The Palm Beach Post from West Palm Beach, Florida • Page 37

Namath: He Takes It All Off For A Price 'f; "Xv- down to the tips of his ears. "I think that's a little personal. It's none of their business if I have sideburns or a mustache. "Who's to say where long sideburns begin. And I wonder why, all of a sudden, hair became bad.

The most perfect guy in the world had long hair and a beard." But what it took Namath two months to grow came off in about three minutes. Taping of the entire one-minute commercial however, lasted for about three hours. When he finished, two pretty brunettes and a vivacious blonde ran up to Joe and deluged him with affection, television style. "I'm a clean cut American guy," said Joe, "And I can scramble better now. I'm a little lighter." dressed not like the typical male when he shaves in the morning, say in a T-shirt or pajamas, Instead, Joe wore a dark blue turtleneck sweater, a darker blue sport jacket and bright blue slacks with a slight bell-bottom flair.

Once back at Shea Stadium for a workout, Namath made it clear he didn't shave because anyone said he should. Milt Woodard, president of the American Football League, had written to Jet Coach Weeb Ew-bank suggesting the mustaches and beards that Namath and several other Jets had grown didn't do anything for pro football's image. "I didn't like what the league said about it the mustaches and the sideburns," Namath said, his sideburns still reaching NEW YORK (AP) Economics overcame esthetics, and Joe Namath shaved his celebrated Fu Manchu mustache Wednesday. The economics of the thing was simple Joe is a lot wealthier without the mustache than he was with it. "I didn't wanna shave it off I liked it," the New York Jet quarterback said.

"But I went ahead and did a commercial this morning." Namath declined to say how much the shave for television was worth, but The Associated Press learned the fee was in the neighborhood of $10,000. Joe took it off, all off, not in his bathroom in front of a mirror, but in a studio on East 78th Street in front of three cameras. And when he did it, he was i Li $.. a JETS' JOE NAMATH SPORTS NEW CLEAN-SHAVEN LOOK Earned 810,000 For Doing; A Shaving Commercial Ed Pteisied Thc Palm Beach Post Best Fishing Bet A run of bluefish in the Jupiter, Juno Beach and Singer Island areas is a good possibility today due to northerly winds. Kingfish action offshore is another likely prospect.

Good Season For Dolphins 8 a Boooooeeeooooooa Executive Sports Editor Thursday, December 12, 1968 Dl Eustis Hopes To Thwart Carver Title Ambitions By CHUCK OTTERSON Prep Editor DELRAY BEACH History repeats itself up to a point VjvrlW MIAMI In professional sports, a vote of confidence by the management is often the kiss of death for a field manager or coach. When Joseph Robbie, the president and general manager of the Miami Dolphins, announced his support of Coach George Wilson last September, there was speculation that George was on his way out. The Dolphin management had high hopes for their third season in the American Football League. Miami looked impressive in preseason play where it beat two out of three National Football League clubs. But when the Dolphins were clobbered in their first three league games and at home, too people started asking why? This has not been the kind of a season that a pro football owner enjoys.

The Dolphins, until last Sunday, seemed to play their worst football at home. In fact, last Sunday's 38-7 rout of the Boston Patriots was Miami's first win this year in the Orange Bowl. Only a tie with the hapless Buffalo Bills marred their perfect record of home futility. Things really aren't so bad. The Dolphins looked like an AFL contender in their Boston win.

It was their best defensive and offensive effort of the year. And regardless of this Sunday's game with the division champion New York Jets, the Dolphins are assured of their most successful season in both victories and attendance. In 1966 their first year of existence the Dolphins won three games, lost 11 and drew an average of 27,349 fans. In 1967 they were 4-10 and drew 32,171. And this season, with one home date left, they have won five; lost seven and tied one while playing before an average crowd of 36.488.

Will Robbie Keep Wilson? This is Wilson's last year on a three-year contract but observers seem inclined to think that Robbie will renew his head coach's pact. "It has been a reasonably satisfactory season." Robbie told me. "As for George's future, we won't discuss that until the season ends. George has done a good job with the players. That is his strong point.

