Page Six THE MICHIGAN DAILY Tuesday, June 10, 1969 _. x Against 'The wall SayI it ain't so.. ... Broadway Joe By LEE KIRK CLACKERS! I mean, its only spring and all of a sudden, like a bolt from the blue, Joe Namath retires. Joe Namath, Broadway Joe, refused to bow before the forces that be (i.e., the establishment) and hung up the 39 pads that. protect his knees from blood thirsty Raiders and overdue Bills. Broadway Joe, in a style not his own, damns the torpedoes and then blows up his own ship. If he stays out, it will be a huge loss for pro football (the Jets' value reportedly dropped $5 million), the entire sports world, and Eastern teeny boppers. Namath was a unique species among the stars of the 60's. He had a mind and was not afraid to speak it. He had style - class - a gift for calling attention to himself and all that sur- rounded him. The Super Bowl was probably as much Broadway Joe as it was the Jets. The Colts, -the super team, were favored by 20 points, and not even a devout armchair quarterback would normally get aroused about a game that looked like an incred- ible mismatch. But apathy never stood a chance in the face of the pride of Beaver Falls. He simply announced, "We'll beat 'em." Sud- denly the Super Bowl, an afterthought liqueur for the satiated football fan in its first two years, became a main course. Many fans, I among them, were eager to see Namath clam- med'up and the Jets sent back to the AFL licking their wounds. Pro, football had temporarily lost its aura of automation and had reverted td a game of mortals, and none proved more mor- tal than the Colts. MANY HAVE COMPARED Namath's retirement with simi- lar gestures made by baseballers Donn Clendenon, Ken Harrel- son and Maury Wills. Some compare it with the suspension of Alex Karras and Paul Hornung for betting on pro games. But by and large, there are very few coincidental points be- tween these occurrences and the anguished decision of Namath to quit. The events surrounding the rise and fall of Muhammed Ali offer a great many parallels with Namath's career. Ali was not merely vocal. He possessed in his prime a plethora of prolific polemics. 'Fly like a butterfly, sting like a bee' was the philo- sophy of his tongue as well as his fists. The small well of disgust aroused by his assault on penta- meters crescended into a furious roar when he became a Black Muslim. Yet boxing owes Ali a debt. A series of deaths in the ring, Mafia influence, a declining number of quality boxers, and sag- ging attendance had the fight game on the ropes until the vocal Louisville Lip lifted the sport to its feet. Yet Ali never was a hero. In fact, he made Sonny Liston the people's choice. At least Liston knew his place. Boxing never appreciated what he did for the sport. He was never called by his Muslim name, it was always Cassius Clay. They never gave him credit for being the greatest heavyweight of all time. WITH BROADWAY JOE we may never have the chance to be sure. . Both Namath and Ali eventually got nailed for standing by what they firmly believed right. If courage of conviction can be measured by personal sacrifice, a sacrifice that is Meore than just a monetary one, Muhammed All makes most of us look like gutless hypocrites. Broadway Joe's decision is perhaps not based on as deep a principle as Ali's, but it still rests on the assumption that a man should not have to act against his will. When Commissioner Rozelle came storming into Bachelors III like the Ajax White Knight, Joe declared himself to be clean already, thanks just the same. Rozelle ordered Joe to clean up and fearlessly shook his all-purifying lance. Nmath humbly excused himself.' Rozelle is kidding himself if he thinks that forcing Namath to sell his nightclub interest will help pro football move to purity, just as the WBA was wrong when it stripped' Ali of his, title in hopes of purifying boxing. These ill-considered moves were both justified as being essential for preserving the image of the sport involved. This is a not overly subtle way of saying that football and boxing both felt it essential to take action to insure the continued flow of the almighty, All-American, middle class WASP d o 11 a r into their pockets. It does seem a little absurd for Rozelle to stand up and play the game "J'accuse" when even the FBI announces Namath is as clean as a whistle. Rozelle appears intent on becoming a law unto himself in matters not his concern. What Joe Namath or anyone else does in his private life is not anyone's concern unless he goes beyond the bounds of the law. If Broadway Joe comes back, I won't be surprised, and he has swallowed his pride before, but let's face it, Namath is in- teresting because he is unpredictable. You've got to admire men like Namath and Ali. They have chosen the road less traveled and are willing to live with the