Arizona Daily Star from Tucson, Arizona • Page 36

FTCtFpur Section Ujr Arizona Bailn Slar Tucson, Sunday, September 30, 1984 el to air mad Bun gam Wmv tiJIHF chann Arizona Daily Star You won't' need cable TV or even a good supply of gasoline to see 41 Phoenix Suns basketball games this season. Tucson's newest television station KPOL, Grog Hanson games against three Pac-10 schools in one season. Last year the 49ers had four home games and drew "crowds" of 4,287, 6,636, 2,017 and 3,878 Former UA offensive lineman and graduate assistant football coach Pete Ma honey is a member of coach Jim Young's staff at Army. Young also offered a spot on his staff to Jerry Davitch, a UA alumnus and former coach at Air Force and Idaho. Young is a former UA coach.

Davitch is an administrator in the Tucson Unified School District Corrections: Dave Dixon, the man whose idea created the USFL, said contrary to popular belief, "I am a Larry Smith fan and in fact rooted enthusiastically for Arizona to beat LSU, my home-state team." I wrote recently that Dixon tried to persuade Smith to resign during Smith's tenure at Tulane. "1 hope Larry knows I'm in his corner," Dixon said. "The story seemed to suggest otherwise." Error No. 2: It was not Channel 9's Ed Sorensen, but Ricky Hunley, who yelled "touchdown" during an incomplete pass in the UA-Cal broadcast. Either I'm losing my hearing or I'm used to Sorensen being a consistent homer It might not be wise to pick against the Washington Redskins today.

The Redskins are 18-0 against teams with losing records of late. Too bad Larry Smith's teams can't beat underdogs with the same regularity. Texas Rangers pitcher Dave Stewart has a clause in his contract that guarantees him $100,000 if he wins the Cy Young Award. He was 6-14 through Friday. The Cubs' Rick Sutcliffe will get $50,000 if he wins the Cy Young, which is $10,000 more than Mets' rookie Dwight Gooden was paid in salary this year.

Gooden has no stipulation covering post-season awards, but I'll bet he does next season. for the Mormon church after his freshman season at BYU. Could this be the UA's idea of censorship? After Wednesday's practice, several Arizona football players grabbed Arizona Daily Star sports writer Jack Magruder and deposited him into a mud puddle. Wait until Cedric Dempsey gets the cleaning bill. It could be that the.

Cleveland Indians will arrive in Tucson in February with their fourth manager in four spring training visits. Newspaper reports in Cleveland have rumored that the Indians are thinking of dumping Pat Corrales and hiring I hope they're kidding Bill Virdon. Just what we need around here, a sourpuss like Virdon. I have come upon a rule as insipid as being penalized for kicking the football out of the end zone on kickoffs. That is, the NBA team with the worst record will no longer automatically get the No.

1 draft pick. Effective this season, the seven teams with the NBA's worst winning percentages will enter a lottery for the No. 1 draft pick. What incentive will there be for a non-contender to play hard the at the end of the season? If the latest ASU fullback to earn some playing time sounds familiar, he should. Vince Amoia was a wrestler for Pima Community College in 1981-82 and transferred to ASU to wrestle.

He was 3-3 there in 1982-83. Last fall, he was the starting fullback for Phoenix College. The Arizona Firebirds, a group hoping to get an NFL franchise for Phoenix, hired Bart Starr as their director of operations last winter. With that project on the back burner, Starr has enough free time on his hands to enter politics. Starr is scheduled to be in Tucson on Wednesday to campaign in a fund-raising dinner for a state senator.

You don't have to wonder why Long Beach State persists in playing non-conferencp road Channel 40, a UHF station is under contract to carry all of the Suns' road games. KPOL is tentatively scheduled to be on the air in late October and hopes to carry the Suns' first game, Oct. 26, at Golden State. KPOL is not yet scheduled to broadcast any Suns home games. Pueblo High running back David Eldridge is being recruited earnestly by at least four schools: Brigham Young, San Diego State, Arizona and Arizona State.

"I don't know aboutJJYU, maybe they pass too much," he Said, "but I'm considering them all." Eldridge's brother, Jonas, is a redshih tailback at Northern Arizona this year. Jay Simon, former managing editor of Golf Digest and a Green Valley resident, writes that the UA rhight've avoided its 27-22 loss to Fresno State had it expanded on the Bear Down legend. What Button Salmon should've said, according to Simon, was "Tell them to bear down and keep a man back deep." Bad timing: Two days after ASU's Luis Zendejas missed a short field-goal attempt that would have helped ASU tie Southern California on Sept. 22, the monthly Phoenix Magazine hit the newsstands. Zendejas is on the coyer.

