The Times Herald from Port Huron, Michigan • Page 7

0) Q) The Times Herald Section PORT HURON, MICH. Saturday July 17, 1976 Thireemiedl begin fldby Germany as a major power. The Games, which end Aug. 1, have cost the Canadians $1.4 billion in construction and preparation costs. Montreal orginally budgeted $445 million.

Strikes, scandals and cost overruns ate up the rest of it. And it isn't yet complete. The Olympic Stadium is finished only to a degree. States team to pull out in sympathy with Taiwan. Nigeria withdrew in protest of New Zealand's participation.

The tour of South Africa, excluded from the Olympic movement for its apartheid policies, by a New Zealand rugby team has angered other African nations and caused the boycott of the Games by Somalia, Mauritius and Tanzania. The possibility exists that still others may follow. But now the athletes, all but overlooked in the. charges and counter-Charges, the promises and threats and pleas of the officials, come into their own. The competition begins Sunday.

The United States, Russia, East and West Germany are expected to dominate that competition, which will be televised to more than 60 nations about one billion viewers, one quarter of the world's population. The early spotlight will center on swimming, where the American men and the East German women are heav-ily favored. The United States can't realistically expect a seven gold medal harvest from one man, a la Mark Spitz in Taiwan athletes begin trip home MONTREAL (AP) The Olympic Games, at last, have gone from the board rooms and council halls of the politicians and administrators to the stadia and pools and playing fields of the ath--letes. Those athletes, 7,000 strong and representing 112 nations, inaugurated the Games of the XXI Olympiad today with the pomp, pagentry and parade of the traditional opening ceremony. Missing from their ranks, however, were the teams of Taiwan and Nigeria, victims of the varied political crices that, as late as Thursday, threatened the very existence of the Games and continue to cast grave doubts over the future of the Olympic movement, its principles and ideals, The Taiwanese withdrew after the International Olympic Committee voted overwhelmingly to change their official designation to "Taiwan" from "Republic of China," the name Canada with its strong economic ties to Communist China-refused to allow and the name the Taiwanese insisted they must have.

The dispute was one of the most heated in Olympic history and. at one time, prompted a threat by the United If if iU AP Sports at a glance Marysville tourney today The first annual Marysville city recreation flight tennis tournament will begin today, with play starting at 5:30 p.m. at Marysville High School. Eight men's doubles teams and four women's teams are entered. Finals will begin at 1 p.m.

Sunday. Golf Finals in Publinx COON RAPIDS, Minn. (AP) Former tour pro Archie Dadian of Milwaukee and professional hopeful Eddie Mudd of Louisville met today in a Itfihule match-play final for the U.S. Public Links golf championship. Dadian, who has finished third in the national tourney three times, advanced to the finals with a 7 and 6 victory over Hick Roskopf of Beaverton, Friday while the 22-yearold Mudd tripped Gary Hitch of Ventura, 2-up in his semifinal.

Dadian, 42, fired a three-under-par round in his victory over Roskopf. Mudd, who plans to turn pro next summer, was one-under at the par-72 Coon Rapids Municipal Course during his victory over Hitch. Racing Allson on pole NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Bobby Allison will be in the pole position for tonight's Nashville 420 NASCAR Grand National stock car race, but it's because of a helping hand from his young protege, Neil Bonnett. Bonnet! 29, drove the injured Allison's red Mercury and won the pole position Friday night, averaging 10X 07 miles per hour.

Bonnett, highly successful at the five-eighths-mile Nashville track in sportsman races, said afterwards that Allsion would start the race and drive as long as possible. Allison, who once estimated he races an average of five nights a week, received facial injuries, broken ribs and a injured foot in a wreck last Saturday at Elko, Minn. He was released from the hospital Thursday. Foolish Pleasure out CHICAGO (AP) Foolish Pleasure, scheduled to run in today's Washinton Park Handicap at Arlington Park, has been scratched from the field. A spokesman at Arlington Park said late Friday that the 1075 Ken-lucky Derby winner and one of the richest horses with earnings of more than a million dollars in his career, was stranded in New York on Friday night wheji a plane scheduled to bring him to Chicago was grounded by engine trouble.

