Great Falls Tribune from Great Falls, Montana • Page 10

Great Falls Tribune Monday, IVbruary 6, 1978 Pr sgw. tjsflW i Ml 3 r. few 'ill ,5 r- 1-1 cv. 1 )f i HAT MADNESS -This weekend state B-c wrestling championship in Havre produced its share of excitement captured by the Tribune's Phil Smith. Tribune photos by Phil Smith Sportscope a contract with Texas Rangers.

Last year, he hit .246 with eight homers and 32 RBI in 66 games with Oakland. Jorgensen, a six-year veteran with a .249 lifetime average, broke in with the New York Mets and then played with Montreal from 1972-76. Thomas Wassberg, Sweden's brightest cross-country ski prospect, will miss the upcoming World Nordic Ski Championships in Lathi, Finland, due to a serious knee injury. The 22-year-old Wassberg injured his left knee in a car accident near Orsa, Sweden. He was on his way to the Swedish ski team's final training camp before the championships March 17-26.

'Jess Hill, the only hill-time com- the Pacific Coast Athletic Hall of Fame impressed Soviet cagers SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) -The Soviet national basketball team headed home Tuesday, leaving behind some buised American players and taking with it new plans for a Russian basketball hall of fame. Before the Soviets trounced a smaller University of Connecticut team 91-70 Monday night. But several players appeared more excited about a visit to the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield. After the game, attended by only 1,000 fans, Soviet Coach Alexander Gomelsky said, "We play many times in the United States, but this was the first time we don't play before the public." The basketball museum and shrine "was good, very good," said Soviet point guard Stanislav Eremin, shaking his head.

"We have nothing like it at home." Gomelsky, a basketball journalist and author who will coach the 1980 Soviet Olympic team, said he would try to get a basketball hall of fame started in Russia. Upon arrival, he asked to see the uniform of Bill Russell the man he considers to have been "the greatest basketball player In the history of the world." After their last tour, in which the Soviets were defeated by beefy Notre Dame and Kentucky front lines en route to a 5-8 record, "the coach said we had to be more physical," said Eremin. Monday night's victory gave the Russian team a 4-1 mark for the tour, with victories over UCLA, Brigham Young and Providence. Their sole loss came against Kansas State. Courchane stars at winter fair HARLEM The Great Flls PAL-YMCA boxing club participate din the Harlem-Fort Belnap 12th annual winter fair this weekend, and walked away with the Outstanding Bozer Honor in additon to winning two bouts.

Tito Courchane of Great Falls, was named Outstanding Boxer of the winter fair meet as he won his bout over Amos Many Hides of the Browning Blackfeet club. The Great Falls boxers had to spot weight in order to obtain bouts with Scott Lakford of the PAL-YMCA dropping a split decision to Frank- Crantz of Harlem and Pete Sangrey losing to Wayne Martel of Wolf Point In Sangrey's first fight of the year. Dave Azure of Great FAlls joined Courchane in the winners circle taking his bout from Thomas No Runner Jr. of Browning. Hurricanes get player HOUSTON (AP) The two-week-old Houston Hurricane of the North American Soccer League acquired its first and only player Thursday, officials of the new franchise announced.

The Hurricane traded a third-, round choice In Monday's NASL draft to the Tampa Bay Rowdies for 23-year-old forward Dale Russell of Bermuda. me that my next start would be my last chance," John recalled. "Alston told me he had a good club and he couldn't waste time finding out if I could pitch." John said he got ahold of catcher Joe Ferguson and told the receiver, "Fergy, I've got one more Chance. Let's go down to the bullpen and work. I asked Alston to let Fergy catch me against Houston." John said the first two hitters got bouncing base hits.

"I looked at the bullpen, and it. was going full bore. I couldn't believe it. Two hits and an error in the first inning loaded the bases and he (Alston) was worried." "That brought up Bob Watson and I got behind three balls and no strikes," John said. "I felt a hanging curve ball would end of my career.

