Thursday, April 13, 1972
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Page .Nine It
Thursday, April 13, 1972 THE MICHIGAN DAILY Page Nine'
- :.
Vin.
:z
=f;;
4
1
SS_.
YtiY
_. . L
y:
} 4
.'i}"i
yi
S,'.,.
the
upper deck
OWNERS, PLAYERS TO MEET TODAY
Baseball Darla-vs
i
b
' y~r. "":'M."C~XE"::i?}.""3 :"":":?}i"^ ":"':"::'":{i .8 "::.}?"::i.:V.:"{P::V}::.::..:.;..
1
NHL expansion ..
B;.. major league?
By CHUCK BLOOM
SINCE the weather has finally turned warm, and spring offi-
cially can be said to have arrived, I'd like to regress and talk
about hockey.
It isn't so unusual to talk about a winter sport in the middle
of spring. Three months after the last Stanley Cup game be-
comes history, training camps will, open, and the season begins
in October. Like most other sports, hockey is becoming a year-
round venture.
Anyway, in a few days, hockey owners will get together to
expand the league once more. At present, the National Hockey
League consists of 14 teams with two more newcomers, Long
Island and Atlanta, scheduled to join next season. Now the
league wants to add two more teams for the 1974-75 schedule.
What the owners don't realize is that the NHL is too
weak, both in fans and talent, to support two (or four) new
teams. This proposed move will be only one of the many
mistakes the NHL has made since 1966.
In that year, the expansion was too large and came too
soon for all the established teams to take. Six teams, a whole
new division, was unnecessary at the time. The expansion de-
pleted several good teams and a couple have never recovered.
The Detroit Red Wings lost two complete lines and have only
made the playoffs once since that time. The Boston Bruins were
also hurt by the draft but promptly stole Phil Esposito from
Chicago to ease the pain.
The biggest mistake, however, was the location of the new
franchises. Teams were put into Minnesota, St. Louis, Philadel-
phia, Pittsburgh, Oakland, and Los Angeles. Minnesota and
St. Louis immediately took to their newly-acquired teams. Both
are fine hockey towns and their fans are very knowledgeable
about the game. Philadelphia and Pittsburgh have been beset
by both bad teams and financial troubles but are finally bail-
ing themselves out.
However, Oakland and Los Angeles were clearly bad
choices. The West Coast is not the place for hockey, es-
pecially hot huge metropolises like L.A. and the Bay Area.
Neither team has been successful financially or standings-
wise. Even many American Hockey League teams average
more fans than do the Kings and Seals.
So next' year, we will see the contingent from Long Island
and Atlanta. Again, another mistake in location. The Islanders
were chosen because the money-hungry owners want a piece
pf the new Nassau County Arena, reasoning which has been
typical of Miost moves to new cities. Arenas, not talent, are the
new drawing cards.
But. Atlanta? They've got to be kidding. Atlanta is not
only too warm a city to play hockey, but it has never been
exposed to major league hockey in any form.
A better place to expand to, if expansion is inevitable,
would be Denver or another Canadian city. Denver is a fine
sports town with a nice arena to play In. Canada deserves
another team because . . . well, It's the national sport, isn't
it?
And where are all the players going .to come from? How
can the league field inferior talent and still be justified in
calling itself a "major league?"
At first, the NHL wanted to go into San Diego where
crowds averaging close to 10,000 come to see their beloved Gulls
play. But the town of San Diego, a good hockey town for Calif-
ornia, said no. They didn't want to be "prostituted" by so-called
"big-time hockey."
Expansion itself isn't a terrible thing but, when handled
improperly as in the case of the NHL, it becomes an albatross
around the sport's neck. Fans have to realize that hockey must
reach out over the vast areas of two countries. Television has
deemed this so. The days of the old six-team division - those
wild and woolly good old days - are over.
But for God sakes, put hockey into cities that want it and
that can support it. Owners, stop screwing up the sport just
to fill your pockets full of greenbacks. If you expand, do it
right, or don't do it at all.
Gus Johnson traded to Suns;
lady ump hancocks contract
By The Associated Press
0 BALTIMORE - GUS JOHNSON, the injury-plagued forward
of the Baltimore Bullets, was dealt yesterday to the PHOENIX SUNS.