Tennis Top seeds advance CINCINNATI (AP) Eddie Dibbs, Dick Stockton and Dick Cealy moved into the semifinals of the $100,000 Western Tennis Championships Friday by posting straight-set victories on the Coney Island clay courts. The battle for the last semifinal spot pitted Roscoc Tanner and Cliff lilchey in an evening match. Dibbs. the tournament's topseed from Miami Beach, disposed of unheralded Trev Waltke of Los Angeles, 6-2. 6-2.

Waltke, ranked 3.5th In the country, knocked off Tom Gorman, the No. 6 seed and defending champion, in a late evening surprise Thursday. Stockton, seeded fifth and playing out of Dallas, beat No. 4 seed Stan Smith, Sea Pines, 6-4, 8-3. Olympics Olympic future clouded MONTREAL (AP) Politics are expected to cloud the Olympic movement in the next few years and China will be at the heart of it all.

The day of the opening ceremony of the Montreal Games dawned, but politics would not go away. As Taiwan and Nigeria walked out and other African countries were reported ready to follow, Lord Killanin, president of the International Olympic Com-mitlee, set the likely scene between now and the next Olympic Games In Moscow in lflxn. "In the next year or two the whole China question must be discussed with reality," Killanin said. That means more politics. he crosses the Ottawa River on a ferry to Mas-son, Que.

ON THE WAY TO MONTREAL Don Boudrias of Sarsfield, holds the Olympic torch high as BOSTON (AP) Striving to keep their national identity intact, 25 members of the Taiwanese Olympic team gave up their struggle to compete in the 1976 Summer Olympics and arranged to fly home today. The athletes arrived here last week in a rush of confusion, waiting to be allowed entry into Canada to participate in the Olympic Games in Montreal. Those plans never were realized. Wearing the official Olympic emblems on their navy and red blazers, leaders of the Taiwanese team announced Friday they were pulling out of the Games after rejecting a proposal by the International Olympic Committee to compete without using the name "Republic of China." "We consider this change to be improper and against the International Olympic Committee rules preventing political discrimination and interference," spokesman Sung-Mo Chang told a news conference. "We deeply regret that we have no alternative but to not participate in the games." About half of the 54-mcmbcr Taiwan Olympic Team including athletes, coaches and advisers had been staying at a Brooklino motel after they were refused visas by the Canadian government.

The Taiwanese chose to stop in the Boston area, they said, because of the excellent training facilities and the large Chinese community working at universities and living in Chinatown. Bronkline adjoins Boston. PERCHED BIRD Mark Fidrych 7 CP 4- -f 192. But they couTu, conceivably, win all 13 events. Shirley Babashoff is a potential star on the women's team that must contend with the power of the East Germans.

Gold medals are to be awarded Sunday in the men's 200-meter butterfly and the women's 400-meter medley relay. The grace and beauty of gymnastics also is on show Sunday night with the tiny little Russian girl, Olga Korbut who captured the hearts of the world in Munich again ranked second to her teammate, Lyudmila Turishcheva. Track and field begins Friday. It has been robbed of its premier attraction, potentially the highlight of the entire Games, the match-up of Filbert Bayi and John Walker of New Zealand in the 1,500 meters, the metric mile, Bayi, the world record holder in the event at 3:32.2, was lost to the Games when his country, Tanzania, decided not to compete. Walker holds the world record in the mile, 3:49.4.

The Americans, who for decades dominated the glamor track and field events, this time are expected to win only about five or six men's events. The big story, in track and field and other sports as well, could be the emergence of East is scheduled to pitch against Oakland's Mike Norns, 2-2. Friday's crowd of 43.905 once again refused to leave the park until Fidrych came out of the dugout to acknowledge their "We want Bird" cheers. The turnout raised attendance at the last four Fidrych pitched home games to 196,00. As in the others.

