The Michigan Daily--Thursday, May 28, 1981--Page 15 SPORTS OF THE DAILY Erving earns MVP honor DANVERS, Mass. (AP) - Julius Er- ving of the Philadelphia 76ers beat Boston Celtics star Larry Bird for the National Basketball Association's Most Valuable Player award in voting an- nounced yesterday. Guard Darrell Griffith of Utah edged Kelvin Ransey of Portland, another guard, 19-18, to win Rookie of the Year honors, and Indiana's Jack McKinney topped Stan Albeck of San Antonio, 27- 25, in the race for Coach of the Year. FORWARD BERNARD King, who battled back from alcoholism and legal problems to average 21.9 points per game for Golden State, was a runaway winner of the first Comeback Player of the Year award. He received 51 votes to six for David Thompson of Denver. Jerry Colangelo, general manager of the Phoenix Suns, was selected by his fellow GMs as the NBA's Executive of the Year. He is the first two-time win- ner of the award, having also received it in 1976. The announcements came at an awards luncheon on the opening day of the league's annual summer meetings. ERVING, WHO had a brilliant career in the American Basketball Association before joining Philadelphia five years ago, is the first player to win MVP honors in both leagues. He led the 76ers with 24.6 points per game, and averaged 8.0 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 2.11 steals per game. Erving received 28 first-place votes and 454 points in the MVP balloting to 20 first-place votes and 423 points for Bird. But it was Bird's Celtics who rallied from a 3-1 deficit to beat Philadelphia in the playoff semifinals and eventually win the league championship. ERVING, 31, became the first non- center since 1964 to win the Maurice Podoloff Trophy as MVP. Griffith led all rookies with 20.6 points per game. Ransey averaged 15.6 points and 6.9 assists per game. Four rookies received significant support for the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy. Trailing Griffith and Ransey were Larry Smith of Golden State, with 14 votes, and Kevin McHale of Boston, 11. N. Y. talks with Brooks NEW YORK (AP) - New York Rangers officials cgntinued to meet with representatives of Herb Brooks yesterday in an effort to settle final details of a contract that would bring the former U.S. Olympic coach to the National Hockey League team. Craig Patrick, who assisted Brooks with the 1980 gold medal-winning Olympic team, doubled as general manager and coach of the Rangers, who reached the Stanley Cup semi- finals this §eason. But Patrick will con- centrate his work in the front office next season and Brooks, who was nearly hired as Ranger coach last November, is expected to succeed him. The Rangers wanted Brooks originally when Fred Shero was dismissed early in the 1980-1981 season. But at the time, the Olympic coach could not get his release from the Davos club in Switzerland, so Patrick took over instead. Eventually, Brooks left the Swiss club and returned to the United States. By then, the Rangers had decided to stay with Patrick for the remainder of the season. Woody recovering COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP)-Former' Ohio State University football coach Woody Hayes was in satisfactory con- dition yesterday at the school's hospital complex after undergoing minor surgery. The 68-year-old Hayes underwent a procedure yesterday morning to drain and treat an infection stemming from an operation performed earlier this month, officialsgat University Hospital said. His gallbladder was removed at the hospital May 9 after gallstones were discovered. Hayes was admitted to the hospital Tuesday. Hayes has been a professor emeritus in theuniversity's department of health, physical education and recreation department since- being fired as coach after the 1979 Gator Bowl. Allison stable CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP)-Stock car driver Donnie Allison remained in un- satisfactory but stable condition yesterday after suffering multiple in- juries in Sunday's World 600 race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Allison, 41, whose brother Bobby won the race, suffered a concussion; frac- tured ribs, a bruised right lung, broken left knee and a broken right shoulder blade. HE WAS INJURED on lap 52 when his Oldsmobile collided with a Buick driven by Dick Brooks. Both drivers were trapped in their cars for several minutes but Brooks escaped with only a dislocated shoulder. A spokesman at Charlotte Memorial Hospital said doctors conducted several tests on Allison, including a brain scan. The tests revealed no further com- plications. The Hueytown, Ala. driver has been in the hospital's intensive care unit sin- ce Sunday. Allison's doctors were unavailable for comment yesterday. ALTHOUGH doctors said Allison's life was never in danger, they feared he might have suffered an injury to his aorta, the main blood vessel lesding from the heart to other parts of the body. However, tests showed no inter- nal bleeding. Bobby Allison said his brother's in- juries were on his mind during the race. Be saw the wreck as the field of .cars circled the field under a caution flag but was told he was alright by his crew. Rozelle testifies LOS ANGELES (AP)-National Football League Commissioner Pete Rozelle testified yesterday he once hoped the Los Angeles Rams would patch up their differences with the Los Angeles Coliseum and abandon plans to move to nearby Anaheim. - ' Rozelle said he believed it was possible that the Coliseum "blew it" in trying to keep the team. ATTORNEY Maxwell Blecher sought to show that the financial benefits to the - Rams from the move were far greater than the benefits to the league as a whole. Rozelle agreed that the only major benefit to the league was increased in- come. JULIUS ERVING OF the Philadelphia 76ers (left) receives the National Basketball Association's MVP trophy from league commissioner Larry O'Brien. "Dr. J" is the first non-center to win the award since 1964, and displays the intensity that made him the game's best this year (inset).