San Antonio Express from San Antonio, Texas • Page 71

Thunder quietly awav By JIM HUTTON Of THl EXPRESS Stiff San Antonio. Aloha, Those sentiments, translated into You, San Antonio. Hello, stood out on the Thunder's sign fronting its north San Pedro Ave. offices. The San Antonio Thunder officially becomes extinct and its revival set for next year in Honolulu Friday.

Thunder General Manager Sonny Tate arrived in Honolulu early this week and owner Ward Lay arrived late Thursday. The franchise transfer was expected to be confirmed last Friday in New York but Lay was unavailable because he underwent oral surgery in Dallas. The official confirmation was supposed to be made at mid-week via a conference call between Lay, NASL Commssioner Phil Woosnam and the remaining members of the league's executive committee. Tate told The Express that he expected Lay to break the news of the transfer in Honolulu. Officials at Dallas offices said' the Texas millionaire was ex-, peeled to return from Honolulu late Saturday, think it's appropriate-Ward breaks the story in the city where the team will move and not the one it has Tate said weeks ago.

The exodus left San Antonio with only one major league sports franchise the NBA Spurs and the chances of future professional sports involvement remote. The city lacks suitable facilities for major league baseball or football and no facilities for either minor or major league ice hockey. The Thunder was born two years ago as a North American Soccer League expansion franchise. Lay came to San Antonio with the idea of establishing the club on firm ground in 1-3 years. But after just tw See THUNDER, Page 9F San Antonio Express SPORTS Friday November 19 1976 I iq ii ml i mjf tj Tech, Cougars go for all the marbles 7F Spur spurt hits Yeoman knows how' to get sympathy Houston's debut in the Southwest Conference football chase this season has taught many people many things.

Sports writers, among others, have learned a lot. Many of us in this state who cover SWC football weren't too familiar with Cougar Coach Bill Yeoman because in past years we seen his team many times. When Yeoman and his Cougars were playing an independent schedule against such teams as Lamar, Miami. Cincinnati, VHlanova and Florida State, most writers were attending SWC games. To do a good job, necessary Tor a writer to get to know these coaches.

You must know if they are optimists or pessimists, or if they're generous or stingy with their praise. Grant Tea ft and Darrell Royal, for instance, can make the same, identical statement but mean two different things. If they say, have potential to be a real good they both mean it. But Royal, always cautious, would tic talking about a possible 11-0 or 10-1 record whereas Teaff would mean maybe an 8-3 or 7-4 mark. When the SWC Press Tour stopped bv to visit the Cougars a'week before the season opener, most of the writers had their first, detailed session with Yeoman, After leaving that classroom, having listened to Yeoman talk about his team and the SWC in general for about two hours, we felt a little sorry for the Cougars.

I mean, to hear Yeoman describe the situation his Cougars were in for a long season, perhaps bad as last year when they won just two of 10 games. Now. of course, we can look back through our notes and quotes and realize that Yeoman hurting as badly as we thought. In some ways, like Royal. He has a knack of making the other team look real strong while playing down the potential of his own club.

Average JV team Most SWC fans now realize that the Cougars have one of the most dangerous and versatile quarterbacks in the league in quick Danny Davis. But when we talked to Yeoman a week before the opener he told us that Davis was barely hanging onto the No. 1 job. Recently Royal was quoted as saying. believe anybody in this part of the country has as many good See BARRY ROBINSON, Page 6F King tut tut By KEVIN Of tHfc Stiff The Kings played like serfs Thursday night, In fact, their royal moniker might be removed if they have any more nights like that.

Kansas City was outshot and outrebounded by the San Antonio Spurs as the Spurs breezed to a 129-104 decision at the Arena. The Kings shot an icy 39 per cent and S.A. hit at a 48 per cent clip. The visitors, who are in the midst of an 11 -day road odessey, managed just 44 rebounds to 67 for the Spurs. hit our Coach Phil Johnson said quietly, speaking barely above a whisper in the tomb-like K.C.

clubhouse. were going in and out all the The Kings shot just 33 per cent in the opening quarter but came up to 50 per cent in the second, thanks largely to the long-bomb efforts of Ron Boone, who has the accuracy of Wil- See KING, Page IF By JEFF GROSSMAN Of THt tXPRtSS SiAff The Spurs held a party under the boards Thursday night, and the Kansas City Kings invited. The Spurs grabbed 23 more rebounds than the Kings as they won their sixth straight game, before 7,776 fans at the Convention Center Arena. The victory boosted San record to 8-6, and put the Spurs in a second place tie with New Orleans and Houston in the Central Division. All three teams are three games behind the Cleveland The Spurs boutid Kansas City, 67-44, And the starting frontline of Larry Kenon (14).

Mark Olberding (9) and Billy Pauitz (10) outrebounded the Sfntr turnstile count Last attendance 7,776 8 home games 8 home games (1975-76) 62,031 ROBINZINE surrounded by host of Spurs PHOTO BY RON JONES Kings' frontline of Scott Wed man (3), Bill robinzine (8) and Sarny Lacey (9), 33-20. San rebound advantage accounted for a lot of second and third chances on offense. And it was the biggest reason Spurs shot almost three times as many free throws as Kansas City, The Kings were 14 of 15 from the line, See SPURS, Page 4F Don Gullett JACK McKEON is the new Oakland manager. Story, Page I0F NEW YORK (AP) Pitcher Don Gullett, who beat the New York Yankees in the opening game of the 1976 World Series when he was still working for the Cincinnati Reds, signed a six-year contract with the American League champions Terms were not announced but when the Yankees attempted to buy lefthander Vida Blue from Oakland last summer in a deal vetoed by Commissioner Bowie Kuhn, the price was $1.5 million. It is reasonable to assume they spent at least that much to sign Gullett, the eighth free agent to switch teams in the last two weeks.

Gullett was the sixth client of super-agent Jerry Kapstein to reach terms in the last, three days and Kapstein scheduled a noon KST press conference Friday to announce an- See YANKS, Page 10F Inside Ftttball Report Seouting Reports Page 1I-13F Pro Probe Page 13F Bottom en Page 13F NFL Odds Page 12F A EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Divistoli Pet. GB Boston 7 5 .583 Philadelphia 7 5 .583 Buffalo 7 6 .538 New York Knicks 8 7.533 Vi New York Nets 5 9.357 3 Central Division Cleveland 11 3,786 Houston 7 5 .583 3 San Antonio 8 6 .571 3 New Orleans 8 6.571 3 6 7 .462 '4 Vje Atlanta 5 9 ,357 6 WESTERN CONFERENCE Midwest Division Denver 19 1 .999 Detroit 9 7.5633M¡ Kansas City7 8 .467 5 Indiana6 9 .409 6 Chicago 2 8 .399 7y2 Milwaukee3 13 .188 9Mt Faillie Division Portland 7 4.636 Seattle 8 7 .533 1 Golden State6 6 .500 Los Angeles 5 7 .417 Phoenix 3 7 .300 Wi Thursday's Games Indiana 104, Detroit 99 San Antonin 129, Kansas City 194 Golden State 133, Phoenix 111 GamFx Denver at Boston New Orleans at Philadelphia New York Nets at Phoenix Golden State at Los Angeles Milwaukee at Portland Buffalo at Seattle TivpinwAvtm the 1 lliat JBAJr JL waa MstP HL AJUD 8YEAR OLD TURKEY. Our ten year old taste is incomparable. In fact, Eagle Rare is the very finest Kentucky Bourbon ever created. Only one barrel in 37 laid down is deemed worthy enough to carry the name Eagle Rare.

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