The San Bernardino County Sun from San Bernardino, California • Page 77

76ers finally lose D-3 Thursday, November 1, 1979 The Sun. San Bernardino, California Section Carol has racket down Pat riWfl IIIW1II IIIIIH WWIIMWIMIIiWMlMMIgwIWMIMMWIilIIIMMWIIIMWMWIIIIIIlll deli" will By KATIE CASTATOR Sun Sports Writer SAN BERNARDINO The smile still sparkles, the personality still bubbles, but little else about Carol Pat Christian remains unchanged. There's the blond hair cut inches shorter and in a more sophisticated style. There's the athletic build grown slightly taller and slimmer. And there's the competitive spirit gently matur ing, mtiru zv rf grimsley Bowie Kuhn bet on the Acquaintances who even recognize the Pacific High School tennis player soon to be Cal State Fullerton as her long career in local tennis draws to a close are amazed by the change.

To what does Carol Pat attribute this transformation? "I lost a little weight not that much," she said, looking down embarrassed by the question. "It helped my quickness." But the big change, the inner change, began to come about during a one-year escape from tennis. Breaking from her narrative, she gazed out a nearby-window and commented on the overcast day: "I guess I'm weird but I like this kind of weather." She seemed uncommonly relaxed by the interview. But little wonder, it obviously wasn't her first experience with the press. In The Sun 's library, a fat envelope of clippings chronicles Carol Pat's on-court feats.

There's the story about a 29-year-old man getting clobbered by "that little 11-year-old kid." There's the picture of 4-foot-10 Carol Pat during the finals of the 1975 San Bernardino City Tennis Tournament. (She won the women's singles title that day.) Another photo of Carol Pat at 12 and a story about her dream of one day playing Billie Jean King. Scores of short stories record ins or near ins: "SANTA MONICA Carol Pat Christian of San Bernardino won the 12-year-olds and under title; PALM DESERT captured the annual Deep Canyon Junior Tennis Championship; FULLERTON lost to top-seeded Tracy Austin, 6-0, 6-2. in the finals of the 31st annual Fullerton Tennis Tournament." Before her self-imposed exile, she had won two national crowns the singles' and doubles' titles at the National Indoor Girls' Tennis Championship at Mt. Clemens, Mich.

and was ranked No. 1 in Southern California in the girls' 14-and-unders. But Carol Pat was determined to have her reprieve from tournament play her time for ordinary things. So the competitive urge retreated to some unobtrusive corner of Carol Pat's psyche and waited until she had drunk her fill of so-called normalcy. "I water skied, roller skated, snow skied all those things where you can really hurt yourself," she said, flashing an impish grin.

"For awhile I didn't have to worry about getting up at some ungodly hour for an 8 a.m. match in San Diego." Christian seriously picked up her racket again in September, 1978, and was impressive in her comeback appearance advancing to the finals of the age 16 division of the Santa Monica Junior Tennis Tournament before finally losing to the No. 3 seed. Since her return, she has worked hard to put her game back into championship form. But this summer, Carol Pat encountered a more insidious opponent a foot injury and has had some time off which she didn't want.

"It started in August at the Nationals in Charleston, W. (Continued on D4, column 1) IfeimS Mir Carol Pat Christian last season at Pacific I "I got burned out the summer before I turned 15," said the now 17-year-old player. "I had played since I was nine that's really about all I did. My life was dedicated to tennis. I didn't do other things.

I wanted to try something different like everybody else. I wanted to to try water skiing and snow skiing. "I don't regret that time (the year off). Winning was life or death then but when I came back it wasn't that important. Losing is not the end of the world because there's going to be another tennis match." Carol Pat thoughtfully recalled her vacation from the junior tennis circuit while sitting tailor-style on the couch in the Christian family room.

Carol Pat, 11. in 1975 S.B. City Tourney. Young only grows old with the Rams Bucks slip past Lakers. 110-106 nil notes 1 A i i i wrong horse nress Willie Mays' dark eyes widened in that naive, little boy way of his and he said he didn't understand why he couldn't work for an Atlantic City resort hotel and still wear his New York Mets uniform.

"They say it's because the hotel has a gambling casino," he said. "That has nothing to do with me. I don't know anything about gambling. "Besides, look at all the owners in baseball who have race horses. That's gambling, too.

