The Akron Beacon Journal from Akron, Ohio • Page 45

Akron Beacon Journal Boorts Tuesday, January 30, 1979 'owl. better than Pro Bowl (0 Wo VM Melody ft- Pro Bowl, indeed. Better that they call it the No Bowl. Better yet that they have no bowl at all. For this meaningless thing that the National Football League is so presumptuous as to call a Pro Bowl is in fact no more than a waste of sweat if indeed any sweat is raised in this game.

Plainly, it just doesn't make it. The Super Bowl, the mega-happening of our time, has destroyed whatever worth this game might have. You just can't follow the War of the Worlds with Switzerland vs. Luxembourg and expect anybody to care. Heck, not even the fans if that's what they were cared in Los Angeles where the National Conference beat the American Conference 13-7 Monday night and they paid to get in.

AND WHY DID they pay to get in? Well, as you know, the strangest things happen in California, sunny California where the temperature was scarcely higher than it was in Mallet Creek on this evening. There was Dave Diles interviewing players on the sidelines and wearing gloves. Mallet Creek gloves, not golf gloves. And there was Howard Cosell, ol super hype himself, chiding the fans for pretending they were at a funeral. But, alas, well before the half, Cosell was stooping to such things as an interview with Andy Griffith and Frank Gifford was babbling about how lucky Don Meredith was not to be there.

Meanwhile, down on the sidelines, the players were drawing straws to see who had to play and Diles was wondering when somebody was going to build a fire. FOR SURE, nobody was about to build a fire under the players, who spent the evening playing tag and being jealous of their teammates who weren't judged worthy of being a part of this farce. THE LONGEST and most mediocre Super Bowl aside season finally is over, but the deep thinking in the NFL had better be just beginning. The NFL has had it good, perhaps too good for its own good, for nearly two decades now but there is no reason to believe that this can't, or won't, end as suddenly as it began. There is increased talk of too much football on television, a fact underscored by the sorry ratings achieved by Sunday night games this season.

And there are growing shouts about the mediocrity that so suddenly swept the league this season. Then, Monday night, fully 25 percent of those holding tickets to the Pro Bowl stayed home for no reason other than that the wind was blowing. The wind is blowing, all right, for the NFL. And, make no mistake about it, it's an ill wind. Razzle dazzle is a sweep and happiness is the final gun.

It's interesting that professional football's all-star game seems to be coming apart at a time when baseball's never has been healthier. The baseball game, though, somehow has conned its way into being considered the supreme test of supremacy between the leagues. And the players, somehow, have convinced themselves that this is so. The NFL, obviously, has not been able to pawn this thing off as anything more than it is a waste of television time. Curiously, at a time when pro football interest is alleged to be at a peak, the game has lost one all-star game altogether the College All-Star Game and is in trouble on another.

All of this leads one to wonder if pro football surely, if not slowly, is getting itself into serious trouble, if the game is not nearly as entrenched in public interest as the Super Bowl would lead you to believe. The trouble with this troubled game is that it is not played as it should be, for fun and for the enjoyment of the fans. At a time when pro football needs to cleanse itself of the dreadful sameness that is inflicting notable damage on the grand new game, the Pro Bowl should be a lively mixture of reverses and flea flickers and all of those other things that give fans cause for something other than a search for the exits. But, alas, you see none of this in the Pro Bowl. Rashad NFC key; players celebrate end of long year '80 Series to return to August I The 1980 World Series of Golf at Firestone Country Club will return to late August dates from its late September dates of this year and i The bid four-man World Series of Golf was played annually in late August, but when the expanded World Series format was introduced in 1976, the dates moved to the first weekend in September.

In 1978, however, the dates were pushed back to Sept. 27-30 and this year's dates will remain Sept. 27-31. Though the PGA Tour has yet to draw its 1980 schedule, the Beacon Journal learned that the return of the World Series to late August was necessitated by television. THERE was no secret that CBS-TV was unhappy with the late September dates in 1978 and not too elated about the Labor Day weekend dates of 1977.

The primary reason for CBS's chagrin was a huge drop in TV ratings last year when the World Series was faced with direct opposition from regular-season National' Football League telecasts on NBC. In 1976, the World Series of Golf drew a 19 percent share of audience and the '77 Series drew a 17 share. But, faced with the NFL as opposition last September, the World Series ratings plummeted to an 11 share, while NBC, with its NFL telecasts, soared to a 43 share, of audience. The audience shares notwithstanding, a further crisis developed in CBS's eye when the total homes using television rose from 30.6 percent in 1976 to 37.3 percent in 1978, producing yet a larger gap in the ratings game. Because the TV ratings suffered drastically, CBS made overtures to the PGA late last year to either return the World Series to late August before the NFL regular season began or forget about national television.

nine completions in 15 attempts for 125 yards. Bradshaw hit on seven of 17 for 54 yards. Second-stringers Griese and Manning made their presence felt. Griese completed 10 of 20 for 122 yards and Manning, the first member of the Saints to play in a Pro Bowl under the current format, was eight of 17 for 78 yards. The AFC's Earl Campbell, who led the NFL in rushing as a rookie for Houston with 1,450 yards, topped all rushers with 66 yards on 12.

carries. New England's Sam Cunningham had 49 yards on eight attempts for the AFC. Montgomery led the NFC in rushing with 53 yards on nine tries. "I never got up for it," said Bradshaw, the NFL's Most Valuable Player. "I wanted to be but I really didn't want to play another game.