Bad season: Former Sahuaro High School first baseman Wes Kent established a professional baseball record by striking out 221 times this year. Kent, the Chicago White Sox's No. 2 draft choice in 1980, batted .190 and hit 17 homers with 66 RBIs for San Jose of the Class A California League. Bad trade: In December 1979, the New York Mets traded minor-league catcher Jody Davis to the Chicago Cubs for pitcher Ray Searage. Give Davis to the Mets and they might be preparing for the playoffs.

So what do I know? Six months ago in this space, I predicted divisional championships for the Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox and San Diego Padres. As of Friday, I had one winner. The others were a combined 48 games out of first place. Therefore, these post-season predictions have little clout. I'll take the Cubs in five over San Diego and Detroit to sweep the Royals.

(The Tigers were 6-0 at Kansas City this season). And let's just pray the World Series goes seven games for a change. Former Santa Rita High defensive end Ty Mattingly is a starter for eighth-ranked BYU. Mattingly, a 6-foot-4, 248-pound junior, played two years at Santa Rita before moving to Salt Lake City for his senior season. At 24, Mattingly is one of the oldest college football players in the country.

He fulfilled a two-year mission in Virginia Oregon winning with Miller at QB ABOUT 10 days ago, the Internal Revenue Service ruled contributions' to booster groups cannot be tax deductible if the donations are tied tcf preferential ticket distribution for college football games. So far so good for the University of Arizona athletic department. The UA received $400,000 from an anonymous donor last week, a gift intended to complete construction of the school's track stadium. The donation had nothing to do with preferred seating, but it could be good omen for the A nonetheless. "I tend to think that a lot of people donate money to athletic depart-? ments because of their concern for the athletic department and not because" they want a tax deduction," said Bob Bockrath, the UA's associate director- of athletics.

2 "I think the tax benefit in most cases is secondary or maybe even lower than that. Most of what boosters want is tied to perks such as parking; and so forth." If booster club donations were to drop off dramatically because of the' IRS ruling, most athletic programs, including the UA's, would be greatly, affected. Bockrath said that the IRS ruling, if enforced, is likely to be challenged in court or perhaps even in Congress. -t Greg Hansen UNIVERSITY OF Arizona basketball coach Lute Olson said he wasK completely taken aback. About 40 members of the UA athletic department threw a surprised party for Olson on Sept.

20 to mark his 50th birthday, which was Sept. 22. Olson was told he was to see sights for future publicity shots around; campus. He was then brought to a darkened McKale Room in McKale Cen ter. When the lights were flipped on, the party-goers leaped out of the shadows.

The party was organized by former UA basketball secretary Pierce. 1 The highlight of the party, according to Olson, was a soul rendition of "XT" J.i i Dear Turkeys: I am a Minnesota Vikings' fan and I thirst for video exposure of my team. In the Sept. 16 Star, it was reported your early game would be Atlanta at Minnesota. The Sunday sports section and TV sections corroborated that Imagine my chagrin when you broadcast Chicago at Green Bay, instead.

It was so boring I turned to the AFC game and then the Twins' game at noon. It's bad enough that the airwaves are inundated with the Cubs. Now we must also be subjected to the Bears, as well. You've done this to me before and I hate you for it. DONALD TORDSEN Coverage is lacking To the sports editor: I have a couple of complaints regarding sports coverage in the Star.

The first is the late reporting of Arizona State night football results. We have to wait until Monday morning to get coverage, and what is given is usually skimpy. Coverage has been better in the past. The pre-game articles are great, however. My second complaint is the lack of coverage of Phoenix-area high school sports.

I don't expect write-ups or box scores, just the scores. Last week, no Phoenix area AAA football scores were reported. During the past basketball season, no Phoenix-area scores or standings were reported, if memory serves me correctly. I've been a reader of the Star for about eight years. Coverage in these areas has been better in the past, and I would like to see in return to its old form.

DAVID L. NICHOLS The Star welcomes letters on soorts subiects. Please keep ttem brief. They must be signed and have a return address and phone number Letters mav be edited tor space and grammar. Aodress.

Soorts Department. The Arizona Daily S'ar. P.O. Box mil. Tucson.

Aril 65726. -4 1 self-esteem, personal enjoyment and physical fitness," Ryan wrote. "Children need guidance. The development of good exercise habits should begin in elementary school along with good reading, speaking and writing habits. The earlier these habits are learned, the more likely they are to become a part of life." The American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance has said that elementary school children should have a PE program for a minimum of 150 minutes a week or 30 minutes a day.

