The Bridgeport Post from Bridgeport, Connecticut • Page 12

BRIDGEPORT POST Monday, Jan. 14, DOLPHINS THRIVING AFTER 'SUPER' WIN Csonka Paces Miami Over Vikings, 24-7 Repeat Super Bowl Triumph Compared With the Pack By BRUCE LOWITT HOUSTON (AP) "If we're not the greatest football tea that ever was. there never one," crowed Miami Dolph center Jim Langer. "I don't give a damn what Green Bay did." The Dolphins, especially Lai ry Csonka, didn't care what th Minnesota Vikings did, eithei Langer and his offensive line- mates provided Csonka with a holes Sunday, shoved the over-eager Vikings around at will, and steamrolled to a 24-7 Super Bowl victory. On the rare occasions when the holes weren't there, Csonka made his own, carrying what looked like half of the Viking' Purple garig with him.

And when the Rice Stadiu field became nothing but a littered carpet, glistening with the first misty coat of an appropriate drizzle, the word "dynasty" was not so subtly -back in the National Football League lexicon. Like Dolphins' 14-7 victory over Washington in Super Bowl VII a year ago, their thumping of Minnesota in Super Bowl VIII on Sunday was essentially a dull affair but then, how do you root for General Motors? Thai's what these Dolphins are, you know. A smooth, silent, assembly-line machine, unemotionally churning out yard after yard, touchdown after touchdown, championship after championship. It was that way with the Green Bay Packers of the 1960s, too. That's the team everybody was talking about when the subject of a dynasty came up.

The Pack had won two Super Bowls in a row. Nobody else had done that until Sunday. "I think now we can consider ourselves comparable to the Pack," said Csonka. "We had to reserve our opinion before the game, but no more." Csonka is comparable to anything the Pack- might have had in the Vince Lombard! days. He was more than anything the Vikings could handle.

Thirty-three times he carried the ball. Everybody in the joint knew 'he would. The only problem was, nobody could do anything about it. "Our biggest reward," said Langer, the center of the Dolphins' bulldozer lines, "is to see Csonka going through for a big gain." Csonka did that a few times. He also went through -with help or on his own for a lot of little gains, like Miami's first touchdown, a five-yard burst up the middle, and its last, a two-yarder on a basically busted play.

Jim Kiick, who once kicked around the league with Csonka as half of the "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" show before fading into the shadow of Mercury Morris' jitterbug act, scored the Dolphins' other touchdown his first of the year on a one-yard dive. And Garo Yepremian the Cypriot necktie maker and place-kicker whose participation last year in "So you want to be a quarterback" ended in a laughable disaster stuck to his specialty this time around by booting a 28-yard field goal and three extra points. A year ago, Yepremian's attempted pass on a busted field goal try would end up as Washington's only touchdown on a Mike Bass run with an interception. The Vikes on the other hand, earned their only score. But, like the Redskins of 1073.

they got it when the only tiling it counted for was pride. Fran Tarkenton, the Win- nesota quarterback who once more probably will be assailed most undeservedly for his supposed inability to "win the big one," got that face-saving score on a four-yard run, the end of an 80-yard drive. It was about the only time he really had the Vikes going. On the other occasion, when it might have really mattered, the Dolphins rose up en masse and fractured any hope of a rally that Minnesota might have nurtured. By that time the last minute of the first half Miami Super Bowl Stats Mio 0 0 7 -3 7 0-24 Mia--Csonka 5 ruMYepremlan kick) MIO-Kilck Irun (Yepremlon kick) Mia--FG Yepremion 38 Mia--C5onka 2 run (Vcprentian kick) MIIY--TorkeHton 4 run (Cox kick! vikings Dolphins First downs 14 21 Rushes-yards 24-72 53-196 Passing yards 166 63 Return yards 0 30 Posses 18-28-1 i-7-0 Punts 5-42 3-40 Fumbles-tost 2-1 1-0 Penoltles-ycrds 7-65 1-4 INDIVIDUAL LEADERS RUSHING AMnnesota, Reed Foreman 7-18, Tarkenlon 4-17; Mloi Cscnko 33-145, Morris 11-34, Ktlck 7-10.