Bird did not disappoint Ihem although he was a 1-0 victim to Kansas City the last previous time out. "I've never seen anything like it. It's Ihe damndest thing," said Tiger Manager Ralph Houk of the Fidrych Phenomenon. Even Oakland outfielder Clatidell Washington who nearly came to blows with the Bird over an inside pitch had only praise for the hard-throwing, colorful Detroit hurler. "1 think he's a hell of a pitcher," ashington said.

smart. He comes right at you. He's got a good gimmick and he has all those people out there." Washington didn't realize that Fidrych' "gimmick" of talking to the ball, doing knee-bends on the mound, pointing to the plate, stalking In circles and patting dirt on the mound are routine habits. Those antics resulted in a bench-clearing incident In the sixth. Apparently fed up waiting for Washington to get into the batter's box, Fidrych squatted down and wouldn't stand up until Washington stepped to the plate.

Then Bird pointed to the plate, like he does often as if to line up a pitch, and fired Inside. Washington took off to the mound and was Intercepted by catcher Bruce Kimm. Benches cleared but the commotion ended shortly. "He was talking while I was looking at him," Washington said. "He pointed and threw the ball inside.

I Just wanted to know what was happening. I didn't want to fight I didn't know if he was talking to me or the ball." Both Fidrych and Torrez faced the minimum number of batters the first six innings. Those who did reach base were still incredible, A's in eleven Huge cranes still hang over the saucer-shaped facility that seats some 70,000. The entire complex of athletic sites, housing facilities, hotels that house delegations, university dormitories that house some 8,000 newsmen, all are subject to the most intensive and extensive security arrangements in Olympic history. During their visit, they met with Chinese business and community leaders In Boston, toured historic sites and jogged through city streets to keep in shape.

"During our team's brief sojourn in Boston, they have been deeply touched by the hospitably and expression of sympathy and support of the American people, the media and the Chinese community," Chang said. "All the members of the team wish to offer their heartfelt thanks for all the kindnesses extended to them as well as their best wishes to all." The Taiwanese athletes also were welcomed at ceremonies in Concord, N.H., last Monday by Gov. Mcldrim Thomson. He ordered the Taiwanese flag flown at the New Hampshire Stale House and the governor's official residence until the Taiwanese were allowed play in the Olympics under the Republic of China name. The Taiwanese flag was still flying on Friday.

"I cannot believe that the vast majority of Americans would willingly permit this flagrant insult to our true friend and ally, the Republic of China, to go unnoticed and without protest," Thomson said at the flag-raising. While the Taiwanese athletes and officials leave with a bitter taste for the political manuevermgs of the IOC, they will remember the many Americans who sympathized with their cause. crouches on the mound, wait land in April and Baylor singled in the A's inning run. Detroit mounted a rally in the llth Friday almost identical to one in the ninth. LeFlore opened with an infield single, Tom Veryzer sacrificed him to second and Rusty Staub was walked intentionally all Just as In the ninth But instead of popping out, designated hitter Ilorton singled between third and shortstop to score LeFlore "I'm Just happy to be back with the guys.

We're one big happy family." said Ilorton. who returned to the lineup Thursday after being on the disabled lisi for nearly six weeks. "Willie's gonna hit or not hit." Houk said "He gets in hot streaks semifinal round, with an ee toward the finals held later today In the other semifinal. Brad Hyland of Grosse lie and Mark Timyan of Flint meet for a shot at the finals Schultheiss' semifinal opponent Reese looked impressive Friday, winning his two matches fi-S and 2 I by one stroke alter the opening round, shot par 71 Friday, while While, who like Wynn has never been close to winning, slipped from a first-round K.I to a one-over 72 And Ziegler continued Inn steady play with a 67 to go with Ins opening HH They were at seven under 1.13 Then, came Andy North. Tom Watson and Arnold Palmer at IKi North carded a 67.

