The Charlotte Observer from Charlotte, North Carolina • 17

I Zhe e'harlotte (Observer Section Sports News Friday September 16 1977 Financial Preps ass Typifies South Carolina Football 11 111 By FRANK BARROWS Observer Staff Writer COLUMBIA Gingerly Ron Bass inched across the locker room at Williams-Brice Stadium seeking a trainer's therapeutic hands a respite from his backache It was a Sunday afternoon when South Carolina's football team regroups and recovers nursing the contusions and abrasions wrought by Saturday's contests Attendance is voluntary the scarred or the battered predominat0 ing and the mood is a low-key one with hushed conversations Loud sounds amplify pain A radio played Ifil Ygently A 4i Stretching across a padded table 4pondering the surgeries and discom- ----io' that define his career and the Li visits to these medical sessions that 1' mark his weekends he pulled himself :1 Al together for another game his atti- tude was resolute eagerness Bass 1 0 1141 -4 rw '44' 1 4 IN 1': --77 ri :4 1 4 4ei si "74ii k' k' :1:::: -4 "i''''1) 17 ::::41 4'' iI :7::: tr :1 lir4 1: i f' i i 0iii i 1'' i-''-'4- :4 1 4 04 4 4 41 4 7 -J--'- Ai :6 ti 4::: --1 :4 4'-- 4 i' '4-" )oT '-'1''' totx ''i t' 41''' 'F'''''''4'4 i zek i A A 1: il--: 7'- i 1 i 1 'f'at i l' St'''' l'''' I 1 4: :4 1:: 4 0' -i'': 4r tut okt final four games one an emotional 13-6 defeat by Notre Dame In that contest an interception of Bass' curl-pass ended South Carolina's last-gasp drive and triggered that season's end slump So far this year the team is unbeaten A 32-17 victory over Appalachian State and a 17-0 win against Georgia Tech are the successes creditable if not spectacular And assistant coach Dick Rader who directs the squad's offensive backfield is positive Bass will avoid the occasional errors that blemished his previous work "That was a tough year for him" comments Rader "because he was replacing Jeff Grantz the best quarterback we've ever had here I think he feels more confident now that he's established himself We've gone to the drop-back pass rather than the sprint-out we used and he's more comfortable doing that He understands better what we're trying to accomplish" Those offensive plans spring from head coach Jim Car len prosperous at West Virginia and Texas Tech before his 1975 Columbia debut He inherited Bass who was signed during Paul Dietzel's Gamecock tenure And as South Carolina enters the season's middle phase with a game Saturday against Miami Ohio Bass's objective is simple "I just want" he says "to stay healthy" And sprawled face-down on the trainer's table he adjusts the plastic ice-bags that soothe his backache an injury aggravated by a Georgia Tech tackle He moans His law is sore too He is 22 years old the son of a retired Air Force colonel a youth whose blond hair and thick eyebrows frame his sharply-chiseled face He played for a Virginia AAA championship team at Alexandria's Williams High School then chose South Carolina's recruiting pitch over Minnesota's He is an advertising student a water-skier a horseman His speciality is the medium-range pass especially to flanker Zion McKinney and split end Philip Logan He moans again "I didn't really want to be a quarterback" he explains "but my high school coach switched me there from the secondary" He shrugs Quarterback injuries are commonplace Defensive back injuries are rare And nearby hangs a characteristic locker-room placard: "Pain Is A State Of Mind" Ordinarily Ron Bass would laugh at that musing over the varous ironies but today his jaw was sore And he was hurting Ron Bass I The Line Of Scrimmage ReadN To Trigger South Carolina Offense Gamecocks shoot for third straight uictory Saturdav against Mianzi Ohio Ron Bass's status oft-injured quarterback whose enthusiasm never fails parallels South Carolina's overall football situation Glancing at a year-by-year history you find that no Gamecock squad since 1903 claims eight victories and less than half compiled winning seasons Even with lavish expenditure and diligent work South Carolina's recent teams rose just to a mediocre level consistently falling short of the Top 20 invariably losing critical games settling for 7-5 not 10-2 Yet despite the letdowns Columbia's football frenzy the lusting after Orange Bowl appearances and Heisman Trophy candidates is undiminished and unchecked Home attendance averages 50612 Restaurant marquees proclaim a community's loyalty to the Gamecocks Donations flow freely to the athletic department bank accounts And each year when the squad falters optimism for the next autumn abounds Amidst South Carolina's current effort to break that lackluster pattern Ron Bass is a central figure perhaps the central figure An accurate passer an experienced senior and a skilled operative on the triple-option he must generate enough offense to push the Gamecocks through a schedule featuring Georgia and Mississippi and East Carolina That he endured that he tolerated surgical procedures and a major change in his playing style equipped him to withstand the season's psychological rigors Since 1974 when he