The Province from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada • 4

12 "prOVinCe 1977 SPORTS NHL president admits merger being studied 3 1 Eric Whitehead ft I I ICJ rn fi A nrtifr 7 Hff He noted head-to-head clashes between the National and American football leagues and the National and American basketball associations as leading examples where the leagues have merged to survive. He predicted one major pro league "in the near future, no later than the 1978-79 season." "If there are two leagues, then there will be 12 in one league (NHL) and seven in the other. Even the ones (teams) that look successful today really aren't." Salaries in pro hockey have escalated with the formation of the WHA six years ago to the point where there is a widely-held opinion only merger or amalgamation of the two leagues will solve severe financial problems. Also, the NHL signed a five-year contract with the players' association in October, 1975, that is automatically terminated in the event of a merger. The players' association threatened anti-trust litigation in 1973 unless the two leagues agreed to refrain from merger formed last month that discussions between the two leagues on "matters of mutual concern" had begun.

It was reported in Washington this week that while it is premature to conclude merger or amalgamation of the two leagues is the aim of the talks, NHL and WHA sources indicate the possibility of such talks does exist. Higginbotham issued a consent decree In 1974 approving the settlement of an antitrust suit between the WHA and NHL over the NHL "reserve clause" and Issuing guidelines for the relationships between the two leagues. MacFarland said the current meetings "are nothing new" since the consent decree allowed for "meetings of common interest" to take place between the two leagues. "But we've not had much success to get the NHL to these meetings," MacFarland added. He said the history of professional sport in North America dictates that most franchises suffer when there is an over-exposure of the sport and that merger has been the end result.

Canadian Press MONTREAL National Hockey League president Clarence Campbell denied Thursday that the NHL has entered into merger talks with the World Hockey Association, but did acknowledge the NHL is studying the Idea. Campbell's comments came in response to published reports that representatives of the rival leagues are discussing the possibility of a merger or amalgamation. "All that's happening is that there is a fact-finding committee of the NHL that is exploring the validity of representations being made by proponents of a merger," Campbell said. "We want to separate the fact from the fiction." Campbell would not say who was on the committee or where it was meeting. WHA president Bill MacFarland confirmed from league offices in Toronto there had been discussions between the two leagues but agreed the talks were not aimed primarily toward merger.

A lawyer for the WHA said Wednesday that Judge A. Leon Higginbotham of Philadelphia, who has jurisdiction in matters involving the NHL and WHA, had been in h) Bjorn Borg of Swdn finally got around to hitting his crunching two-fisted backhand Thursday after being upset by a public address announcer's remarks at the U.S. National indoor tennis tournament in Memphis. The shaken Borg lost the first set to Britain's John Lloyd, but rebounded for a win in a fourth round match. Kerr wins seven of last Alberta beaten but Guidolin gives up his coaching post "Sure, I'm disappointed," she said.

"We didn't want to lose any. But my dream of playing in the national championships came true and we won it with probably the only chance we'll ever have." Mutch expressed satisfaction with placing second and was smiling broadly moments later after a last-rock draw in the extra end gave her the victory over McQuarrie. In other final-round matches Crystal Brunas of Saskatchewan edged Karen Cole of Newfoundland 7-6; Heather Kerr of Richmond dumped Jean Skinner of Nova Scotia 9-3; Grace Donald of New Brunswick whipped Phyllis Drysdale of Prince Edward Island 12-2, and Dorothy McKenzie of Manitoba edged Carole Topp of Quebec 8-7. For the Kerr rink, it was a tremendous comeback, having lost their first two games of the bonspiel and then to bounce back with seven wins in their next eight. In the standings, behind Alberta and Ontario, B.C.

and Manitoba finished with 7-3 records, New Brunswick and Saskatchewan were both 6-4, Quebec and were 4-6, Newfoundland and Nova Scotia 2-8 and P.E.I. 0-10. The McQuarrie foursome was rewarded with the title in a 10th round mach they stole from Quebec. McQuarrie engineered a steal of three points in the ninth end of a tight battle with Montreal's Topp to nail down the title but the key to victory, she said, was in the sixth end when she faced four counting Quebec rocks and drew around a front guard with her last shot to take one. "My lead asked me when I was in the hack preparing to throw if we wanted to get to the eight-foot to be second shot.