consequences. Namath reiterates SLOLICH FANS 16: aN Aa 7 44LLL-ICH FANS116: 1-ULIL UIG1iU1iL j STATELINE, Nev. 3P) - Joe Namath said yesterday nothing had occurred that would cause him to reconsider his decision to quit pro football, but that he was willing to discuss that matter with National Football League commis- sioner Pete Rozelle. Namath, here to play in an in- vitational golf tournament spon- sored by a local casino, said he had not talked to Rozelle since he announced his retirement last Friday. He indicated he would like to discuss the matter with Rozelle daily sports NIGHT EDITOR: PHIL HERTZ but "did not think Rozelle would budge one inch." Namath, who led the New York Jets to an upset victory over the Baltimore Colts in the Super Bowl in January, announced his retire- ment rather than sell his interest in a New York City bar that Ro- zelle said was frequented by, gamblers. His reply was a simple but em-+ phatic "no" when asked is he would change his mind about re- tiring. The only qestions that drew 1 "no comment" from Namath were whether he was interested in buying into one of Nevada's legal casinos and whether he had ap- plied to a Las Vegas bank for money to do that. Namath answered questions for about 20 minutes at a news con- ference after coming off the rain- soaked Edgewood Tahoe golf course. Hewore a blue rain slicker and white striped trousers, a n d twirled a drink in his hand. The Jets quarterback said he was "a little disappointed" with the handling of the affair by the Jets' front office. Revealing some of the details for the first time, he said that about two months ago he had re- reied from the Jets a list of un- savory characters who supposedly Russell grabs long jump title Ira Russell, Michigan's crack broad jumper turned in his finest performance of the year Saturday and easily captured first place in his specialty at the Central Colle- giate Conference Championships held at Bowling Green, Ohio. Russell leapt 24 feet 1/2' inches, far outdistancing Wayne State's Don Robinson, who had a jump of 23-8%/. Two other Wolverines compet- ed in the meet. Leon Grupdstein finished sixth in the 220-yard dash and John Lowe qualified for the 440-yard intermediate hurdles, but was unable tokrun injthe fi- nals because of a knee injury. Michigan's 440-yard relay team did not enter the meet because of an injury to Larry Midlam. In the team standings, Michi- gan racked up ten points, far be- hind meet champions Ohio Uni- versity, whose 61 points were just enough to beat out Western Mich- igan, who had 60 points a n d NCAA titlists Kansas, who rolled up 60 points. This weekend several Wolverines will take part in the United States Track and Field Federation Meet at Lexington, Kentucky. Entered are Russell, Grundstein and Mich- iga'ns freshman pole vaulter Lar- ry Wolfe, who will compete as an unattached independent. Michi- gan's 440-yard relay team will be entered in the meet, but will be representing the Ann Arbor Track Club. ilots drop Tigers, 3-2 Sox, Petroceli roll on By The Associated Press DETROIT - Detroit got a 16- strikeout performance from Mick- ey Lolich, who also singled in a run, but the Seattle Pilots broke through against reliever Pat Dob- son for two runs in the 10th for a 3-2 victory over the Tigers I a s t night. The Tigers then threatened in the bottom of the inning when re- lief pitcher Diego Segui allowed a single, a walk and a rui scoring single to Al Kaline. John O'Don- oghue then came in and got a strikeout, but then yielded a bases-filling walk. That brought on John Gelnar, who struck out Willie Horton and got Tom Matchick to ground out, ending the game. Dobson, 1-4, came on for the Tigers after Lolich was lifted for pinch hitter Gates Brown in the ninth after the Tigers had loa'ded, the bases with two outs. Winning pitcher Marty Pattin, 6-4, who struck out nine, then got Brown to ground out. * * * ST. PAUL - MINNEAPOLIS - Homers by Carl Yastrzemski and Rico Petrocelli sparked Boston to an early lead and Vicente Romo protected it with clutch relief pitching as the Red Sox beat the Minnesota Twins 5-3 last night. The Twins, down 5-1 going into the seventh inning, came up with two runs after two were out be- fore Romo came on in relief of Ray Jarvis and Sparky Lyle. After singles by Rod Carew and Tony Oliva and a walk to Har- mon Killebrew, Lyle replaced starter Jarvis, now 3-1. Following a two-run single by Rich Reese and a walk to Graig Nettles, Romo came in to get Car- denas on a bouncer to short. '4,1 MAJOR LEAGUE STANDINGS T.v~ -Associated PressI Broadway Joe presents an Emmy award frequented his club. Bachelors III, -----.------------ _.