Page Sixteen
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
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Page hiteen ErE MICHIAN DAIL
'Lz7, 19'
By The Associated Pree
Norton eyes Young bout
NEW YORK - Ken Norton, the No. 1 heavyweight contend
has signed with Top Rank, Inc., to fight No. 2 Jimmy Youlg
spokesman for Bob Biron, Norton's manager, said yesterday,
However, Young has not signed for such a fight, although I
said before Muhammad Ali defended the title against Alfred
Evangelista May 16 that he was ready to meet Norton.
Ali has suggested that Norton and Young fight, with the Wi
ner meeting him.
Young lost a disputed decision to Ali in a title fight in It
and in his last fight outpomted George Foreman over 12 rounds.
Cowboys corral Dorsett
DALLAS - Tony Dorsett, the explosive University of Pit,
burgh All-America runnig back, became the first million-dotia
player for the Dallas Covboys of the National Football Leagp
yesterday.
"I am happy it is aser," Dorsett said as he signed the cs
tract in the Pittsburgh office of his attorney, Harvey Eger. Age
Mike Trope and Dallas Cowboy vice president Gil Brandt watche
Neither the Cowboys nor Dorsett would discuss terms of ti
contract. But Trope said Dorsett "got what I consider a fair ma
ket value. Tony got an excellent contract and the Cowboys got
excellent player."
Hockey merger on tap?
MONTREAL - The National Hockey League acknowledg
Thursday that a league fact-finding committee on merger met j
New York with World Hockey Association representatives Wedne
day.
An NHL spokesman said the committee's purpose is one
continuing investigations in order to report its finding to a mee
ing of the NHL board of governors here during the week of June
"At this point, the committee has not finalized any report
se concluded.
Meanwhile, reports in New York say Snider and several oth
NHL owners are upset that some of their WHA counterparts ha
been leaking premature reports of the merger to the press.
Down your throat, Maurice
Sixer Julius Erving perfects his patent on the slam dunk at the expense of helpless Blazer Maur-
ice Lucas in last night's NBA action. The Philadelphia club won their second straight game in
the championship series with Portland, 107-89. Game 3 is slated for Portland Sunday afternoon.
Doug Collins scored 27 points and Dr. J. chipped in with 20. The Blazers fell behind in the early
going, thanks to a cold shooting second quarter, and trailed by 18 at the half. Late ii the
fourth quarter, a free-for-all erupted under the Sixer's basket which emptied both benches and
involved dozens of fans on court.
FACE ACE SOONER HURLER TODAY:
Blue nine hit tourney trail
By DON MacLACHLAN
"It's a thrilling experience to
participate in the NCAA tourna-
ment - especially three times
in a row," said Michigan base-
ball coach Moby Benedict.
And for the third year in a
row the Wolverines will be
searching for a berth in the Col-
lege World Series. Today at
S p.m. Ann Arbor time, Michi-
gan faces the Oklahoma Soon-
ers, who sport a 36-9 season
slate; in the second game of the
Midwest Regional in Norman,
Oklahoma.
Texas A&M (37-14) battles
Southern Illinois (35-10) in the
first game of the double elimi-
nation regional.
A loss this afternoon would
put the Wolverines on the
brink of elimination - and
Oklahoma is no pushover. For
the last five consecutive
years the Sooners have made
It to the World Series, and
this year they won the Big
Eight Conference Title.
"Hey, I don't even know
where Norman, Oklahoma is,"
Benedict said. "But I know
Oklahoma is a traditional pow-
er in baseball. hey always
have tough teams."
In this aternoons' clash
freshman Steve Hove will pitch
for the Wolverines. The hurler
from Clarkston has a 9-2 record
along with a fine 1.64 ERA.
However, Oklahoma will
counter with Mark Nipp, whose
figures are even more impres-
sive than Howe's. The Sooner
ace has recorded 11 victories
against justmonedefeat. His
ERA is a meager 0.68 - the
lowest in the nation.
Benedict knows that the
Wolverines have a rugged
Air Time
The Michigan - Oklahoma
baseball game will be broad-
cast locally by radio station
WUOM, 91.7 FM at 5 p.m.