If you gamble, what difference does it make how you do it?" Mays' question was being echoed all around the country this week by pinstriped executives having lunch at the club, guys tossing a few beers in the neighborhood pub, kids, cabbies, and housewives. Why? Really, why? Commissioner Bowie Kuhn gave his explanation a forthright dictum that fit nicely the straight-laced corset of baseball but most people were left confused. After all, little old ladies fly out to Las Vegas to feed the nickel slots. Secretaries enter office pools at Kentucky Derby time. Kids pitch pennies at sidewalk cracks.

Churches hold bingo games and preachers are not averse to engaging in a two-buck Nassau on the golf course. Millions play the football cards. Where does the sin of gambling actually lie? Can you be half pregnant? Kuhn says this is largely immaterial. The key factor, he insists, is that the one thing baseball has going for it is integrity, which should never be jeopardized. "The commissioner's main job," he says, "is to protect this integrity at all costs." Baseball, he reasons, must avoid not only evil but the appearance of evil.

It must guard against the slightest intrusion even if it's a tiny germ that could ultimately contaminate the whole sport. (ambling, in his view, is a dire threat, lie always, he contends, has opposed legalized as well as illegal gambling and will combat it at every gate. Acceptability of baseball involvement in horse racing was deeply entrenched when he took office in 1969 and there's little he can do to change it. He can only try to prevent the spread of the infection, which he did 10 years aeo by persuading Charlie Finley of the A and three Braves directors to divest themselves of stock in a company with casino holdings. The Mays affair is the first such case since then.

You can't fault the Kuhn's ideal Ism. Baseball still Is the great American pastime, a sport that has not sold its soul to the money hangers and has remained within reach of the common man. Nevertheless, it is ludicrous to believe baseball tan be insulated from the rest of the imperfect outside world. It isn't a Boy Scout troop. It is a big money enterprise with pimples and warts.

It is grown up. It must face reality. Baseball can't fight the Constitution. Kuhn cannot be blamed, however, for (he sensational treatment of Willie Mays' $1 million plus con trad with the Park I'laza Hotel and the subsequent edict that the "Say Hey" legend must hang up his Mets suit. The commissioner advised principals months ago that his position was that following precedent It was against baseball's best interests for Willie to work for a casino while in baseball employ.

"I told Willie that he had done nothing wrong," Kuhn said. "I felt I must make my stand public lest something happen later that might laint both Willie and the game." There was ovcrreactlon all around. Kuhn had Imped to handle the matter discreetly, but Journalists anil headline writers pounced on the story with vigor that It produced sensational headlines such as; "Mays Banned From Baseball." Mays has been one of baseball's most talented and exemplary players. It Is tragic for him to be made to look like another Shoeless Joe Jackson of the 1919 Black Sox scandal. MILWAUKEE (AP) Dave Meyers and Kent Benson scored four points each in the last 2:34, leading Milwaukee to a 110-106 National Basketball Association victory over the Los Angeles Lakers Wednesday night for the Bucks' ninth successive victory.

Marques Johnson scored 25 points to lead the Bucks, while guard Norm Nixon had 24 for the Inkers, including 10 in the last 315. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar added 23 for the Inkers, who had a five-game winning streak broken. But Earvin "Magic" Johnson. Los Angeles' star rookie guard, committed his fourth foul ith 9 51 left in the first half and scored only 10 points, all in the second half. The Bucks four times opened 11-point leads midway in the third quarter before the leakers rallied and tied at 96-96 on a jumper by Nixon with 2:50 left.

However, Meyers scored on a layup from Benson, and Benson added two free throws, as the Bucks led 100-96 with 201 left. A basket by Benson made it 106-100 with 1:06 to play. After baskets by Magic Johnson and Nixon pulled the Lakers witin 106-104. Junior Bridgeman. who finished with 20 points, sank a jump shot and Milwaukee led by four with 20 sec onds left.