RECEIVING Minnesota, Foreman 527, Gilliom AM, volgt 3-46, Morlnaro 239; MIoini, Wgrfleld 2-33, Mandlch 2-21. Briscoe 2-19. PASSING Minnesota, Tarkenlon 1828-1, 182 Yards. Mloml, Grtese, 6-7-0, 73. already had scored two of its touchdowns and the field goal.

"They took the ball, went down the field and got 14 points the first two times they had the ball," said Bud Grant, the Vikings stoic coach. "That kind of a lead is hard to overcome against the good teams." Minnesota made it to the Dolphins' six-yard line in that turning point final minute of the half. Fourth down and a yard to the Vikes needed something. But they disdained the almost sure three points Fred Cox could've kicked for them. They went for the yard and the possible touchdown, but Nick i i Miami's wily middle linebacker said "No way." Oscar Reed slammed into the line.

Buoniconti slammed into Reed. No gain, no score. No Do'n Shula, the once tight-lipped coach --remember, he lost two Super Bowls before winning two who loosened up so much that he had the midweek press in an uproar over his rendition of "Sex and the Single Football player," knew exactly what his Dolphins had to do when things got serious. "Our whole objective against Fran was to catch, not chase," he said. "Today, we Miami caught the Vikings at everything they tried to do.

Minnesota managed a measly rushing yards. The 166 passim; yards didn't matter one bit. Bob Griese, the computer-like quarterback who had to resort to the pass only seven times -and completed six for 73 yards --said he "sensed almost immediately that Larry was running well. I just kept dialing his number." He even dialed it when he had no idea what he was doing. In the third quarter, with the Dolphins on the Minnesota two- yard line, Griese's mind suddenly went blank.

"I got to the line of scrimmage and started looking the defense over and forgot the count," he admitted. "I turned around and asked Csonka. Why I did that, I don know. He's always forgetting the count. Larry shouted: 'It's one no, wait it's two os it turned out, it was one.

All of a sudden the ball in my hands. I just handed it to Larry." And Larry just crashed intp the end zone for the touchdown on the "busted "We laughed about it coming off the field," Griese grinned. Yanks' Pilot Virdon To Speak at Gold Key Champagne Corks Silent Amid Dolphin Excitement NEW HAVEN (AP) rdon newly named manager the American League New rk Yankees, will be a guest iker at the Jan. 28 Gold dinner of the Connecticut -ts Writers' Alliance, al- ice President Tom Hine Vir of Yo spe Key Spo ilian said Other speakers include Steve is of the Pittsburgh Pirates Wasiewski of the Oakland Dave Herman of the New Jets and Walt Dropo, a ar veteran of the major ues, Hine said Saturday. ld key awards will be pre- at the Park Plaza Hotel to Dick McAuIiffe of the Red Sox, Joan Joyce, for the Raybestos Bra- 5 women's softball team, John Merriman, former director at the Coast rd Academy, New London Bla Gar A's, Yor 13-ye leag Go sen dinn Bo, pit and athle Guar ited tchei SUPER FIGHT II 12 ROUNDS MONDAY JAN.

