Sports

Page 12

Wednesday, July 15, 1981

The Michigan Daily

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TENNIS PLAYER PETER Rennert,
left, pours his glass of beer on the head
of Wimbledon champion John McEnroe
at a charity benefit at New York's
Xenon disco. Laughing at right is
McEnroe's friend Lisa Taylor. The 22-
year-old New York native is appealing
a $750 fine received during his play in
England.

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McEnroe appeals

JULY 21
imbledon fine

NEW YORK (AP)-John McEnroe,
appealing a $750 fine for actions at
Wimbledon, is expected to present by
July 21 his side of disputes which could
ultimately cost him $14,750 and a 21-day
suspension.
McEnroe won the Wimbledon men's
singles crown July 4 with a four-set vic-
tory over Bjorn Borg and is preparing
to defend his U.S. Open title starting
Sept. 1. He is appealing one of three
minor-offense fines of $750 apiece, and
Wimbledon has also recommended that
McEnroe be charged with two major of-
fenses and fined $12,500 for them.
THE NINE-MEMBER Men's Inter-
national Professional Tennis Council
will rule on the McEnroe appeal and
Wimbledon recommendation. Marshall
Happer, administrator of the New
York-based council, said yesterday
McEnroe "has been invited to present
his side of the story by July 21." A
player has a minimum of seven days to
appeal, once a fine or suspension is
sought.
"By the same token," Happer con-
tinued, "I have asked for information
from the Wimbledon committee and
I'm not exactly sure when we're going
to get it, so I can't say at this time when
this matter is going to be concluded."
The material sought from Wimbledon
includes videotapes of the matches in
question and statements from the
linesmen and umpires involved.
ONCE EACH side presents its case,
the council votes for or against fines,
suspensions or other penalties. If it
votes in favor, the issue automatically
goes before an independent arbitrator.
The council, Happer said, has a list of
about 30 arbitrators around the world,
one of whom would be chosen to hear
the case.
Two minor offenses which McEnroe
is not appealing occurred in his first-
round match against Tom Gullickson,
said Happer. The offense McEnroe is
appealing, Happer said, was for alleged

abuse of a linesman during a doubles
match.
One of the members of the council
which will hear McEnroe's appeal is
former tennis star Jack Kramer, who
said Monday he will vote in favor of a
suspension and that the 22-year-old
McEnroe should have been disqualified
from Wimbledon for his first-round
outbursts.
DURING THE match against
Gullickson, McEnroe called the umpire
"an incompetent fool," the head
referee "an imbecile" and the tour-
nament officiating in general "the ab-
solute pits of the world."
Kramer said he was disappointed
that the umpire "didn't say, 'Game!"
and if Mac said anything else, jusy say,
'You're defaulted!' and walk off the

court, if he acted that bad." Kramer, in
Chicago where he was promoting
National Junior Tennis League mat-
ches, also said he felt a McEnroe
disqualification would have put teeth
into the game's rules, which some
players break repeatedly.
"I would have to-from what I've
seen-go along with our rules,"
Kramer said, explaining why he would
vote to suspend McEnroe. "I would say,
-'John, for gosh sakes, do what we want
you to do. Don't let this happen again.'
AND THE RULES on court manners
would be adhered to "if they get tight
enough and he gets suspended just once
or defaulted in a major tournament,"
Kramer said. "I don't want him out of
the game. He's a vital part of the game.
Anytime he shows up at a tournament,

the tournament is going to be suc-
cessful. We need a healthy, well-
playing, well-acting McEnroe."
McEnroe's younger brother, Patrick,
16, in Birmingham, Ala., for a juniors
tournament, saidJohn's outbursts are
part of his drive for perfection. "John
wants everything to be perfect on the
court," Patrick said. "He wants him-
self to be perfect. That's why he gets so
mad at himself. So he naturally feels
that the linesmen should be per-
fect-and that's never possible."
The younger McEnroe said his
brother's behavior livens up the sport.
"If every tennis player was like Bjorn
Borg and never said a word during a
match, it'd be boring," Patrick said.

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U.S. Secretary of Labor to aid
Mofett in baseball strike talks
WASHINGTON (AP)-Labor Secretary Raymond Moffett said he preferred not to discuss in detail the option
Donovan is intervening in the baseball strike in an effort to of conducting negotiations under the auspices of the Labor
end the 33-day-old walkout, federal mediator Kenneth Mof- Department.
fett said yesterday. But he did say that if the talks are not successful, "in all
After a meeting at the Labor Department, Moffett said likelihood, I believe representatives of both parties will be
Donovan will accompany him to New York for negotiations brought to Washington."
that are scheduled to resume at 2 p.m. EST today between "The secretary Donovan will accompany me to New York
representatives of the baseball players and the club owners. today at my request," said Moffett. "The secretary will open
In a telephone interview, Moffett said, "I think it's of the meeting by making a statement."
enough importance that he join in with me" in efforts to settle But Moffett declined to elaborate on what will happen if the
the strike, which has forced cancellation of 392 games and the new round of bargaining proves futile.
All-Star game, which was scheduled to take place in "That's one jump ahead," he said. "I'd like to wait and
Cleveland last night. see" what happens when the two sides resume talks.
"I've been in touch with both sides" in the stalemated Cox also declined to go into detail on the nature of
negotiations and "I've been talking with the secretary of negotiations that might take place here.
labor," said Moffett, whose compromise free agent compen- "It's the purpose of this office to retain a low profile and to
sation proposal was rejected last weekend by the Player let the collective bargaining process work," he said, adding,
Relations Committee, the bargaining agent of the owners. "that is not to rule out the possibility" of Donovan sum-
Moffett is acting head of the Federal Mediation and Con- moning the two sides here.
ciliation Service, an independent agency. Donovan's par- "The secretary is deeply concerned about the economic
ticipation in yesterday's negotiations will represent the first impact that the strike is having on many American cities,"
direct involvement by the Reagan administration. Cox said.

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