The Pittsburgh Press from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania • Page 2

A2 The Pittsburgh Press Wednesday, October 4, 1989 STAKFDMG OUT Fred Cox not kicking; Nerf football soles keeping him for life HELPING OUT Fleeing Germans to receive local aid By Ken Guggenheim IF si yf-- By Joe Smydo "After we kicked it around for a while, we decided to try to sell it to a toy manufacturer. Fred Cox 'Vuvmv ill if 3 For The Pittsburgh Press Fred Cox said his most successful business venture began as a professional athlete's worst nightmare. Cox, 50, a Washington County native who was in the 10th of his 16 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings at the time, said a fan showed up on his doorstep one day in 1971 and asked for help in designing a new toy. The former placekicker, who said football layers are routinely asked to finance half-aked inventions, almost sent the man packing. But he took the man inside, where talk about the fan's idea for a plastic goalpost with adjustable uprights led Cox to come up with a brainstorm of his own.

The Nerf football was born in Cox's kitchen that day. "It was a stroke of brilliance on our part," Cox said of the birth of Nerf. Then a wave of humility hit him. "No, it was dumb luck." Cox graduated from Monongahela High School in Washington County and the University of leaving football at the end of the 1977 season, Cox devoted his time to running a chiropractic clinic in Minnesota. Cox said he returned to the Mon Valley in July 1988 to be near his family.

He runs Cox Chiropractic Clinic in Carroll, Washington County. John Mattox, the fan who visited Cox's Edina, home, never was able to market his plastic goalpost. He had told Cox the toy would allow children to simulate kicking fieldgoals from various distances while standing in one spot "After hearing about the goalpost, I asked what kind of ball he was going to use. He said something heavy so the kids couldn't kick it out of the yard. My response was that it should be something light so the kids wouldn't hurt themselves." Cox said Mattox "instantly agreed" to the Slacekicker's idea for a foam-rubber foot-all that would be one-fourth smaller than the standard pigskin and much softer on the hands and legs of diminutive athletes.

A plastic company in Minnetonka, developed a prototype of the Nerf football, Cox said. The finished product made him happier than scoring a game-winning 50-yard field goal. "After we kicked it around for a while, we decided to try to sell it to a toy manufacturer," Cox said. Cox and Mattox tried to hand the toy off to a Minnesota company, but were turned down. On second down, they passed to Parker Brothers, headquartered in Beverly, which bought the rights to the foam-rubber football.

Nerf footballs were on store shelves in time for the 1972 football season, Cox said. Patricia McGovern, spokeswoman for Parker Brothers, confirmed that the company pays royalties to Cox, Mattox and their agent for development of the Nerf football. "It's still a hot item," she said. Cox said he, Mattox and their agent receive 5 percent of the wholesale price of each football that is sold. Ms.

McGovern said the current wholesale price is S3.S0 per football. Sales, which peaked at 8 million in 1979, now hover around 6tt million a year, Cox said. Ms. McGovern declined comment on sales figures. 'if 1 I i "4 fcW J4 I The Pittsburgh Press George Christmann was driving from North Park to his home in Spring Hill last month when he heard a radio report about East German refugees fleeing to West Germany.

As soon as he got home, he looked up the number of the German American National Congress' office in McCand-less. He called to see how he could help the refugees. "I can put myself in their position. When I came over, I didn't have any money," said Christmann, who left Germany in 1949. Christmann's call prompted the GANC's Pittsburgh chapter to launch a fund-raising drive this week to help refugees settle in West Germany.

"We were thinking, 'Yes, we should (help but it took someone like him to get the ball rolling," said Marianne Bouvier, GANC vice president. Thousands of East Germans have fled to West Germany since Hungary permitted them to cross into Austria. Thou-t sands more were allowed by the East German government (to emigrate to West Germany after they sought refuge in West Germany's embassy compounds in Prague, Czechoslovakia, and Warsaw, Poland. Ms. Bouvier said the group will try to collect money from 2,500 to 3,000 local members.

Contributions will be given to the German Red Cross. Ms. Bouvier and other Pittsburgh chapter leaders also plan to attend festivities in Washington tomorrow celebrating German-American Day, which is Friday. The first contribution locally for the refugees was $1,000 from Christmann. "I feel compassion for these people," he said.

Christmann left Germany, believing the country had no future after being devastated in World War II. He borrowed money from an aunt in Steubenville, Ohio, for the to the United States. He lived with her for several months, but anti-German sentiments were strong and he couldn't find a job. He moved to Pittsburgh in March 1950. "If I could have gone back home in the first six weeks, I would have gone back over there," he said.

Christmann. now 66. is re Robert J. PavuchakTha Pittsburgh Pres Fred Cox has chiropractic business to fall back on; but his invention of the Nerf football makes it a softer landing. LOOKING BACK Hunting jailbirds Is there someone out there you'd love to see locked up? Your boss, perhaps? The American Heart Association is looking for Pittsburgh's "most wanted bosses" to imprison at its fourth annual Cardiac Arrest fund-raiser on Oct.

