The Record from Hackensack, New Jersey • 39

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11. 1S7S Business -C-12. 13 -C-14, 15 C-1-11 Obituaries- RscorcJ Sports, Racing Ferguson fumes as team fiddles i 4 1 1 Rangers in trade mart ii 1 4 f. fill I fill I i i ii i btl I A We get caught with three guys deep and they score on three-on-ones. "I think I'm going to put eggs in the forwards' pants.

The way they have been checking, they couldn't break any. I'm not going to stand idly by and watch it happen again." The Rangers did, however, allowing a shorthanded goal and giving free reign to the Caps in front of John Davidson, who was shaky on all of Washington's final-period goals. Don Murdoch missed a check on the first goal, Davidson failed to squeeze a rebound on the second, Rod Gilbert failed to trap the puck on the blue line for Washington's shorthanded goal, Billy Fairbairn missed a check on the fourth and Ron Greschner and Phil Es-posito did the same thing on the fifth. Davidson was beaten from 30 feet on the sixth and Dave Maloney was trapped down ice on the seventh. When the Rangers put together a team effort, everybody plays a role.

"I'm completely at a loss for words," Davidson said. "The forwards aren't backchecking, the defensemen aren't defending and the goaltenders aren't clearing the puck. This doesn't make sense. A guy could lose his mind." The Garden fans merely are losing their patience. The chant of "refund, refund" reverberated after Mike Lamp-man had scored his second goal within 3:49 of the third period to give Washington a 5-4 lead.

They should have been chanting "defense, defense." Murdoch and linemates Walt Tkaczuk and Steve Vickers were on the ice for five of the seven goals, the rookie having a particularly bad night despite scoring his 16th goal of the season on a breakaway after a sharp" pass from Tkaczuk. "They must all want to be goal scorers," Ferguson said. "You make 'em check and check in practice, and then nothing happens when it's for real. We can't use anything as a crutch." There wasn't any, even if Ferguson had been disposed to alibi. The Rangers had three days off, were matched against a last-place team which was playing its second game in two nights, and were in their own building, three conditions for a hometown victory.

Instead of jumping at opportunity, the Rangers were jumped. The Capitals pushed them around with nary a struggle, making Ferguson's promise of an aggressive team as distant as a Stanley Cup contender. The Rangers have rolled over and played dead at home, losing six of eight and their last five in a row. The only home victories have been by single goals over Minnesota and Colorado, teams usually not mistaken for Montreal. "On the road we check, at home we don't," Esposito said.

"The fans cheer when we score here, and we try to please them and the coach. We're working so hard in the other end that we forget our own. We're not patient like we are on the road, and other teams take By Mike Farber Staff Writer NEW YORK Rangers coach John Ferguson made some long distance telephone calls late last night, after the rates went down, trying to save Madison Square Garden Corp. a few dollars and trying to salvage a floundering hockey team. Ferguson, who doubles as general manager, was attempting to make a deal with one of his National Hockey League colleagues for a player who could help New York.

At this stage, that could be nearly anyone. "I'm planning changes," Ferguson said. "But maybe nobody wants anybody that we have." Pete Stemkowski says a Ranger veteran is headed to either Minnesota or Pittsburgh. Others are guessing the deal will involve Detroit or Vancouver. Talk is cheap perhaps, but no more tawdry than the Rangers performance in their 7-5 loss to the Washington Capitals last night.

The win' was Washington's third straight, a club record. The Capitals set another record with 22 shots in the second period, and then scored four goals within 9:18 of the final period to rally from a 4-3 deficit. Washington sometimes goes whole games without getting 22 shots and days without scoring four goals. "This," said Ferguson, "is the lowest point of the season. Giving up seven goals in two periods is a total disgrace.

f- I i i i 1 -I I -I Iff 7 if I v-v Pi I i UPI Photo John Ferguson advantage of the breaks we give them. We're all in this together." Some, however, may be out individually by tonight. Left winger Dan Newman is likely to be recalled from New Haven. And if Stemkowski has his rumors straight, Fairbairn, Tkaczuk or Vickers (four goals in his last four games) may be gone. Defenseman Nick Beverley, who hasn't been dressing, is another possibility.

Related story on C-2 Staff photo by Ed Km If' I i A L. i 1 Yards of tape and gauze are part of Joe Namath's daily equipment. Namath feels like new man mjt T-. MM mm 1 1 1 i mm 1 1 wro i I Frank MacCormack of Sccaucus has interests aside from baseball. Big Mac's big chance By Bob Kurland Start Writer HEMPSTEAD, N.Y.

The limp was less pronounced as Joe Namath entered the Jets' dressing room. He wisecracked with some teammates, and for the first time in weeks appeared relaxed. "I'm more optimistic than I've been in a month," said football's highest paid quarterback. "The knee is much better, and most of the swelling is gone. I'll practice on Thursday, and if all goes well I think I'll be able to play on Sunday." A few days ago Namath was depressed when he thought about his future.

