Page Sixteen THE MICHIGAN DAILY PYitlrnw '&A.,.. -%-7 .1 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.