I said 'no We want that blankety-blank four foot." In other loth-round games, Kerr took a 6-5 win from New Brunswick when Freder-icton skip Grace Donald was heavy with a final-rock takeout try. In Quebec, Canada stumbled to its fourth consecutive defeat at the world junior championship, dropping a 7-4 decision to Switzerland and falling to eighth place in the 10-country round-robin competition. The U.S. beat Sweden 8-5 and continued to lead with a 6-1 won-lost record after If the authors of all the books analyzing sport were laid end to end, they would stretch clear from here to Sigmund Freud, wherever he may be. As a breed, psychologists regard sport as a compelling subject for learned clinical dissection.

The scholarly fad may have had its beginning as long ago as 700 B.C., when a Greek named Heracles is said to have penned an ode to the glories and eccentricities of athletes competing in games at the foot of ML Olympus. In those days, Olympians competed in the nude, a custom that Heracles found intriguing. In his thesis, he pondered why a marathoner would prance naked through the groves, in plain view of the olive-piek-ers, in search of a prize consisting of one cheap peek-a-boo laurel wreath, to be worn on the head. In the lofty style of the intellectual, he ignored the simple practical theory nobody had yet invented Fruit of the Loom shorts. However, the constant obsession to perform open id surgery on the athlete is a fact of life.

There may be a message there somewhere. One of the latest in the long line of authors to lay sport out on a couch for a quiet chat is a local lady, Dorcas Susan Butt, an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of B.C. Miss Butt has sprung that 'Dorcas' on us only since entering the elitist realm of academia. Back in the '60's, she was known to us as just plain Susan Butt, tennis player, three times ranked Canada's number one woman performer, with a string of national and international tournament championships to her credit It is these outstanding trade credentials that give Dorcas (let's make that Susan again) Butt special licence to probe the locker room psyche in her book "Psychology of Sport the Behavior, Motivation, Personality, and Performance of Let's say right off the bat that this is a very good book. It is thoroughly and painstakingly researched and documented, intelligently presented, and very well written.

I don't know what it proves except that athletes are normally abnormal, but if you can forgive the thinness of a plot that is a little weak on sex and violence, you'll find it a very absorbing narrative. In her opening chapter, "Psychologicial Susan gets right down to the fine and useful art of name-dropping, citing the careers of Johnny Unitas, Joe Na-math, Babe Ruth, Bill Tilden, and Tom Seaver. As classic cases of aggression motivated by a harsh upbringing, Susan offers two classic cases: Althea Gibson and Sonny Liston. Both came out of the ghetto, black, desperately poor, and unwanted. Both developed a protective belligerence that took them to the top.

If, as in Listen's case, for only a tragically brief stay. The first black woman star in the starched-white world of tennis, Althea Gibson had perhaps even a tougher climb than did Jackie Robinson in baseball, at least in terms of mental torture and frustration. As the book tells it, Althea literally fought her way off the streets of Harlem and into the new life that ultimately took her to Forest Hills and two Wimbledon championships. "The Harlem street fights often left her bloody and bruised, as did her physical encounters with the adult members of her family. (This) emphasizes an early problem in competitive tennis; her impulse to cross the net and start a physical fight with her opponent when she found herself losing a Later, she was "able to redirect her energies and accept the protocol of tennis.

She dressed and acted like a lady while (in Althea's words) 'beating the liver out of the Liston, the silent and sullen brute of a heavyweight boxing champion who was ultimately humiliated by the young, brash, Cassius Clay, was one of 25 children born to a broken home in the shacklands of Arkansas. He ran off when he was 13 to join his mother in the slums of St. Louis, was jailed many times for assault, armed robbery and theft, and was taught boxing by a Catholic priest in the Missouri State Penitentiary. "These two athletes" writes Susan, "represent a channelling of basic life energy into basic I don't suppose either Gibson or Liston thought of it exactly in those terms. They'd probably call it a fight for survival.

Last one out of the jungle is a rotten derelict. In the chapter titled "Neurotic two other classic cases are offered in the persons of Bobby Fischer, the so-called enfant terrible who tantrummed his way through that remarkable World Chess Championship tournament in Reykjavik, Iceland, in 1972, and Lance Rentzel, the brilliant wide-receiver of the NFL Dallas Cowboys who was ruined by his problem of sexual exhibitionism. Fisher's mother was divorced. He never knew his father. He began playing chess at age six, with his sister.

