This Week in Sports
BASEBALL
The divorce season will hit its peak after this week as professional sports
reaches its congested best (or worst). Get your beer early as the "World
Serious" starts, football continues its longest season ever, and, believe it or
not, both pro hockey and pro basketball seasons get underway. The beloved
'U' is not devoid of activity either, as play occurs in four different sports.
The baseball season climaxes (and none too soon) as the defending
World Champion New York Yankees take on the Los Angeles Dodgers in a
repeat of last year's Series. The battle is the difference in philosophies
between the two clubs. The Yankees' skipper Bob Lemon returns to Series
action after winning it in 1948 with his first love, the Cleveland Indians, as
one of the best pitchers in the league. Now some want him named the best
manager after New York's remarkable comeback to grab the pennant from
the Red Sox. The Yankees have just as much fun fighting off the field as on it,
but if anyone is noted for climaxing in October, it's Reginald Jackson.
On the other hand, Tommy "Loveable" Lasorda guides his Dodgers in a
Hollywood atmosphere. Lasorda, who is so nice they'll probably make a
movie about him someday, just radiates Dodger Blue. The Series starts.
tonight with Channel 4 beginning its broadcast at 8:00 for those of you who
don't have tickets.
FOOTBALL
The football scene is naturally dominated by the invasion of the boys
from East Lansing this Saturday. There will be no letdown this weekend as
the Wolverines and the Spartans fight for the coveted Paul Bunyan -
Governor of Michigan Trophy. Michigan has kept the prize in its trophy case
since after the 1969 game, the last year that MSU won it and also Bo
Schembechler's first year. State leads the series 13-12, but Bo can even it up
as Michigan also goes after its 600th win in the history of its football
program.
On the pro scene, the Lions play the Falcons at Atlanta. So much for-
them. In the big game of the week, the Cleveland Browns will beat the
Steelers by three in the rematch of the Blue Collar Bowl.
OTHER PRO SPORTS
The Red Wings face off against St. Louis Wednesday night in Detroit,
where they will also skate against Philadelphia on Friday evening.
Aggressive hockey is back in town if you believe those Batman spinoff
commercials on TV.
The Pistons will introduce their new big mouth in their new big playpen
as they tip off the season Friday night against the hapless New Jersey Nets
in the Silverdome under coach Dick Vitale. Vitale has done a lot of talking
and will as long as anyone is within earshot. How's your stomach, Dick?
MICHIGAN SPOR TS
The women's field hockey team puts its 2-2 record on the line three times
this week, beginning this afternoon at 3:00 against the Falcons of Bowling.
Green at Ferry Field. The women take to the road for the rest of the week for
Thursday's game at Central Michigan and Saturday's contest at Eastern
Michigan.
Sandy Vong's spikers also travel to Kalamazoo as the women's
volleyball team takes on Central this afternoon.
Completing the long list of traveling Wolverines, the cross country team
won't start their longest jaunt until they arrive in East Lansing for Friday's
Michigan Dual 10,000 meter run.
Intramural softball playoffs draw toward an end this week, just in time
for the touch football season to start - guess when? - this week.
If you have enough beer money for all of this week's sports, then I'm on
n'y way to invest in Anheuser-Busch stock.
The Michigan Daily-Tuesday, October 10, 1978-Page1-
WEBSTER AND ARCHIBALD JOIN DIVISION
Champion Bulletsface sti battle
By BILLY NEFF
It was only four months ago but can
you remember which team won the
NBA championship? The Philadelphia
76ers. Nope, I remember now; it was
the Portland Trailblazers. Guess again.
The Los Angeles Lakers?
These guesses all happen to be
wrong. The 1978 NBA champions were
the Washington Bullets and coach Dick
Motta. Even though they stole the show
last year, at best they can be picked for
second in their own division this season,
especially since they have been added
to the talent-laden Atlantic Division.
WASHINGTON'S chief competitor
will be its opponent in the playoff
semifinals last year, the expensive
Philadelphia 76ers. Not too far behind
are the New York Knicks with recent
acquisition Marvin Webster and the
omnipresent Boston Celtics and their
additions Nate "Tiny" Archibald and
Billy Knight. Far behind are the New
Jersey Nets, with co-rookie-of-the-year
Bernard King.
Over the summer, the 76ers tried to
change their label from the best talent
money can buy to the best team by ob-
taining all-star forward Bobby Jones
from the Denver Nuggets for high
scoring forward George McGinnis.
McGinnis never seemed to fit in op-
posite the famous doctor, Julius Erving
at forward.
