The Boston Globe from Boston, Massachusetts • 64

64 The Boston Globe Thursday, October 25, 1979 SporTView By JACK CRAIG CFXTICS NOTEBOOK am Bird plays CM? Series at night: the ratings talk tough 4BV HOUSTON Larry Bird shot 6 for 21 from the floor last night and didn't hit a single shot longer than eight feet. Many people would have expected his head to be hanging pretty low. But it wasn't "I wasn't frustrated he said. "We won the game. If we had lost, I would have been.

When you win, you don't look at those things. It was the same in college. I'd have these type of nights, but we'd win so I wouldn't mind. My shot actually felt good tonight. I was sure every shot was going in.

I know I'm a 50 percent shooter. Anyway, I was really trying to concentrate on defense tonight." He will be pleased, therefore, to learn that his coach FIRING LINE Derek Malquist fires toward Hartley Roger in one-on-one drill during Harvard practice. (Globe photo by Bill Curtis) The recent World Series, played too often in the nighttime rain and cold renewed persuasively the argument for returning weekday games to daylight, television be damned. But this week, final ratings for the Pirates-Orioles World Series arrived and so did the reality of the importance of television. Once more, the night games attracted ah enormous audience that in turn will help extract from NBC and ABC combined enough money to give each team $1.9 million next year.

The overall Series rating of 28.2 was 14 percent below that of 1978, for which there are two explanations. The Yankees and Dodgers, representing the largest TV markets, were involved last year. And the rain-delayed third game this year fell to a 22.4 rating, sharply reducing the final number. Yet last week's seventh game achieved a 36.9 rating and the largest audience in baseball history. The rating is just behind the 37.1 for the Red Sox-Reds seventh game in 1975, but the lion people who saw the seventh game between the Pirates and Orioles last week would have been able to tune in if it had been played in daylight.

There is an answer available, based on ratings prior to 1971 when World Series games during the week were played in the afternoon. Approximately 50 million persons who witnessed the final game last week would have missed it. What is that worth to baseball? Still, next year the World Series will begin a week later and there is a chance Montreal will be involved. So as the Series progresses there may again be an urge to curse television, until the ratings return. "Battle of the NFL Cheerleaders" was inevitable.

It will provide a segment for five consecutive weeks on CBS Sports Spectacular beginning Nov. 3 and lead to a final competition on Jan. 19, Super Bowl eve. As if you hadn't guessed, -most of the events will be in the requiring NBA ROUNDUP was immensely pleased with the results of his defensive concentration. "He was much, much better tonight," said Fitch, who had been getting a bit antsy over Bird's gradual defensive deterioration.

"He did some bewildering things on offense, but he was good on defense. He guarded Rudy Tomjanovich during the first quarter as well as any man I've had in nine years has ever guarded him. He Blazers win 8th straight made great strides in one game, which tells you the kind of kid he is." increase, in households in four years ere- bathing suits It also may have been in- ated a larger audience last week. evitable that Too Tall Jones' first profes From Wire Services Kermit Washington sank two foul shots with 17 seconds to play last night and then ensured the Portland Trail Blazers' eighth straight victory by blocking David Thompson's shot to give the Trail Blazers an 88-87 victory over the winless Nuggets in Denver. Washington's free throws put Portland into the lead for the first time since late in the first quarter.

76ers, 132-110 Julius Erving scored 25 points and reserve Steve Mix added 23 as the undefeated 76ers racked up their sixth victory, outdistancing the Indiana Pacers, 132-110, in Philadelphia. Doug Collins scored 18 points in the first half as the 76ers raced to a 60-53 lead. Mickey Johnson, who came off the bench to score 18 points, helped keep the Pacers within striking distance. HAWKS, 128-118 Dan Roundfield poured in 31 points, including a basket with 5:02 remaining to snap a 110-110 tie and power the Hawks to a 128-118 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Atlanta. Roundfield, who had 15 points in the fourth quarter, scored only 30 seconds earlier to create the tie.

The Cavaliers had led most of the way. John Drew also scored 31 points for the Hawks, in cluding 15 in the third quarter, while Eddie Johnson had 23 points for the winners. 1 PISTONS, 104-103 Bob Lanier hit a fall-away jumper with eight seconds left to lift the Detroit Pistons over the Washington Bullets, 104-103, in Pontiac, Mich. James McElroy, who led the Pistons with 33 points, scored 14 in the second quarter and picked up 11 more in the third quarter as Detroit opened up a 16-point lead. Washington cut the margin to 81-74 at the end of three quarters, helped by Bob Dandridge's 10 points.

SUNS, 110-108 Paul Westphal scored eight of his 37 points in overtime to rally the Phoenix Suns to a 110-108 victory over the Golden State Warriors in Oakland. The Suns were behind most of the game and trailed, 90-78, with nine minutes remaining in regulation. But Westphal scored eight points down the stretch and center Alvan Adams added six as Phoenix pulled into 98-98 tie on Westphal's layup with 22 seconds left. Robert Parish's 27 point, 25 rebound performance for Golden State was thus wasted. SUPERSONICS, 105-92 Jack Sikma and Gus Williams each scored 18 points and Williams added 10 assists to lead the SuperSonics past the Kansas City Kings, 105-92, in Seattle.