18. Whoever is "arrested" will be incarcerated from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at a makeshift jail outside Fifth Avenue Place, Downtown. Registrations are due by next Wednesday.

As enticing as it sounds, bosses won't be arrested without their permission, said Lynne Popash, an American Heart Association spokeswoman. But the association is hoping that people will have enough heart to try to raise $500 bail, and have a little fun, too. Some of those who have already volunteered to stay behind bars are: Barbara Cloud of The Pittsburgh Press; Fern Schwarti of Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner Smith Ed Patterson, city police commander, Michael Priganc of SMA Financial Services; the Pirate Parrot; and the Blue Cross Caring Cub. Pet project A Boston bank wants to put your pet's name on a VISA card, but tell the furry friend he or she won't be able to charge his next can of food. The charge card is a marketing tool of The Massachusetts Company which is hopeful of luring pet owners across the country to become new customers.

Along with the usual major charge card benefits, the bank will emboss your pet's name on a card that comes with a design of a pair of kittens or puppies. "The majority of the cards we've issued since we started this in August have carried a Eet's name," said Ellen R. Essenfeld, the ank's marketing vice president. "In fact, many people have multiple names put on them, because they have several pets. The card can hold up to 25 letter characters.

It seems to be one of the selling points." She refused to say how many cards have been issued under the program, but said they have been about equally split between the cat and dog designs. Waller Hall event Indiana University of Pennsylvania will re-dedicate its Waller Hall on Oct. 20 with an invitational dinner at the apartment of President and Mrs. John D. Welty, a reception in the Oak Grove and a performance of the play "Amadeus" in Waller.

The building formerly housed a gymnasium and swimming pool but was renovated this year for the theater department at a cost of $2.6 million. It contains two auditoriums, one of which can seat 240 to 280 people and the other, about 60. In huff over Hoffa A coalition of New Jersey Teamsters denounced politicians who make light of former union leader Jimmy Hoffa 's disappearance. Delegates to a legislative conference of the Teamsters Joint Council 73 approved a resolution Monday that calls for an end to the jokes. "If you don't have any respect for the man, then think at least about his family.

I don't know how they can stand it," said Anthony Rizzo, business manager of Teamsters Local 945 in Wayne. Rizzo introduced the resolution. Hoffa is the subject of a recent deluge of jokes generated by a Playboy magazine interview with a federally protected witness, Donald "Tony the Greek'' Frankos. Frankos said Hoffa's body was buried near the west end-zone of Giants Stadium in East Rutherford. Hoffa disappeared July 30, 1975.

Achievers Dr. John A. Power, a Mt. Lebanon native and a cardiologist trained in cardiac catheri-zation, has joined the medical staff at St. Francis Medical Center, Lawrenceville.

By Ellen Perlmutter, with local and wire reports RENO, Nev. (AP) Former first lady Nancy Reagan said that she was not prepared for the intense scrutiny that comes with being the president's wife. But she's looking forward to sharing her side of her experiences as first lady by releasing her version of her White House years. "You never stop being hurt by the stories, but you do stop being surprised," Mrs. Reagan said.

"I figure after eight years of everybody having their say it was my turn. "Eight years is a long time to live under a microscope and have things misinterpreted," she said. Her book, "My Turn," will be released soon. Filling in for her husband, Mrs. Reagan spoke Monday at the the annual California Gro-.

cers Association meeting. The former president is "doing very well," she said, recovering from skull surgery to remove water on his brain that developed after he was thrown from a horse. tired after working in the glass ana aluminum industries. Although he does not be- lieve the East Germans will encounter the hostility he faced as a refugee, Christmann said he believes their transition will be difficult. "The (West German) neonle themselves, they're doing well, but the nrices are so hi ah compared to the living standard here," he said.

The East Germans "probably will have a hard time economically." The weather front today National forecast Snow flurries are forecast In upstate York, New Hampshire, Vermont Extended forecast 1 Friday, Oct. 6 Sunday, Oct. 8 Western Pennsylvania Chance of showers late Friday. Low 45 and high 65. Morning showers, breezy and cooler Saturday.

Low 40. High 60. Sunny Sunday. Low in the upper 30s. High 55.

Airport precipitation deta for yesterday Airport temperature data for yesterday Total preclpltstlon since Oct. 1 0 39 Normal temperature for the day 58 ffiT JfeO: Local forecast Partly sunny and cool today with a high In the mld-503. Clear and cold tonight with scattered frost and a low In the mld-30s. Sunny tomorrow with a high of 65. Sunset today 6:58.

Sunrise tomorrow 7:20. Temperatures In Pittsburgh for 24-hour period ending early today: highest 62: lowest 37; mean SO. High, low, precipitation year ago: 62, 37, trace. Highest temperature thla date since 1674: 80 In 1684. Lowest temperature this date alnoa 1674: 31 In 1074.

