The Daily Oklahoman from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma • 17

hriends, Teammates Bid Farewell to a Big Leaguer Sports The! daily oklaikxman Tuesday, Docombor 14, 1976 17 R.V Wiitt Slafl Writer CAPKON They buried Danny Thompson -on a treeless, liilliop eemelery Mondav overlooking this tiny, northern Oklahoma whonl-furniiut- community when; he grow up. He was only 29 and a victim of leukemia which had shadowed him for almost four years and ended his life Friday, hardy two months after his seventh major league baseball season. In the distance, spanning eight miles of mostly dormant, green winter wheal, can be seen the grain elevators of Burlington whore about 501) gathered in the high school for funeral services. those present were over a dozen major league baseball players, many of whom had been Thompson's teammates, first with the Minnesota Twins and then this season with the Texas Hangers. Included were pitcher Bert Rlylovon, who was traded with Thompson to Texas in and outfielder L'trry Hl.sk, who Thompson's former roommate on the road with the Twins.

Also there were two coaches who Thompson usually credited for helping him, Bill Brown, the inf folder's American Legion mentor at Knid.and diet Bryan of Oklahoma Slate. "lie's just something special to me," Bryan said later. "Danny is the kind of kid every coach lakes to. I'd say in my 30 years of coaching he was as high class a kid as I've had. "He had that leadership quality.

It was his attitude that made him great. Danny was not that talented. I've had kids who could out-throw him, out-run him, out-ovcrything him. He made himself by determination. "Here's the thing.

He had just moved to half mast. Hanger msmngor Frank Lucehesi wept openly. "I've got. a great iuote or you," he said. "I have a 12-year-old boy.

If he grows up to bo like Danny Thompson, it's all 1 could ask." Lucehesi said there was only one time during last season when he suspected Thompson's health might be troubling him. "He asked for permission to be gone so he could got some shots. I thought he'd be all right." He said Thompson's death came as a shock. "Two or three days before it happened we'd been talking about Danny and I said the thing about Danny is that he gives me peace of mind when lie's playing. He'd usually find a way to help the ball club." Hanger shortstop Toby Harrah said, "In just the short time Danny was with the Hangers, he left such a positive effect.

It's a sad tiling. He was such a fine human being. lie was always doing to pull us up every game. 1 wish I'd bad more time to get know him better," Thompson cut a wide -swath, playing baseball summers in Los Angeles, New York, Detroit, then wintering in rural Oklahoma. Kx-teammate I lisle, the only black present and dressed modish in a black and while pin-stripe suit, sniffed at graveside.

Not more than 20 yards away a iierd of stock cattle grazed on wheat. Other Hangers first baseman Hargrove, catcher Jim Sundberg, general manager Danny O'Brien and Mrs. Brad Corbctt, the owner's wife stood nearby as did ex-Twin teammates catcher Phil Hoof, pitcher Tom Burgmeier and outfielder-inficlder Sieve Braun. Bob Fowler, a writer who collaborated with Thompson on his diary-like Cont. on Page 18, Cid.it where he's liappy (Texas).

At last he got a chance to play. It's been his luck all along. They say the good die young. In his case, it has to be true." Following the funeral in Burlington, a string of almost 70 cars streamed along state highway JJ. in cool, bright sunlight to the cemetery, which looks out on several towns including Kiowa in Kansas.

It was mid-afternoon und the shadow of Burlington's huge Co-op elevators had not reached the town. A flag at the post office was flown McNeese Jars Tulsa, 20-16 Pokes Get Tardy Start In Orlando Game in Figures SHREVEPORT, La. (AP "We played this one froth the heart," McNeese State linebacker Bob Howell said after his team upset Tulsa 20-16 in the Independence Bowl Monday night. McNeese coach Jack Doland agreed. "Tulsa just didn't have enough respect for us," he, said.

