The Wichita Beacon from Wichita, Kansas • 23

1 I i i i i I THE WICHITA EAGti AND BEACON Sunday Ortob 3 1976 II What About These Chargers Sir? Coryell said have no excuses at all They could have beaten any team you something else" he said England is going to upset Oakland" ARE I said "The Las Vegas well forget foe Las Vegas line Minor miracles do not transpire on three consecutive Sundays not even in the NFL There is no way the Patriots can defeat the Raiders" My friend Roy came at me on a recent day grinning lilw tiie storied feline that gobbled the well-known canary Roy you may recall ia a follower of NFL football but woefully unknowledgeable about the fine points of the game I once asked him what a trap block is and he replied "I suppose a Mock of wood you set a mouse trap on" Roy scarcely seemed able to contain his glee "Remember what you he asked his voice taking on overtones of rude sarcasm "about the San Diego Chargers and the New England I scowled at him hut he ploughed on "Before foe exhibition season began you put it in public print that San Diego 3-12 last year was the second worst team in the National Football League and New England 3-11 the third worst" could be wrong about I countered "The human memory plays strange Roy said saved your column I have it at home down in black and white" I SAID "newspaper columns are perishable as potato salad under an August sun They are not intended to be hoarded like rare antiques" "Well said Roy see that San Diego your second worst team in the NFL is after clobbering St Louis 0-24 last Sunday And your third worst team New England has done so far is beat Miami and I said "what is a trap block?" "Never mind about that "he said "I read where San Diego has the No 1 offense in the AFC and their quarterback Dan Fouts is No 1 among all NFL Jury still is out on San Diego" I said "Their victims thus far Kansas City Tampa Bay and St are something less than Gibral ten I adopted a sage expression Roy in the NFL September surprises often turn out to be December also read" said Roy "where St Louis coach Don DID YOU expect him to say? That his Cardinals were embarrassed by a bunch of humpty-dumpties? Besides Roy you shouldn't spend so much time poring over sports pages You ought to be reading the financial section figuring how to build a nest egg for your retirement "You will be talking out of the other side of your mouth come Sunday evening" Roy said "after San Diego beats Denver and goes 44" is possible" I said "since Denver is not one of the NFL's standout powerhouses although the early Las Vegas line has foe Broncos by six over the Chargen Roy sniffed disdainfully week you said they had Pittsburgh over New England by 14Vi What do those guys in Las Vegas "Roy" I said "what is a trap block?" Roy's smile I thought was almost patronizing "You said the same thing when New England played Miami and Pittsburgh- On any given Sunday in the NFL" he said smugly "You told me that yourself" I said is a trap block?" "What you said Roy have one of your offensive linemen pretend to block a certain defensive lineman Only he lets him penetrate Then one of your other "Bye Roy" I said "It's always a kick in the head talking football with Sun Shining Bright on Chargers well be hard to beat" he said "We won our first two (Kansas City and Tampa Bay) but this was the first real good team we played" But the Chargers tied with Oakland for the top spot in the AFCs Western Division face another good team Sunday in the high-scoring Denver Broncos Denver which leads the league in Washington at Chicago Los Angeles at Miami in a battle of Interconference title holders and Pittsburgh at Minnesota on Monday night in their first meeting since Supa Bowl IX Elsewhere in the NFL Cincinnati is at Cleveland the New York Giants meet St Louis Detroit plays Green Bay Houston battles New Orleans Kansas City journeys to Buffalo foe New York Jets visit San Francisco Philadelphia (days Atlanta and Tampa Bay takes on Baltimore The dark afternoons have became part of the football landscape but the sun is beginning to shine in San Diego The Chargers a ravaged football team for the past several years have risen to the heights in the early going and remain one of six unbeaten NFL