atson 72 and Palmer added a 67 to his 69. his first consecutive rounds in the 60s since Ihe Hawaiian Open last J.mu- AP IV jXJ i Fidrych is shuts out DETROIT (AP) When will it end? Or will it ever? Mark "Bird" Fidrych just won't stop pitching brilliant baseball. And the "Birdmania" that has swept Detroit and elsewhere since the 21-year-old rookie right-hander became a Tiger starter doesn't seem about to diminish despite his loss Tuesday in the All-Star game. Fidrych dropped his earned run average to 1.61, gained his second shutout and raised his record to 10-2 Friday night when Willie Ilorton singled in a run in the bottom of the 11th inning to give Detroit a 1-0 triumph over Oakland. "The Bird" went all the way for the Uth time in 12 starts, surviving a brilliant duel with Mike Torrez, then -kit.

12345 7 4, I' ing for the A Claudcll Washington to step back into the batter's box Fidrych's next pilch was Inside and both benches cleared. Rollie Fingers, who relieved when righthander Torrez was hit in the upper right arm by a Ron LeFlore single in the ninth. "That was better than any World Series game," said A's Manager Chuck Tanner. The Tigers who have reached the halfway point in their 162-gamc schedule with a 40-41 record have won their last three games in extra innings. The last two have been by one run in 11 innings to the A's.

Detroit lost its first three extra-inning contests this season and has won all seven since. It's Vern Ruhle's turn tonight to try to extend the Tigers' winning ways when the sophomore right-hander, who is 5-5, 4 i i i I r- i I Schultheis moves to GAM finals erased on dnublepays, caught stealing or. in one instance, wiped out trying to stretch a double to a triple. Oakland managed some threats in the late innings, stranding six runners in the last six innings, but Fidrych always seemed to do the right thing to get out "of trouble. In the top of the 11th Bill North singled.

Pinch runner Matt Alexander stole second and took third on catcher John U'orkenfuss' throwing error. Then Ken McMullen walked. Fidrych struck out Don Baylor for the second out, then Joe Rudi flied out. Baylor was the first batter Fidrych faced in his major league career a one-batter, last inning relief job in Oak Schultheiss played a 20 hole marathon before finally defeating Bob McMasters in the morning round of play. In the afternoon, Shullheiss had an easier time, defeating Brian Mills of Meadowabrook, The Southern Methodist senior now faces Don Reese of Grosse He in the resides in Hollywood.

Fla Graham shot a three-under-par 68 Friday over the 6.603 yard Westchester course. He was the co-leader along with Carlton While after the first round. The closest lo Graham as the rich tournament went under the national television cameras today were Mike Wynn and White, two relatively unknown pros, and veteran Larry Ziegler. winner this year of Ihe New Orleans Open. Wynn, who trailed White and Graham Roy Schultheis, loser in the final round of the Golf Association of Michigan tournament in 1974, took a step toward avenging that loss by moving into the semifinals of this year's tournament in plav Friday at Oakland Hills Country Club Graham leads Westchester by 4 Quote Nolan Ryan "The only time I try for a strikeout is when a runner Is In scoring position or if I have a big advantage in the fount." Nolan Ryan, California Angels pitcher.

0Q. YD I HARRISON, Y. (AP) Dave Graham leads the $300,000 Westchester Golf Hassle by four strokes. But the slim-built Australian isn't exactly brimming with confidence. Despite a 36-hole total of 11-under par 131, the Aussie has been around too long to start spending that $60,000 first prize just yet "We've got two more days, and we could have a complete reversal." cautioned the 30-year-old Graham, who now Tht Timet Htrold, LARRY PfcPLINSKI LOCAL CONTENDER The Tigress, owned by George Lyon out of the Sarnia Yacht Club, is one of the top local contenders In th Class division of today's Mackinac race.

Story on the start of the race is on 1A..