McNeese played without 16 of its regular ORLANDO, Fla Oklahoma State got off to a stuttering start on its Tangerine Bowl trip to Orlando when its chartered plane was three hours late but the Cowboys capped the day with a brisk late but the Cowboys capped the day with a brisk, 90-rninute practice. a -steady afternoon downpour, the Cow-. boys and coach Jim Stanley found the natural turf field at Colonial High School to their liking. period. Despite the slick surface, the fooling was surprisingly good and enabled the Cowboys to have several brisk contact sessions.

"We were a little sluggish at the start but it U-IM 1M0S team members, including four starters on offense and two on defense. Ten seniors were de elated ineligible for the bowl game oca use they had been redshirt-ed as freshmen. Six piched up as wc went along," Stanley said. "I was pleased with Irish Cagers iHiisker Aide Jakes Coast in po Coaching Job others were kicked off the team for having a girl in their dormitory room. "The talk that McNeese was going to play a JV (junior varsity) team, this kind of irritated us," Doland said.

Tulsa coach F.A. Dry, who soon will take a job at Texas Christian, lamented the fact that his loading quar-, terbnek, Ron Hicker-son. had to piay with an injured thumb. "The number of people they lost because of their problems about equalled our injuries," Dry said. The game was won on a 25-yard run by Oliver Hadnoi wijth 37 seconds loft.

Before Hadnnt's touchdown, it appeared Tulsa would post' a come-from-be-hind victory. Steve Cox bad kicked a field oal with 4:22 left to give Tulsa a 16-14 lead. With two minutes loft, McNeese, got the ball at its 20. Halfback Mike McArthur completed a 2S-yard pass to Alan Ilcisser. A rqiigh-inc-the-passer penalty advanced McNeese to the Tulsa Three plays later, Hadnoi scored the winning touchdown.

Independence Bowl, a new postseason college game, attracted only 15.512 fans lo the SaOfW-seat State Fair Stadium, eve With prices of some tickets marked down as low as SI. 50. MeXeesc Slate, as champion of the Southland Conference, was hosi team in the game. The Cowboys finished the year with a 30-2 record. Tulsa, co-champion of ihe Missouri Valley Conference, is 7-4-1.

McNeese fullback Oliver Hadnoi finds going rough against Tulsa in first quarter action. (AP) the intensity our players, showed, particularly in the last half of the practice. The footing was surprisingly good and they assure us the Tangerine Bowl lias the best natural turf in Florida. Stanley described the practice as "routine" and (he Cowboys held -some, full scale work on pass defense. They also spent id mniutes in ti i i contact in goal-line situations, offensively and defensive-Is The spongy but firm turf also drew plaudits rrom several players.

"I liked it a lot better than I thought I would," running back Robert Turner claimed, "It was faster and the footing seemed to get better the. more wc got use to it." All-America halfback Terry Miller, said, "It's pretty good turf and 1 don't expect any trouble from it. It's probably belter than a 1 we aro used to because its softer when you fall." Originally the Cowboys were scheduled for a to Sea World Cunt. Page. IS, Col.

8 ichaels to Coach Jets By Assoc The giant-killers of Notre Dame upset two Top 10 teams during the first month of the college basketball season. Now, the Fighting Irish are giants themselves. Notre Dame upended Mui-yland in the -first game of the, year then, last Saturday, the "Irish stunned UCLA 66-63 on the Bruins' home court. As a result, Digger Phelps' troops, 4-0 through games of Sunday, climbed to fourth place from seventh in The Associated Press weekly poll of 45 sports writers and broadcasters. -Notre Dame received G01 points and five first place votes, and now opponents will be looking to knock them off.

Michigan remained No. 1, followed by Marquette and Kentucky. Michigan, 4-0 after inted Press beating Vnnderbilt 97-76, gathered S30 points and 34 first-place ballots. Marquette, 4-0 after a i Western Michigan 78-53. Florida 64-61 and Penn Slate 79-49, col lected72S points and two first place votes.

Kentucky, also 4-0, received four No. 1 ballots and 662 points after knocking off 1976 national champion Indiana 66-51 and beating Kansas 90-63. Fifth-ranked a Francisco, S-0, collected 473 points with victories over Houston, Tennessee and Utah and the Utah Classic crown. Completing the Top 10 are No. 6 Cincinnati.