The 33-year-old veteran, whose spectacular dunk shots off re-
.. bounds have excited National Basketball Association Fans for nine
years, was used sparingly this season after undergoing two knee op-
erations.
In return, Baltimore received a second round choice in Monday's
draft of college players and are, due to get "other considerations" not
yet revealed.
0 BUFFALO - BERNICE GERA, a New York City housewife,
has signed a contract to umpire in the Class A New York-Pennsyl-
vania Baseball League, president Vince McNamara said yesterday.
He said the contract had been sent to Henry Peters, president of
the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues in Colum-
bus, Ohio, for approval.
* ANN ARBOR - RONNIE BULL, last season's leading ground
gainer for the Philadelphia Eagles, announced his retirement from
football yesterday.
The former All American from Baylor University said he will
become president of a racing stable in Ann Arbor.
* DETROIT - Management of two suburban Detroit race
tracks say thye will "regretfully" comply with a new Michigan law
which forbids the tracks from holding Ladies Days.
New statutes hold that such special offerings are discriminatory.
HAZEL PARK RACE TRACK had been admitting women for
half price on Thursday afternoons, while WOLVERINE RACEWAY in
Livonia offered free admission to women on Tuesday nights.
NEW YORK (kP) - Baseball's
player strike continued through a
12th day yesterday but Marvin
Miller, executive director of the
LOS ANGELES-Jim McMil-
Hans career high 42 points, in-
cluding 25 in the second half led
the Los Angeles Lakers to a
135-134 victory over the Mil-
waukee Bucks last night to tie
their NBA Western Division
playoff series at one game
apiece.
Los Angeles took the lead for
good 131-130 on McMillian's two
free throws and Jerry West,
who finished with 28 points, iced
the win with a bucket with 27
seconds left.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar led the
Bucks with 40 points.-
striking Players' Association re-
ported the parties were "closer to
a settlement."
After two separate bargaining,
sessions with John Gaherin, rep-
resentative of the club owners,
Miller called a press conference
to deny reports that the two sides
had reached an agreement. "Noth-
ing could be more false," Miller
said. "But we have worked out a
new offer and we are closer to a
settlement.
Tom Haller, player representa-
tive of the Detroit Tigers, said the
strike could end soon, perhaps as
soon as today, when the 24 owners
meet in Chicago.
"I'm very optimistic that it
might be settled this week," said
Haller, "maybe in Chicago on
Thursday. It's very possible."
Haller said that Gaherin was
carrying a new offer from the
players over the issue of pay for
any games postponed by the strike
and made up later in the season.
daily
sports
NIGHT EDITOR:
CHUCK BLOOM
"We have had a meeting of the
minds," said the Tiger catcher.
"There has been an inter-twining
of minds for a soluble solution.
Now we await the decision of the
owners in Chicago."
Bob Reynolds, a sportscaster for
WJR in Detroit, reported yester-
day that the strike had been set-
tled and that official announce-
men would be made either late
last night or this morning after
the owner's meeting in Chicago.
In New York, a spokesman in
remain
the office of Players' Association-
negotiator Marvin Miller said the
Detroit report wasnot true.
In Minneapolis, Bob Short, own-
er of the Texas Rangers, said, "I
expect it will ,be settled tonight
and ratified at the meeting in
Chicago. The question is still the
back pay issue and it's a very
knotty problem."
Gaherin said the only matter
blocking settlement of the strike
is pay for any games made up
after the players go back to work.
"Everything else is in place," he
said.
According to Gaherin, the cur-
rent stalemate involves the Play-
ers Association's demands that the
athletes receive their full salaries
if the owners decide to play the
full schedule.
Pro Standings
NHL
Today's Games
New York at Montreal, Sew York
leads best-of-7 series, 3-2.
Minnesota at St. Louis, Minnesota
leads best-of-7 series, 3-2.
NBA
Yesterday's Results
Los Angeles 135, Milwaukee 134, best-
of-7-series tied 1-1.
Today'ssGames
New York at Boston, 1st game of
best-of-7 series.
ABA
Today's Games
New York vs. Virginia at Richmond,
1st game of best-of-7 series.
Denver at Indiana, best-of-7 series
tied, 3-3.
deadlocked
BIG TEN CO-FAVORITES
Ruggers to tackle title
By ANDREW WHITEHALL
The sixth annual Big Ten
Rugby Tournament will be host-
ed by Purdue University in West
Lafayette, Ind., this weekend.