28TM SEE IT ON BIG SCREEN CLOSID CIRCUIT TV JOE FRAZIER VS MUHAMMADf DIRECT FROM'lWADlklN SQUARE GARDEN ALI AP Wirepnoto HERE COMES CSONKA-Miami fullback Larry Csonka (39) powers through the Minnesota defense to score the first touchdown of the game in Super Bowl VIII yesterday in Houston. Hanging on are Minnesota defenders Larry Siemon (50) and Paul Krause (22). VIKINGS AGREE IS BEST HOUSTON (AP) (AP) -Not only did the Miami Dolphins establish they are still the world's best professional football team Sunday bul they proved they can be human and not emotionless robots as some critics have suggested. With the 24-7 Super Bowl VIII victory in hand, the Dolphins barged into a tiny dressing room in Rice Stadium where there were no prying eyes of reporters, or television cameras or photographers. There vere hugs and slaps and smiles and soul shakes -an avalanche of emotion released from a long season trying to equal the back-to-back Super Bowl victories of the great Green Bay Packers in the late IflGOs.

"It's the first time this year we've been emotional," said wide receiver Marlin Briscoe, who described the celebration that occurred some 200 yards from a candy-stripped tent where reporters cooled their heels on a pea-gravel floor waiting for interviews, i There were no champagne corks popping but Briscoe said, "Man, there will be for days and days and days." Quarterback Bob Griese, a calm, poised serious person, managed a wide grin and said, "Later, when I'm sitting back and relaxing, I think all of this will sink in and I will have a hard lime believing it." Larry Csonka, the Dolphin fullback who was the star of the game, said, "It's a great team without an individual leader. We don't really need one in this outfit." i linebacker Nick Buoniconti turned proudly to running back Mercury Morris and said, "You know how many games we've lost in the last two years? Two. Thirty-two and two. Can you believe that?" Morris said there are five reasons why the Dolphins are champions and he listed them as Coach Don Shula, attitude, Griese, 40 good players and "everything is positive." Csonka couldn't resist joking that as an added incentive "Coach Shula said we'd have next Wednesday off if we won. Serously, it (morale) is the underlying factor on our team -not pep rallies or rah-rah." Super Bowl Winners By The Associated Preu 1967-Green Bay 35, Kansas City ID 1968-Green Boy 33, Oakland 14 1969-New York Jets 76, Baltimore 7 1970-Konsas City 23, Minnesota 7 1971-Baltimore 16, Dallas 13 1972-Dallas 24, Miami 3 1973-MIaml 14, Washinglon 7 1974-Minml 24, Minnesota 7 HOUSTON (AP) To emerge as a National Football League contender, the Minnesota yikings grew up by ending the 'domination of the Gree- Bay Packers.

The Vikings, who suffered frustrating losses to the Packer machine in the early 1960s, ran up against another dominating NFL force that is being frequently compared with the great Green Bay teams of I9C5, 1988 and 1967. From talking to Viking players after their 24-7 Super Bowl loss Sunday at Rice Stadium, the Miami Dolphins rate quite favorably. "Miami is the best team I have ever played apainst, and that includes the Green Bay Packers who won the Super Bowl in 1966 and 1967," said Viking defensive end Carl Eller. "This Miami club has a great combination of talents," Eller said. "They utilized a wide open attack.

Their offensive line is the best we've played against." Defensive tackle Alan Page added, "I would have to say that Miami is the best ever. I've played against a lot of good teams. Miami is right up there among the best anyway." And quarterback Fran Tarkenton: "Miami has a great team. They would at least have to rate on an even plane with those Green Bay teams." VIKINGS OFFER NO SOUR GRAPES HOUSTON (AP) The Minnesota Vikings minced few words about how they were overpowered 24-7 by the Miami Dolphins on Super Bowl Sun- "coach Bud Grant, asked he throught his team was in trouble, said bluntly: "On the Sirst drive of the game. Linebacker Wally Hilgenberg said of the Miami offense and devastating running back Larry Csonka: "They just took the ball, ran it down our throats and we couldn't stop them." Defensive tackle Alan Page said, "We could have used a shotgun." The Dolphins rammtd two drives through the Vikings for a 14-0 lead and had the game under control with a 17-0 halftime bulge.