Many critics even placed the blame
on McGinnis, "George (McGinnis)
needs to be the center of attention and
he's got to have the ball," said Bullet
coach Motta. "Weith the 76ers, you
should get the ball to Julius Erving 40
per cent of the time and Doug Collins
probably should get it 30 per cent of the
time," continued Motta.
NOW WITH Jones, who doesn't need
the ball to perform well, the 76ers
defense will be vastly improved as will
the heretofore missing concept of team
play. If the Sixers can get the idea of
team play across -to Lloyd Free and
Darryl Dawkins, the championship will
be theirs.
The Sixers still have unheralded
Caldwell Jones at center and the
fabulous Erving at forward. .In the
backcourt, Henry Bibby complements
all-star guard Doug Collins fairly well.
See more
sports on
pages 12-13
And on the bench, Philly has possibly
the best third forward around in Steve
Mix.
The Sixers should have little trouble
capturing the division but come playoff
time, veteran teams like the Bullets
pose trouble. Leading the way for the
world champions is the "Big E", Elvin
Hayes, who excelled in the playoffs last
year.
Neff predicts:
1. Philadelphia
2. Washington
3. New York
4. Boston
5. New Jersey'
Charles Johnson or Larry Wright.
Super sub Mitch Kupchak leads an im-
pressive Bullet bench that includes top
draftees Roger Phegley and DePaul's
Dave Corzine.
The other franchise that is attem-
ptimg to buy a championship is the
Knicks, owned by Gulf and Western
Company. That conglomerate just pur-
chased the services of maybe the
premier center in basketball in Marvin
Webster. Webster almost led Seattle to
the NBA title last year.
THE ADDITION of Webster enables
offensive machine Bob McAdoo to
move to forward. At the other forward
will probably be Jim McMillain, with
Spencer Haywood coming off the ben-
ch.
Harried coach Willis Reed has a very
unsettled situation at guard as the
Knicks do not wish to sign dazzling per-
former EarlMonroe. This leaves their
top draft choice from Montana, Michael
Richardson, and Minnesota's Ray
Williams to lead the way. Jim
Cleamons and Glen Gondrezick will
back up these youngsters.
Pressing all three of these teams
should be the resurging Boston Celtics.
The Celtics, in a complicated move,
swapped owners during the summer. In
this deal, a seven-player swap was
worked out with Archibald, Knight and
Marvin Barnes coming to the Celtics
for Kevin Kunnert, Sidney Wicks, Ker-
mit Washington and top draft pick,
Freeman Williams.
HOWEVER, the Celtics will never be
the same since John "Hondo" Havlicek
has retired. But Dave Cowens returns
to man the middle. Knight, meanwhile,
will be paired with either Barnes, who
already didn't show up for a gane, or
Cedric "Cornbread" Maxwell. Max-
well, you might remember, destroyed
Michigan in the NCAA playoffs a couple
of years ago. At guard, Jo Jo White and
Archibald are sujpported by Earl
Tatum and Don Chaney.
Finally, there are the cellar dwellers,
the New Jersey Nets. The Nets should
battle it out with the San Diego Clippers,
for the worst'record this campaign.
The Nets do have some good guards
in recent acquisition Eric Money, top
draft pick Winford Boynes and high
scoring John Williamson. Bernard King
is an excellent offensive forward but
that is pretty much the story for Kev4
Loughery and his woeful bunch.
DENTISTS
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A t
HAYES' OFFENSIVE support will
come from his partner at forward,
Bobby Dandridge, who has been mired
in a contrct squabble during training
camp. A lot of the Bullets' hopes rest on
the aching knees of workaholic center
Wes Unseld and the back of Phil
Chenier. There is a better than average
chance that Chenier will not see action
this year.
However, the Bullets captured the
championship without Chenier. And
guard Kevin Grevey came on very im-
pressively and filled Chenier's void
more than capably. The Bullets' other
guard will be either Tom Henderson.
Michigan Student Assembly
Is Now Accepting Applications
for the
Presidential Search Committee
APPLY 3909 MICH. UNION, 1-5 P.M. DAILY
DEADLINE 5:00 P.M., 10-12-78
.1
-BRIAN MARTIN*
('Brian Martin is from a Cleeland suburb.)
U _
Join The
Daily
Sports Staff
IMPORTANT
U-M Ski Club
First Meeting
Wed. Oct. 11-7:30
Mich. Union
Kuenzel Room
Everybody Welcome!
Many trips available!
-THINK SNOW-
U
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