Houston unveiled a rookie guard named Allan Leavell (fifth round, Oklahoma City) who five times faked left, drove right, cupped the ball a la Dr. J. and swooped to the hoop. The Celtics made him look like a unanimous pick for the Hall of Fame, even though Fitch kept pointing out to his guards that Leavell never, ever goes left Dave Cowens (17 points, 11 rebounds in 41 minutes) did a magnificent defensive job on majestic Moses Malone, who had to work very, very hard for his 19 points and 18 rebounds. "Dave did a heckuva job on a heckuva player," Fitch saluted The Celtics enjoyed a 19-4 spurt during the last 6:02 of the opening quarter which carried them to a 29-20 one-period lead, a margin they promptly squandered with some atrocious play in the second quarter.

After leading by a 48-38 score, it took a 20-foot jumper by Don Chaney to prevent a shutout over the final 4:23 of the half, which ended in a 50-50 tie. Chaney on the meaning of this victory: "We played bad ball in spots, but this showed me a lot. The ball wasn't falling, but all of a sudden we grouped together. We hung in and won the game. It tells a lot when you can stay in there together and win a game like this on the road." It's also nice when you have a classy pro with a 38-inch sleeve to make sure you don't blow the game.

BOB RYAN sional bout is to be televised nationwide. The ex-Cowboy will face Jesus "Yaqui" Meneses in a six-rounder in New Mexico Nov. 3, also part of CBS Sports Spectacular. Meneses has won 10 bouts and lost 5, according to Ring, which means you can believe it or not. The direction in which Jones is being promoted can be gauged by the CBS release that claims Jones' chest is deeper than Muhammad Ali's, his reach longer than Primo Camera's, his massive fist equalled only by Sonny Liston.

Why did Jones give up football for the ring? "I still remember," his answer begins on the network press release, "when I was a little boy and would sit on my father's lap and he'd be listening to the fight on the radio Maybe that's where boxing be- came number one to me." Ouch. Crucially, three games at night the first week of the Series and, two more the next week allowed ABC to win the prime time ratings race for both periods easily, just as the 20.5 prime-time ratings NBC obtained with the divisional playoffs the prior.week let that network finish a tight and heralded second to ABC. ABC endures baseball on Monday nights and NBC on Saturday afternoons all season for the opportunity to enjoy a big week or two in prime time in the fall. If World Series games were to return to daytime, the networks would tell Bowie Kuhn where he could take his April-September telecasts. Beyond the money involved, there is the question of how many of the 80 mil- Ambidextrous UMass kicker is his own backup 3 1 i Jim Mullins was supposed to be a reserve placekicker for the University of Massachusetts this year, backing up the ambidextrous Sandro Vitiello.

He decided to work at the campus radio station instead. "Why?" a friend asked. thought you were the second-string kicker." "Vm third string," Mullins replied. "Sandro's left leg is first string and his right leg is second." By Harry Eisenberg Globe Correspondent The University of Massachusetts football team is blessed with two of the best kicking legs in the East. They both belong teams, but a good part of the credit goes to Sandro." "I think he's as talented a kicker as anybody in the country," said former Harvard assistant coach George Karras, now a scout for the United Scouting combine.

"He has athletic ability, and by that I mean he can do different things with his leg. He gets very good loft, which is rare in a sidewinder. He can get the height he wants, and he's extremely accurate. Another thing he can do is kick the ball off the ground (the pros do not allow the field-goal tee that is used in college ball). That's one of the problems (Russ) Erxle-ben is having," he said, referring to the No.

1 draft pick this year of the New Orleans Saints. Vitiello, whose family moved from Broccostalla, Italy, to.Long Island, N.Y., when he was 7, has made three of four field goals inside the 40 this year, and three of five inside the 50, his longest be-. ing 47 yards last week against Rhode Island. He hopes there is a pro football career in his future. "I don't want to sound cocky," he said, "but I think I can kick the ball as far as anybody around.

But the thing about kicking is consistency. You have to put the ball between the uprights." "He's not your run-of-the-mill kicker," said Karras. "I'm sure he'll get a look." essary, but I feel 100 percent more confident kicking with the left." "He may not have the same consistency or height right-footed," said his coach, Bob Pickett, "but he has darn close to as much strength. The pro scouts have told me he's the best kicker in the East. I'll tell you, he's the best kicker I've ever seen, and that includes (BC's Fred) Steinfort and all of them.

His kickoffs have a hang time of 3.5-3.7 seconds, which means our people are on the 30-yard line by the time they catch the ball. Only one time this year has an opponent run the ball out on us past the 30, and that was to the 31. Part of that is due to the play of our special to Sandro Vitiello, a former soccer player who is getting a long look these days by the men who scout for the National Football League. Vitiello, a 6-3, 190-pound senior, normally does his kicking with his left leg, last year making 10 of 13 from inside the 40 plus kicks of 41, 44, 45 and 52 yards, the last one tying a school record. When he pulled a thigh muscle last season, he put his kicking shoe on the other foot and booted field goals of 21 and 22 yards against the University of Rhode Island.