That doesn't mean he's weak in other aspects, but he handles players well." There are many critics of Robbie but frankly I have always Friday night when a Delray Beach high school plays host to a school from the Orlando area a state football playoff game Coach Tom Comer's Panthers gave up an average of 99.6 yards per game total offense, almost identical to Carver's average of 99.7. Offensively, the Panthers averaged 308 yards per game rushing and passing, while Coffey's Eagles averaged 307. So, stasti-cally, at least, the two clubs appear to be about as evenly matched as possible. However, the Panthers' leading rusher Melvin Benn Is expected to miss Friday's contest with a fractured wrist. The state crown Dec.

20. Carver Coach Roger Coffey hopes the similarity ends there. Seacrest's hopes for a state title crumbled under the power and precision of the well-honed Edgewater attack, 27-7. Eustis could be just as tough. The Panthers wound up their regular season with a 9-1 mark, losing only to Class A Leesburg, 8-6.

Then they knocked off Father Lopez of Daytona Beach, 13-0, in the first round of the state playoffs. During the regular season atSeacrest Field. Less than a week ago Seacrest entertained Orlando Edgewater in a battle for the Region 2-AA championship. Friday night Carver plays host to Eustiii in the Class semifinals, with the winner earning a shot at the injury kept him out of last week's game with Lopez, but apparently his talents weren't needed as Eustis held the Daytona Beach squad to 47 yards rushing and 21 passing in racking up a 13-0 win. Benn picked up 590 yards rushing in 86 carries during the season and scored seven touchdowns.

With him out, most of the ball-carrying burden will fall on halfbacks Bill Livingston (355 yards in 48 carries, four TDs) and Gary Meadows (391 yards in 74 carries, eight TDs). Four Panthers were named to the All-Region 3-BC team an-nounced Monday by the Florida Sports Writers Association. Offensively, Cottrell was chosen for a backfield post and 170-pound guard Dennis Chisholm made it up front. Defensively, 205-pound David McNish is at middle guard and the 188-pound Meadows is one of the deep backs. Carver placed four players Yanks' Burke's Not Seeking Job, But found him fair and cooperative.

And I firmly believe the Dolphins' NEW -A YORK (AP) Mike president of the New give the strongest possible mandate to the new commissioner. Burke, York Yankees, said Wednesday The two leagues may be diminished in autonomy. Each club may have to give up a certain ends Billy Plummer and Alfonso Wilson, tackle Larry Hunt and quarterback Anthony Penn on the All-Region 4-BC squad. Two teammates, guard Charles Gainer and linebacker Randy Straughn, made the second team. Eustis' Livingston received honorable mention in Region 3-BC.

Tickets for Friday's game, scheduled for 8 p.m. at Sea-crest, may be purchased at the Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce, Sal's Sporting Goods in THOMAS ROBBIE WILSON he was flattered to be called the leading candidate for baseball Commissioner but ducked questions as to whether he would take the job if it is offered to him. "No, I am not seeking the job," he said at a news conference. "Would you accept the job if offered?" he was asked. "That is an abstract question," he said.

"I don't know what the job is. When we meet Dec. 20 in Chicago I hope we success to date must be credited to Joe because it was he who signed such organization men as Wilson; Joe Thomas, the super Boca Raton, Carver High and amount of its autonomy. "I think there is need for a man of equal strength to Judge Landis (Kenesaw Mountain Landis, the first commissioner) but not an arbiter who waits for cases to come to him. He must be a visionary, thinking not just of tomorrow but of next year, five years and 10 years from now and understand all the ramifications of what is done." Asked if he thought the new commissioner must be able to handle player problems, Burke said "He must be a strong commissioner, a man whose relationship with all groups can head off collision courses." Of Marvin Miller, head of the Baseball Players' Association, Burke said, "he is bright, able and shrewd.

And he's there. He has a function to perform and he performs it very well." Burke cited the change in the MIKE BURKE body for a body." Burke said he favored a baseball man for the job and considered himself a baseball man. "I hope they (the owners) will put together more definitely just what the job is to be and what is the mandate. By a mandate, I mean that all the owners must agree that this is what we want the commissioner to do. I am not in favor of exchanging a LYNNWOOD (POP) GKOVEK Carver's High-Stepping Halfback Gators' Graves Is Hospitalized By Pneumonia GAINESVILLE (UPI) With the big scramble tor high school football talent only four days off, Florida Football Coach Ray Graves was hospitalized with a possible case of pneumonia Wednesday.

