The Charlotte News from Charlotte, North Carolina • 21

Claims 'Persecution CLEMSON SC lPi Clemson University officials expressed surprise today at the severity of sanctions ordered by the Natioiril Collegiate Athletic Association on its basketball team but acknowledged that the university will comply a pei seculion not a said university legal counsel Joseph McDevitt of the NCAA investigation that led to the sanctions The NCAA in a ruling released in Kansas City slapped basketball team with a three-year probation because of approximately 50 rule violations most of which involved illegal recruiting Clem- a year maybe two at the he said "but our kids will bounce back McDLVIIT SAID he spent 9'j boms with the NCAA committee on infi actions in Kansas Crty on Aug 23 and came away surprised at the methods He said it w'as obvious that a school charged with a violation does not have to be proved guilty beyond a doubt before being punished by the NCAA accustomed to the rules of evidence as piovided in a McDevitt said McDevitt did not intimate that son's football team received a public repi imand for one violaton buL was not placed on piobation The violations occurred while Tates Locke was head basketball coach at Clemson Locke is not mentioned by name in the NCAA report but is referred to as former head basketball His successor as bead coach Bill roster appealed at a news conference with McDevitt today shortly after holding a team meeting with Clemson's basketball players He said the players were disappointed and surpnsed at the length of the piobation thought maybe it would be Clemson President Robert Lil-wards however said the school would go ahead with the NCAA restrictions "Clemson University accepts the sanctions imposed by the NCAA and will comply Clemson respects the role and mission of the NCAA on the national level and the Atlantic Coast Confereme and its member institutions at the conference Edwards said Foster is in his first year at Clemson after going theie from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte Locke contacted in Detioit TAILS LOCKE i3L 1 the university was innocent but he joined Foster in labeling the penalty as too severe He said the rules governing schools and prospective student athletes are voluminous and difficult to comprehend The Charlotte News Lions Booed In New Den today said he would "have nothing to say al this time "I seen any details of the charges not surpnsed at the NCAA action after the length of time this has been biewing but I talk intelligently about it now Perhaps after more of the details come out be able to talk about Locke said Locke left the school this spring while the NCAA investigation was in progress and is now an assistant coach with the Buffalo Braves of the National Basketball Association case involves serious violations spanning several years and includes significant benefit and inducements to prospective and enrolled said Arthur Reynolds chairman of the NCAA Committee on Infractions of the violations in this case indicate a disregard for NCAA regulations on the part of certain former athletic department staff members and athletic Reynolds added is likely that more severe penalties would have been imposed without assurances from the institution that the university intends to comply fully with the governing regulations in the future Clemson was penalized for violations involving finanacial aid and extra benefits to student-athletes institutional control ethical conduct recruiting tryouts entertainment pre-college enrollment expenses transportation out-of-season basketball practice and a questionable practice related to the certification compliance with NCAA regulations CLEMSON WAS charged with 72 rule violations and found guilty on the majority of them In Columbia the Siate reported that the violations included A supporter of the athletic pio-gram offered to purchase new furniture for the home of a prospective family a new (ar for the player and offered to make a substantial cash downpaymenl to the father for a commitment to the school Locke offered to buy a house for the mother of a prospective player Locke gave a relative of a prospective player cash to be used as a downpayment on a car and later gave part of the cash to the relative when it was returned to Locke Locke using his own funds paid off two personal loans for a basketball player A supporter of the Clemson basketball program gave a prospective player some cash and offered to make a substantial cash payment and to provide the player with money each month if he agreed to attend Clemson The sanciions aid not extend to Summary In Scoreboard 2C most got artificial grass stains on lus Honolulu blue pants The youth-infused Cowboys ran their record to 3-0 and sit alone atop the Eastern Division of the National Conference Detroit considered a cellar candidate in pre-season by most critics had beaten Green Bay and Atlanta but now is 2-1 and second in the Central Division behind unbeaten Minnesota Sunday the I ions host Chicago while the Cowboys will be at New Yoik against the Giants was impressed with the Dallas Coach Tom Landry said obviously trying to ease pain played us real (lose in the first half and except for hitting a couple big plavs the game could have been much clos- 1IIE big plays included A bad Delfoit snap on punt foimation that set up go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter A 29-yaid draw piay bv Charles Young of the Cow'boys followed by rncus catch for a 42-yard touchdown pass from Staubach on the first play of the fourth quarter A 4G-yaid halfback pass from Robert New house to Drew Pearson for another stunning Cowboy fourth-period TD A 37-yard scoting aerial from Staubach to Pearson after the Cowboys recovered a Landry fumble at the lion 16 and lost 25 yards on penulLics SMOTHERED is Detroit QB Greg Landry who fumbled after being bit bard by Randy White of Dallas (AP Photo) PONTIAC Mich UP) Pontiac majestic air-inflated