The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • 45

Garrison Says ROM Knox Quarterback Theory: Do Not Risk an Injury 3 Part B-Wed, Oct 29, 1975 log gimrt JOHN HALL Starting Over wb mm BY DWIGHT CHAPIN Times SUff Writer It's not the Rose Bowl, Super Bowl, or World Series. It's not the deciding game of the NBA or NCAA champion' ships. It's not the All-Stars, the Ail-Americans or the All-Pros. It's more important. "Welcome to the YBA.

Here you will have fun, learn new skills and develop sound attitudes for life. This program is unique. It focuses on you and the tremendous support that parents and adults who are committed to participation by all and to fair play above all can provide," begins the message from Paul Silas, president of the NBA Player's Assn. i It's not a strike or a bitter fight over contract terms. It's not a late hit or cheap shot on the football field.

It's not a coach saying, "Losing is like dying." It's not illegal out-of-season practice in a high school or college gym. It's not It's the week of the vanishing quarterbacks in the National Football League. So that was Topic A Tuesday at Ram coach Chuck Knox weekly press breakfast in Long Beach. Knox has been fortunate this season. His starting quarterback, James Harris, has played every game, despite having a sprained knee the last couple of weeks.

Backup quarterback Ron Jaworski hasn't been hurt. Asked what he'd do if both Harris and Jaworski went out in the same game, as Detroit quarterbacks Greg Landry and Bill Munson did Sunday, Knox said he'd move running back Rob Scribner to quarterback. Scribner works part of the Ram practices now at quarterback. He was a good one at UCLA, and I iWI STEEL RADIAL MpM TUBELESS BLACKV7ALL PRICE LQMPUaS PQffll PRO FOOTBALL Size 155-12 155-13 165-13 165-14 175-14 165-15 Ex. Tax 1.50 1.65 1.83 1.94 2.09 2.07 Rating Rank Team 96 93 93 England's Chuck Fairbanks did Sunday with Jim Plunkett.

Plunkett, who had a pin in his shoulder from a previous operation this season, was hurt again Sunday on a running play. He will undergo a second surgery on the shoulder and will be out eight weeks. Harris, who has the size and quickness to shuck off tacklers and bulldoze for yards the way Roman Gabriel did when he was a Ram, ha3 run just seven times in six games for 15 yards. "We haven't been using the quarterback sneak this year as much as last because of Harris' injured knee," Knox said. "And we haven't used the quarterback draw at all.

To us, running a quarterback draw depends on the situation, and on the physical condition of the quarterback." Knox thinks Harris is so valuable the risk isn't worth the possible gain. Harris apparently agrees. He was sacked twice Sunday in the New Orleans game. On one of those plays it appeared he could have run for yardage if he'd chosen. "Sometimes James will take a sack because he doesn't want to risk an interception by throwing into coverage," Knox said.

"That's partially a result of his lack of experience. But other times he hasn't run because he doesn't want to take the chance of further injury." The coach hasn't knocked him for that. "I don't ever like to see a quarterback run unless it's a designed play," said Knox" 'The only time I think it's the thing to do is when you are trying to pick up a first down you have to have to win a football game." Otherwise, on third and short yardage, it's going to be John Cappellet-ti. Cullen Bryant or Jim Bertelsen up the middle not James Harris. Bam Notes Several Rams who were hampered by the flu last week including Harris and starting cornerback Monte Jackson apparently have recovered, Knox said, and the team has no major injuries going into next Monday night's game in Philadelphia against the Eagles.

Tuesday was the NFL trading deadline. A year ago the Rams made one of the biggest trades in their history, sending John 14 patriots 15 Lions 15 Falcons 15 Broncos 16 Colts 19 IMS 92 91 Rating 78 76 76 76 74 73 71 70 70 67 67 66 64 Rank Team 1 Dolphins 2 Bengals 3 Rams 3 Vikings 5 Steelers 6 Raiders 7 Oilers 8 Cardinals Cowboys 10 Redskins 11 Chiefs 11 Bills 13 Giants 20 Packers 8 21 49ers 8 21 Eagles 8 23 Chargers 83 23 Browns 83 25 Bears 79 26 Saints Two Steel Belts for Safety Modern up-dated tread design Chargers Could Go Winless SAN DIEGO OD Gary Garrison says San Diego Chargers' fans may as well face up to the possibility. "We could go winless all season, you know," says the standout wide receiver. "It's not impossible." The Chargers are 0-6 for the first time in their history and are described as spiritless and disillusioned after last Sunday's 25-0 loss at Oakland. Says coach Tommy Prothro: 'They're questioning themselves, their teammates and their coaches." And, says Prothro, "When you do 'that, you're not concentrating on what you're supposed to be doing.