arrived at South Carolina his trips to Columbia's Moore Orthopedic Clinic are outnumbered only by his visits to the trainer's room for rehabilitating isokinetic exercises A torn hamstring muscle severely damaged knee ligaments and a troublesome cyst in his left leg caused three operations A fourth was prompted by a nagging elbow bruise He also developed an ulcer Those factors and the abuse to which his scant 180- pound body is subjected during a game leave him with a stoic outlook an imperviousness "While 1 was hurt" admits Bass "1 guess 1 got a little depressed But I didn't allow myself to get too far down I know its questionable how things will turn out when you're hurt but 1 couldn't dwell on that What's going to happen happens" His lateral agility was reduced Consequently he evolved from a running quarterback into a passer As a sophomore reserve he rushed for 211 yards versus North Carolina a promising show "Leading up to my junior year" he says "I felt I'd have to depend more on other things I could tell I couldn't move quite the same as I used to I hadn't thrown too much in high school and I hada't concentrated on form and technique so I got busy" A year ago his first as a regular he completed 110 passes a heady 553 percentage for 1320 yards and nine touchdowns Nevertheless the Gamecocks emerged with a mere 6-5 record typically losing three of their Red Sox Whittle Yankee Lead Back To 2 V2 tl Bob A3vbw Quincy 1 Orioles orfeit Game To Toronto Yanks Get Kingman Top 10 Have Easy Pickinas tl" 00418Pr471 4PA-4 Al 'i': 1 1 dt Associated Press NEW YORK The New York Yankees acquired slugger Dave Kingman on waivers from California Thursday just nine days after the Angels had obtained him via the same route from the San Diego Padres Kingman who has now been with four teams ths year had played in just 10 games for the Angels batting 194 with two home runs and four runs batted in He was the New York Mets' leading home run hitter in each of the previous two years but was involved in a contract dispute throughout spring training When be refused to sign the Mets traded him to San Diego Kingman who hit 37 home runs last season and 36 the year before for the Mets has 22 homers this year Kingman trfi 6 waow r1115rgsrills mpwreivamwor '-zik" 4 PNi '41k IC z' :4 is'i' 7 -1 4 0of 1''''1 i-4irioi 7 e1! 1 41 rT-1 4 )e 4 4-i-: 1' 14: 4 :::4: ''A': 1m ii14 $44 4 5 1i'- 44 ::01 it tst''t liA 13:: 1 '4' r- ii 431 'J' I 3 4 Niik-44 i -4r 7 4 :1 ::4 A 'h 4 44::" Ii-0AZ''''YC1 J-i7: iti 1 t'41 1 ''''1J "'t vgti'-' -1 1'---4 11''-'' ksi ii 14 ''''-N it J414110: t'' e' i 1147? 4:: e3- 1e 3si: 4 i 't 4 A 1': 1 04 cs i' -v 10 '''S4 4 1 "4 :4 l'-' i 44 y' 0 ikt 2: 4'27-N 7 ri ') ii Ale: 4 -1' 1-I 4 i '4' d1' 4: 41: I i4 1 1 410 4::: 'z 0 t4! Ari: A 4 1- 'it'1 i 1 kr: :1 4 t- 0 N4-4: Val 7 4 13 l'iii-- 4) tw1: (-'' 1 1 TyA4''' VA Yi ils :1 iiitil First base umpire Jim Evans said Weaver was informed he could protest the game and allow it to continue Weaver declined When asked why he said "Because I value the 'FM414772717 fiel-4 grrf'rr iliro41 Arl r- v'" 1 ktik is i 1 4'" '-te 'N safety of my players I'd rather take the loss and leave here with my whole team" Hartsfield said he found it difficult to understand Weaver's decision "What has he got to gain? This way he's a loser Why not protest the game and continue on and take your chances?" Denny Doyle the last hitter in Boston's lineup delivered a bases triple in a six-run sixth inning The Yankees won the first two games of the three-game series The attendance of 55218 raised the three-game total to 164852 the largest for any three-game series in the majors since June 6-8 1958 when the Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Braves attracted 171326 at the Los Angeles Coliseum Curtis Thompson From Observer Wire Reports Baltimore Manager Earl Weaver saying he was more concerned with his players' safety than a possible forfeit in the midst of a hot three-team pennant race pulled his team off the field in the fifth inning Thursday night at Toronto and forfeited the game Baltimore was losing 4-0 The game was played in a steady drizzle since the third inning and Weaver complained to the umpires that the tarp protecting the mound in the Toronto bullpen down the left-field foul line was being held in place by bricks Ile insisted the tarp be removed and when umpire Marty Springstead refused Weaver pulled his team off Weaver met with his players in the clubhouse and said they unanimously agreed not to continue unless the tarp was removed "The players agreed to suffer the consequences" said Weaver whose Orioles stayed 214 games behind New York in the American League East but dropped into a second-place tie with Boston Boston won at New York 7-3 "I might have saved someone's career" Weaver said "There's only four feet of space between the foul line and the mound I had a guy slip out there last night and wasn't about to let it happen again" When told Weaver felt the tarp posed a threat Toronto Manager Roy Ilartsfield said: "People have stumbled over second base and it's been there for over 100 