teams as the season enters its fourth week San Diego which goes into game with Denver boasting a perfect 34 record is looking to match its best start since the 1966 season And after crunching St Louis last week 43-24 Coach Tommy Proforo saw only sweet sights on the horizon "If we play like that every week passa in foe AFC had a superlative afternoon against the Cards with 15 completions in 18 attempts for 219 yards and no interceptions The ground attack will be headed by Rickey Young and Don Woods who will go against a Denva team that has yielded only 33 prints in three games Woods bothered by an injured hamstring muscle is a probable starta for Denva while running back John Keyworth and defensive tackle Rubin Carta are expected to start for the Broncos despite minor knee injuries Otha games involving unbeaten teams are Oakland at New England where foe Raiders are coining off a 14-13 victory ova Houston Dallas at Seattle where foe Cowboys topped Baltimore 30-27 foe week before scoring with 97 points rolled' ova Cleveland last week with a 44-13 victory to boost its record to 2-1 The Broncos who have now taken two straigM games have averaged 45 points in the last two games The victory over the Browns was higMighted by two punt returns fa touchdowns by Rick Upchurch whom Coach John Ralston called the punt re-tuma in pro football Upchurch's two ID's tied a league record for punt returners Denver's offensive attack will be guided by quarterback Steve Ramsey who threw for 10 of 20 completions and 166 yards Haven Moses who grabbed a TD pass last week will be main target San Diego will rely on the arm of quarterback Dan Fouts for the offense The fourth-year QB the leading KC Seeks 7th Win in Last 8 With Bills TOMMY PROTHRO Seeing sweet sights AIRCRAFT ENOINEERSDfSIGNERS SB OUR DISPLAY AD IN 1HI HBP WANTED SECTION Of THIS PAPER ILL YOH COMPANY Happening- BUFFALO (AP) For the third time in four weeks the Buffalo Bills face a National Football League opponent that has dominated them in recent years First it was the Miami Dolphins and then the Houston Oilers Now the Kansas City Chiefs who'll trice on the Bills today in Rich Stadium Overall the Bills and Chiefs are tied 10-10 in their series with one game ending in a tie But the Chiefs have won six of the last seven meetings With OJ Simpson rushing for 157 yards Buffalo won the last matchup 23-14 in 1973 But Simpson and the Bills have generated little offense this season in losing for the 13th consecutive time to Miami suffering their ninth straight loss to Houston aid squeaking to a 144 victory last Sunday ova the new Tampa Bay Bucs The statistics show 582 yards team rushing and only 106 yards for Simpson who missed the preseason because he wanted to be traded to a West Coast team may not be as sharp as I want fa extemperaneous running making cutbacks and improvising once I get out there" Simpson said as he worked last week to get in condition I think I'm in shape The Chiefs who have lost all three games this season have picked up 777 yards rushing with Woody Green the top runner striking for 219 yards on 46 carries Front End ALIGNMENT Only Precision alignment by skilled mechanics who will set easier camber and toe-in to manufacturer's specifications Any American car Parts extra if needed Wiggin could be without foe services of quarterback Mike Livingston who suffered a kidney injury a week ago NO EXTRA CHARGE FOR FACTORY AIR OR TORSION BAR CARS Intermission Waite for No One Intermission won the Cambridgeshire Saturday and earned $127500 for each of a half-dozen ticketholders who drew the horse in foe Irish Sweepstakes Ticket holders who drew the second horse The Hertford won 334400 apiece Flueileo was third carrying a sweepstakes payoff of $17000 Those who drew the other 28 starters will get $1700 each from the sweepstakes The horses split into two groups at the start of the race a straight run over 114 miles and converged again as they approached foe finish line They were so tightly bunched that with 100 yards to go almost any hone could have won Then Intermission owned by John Hay Whitney former US ambassador to Britain went into a dear lead But lie faded near foe finish and jockey Greveflle Starkey just got him home as The Hertford