Edmonton Journal from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada • 24

C6 Sports Week quotables THE EDMONTON JOURNAL, Monday, February 23, 1987 Kenny knew de Wit had hands full VI "I knew when I got out of the ring with Rodney Frazier that de Wit was in trouble. This guy could throw 'em in combinations, better than Willie. And he was just Cooper's sparring partner." Ken Lakusta, on Willie de Wifs loss to Bert Cooper. "He was popping' off. I wish he was still playing, and if he was, I'd probably crack bis head open to show him how valuable I was." Pitcher Roger Clemens, Marcel Dionne, on the apparent reluctance of Mario Lemieux to play in the recent series against the Russians.

"We're the worst rebounding team in the history of the world. The Chinese, the Brazilians you name them, and they're all better." Utah Jazz coach Frank Layden. "We did what we always do at half time visited, fought for oranges." Missouri hoop coach Norm Stewart, on what he did to turn game around against Kansas State. WW 1 .1 I s' 'H 1 At, 1 5 disagreeing with Hank Aaron's comment that a pitcher shouldn't win the MVP award. "If we can contact the missing persons bureau, maybe we can find our offence." LSU hoop coach Dale Brown, after his team lost to Alabama.

"It's going to be hard after this to go back and watch Toronto or Detroit play." Alan Eagleson, after Game 2 of the NHL-Russia series. "I never knew what it meant, but I told the players, 'Don't worry about the horse being blind, just load the Former Oakland Raiders coach John Madden, recalling his pregame talk before a victory in Super Bowl XI. "I wish he'd make up his mind so I'd know how to dress." Author John Feinstein, on being called a "pimp" or a "whore" by Indiana hoop coach Bobby Knight. "In his first day with the Orioles, Ray Knight broke one of Eddie Murray's records: most words, career." Columnist Thomas Bos-well, after Knight had signed with Baltimore. "Fifty years ago, Bill Shoemaker was the same size as he is today." Actor John Forsythe, on the 55-year-old champion jockey- "A year ago, Clemens was an unknown youngster coming off shoulder surgery.

Now, he's calling a man with 755 home runs a cheap publicity hound." Columnist Thomas Bos-well, on criticism of Henry Aaron by pitcher Roger Clemens. "On der field are sieben poli-zei mit der striped shirten. Upstairs, der Japanese kamera. Und Herr Madden, der grosse "His voice could peel the skin off a potato." Columnist Norman Chad, on basketball analyst Dick Vi-tale. "I'm 80 years old, going for 90.

After that, speculation," Former champion jockey Johnny Longden, at Santa Anita during his 80th birthday celebrations. "One mistake and it's behind you and there are 16,000 people screaming. There can be four or five mistakes coming down the ice and nobody will notice. But if you let one in from the blue line, everyone is on your case." Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Gilles Meloche. "You have a turnover there, and you've got trouble." Dallas Mavericks exec Rick Sund, after watching a half time show in which a man juggled chainsaws." "There would be a lot of offensive linemen playing indoor soccer next year." Browns nose tackle Bob Golic, on what would happen if the NFL strictly enforced its ban on steroids.

"It's like trying to catch Haley's Comet. It's a rocket. Somebody's got to tell him he doesn't have to throw hard all the time." Raiders tight end Todd Christensen, on catching John Elway passes in the Pro Bowl game. "The fact is that inside the ring he is an animal, and we never want him to lose that quality, but outside the ring he is a baby. It's a question of balancing things up a little." Boxing manager Steve Lott on WBC champ Mike Tyson.

Marty Knack in playoffs Curtis Stock Luck soured at every turn CALGARY The way my luck has been going lately, my numbers are going to be called in the Lotto 6-49 jackpot and then somebody is going to realize that one of the numbered balls was missing and they'll have to do it all over again. Things are so bad I don't think I could pick the quinella in a match race. Take this weekend for example. Please, take this weekend. Sunday afternoon, I figured Gunners Trap, a four-year-old that Derek Wilson has finally straightened out, was a mortal cinch in the seventh race.

Sure enough, he romps home. Horse racing A winner right? Sorry, Curtis, old buddy, we've got some more bad news for you. For the first time in recent memory the seventh race was declared no contest and all monies refunded because of a series of incidents too bizzare to believe. The "non race" began with Senga Post, driven by John Baxter, breaking stride past the fair start pole. Normally that wouldn't be a problem but for reasons yet to be determined, Baxter suddenly turned Senga Post around.