years" The last forfeit in the major leagues was in 1975 at Cleveland when Texas was awarded a game after fans stormed the field during "Beer Night" All forfeits are recorded 9-0 in the record books Weaver said he hoped that when league President Lee McPhail reviews the situation "he'll see our point of view I'm going to put it in Lee's lap" Springstead tho chief of the umpiring crew said he was in no position to demand the removal of the tarp "I told the ground crew to remove the bricks but then he (Weaver) came back out and said he refused to play unless the tarp was removed It's the same in Cleveland Detroit and Chicago When it's raining they put the tarps down" Weaver said he told Springstead to remove the tarp or mark it and make it out of play "That's what they do in Cleveland Marty had enough sense to remove the bricks I don't know why he wasn't sensible enough to get the tarp off" The mound in Baltimore's bullpen remained uncovered throughout The Orioles were warming up two pitchers at the time of the forfeit Weaver felt the bullpen mounds should have been sanded as was done to the main mound We Were Wrong In Thursday's Prep Corner the picture of Curtis Thompson of West Mecklenburg was incorrect This is his picture Notes Musings: None of the nation's Top Ten teams is likely to be stopped this week Notre Dame isn't happy about being on the road for the second straight week but the Fighting Irish should handle Ole Miss a 34-13 loser to Alabama last week with relative ease Next week Notre Dame travels to Purdue It's the first time since 1929 when Rockne Stadium was under construction and all nine games were played on the road the Irish haven't enjoyed an early date at home Most dismal city in America last weekend was Knoxville where the Tennessee Volunteers made Johnny Majors' coaching debut a nightmare by losing to lightly regarded California Maybe Majors had good reason for his pre-season crying towel Darrell Waltrip's crew got a brainstorm after Cale Yarborough who has been feuding with their boy nicknamed Waltrip "Jaws" The crew wanted to paint a set of teeth on Darrell's car (like the old Flying Tigers) but finally thought better of it INO iSICildt Here Ted Turner yachtsman and sports club owner was hot after the Crockett family to consider moving the Triple A baseball franchise at Richmond here That is until the International League club began drawing exceptionally well this summer (more than 250000 fans) For now Turner is concentrating on the America's Cup and couldn't care less about his Braves' farm system Count on Charlotte to remain in the Southern League North Carolina State backs have been working with a soaked football all week in hopes in curing fumbling Perhaps Mel Collins of North Carolina the victim of a fluttering punt as safety in the Kentucky game should get with Atlanta pitcher Phil Niekro and catch his knuckler Clemson is going to be solid defensively this year but the Tigers face the same animal in the Georgia Bulldogs Saturday at Athens Albert King 7 -Nar ig lt-4 Maryland fresh- els 1 man basketball 0-- 1 phenom has lost i' 20 pounds since July and is being -v I-K of treated for a '1 throat infec 4 tion The Uni- 640 verisity of North Carolina-Wil- 7 al mington unveils its handsome King Trask Coliseum for public viewing next Sunday It vill seat 6100 for basketball and the grand opening is slated for Nov 26 when Wake Forest will play the Sea-hawks in a sure sellout UNCC also will visit Wilmington Law SEC Fails I AP Phcoo Orioles Manager Earl WeaNer kk ith I topires before game 10 Toronto Time Limit Prevents Courageous's Victory Clover Man Trip(p)s Field Associated Press NEWPORT RI Courageous skipper Ted Turner who had a lead of more than 10 minutes at one point saw sure victory over Australia in their second America's Cup race slip from his grasp Thursday as winds died down and neither boat could complete the course in the 512- hour time limit The race was declared no contest "If you've ever seen I I men cry" Turner said it was when they fired the gun on the committee boat and we knew time would run out" Winds began from the northnortheast at 10-15 knots in the morning but dropped to three knots or less as they shifted to the south in the afternoon Turner had a lead of 10 minutes 45 seconds at the fourth mark and 5:37 at the fifth mark but he Tripp of Clover was a double winner in football contests for games played last week Not only did he pick up MO for winning The Observer's contest he also was the best predictor in his hometown paper in Clover (The Clover Herald) Tripp received $10 for his efforts there "How about that a double winner" Tripp enthused He was quite surprised his two misses in The Observer's contest would win As it turned out the Westinghouse rnechanic tied with three other contestants but his tiebreaker guess of 38 points in the Clemson-Maryland game missed by only three points "I figured that Maryland was much stronger than Clemson and would score a lot of points Clemson had a chance to win it" he said of the 21- 14 Maryland victory Tripp picked Tennessee to heat