The Cincinnati Enquirer from Cincinnati, Ohio • Page 13

You wouldn't guess It from this difficult situation, but Hale Irwin managed a 63 at the Hall of Fame clas-. sic Friday and still leads by only one stroke over Tom Kite. Page B-4. section Saturday, August 26, 1978 THE GNCINNATI ENQUIRER TLJ i Football NCAA Investigating UC Basketball, The NCAA is very specific about violations. The loan or gift of materials not available to members of the student body in general can be a violation.

"I don't know how serious these things are," athletic director Bill Je-nike said. "The NCAA wants us to find out if they are indicative of a pattern." Hawkins said none of the alleged violations involved significant sums firm or deny that inducements had been extended. Skinner, who is serving as chairman of a committee performing the investigation, said: "I wouldn't tell you what conclusions we've reached," he said, "but we haven't had time to reach any yet." He said he thought UC would respond to the questions in October or November and hoped the matter could be resolved by the end of the year. "We want to do it thoroughly," he said. "But we also would like to get it over with." UC officials will make a written report of their findings and then appear in person before the NCAA's committee on infractions.

That committee will determine if its findings merit a penalty. If a penalty is assessed, UC could appeal to the NCAA council. JENIKE, HOWEVER, thinks UC has already been penalized by the protracted nature of the investigation. "The process is very slow be BY TIM SULLIVAN Enquirer Sports Reporter University of Cincinnati basketball and football programs are the sub- Ject of an official inquiry of the National Collegiate Athletic Associa-tion regarding possible rules viola- tlons, The Enquirer has learned. The official inquiry, which was outlined in a letter sent to University president Henry Winkler on June 13, raises 40 specific points which.

UC officials are in the process of investigating. It follows a preliminary inquiry which UC received almost 21 months ago. "The NCAA has raised some questions regarding inducements," UC's senior vice president for administration! Lawrence Hawkins, said. "There's nothing in here that's a crime of any kind. It's Just a matter of ethics.

"We have no reason to believe that any of these things are true or not true. But I see nothing in here that I would consider to be flagrant. I do see some things in here that if they are happening we need to put a Four Local Umps Live The Dream In Reds' Loss of money or automobiles, tie saia an unauthorized dinner was "typical" of the allegations. "SINGLING OUT UC for stuff like that is really unfair," booster Ray Sovilia said. Sovilla, part-owner of Incahoots restaurant, has been active in assisting the UC basketball program for several years.

"I don't know why the NCAA would make an example of UC," he said. "After all, we don't have anybody rich enough to give anybody a racehorse." Neither Hawkins, athletic director Bill Jenike nor faculty representative Gordon Skinner would con Treitel makes the ruling as Johnny Bench umpires struck Friday afternoon. Dumbbell Was Beginning ForMeister There Is a feminist In town who complains to this newspaper at every Instance of chauvinism however Innocent-in stories, headlines, pictures, captions, advertisements and comics. She Is an annoying old broad. Lately, she appears to have been making a special project of sports.

This started two months ago when the lady golfers were here and someone quite rightly posed a purely technical question as to how far back Jan Stephenson must stand in order to see the ball. But what really has enraged Bella Abzug are these faddish reports of cheesecake auditions for Embracable Ewes, Honey Bees and Ben-Gals. Admittedly, there seem to have been more scouting reports on female cheerleaders this summer than on the male teams they are supposed to be inspiring. So, in the Interest of fairness, this is a serious update on women In perspiration suits, feminists in physical fitness, as they move even Into the area of barnstorming. IN THE parking lot of a hamburger stand here today, a 105-pound woman weightllfter from Canton, Ohio, Is accepting $1 challenges to prove she Is "pound for pound the strongest woman in the world." Her name Is Pam Melster.

She describes herself as a cheerleader who wandered into a gym one day and picked up a dumbbell, the first ever to do this literally, although many have done it figuratively. "I'm only trying to get women to realize they can feel so much better," she contended Friday, saying that the dollars go to the Cincinnati Zoo, and that the hamburger stand, the Burger Chef at Coleraln and 1-275, pays her nothing. While a Burger Chef public relations man stood by fidgeting. Miss Melster was asked first of all how she reconciled her positions as a health store employe In Canton and a hamburger advertisement in Cincinnati. When she buys a hamburger, Miss Melster tried to put it diplomatically, she doesnt eat the whole thing.

