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? ' Subscribe to The Daily Phone 764-0558 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. THE DAILY? You Bet! What other great campus hangout embraces people of all hair lengths, writing inabilities, and- political persuasions? Only the Michigan Daily. If you're interested in being part of mass confusion, just walk in any afternoon or evening in the fall. We'd be glad to have you.