___ on New York's upper,East side: Bachelors III then contacted the Alci g New York City district attorney's office, Namath said, and asked to f " hire a man to work at the club 0". J. advtses Namath to who would help spot these people. game; fight--- '- B B De Ile N Ci Se; He did not say whether any in- vestigators were ever hired. Namath said the Jets "made, no attempt" to help him.I The next time he heard about the matter, he said, was I a s ta Tuesday night when he was con- tacted by Rozelle and given 24 hours to sell. He safd his attorneys contacted Rozelle Wednesday and got an ex- tension on the deadline. "The first feeling I had was toj sell," he said. "Then I talked to friends and lawyers and I felt it; was not right, it was not fair. -I just want to know the reason," said Namath. Namath said he had talked' about his proposed retirement with teammates and friends. "The people I have heard from all said it was a good decision," he said. "The big problem, as always, is that we want to play football. That's the big problem." Namath said he hoped that teammates have indicated t h e y would quit if he did would re- consider and stay with the club. Namath said that during the football season he spent two or three nights a week at Bachelors III .but that for six months of the year he was in Miami, Fla., where he has a home. By The Associated Press C LOS ANGELES-Lew Alcindor, three-time UCLA All-AmericanC basketball star, has apologized for punching Los Angeles Stars' center Dennis Grey but Grey, his jaw shattered, isn't talking. Alcindor, the 7-foot-1%/ agile giant who led the Bruins to three straight national titles, sent Grey of the American Basketball Asso- ciation Stars reeling Saturday during a pick-up basketball game. The blow sent Grey to a local hospital where a two-hour operation was required to set the broken bones. Alcindor, when informed of the seriousness of the injury called the hospital and apologized. He said he would pay all medical ex- penses. * * * NEWARK-Q. J. Simpson has a word of advice for Joe Namath -"fight." Simpson, University of Southern California running back who was drafted by Buffalo of the American Football League, was in Newark to official at the city's annual Soapbox Derby Sunday. He said he thought Namath, who announced his retirement from the New York Jets and pro football last week in a dispute concerning his part ownership of a New York bar, should fight his case. "I'd fight it; in the courts, in the press . . . anywhere," the Heis- man Trophy winner said. * * * * * WARSAW-Skiing will stay on the program of the Olympic Winter Games and Jean Claude Killy of France and Nancy Greene of Canada will keep their gold medals won in the Grenoble Games last year, the International Olympic Committee decided yesterday. The decision, announced by an official IOC spokesman, was con- sidered a rebuff to American IOC President Avery Brundage, who in the past has criticized Alpine skiing for being too commercial and who publicly suggested that skiers Killy and Miss Greene be stripped of their medals for alleged violation of Olympic amateur rules. AMERICAN LEAGUE East Division WV L Pct. altimore 39 16 .709 oston 35 18 .660 )etroit 27 23 .540 Nashington 29 29 .500 ew York 28 29 .491 leveland 18 32 .360 West Division [innesota 29 23 .558 ak:and 25 24 .:10 eattle 24 28 .462 hicago 21 28 .429 Cansas City 23 31 .426 ;alifornia 17 34 .333 Yesterday's Results Boston 5, Minnesota 3 Cleveland 5, Chicago 1 Kansas City 7, New York I Seattle 3, Detroit 2, 10 inn. Other clubs not scheduled. Today's Games Boston at Minnesota, night Cleveland at Chicago, night Seattle at Detroit, night California at Baltimore, night Oakland at Washington, night Kansas City at New York, night GB 3 912 12 18 5 6% 7 11 /z Chicago New York Pittsburgh St. Louis Philadelphia Montreal" W4 Atlanta Los Angeles Cincinnati San Francisco Houston San Diego W 36 28 26 25 is 12 NATIONAL LEAGUE East Division L 17 23 28 31 37 est Division 32 20 30 22 27 21 29 23 27 30 24 "33 Pct. .679 .549 .481 .469 .367 .245 .615 .577 .563 .558 .474 .421 GB 7 10' 1114 16 22 2 3 3 iOi '.. Yesterday's Results Cincinnati 4, Chicago 1 Other clubs not scheduled. Today's Games Chicago at Atlanta, night St. Louis at Cincinnati, night Pittsburgh at Houston, night Montreal at San Diego, night Philadelphia at Los Angeles, night New York at San Francisco, night Paying for the Other Guy's Accidents? Save on your Auto Insurance For those who qualify- $25,000 B.I. and P.D. $1,000 Medical Expenses and Uninsured Motorists Protection Single Male Age 21-251. . $125 per year Married Male Age 21-25........$J70 per year SENTRY. .INSURANCE The Hardware Mutuals Organization Doyle Noverre Phone 426-4030 t . "i... :..i"Y. }... .Rv. :?.\v:: "::::. ::+'car.a.,v:: ":x . a:::::? ...a ...}......... vv....:fr.::::: -}:: rvtvw::. -: \iw;, } 1}n .. ...:A}' ': '.R' ,w ..; ..iv':: v' :. ...' :. '\. ... .Rv-"4 . ii"}:. \.... '':{^:. :.}:.."n....a....., .. r. \.......v n:.v:-v..:: }.v v::: :":?:} .. 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