Although Fran Tarkenton set a Super Bowl record with 18 completions and scored Minnesota's only touchdown, the Dolphins sustained their first half cushion. The Vikings, without a trace of emotion, explained simply they had been outplayed. "They played about as as they could," said Tarkenton. thought we played well, but the ball bounced their way the entire game. Everything good that could have happened to them, happened." A lot of bad things happened to the Vikings.

They were penalized seven times for 64 yards. A clipping violation against Stu Voigt, who made three spectacular.catches, nullified John Gilliam's 65-yard return of the second half opening kickoff. Ron Porter jumped offside on an onside kick which the Vikings recovered after Tarkenton's touchdown early in the fourth quarter. But Tarkenton said he wanted to offer no excuses for Minnesota's second Super Bowl loss in two appearances. "Somebody has to lose," Tarkenton said.

"You play the best you can. We gave them a shot, but it wasn't good enough. No sour grapes. We expected to win and we didn't." Miami did not use any unexpected strategy, but they just outplayed the Vikings, Grant said. "They just blocked and ran the ball well.

We blocked and tackled. If you don't do either, you're in trouble." Guard Milt Sunde, who injured a knee against Dallas in the 27-10 National Conference championship victory, was taken off the active roster Sunday morning, and Frank Gallagher started in his place. "That didn't make a difference," said Grant, adding the decision not to practice in frozen Minnesota last week did not affect the outcome. "They just outplayed us and got the breaks," said middle linebacker Jeff Siemon. "It's unfortunate that we ended the season on a sad note.

But we had a great year and played some excellent football in com 1 ing back from a 7-7 season." The Vikings, 0-2 in Super Bowls, attended a private party Sunday night and planned a flight this morning to Minnesota. Bill Arnsparger Has Job With Giants Says Shula Andrew Worde High School, Fairfield at 9:00 P.M. TICKETS! Wonderland of lee. Arctic Sport Shop. Bridgeport! ClampeU's Center, Falrlleldl Herman's, Trumbull; Sporllnc Goods.

Monrotl Sports, Stratlord) Sehncrcr Sporting Coodi, Writport. "nECAUSE OF tlHITEO SEATS AVAII.AIUE AND THE INTENSE INTEI1EST IN THIS BEMATCII, EAHLY TICKET PUnCHASES ABE SUGCESTtu. AP Wlrcpliolo POINTS FOR TDK VIKINGS--Minnesota quarterback Trail Tarkcntnn (10) looks up at officials fifler he rolled out to score in the fourth quarter of the Super Howl fjamc Sunday. Mlsml defender is Mark Foley (25) and Minnesota player is Doug Kingsrltcr (80). GROS CAPTURES GIANT SLALOM MORZINE, France (AP)Piero Gros, Italy's sensational 19-year-old, won the Avoriaz men's giant slalom race Sunday in World Cup men's ski competition.

Italian team grabbed four of the first five places. Gros placed first in the two heats of the race. He was clocked 1 minute 32.59 seconds in the first heat over a meter long, 370-meter drop track with 57 gates, and in 1:24.08 in the second heat whicJ included only 55 gates. His total winning time was 2:56.67. Second an the overall standings was Hans Hinterseer of Austria, 97 hundredth! of a sec ond behind Gros, with times ol 1:33.16 and 1:24.48.

Gustavo Thoeni of Italy was third, two seconds behind Gros in the overall standings, with times and 1:25.00. With identical mastership over both iced snow in the first heat and a softened track the second, Gros appeared as the seeded No. 1 slalomer for the forthcoming world championship in Zurich, Switzerland. Following his success last week at Berchtesgaden, Austria, he took the lead in the world cup standings with 10( points, six points ahead of Franz Klammer. Others in the top 10, which included no Americans, Sunday were: 4, Erwin Strieker, Italy, 5, Helmut Schmalzl, Italy, 6, David Zwilling, Austria, Kwiowasper, Austria, 8, Enfielhard Pargaetzi, Switzerland, 9, Max Ricger, Germany, 10, Josef Pechll, Austria.