Believing Senga Post must have had broken equipment, starter Barry McGrath then tried to sound a recall. However, in the confusion McGrath failed to notify the starting gate driver who sped away. Meanwhile, some of the drivers thought it was a recall, some didn't and the stewards felt they had no recourse but to call the race a no-contest. Baxter now faces disciplinary action for apparently pulling up without broken equipment or being interfered with. Surely this run of bad luck I'm hooked to like a velcro strap is going to end but I guess IH find out for sure on Thursday when I return to Las Vegas to pick up some money I left behind at the Imperial Palace last month.

It's actually a very simple problem. I'll just tell Bob Clift and the Imperial Palace boys that I simply misplaced the money somewhere on their crap tables and I'm sure they'll give me a refund. Corporate Prince and Quille Lauxmont, voted Alberta's top juveniles are currently both campaigning in the East. Corporate Prince, who has three thirds in his last three starts, is getting ready for the Cam Fella Series in Toronto while Quille Lauxmont, third in the $96,000 final of the Damsel Series at Greenwood, is at Roosevelt, N.Y. preparing for the John Champman Series.

Viking Pirate, 1986's champion three-year-old colt, has recovered nicely from surgery to remove knee chips. "I think he had the chips all last year but they went unnoticed until the fall," said trainer-driver Kim Dressier. "I jogged him Saturday and he went better than he did all of last year. A mile in 1:55 isn't out of the Turola Hanover, everybody's Horse of the Year choice, has racked up four wins in a row and is getting ready for the $100,000 Western Canada Pacing Series which opens March 1 in Calgary. "I haven't really done anything different with her," said Bill Companion, who has taken over the training duties from Butch Si-fert.

"She gets cranky if you try to change too much." Rumors are still rampant that Northlands assistant racing manager Pat Segin is heading to Calgary to take on a similar position. What a loss that would be. Cy Young winner Roger Clemens taking heat for angry reply to Hank Aaron Red Sox pitcher took exception to Aaron's suggestion hurlers shouldn't win MVP awards "That was the nail that broke the coffin's back." Former Villanbva hoop coach Jack Kraft, after watching a key player foul out late in a close game. "This is my destiny. I was born to be a mass communicator.

IH be the black Howard Cosell." Former NFLer Butch Johnson, on his job as a television commentator. "If they had a Rendez-Vous in Pittsburgh, Lemieux would try to figure a way to get out of it. He thinks he's Gretzky, but he isn't. You don't see Gretzky doing that type of thing." Week full of Brier bashes menche mit der Telestrator, draws kleine pictures. If usen der Japanese kamera, why seiben polizei und Herr Madden mit his crayons? Fussballspiel in Amerika? Crazy." Columnist Melvin Durslag, on how German viewers of the Super Bowl game might have reacted to the instant-replay rule.

Norm Cowley the Sportex Brier ticket purchasers who didn't pay the extra cost for mailing can pick up their tickets at Brier headquarters on the main floor of the Sunlife Building, 10123 99th St. There are still gold seats available at the AgriCom. Tables of four are being sold at $5,000 per table Ticket holders knowing which draws they can't attend are asked to return those tickets to the Brier office. The tickets will be resold as they become available, with proceeds going to Uncles at Large Tickets for the Brier Cheechako breakfast, a food-and-entertainment event scheduled from 7:30 a.m. until noon on Thursday, March 12, are now on sale.

i Gerry Wilson has been named the "fifth man" for Pat Ryan's Alberta championship rink of Randy Ferbey, Don Wakhuk and Roy Hebert. Wilson was chosen for his compatibility, experience, ability to use either the corn or push broom, and the fact he curls out of the same club as Ryan the Ottewell. Wilson's major duty will be The Northlands AgriCom won't be the only building a-rockin' and a-boppin' when the Labatt Brier comes to town March 8-15. At least 12 different curling clubs in the Edmonton area are committed to entertaining visitors 'and locals alike during Brier Week. Curling notebook The major events involving the clubs are the special evenings which have been designated for each of the 12 teams competing in the Canadian men's curling championship: Saskatchewan (at the Derrick) and Quebec (at Beaumont) on Sunday, March Northern Ontario (Glen Allen Recreation Complex in Sherwood Park) and Prince Edward Island (Avonair) on the Monday; Newfoundland (Crestwood), Manitoba (Jasper Place) and New Brunswick (at the Ville Vesuvius hall) on the Tuesday; Alberta (Ville Vesuvius), Nova Scotia (Thistle) and the Northwest Territories (Ottewell) on the Wednesday; and Ontario (St.