Vern Seefeldt, Ph.D., who is the director of the Institute for the Study of Youth Sports at Michigan State University, said even that isn't long enough to maintain either fitness or master motor skills. Do you have Question about kKjs in sports' Sold your Questions to Dan Seer. Kids tarts. care of The Arizona Daily Star. P.O.

ton WEI. Tucson. AM. Br iplHittlp fit Glad that Howard left To the sports editor: I can't take all this sudden outpouring of affection for Howard Cosell. for one, am extremely glad that he's gone from Monday Night Football.

Here's a guy named Worst Sportscaster (often unanimously) in virtually every poll taken on the subject in the past decade. He had an irritating manner, a grating voice, a tenuous grasp of the English language, a death grip on superlatives, hypocritical opinions and a bad rug. Who needs him? Certainly not the NFL. I can honestly say that I never once enjoyed or respected his work. And please don't give me that "love to hate" business.

The Dallas Cowboys you love to hate. Cosell you just hate. He was an intellectual bully (and a phony at that), constantly frying to bludgeon his ex-jock partners into silence through the use and misuse of big words. I'm convinced that people were so turned off by his droning that they didn't notice all of his grammatical errors. Then, there was his guardian angel at ABC, Roone Arledge, who argued that Cosell had high ratings.

Gee, I wonder why. He covered (more like smothered) Monday Night Football, championship boxing matches and Muhammad Ali. Idi Amin would chalk up hefty ratings with a workload like that. As for Greg Hansen missing Cosell, it's probably because Co-sell was good for at least one quickie column a year. Hansen probably is the only one who misses Cosell.

Now, if only Hansen would get the urge to be missed. ANA B. DANEHY Vikings' fan perturbed To the sports editor: This is an open letter to the powers that be at Channel 13: By Dan Speraw 1984 Universal Press Syndicate Dr. Melvin Thornton, a clinical professor of pediatrics at the University of Texas, said, "According to the studies we have on fitness, (children) stay in pretty fair physical condition until they reach puberty. "Children have a natural urge to move, and part of our challenge is to be sure that they don't lose that," Dr.

Ann Jewett said. She is chairwoman of health, physical education, recreation and dance at the University of Georgia. But many experts said that physical decline begins just after the elementary grades. Dr. Allan Ryan, editor of The Physician and Sports medicine magazine, said he thinks the answer is in elementary schools.

"Children (learn to) understand how physical skills can be used to cultivate and maintain The Arizona Daily Star MESA Oregon appears to have found a quarterback that can lead it to a winning season. And wouldn't you know it, the Ducks located him I in their backyard. Chris Miller, a sophomore from 1 Sheldon High School in Eugene, had guided Oregon to a 34) record enter-. ing yesterday's game against Pa-! cific. Miller came off the bench in the opener against Long Beach State with the Ducks trailing, 17-7.

He took Oregon on three touchdown drives in the last 13 minutes for a 28-17 vic-; tory. That helped him earn the start-; ing position from senior Mike Jorgensen. Demonstrating that was no fluke, Miller threw a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter the next week to rally the Ducks from a 20-17 deficit to a 27-20 victory over Colorado. The next week a different team, a different site, the same story. A 31- yard fourth-quarter touchdown pass to Lew Barnes beat California, 21-14, in Berkeley.

The score came with 53 seconds remaining. Oregon is to play at Arizona on Miller's success is no surprise to Rich Brooks, the Oregon coach. He said a few weeks after signing Miller in February 1983 that Miller was probably the best high school pros-; pect in Oregon since Terry Baker, who won the Heisman Trophy at Or-'. egon State in 1962. During the Skywriters' visit in Au- gust, Brooks publicly said Jorgensen was the starting quarterback.

Pri-l vately, he said Miller would even- tualry win the job. The athletic tal- ent was there, it was a matter of Miller familiarizing himself the in- tricacies of the position. Oregon was beginning its season in a familiar fashion losing to a PCAA school it's supposed to beat. Going into the season, Oregon was 1-5 in its last six games with PCAA schools. Losing, that is, until Miller en-l tered the game.

Quarterback has been a sore spot with Oregon since Reggie Ogburn used up his eligibility in 1979. After one season. Brooks estimated his team would won "three or four" ad- ditional games that would have given Oregon a winning season had a quarterback with Ogbum's abilities been playing. I What a difference a quarterback I can make. "With Chris Miller at quarterly back," Brooks said, "we have a guy that can make unbelievable athletic plays.

That's something our offense has lacked, someone who can turn a bad play into a good play. He is a fine athlete who is capable of moving the offense down the field. "He has made a real impact." For Miller, 6-foot-2, 191 pounds, playing at Oregon is living out a dream. "I'd been coining to games since 1974," Miller said in August. "In high school I was definitely a fan." Miller said he imagined playing for the Ducks.

