be probed
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batants were expected la be
Houston, Washington and
Cleveland — certainly not New
Orleans and Atlanta.
The Jazz raised its record to
5-1 and retained its one-half
game lead over the 4-1 Hawks
with a 99-88 victory over Chi
cago Tuesday night, its first
victory ever over the Bulls in
by the 14-member panel are
whether there is a conflict of
interest in a network having an
exclusive contract with a
fighter.
For example, ABC and CBS
have exclusive contracts with
Olympic champions Sugar Ray
and Howard Davis, re
spectively.
“What do these contracts,
mean in terms of coverage?”
asked a subcommittee staff
member who is working on the
probe.
“Do the networks favor put
ting their own fighters on the air
over others? Doesn’t the con
stant exposure build up the
fighter whether he deserves it
or not?” he asked.
Another area of conflict, the
staffer said, is the televising of
college football.
He cited allegations that ABC,
which has the college television
contract, persuaded last year’s
national champion Pittsburgh
to choose to compete in the
Sugar Bowl, which ABC
televised, in exchange for
payments and provisions of ad
ditional appearances in future
years.
He said the committee also
wants to question the networks
on the changing in times and
sites and even the nature of an
event for television.
New Orleans.
“The Jazz is a better team
this year, with better people,”
said Chicago Coach Ed Badger.
“Robinson and Goodrich make
a big difference.”
Forward Truck Robinson
scored 28 points and grabbed 10
rebounds for the Jazz, which
posted its fifth straight victory.
Pete Maravich added 27 points
and Gail Goodrich, the reserve
guard who joined New Orleans
a year ago, had 10.
Atlanta stayed close by beat
ing the Seattle Super Sonics 102-
99.
In other NBA games, the Mil
waukee Bucks beat the Kansas
City Kings 115-95, the Golden
State Warriors stopped the San
Antonio Spurs 108-97, the Cleve
land Cavaliers defeated the
Denver Nuggets 110-93 and the
Portland Trail Blazers topped
the New York Knicks 113-104.
Chicago got 28 points from
guard Wilbur Holland, but star
center Artis Gilmore was held
to eight by Jazz pivotmen Rich
Kelley and Joe Meriweather.
Chicago got within 81-79 mid
way through the fourth quarter
but Maravich and Goodrich
helped the Jazz pull away
again.
Hawks 102, Sonics 99
Forwards Ron Behagen and
John Drew hit two baskets
apiece in the closing minutes of
the Hawks’ triumph. Behagen
put Atlanta in front 94-93 with a
Prep poll
East Rome eyes
undefeated season
ATIxANTA (AP) — East Rome could finish its first un
defeated season in high school football history Friday with
a victory over Model, but the idea already is a foregone
conclusion in the minds of many Gladiators.
“Earlier in the season, our kids set up a goal, and that
was to compete in the state (playoffs) as we did last year
and to go a little further,” said Coach Jerry Sharp.
“That’s what we’re working for.”
The Gladiators have taken perfect aim at that target by
holding opponents to seven points, posting eight shutouts
and fielding a perfect offense, led by quarterback
Sylvester Elkins and running backs Greg Gordon and
Kinnebrew.
I weekend in East Rome’s 47-0 shutout of Bowdon,
Elkins ran five yards for one touchdown, passed 20 yards
for another, kicked seven extra points and, on defense,
punted six times into the end zone, had three tackles and
intercepted a pass.
“We’re not playing a whole lot of kids, and most of them
go both ways,” said Sharp. “But our kids believe in
themselves, and both the offense and defense have played
well as units.”
The Gladiators’ 9-0 season mark and impressive over
all balance were enough to convince members of an
Associated Press panel of sportswriters and broadcasters
to vote them No. 1 in Class A this week.
Warner Robins, Woodward Academy and Lincoln
County all had weekend victories and were ranked the
best teams in Classes AAA, AA and B.
The Demons pounded Jordan 40-6 in a game played at
Warner Robins to improve their record to 9-0 and continue
to dominate AAA.