3:01.85. AP WIrephoto PICTURE OF CONFlDENCE-Miami head coach Don Shula signifies that all is well as he arrives with his team at Rice Stadium Sunday for Super Bowl VUI. Everything turned out just fine as Dolphins turned back Vikings, 24-7, for second straight Super Bowl title. HOUSTON (AP) Bill Arnsparger, the top aide to Miami Dolphins head coach Don Shula, will take over as head coach of the New York Giants for the 1974 season, although he won't say so as yet. "Arnsparger has the job--you can bet on that," a high-ranking official in the Miami organ- said amidst the celebration in the Dolphins' locker room following Miami's 24-7 triumph over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl V11I.

Shula also all but announced that his long-time defensive eoach was headed for New York. Shula threw his arms around Arspargcr as the two approached the tent where post- game interviews were held. Arnsparger had tears in his eyes. "We gave two game balls today," Shula said. "One was to Larry Csonka," the Miami fullback who rushed for a Super Bowl-record 145 yards and was named the game's most valuable player.

"The other was to Bill Arsparger, who is supposed to be getting the Giant job as head coach." Shula stopped, chuckled, then "That ends that rumor." Then he added, "All I can say is, the Giants are getting themselves one helluva coach." Arsparger, however, denied he had already accepted the New York job although he acknowledged meeting with Giant officials. "It is not definite," he said. "It is something I am considering." Reports are that he will be in New York Wednesday to close the deal. The Giants have called a press conference for Wednesday at which they are expected to name a new coach. The 47-year-old Arsparger will succeed Alex Webster, who coached New York for live seasons, compiling a 29-40-1 record.

The Giants were a disappointing 2-11-1 in J973 after winning all six of their preseason games. Webster announced his resignation in the week prior to the final game of the 1973 season. Arnsparger, a native of Paris, has been a defensive coach under Shula for the past 10 years, first with the Baltimore Colts and then with Miami. He was given the title of assistant head coach of the Dolphins this year, along with a reported salary of $50,000, which is considerably above the norm for assistant coaches. Arnsparger, who played college football at Miami of Ohio, later became offensive coach at his alma mater.

He later served as an assistant coach at Ohio State, Kentucky and Tulane. While at Kentucky he first came in contact with Shula, who was also an assistant there. Dusty Cage Schedule Three games are scheduled tonight at Bullard-Havcns gym in the YMCA Industrial Basketball League's Division. Electric Storage Battery plays Custom Hall at Fcrmont Division faces Machines at 7:45 and Bridgeport meets SNETCO at 9 o'clock. MIAMI'S LINE: UNSUNG HEROES By BEN THOMAS HOUSTON (AP) POW.

First play of the game. Mercu- Morris gains four yards. BAM. Larry Csonka gets two. And a minute or so later Csonka gets 16.

The Miami Dol- hins are inarching to their 'irst touchdown. And there were Wayne tfoore, Bob Kuechenberg, Jim Langer, Larry Little and Norm a s--the men in the trenches. They were opening mammoth gaps in the Minnesota Viking defense. The five offensive linemen of the world champion Dolphins were the unsung heroes of Super Bowl VIII. They're the who don't get new cars, or awards as the Most Valuable Player.

Or headlines. They don't even get as much money during the season as the stars and superstars. This time, though, they each got that's the same amount that the stars got. "Our biggest reward is to see Larry Csonka going through for a big gain," said center Langer, the keystone man. 'If I have an idol, and I know grown men aren't supposed to idolize people, but I do and it's Larry Csonka.

He just inspires us," said left guard Bob Kuechenberg. Well, Langer got his reward--plenty of them. And Kuechenberg got his inspiration. Csonka Kuechenberg a him "the ultimate hard-nosed football for a record 145 yards, carrying the ball a record 33 times, and gained that new auto and accolades as the MVP of 1974'5 championship contest of professional football. Moore, Kuechenberg, Langer, Evans.