It became his obsession. He used it, theorizes Susan, to find compensation for his anger and security. "Some" writes Susan, "would argue that the basic motivations of all chess players stem from a need to express neurotic conflicts, both sexual and aggressive." That's something to think about when you next sit down for a game of chess with a dear friend or neighbor. Theories are wonderful, and, I suppose, necessary. Sometimes the cause is more interesting than the effect.

Dorcas Susan Butt, psychologist, author, certainly makes it seem that way. 'f 1 I vf ikf J' a nnaf HWrniiiHrtn i hub iii Expressing confidence Oilers will make the playoffs, Guidolin said his decision to drop the coaching duties was his alone. "I didn't do it because of pressure from the owners, the media or anyone else," he said. "My mind was made up before Tuesday night's game and I told the owners afterward of my decision and they are backing me 100 per cent." Sather, who plans to be a playing coach, said he expects his players to win. "The way hockey is going there are going to be a lot of players out of work next season," he said.

"The way they play in the next month could make a big difference in the futures of a lot of players on our club." Grand Prix vwill be $175,000. The series will occupy 35 weeks of the year. Entries will be from the 32 best available players. Grand slam events will have their traditional number of entries. Certain other major events may, with tennis council permission, increase the number of entries.

Bob Briner, executive director of the Association of Tennis Professionals, said that within the context of the proposed format the ATP hoped to provide prize money playing opportunities for a minimum of 96 players during each week of the Grand Prix. Under the new proposal, during 35 weeks Grand Prix tournaments with $75,000 and $50,000 will be scheduled. Players taking part in the Super Grand Prix will have an obligation to participate in a limited number of these tournaments. that charge ended in a hung jury. Marshall also has been charged by the school with trespassing and destruction of property for cutting a chain to get into the practice area after it had been closed.

B.C. girl leads golf CALI, Colombia (Reuter) Lynn Cook of Coquitlam took the lead Thursday on the opening day of the fourth annual womens under-21 pairs international golf tournament She headed the field with a 71, followed by Nathalie Jeanson of France and Elizabeth Nickhorn of Brazil, both at 74. In the team standings, the Brazilian pair of Nickhorn and Maria Alice Gonzalez lead the Canadian pair of Cook and Cathy Sherk of Fonthill, by one stroke, 148-149. The Swiss duo of Maria Christine De Werra and Carole Charbonier are third ORLANDO. Fit.

(AP) Top JO and Has plus Canadians altar first-fount! Thuraday in tha $200,000 Florida On Open gorl tournament: Bill Rogers 34-32 VeBeoalado 34-3367 Tarry Dienl 33-3467 WallyAjmMrorig 36-326? Howard Twrfly 34-34 68 Joemman 34-3466 CoJPeate 32-3769 Dave Eienettiefoer 35-34 69 Boo Zander 34-3569 Mar Lye 35-3469 LesEloar 36-33 6 Ma McCusougn 33-36 69 TonyJeeWtn 33-3669 Dale Douglass 36-3369 Monty Kaser 34-3S-6i Uc'fi Ken Si Danny Edwards Jim Da CnartaaCoody George Arcner Oow FirstamraM fioger Parker Morns HalaMty Tom Joyce BruoaRaornr Andy Norm Gary Koch Mason Rudolph Graham Marsh LynLott BiHKratle1 BobCrissy Oeorge Knudson EDMONTON (CP) Bep Guidolin, general manager-coach of the Edmonton Oilers of the World Hockey Association, Thursday announced he has removed himself as coach, handing the duties to Glen Sather for the remainder of the season. "I'm going to be a full-time general manager from here on in and I'll be spending my time working on improving the hockey club, both on the ice and off," Guidolin said. He said he nearly hired a coach early in January. "When Baltimore Clippers folded and Larry Wilson became available, I went after him, but Detroit got there first." Guidolin said his dual duties were too much for one man "even with Glen as an assistant coach." WCT to wed Canadian Press TORONTO The World Championship Tennis organization has asked for the opportunity to join the Grand Prix tennis series in 1978. The Grand Prix's Toronto office announced Thursday that "many details remain to be worked out." New proposals affecting Grand Prix events will be completed March 21-23 at a meeting of the men's International Professional Tennis Council in Paris.

