Page 14-Wednesday, June 9, 1982-The Michigan Daily
THREATENS TO MOVE BASKETBALL FRANCHISE
Fans,
SAN DIEGO (AP) - The surprise
and anger of San Diego fans boiled over
yesterday as word that the Clippers,
their fourth professional basketball
team in 11 years, were bound for Los
Angeles.
"It's an incredible offer," owner
Donald Sterling said after reaching a
three-year agreement, with an option
for 20 years, with the Los Angeles
Coliseum Commission.
INCREDIBLE was a word also used
by stunned fans, players and staff per-
sonnel.
Even General Manager Ted Podleski,
denying any knowledge of it until Mon-
day's announcement in Los Angeles,
had just finished moving his family
from Los Angeles and was visibly
shaken.
As fans grumped, local newspapers
reprinted Sterling's pledge less than a
year ago that, 'I'm here to stay in San
Diego. I'll never leave."
A "VERY ADEPT liar" is how the
San Diego Union labeled him. Clippers
guard Brian Taylor commented that he
"always thought the franchise had a
future here."
Forward Michael Brooks said: "I'm
sorry."
Coach Paul Silas said: "I hate to
move."
OWNER PETER Graham of the San
Diego Sports Arena said he would
"guarantee" a lawsuit against the Los
assail San Diego
Angeles Coliseum Commission for in-
ducing his client to leave with three
years and a reported buy-out cost of
$375,000 left on a lease.
Graham vowed in a telephone inter-
view from his home in Canada: "If I
can work it, they won't leave town at
all."
The new agreement, which Sterling
has until August 2 to sign, calls
for the Clippers to play in the Los
Angeles Sports Arena starting in 1982-
83. Approval is needed first from 18 of
the other 22 teams in the NBA. Those
owners meet June 22-23 in the San
Diego suburb of Coronado.
STERLING probably would be
required to indemnify Los Angeles
Lakers owner Jerry Buss, who was
quoted as suggesting that $5 million
would be the price for sharing his NBA
territory. There was nothing definite
on indemnity.
In addition to the possible 20-year
lease, the Los Angeles Sports Arena
will charge rental of $4,000 per game for
the first three years and a 50 percent
share of concessions. Ticket prices are
expected to be lower than those
charged by the Lakers, located about 10
miles away in Inglewood.
"We didn't average 5,000 people in
San Diego this year," Sterling said. "I
don't think 2,000 people paid to see any
of our games. Most of them got in
free."
The multimillionaire attorney and
property owner from Beverly Hils ad-
ded: "The Los Angeles offer assures us
of 5,000 season ticket holders next year
with radio, TV and cable rights. Our
receipts in San Diego were the lowest in
the league."
"LOOK, YOU have 2,000 people who
pay an average of $7 a ticket and
multiply that by 40 home dates. What
do you get? Do you know how much
Brian Taylor makes? $300,000 a year . .
.And I have major money coming up
from with a high-draft choice ... first-
class flying ... hotels ... offices. I
don't make the rules," added Sterling.
'I lost several million dollars last
year, but did I ever say anything about
it?"
owner
Sterling "grandly promised filet
mignon and delivered baloney," wrote
sports editor Barry Lorge of the San
Diego Union.
SAN DIEGO'S first pro basketball
team, the Rockets, was moved to
Houston in 1971 after four seasons. the
Conquistadors of the American Basket-
ball Association left in 1972-75. The
Sails of the ABA folded after 11 games
in 1975.
In 1978, the NBA's Buffalo franchise
moved to San Diego and was renamed
the Clippers.
Jim Hardy, general manager of the
Coliseum and Sports Arena, estimated
the addition of the Clippers would mean
$500,000 in profits for the Los Angeles
Sports Arena in the first three years.
NFL talks resume
but going is 'tough'
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WASHINGTON (AP)- Represen-
tatives of the National Football League
Players Association and the league's
owners met yesterday behind closed
doors for contract negotiations.
The NFL Management Council, the
owners' bargaining agent, was
scheduled to give its response to the
players' demand for a fixed percentage
of gross revenues.
JACK DONLAN, executive director
of the council, was on record opposing
the proposal.
The union's demand, presented in
detail Monday, calls for creation of a
players' compensation fund to be
drawn from anticipated revenues.
Distribution of the fund would include
70 percent to base wages, 15.2 percent
for incentive bonuses and 4.5 percent
for playoff appearances. The
remaining 10.3 percent would cover
severance pay and the cost of ad-
ministrating the fund. Under the union
proposal, management would select a
trustee to oversee the multimillion
dollar fund.
WHILE UNION officials expressed
optimism following.Monday's session,
they werenot as upbeat yesterday.
"Forget yesterday (Monday). If we
went one step ahead yesterday, we are
going two back today (yesterday),"
said NFLPA spokesman Frank
Woschitz.
"The going is tough in there," said
council spokesman Jim Miller.
Heading the union's negotiating team
were NFLPA executive director Ed
Garvey and union president Gene Up-
shaw.
Others sitting in on the talks for the
union were Mark Murphy, Monte
Coleman, Dexter Manley, Dallas
Hickman and Rich Milot, all of the
Washington Redskins, and Stan White
of the Detroit Lions and Tom Condon of
the Kansas City Chiefs.
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Connors enters tourney
to tune up for Wimbledon
LONDON (AP) - Jimmy Connors is
changing his tactics this year as he gets
the feel of grass courts and tunes up for
Wimbledon.
For the first time in five years, the
American left-hander is playing tour-
nament tennis instead of practicing in
private. Connors defeated Joao Lopez-
Maeso of Spain 6-2, 6-2 in the first round
of the $172,000 Stella Artois tournament
at London's Queen's Club yesterday.
"FOR THE last few years I have
practiced in the two weeks before Wim-
bledon," Connors said. "But it's not
like match competition. I decided that
if I could play a few matches on grass it
might help me out.
"Perhaps it's not so good to go into
Wimbledon without any matches on
grass."
Connors won Wimbledon in 1974 but in
recent years has foundered against
Bjorn Borg. This year, Borg is not en-
tered, and Connors will be rated the top
challenger to John McEnroe, reigning
champion and No. 1 favorite.
McENROE REACHED the second
round at Queen's Club with a 6-4, 6-2
victory over Andy Andrews, a big ser-
ver ewho had his moments with three
aces in one game.
McEnroe always plays the Queen's
Club tournament and has won it for the
last three years.
"I believe in getting plenty of mat-
ches in on grass before Wimbledon,"
McEnroe said.
"THE IDEA is to win, because the
more often you win the more matches
you play."
McEnroe missed the French Open on
clay because of an ankle injury but
played in a grass court event at Man-
chester last week and won it.
"The ankle held up well," McEnroe
said after his win over Andrews. "But
I'm still not really comfortable and I
don't think I moved well today. The
ankle needs to be really strong to stand
up to long matches on grass."
McEnroe and Connors are seeded to
meet in the final next Sunday.
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Look outAPPho
HEAVYWEIGHT (IAMPION Larry Holmes shadow boxes during his
workout in Las Veges as he prepares for his fight with Gerry Cooney on
Friday.
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