Other ranked teams in AAA were less fortunate,
however, with Newnan being upset 7-0 by Rockdale
County and dropping from fifth to seventh; Richmond
Academy getting trimmed 17-14 by Butler and falling
from sixth into a tie for eighth with Cedar Shoals, which
moved into the poll after edging Peachtree 9-7; and
Washington taking a 26-8 pounding from Southwest De-
Kalb and vanishing from the poll along with R. E. Lee,
which fell from a tie with Butler for ninth after losing to
North Clayton 30-14.
Butler moved from ninth to sixth, Southwest DeKalb re
mained in fourth, and Wheeler moved into the poll at 10th
after ending its season with a 22-14 victory over Marietta.
Quarterback David Archer, who had been out with a
separated shoulder, returned to lead Woodward Academy
to a 14-0 shutout of Collins to keep the War Eagles in
command in AA.
Americus shut out Jones County 19-0 but dropped from
third to fourth, making way for previously fourth-ranked
Waycross, which moved up a notch after blanking Coffee
35-0.
Class A remained unchanged except for 10th place,
where Central Gwinnett had been tied with Jeff Davis
before losing 36-30 to Oconee County. The loss moved
Central out of the poll.
short jumper with 2:13 to play,
then Drew clinched the victory
by connecting on a 17-footer,
then stealing the ball and mak
ing a dunk following a court
length drive.
Cavaliers 110, Nuggets 93
Cleveland hit 54 per cent of its
shots in the first half in opening
a 70-54 lead and stayed com
fortably in front. Jim Chones
led Cleveland with 21 points and
Walt Frazier had 15.
Bucks 115, Kings 95
The young Bucks moved into
the lead in the Midwest Division
with a 4-2 mark behind 23 points
from Junior Bridgeman, 15
points from rookie center Kent
Benson and 15 assists from
Quinn Buckner.
Warriors 108, Spurs 97
Rick Barry and Robert Par
ish combined for 26 points in the
fourth quarter as Golden State
pulled away to its third victory
in a row. Barry led all scorers
with 28 points.
Blazers 113, Knicks 104
Bill Walton clinched Port
land’s 22nd consecutive home
court victory — including last
season’s playoffs —by hitting a
short bank shot and a pair of
free throws in the final minute.
He finished with 23 points, al
though he was rested for much
of the game.
Portland’s record now is 5-1,
best in the Pacific Division,
while the Knicks’ 3-3 mark leads
the Atlantic Division.
Rare marlin
HONOLULU (AP) - David
Rockett hooked a rare fish to
win first place in the Lahaina
Yacht Club fishing champion
ship off the island of Maui —a
559*4-pound black marlin, con
sidered a rarity in Hawaiian
waters.
Rockett’s catch was by far the
biggest of the tournament. It
was more than 200 pounds
heavier than the next best, a
321-pound blue marlin.
A black marlin weighing 559
pounds is rare at this time of
year, said a spokesman for the
local billfish association. The
last one caught off Hawaiian
waters was 394 pounds.
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Center Marvin Webster (40) of the Seattle Supersonics complains as he loses a rebound in
the Atlanta Omni Tuesday while grappling with Hawkes center Steve Hawes, left. (AP)
Drew and Behagan ice
Hawks win over Sonics
ATLANTA (AP) - Ron
Behagen is getting back in
shape and John Drew is a clutch
playmaker, says Hawks Coach
Hubie Brown, explaining
Atlanta’s rally for a 102-99 Na
tional Basketball Association
victory over the Seattle Super-
Sonics.
Seattle, fueled by center Mar
vin Webster’s 29 rebounds, held
the lead through most of Tues
day night’s game, posting sev
eral 13-point leads and taking a
58-50 halftime lead. But Beha
gen, fed by two Drew passes,
sank a backhand layup and a
five-foot jump shot to give At-
Free agents
‘l’m anxious to see
my value,’ Torrez
NEW YORK (AP) - “I’m
anxious to see what my market
value will be,” said New York
Yankees pitcher Mike Torrez,
looking ahead to Friday’s re-en
try draft of baseball’s free
agents. “I can’t sell myself
short.”
