Green Bay Press-Gazette from Green Bay, Wisconsin • Page 39

D-1 GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE SPORTS Fidrych optioned College notes Chilling trolling P-G Pin results Businessfinance- -D-2 -D-6 -D-9 D-10 D-11 tarr. we're beUer than outre Sunday, March 30, 1980 cord indicated El Cliff Christl Of the, Press-Gazette 4n 3 ation going to be, then? Starr: "You have to weigh it against what your long-range needs are and what people are there who can contribute right now. (We) could go in either direction." Having talked to some people in your organization, I get the impression that Junior Miller, the tight end from' Nebraska, could very likely fall into the best athlete available category when you draft fourth. If that's the case, what would you do, considering you already have Paul Coffman? Starr: "He (Miller) is a top-rated player. He could double outside for you.

There are a number of factors that would enter into a decision like that." What about players like Bruce Clark, the defensive tackle from Penn State, and Anthony Munoz, the tackle from Southern Cal? Could you afford to gamble on a player coming off a serious injury? Starr: "We'd have to be very firm in our feelings that they're healthy and it's not a gamble." What is the latest on Clark and Munoz? Starr: "They appear to be fine." What is the situation with James Lofton? I've heard from writers in both Philadelphia and Tampa Bay, for example, who say the teams they cover are interested in making a deal for him. Is he going to be back and will he be content if he is? Continued on D-3 Starr: "I don't know that anything is missing. I just think we need another quality player so we have more depth and flexibility." There are some people, including those in personnel positions around the league, who think the missing link in your rebuilding program is a quarterback. Do you agree or disagree? Starr: "I don't agree. I don't think there is any question that we were playing to our maximum at times when David (White-hurst) was our quarterback.

In fairness to him, he didn't, have the background and training like a Tommy Kramer at Minnesota, for example. But under the circumstances, David comported himself well. "And he's gotten better with that experience, and now will be a better quarterback. And I believe that if Lynn (Dickey) returns to total health, we're not as weak there as some people might think. In fact, I think we're a lot stronger." What if Marc Wilson of Brigham Young is available when you draft? Would you take him? Starr: "It would be a tough decision.

He's an excellent quarterback." So he's one of the players you'll consider if he's available. Starr: "Yes, we will." Are you as likely to draft him now in your fifth year, as you would have been in your first? Starr: "You pose a unique question. If we were to take a quarterback, I'm not so sure he would make a difference in us winning next year. He could, but 1 doubt it." How important is that consider Press-Gazette sports writer Cliff Christ 1 sat down last week with Green Bay Packer Coach and General Manager Bart Starr to review last year and look ahead to the 1980 season. Here are some excerpts from their discussion.

Last year at this time, everyone was optimistic and enthusiastic about the team's chances. Then last season put a damper on ail that. How easy or difficult will it be to rekindle what you had going a year ago? Starr: "I believe it will be relatively easy. I think it will be quickly apparent to our players that we're not as poor a football team as our record indicated that with just a few minor adjusments and improvements, and the return of some people who had been injured, we can come back to a point that approximates where we were in 1978 and, then, build from there." You've told your players that next summer will be the toughest training camp ever. But this team appeared to work long and hard the past few years.

How will things be different? Starr: "Maybe that's been misinterpreted. I just thirst we have to rededicate ourselves and gain an understanding of what it's going to take to win at this level. I don't think enough of our people understand that." Do you mean this camp will be more demanding mentally, than physically, in comparison to previous ones? Starr: "Yes, that's what I intended to indicate to them." This team doesn't appear to have any overwhelming internal problems. Starr: "No, we don't. We don't even have any moderate ones." Still, the fact is there was some finger-pointing and an erosion of confidence in what ydu were doing among some players last season.

Don't you have to address those problems? Starr: "Oh, sure. But I think most of that was due to losing. Losing creates frustration, anxiety, disappointment to the point where there is second-guessing and finger-pointing. But that's the case in any organization." The draft is a month away. What are your primary needs? Starr: "We can use another quality linebacker, another good defensive lineman, a defensive back.