The PR man might have hoped she would stop there, or at throwing out the white bread, but she kept going until, as he dropped his head In his lap, she at last allowed cheerfully: i "1 pick off the sesame seeds and eat those." i IF PAM doesnt appear to be a particularly good representative for hamburgers, she seems to be a marvelous one for female weightlifters, female athletes period. Despite deadltftlng 320 pounds, squatting 260 pounds and bench-pressing lis pounds, she not only isn't beastly, she's petite. "I'm not in it at all to look any diff erent," she said. "I've just changed a lot of fat into muscle." A few other things have changed, but not too many. "My friends from before, basically, think I'm crazy," she admitted.

And her father, a fireman, is getting over the immediate fathers' reaction. In the most evident way, women are better designed than men for sports. But traditionally this Is a hard sell to fathers. "Even more than boyfriends, my father was my biggest problem. The old you're-going-to-rip-something, you're-goingto-klll-yourself you're-never-golngto-have-klds." Explaining herself to boyfriends hasnt been a problem, as most of them are weightlifters.

"I've been accepted in the weight world," she said. "They havent seemed to mind me moving in on their sport." SHE MANS the U4-pound class on a team with only one other woman, a 123-pounder, who can't lift half as much as Pam. "I'm not saying I'm all that great. I'm not trying to beat people. I'm challenging people, especially women, to test their strength.

I'm disappointed in a lot of women's attitudes. Women put themselves down a lot more than men do. "A lot of women come up to me at these things who want to get into this, or something else, and are afraid. I'm not here to prove anything but that it's fun to try." That's pretty strong. 1978, Combined News Service stop to.

But I could see how they could be caused by well-intentioned people." HAWKINS REFUSED to disclose specific allegations'. or mention names of. involved parties, but he did say most of the questions concerned the UC basketball program and all of the NCAA's questions were based on events' which occurred and 1977. Hawkins said current UC basketball coach Ed j. Badger and football coach Ralph Staub were not implicated.

"The kind of inducements we're talking about Is not somebody say- 'If you come to UC we'll pay you $150 a It's more like someone taking someone to dinner or giving someone a couple of T-shirts," Hawkins said. "Some of these are pretty absurd and very difficult to police. The kind of things we're talking about would not be-a source of embarrassment or ridicule." But, Skinner cautioned, "Any one, if true, is-a violation of their HE'S OUT: Amateur umpire Les Lum's throw prevent a run. Regular Red-Killer Reuschel Chicago Gross cf RScott 3b Clines Bucknr lb Murcer rf Ktngmn If Sutler TriHo 2b DeJesus ss Biackwel RReschl KeUehr 3b Cincinnati abrhbl 5 0 2 1 4 0 10 10 0 0 5 0 2 0 abrhbl 4 0 0 0 3 110 4 0 10 3 111 3 0 0 0 4 0 11 4 0 0 0 3 0 10 1000 .10 0 0 0 0 0 0 .10 00 0 0 00 i oio 32 2 5 1 Rose 3b Morgan 2b Griffey rf Foster If 4 0 0 0 Driessn lb 3 2 10 0 0 0 0 Bench Cncpcn ss 4 2 2 0 ,3120 3 0 2 1 2 0 13 10 0 0 Lum cf LaCoss DaClns ph Borbon KHndrs ph Hume Gernm ph Total Total 35 5135 Chicago 0 2 0 2 0 1 0 0 0- 5 Cincinnati 00 100 0 10-2 DP Cincinnati 2. LOB-Chicago 7,, On-cinnati 7.

2, Buckner, Lum. DeJesus. SF RReuscheL IP ER BB SO Chicago RRscW W.13-11 7 Sutter 2 Cincinnati LaCoss U34 Borbon 2 Hume 2 A-3W170. the Cubs' Ivan DeJesus had some words with him. And what did he say? "Do you understand Spanish?" asked Treitel.

And there was Rose, who did not like the call on a second strike and then swung at a bad pitch for strike three, violently flinging his bat and helmet. "Did he throw his bat at me?" asked TreiteL The situation served one important purpose. It took away the spot-llght from the lneptness of the Reds. The men in blue may have been, the amateurs but Reuschel made the men in red look the part again. He is 4-0 against them this year, has eight straight career victories.

He has allowed only two runs In 31 Innings against Cincinnati By beating them this time he dropped them 4V4 behind LA. They have been no further The "tragic number" for elimination is 30,. if the Dodgers won their late game. If not it Is 31, which means any combination of Red losses and Dodger victories totaling that number is adios, sayonara or But the story wasnt Reuschel or the collapse and fall of the Reds. It was the umpires.

"Who wants the rights to my book?" asked Treitel. Reds prepared, strikers ordered back to work, Page B- cause the NCAA's investigative staff is very small and they have a large caseload." In the meantime, the albatross, of the original investigation has been a running sore for his pro-v gram, he thinks, and other schools have used it against UC for recruito-ing purposes. The investigation was also one of the reasons Dave Bliss turned down, the UC basketball coaching job in April, according to a source close to the Oklahoma coach. It is hard to determine the effect; the investigation and possible penalties could have on the program, but all concerned are eager to have the matter resolved. "We're working very hard to build this athletic program," Hawkins said.

