Tuesday, August 17, 1971
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Page Eleven.
Pros unsure of wage freeze effects
By Ihe Aooriated P'ress
Representatives of professional
sports teams were uncertain yes-
terday what affect President
Nixon's freeze on wages would
have on pro athletes.
Pro football clubs have signed
most of their players for the
1971 season, although there still
are a number of unsigned play-
ers. while pro basketball and
hockey are in the process of
signing their players.
"We began researching the
situation yesterday morning."
said Walter Kennedy, National
Basketball Association cons-
missioner. "When we have some-
thing to report, we will so ad-
vise our clubs."
Ed Garvey, executive direc-
tor of the National Football
League Players' Association,
said he has sent a telegram to
Pete Rozelle. NFL commission-
er, seeking a meeting to discuss
the ramifications of the presi-
dent's action.
Mike Storen, president of the
Kentucky Colonels of the Amer-
ican Basketball Association,
said, "It's hard to say whether
President Nixon intended to ap-
ply the price and wage freeze
to professional athleties. Pro
sports is an unusual business at
best.
"Our usual practice is to re-
negotiate every contract every
year. This isn't like a normal
job where you have a regular
salary.
"The wages we pay out to
our players are reflected in the
admission prices we charge for
our games," he added. "So if we
are not to be allowed to raise
our ticket prices then this
would have to be reflected in
our negotiations with the play-
ers."
Vince Boryla, general mana-
ger of the Utah Stars of the ABA,
said the team would not raise
ticket prices seat season.
He said the Stars don't con-
sider unsigned players as hold-
outs until training camp begins
on Sept. 1:l
"I don't think the president
meant it to apply to professional
sports." said Boryla.
Joel Axelson, general mana-
ger of the Cincinnati Royals of
the National Basketball Associa-
tion, said, 'The Cincinnati Roy-
als salaries have* already been
set for moat of our veterans and
for draft choices who make the
team. We are awaiting guide-
lines from Commissioner Wal-
ter Kennedy on how it affects us
otherwise. Any move which gives
he family unit more dollars bene-
fits us because recreation money
becomes available for ball
game admissions."
Ans Dilley, publicity director
of the Carolina Cougars of the
ABA, said it appears the presi-
dent's action would affect all
pro athleties. "It looks lIke there
will be a moratorium on con-
tracts," he commented.
Ira Gack, business manager of
the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA,
differed with Dilley. He said he
didn't see how the president's
move could affect pro sports
contracts. "I don't see how you
can do that on a contractual
agreement," said Gack.
Don DeJardin, general man-
ager of the Philadelphia 76ers
of the NBA, said, "We have our
legal people and our financial
advisors checking out what our
position should be with respect
to our unsigned players." The
76ers have four unsigned play-
"I don't know how it will af-
fect athletes," said Frank Blaus-
child, assistant general manager
of the New York Knickbockers
of the NBA. "The only unsigned
player of any consequence that
we have is Bill Bradley."
Bill Wirtz, president of the
Chicago Black Hawks of the Na-
tional Hockey League, said,
"There have to be special con-
siderations for sports. Stan Miki-
ta and Bobby Hull signed under
two - year contracts. But we
have players who have com-.
pleted their contracts and there
has to be some way to compen-
sate the increase of their abil-
ity."
Speaking as a member of the
NHL's Board of Governors,
Wirtz added, "We've always had
friendly owner - player rela-
tions. There have been no
strikes and in only eight cases
last year was an arbitrator
needed to reach a contract agree-
ment."
Keith Allen, general manager
of the Philadelphia Flyers of the
NHL, remarked, "I don't think
it would affect us. We discussed
this briefly this morning. We are
not sure at this point I m sure
PAN-AM TEAM:
Rnpp'rips
LEXINGTON, Ky. (R)1 - The
world's winningest basketball
coach says the United States
should "do some serious think-
ing" about its international bas-
ketball program before the next
Pan American Games,
Kentucky Coach Adolph Rupp
said yesterday there were sev-
eral factors that made the U.S.
showing in the recent Pan Am
Games distinctly poorer than
those of past years,
He first cited the Russian in-
terest in basketball, noting that
Fidel Castro has announced
Russian coaching was a prime
factor in his country's victories
in basketball competition.