We can use another wide receiver, another offensive lineman. I could run right down the list of positions and say we could use people at all of them." You started with the defense. Is that where your first priorities are? Starr: "No, not necessarily." You mentioned offensive linemen. And talking to Bill Curry before he left, he also felt another top player is needed in that area. What is missing there? Press-Gazette photo Packer Coach Bart Starr North Dakota tops Wo oca iii.ii.j.iui.uiiiumin i'ijiiimim mmrmmipjimi rKm pi C'f9 i.r,: Sjj yp goal with assists from Tom Laidlaw and Don Waddell.

It was the 41st goal of the season for the nation's leading scorer. A Terry Houck scored for the Wildcats one minute later and the Wildcats seemed on the verge of a comeback. But Smail solved that with a goal at the 18:21 mark with another assist from Sykes to put the game out of reach. "I think we had a chance to win it when it was 4-2 and we were flirting around their net," Cornley observed. "We caught them a little off guard earlier (with two wins at Marquette), but we didn't catch them tonight." Weeks and Tom Laidlaw made the all-tournament team for the Wildcats while Smail and Sykes made it for the Sioux.

Cornell's Roy Kerling rounded out the all-stars. "North Dakota learned a lot last year," Cornley concluded. "We'll learn from this and do our best to get here next year." wears you down," Cornley pointed out. The Fighting Sioux jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the first period on two Smail goals and two Sykes assists. The first came on a po-werplay at the 9:43 mark.

Smail flipped in a rebound past Northern goalie Steve Weeks, who finished the night 40 saves exactly twice the amount of his counterpart, Darren Jensen. The second came at 12:48 when Smail took a pass from Sykes and Travis Dunn in front of the left side of the net and put it in: Smail scored the only goal of the second period on another assist from Sykes at the 3:18 point. Sykes then decided he wanted a goal for himself and increased the North Dakota lead to 4-0 at the 8:02 mark of the third period when he broke up a play at the blue line and beat Weeks at the net. Bill Joyce put the Wildcats on the board with 5:30 remaining on a powerplay PROVIDENCE, R.I. (PG) Doug Smail was part of a two-man show for North Dakota, scoring four goals to lead the Fighting Sioux to a 5-2 victory over Northern Michigan in the NCAA Division 1 hockey finals before 6,056 fans at the Civic Center here Saturday.

Phil Sykes was the other half of the show, contributing assists on all of Smail's goals, plus scoring an unassisted goal of his own to down the very tight Wildcats. North Dakota finished with a record of 31-8-1 while NMU finished at 34-6-1. "Doug Smail is one of the best wingers in the country," Wildcat Coach Rick Cornley commented of the tournament MVP. "He could step into the NHL right now." For Cornley, it was the finest of his four years at Northern Michigan. The first three years his teams won 19 games apiece.

"It was a combination of last night's game and North Dakota's physical game that AP Loserphoto Greg Tignelli of Northern Michigan, left, skates with a handi- the ride during the first period of their NCAA Division I hockey cap North Dakota's Jeff Pyle. Pyle decided to hang on for title game Saturday night in Providence, R.I. Jesse Owens near death Bambi's sub isn't a Buck Rodgers type University of Arizona Health Sciences Center, said "Mr. Owens has taken a turn for the worse. "He is now in critical condition and is quite weak.

"There's evidence of lung infection. His general condition has deteriorated in the last 24 hours." TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) Former Olympic great Jesse Owens, fighting a battle against inoperable lung cancer, took "a turn for the worse" and was in critical condition Saturday, his doctors said. Dr. Stephen Jones, head of the medical team that has been treating Owens at the 1 Tony Walter Of the Press-Gazette 3 GRUMMAN p-.

13 FT. STANDARD WEIGHT LIGHTWEIGHT WHITEWATER 15FT. 17 FT. DOUBLE END and SQUARE STERN COMPLETE LINE OF GRUMMAN ACCESSORIES SAIL KIT SPRAY SKIRT PONTOONS CART0P CARRIER PADDLES SEAT CUSHIONS MOTOR MOUNT CARRYING YOKE It used to be I thought every major league baseball team had a Buck Rodgers. You know the type.