The 32-year-old right-hander,
who won 17 games for the Yan
kees during the regular season
and two in the World Series, re
portedly is seeking a five-year
contract for between $1.75 mil
lion and $2 million.
He could have pulled out of
the draft as late as Monday
midnight by signing with the
Yankees, with whom he and his
agent, Gary Walker, have been
holding steady negotiations.
The Yankees reportedly have
offered between $1.25 million
and $1.5 million, and say they
will continue to try and sign
Torrez.
“We never stopped negotiat
ing and we still won’t,” says
club President Gabe Paul.
“You’ve got to run the ball out.”
That’s not the situation in
Chicago, where White Sox own
er Bill Veeck says he is not go
ing to try and sign outfielders
Oscar Gamble and Richie Zisk,
both of whom will go through
the draft Friday.
“It would cost $1 million s
year to sign them for anywhere
from three to five years," said
Veeck. “That’s what their two
paychecks would have added up
to in 1978.”
And Calvin Griffith, owner of
| AP’s top 10 |
H<r« I* a complete lilting of the top 10
teams In all classifications, their records,
points received on a scale of 10-to-l from
nine members of the AP board and other
teams nominated for the poll:
Class AAA
1. Warner Robins (94) 89
2. Clarke Central (8-0) 80
3. Benedictine <•-<» 89
4.SW DeKalb (84) 88
5. Valdosta (7-1) 48
6. Butler (8-1) 42
7 Newnan (7-1) 15
B.Cedar Shoals (7-1) 13
-tle-Rlchmond Acad. (6-1-1-) 13
10. Wheeler (9-1) 12
Others nominated: Campbell-Smy- (8-1),
Dougherty (8-2), Kendrick (8-1), La-
Grange (8-2), Lakeside (7-1), R. E. Lee
(82), Statesboro (7-1), Washington (7-1)
and Westside (8-1-1). —
Class AA
1. Woodward Acad. (94) 87
2. Co. (84) 75
3- (84) 88
4- Americus (8-1) 84
5. Dalton (8-1) 54
B.Gordon (71) 38
7. (7-1) 34
B.Swainsboro (71) 25
e.Stephens Co. (8-1) M
lanta a 94-93 edge with only 2:13
left.
Drew iced the game by con
necting on a 17-foot jumper and
then stealing the ball and mak
ing a court-length rush for a
dunk which put the Hawks
ahead 100-95 with only 42 sec
onds to play.
Drew, who had 17 points for
the night, “scored well down the
stretch,” said Brown, adding
that “he made two great passes
to Behagen who laid them in for
key baskets."
Behagen, recently acquired
from New Orleans as com
pensation for free agent Truck
the Minnesota Twins, says he
will make no effort to sign nine
of the 11 players from his or
ganization who will become free
agents, the exceptions being
outfield stars Larry Hisle and
Lyman Bostock.
The 65-year-old Griffith is a
strong opponent of the free
agent system. “It’s going to be
the ruination of baseball,” he
predicted. “One of these days
the owners are going to get hit
with a sledgehammer and see
what . . .fools they are.”
There are several wrinkles in
this year’s draft with new cate
gories added to the option play
outs who formed the talent pool
a year ago, when Reggie Jack
son of the Yankees was the most
expensive selection at $2.9
million. Among the new cate
gories is a list of players with
major league contracts for 1976
who were outrighted to minor
league teams.
Clubs losing players in the
six-year veteran category will
be compensated with free agent
selections from next June.
The Toronto Blue Jays will
open Friday’s draft, followed by
Atlanta, Oakland, the New York
Mets, Seattle, San Diego,
Milwaukee, Montreal, Cleve
land, San Francisco, Detroit,
the Chicago Cubs and Califor
nia.
Then Houston, Minnesota, St.
louis, the White Sox, Cincin
nati, Texas, Pittsburgh, Boston,
Los Angeles, Baltimore, Phila
delphia, the Yankees and Kan
sas City.