Latest barometer reading: 30.17, rising. Latest humidity reading: 76 percent. Latest river stage: 16.S pool. SB Normal orecloltatlon since Oct. 1 0.25 Deficiency In temperature tor the day and Maine.

Rain Is predicted In Washington, Montana, the Dakotas and Nebraska and thunderstorms In Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas and Oklahoma. Nation high, low The highest temperature reported yesterday, excluding Alaska and Hawaii, was 98 degrees at Presidio, Texas. This morning's low was 22 degrees at Platts-burg, N.Y. Exoses in preclpltstlon since Oct. 1 0.14 Excess In temperature since Oct.

1 4 Total precipitation since Jan. 1 36.91 Exceas In temperature since Jan. 1 400 r- Normal precipitation since Jan. 1 29.15 Excess In precipitation since Jan. 1 7.76 eonortione Rivera will remain steady over the next 24 hours.

International weather 11 tlV QniM Bali tr" i aTSSl J'vJAf 1 61 I I fU fl II 1 1 Hut JiPru iTTJ'ii rvi. Sky-Amsterdam 61 50 ddy Frankfurt 57 62 tidy New Delhi 97 72 dear Athene 70 6 cldy Geneva 64 39 clear Oslo 61 36 dear Auckland 66 57 deer Harare 91 64 dew Parle 61 55 cldy Bangkok 91 77 deer Hong Kong 64 79 clear Rio 65 62cleer Balling 1 70 55 ddy Istanbul 61 50 deer Roma 77 46 dear Beirut 82 68 dear Johannesburg 76 59 dear Seoul 75 55 dear Benin 57 43 dear Lisbon 61 64 clear Singapore 66 75 rain Brussels 63 43 ddy London 69 50 ddy Stockholm 46 41 clear Budapest 56 60 ram Madrid 66 55 dear Sydney 66 62daar Buenos Alms 64 63 ddy Manila 96 75cleer' Tokyo 70 63 ram Cairo 93 70 dear Mexico City 73 52dear Toronto 73 69 cldy Copenhagen 61 46 dear Montreal 64 54 rain Vienna 58 46 rain Cuban 59 43 cldy Nairobi 73 55 ddy Warsaw 67 41 deer i is, 17 JSIIPI tllS V'a5 lllilli7 Oklahoma Cty Afl 7954 7 MSSm I 7656 umL 755' Si Xtikl TiV 7 tass r7' 8763 1 ff 1 68 45 dear Tomorrow's highs, lows ty Dee Moines 66 49 ddy Albany 65 33 deer Detroit 66 37 ddy Albuquerqua 72 49 ddy DuKrth 55 39 rain AmaflUo 73 62 ddy El Paso 78 67 ddy Anchorage 49 40 ram Helena 65 32 ddy Atlanta 60 56 clear Honolulu 87 73 ddy Atlantic City 66 47 dear Houston 91 66 ddy Baltimore 68 40 deer Indianspoae 72 39 clear Swings 65 35 ddy Jaoxeon. Miss. 85 66 ddy Eumnngriam 62 53 dear jackaomtM 63 S3 dear Bismarck 68 37 ddy Kansas City 66 SO ddy Boies 66 38 dear Las Vegas 63 61 deer Boston 59 42 ddy Utile Rook 60 66 ddy Buffalo 58 40 ddy Los Angslsa 78 59desr Chan-ton. SC.

76 64 dear LouMvWs 72 43 deer Charlotte. N.C 73 43 dear Memphis 80 66 ddy Chicago 69 40 ddy Miami Bascn 68 76 ddy Cincinnati 71 40 ddy Milwaukee 63 40 ddy Cleveland 66 36 dear MlnnoapoUe 68 46 rain Columbus 71 38 ddy Nashville 76 61 deer Oekas 63 63 ddy New Orleans 66 65 ddy Denver 64 41 dear New York City 62 43 clear Oklahoma City 76 58 cldy Omaha 64 61 ddy Orlando 69 69 clear Phoenix 89 67 clear Portland, Ms. 57 38 clear Portland, Ore. 66 61 cloy Providence 69 39 cldy Rapid City 55 37 ddy Richmond 72 40 dear St. Louis 70 45 ddy 8t.

Petersburg 69 69 deer Salt Lake City 64 38 clear Sen Diego 74 61 clear Sen Frandaoo 72 61 clear Seattle 62 49 ddy Spokane 60 40 ddy Syracuse 59 40 cldy Topeka 66 49 cldy Tulsa 77 56 ddy Washington 71 46 dear Wichita 71 63 ddy Air pollution Air quality In Allegheny County Is good to moderate, no unhealthful areas. Source: Allegheny Co. Air Pollution Control Bureau, vou have a pollution problem In your ares, cell TORNAOO HURRICANE RAIN THUNDER, SHOWERS SNOW STORMS TROPICAL EARTHQUAKE STORMS.