"And we're always en someone's back trying to polMe iC We hope someone out there tlsnV making allegations for the hell of it." i winning and believing In them-' selves," veteran place-kicker Ches-" ter Marcol crowed among the post-game hoopla, "there's no telling how good this team can be." Marcpl cited the 1972 "We also had a young team," he. recalled. "I remember a lot of guys were petrified Just before we went out to play our final pre-season game against Kansas City in Mllr. waukee, because the Chiefs were supposed to win It all that year. But-we shut them out, 20-0.

You can sort, of feel that same kind of thing building on this team." Nobody told Tiger Johnson this preseason would be easy. i BENGAL NOTES-Watch JSO. 80 in Packer green and gold. He's James Lofton, a first-round rookie wide reclever from Stanford who has caught seven pre-season passes for a 19.4-vard averaee. "He's going ted.

"We've talked about him a great; deal tnis week." incidentally, Lofton sprints 40 yards in 4.4 seconds and Is a world class long Jumper (over 26. feet) who won the NCAA last year Packer fortunes rest with sec6nd-, year quarterback David Whitehurt, a high percentage passer who has not been intercepted in his lasi attempts (dating back to 12th game of 1977) Veteran QB Lynn Dickey has been placed on cally unable to perform'" irst with' complications from a broken leg suffered in ninth game last Dickey underwent surgery- at that time and had a steel plate Inserted' In his leg. He complained of pain and the steel plate had to be. removed last month Green, Bay defense reminds Johnson of Detroit and Chicago "very sound, a lol; of zone coverage" Pack's defensive line features three former first-' round draft picks: Mike Butler, who starts at left end; former New. York" Jet Carl Barzilauskas, who starts at right tackle, and Ezra Johnson, who is pushing Robert Barber, at right end No.

2 draft choice Mike Hunt has beaten veteran Jim Carter out of middle linebacker job Packer running game eclipsed 100 yards last week (133 yards) for first time' this pre-season Bengal defense' has allowed only 114.6 yards rushing' per game. i i i i Enquirer photo BY DICK SWAIM puts tag on Cubs' Tim Blackwell in fourth-inning play which saw Mike Tiger's Wish Upon Green Bay Star: Escape Without Bengal Injuries i BY BOB HERTZEL Enquirer Sports Reporter They lived the dream. They bounced across the South In dirty Greyhound buses and in cars covered with so much dust you could grow moss In It. They lived' the dream. But they failed.

They wanted to umpire in the big leagues but they wound up in the Queen City Umpires Associa-. tion. Take Les Treitel for example. His hair is red, his eyes go off at a slant. He had the dream and it came crashing down around him.

He figured he was through, washed up: His last umpiring as- signment was Softball game at $9 a game. "To be honest with you, I've worked one baseball game in the last month," he said. "I WAS supposed to be at work tonight at 10 o'clock. Hope I'm not fired. Don't put in the paper where I was," he said, his eyes still twin-, kling.

Where he was was behind the plate In Riverfront Stadium, living his dream, working a major league baseball game that ended up with the Chicago Cubs defeating the Cln- cinnatl Reds, 5-2, behind Rick Reuschel. Les Treitel had the plate. At first base was Mick Sharkey, who works full time for the Queen City Umpires Association. At second base was Cliff Schaller, who runs service for Williamson Heating and Air Condition. At third was Jerry Flck, credit manager at Standard Textile.

Flck had the nerve to go out on the field of all things wearing glasses. "Better than not wearing them," he said. But it was Treitel who was on the spot. He was the man behind the plate, the man making a call on every pitch. He was the man who had lived to umpire in the big leagues, who had beat the bushes for five years professionally and he was the one who had been rejected.

The memory still haunts him. It was '73 and the late Wallace McKenna was president of the Carolina League. He demanded the speedup rule be enforced; that a player had to get into the box when ordered by the umpire. TREITEL ORDERED a player1 Into the box. He responded by tell- lng Treitel to perform an unnatural act.

He was nj Manager Dick Phillips, who was in the Twins system, came out One thing led to another. There was some shoving and a hearing and McKenna did not like the way Trei- -tel had handled the situation. "You'll be lucky to come back to this league next year," McKenna "He was right," Treitel recalled. He was released, out of "It hurt, sure. Umpiring was something I loved very much." So he came home to live the life he now lives, tossing those molds Then, at 4 p.m.