"I'd be watching plays, seeing things happen, thinking what I could do in those situations," he said. "I always envisioned myself playing." But, he said, he didn't see himself Bob Moran as being a savior of the program. He didn't tell himself he was going to be the man to lead the Ducks to the Rose Bowl. He wasn't going to put that kind of pressure on himself. "I wasn't thinking of becoming a hero," he said.

"I just thought of doing good things. You're always thinking about helping the Ducks. That's something I always thought." Miller was a pro baseball prospect in high school. There were rumors during the recruiting year he would sign a pro contract. But he said he wanted to go to college.

Oregon State tried hard to get him, but the hometown Ducks won out. The visions he saw weren't in orange and black. Miller piayed American Legion baseball last summer, batting better than .300. He cut short his season to prepare for fall football practice, much to the disappointment o.f his Legion coach. Miller said he had a quarterback job to win.

Miller, wasn't on the usual blue chip lists because he was healthy only his senior year in high school. His junior season, his first year of football, he tore a thigh muscle. "I didn't play at all," he said. "I was looking for a scholarship in basketball." Those plans evaporated after another injury. "I hurt my knee after the last (football) game," he said.

"I played only five basketball games my senior year. I had to give that up." Miller completed 116 of 193 passes for 1,617 yards and 12 touchdowns in 1982 at Sheldon High. Miller said he remembers "a big roar from the fans" when he made his debut, at Eugene against UCLA. Brooks said he wanted to redshirt Miller. But when Jorgensen broke a leg against the Bruins, and back-up Mike Owens was ineffective, Miller played.

"It was warm welcome," Miller said. "I was nervous to be out there. There were a lot of nerves and tension." Miller said playing in his hometown is an incentive. "A lot of people want to see me play. So there's a little pressure," he said.

"I want to do good for my hometown and myself." So far he's right on track doing both. Lagniappe. California coach Joe Kapp despises the color red. It reminds him of Stanford. Kapp dislikes the color so much that before a practice this August he took a pair of scissors and cut off a red shirt worn by one of his players.

"I owe you a shirt," Kapp told him. Tucson High graduate Osia Lewis has been promoted to starting weak-side linebacker for Oregon State. spvpral IIA nlavpr three to five miles daHy in prepara- basketball practice. Rich Dymond rule on this, and who held the record that was last put up? Jackie Lewison, Biloxi, Miss. A.

In 1976, the International -Amateur Athletic Federation de- creed all world marks would henceforth be measured in meters. At the time. Ivory Crockett and Houston McTear were co-holders of the 100-yard record at 9.0. Q. We heard so much about Steve Young's $4a-million con- tract with the L.A.

Express, and now the team has folded. What about Young's money? How much did be get and will he stiU get all of it? Ken Laughead, Tucson. A. Young received a bonus of $2.5 million, which he already has tucked away in a bank, his agent, I Leigh Steinberg, said. Wilson received $200,000 in salary during the season.

The bulk of the money is due in the form of an annuity. His contract called for the annuity to be funded by Sept. 15. That date has come and gone, and so has the Express franchise. However, the United States Football League has a contingency fund for breached contracts, and Young's annuity may be financed from there.

Express general manager Don Klosterman is trying to keep all the players' contracts in force until he can find new financing. But if Young's contract is breached, he becomes the prop erty of Tampa Bay. otootsaXt you have a aurstion about a mt perwai Send your awrsKom to wts Ho (.. Ceotral Eressa. Sue Oaaos.

lews ISJt bemv mt idMi at Mi. mi mm! raits an "Hannv Rirthriav" rvprfnrmpn hv "-rrj UA players have been running tion for Oct. 15 the first day of By Steve Perkins and Mickey Herskowitz 1984 Universal Press Syndicate Q. I would like to get it straight about the prospects of Doug Flu-tie, Boston College's quarterback, making it in the National Football League. For instance, at 5-foot-J, isn't he taller than Eddie LeBaron was? Frank Haughton, Prov-incetown, Mass.

A. The subject of short quarterbacks is well-documented. No quarterback shorter than 6-0 has ever won an NFL title, and few have been in the championship games. Fran Tarkenton, for instance, was listed at 6-0 but he was measured at 5-1 1'. LeBaron was 5-7, but that was 24 years ago or more when he played for Washington and Dallas.

Interesting is Flutie's reaction to all this: "The thing that burns me up, when I'm watching a game on television, nothing is said when a quarterback's 6-2 or 6-3 and his pass is batted down. But I'll watch a videotape of our game and as soon as one of my throws gets knocked down the' guys in the booth jump all over "They say, 'Little Flutie, his height really hurt him And it didn't have anything to do with my height somebody just got in my face, and I threw into him." Flutie may win the Heisman Trophy this season and then a few championships in Canada. Q. I am aware that world records are no longer kept for Mayan! dashes, but I wauM like to knew two tUngs. When did they.