Michigan will be trying for its
first title, having finished run-
ners-up in the last three years.
The Blue will be sending a
representative team of 20 play-
ers in hopes of capturing the
illusive trophy. The players were
chosen on the basis of their per-
formances in the spring season.
Saturday morning Michigan
will play Purdue, with the win-
ner playing the victor of the
Illinois-Michigan State contest in
the afternoon. In the other quar-
ter finals, Indiana will battle
Iowa with the winner going on
to tackle the winner of the Wis-
consin-Ohio State clash.
If fall season performances are
used as indicators of who might
emerge as the champion, it
would be a toss up between
Michigan, Purdue, and defend-
ing champion Wisconsin. Illinois
however could be a sleeper pos-
sibility.
The Blue rolled over their
spring opposition with a high
powered offense and a stingy de-
fense. The forwards have built
themselves for endurance and
hard hitting while the backs have
Volleyball
Vle Midwest toj
The University of Michigan Vol- v
leyball C l u b will h o s t the f
Midwestern Volleyball Association
championships starting at 10 a.m. t
Sunday in the Intramural Build- n
ing. The public is invited free of c
charge. n
In the undergraduate and grad- f
uate divisions, the followingt
schools will enter teams in theF
competition: Michigan, Kellogg
Community College, Toledo Uni-b
versity, Purdue, Oberlin College, I
George Brown University, Western
Michigan, Michigan State, and An-
derson College.
The Michigan Volleyball Club
began about four years ago as a
club sport as a more competitive
alternative to intramural volley-
ball.
The team plays Olympic-style
power volleyball which features
more action and precise play.
Coached by Sandy Vong, a re-
search engineer at Ford, the club
has expanded into three teams, the
undergraduate, graduate, and open,
For The Student Body.
LEVI'S
Denim
BelIls
8.50
club hosts
urnament
which includes non-students and
acuity.
So far this year, the graduate
eam, under captain Mike Culli-'
ane, has played against many
ollege teams and in several tour-
laments, and has a second place
inish at the Flint Mott Invitational
o its credit.
The team is presently fifth in
Region Seven of the U.S. Volley-
all Association and leading in
ocal Michigan League play.
become a coordinated unit with
blazing speed and excellent team-
work passing.
The backfield will consist of
Cleland Child at scrum half with
Todd Peterson in reserve. Rich-
ard Thompson, Terry Larrimer,
Dave Osborn, and John Bohlke
will attack from the wide side of
the field while Ron Smith bolts
down the blind side. Captain
Dick Moon will have the task of
backing up the backs from his
fullback post.
Because of the grueling task
that the forwards will undergo
in the three games that are
necessary for the crown, the
Blue will make the trip with 12
forwards. Each of the scrum-
mers will probably play at least
one game.
"I think that we're going to
be as good as any team on the
pitch," said Moon. "We've got
some of ."the best forward play
in the midwest, and if they can
keep it up, we should win."
In the opening game, Jeff Grill
and Chris Penoyer will prop for
hokker Hank Lukaski. Jacque
Passino and Flint Larson will
provide the second row support
with Steve Chapman at number
eight. Vern Plato and Pete Hend-
rickson will start from the wing
forward posts.
Ron Story, Walt Holloway, Bob
Jagonich,band Dave Noyes will
be the back up depth in for-
wards.
-Associated Press
From Me to You
Milwaukee's Oscar Robertson floats a pass to teammate
Kareem Abdul Jabbar (33) over the efforts of the Laker's Jerry
West in playoff action last night.
I
§
§ on white backgrdunds.
§ §
§
§ §
§
§
This half-sleeve Gant button down will stay §
§ crisp and wrinkle-free around the clock. And it never has §
§ to be ironed. Tailored with singular precision §
§ ~in a zephyr-weight blend of cotton and§
§ polyester. Trim Hugger body. In varied stripings.
§ All exuberant.
§ $11.00 9§
§ §
§ _
CHECKMATE
State Street at Liberty
FRI
AMPLIFIER CLINIC
THURSDAY AND FRIDAY-12-9 P.M.
For those of you who are not familiar with the amplifier clinic, here's what you do . .
Yours exclusively
at Mast's
I
I
- - m m -, w