10. Cedartown (74-2) 14
Others nominated: Avondale (8-2), Pa
yette Co. (7-2) and Lakeshore (7-2).
Class A
1. (94) gg
2. Early Co. (84) 75
3.Seminole Co. (84) 72
4. (9-1) 88
5. Springs (74-1) 52
S.Vldalla (7-1) 41
7,George (84) 37
S.Mary Persons (7-1) 25
9. Wilkinson Co. (7-1) 15
10. Davis (7-2) 8
Others nominated: Darlington (7-2),
Harlem (8-2) and Oconee Co. (81-1).
Class B
1. Lincoln Co. (84) 90
2. (7-1-1) 77
3. (8-1-1) 87
4. (7-1) 58
5. Rabun CO. (8-1-1) 48
6. Gordon Lee (8-1) 44
7. Point (7-2) 41
8. Metter (7-1) 33
9. Co. (82) 14
10. Co. (82-1) 7
Others nominated: Brookstone (82),
Jefferson (83), Reidsville (82-1) and Sav.
Ctry. Day (82).
Robinson, led all scorers with 18
points, and Brown credited his
play to improved conditioning.
As Brown put it, “His body is
getting into better physical
shape.”
Seattle Coach Bob Hopkins
said the Super Sonics, who made
26 turnovers, “were our own
worst enemies.”
“Turnovers caused us to lose
our momentum,” he said.
Webster, a top Hawks’ draft
choice in 1975 who signed in
stead with Denver of the now
defunct American Basketball
Asociation, set an Omni record
when he grabbed 21 rebounds in
the first half. All but seven of his
29 rebounds were off the
defensive boards, and Seattle’s
big three of Webster and for
wards Paul Silas and Mike
Green outmuscled the Hawks
up front.
Green led Seattle’s scorers
with 17 points, while Fred
Brown had 16 and Silas and
Webster 15 apiece.
Webster, who called the game
his best rebounding effort as a
pro, blamed the loss on Hawks’
added pressure of Seattle’s
guards.
“They put more pressure on
our guards up front in the sec
ond half and I don’t think we
adjusted very well,” he said.
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SPORTS
Trottier
burns
Flames
UNIONDALE, N.Y. (AP) -
This was during the strategy
session before the Atlanta
Flames went out to play the
New York Islanders. “Watch
out for Trottier in the slot,”
someone said.
The words fell on deaf ears.
Bryan Trottier scored four
goals — all from 15 feet or less
— and added an assist as the
Islanders overwhelmed the
Flames 9-0 Tuesday night.
This was during the pregame
strategy session in the New
York dressing room. “We gotta
bang some bodies,” said Clark
Gillies, the left wing on Trot
tier’s line. Everyone knew the
team wasn’t hitting enough and
their style of play was suffering
as a result.
These words did not go un
heeded. Within moments, Trot
tier put a solid hit on John Gould
in the defensive comer; Denis
Potvin pounded Tom Lysiak in
the neutral zone; Bob Nystrom
hammered Miles Zaharko into
the offensive boards.
“And things,” said New York
Coach Al Arbour, “started to
fall into place.”
The puck started falling into
the net for the Islanders just
1:49 after the opening faceoff
when Nystrom swatted J.P. Pa
rise’s centering pass past
Flames goalie Phil Myre.
At 8:10 Parise, with every co
operation from the Atlanta de
fense, swept in from the side
boards and scored on a 20-foot
backhander. Jean Potvin made
it 3-0 just 46 seconds later with a
50-foot slapshot.
But then, the crowd of 14,702
would learn, the show belonged
to Trottier — very simply the
most spectacular unspectacular
player in the National Hockey
League.
In the only other NHL game
Tuesday night, the St. Louis
Blues beat the Los Angeles
Kings 7-2.
Blues 7, Kings 3
Garry Unger scored three
goals to give St. Louis its first
victory of the season after eight
losses and a tie. Hockey’e iron
man, he’s played 733 games in a
row, said, “I just figured, ‘Well,
why not? Everything else hasn't
worked, so we might as well try
the old style.’