Grand Prix organizers said the series will be reorganized in 1978 under a new format which has been under study by both the tennis council and WCT. The new format will concentrate competition around eight tournaments. These will join the four major championshipsAustralia, France, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open at Forest Hills, N.Y. in a Super Grand Prix.

Minimum prize level for tournaments eight unbowed seven rounds. Norway defeated West Germany 11-1 and was in second place with a 5-2 mark, while five teams Sweden, France, Switzerland, Italy and Scotland were deadlocked in third place at 4-3. Canada, represented by Bill Jenkins' Charlottetown rink, was 3-4, having lost 7-3 to the U.S. in Thursday's sixth round. Comaneci in the mud bath Associated Press BUCHAREST A Romanian gyman-stics team will leave next week for the U.S.

and participate in a major international event, but Nadia Comaneci will stay home, amid reports her health is not good. The team, including Nadia's top rival and best friend, Teodora Ungureanu, is scheduled to take part in the Cup of Americaa competition which Comeneci won last year at New York's Madison Square Garden March 12-13. A Romanian Gymnastics Federation official Thursday denied reports that Nadia was sick, saying the Cup of America "was simply not included in her training schedule." Nadia, an outstanding performer at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, surprisingly failed to dominate the domestic Cup of Romania competition last December. She withdrew from the individual all-around events, and sports officials and news media blamed her exhausting tours abroad after the Olympics for it. Over the winter, she underwent a two-week special program at a spa in the Carpathian mountains that included swims in mineral thermal waters and therapeutic mud baths.

In January, she and her teammates resumed training at a mountain resort, and a picture in the sports paper, Sportul, showed Nadia taking skiing lessons. But since then, there was no other news about her activities. She is a ninth-grade student in Onesti, a small town in northeast Romania, where she lives with her parents. By KNUDSEN How to buy a pipe The selection and purchase of a Briar pipe is a highly individual undertaking Every pipe smoker should consider the following questions before making his purchase: 1 Where will I do most of my pipe smoking? At home, at the oflice, on the street, 2. Will the pipe I select fit my physical characteristics and personality? 3.

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7l4WestHaslingsSt. Phorie 688-6023 i sta Sle. 130. 1050 Wait Pander St. Phone 688-1 824 'KNUDSEN PIPE DnEP.ni WINNIPEG CAlGAItV EOMONTO VANCOUVfi TORONTO I -ti7i Wnm ur Canadian Press HALIFAX Nini Mutch of Ontario salvaged her pride at the Canadian women's curling chammpionships Thursday night, outshooting Alberta's Myrna McQuarrie for an 8-7 victory in an extra end in the final round.

The decision gave the Mutch foursome, playing out of Toronto's Humber Highland CLub, second spot in the 11-team championship but McQuarrie wrapped up the title with a 10th round win earlier Thursday and suffered only a little disappointment in losing the game with Ontario. Alberta finished at 9-1 but McQuarrie said later they wanted to go through the event undefeated. Sports briefs Birds named all-stars EDMONTON (CP) The University of Alberta placed five players on the eight-man first all-star hockey team for the Canada West Universities Athletic Association, it was announced Thursday. For the Golden Bears, who won the CWUAA title this year with a 21-3 record, defencemen Randy Gregg and Frank Clarke and centre Jim Ofrim were clear-cut choices with forward Kevin Primeau and goalie Jack Cummings tied for places on the team. Other first-team choices were: forward Mitch Bozak of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies and goalie Ron Le-febvre and forward Jim Stuart, both of the University of B.C.

Thunderbirds and both tied for positions. Golden Bear Bryan Sosnowski was tied with Frank Raddatz of the University of Calgary for a spot on the second team, while other members were Russ Hall of the Calgary Dinosaurs and John Jordan of B.C. Clausen commence Head coach Bob De Julius, fresh from a scouting mission in Toronto, will take his first look at the 1977 Simon Fraser sity football team Sunday when the Clansmen begin spring training at the Burnaby Mountain campus. The Camp, which runs until March 25, features one to two hour workouts five days a week with full scrimmages beginning early in the second week. Thirty-four members of last year's team, including 18 starters, are returning for the '77 season which begins Sept.