5-0 and up two spots in the voting; No. 7 Alabama; 4-0, up from 10th despite being idle last week; No. Arizona. 7-0 and up one place In the pollfuCLA. which dropped from third to ninth after its loss lo Notre Dame, and No.

10 Wake Forest, 5-0 and in the Top 10 for the first time this season. NEW YORK (AP) The New York Jets of the National Football League, who twice passed over defensive coordinator Walt. Michaels as a prospective head coach, will give him the job for next season. The Associated Press learned Mondnv. The 46-year-old Michaels, a four-time All-Pro linebacker with Ihe Cleveland Browns and a member of the Jets whether we go the assistant pro coach route or shoot for a head coach.

I think if wc go the assistant's route, Walt certainly would be hard to beat." The Jets hired Holtz off the North Carolina State campus, signing him to a five-year contract worth a reported $100,000 a year after he had turned the Wolf-pack into a winning team. for 11 of his 15 years as an assistant coach, will' succeed Lou Holtz, who resigned last Thursday. Scouting director Mike Holovak coached the Jets in their final game last Sunday, a -12-3 loss to Cincinnati, Al Ward, general manager of the Jets, denied that the appointment was official but he said Michaels was one of the top prospects. "Walt is certainly a strong possibility, but it's not clear cut," Ward insisted. "We're still talking to players and some of the assist-, ants, and we will talk to ownership.

No selection has been made. I can't tell you when one will be made but I think it will bo before the Super Bowl (Jan. 9.) "The feeling is to stay within pro football," Ward added. "I think it depends on PULLMAN. Wa s.h.

(AP) Warren Powers, University of Nebraska defensive bnek-field coach, announced Monday he has accepted, the head football coaching post at Washington State University. The position-', is Ihc first, head coaching iob for Powers, ,35. The a City native played defensive back for the Oakland Raid-Lers of the old American League for six years. Powers, in bis eighth year as a fulhime assistant at Nebraska, rr-places Jackie who one week ago his resignation to a topranked Pittsburgh. "I will take over as soon as my duties are done at Nebraska." Powers told a news conference.

Powers said he will help the. Cornhuskors prepare for their Dec. 31 Astro-Bluebonnet. Bowl game with Texas Tech, then travel 1o Pullman shortly after that. Powers said his coaching staff remains to be chosen.

"I'm in the process 'right now of lalking w'ith each coach at "Washington University." he noted. Powers said he left Nebraska "because of Ihe opportunilv lo come here to Washington State University. I've always wanted lo be a head coach." New York, LA Promoters Woo Sean weight. The people around the country want to faj COQG Poll see 'their fighters'. There is an excellent chance Mil.

wllfl lirjInUcc 3 i As a result of his super bantamweight title figlit victory over Haul Carreon last week, Sean O'Cirady has become a very popular national figure. Monday, the young Oklahoma City fighter received two potentially lucrative offers. One came from a New York City promoter, Jack Price, to defend his tile on national television against one of three "worthy opponents." The other offer came from the west, coast and Don Frazier, box-ing promoter for the Ijos Angeles Forum, for a shot at the WI3A bantamweight champ, Alfonso Za-mora. wants to fight Sean," said Frazier, "but we haven't worked out any specifics yet. I'm going lo meet with Znmora's representatives on Tuesday and we should have something worked out by the end of the week.

Also I'm trying to interest one of the networks to televise the fight." Frazier gave O'Grady a shot at the featherweight champion, Danny Lopez, last year in the Forum. O'Grady lost, however, lo the more experienced fighter. The possible O'Grady-Zamora fight would take place in Los Angeles on Feb. 26. The New York City offer is firm, but not as sure as the LA-Forum deal.

"I've got a date with CBS on Tuesday," Price said, a successful salesman of TV boxing, lie has staged the Roberto Duran-Ray Lumpkin television bout and the Ken Norton-Jose Garcia fight for CBS. Why does Price want O'Grady. though. "He's the only American fighter in the top 10 in his we can get Grady to fight on national IV. 1 want to make a 'star' out of Sean O'Grady." Price said the proposed O'Grady title defense would take place on Jan.