Fergy came out and said, 'now let's see what your fastball is made of. I want three of "I threw three fastballs and struck out Watson," John said. John went on to post a 10-10 record with a 3.09 ERA. Last season he was 20-7, with a 2.78 ERA, and he led the Dodgers to the National League pennant, winning the clinching game of the playoffs. Al Unser, Albuquerque, N.M., the last man to win back-to-back races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, will drive one of two new Lola-Cosworths entered for the May 28 Indy 500.

Entries for the two turbocharged racers, both listed with Unser as driver, were submitted by Jim Hall of Midland, Texas, a former driver and car owner In sports car competition. Unser, a veteran of 12 Indianapolis recently ended a long association with the Vel's-Parnelli Jones team. Outfielder-first baseman Mike Jor-gensen, who played out his option with the Oakland A's last fall, signed Bubba Smith's attorney after a jury failed to decide if negligence was involved in Smith's 1972 knee injury. U.S. District Judge John Miller declared the former All-Pro athlete's $2.5 million suit against the National Football League a mistrial after six days of testimony.

Smith's lawyer, Tony Cunningham, said he would seek a retrial, possibly by spring. Paul Cannell, one of the top strikers in the North American Soccer League, has been signed to a two-year contract by the Washington Diplomats. Cannell's contract has been purchased by the Dips from Newcastle United of the English First Division where he has played since 1972. "I came within one pitch of adios," recalled Tommy John before collecting a plaque from the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association designating him as the Most Courageous Athlete of 1977. John had ruptured a ligament in his pitching elbow on July 17, 1974.

His left hand atrophied and two fingers curled up to his palm. He not only looked like a guy who would never pitch again, but was given that message by the doctors who operated to correct the condition. The doctors suggested he look for another way to make a living. John didn't throw a ball again until February, 1975, and that in a catch in the backyard with his wife, In the spring, he threw against a wall at the Dodgers training camp but missed the season. John got his first start several weeks into the 1976 season against Atlanta, hanging a curve ball that Darrell Evans socked for a three-run homer.

John lasted five innings. "Walter Alston (former Dodgers' manager) told Super Bowl XII TV's top drawer this season NEW YORK (AP) More people watched the Super Bowl Sunday evening than any other program this season, and the big audience for the pro football championship boosted CBS to No. 1 in the weekly ratings race for only the second time this year, A.C. Nielsen figures show. An estimated 34.2 million homes tuned to the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Denver Broncos, compared with 27.2 million for the season's previous most-watched show, Ithe Muhammad AliEarnie Shavers 'championship fight Sept.

29. The Dallas-Denver game had a rating of 46.9, compared with the jprevl-' ous record for a sports telecast of 44.4, set by the Super Bowl game a ago between Oakland and Minnesota. Sunday's game was the first in the Super Bowl's 12-year history to be played in prime time. The rating for the Supes Bowl means 46.9 percent of all the homes in the country with television watched at least part of the game. CBS' rating for the week ending Jan.

15 was the highest of any network this season, 24.1. Association nas ever naa, announced he will retire, effective July 1, 1978. Hill, 71, came to the PCAA in 1972 following a long career at Southern California where he served as athletic director from 1957 through 1972. Hill tered Southern Cal as a student in 1927 and participated In football, baseball and track, later coaching the football and track teams. Janet Guthrie, America's first lady of auto racing, does not have a ride for this year's Indianapolis 500 nor even a likely prospect.

"It's got me waking up at 4 in the morning. I'm chewing my fingernails," said the 39-year-old Guthrie, who last year became the first woman to drive in the famed Indy race. "I wish I knew," she said of her plans for this year. "I have nothing lined up at the moment. There are places where I could go if I brought sponsors.

I'm working on It." Although the tall brunette qualified a Rolla Vollstedt Lightning at 188.403 miles per hour for a ninth-row start in last year's Indy 500, the big money sponsors did not jump on her bandwagon. "You haven't won and you haven't lost. Nothing was accomplished," said.