You're wondering what someone else should be doing." Prothro said, however, that he's increasingly uncertain how to prepare for his next game in Shea Stadium Sunday against the New York Giants. Quarterback Bobby Douglass, playing for the first time since the Chicago Bears traded him, tried rollout tactics at Oakland and "we got 17 yards net passing," Prothro laments. "I don't know what to try," the coach added. The Chargers averaged 4.4 yards in rushing, holding Oakland runners to 3.5 yards. But the Raiders averaged 7.1 yards passing.

This is the second year with the Chargers for Prothro, who coached UCLA, Oregon State and the Rams. He has never known a winless season, but he recalled that "one year at Oregon State we had a terrible year and one year at UCLA I think we only won one or two." The Chargers are still rebuilding, says owner Eugene Klein, and need time. Ramsey Takes Over as QB for Broncos DENVER (UPD John Ralston is benching Charley Johnson. "He (Johnson) is in a slump," said Ralston, head coach of the Denver, Broncos. "Batters get in a slump.

Pitchers get in a slump. Right now, Charley's in one and has to work his way out of it." Since a season-opening 37-33 win over the Kansas City Chiefs, the Bronco offense has sputtered. In the only two Bronco wins since that game, quarterback Steve Ramsey has come off the bench in the fourth quarter to rally Denver. Ralston said Ramsey, a six-year-, veteran from North Texas State, would replace the 15-year veteran Johnson as the starting quarterback for the Broncos', home game Sunday with Oakland. Palmer, Seaver Named ST.

LOUIS UP) Right-handers Jim Palmer of the Baltimore Orioles and Tom Seaver of the New York Mets were named the top major league pitchers for the 1975 season Tuesday by the Sporting News. safetyman Steve Preece was a great option quarterback at Oregon State. But neither ever impressed anybody as a passer and neither would appear to have an NFL quality arm. So that means Knox would go looking among the unemployed, at; quarterbacks tried by NFL teams and found wanting guys like Jim Del Gaizo, Scott Hunter, Neil Graff. Sam Wyche or Edd Hargett.

He didn't say so Tuesday but it's obvious Knox isn't going to take the sort of chances with Harris New SPmNT RA TUBELESS BLACECWALL Hadl to Green Bay and moving Harris up PRICE to No. 1 quarterback. The statistic that impressed Knox most out of the 38-14 win over New Orleans: the Rams gained 223 yards rushing against a team that had been giving up only 110 a Ram Statistics RUSHING TCB NYG Avg TD McCutcheon 103 444 4.3 1 Bertelsen 66 4.3 0 Bryant 48 201 4.2 2 Jaworski 3 13 4.3 1 CapMlletti 19 41 2.2 1 Jessie 1 6 6.0 0 Harris 7 IS 2.1 1 Scribner 54 6.8 1 1 4 4.0 0 Totals 256 1061 4.1 7 192 701 3.7 4 PASSING PA PC Yd Pet TO Harris 12 74 1064 57.4 6 Jaworski 8 3 36 37.50 0 McC'tchn 1 0 0 0.00 0 Totals 138 77 1100 55.80 6 Oppts 154 80 857 52.00 5 RECEIVING PC Yd Avg TD Jackson.H 17 359 21.1 2 McCutcheon 20 175 8.8 1 Jessie 11 11 14 1 Bryant 120 10.9 0 Klein 11 187 17.0 2 Bertelsen i 91 15.3 0 Snow 1 6 oO 0 Totals 77 1100 14.3 6 Opponents 80 857 10.7 5 OTHER LEADERS: Scoring Dempsev, 43 points. Punt returns Bryant, 2-47, 23.5 avg. Kickoff returns McGee, 9-230, 25.6 avg.

Interceptions Elmendort, McMillan, 2. Punts Carroll, 37.9 avg. Size 155-12 155-13 165-13 185-13 165-14 155-15 165-15 Ex. Tax 1.46 1.63 1.83 2.13 1.94 1.84 2.04 game on the ground, fourth best in the NFC. The one that impressed him least was penalties (six for 112 yards, including one that called back a 66-yard Harris-to- pass-and-run touchdown).

"That's the third TD we've had called back this year on a penalty," Knox said. "Many teams don't have one in a season. All we A proven tire for So. Cal. driving Gas savings over conventional tires can do is just work harder to try to ate the penalties." The Rams have gone to plus five on Knox1 turnover scale, meaning they've taken the ball away five more times than they ve given it up.