Dr. Henry S. Blank, Graves' personal physician, ordered the 49-year-old coach and athletic director admitted to Seacrest High. Here's a game-by-game rundown on the two clubs' seasons: EUSTIS Beat Tavars, 19-0; beat St. Cloud, 37-7; beat Lake Weir, 63-7; beat Umatilla, 56-0; lost to Leesburg, 8-6; beat Clermont, 39-7; beat Mount Dora, 15-12, on a 20-yard field goal by sophomore David Ward with one second left in the game; and beat Daytona Lopez, 13-0, in the first round of the state playoffs.

CARVER Beat Gifford, 34- Robinson Sets One Mark, Ties Another strike zone lowering the Ditch ing mound and enforcement of the 20-second rule as steps to scout and Charles Callahan, the publicity director. Robbie's coupe in bringing the Chicago Bears, Baltimore Colts, Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles to Florida next summer for exhibition games shows real class. But Joe just says, "It was the fans that did it. When they came 68,000 strong to the Orange Bowl last August for the Baltimore game, they showed the name NFL teams that Florida will support good attractions, This town has been NFL-oriented because of the Playoff Bowl and it hasn't been easy to sell fans a new league and a new team. But we are making progress and I think with a winner we can fill the Orange Bowl." Concern A bout Orange Bowl Robbie doesn't believe the University of Miami is a competitor of the Dolphins.

"Oh, if we play home games back-to-back," he said, "it might cost us a few fans. But football of any kind stimulates interest in our games. Joe, however, voices some concern about the facilities in the Orange Bowl. "An artificial turf on the field is important," he told me. "but chair-back seats should have the priority.

Parking is another problem that isn't as easy to This season the Dolphins played four league games at night in the Orange Bowl. "In 1969 It may not be as easy," Robbie said. "I don't want to schedule our first three games and last two at home. We had to do it that way this season to get the night dates. So, we may not have as many night games next year." Robbie says he is delighted with the development this year of defensive back Dick Anderson, halfback Jim Kiick, fullback Larry Csonka, offensive tackle Doug Crusan and tight end Jim Cox.

Dolphins Need Good Linemen "We are pretty well set with offensive backs," Joe said, "bui what we must get in the draft are linemen, bot offensive and defensive. Our attack is in good order but our defense isn't." The thing that bothers Robbie most about this season is not finishing higher in the standings. Miami has clinched third piace but it would take a Dolphin win and Houston loss for second place. "I keep thinking about those games we should have won," he help enliven baseball. Alachua General Hospital for observation ana rest.

"We recognize that baseball BOSTON (UPI)-Brooks Robinson of the Baltimore Orioles must be enlivened," he said "We must take the dead time out of baseball. That doesn't mean elapsed time. Football "He has a severe bronchial condition and it may be an early case of pneumonia," said Blank. "I'll have to wait until I see the X-rays and test results on Thursday to determine if he has pneumonia. "Bui hi any case, I'm holding him in the hospital for seven to 10 days." The doctor said that Graves' percentage with .983 followed by the Orioles at .981, the Yankees, Red Sox and Indians at .979 each, the White Sox, Oakland Athletics and California Angels at .997 each, the Senators at .976 and the Minnesota Twins at .973.

The Angels were the leaders in double plays with 156 and the White Sox were second with 152. tied a major league record by leading American League third basemen in fielding average this year and set an AL mark by leading the circuit's third basemen in assists for the sixth time. games can run 3:02 according to Heidi (a reference to the long pro game that was cut off by beat Wymore Tech, 65-0; beat Dunbar, 45-0; beat Lake Shore, 22-0; lost to Ely, 7-6; beat Plant City Marshall, 15-0; beat Lincoln Park, 39-0; beat North Shore, 22-0; lost to Kennedy, 17-6; beat John Carroll, 50-0; and beat Turkey Creek, 34-14, in the first rounds of the playoffs. Carver's leading rusher is Lynnwood (Pop) Grover, who picked-up 669 yards in 68 carries, a 9.8 average. Teammate Greg Dobson accounted for 500 yards in 68 carries, a 7.4 average.

Dobson added 146 yards in 20 tries last week against Turkey Creek and scored three touchdowns. The Eagles are known primarily as a passing team and the reason for that is Penn, a rifle-armed junior who connected on the Heidi special on NBC) Something must be happening Official figures released Wed that excites the fan. nesday by AL president Joe Cro-nin revealed that Robinson's condition was generally good 970 average made him the league's No. 1 defensive third and that he was resting comfortably. "It's a terrible time for this to happen," moaned Kobe Hooser, baseman for the eighth season.