EDT.'
road in front of them, but he
is not ready to end their sea-
son just yet.
"There's no doubt that we'll
be facing some fine- teams,"
noted Benedict. "But we're not
awed by them at all.
"Although the kids on this
team may not have all the tal-
ent in the world, they know how
to play baseball and they can
pick each other up," the Mich-
igan mentor said.
Michigan may have problems
with the depth of its pitching
staff as the Wolverines pro-
gress in the tourney. Facing as
many as four games in four
days, the Wolverines will not be
able to rely solely on Howe.
After Howe, Benedict will
probably go to junior south-
paw Craig McGinnis, who was
the losing pitcher in last Sat-
urday's 6-5 loss to Michigan
State despite pitching well for
six innings. McGinnis' 6-2 re-
cord and 2.69 ERA represent
the second best marks on the
staff.
Two righthanders, Bill Sten-
nett (5-4, 3.63) and Steve Perry
(5-2, 3.07) will also be avail-
able for starting assignments.
Excellent defense may be
Michigan's strongest suit in
post - season play. The Wolver-
ines have committed just 44 er-
rors in as many games, one of
only two teams nationally to
average no more than one mis-
cue per contest. The team field-
ing percentage of .970 also
ranks them in the top five in Minnesota's, Jeff Neutzling
the country. for the Big Ten RBI title with
17. Blue centerfielder Rick
Michigan hats will have to be Leach finished third with 16.
booming this weekend for the Leach did take conference
Wolverines to survive in the honors by slashing nine dou-
rugged regional with three con- bles during the season to tie
ference champions. Scott An- a Big Ten record.
derson finished the regular sea-
son with a team - leading bat- Earlier this week, third base-
ting average of .319, followed man Dave Chapman, Leach
by Greg Lane at .303. and Lane were named to the
Lane finished in a tie with first team All Big Ten squad.
Chapman, a junior from Gros
Pointe, finished the regula
season with a .262 averal
while blasting two homers at
driving in 17 runs. He also hr
a .929 fielding percentage i
the hot corner.
Howe was selected to the se
and team, while Catcher Ti
Mahan and pitcher Craig M
Gidnis grabbed third team ho
ors.
Swann-Atkinson incidents spur
Steelers to file $1 million suit
By The Associated Press
PITTSBURGH -:The Pittsburgh Steelers have
filed a $1-million counterclaim against Oakland
Raider George Atkinson, charging the defensive
back planned to disable Steeler receiver Lynn
Swann during a football game last season.
THE CHARGES will be tried in San Francisco
July 11 along with Atkinson's $2-million slander
suit against the Steelers and Coach Chuck Noll,
who referred to Atkinson as part of the "criminal
element" in football.
The controversy surrounds a Sept. 12 game in
which Swann lost consciousness and suffered a
concussion after an alleged belt by Atkinson in
the back of the head.
It was after that game that Noll made his com-
ments about Atkinson.
THE COUNTERCLAIM is not an unusual legal
procedure but this action seeks to establish that
Atkinson -and other Raiders conspired to disable
Swann and reduce his ability to perform.
". During that game, Atkinson willfully,
intentionally and wantonly and in violation of
National Football League and laws of the state
of California illegally committed a battery upt
Swann resulting in serious head injuries upt
Swann," the suit says.
"Atkinson performed the battery upon S%%a
with the deliberate intention of injuringband di
abling him in order to deprive Pittsbog
Swann's services.
- "THE ACTS committed by Atkinson were pa:
of a predetermined plan or scheme exrsting b
tween Atkinson and other players of the Osklap
Raiders . . .,' the Steelers claim.
The counterclaim names no other players,
Raider Jack Tatum told reporters here last mo
that the Raiders felt Swann could be intinoidatti
Tatum offered as evidence of this the fact ts
Swann supposedly doesn't catch passes aga
Oakland that he would catch against other teat
OAKLAND HAD made him 'pay the priCt
Tatum said.
The jury trial is expected to last three day'
concludng before training camp begins, and OtI
be held before U.S. Dist. Court Judge Samnue
Conti.