Albert) and British Columbia (Balmoral) on the Thursday. Rather than use the facilities at their respective clubs, Shamrock and Granite officials have combined forces to organize a week-long night club-type facility (called Pedro's) at the Ville Vesuvius. Other activities to be held at local curling clubs include the Brier Open Funspiel, on Monday at the Avonair and Wednesday at the Thistle, an inter-provincial curling bonspiel at the Royal Glenora on the Tuesday, and the media bonspiel on the Thursday at the Derrick. The Friars' Brier, a 25-30 rink competition among clergy from across the country, will also be held March 10-13 at scouting the opposition. He will play only if one of Ryan's regulars is unable to curl Don Bartlett served as Ryan's fifth man at the '85 Brier but was passed over mostly because he didn't curl out of the Ottewell this year At a party held for Ryan's Express at the Ottewell last week, the rink members were given shares and $100 debentures by the club.

The semifinals of the Premier League will be played at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Ottewell. Ryan, 12-3 in' the regular season, is playing Chuck Kadatz while Wilson takes on Murray Ursulak. Stan Symons, termed a "builder" by Northern Alberta Curling Association secretary-treasurer Neil Moher for all his volunteer work during some 20 years of involvement with local curling clubs and organizations, died last week. Symons was NACA president in 1969-70, served on the NACA council for 10 years and as provincial chairman of various committees, and was president of the Avonair club (in 1971-72) and the old Avenue club Former Canadian junior champion Kevin Martin will represent Alberta in the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association men's championship March 25-28 at Brandon, Man.

Martin, curling out of NAIT with Rob Sand, Lyle Homeland and Ken Harke, beat Red Deer's Greg Linnet 8-7 recently in the Alberta final. The NAIT women's rink skipped by Sherry Lothian qualified out of the A Event but lost the final and Paul Turner's mixed team failed to qualify for the playoffs at the provincial championship Tickets are now on sale through the Southern Alberta Curling Assocation for the 1987 Labatt's Olympic curling trials, which will be played April 19-25 at Calgary's Max Bell Arena. All bets off There are no guarantees when the Alberta Junior Hockey League regular schedule ends and the playoffs begin. The Sherwood Park Crusaders and St. Albert Saints could learn that in a hurry.

The charging Fort Saskatchewan Amateur Traders appear to be ready to face the Crusaders, and the veteran Fort McMurray Oil Barons will be equal to the task against the Saints when the AJHL playoffs start Saturday. "I think they're about a month behind where I thought they'd be, but they're certainly peaking at the right time," Crusaders' general manager Al McDonald says of the red-hot Traders. Coaches John Devaney and George Cochrane have the Traders on a roll entering the playoffs, with a five-game undefeated streak going into a Sunday night game in Red Deer against the Rustlers. The Traders are 12-5-1 in their last 18 games and have improved their record to 24-31-2, for a solid fourth in the Northern Division. "They carry it over the red line, dump it in and force like hell," McDonald says of the style which has made the Traders so successful down the stretch.

One of the Traders' strengths is balance. Right winger Mike Need-ham and the Mydan brothers, centres Scott and Mark, went into the Red Deer game with 28 goals each. Needham was outstanding against the Saints Thursday, with two goals and three assists. Mark Mydan had two goals and an assist and Scott also scored. The Crusaders will rely on outstanding goaltending by Ken Weiss.

Their stingy defence is anchored by captain Brian Tulik, but they can also boast about a 40-goal scorer in rugged Gary Valk and two 30-goal scorers, Al Cherniw-chan and Kevin Kowalchuk. "I'm glad we've got a week off," says Barons' GM-coach Ivan Prediger, who was understandably concerned when league-leading scorer Lubo Dzurilla played only two shifts Thursday night in Hobbema, before leaving with a hyperextended elbow. Centre-right winger Barry Kress and left winger Jason Wood join Dzurilla as 30-goal scorers with the Barons. The Saints are led by 16-year-old centre Stu Barnes, with 39 goals. 4 Final Resolution won Saturday's 10th race returning $461.30 to win and combined with Jeal Tuffy for a $2,101.40 exactor.

The exactor payoff is a Calgary record but Maureen Dundee still holds the win price record of $606.50 set three years ago On the brighter side, Warren Schoeppe, a member of Derek Wilson's Backroom Stable, was seen at the harness awards dinner with Brenda, who we'll all get to see next February as Playboy's Playmate of the month..