29 at 4:30 p.m. EST. "We would televise It from Oklahoma City, but there would be a blackout in your area. We can do that because Oklahoma City is not among the top 20 markets." The three possible opponents for Sean in the proposed Price fight are Earl Large, Choo Choo Castillo or Dave Vasquez. Large is the bantamweight champ of New Mexico; Castillo is the ex-world bantam titleholder and Vasquez, is the New-York state champ.

1. Michigan CI4) it t. MMowtfe J) 3. Ktntuclv (4) 4C 4 Noir Dime (S) 5. Sun Francisco l- 1 fllStm" 9.

UCLA 3. 10. Ylav ForMt SI 13. Clr-ntco 5- U. Murvlind 4-' Svr.l-uie t.

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS RUSHIMC-TutJ. 4 IJ, F.VIM3, RECEIVING Tulia. Pol Wtfcllcr 3-3, V.cNKte. Rtlcr 5-1M, 4i. Future Looks Bright for OU's Young Cage Team record.

But. year in and year out, it wouldn't be considered a eakowalk lo open against Tulsa, Texas, Oklahoma City, St. Louis and Drake. However, none have found their basketball footing yet this year and it therefore becomes difficult to Bob Hurt Without wasting a second glance, it's possible lo label Oklahoma as a basketball team for the future. The facts are there for all to sec.

Unbeaten in five games with 77 per cent of the scoring coming from freshmen and sophomores. But in watching the Sooners impressively ambush Drake Saturday, a thought occurred: Could the future be now? Coach Dave Bliss obviously was pleased with the 82-67 victory. For the first time, he complimented players told them they're making strides, And ho gave them a day off. "I just avkd them to use the day to think good foul shooting." said Bliss. Oklahoma is hitting only 59 per cent Irnm the tree throw hv.

That might be became their team piay is producing such good shots they are unaccustomed to tiring from as far as 15 feet out. And, if the Sooners can think their way into good foul shoting, why not think bigger? Why not think about winning the Big Eight or post-season tournaments? "We're not that good," said Bliss. OK, how good are the Sooners? "1 tell you what." said the coach. "I think we're getting better but we're a long way from being a real Kood basketball team. Wc do too many things much too careless With the ball, not nearly good enough on defense and our offensive Inside game needs to be worked on." Best thing going for the Sooners tnwv is their schedule.

Someone sug-Kesled it was mapped out in a kennel because it includes so many "rings." Fniair, The first five victims have a combined 0-2(1 won-loss three at the same time in a triple post offense, Both Beal and Johnson own inside-outside capabilities. Both are quick. Roth jump so high they sometimes seem to be hanging from the rafters. They lack finesse, particularly on defense, but the potential is there. Head, while not the jumper the other two are, provides another dimension.

"Drew is always hollering, talking, controlling things in there," said Bliss. "He's like a quarterback back there in that he can sec the whole hold. "Tell you what. Head's got a head on him." Come on poach. That's as bad as saying it might be a blissful season.

But ccinie to think of it, it might well be. ketballors. Bliss is getting solid, stabilizing play from members of last year's team 5-9 Eddie Fields, 6-5 John McCullough and 6-4 Cary Car-rabine. Plus, 6-5 Billy Graham has been useful coming off the bench, particularly when the opposition has a forward who needs cooling. It was obvious Bliss hit a recruiting bonanza this year.

But who would have expected that to be translated into points on the scoreboard so quickly? Of the 373 points scored by OU, 135 have been provided by freshmen. Perhaps more importantly, freshmen have beefed up the board play. Starting are 6-lfl Drew Head at renter and 6-7 Clifford Johnson at forward. Then, there's Al Beal at G-9 coming off the bench. Perhaps not this year, but at some point, Bliss plans lo use all Dave lllls evaluate Bliss' prodigies.

The next foe. Texas Arlington, is winless. The Lis Vegas tournament, Dt 21-22. and the Big Eight tournament, Dec. 27-30, should provide quite pleasant it Sooner bas- Rui it could holiday season.