Remember Huieh Min-nan Cops Okinawa Golf Tourney NAHA, Japan (AP) Huieh Min-nan, a veteran Taiwanese pro golfer, shot a two-under-par 70 final round and captured the 58,333 first prize in the Okinawa Open Golf Tournament Sunday. Hsich's four-round total was a Jii-under-par 273 on the yard, par-72 Okinawa Daikyo Country Club course. SUPER IX SHIFT DENIED BY NFL HOUSTON (AP) An official of the National Football League has denied reports tha the 1975 Super Bowl football game will not be played in New Orleans. "There is absolutely nothing to that report," said Jim Kensil, NFL executive director, shortly after Sunday's Miami- Minnesota same. A New Orleans television station reported Sunday that i learned the 1975 game would not be played in New Orleans, as scheduled, because the Louisiana Superdome wilt not be ready in time.

Kensil said New Orleans Mayor Moon Landrieu and Louisiana Superdome executive director Ben Levy met with NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle end himself earlier Sunday for a progress report on the New Orleans stadium. Levy, contacted in Houston, said of the meeting with Rozelle and Kensil: "We put forward a proposal telling the commissioner, 'Look, New Orleans is the only city in the USA that can offer a stadium if it is ready and still 'offer a backup facility like Tulane "We told Mr. Rozclle the indications were that the stadium will be ready unless there were unforeseen developments. it conies to a point where we felt it would not be ready, we'd be the first to let him know," Levy said. He added that Itozelle "agreed there should be a meeting with the stadium's general contractors, architects and engineers in February.

He promised us there would be no decision until such a conference is held." I 1C UIlu i i a those names. If the Dolphins du become a dynasty, these five guys may have as much to do with it as anyone. Perhaps even more. There they were lined up against such awesome defenders as Carl Eller, Gary Larsen, Alan Page and Marshall, those Minnesota defensive linemen known collectively as the "Purple People Enters." What did they do? Well, our unsung heroes from Miami -those five guys who are castoffs, guys who got cut and waived or traded away by oifc- er teams in the National I-'oot- a 1 1 League--blocked and Lrapped and pulled and made Eller, Larsen, Page and Marshall look, at times, as though they just were blocking dummies. "Yes," said Eller, the 6-foo -S veteran defensive end, "the Dolphins do block well.

In fac their offensive line is by far the best we've played against." And Kuechenberg was equally complimentary. "It was a pleasure to play with them," he said in the candy striped interview tent after Sunday's 24-7 Dolphin victory. "They are the best defensive ine in the game and we had a blood-and-guts battle." "Page is as quick as anybody," said Kuechenberg, explaining that the Dolphin offensive line sometimes let the speed of the 245-pound Minnesota defensive tackle be his undoing. "We'd help Page get over the middle and then block so Larry could run behind him." Center Langer exulted in a super bowl victory. "That was even better than ast time, it will take me six months to get back down to earth again.

The reason why we are so successful? We try to get the best blocking angles can." Kuechenberg, in explaining the line's, and ultimately, Csonka's successes, said, "We screened on our blocking and let Csonka roll the other way." And what did Csonka, this big, strapping son of a onetime saloon keeper who worries that his athletic success may have an adverse effect on his sons, say about those (ive guys who made it all possible? "Our linemen," said Csonka, "are no longer knuckle-dragging, low IQ people. They have intelligence and they mean something to the team's tuc- cess." The ANGUS STEAK HOUSE SUNDAY TO THURSDAY AHE FAMILY NIGHTS Complete Prime Angus Steak Dinnttn at OLD FASHIONED PRICES PRIME ANGUS SIRLOIN STEAK 45 4QC SAIAD a BAKED POTATO fM SHRIMP COCKTAtt BEVERAGE orif Mi BtACK ROCK TURNPIKE. lAmriOD 3M-1M.