"The knee was swollen, it hurt and it wasn't getting any better." On Monday Namath went to Lenox Hill Hospital and by coincidence ran into Jets orthopedic specialist Dr. James Nicholas, who is recovering from an illness. "Dr. Nicholas knows my knee better than anyone, and when he told me there wasn't anything really wrong with it, that relieved my mind. "He told me the arthritic condition was not in.

but around, the knee and the bones weren't rubbing together. He then prescribed medicine, heat and rest." Namath credits his improvement to a change in medicine "I take it Prednisone four times a day, and right away the fluid in the knee reduced, as did the swelling and pain." The veteran is so optimistic, he's thinking past this season. "I want to play next year, but where, isn't up to me. Namath is in the second year of a two-year. $900,000 contract.

The Jets own the rights to him for 1977, which will be his option year if he doesn't sign a new contract. "If Joe can play." said Lou Holtz, "we'll use him in the shotgun offense. But we wont change anything for Richard! Todd because it would take away his running options." Namath is agreeable to the new formation which places the quarterback seven yards back of the center. "It gives you a little more time to see your receivers." Namath said. "I've used the shotguinn practice and is been fine, but you have to use it under game situations to see if it works.

The only time I used it was one quarter when I was with Alabama. We lost to Georgia Tech, 7-6, and it cost us the national championship. "No one really knows why coach Bear Bryant used the formation. A few weeks earlier we had killed Tulane and they used a spread formation. He looked at it and told us that kind of formation was a sign of giving up." Even if Namath is ready to play against winless Tampa Bay, it's probable Todd will start.

Asked what he thought about being a backup, Namath said: "In my mind I'm not a second-string quarterback, at least ability-wise. Maybe I am situation-wise because of the injury." Namath wants to play out the season, but he and Holtz agree that Todd needs to play to get experience. "But I'll be ready whenever Lou wants me," Namath said. Namath obviously wants to test his arm and knees against the expansion club. After the Buccaneers the Jets have to face the Patriots.

Colts, Redskins and Bengals hardly an appetizing sight for a limping quarterback. "I'm very optimistic." Namath said. "And I'd like to thank Dr. Bob Grossman because he kept me out of the last two games. If I had played JET NOTES Ed Marinaro will probably be fitted with a brace for his injured foot.

He's still hobbled by strained ligaments Tampa Bay's No. 1 draft choice. Leroy Selmon, and linebacker Cal Peterson set for knee surgery. Related story on C-5 SCHOOL SOCCER Uackensack defeated Glen Rock, 21, in the Bergen County Soccer Tournament yesterday. Page C-10 i rn Secaucus pitcher gets Coast shot ter.

I think-I've changed more than a little since the last time I saw some of the people I went to school with. You kind of expect people to go to a class reunion with all kinds of exaggerated, unbelievable stories. If I tell the truth, no one's gonna believe it." The truth is MacCormack is a major-league baseball player, not a big-league star. MacCormack started eight games for the Tigers last season, pitched 33 innings, gave up 35 hits, had an 0-5 record and a 5.73 earned-run average. Those numbers are a truth MacCormack can't escape.

After a good start last season with Evans-ville MacCormack was recalled by the Tigers on June 6. "I had just pitched a 5-0 shutout with 10 strikeouts and given up one run in 11 innings in my last start with Evansville," MacCormack says. "Then they called me up and I didn't pitch for nine days. I had control problems then against Kansas City and See MacCORMACK, Page C-5 By Marty Noble Start Writer The Weehawken High School Class of '71 holds its fifth-year reunion Dec. 3.

Frank MacCormack will attend, but few of his classmates will realize he is there. Even those who knew MacCormack well five years ago and haven't seen him since probably will not recognize him. Who would blame them. They'd expect to see a male, age 22, height 5-foot-10, weight 140 pounds with a clean shaven face and short hair. Aside from age, that description fits the Frank MacCormack of 1971.

They'd be looking for a Secaucus resident, who, by his own admission, usually wore pants that were too short and funny-looking clothes. Nobody would blame them. And probably nobody would locate the 1976 model of the former Weehawken High bowler, wrestler 106-pounder as a sophomore and baseball player called Little Frankie by everyone. Now, you see, the name is Big Mac. MacCor- mack still lives in Secaucus but now he's 6-4, 210 pounds with a beard, longish hair, pants that fit and some classy-looking clothes.

Now he bowls just for fun, doesn't wrestle, plays some baseball and tells some good stories. Perhaps after explaining to his former classmates how he grew so much, MacCormack will tell his stories. He can talk about last summer with Mark Fidrych, or what it was like to be the first Detroit Tigers pitcher to bat since the American League adopted the designated hitter rule, or being a member of the expansion Seattle Mariners. "Nobody's gonna believe it's Frankie MacCormack talking, he says. "They'll think I'm an impos- v.

COWENS EXCUSED Dave Cowens, the Celtics' superstar, has been granted a leave of absence for personal reasons. Page C-3 NEW LOOK Mitch Kupchak is a refreshing college type in pro basketball. See John Rowe's column on Page C-4. i VOLLEYBALL DISPUTE Porcer volleyball vs. Jungleball.

That's the heated discussion raging in a girls' tournament. Page C-8 II r-Till.