The Times from Shreveport, Louisiana • Page 12

The shreveport Times Wed Jan. 11, 178 S-C Tex Harrison: Globetrotting hasn't been all fun, games LOS ANGELES (AP) The Los Angeles Strings of World Team Tennis have obtained the rights to Chris Evert from the Phoenix Racquets and hope to sign her to a contract for 1978, the Strings announced Tuesday. Evert, a top performer for the Racquets last season and ranked the world's No. 1 woman player, had earlier said she'd like to play in Los Angeles. Strings owner Jerry Buss and Racquets President Jimmy Walker completed the deal Tuesday in Las Vegas, a Strings' spokesman said.

The Strings, who had the WTTs worst record, 11-33, last year, gave Phoenix an undisclosed amount of cash and a player to be named later for the rights to Evert 1 Strings can sign Chrissie gnm imaiBiaiaiaaicai i a i a a a a a FREE FROM PROBLEMS! We put all estimates in writing and do only the work you authorize. See Us Now! islr By Bill Rutkin Times Sports Writer The most hair-raising experience Tex Harrison ever had was the time he was sitting in an airplane at LaPaz, Bolivia, waiting to fly to Cali, Colombia. The pilot showed up 30 minutes late, half-drunk and wearing a parachute. "He was drunk but he was just playing a joke with the parachute," said Harrison, who has down in all sorts of sorties during his 25 years with the Harlem Globetrotters, who will be at Hirsch Coliseum Friday night There was the time the plane dropped 10,000 feet. "It didnt dive it dropped! The pilot later explained that he was trying to dodge some sudden turbulence." And then there was the time the plane landed not at the Rio de Janeiro airport as scheduled, but in the Atlantic Ocean after overshooting the runway.

Still, the fear of flying can be overcome by some very pleasant memories of being a Globetrotter, Harrison, now their promotions agent, recalls. "This may sound funny, but it's true," he said. "In 1956 we were scheduled to play in Lima, Peru. We found out that they were having a civil war there at the time; that was back when they had a war every two weeks. When we got to the airport we were told by the pro motor that we couldnt play, but we had a 12-hour layover before we could get out Somehow, all the factions found out that we weren't going to play so they suspended the war for four days.

(3 .4 1 There were no incidents, no trouble and we had four straight sellout crowds." The Harlem Globetrotters will travel approximately 100,000 miles this year during their October-July world tour. Every year they play to more people than the year before and set a record with 3,025,000 fans in 1976. The act changes very little throughout the years but the Globetrotters are always looking for innovations. "We feel that we need to be innovative, but if we were to put in completely new things people would say they aren't watching the Globetrotters. We will always have the baseball, football and water tricks; this is what fans come to see," said Harrison.

The Trotters also are always looking for new players. It's harder now because of the big salaries and bonuses offered by the NBA. "When I started the Globetrotters got their pick of players. We don't get the superstars but we still get good ballplayers. We get the players who are drafted third or fourth and know that they wont get the big bonuses." Still, the Trotters were able to grab 7-foot-l Gerald Smith away from the Seattle SuperSonics recently and picked up Minden native Louis Dunbar, from the University of Houston.

"Dunbar is doing just fine. I think he's destined for great things. His style makes him a showman without even trying to do showmanship things," said Harrison. Dunbar will be making his Shreveport debut with the Globetrotters Friday. Don Coryell checks around I rt Hii We'll install new resistor plugs, ignition points and condenser; adjust carburetor; set point dwell and timing; test battery and charging svstfim.

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Backed in writing. a a a a i a Harrison makes a point Coryell i By Jack Stevenson LOS ANGELES (AP) A National Football League coaching mystery reached a who'll do it stage Tuesday as Don Coryell of the St Louis Cardinals visited the haunts of the Los Angeles Rams, where Chuck Knox holds a key. Coryell flew into the city on a trip presumably unknown in advance by his employers and was whisked away by Rams General Manager Don Klosterman to a meeting termed a courtesy by the official of the Los Angeles team. Facts that were known: Coryell is unhappy at St. Louis.

Detroit, which courted Knox last year, has fired its coach Tommy Hudspeth. Knox, under fire despite five straight divisional titles with the Rams, signed a big contract with the Los Angeles club just a week ago. Also known is that Los Angeles owner Carroll Rosenbloom, who was a usual visitor in his club's post -game dressing room in past-seasons, didn't show up there much in 1977. Coryell, who said he was invited to Los Angeles by Klosterman for "a visit," remarked on his arrival that he is interested in the Rams' job if it is offered and if St. Louis owner William V.

Bidwell will release him from a contract that extends through the 1980 season. Knox is saying nothing, although earlier he was quoted as saying that he would not leave the Rams voluntarily. Just a week ago he signed a revolving five-year contract, believed in the neighborhood of $100,000 annually, which would be automatically renewable after each succeeding year. Klosterman said he and Rosen-bloom didn't know what Coryell wanted and that they would meet as a courtesy to the former San Diego State collegiate mentor. Then Coryell said he had been invited to Los Angeles by Klosterman.

Deepening the mystery was a Klosterman statement that he would meet later in the week with Knox. "We want to talk with Chuck and find out if there is someplace else he wants to go," the general manager told The Associated Press. Rosenbloom had commented prior to the 1977 season that he wanted Knox as coach "as long as I own this club." Speculation reached a point, after the Rams lost 14-7 to the underdog Minnesota Vikings in the opening playoff game this season, that Knox faced a rocky future if he were to remain with the club. No one wanted to talk for the record, but Rosenbloom naturally has wanted a Super Bowl team and winner as he had with Baltimore before trading the Colts for the Rams. Klosterman said that Coryell had "made it known he wanted to move to the West Coast because of his wife's health." The general manager was quick to point out, "Chuck is still here.