"I just did that because I had to," said Vitiello, whose brother, Albert, kicked for Penn State in 1970-71, preceding Chris Bahr. "I can kick with the right leg if nec SANDRO VITIELLO One foot or the other TUFOIL at HUB AUTO 961 Comm. Boston 617-782-1660 UMass-Boston State merger closer? YACHTS 4 BOATS COLLEGE NOTEBOOK MARINE FASTENERS Surplus stocks, brass, bronze, stainless, hot gal packaged and bulk, low prices. AMERICAN ALLOY PRODUCTS CO. 5027 RAYTHEON model 2600 Radar.

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428-3327. freshman goalie Mark Davidnew from Prince Albert, and another freshman looking1 very sharp in basketball practice is 6 foot 9 Charlie Heineck from Reading. Linda Thomas of Milton has been named manager of the Wentworth Institute rifle team which is a member of the New England College Rifle League Carlton Hurdle and Kevin O'Neill, the two remaining starters from last year's University of Bridgeport basketball team that reached the NCAA Division 2 semifinals, have been elected co-captains of the Purple Knights Two games have been added to the University of Vermont basketball schedule, highlighted by the appearance of the Taiwan team, Nov. 8 at UVM's Roy L. Patrick Gymnasium.

UVM also added RPI to swell its schedule to 27 games. The RPI game may be played in Rutland, Vt Springfield College will play host to the third annual Mike Swirsky Memorial Five Mile Road Race Sunday, Nov. 11 at 11 a.m. Swirsky was a Springfield cross-country runner who lost his life in a drowning accident while an undergraduate Tony Crowe, a senior from Litchfield, has been named captain of UConn's track team. SAILBOATS 1977 ISLANDER 32.

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6 "The top four teams were picked for the nationals and I feel we'll make a pretty good showing out there." The top seven runners for the Chiefs are: Mike Hur-ton, Tewksbury; Brian Squires, South Kent.Conn.; Dave Gelinas and Mike Nelson from Raymond, N.H.; Mike Ba-shour, Westboro; Bill Morrison, Reading and Phil Catil-lon, Woburn. Tufts will honor 37 former and current athletes Saturday before its Homecoming Day football game against Amherst. The "Cavalcade of Champions" consists of men and women who earned honors in New England, NCAA and Pan-American Games competition plus those who earned All-America status The new diving coach at Boston College is Maggie O'Brien and hockey captain elect is Steve Barger from Farmington, Minn, who was a walk on Harvard's Tiina Bougas from Chestnut Hill has woif three major singles tennis tournaments: the Greater Bostons, Mass. State and New Englands Crimson hockey coach Billy Geary had 34 freshmen report for practice including Neil Sheehey, brother of former BC All-America Harvard will be site of the Ivy League women's soccer tournament, Nov. 2-3.

Boston University swimming coach Reagh Wetmore has been cited nationally for supervising the film, "Drown Proof ing-A Priority for The film will be shown at the Cannes Film Festival and copies may be obtained at BU The Terriers and William and Mary are co-favorites to win the IC4A Division 2 cross country title at Sunken Valley, L.I. tomorrow Phil Ness, Northeastern's new assistant basketball coach, is the second highest scorer in Lafayette history with 1634 points Husky hockey coach Ferny Flaman is very high on RECREATIONAL VEHICLES 1973 SKI-DOO ELAN Twin exc. condition. Call At. 872-7883.

BjTBob Monahan 4 Globe Staff The merger between Boston State and UMass of Boston could take place in less than a year. Gov. Edward King is all for it from a financial and educational point of view and has the situation under study by the State Board of Higher Education, which has among its members former Boston Mayor John Collins and former Governor Foster Furcolo. The goal is to have UMass house all the students now attending both colleges. This would have a strong impact on the sports programs.

Boston State's 20-sports program would be part of the merger UMass has mostly intramurals and insiders feel that current Boston State athletic director James (Gus) Sullivan should oversee the operation the first few years. Sullivan has been an AD for 30 years and is "active in the ECAC and NCAA organizations. Boston College High School also will be part of the overall scene. BCH president Rev. Raymond Callahan, S.J., said, "Right now we allow UMass students to use our tennis courts and we could let them use our football field, too.

As for us, we could use the UMass hockey and basketball facilities which are being built right now. We're neighbors and we can help each other." The University of Lowell's cross-country team became the first unit in New England history to qualify for the NCAA Division 2 championships. The Chiefs, which won the Codfish Bowl championship, earned the right to race against the best in the country at Riverside, Nov. 10, by finishing fourth in the Northeast Regionals at the Belmont Plateau course at Philadelphia Textile. ULowell finished behind Edinboro State, Indiana State (Pa.) and Shippensburg State.

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