Abdul Jabbar stored on a hook shot with 10 seconds left and Marques Johnson scored for the Bucks By PAUL OBERJUERGE Sun Sporti Writer Charle Y'oung can't figure it out. He knows he has the credentials (228 career catches), the physical tools (64, 235) and the salary ($175,000 per anum) befitting a star tight end in the National Football League. He knows in his first three seasons in the NFL he caught 167 passes for the Philadelphia Eagles and scored 12 touchdowns. He remembers he played in three Pro Bowls, was the 1973 Rookie of the Year and led all NFC receivers ith 63 catches in 1974. Yet he also knows the Rams seem mysteriously averse to playing him.

Unspectacular Terry-Nelson remains the starting tight end. Young just can't figure it out. "Would you pay somebody all that money and not use him?" he rhetorically asked a reporter. "Would you pay the President all that money and not expect him to do anything?" Even were he not making so much money, you'd have to wonder along with the man called "Tree" why the Rams rarely employ him. Even with half their receiving corps wiped out by Injuries, the Rams usually use Young only as an extra blocker on third-down, short yardage situations.

In nine games. Young has caught eight passes. In 2'i years with the Rams, he's caught only 31. That would have been a good half season for him In Philly. We're talking about a man with hands as soft as the Pillsbury Doughboy and with the speed to get open deep.

But he continues to languish on the bench. When asked point-blank why Young plays so little. Rams coach Ray Malavasi retreats behind his familiar "I refuse to evaluate my players in public" routine. The most-heard criticism of Young is that he is a poor blocker. But at this stage of the season, with the Rams perilously close to falling completely out of the playoffs picture, you have to wonder when the Rams ill give their best remaining receiver a chance.

It would seem to be the perfect time for the Rams to consider a two-tight end offense such as the kind Oakland has used so successfully. It's now apparent that the Baltimore Colts won't be taking up residence in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum any time soon through 1980, at least. Colts owner Robert "Tiger" lrsay withdrew his request for a franchise move Wednesday at the NFL meetings, saying. "If I can work it out I want to stay in Baltimore." Irsay said the Colts will stay in Maryland at least through next season, and longer if the state and the city of Baltimore agree to spend $17 35 million to refurbish Memorial Stadium. Irsay had met with Los Angeles (Continued on iu.

column 1) AP wlraphot (Continued on D3, column 4 Bucks' Brian Winters leaps in front of Lakers' Jim Chones. Hes Charles White Budde 9) li 1 1 II it 1 1 i By MIKE DAVIS Sun Soon Wrilw LOS ANGELES Brad Budde and Charles White have this unwritten agreement kind of a "You scratch my back and I'll sc ratch yours" deal. Budde. USC's senior strongside guard, bloc ks for White, the all American tailback. He does this so well that White Is leading the country In rushing and has become the favorite for the Helsman Trophy, college football's top individual award.

White. In turn. Is making those Mocks look so good that Budde now warrants consideration for the Out-land Trophy, given each year to the nation's leM lineman. "It's a complimentary situation." Budde was saying the other day In an Interview. "The line helps Charlie get his yards, and he helps us.

too. Sometimes, when I'm not in a position to block a guy. Charlie will make a quick cut and run the guy right into me." Which only fair, since Budde has been running Into people on White's behalf for the last four years. Charlie and the rest of the Trojan hacks know who really pays the bills. That's why they almost unfailing ly credit their offensive line whenever they have a big statistical day.

The upshot Is that Budde and his co workers have become one of the most heavily puhlu led offensive lines ever. Normally, the behemoths who slug it out in the pit every week are the sport's most anonymous species. But. thanks In large part to the success this season of White and quarterback Paul McDonald (and their willingness to share the laurels), the linemen have rome out of the closet. Coaches, writers and broadcasters across the country have called I'SC's offensive line the best in the business.

As the unit's acknowledge! leader. Budde is Its most sought after spokesmen, and thus its most recognizable face. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't value the attention I've had this year." he said. "Anyone who's good likes to be recognized as being good. Everybody else In the line (center Chris Foote.

tackles Don Moscbar and Keith Van Home and weakslde guard Roy Foster enjoys the prestige, too. "But that's not the reason we play. I don't evaluate my own performance on the basis of the honors I receive." Budde feels the same way about the Outland "It would be nice to win. but it's not lmortant." he "I play football because I enjoy it. 1 care more alnnit myself as a placer and a person than I do about (Continued on IM.

column 1 i iff'" i 1 iS USC's Brad Budde (71) shows Charles White the way..