Mediocre player, loyal assistant, tobacco chewer, third base coach. The paunchy, portable assistant coach who pops up with St. Louis one year, San Francisco another year and Philadelphia the next. They all had names like Buck Rodgers or Salty Parker or Whitey Wilson. So, when they said George Bamberger's heart needed some work and Robert Leroy "Buck" Rodgers would become the Milwaukee manager, I found myself endorsing some of the pessimistic reactions.

"They won't win 80 games now," said a colleague. Another voiced the opinion that the Brewers would crumble without Bamberger's shrewd psychology. After all, they said, Buck Rodgers? Well, it could be that Buck Rodgers isn't the Buck Rodgers type. He did have a mediocre playing career (.232 batting average in nine seasons with the California Angels), he does chew tobacco and he does coach third base. But the immediacy with which the Brewers named him interim manager, with people like Harvey Kuehn, Frank Howard and Cal McLish in tow, suggests that there is more to the man than his name.

"What I'm doing now," said the 41-year-old Rodgers via the telephone in his Sun City, clubhouse office, "is assuming the position slowly. You can't just jump in and tell people to do this and do that. I'm gradually taking more and more authority as people get accustomed to me. "So far, it's been smooth as silk," Rodgers said. "The players have accepted me and there have been no repercussions.

So far, it's just like I thought it would be. "My relationship with the players is a little different than it was before, but it's always been good." Rodgers has promised to keep things the way Bamberger had them but he knows he'll have to do more thfin copy his boss. "I can't be a mind-reader," Rodgers said. "1 can't sit in the dugout and say, 'Would George Bamberger have done this or done And our plans are to stay away from George as far as calling him. "It would be unfair to endanger his health.

Now if George calls us, that's a different story." Does he expect to hear from Bamberger often? "No," Rodgers said. "I think George is serious about his recuperation. Our No. 1 concern is George's health." The unexpected events, which are expected to keep Bamberger out of uniform until at least mid-season, have created some coaching changes for the Brewers. Rodgers moves from the third-base coaching box to the dugout.

Howard moves from first base to third base coaching, and pitching coach Cal McLish, while continuing to direct the pitching staff, is being used as first base coach. "I wanted to keep Larry Haney in the bullpen," said Rodgers, who also has Kuehn in the dugout. "We've also been able to utilize Sal Bando more as a player-coach." Rodgers expects some adjustment problems in the dugout. "I told Harvey Kuehn not to let me become a spectator," said Rodgers. "I have to be aware of moving Cooper (Cecil) back or moving players closer to the lines." Right now, Rodgers is anxious to come North and start the season.

He knows there will be pressure on him to succeed where Bamberger succeeded and he knows there will be difficult decisions to make and player problems to handle. But he also knows that he has some pretty good trump cards to play the 1980 Milwaukee Brewers. A Loserphoto Northern Michigan goalie Steve Weeks turns away a point-blank shot by North Dakota's Craig Ludwig during NCAA hockey championship action. Oglivie homer sparks Brewers Xr- mi i ASK ABOUT OUR GRUMMAN FISHING BOATS for the Brewers. Bruce Kison went six innings for the Angels, giving up six hits and five runs.

Paul Molitor opened the first inning for Milwaukee with a single. Robin Yount followed with a triple and then Davis singled to score Yount. Kison then blanked the Brewers until there were two out in the sixth inning, when Yount walked, stole second and scored on Davis' double. Oglivie followed with his home run before Kison struck out Gorman Thomas to end the inning. The Brewers added two more runs in the seventh when Angel shortstop Patek misplayed a ground ball by Molitor with two outs.

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (AP) Ben Oglivie hit a two-run homer and- Dick Davis singled and doubled to drive in two runs Saturday to lead the Milwaukee Brewers to a 7-3 exhibition baseball victory over the California Angels. Iry Sorensen gave up four hits and one run in six innings to earn the victory W.V FRI. 9-9 TUES. WED.

SAT. PARK FREE AT OUR DOOR tmmmmmmm brumman BAva.