Robinson thus tied a record set by Willie Kamm of the Chicago White Sox and Cleveland In Li 1 administrative assistant to Graves. "Signing date is on Saturday and he'll be in the hospital. He has a lot of congestion said wistfully. "Like with the Buffalo Bills, the Denver Broncos, the New York Jets i A native of Sisseton, S.D., Robbie earned his reputation as a lawyer in Minnesota. He never played football but he is one of the game's most ardent fans.

It has been Joe's effort that has made the Dolphin franchise a success in three short seasons. 87 of 167 attempts for 1,362 yards and 18 touchdowns. He was Intercepted 12 times. Penn's favorite target is Wilson, who grabbed 40 passes for 632 yards. The 6-4, 205-pound Csonka, Moreau Sidelined By Flu MIAMI Another contingent of Miami Dolphins has been sidelined by the flu bug, Coach George Wilson said Wednesday as the club prepared for Its season finale against New York in the Orange Bowl Sunday, Before the Boston game last week, seven Dolphins were down with the flu but only defensive end Jim Riley missed the game.

Now Riley and his teammates who were ill are back at work but a new crop of victims has sprung up. Wilson said thou missing drills Wednesday included fullback Larry Csonka, tight end Doug Moreau, defensive tackle Jim Urbanek, and offensive tackles Charles Fowler and Jack Pyburn. Split end Karl Noonan and flanker Gene Milton were at practice buy were bothered by colds. Tight end Jim Cox and safety Bob Petrella, both bothered by sprained knees, worked out In sweatclothes. Petrella Is expected to play against the Jets Sunday but Cox la doubtful, Wilson said.

Elmira To Work With San Diego Plummer, who is regarded as a blue chip college prospect, caught 19 for 381 yards, while Dobson grabbed 19 for 318 affiliated with the Balti- was SAN DIEGO (AP)-The San RAY GRAVES ished the past season with a 6-3-1 record and Graves, the most successful coach in Gator grid history, was roundly criticized by alumni and Sunday morning quarterbacks. The Florida team was listed high on several pre-season polls and was touted to win its first Southeastern Conference title in history. But Florida stumbled badly after four opening victories and was crushed by archrival Georgia 51-0 before winding up with an upset victory over Miami. Graves said last week that he would not quit his coaching post to take over the job of athletic director alone Orioles last season. more dians between 1924 and 1934.

Robinson also led the AL's third basemen with 353 assists setting an AL mark of leading in that category in six seasons. The other individual leaders by position were: First Base: Danny Cater of the Oakland Athletics with .995. Second Base: Bernie Allen of the Washington Senators with .991. Shortstop: Rico Petrocelli of the Boston Red Sox with .978. Catcher: Joe Azcue of the Cleveland Indians with .996.

Outfielders: Mickey Stanley of the Detroit Tigers and' Ken Harrelson of the Red Sox with 1,000 each and Roy White of the New York Yankees with .997. The Tigers led in fielding yards. and he is run down." Florida sports publicist Norm Carlson said that Graves had been on the go ever since Florida's closing game with Miami in order to recruit talent for coming years at the university. Under NCAA rules, college coaches cannot begin signing prospects to grants-in-aid until Saturday and many of the top prospects will go early. Such signees often mean the difference between average and good teams over the following three to four years.

"He is just exhausted," said Carlson, "and he would not rest even when he got this at first." Florida's football team fin- Diego Padres of the National League Wednesday announced a working agreement with the El While Carver and Eustis bat mira Pioneers of the Class AA Eastern League for the 1969 tle for a shot at Class state honors, tiny Moore Haven plays host to powerful Apalachicola Chapman for the Class state Marine Weather Small boat forecast for the Florida lower east coast through the Bahamas as far as Nassau and southward through the Florida straits Thursday: Seas three to five feet, except eight feet In the Gulfstream. Inland waters choppy. crown. Coach Karl Engel Terriers reached the finals with 14-7 baseball season. Padre General Manager Eddie Leishman said the Padres and Kansas City Royals of the American League both will assign players to Elmira, which victory over Hastings Harris, while Chapman coasted to a 26-0 win over Sarasota Mooney..