California won by the Golden Bears 27-17 and backfired on the Wyoming-Air Force 0-0 tie An avid sports fan the 52-year-old Clover resident keeps up with the teams in sports pages and enters three ballots to The Observer each week "My wife enters each week too but she hasn't won yet" he explained The ballot for this Saturday's games can be found on Page 5B Join the fun and win yourself $100 had only 1:10 to finish the race when he rounded the fifth mark Even though winds picked up to six knots he couldn't make it "I told the guys with 20 minutes to go we wouldn't make it" said Turner "and it was a very sad time" Gary Jobson tactician aboard Courageous added: "If it takes 512 hours to go 243 miles (the distance of the course) in a I2-meter there probably shouldn't be a race any way" Courageous was within 570 yards of the finish line when the 512-hour time limit expired It was only the second time in the I26-year history of the America's Cup that a race in the final series was abandoned because of the time limit The only other time such an event occurred was Sept 22 1958 in a race between America's Columbia and Sceptre of England The New York Yacht Club said it would reschedule the second race of the series for today and both boats Indicated they would be ready The race was close through three legs with Courageous leading by 44 seconds at the third mark On the fourth leg Australia skipper Noel Robins tried to run out a wind shift he found but failed leaving Australia at a near standstill Turner who had sailed off to the south the direction in which the wind was rotating moved to a lead of 10:45 at the fourth mark That appeared to be the end of it But then began Turner's race with the clock The Courageous didn't make it Southern Directors Vote In 2 Teams cago White Sox) and Chattanooga (Cleveland Indians changed this month from the Oakland As) Columbus (Houston Astros) was moved from the West to the East Division in an alignment with Charlotte Savannah (Atlanta Braves) Jacksonville (Kansas City Royals) and Orlando (Minn(sota Twins) The league vill continue to play a 140-game season but instead of playing each of the other tea 111S the same number of times as in the immediate past each club will play teatns in its own division 20 times and those in the other division 12 times By GLENN ROLLINS Observer Vett Writer The Southern League hoard of directors approved the addition of two clubs for next season Thursday in Atlanta and denied charges of raiding the Eastern League to achieve that expansion Memphis and Nashville the new franchises who make the Southern a 10-team league each have secured player development agreements with major league organizations which are switching their Class AA affiliations from two Canadian cities in the Eastern League Nashville Is working with the Cincinnati Reds who are switching from Three Rivers Memphis with the Montreal Expos switching front Quebec City Charlotte Orioles General Manager )ran Crockett said from Atlanta that she and other SL members have received irate correspondence from Eastern clubs SiriCP it became apparent in July that the Reds and Expos wanted to move their affiliations to the hetter-climate area span ned by the Southern League "I'vereceived several telegrams and letters including two this week" said Ms Crockett 'telling me that it wasn't fair (to 'raid' working agr(ements) and that the same thing could happen to us (SL) I wouldn't call them threats but I guess they were trying to influence votes against expansion" (The vote txas 7-1 vvith Charlotte voting affirmatively and the negative vote remaining s('cret) Front the same conference room at an Atlanta motel SI President Billy Hitchcock said "I assure 011 the Southern League took no aggressive action to expand We had no desire to disrupt the Eastern League operation at all Both Memphis and Nashville came to us and at the present time we are agreeable with expansion" Nashville and Memphis give the Southern four Tennessee franchises and will play in the West Division with league champion Montgomery (Detroit Figers affiliation) Knoxville (Chi Pat Dye East Carolina football coach compares fans of his unbeaten Pirates to Southeastern Conference zanies Says Dye: "Our people come to the stadium to shout and yell and enjoy themselves They don't need a coat and tie They want to relax and have fun" After the win over Duke Dye was speaking softly to reporters when a fan pushed into the circle Said the intruder "Our coach believes there's nothing like football Ile believes in it like he believes in the Bible" Davidson will begin a long grid series with Furman next fall and there is hope The Citadel will soon return to the Wildcats schedule Long-range thinking: football relationships with Ivy 1PagtiP teams Whatever became of near beer? Sportswaves Hitchcock said the expansion is contingent on the approval of the National Association of Professional baseball Leagues (minor league head(tuarters) but that Association President liobhy Braga') has indicated such approval Is a mere formality Mischa 11 1030 pm WSOC-AM Lo! Ar! 11 0.