Friday, he got the word he was umpiring at Riverfront Stadium, that the major league um- pires were on strike, "I was sleeping," he admitted. So he and his crew came to the park and they dressed in a room in the.rightfield corner of the stadium and then they walked onto the field with 39,070 people in the stands. about 39,050 more than Treitel had at the last game he worked. There was the meeting at the-plate and Pete Rose tried to put him at ease. But he was nervous.

He was worried about his consistency. IN THE first Inning Reuschel threw his first pitch to Rose and lm- mediately Rose called for the ball. "It was filthy," Rose was to relate I after the game. Maybe so but Treitel left it In play. "Where I umpire we use one ball nine innings," he said.

'-i Probably wrap It In tape, ball was so dirty Reuschel 1 laughed when he got It back," said 'Rose. At first Treitel was hesitant in his calls. But he grew relaxed. "With those catchers It was like looking through a picture window," he said. "At this level It's so much easier.

It's not easy but the pitchers are so much more consistent." Still there were some glares and BY RAY BUCK Enquirer Sports Reporter MILWAUKEE Tiger Johnson thought for a moment about this football exhibition tonight (9 p.m., Channel 5) between his Cincinnati Bengals and Bart Starr's Green Bay on-their-way-back Packers. The Bengal head coach isn't asking for rockets red glare. "I would like to punt Chris Bahr once, maybe twice, and have a look at a couple of guys on specialty teams," the head coach hoped for modestly. "Other than that, 1 would just like this thing to function smoothly and have a good feeling going into the (regular) season." That's not much for a man to ask, is it? But then this is August 26, and Tiger Johnson is saving his heavy requests until we get closer to Christmas. HOWEVER, THERE is one more request he does have for tonight's final preseason tuneup: a reprieve from further injury.

"I'm concerned with getting through this exhibition season and being able to go against Kansas City (regular season opener September 3) with our full complement of people," Johnson wished upon a star. "You would think with only four ex- hibltlon games (down from six of past seasons), you wouldn't suffer," he reasoned. "But here we are scratching around." Yes, the 1978 pre-season has included two operations (Bo Harris and Ross Browner) which will keep both players sidelined when the regular season begins next Sunday, plus a string of incapacitating juries featuring key players, such as Isaac Curtis, Billy Brooks, Glenn Bujnoch and Reggie Williams. Perhaps the most concerning has been perennial, all-pro wide receiver Isaac Curtis, who has yet to experience a single competitive play since Cincinnati vs. Cleveland last.

November 6. That's when Curtis broke down' with a inee that required surgery six weeks later. o.r. So he came to training camp with the idea to take It slowly. He sat out the first two pre-season skirmishes (vs.

Tampa Bay and Detroit) on his own accord. THEN HE pulled a groin muscle on August 15 and missed the Chicago Bears last weekend. Curtis remains questionable for tonight's game, although he wants to play and Johnspn wants him to play as long as the sixth-year veter-, an doesn't risk regression. "He needs to play," Johnson understated. "We think he's okay," Bengals' assistant general manager Mike Brown said.

"But that isnt proven." Brooks, who caught a team-high 39 passes for 772 yards in Curtis' absence last season, has missed most of the pre-season with a slightly separated shoulder. He returned last week against Chicago and caught one ball. Bujnoch, the starting left has had a double dose of bad luck. He suffered a bruised shoulder against Tampa Bay and had to leave the game, then sat out the week against Detroit, returned, and sprained his ankle against Chicago. He is very doubtful for tonight's game.

Reggie Williams Is recuperating from a bruised thigh that sidelined him last week and will again tonight. However, he should be ready for the Kansas City opener. SO YOU begin to see why Tiger Johnson is willing to spend one of his wishes on having an injury-free night in the beer capital of the' world. This is a meaningless exhibition, the last of the no-counts, and the Bengals are Just trying to keep their tuxedo clean, before the prom begins. Meanwhile, Green Bay is a young team bent on substantiating all those "The Pack Is Back" bumper stickers it distributed several years ago.

It's a young team much like the Bengals but one that goes more bananas over exhibition victories. The Packers won their first game of the pre-season last Saturday night by beating the St. Louis Cardinals, 23-17. "Once we get these young kids U1C3X Sports Editor JIM MONTGOMERY Tel 721-2700, Ext. 240 (After 4 p.mj Scores 721-0600, 721-0616 (24 hours? AMUSEMENTS B-1M2 BIG LEAGUE BASEBALL B-2 FINANCIAL NEWS 7-10 HORSE RACING B-5 PAUL BERGEN B-4 PRO GOLF B-4 SPORTS BRIEFS B-4" UC FOOTBALL B-3.