1 Gail Goodrich Paul Silas John Havlicek fans booing a quarterback or hurling debris on a basket- ball or hockey floor. It's not a coach screaming and stomp-I ing on a sideline. i "The name of-this game is values fun, fitness, skills, I teamwork and fair play," says John Havlicek of the Bos- ton Celtics. L' Gail Goodrich, whatever his private problems with the ikers may be, drops by a clinic and says: "Passing is one of the most important things in the game. Passing takes good partnership.

A completed pass means somebody i throwing and somebody else catching, and both players I have their responsibilities both before and after the pass is thrown." Only earlier this week we were talking again about the sickness eating away at organized games, the pressure-cooker agonies produced by the win-at-any-cost philosophy which has robbed sport of its virtues on all levels, Little League to Super Bowl. I This may be one of the answers, a new start for those who have been searching, the real beginning of some cures. It's the Basketball Assn." sponsored by the National YMCA with the cooperation of the NBA Players' Assn. It involves both boys and girls, ages 8 to 18, their parents and any other concerned adults. Silas: 'The YMCA-NBAPA program is based on fair play the idea that good basketball is played by people who respect themselves, the other team and the officials.

"Players, coaches and parents are challenged to work at self-improvement in both skills and behavior, and to i develop them through active participation by all. The point is to learn basic skills and have fun doing it." i' Organization of the program has taken nearly two years, but the YBA is now a reality. Registration begins this week at local centers. "Say what you will about 'player greed' in professional sports, and all the rest, but the NBA stars are really giving of themselves unselfishly to make this thing really work," said Ben Mintz of the Los Angeles Y. Nationally, more than 600 YMCAs and 500,000 youngsters are involved in this year's YBA kickoff.

In Southern California, some 50'branches are prepared to handle 8,000 to 10,000 kids. "This is NOT Little League," emphasized Mintz. "It's a values development program utilizing basketball merely as the means of getting everybody together. Sure, there will be competition. But it's competition in proper perspective.

Following registration and orientation meetings for players and parents, the program will include coaching workshops, instruction sessions for officials and score-keepers, clinics, meetings on the meaning of sportsman-i ship and fair play, practice and team play. Climax will be a 10-week sear-m featuring two practices and one game per week. First thing they have guaranteed is elimination of the pressure cooker. Everybody i will play. No exceptions.

No kid will go home with his i head between his legs, an unskilled outcast who couldn't participate, because the coach was too eager to win them all. This is for fun and the pure joy of honest, friendly competition with a well-develped code of ethics. Hopefully, it will lead to the return of the same sort of ethics on the larger playing fields and in the seats of the bigger arenas and stadiums. When you begin with 500,000 youngsters, there's at least a chance. Helping eliminate the insane pressure-cooker atmosphere there will be no all-star awards, no MVP trophies, 1 no state, regional or national playoffs.

Most impressive of all is the total involvement of the NBA stars, many of whom in the past havent seemed to care much about anything. Players from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Dave.Cowens have volunteered to make more than 600 personal appearances at various clinics. Such as Cowens, Havlicek, Silas, Austin Carr, Pat Riley, Wes Unseld, Earl Monroe and Jon McGlocklin have already made training films to be featured at workshop sessions. You get a Kareem on pivot play and the hook shot. You get a Havlicek on physical fitness, a Monroe on dribbling, a Goodrich on passing.

But mainly you get them all on the real meaning, goals and hopes of athletics. So basketball goes back to the YMCA where it all began when Dr. Jame3 Naismith tacked up his fabled peach basket on the wall at Springfield College in 1891 and told ev-erybody to start CONVENTIONAL fef ff TUBELESS VIIITEWALL Ex. Tax PRICE Size 600-12 560-13 600-13 560-14 560-15 600-15 1.52 1.52 1.60 1.63 1.79 1.85 fill Mif TUBELESS BLACKWALL 560-15 1.79 600-15 CpftH 1.85 fe -'m I -f A 'pW Vv'' FREE MOUNTING with every tire purchase NO TRADE IN REQUIRED All Prices Plus Excise Tax Sales Tax fMsri 44 CONVENIENT LUlAIIUro LNJ Check nhone book i Credit Terms Available for one nearest you "OCEAN VIEW" BEAUTIFUL MENDOCINO COASTLINE 20 ACRES COASTAL VIEW $30,000 22 ACRES CREEK TREES $26,000 22 ACRES WALK TO OCEAN $28,000 20 ACRES ACRES OF TREES $20,000 Winston Delta lire Go SMALL DOWN-LONG TERMS 1 rfS i Aj, fopovvoewa euaraiuuprooi oisn ranumyin i i ru. CALL AGT.

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