"I don't think anybody wanted to play. But it's an honor to be in it," he added. "I'm glad nobody got hurt, that's the important thing. I'm tired, I'm emotionally drained, mentally fatigued. It's been a great year, but I'm glad it's over." RASHAD felt that players on both teams wanted to win the game, which meant $5,000 to the 40 NFC participants and $2,500 to members of the AFC team.

"Egos get involved, your pride kind of takes over," he said. "The best kind of comes out. There's no losers involved. Everybody's a winner. Once the game starts, you want to play your best football and win." The NFC victory enabled Tom Mack to end his career on a winning note.

It was the 11th Pro Bowl appearance for the Rams' offensive guard. Vr A. Ji 1T' A XimtT- A OT- Jr. Beacon Journal photos bv Dured Hall Andre Battle of Cleveland State surges through a crowd seeking possession LOS ANGELES OP) It wasn't exactly son of Super Bowl xm that brought the National Football League's longest regular season ever to a merciful end. Maybe a great-great-grandchild would be a more appropriate title.

And although some rabid fans might disagree, many of the players seemed happy to call it a season. "I'm feeling great. This capped a nice week with a lot of nice guys," said Minnesota's Ahmad Rashad after helping the National Conference to a 13-7 victory over the American Conference in the Pro Bowl at the L. A. Coliseum Monday night.

"One of the highlights of my career was just being here. The Most Valuable Player award was just gravy." Rashad caught five passes for 89 yards and was one of at least a handful of players who were MVP possibilities in the game played before 38,333. More than a third of those who purchased tickets stayed away. It was a requirement of Los Angeles Rams' season ticket holders to purchase a ticket to the Pro Bowl. The NFL kicked off its exhibition season last July 29.

Following were four preseason games, 16 regular-season games, three weeks of playoffs and the Super Bowl. THE VICTORY was the fourth for the NFC in the past five years and the fifth in nine games overall since the game's format was changed with realignment of the league. There were only 20 points on three touchdowns and two extra points scored in a game where the teams combined for 616 yards in total offense. It was a far cry from the Pittsburgh Steelers' wild 35-31 triumph over the Dallas Cowboys in the Super Bowl eight days earlier. "This was not the Super Bowl, it doesn't ease that loss, but it's nice to win an all-star game," said Dallas running back Tony Dorsett.

"It's been a long year, but a good year. I've enjoyed it. "But I can't wait to catch that big bird in the morning and fly the friendly skies back to Dallas," added Dorsett, who gained 27 yards on seven carries Monday night. "I'm going to relax for a long, long time." Dallas' Roger Staubach threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to another Cowboy, wide receiver Tony Hill, with 3:43 remaining in the third quarter to give the NFC its victory. The only score of the second half followed a 16-yard punt by Oakland's Ray Guy and capped a 45-yard, five-play drive.

THE NFC took a 6-0 lead at 7:06 of the second quarter on a two-yard run by Philadelphia's Wilbert Montgomery. The touchdown came on a fourth-and-one play. New Orleans quarterback Archie Manning engineered the 70-yard, 11-play march. Los Angeles' Frank Corral was wide on the conversion attempt. The AFC retaliated with its only score of the night, moving 62 yards on nine plays after the ensuing kickoff.

The touchdown came on an eight-yard pass from Miami's Bob Griese to Seattle's Steve Largent. Garo Yepremian of the Dolphins added the extra point. Largent, the first member of the Seahawks to play in a Pro Bowl, finished with five catches, all in the second quarter, for 75 yards. Both he and Rashad tied the Pro Bowl record for number of receptions. STAUBACH outplayed Pittsburgh's Terry Bradshaw, his counterpart in the Super Bowl, with Zips victimized antes or long Akron Jim Ih'rvndal jss it fern Jit I LAST SATURDAY, Akron led Northern Michigan by 20 in the first half and by 13 at still lost 72-66.

Monday was more of the same. The Zips led 41-26 with 3:16 to See AKRON, page C-8 Hey, let's be fair about this. Not all of the blame should be placed on the University of Akron basketball team. Sure, the Zips blew a 13-point second-half lead and went on to lose 83-69 to Cleveland State before 1,853 at Memorial Hall Monday night. Sure, the Zips have lost four in a row, five of their last six, seven of their last nine and have fallen to 8-10 on the season.

But, who is really to blame for Akron's problems? Well, let's look at the record. Akron led by nine at halftime against Cleveland State and the lead was the same with 10 minutes to play. And, in 12 of Akron's 18 games the Zips have led at either halftime or with 10 minutes to play. SO, WHOSE fault is it? Why the guy who decided college basketball games should be 40 minutes long, of course. He could have made the games 30 minutes long and Akron would be 12-5 with one tie.

He could have made them 20 minutes long and Akron would be 12-4 with two ties. But noooooooo. He had to go and make them 40 minutes long and because of that the poor Zips are 8-10. Thanks a lot, fella. Of course, there is the alternate theory that the Zips couldn't hold a lead if it had handles on it.

And, unfortunately, that has been all too true lately. Super Bowl ratings were second highest NEW YORK OP) Sunday's Super Bowl was the second highest rated in history, according to the Nielsen ratings released Thursday by NBC. The game had a 47.1 rating (percentage of TV homes tuned in) and a 74 share (percentage of sets in use tuned to the game). NBC estimated that 95 million people watched at least a portion of the game. Last year's Super Bowl on CBS was the highest rated with a 47.2 rating and 67 share.

But that game started at 6 p.m. EST and ran into prime time when audiences are greater, This year's Super Bowl began at 4 p.m. Cleveland State's Frank Edwards leaps behind Zips' Bod Leighty.