dome spring any leaks but the Detroit bubble was burst by Roger shotgun offense and slingshot arm A near-capacity crowd of 79784 gave the Dallas Cowboys resounding boos when they were introduced before last National Tootball League contest against Detroit But the boos that rcvei berated off the newly raised fiberglass roof of the plush $55 7 million stadium at the end of the nationally televised 36-10 Cowboy victory were for the Lions Detroit seemed helpless as Stau-bach turned a 10-9 third-period Lion advantage into a Cow'boy runaway Meanwhile his defensive mates led by 250-pound tackle Jethro Pugh sacked Lion quarterback Greg Landry so many times he al- IWMriin BRUTON SMITH Controls Stock Howard Report Called Premature RICHARD HOWARD I eaves In January? Pirates Choose Rookie To Stop Reds' Runaway toss wWs He third largest selling American whiskey By BOB MYERS News Staff Writer Richard Howard today called reports that he will retire as president and general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway "premature and lacking substance lot of this is pure speculation I am not denying that I have said that I might retire if I feel my situation warrants but I have three Boston can eliminate Oakland with victory in West Coast game tonight Page 4C home runs have yet to hit one in the playoffs batting 203 as a team and none of their pitchers has lasted more than four innings expect that to change Manager Danny Murtaugh said yesterday from his rocking chair A reporter asked him what was so special about playing at home Can the home crowd make that much of a difference9 stretching that because we did horse manure out said Murtaugh "Give me another excuse and use it too running out of excuses and CINCINNATI won its last World PITTSBURGH tT) The Cincinnati Reds can clinch their third National League title of this decade here tonight and take another step towaid the World Series triumph that has eluded them for 35 years Series? think about that if we get Manager Sparky Anderson said as he awaited the third and perhaps final game with Pittsbuigh (The game will be televised at 8 15 on Channel 9) The Reds pitch Gary Nolan against Pirate rookie John Candelaria dominated two games in Cincinnati 8-3 and 6-1 They pounded the ball at a 348 clip allowed just 13 Pirate hits and stole 10 bases in 10 tries Joe four steals and the team total are already records for a league playoff The Pirates league leaders in Continued On Page 4C Col I TODAY 8 15 pm Channel 9 NBC Maior League Baseball Cincinnati Reds Pittsbuigh Pnates in 1 i rd game of National league playoffs 465 FIFTH 8t 60 PROOF GW NttTPIL SPIRITS 5 months in which to make my deci-son" Howard said things can happen between now and the annual stockholders meeting in January so very premature now to say that I will resign Howard under whose direction Continued On Page 3C Col 4 Series in 1910 That was seven years before catcher Johnny Bench was born series is the goal of every team but no way we can look past the said Bench one of the few Reds without a hot bat He has one hit so far in the playoffs The Reds lost to the Yankees in the 1961 World Series and they were disappointed by Baltimore in 1970 and Oakland in 1972 Checkers Battle Generals Some players will get their last chance tonight at making the Checkers squad when the ice hockey team plays Greensboro at 8 in the coliseum in the final pie-season exhibition game The regular season opens Friday with Roanoke here Coach Pat Kelly expected four players to arrive here today to swell his contingent to 23 That number must be reduced to 17 by Friday and to 16 after seven regular season games The coach has given no indication which players will stick John Morrison and Bob Smuld-ers both off last Southern Hockey League championship team and Jack Surbcy who played on the 1972-73 team here were due in today to fatten up the list of forwards in camp Also scheduled to show today was defenseman John Landry who played with Hershey of the American Hockey League last season Charlotte beat Greensboro 6-4 in an exhibition game in Greensboro Friday night In that one forwards Craig Crawford and Dave Given each had two goals for the Kessler And to reach this lofty status we had to outsell over 5000 other American whiskies A words tell the story Smooth as Silk the promise we make on our label and 0J live up to in our bottle Admittedly our success has been a quiet one But 1 then when you let your smoothness do the talking America gets the message News Reporters Barred By Hornets I) A Jit IS KlSSLta CO UWUtVC BlRSJVD assistant director of public relations "Mr Bell has been upset with our attempts to report the team's financial affairs and in particular with our reporting of the dispute between the Hornets and the management of Griffith Park where they formerly Charlotte News editor Stewart Spencer said "I regret Mr hard feelings tried to be fair to the Hornets At the same time we have felt that major developments in the financial picture were of legitimate public Spencer said will continue to try to report major matters of interest both on and off the field and at the same time will hope our differences wit8 Mr Bell can be Spencer said Charlotte Hornets President Upton Bell has declared that reporters from The News will be barred from the locker room the press box at home games and from purchasing a ticket for the team plane for road games after a story in The News last week about a rent disagreement at Griffith Park When the Hornets played the Steamer Sunday at a game Shreveport a News reporter was not allowed to enter the locker room to interview players Hornet coach Bob Gibson said last week he and his assistants are under orders from Bell not to talk to The News When the Hornets were moving from Griffith Park last Tuesday a reporter and photographer fom The News were asked to leave Grif fith Park by Bob Dickinson the isnooH as Silk Kessler Now the third largest selling American whiskey 1 A.