17 at Empire Stadium against Western Montana. The Clan's original home-opener, Sept. 10 against Portland State, has been rescheduled for Nov. 12. Gymnasts at SFU The Phoenix Gymnastic Club will host an invitational meet Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

at SFU. North Shore Flicka Club, the Edmonton Gym Club and Seattle's Academy of Olympic Gymnastics are the visiting clubs. Phoenix entries include: Tami Stevens, Ann Muscat, Patti Sakaki, Lise Potomak, Lesley Horton and Sabea Mante. Tami Knight, Anita Botnen, Cindy Calkin, Susan Woyatt, Lisa Korsch and Barbara Dong are entered from the North Shore. LASTTR1P10 PORTUND 2 days of races.

Leav March 5 at 6 A.M. from 1148 W. Georgia, with pick-up at Na-naJmo Bdwy. Fare $29 dole, $30 includes hotel accommodation, free admission to race track free program Wonderful bus with air-condi-tiong washroom. Phone 255-5372 or 254-3636 Ask for Paul HavartJn Hunt's smooth McLaren roars into pole position Major league pitcher sues university paper Sharing the front row of the grid will be Brazilian Carlos Pace who had the second-fastest time with a lap of 1:16.01 in his 12-cylinder Brabham.

In the second row will be Niki Lauda of Austria. KYALAMI, South Africa (Reuter) James Hunt of Britain, driving a McLaren, won the pole position Thursday for Saturday's South African Grand Prix auto race at the Kyalami circuit He had a time of one minute, 15.96 seconds to record the fastest lap in the final practice session. UWSON OATES Associated Press EAST LANSING, Mich. The Michigan State University student newspaper has been slapped with a $2.5 million lawsuit by relief pitcher Mike Marshall of Atlanta Braves. The suit alleges that an article printed in the State News about a feud Marshall had with school officials hurt his reputation.

Marshall said Wednesday that the suit, filed last week in Ingham County circuit court, would be expanded to include the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, the Sporting News and TV Guide. All were reported to have run stories by sydicated sports columnist Melvin Durslag that were based on State News accounts. Marshall said he intends to show that his transfer from the Dodgers' to the Braves last year was due to Durslag's Herald-Examiner article, which the right-hander said portrayed him as "someone with no regard for anyone's safety." Marshall, who is working on a doctorate degree in physiology at Michigan State, alleges that the State News erred when it reported that he walked into an arena on campus and began hitting a baseball in all directions. The alleged incident was reported in a story about Marshall's arrest by campus police in February, 1975, for interrupting a scheduled tennis match by using an adjacent baseball practice area without a proper reservation. A trial in East Lansing last month on MM17 vaa VUtt will be guest speaker at tbe UBC Big Btes Diner, ftUrea 1 a Vuceav er Barrard Larrasse Cfaa figures it it enroute to a 1977 Mann Cup Champicoship with the signing of Ran McDaaaht as eoach.

MrDaaaltf knows the way. He led Bairtnts to tbe title in 1975 before "retiring" for a season Two women mem tiers showed up for the recent B.C. Uaas Aaaaal GeaersJ Meeting, breaking the all -male tradition. Member Herb Capoisi proposed that "lady-person" be nominated in next year's slate of directors. Proposal was tabled, to get an opinion on the term "Udy-nertaa" Ex-Lwns eoach Cal Mttrpfcy tried to make a deal last season with Maatreal for quarter back Saany Wa4e.

but was offered the other Ab QB, Jtauiy Jeaea, Cal said oo thanks The B.C. Liana' cut from last season's Westeri Fattbal! Caafemre Gate EfaaMiattan Ptaa was a record (for the lion) The B.C. Saorts Hall af Fame Selection Committee meets March 14 todiscuss nominees for 77 election Nominee for Best Transportation Deal Anywhere: Tbe LO ALTO LEASE PLAN AT LAWSON OATES ON BROADWAY, For carefree, trouble free driving, Uus is it. HOCKEY National Laagua Vanoouvf 2 Philafeiphta Boston NY Ranoam 1 NY Islanoam Dlrofl 2 Pittsburgh 1 MomraaiS Cnicago4 Washington 7 Loa Angela 2 Buffalo 7 Kamtoopi a Wmmpag 3 WRESTLING a EXHIBITION GARDENS MON MARCH 7 8:00 P.M. I I Canadian Team Title! John Anson I Randy Morse DUTCH SAVAGE DON LEO JONATHAN I CiMTfJKjfsS) KINISKI SH ARPE Gama Singh Jo Patardy Rial 2 othar mtm TKta on sat ai tfd Ashar a "Oomrnmrt" 165 W.

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