In addition, Rupp cited poor
preparation by American teams,
the diversion of basketball stars
to professional teams and per-
haps too much U.S. competition
in foreign tournaments as causes.
"The Russians sat in on the
International Rules Committee
meeting in 1948 and helped
write the rules, although they
didn't participate in the Olym-
pics that year," Rupp said.
"Since then, they have gath-
ered all information obtainable
-both written and on tape-
and have studied it and made it
a profession," he added.
This move by the Soviets,
Rupp continued, has changed
the trend that once saw the
United States dominate basket-
that in sports, especially with
negotiations going on now, I don't
think it would apply. I am go-
ing ahead on that assumption."
Joe Crozier, general manager
of the Cincinnati Swords who
will be making their debut in
the American Hockey League
this season, said, "We haven't.
signed anybody yet so how can
it affect us? You can't freeze
wages that haven't been set.
Besides, we're all Canadians. It
won't affect us anyway."
cage plan
ball in all international com-
petition.
"Then, too, this is the only
country of the world that
doesn't use the international
rules the year around. Naturally
we are handicapped by this,"
Rupp said:
"It's impossible to get a team
ready to adapt to international
rules in two or three weeks. We
found that out in the interna-
tional tournament in 11'66, he
said.
And, while the Pan Am
Games were going on in South
America, Rupp said, some Amer-
ican basketball players were
taking part in tournaments in
other parts of the world.
"No team in the Pan Ameri-
can Games except America was
so divided," he noted.
American amateur teams also
are hampered, Rupp said, be-
cause this is the only nation in
the world with professional bas-
ketball - and recent bonuses
have made signing pro contracts
even more enticing than in the
past.
"As soon as a boy graduates
from college he is signed," Rupp
said, "and we might note that
the best ones are signed first."
"This means the younger boys
must represents us in the
Olympics- and such competitiongs
as the Pan Am Games - not the
older, more experienced veterans
like we had when the AAU had
such strong teams," he said.
-
TO WHAT
Great Institution
DO THESE CLEAN-CUT
AMERICANS BELONG?
'
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Brownies anyone? PETER SELLERS turns on!
I LOVE YOU,
ALICE B. TOKLAS
with Leigh Taylor-Young and Jo Van Fleet
This film is not about Alice B. Toklas, but it is about a mild-man-
nered lawyer who walks out on his fiancee in the middle of the
wedding ceremony after eating some brownies made from a recipe in
Alice B. Toklas's ckbook and containing a certain magic ingredient
typical of those recipes fed tohim by his hippie brother's girlfriend
who agrees to move in with him alone with some forty other hippies.
Alice B. Toklas was a friend of Gertrude Stein, but that has nothing
to do with this film.
This was the first film written by Paul Mazursky and Larry Tucker
who went on to write and direct BOB AND- CAROL ANY) TED AND
ALICE.
"Hy Averback's excellent directiso n makes the most of an outstand-
ing cast, cavorting in ditciplined hilarity among hippie flash-pots
and Establishment crack-pots. . . . Sellers has not come off so well
since DOCTOR STRANGELOVE and earlier . . Jo Van Fleet is sim-
ply brilliant as Seller's mother . . ".'-Variety
in color. EXTRA ADDED ATTRACTION: Road-runner cartoon
TONIGHT-August 17-ONLY!
auditorium a still only 75c
angell hall .00 & 9:30 P.M.children 35c
presented by the ann arbor film cooperative
We'll be back in the fall showing films in Auditorium A Tuesday
and Thursday evenings, beginning September 9th with THE BOYS
IN THE BAND, Watch for our complete fall schedule.
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