We have a meeting scheduled later this week." In St. Louis, Bidwell said Coryell was to have met with him Tuesday morning but didn't. Later Bidwell issued a statement: "There will be no further meeting between Don Coryell and mysef. Any further discussions that Coryell but Pearson wants his job back SEE OUR CUSTOM WHEELS FOR CARS-PICK-UPS- VAflS KLASSIC-RAIDER-SUflSPGKE-WHITE SP03CE RARGER FREE M0UNTIR6 OF WHEELS PURCHASED OVER 1,000 WHEELS IN STOCI STEEL BELTED RADIAL V-1 in L.A. ox has regarding operations will be held with Director of Operations Joe Sullivan.

The St Louis management denied knowledge of a West Coast trip by their coach. Sullivan commented, "I'm rather close to the situation and I have always felt that I was close to Don. All I know is he got on a plane and went to Los Angeles. I don't know why. I felt that there was no problem we had that couldn't be settled.

We can solve a ny problem Some of them are more difficult than others, but we can get them all solved." Asked if the Rams had asked permission to talk to Coryell, Bidwell answered," No comment." There might be a question of tampering with a coach under contract under NFL rules if such permission were not given. A year ago, Rosenbloom refused permission for Knox to talk to Detroit and a possible trade of players for a coach was mentioned. The Cardinals' Bidwell said Coryell and he had met for 25 minutes Monday, labeling the session one designed to lay "ground rules" for further examination of club policies. The coach had exploded last month following a 26-20 loss by his club to Washington and said his lack of influence on the club's collegiate draft was his principal complaint. The 1977 season, with a 7-7 record, ended on a sour note with a loss to Tampa Bay and was the worst of Coryell's five NFL seasons since his inaugural in 1973, when the Cardinals were 4-9-1.

In between, St Louis complied records of 10-4, 11-3 and 10-4. In 1975, the Cardinals lost to the Rams 35-23 in an opening Super Bowl playoff game. Chisox sign Caray with pay increase CHICAGO (AP) Harry Caray, broadcaster of the Chicago White Sox, has signed a two-year pace at a substantial increase in salary. Caray, who does both television and radio of White Sox games, reportedly received a boost of $50,000 to $150,000 a year. Caray has been with the White Sox for the past seven years.

Before that he was the voice of the St. Louis Cardinals. Caray's sidekicks, Jimmy Piersall and Lorn Brown, also were rehired with salary increases. World Tennis ranks Vilas number one NEW YORK AP) World Tennis Magazine has ranked Guillermo Vilas of Argentina the No. 1 men's player in the world for 1977.

The magazine said its selection was based on Vilas' record of 21 tournament victories, including the French and U.S. Championships. Bjorn Borg of Sweden, the Wimbledon winner, was ranked No. 2, followed by Jimmy Connors, No. Brian Gottfried, No.

Vitas Gerulaitis, No. Manuel Orantes, No. Eddie Dibbs, No. Dick Stockton, No. Raul Ramirez, No.

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ByMikelmrem Gannett News Service DALLAS Preston Pearson is about the only guy around here who doesn't get a tingle down his spine when Tony Dorsett runs with the football. Pearson has nothing against Dorsett. In fact, he believes the rookie might break all of pro football's rushing records before he's done. The thing bugging Pearson is that he lost his starting job to Dorsett in the 10th week of the season. And he said he can't figure out why.

"YouH have to ask Dallas coach) Tom Landry for that answer," he said. "The move to put Dorsett in as the starter was not justified, because I was playing well. I didn't lose the job and I dont think he earned it. "Starting really doesn't matter that much to me at this point in my' career," the 11-year veteran continued. "But things are different for him as a starter.

"When the job was mine, I played a quarter, came out, then played the third quarter. Now he's playing the whole game, the full four quarters." Pearson's current parttime duties consist of joining Dorsett in the backfield on third down or other passing situations. He is basically a receiver, a valuable cog. The University of Illinois graduate doesnt pretend to be content, but he hasn't made any big waves. He said he'll wait until after the Super BowJ before talking to management about his future.

In a way, Pearson's current status is similar to his playing behind Franco Harris, Rocky Bleier and Frenchy Fuqua for five years in Pittsburgh with one exception. He now is more financially stable than ever before in his life. So much so that, if he chooses, he said he can walk away from football and never look back. "I dont want to make it sound like I'm going to leave the game, but I do want to get my word in," Pearson said. "And if I decide it's my time to leave, I will, with no reservations on my part.

"The past two or three years, numerous business opportunities have presented themselves. Two positions are open to me whenever I leave professional football. "When you're in a situation where it's up to you whether or not you're going to that's the ultimate. They have so much control over you in pro football, it's satisfying when the decision is yours. "I like the Dallas Cowboys, the system and the people.

I would like to finish my career here, but I have to look at myself in the mirror. a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a fl a a a a a fl a a a a a YISA(BUKAKERtCARD) honor- tea MASTER CH6RGE ABERICAH EXPRESS TOth-FeirfcHAv Phon 888-0582 CEDAR GROVE STORE troof tie wfe2 tire pcopte" a LJLJ moTTs, 9S.tmen Mwrttw All HomtHatl 219 taunt rraT tmim thk cmti wi it tmitmn uhimm miA I '202 MaKiiw Hoot I km 4002 bnmmtf iWJrmi I rflPlil "2S47I! Mrae3M64i 'V-fe f. Wim Betttr Tin Otali kn Bad Moon's FirtstoM WiB Halo Then.