came up alongside Mm Many near the finish line thought at first The Hertford won Tigers Feed Bonus The Detroit Tigers announced Saturday their sensational rookie pitcher Mark The FI-drych has been given a bonus for his outstanding pitching in 1976 The young righthander who Saturday won his 19th game against nine losses also has signed a three-year contract through the 1979 season The bonus and contract described as two separate transactions were announced by Jim Campbell executive vice-president and general manager Campbell did not disclose the size of foe bonus or Fidrych's salary for the next three years End of an Era in Oakland If what the players say comes to pass then foe Oakland A's are finished as a baseball power Sal Band Gere Tenure RolUe Fingers and Joe Rudi insist there is no way they will ever play baseball again for Charles Finley the man they claim has held them in servitude and worst of all demeaned than these past half dozen years (hie who can't leave is pitcher Vida Blue Finley signed him to a three-year contract in mid-summer an hour before he sold him to the New York Yankees for $14 million Rudi and Fingers were sold the same day to the Boston Red Sax for $1 million each but Commissioner Bowk Uu cancelled the sales foe best interests of Finley has filed a suit against Kuhn which will be heard in November Blue says he thinks he has a case against Finley and can have Mi contract voided since he signed it only after foe owner in foe presence of a witness promised the pitcher he would not sell or trade him for the life of foe three-year agreement Hus when the take the field today for their final game of the season Oakland fans will be seeing Sal Geno Joe Rollie and Bert all favorites since the club landed here in 1961 for the last time A sizeable crowd is expected but one person who will not be there for the finale is Finley "The way he sandbagged this team this said Blue "I blame him not showing Ms face around here Someone Just might punch him out a filthy liar who never kept his word either to the players or foe Reds Selling World Series Ducats The Cincinnati Reds will accept mail orders postmarked Monday and later for approximately 16000 reserved eight-dollar seat tickets for possible 1978 World Series games A Oncy spokesman said Saturday fans may order up to four tickets for any one game and must specify whether they want them for Oct 16 Oct 17 Oct 23 or Oct 24 Hunt Blasts to Grand Prix Mark James Hunt who criticized the Mosport cirucit as junior league in appearance established a track record Saturday and won the pole petition for today's Canadian Grand Prix auto race Hunt of England who trails Austrian NQd Lauda to the world driving championship was timed hi 1 minute 12489 seconds in a McLaren for the 2459-mile road course Next fastest was Bonnie Peterson of Sweden at 1:12783 in a March After setting the record Hnt told newsmen look much like a Grand Prix does it?" He went on to suggest a bucket of paint would help make it look better 2 MORE DAYS FOREVER BATTERY BRAKE OVERHAUL LUBE OIL CHANGE Includes up to 5 quarts of high grade oil InMiili liiil'Mt tfr as i iil hmI la-lmijii whirl Itlirxlm fi iill I whai'k raMilfin iNiikr iliuiiih irhu limn wIm-M te-innp in smi rnisifi iilimli'i itisirfll Vt Inm' wnK filial return sinnr mul hrinlwn- ihsnh Imlii' Kiim-s lthiii MStein uni mb! Until umiI leu iimii if jEOREVER Our finest passenger car bat tery as advertised on TV ScfoiA Mfd: Any American car and light truck Drum typn 'All Amor cara (oxcapt kixuryl Includes all (Mills lislndil you prefer NEW wlmH cylinders add '-7 each EXCHANGE Call for an appoinlmant to avoid dalay BODY I FENDER REPAIR WITH EVERY PAINT JOB! YES WE HAVE A SELECTION OF FIRESTONE TIRES IF METALWORK ON YOUR CAR MOUNTS TO $1000 OR LESS YOU PAY ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! AUTO PAINTING BECAUSE OF THE RECENT NATIONWIDE STRIKE SOME TIRE SIZES AND TYPES MAY STILL BE IN LIMITED SUPPLY AT YOUR DEALER OR STORE PRICES SHOWN IN THIS AD COMPETITIVELY PRICED WHEREVER YOU SEE THE FIRESTONE SIGN ANY CAR -RETREADS NOT AVAILABLE AT THESE LOCATIONS ISVUMNMl HEADQUARTERS COLOSS INCLUDES WHEELS A D00N JMBS Tirstn DOWNTOWN TWIN LAKES I MOW II I Anwi Twm (AST KIUOOO inSMSTHUOOO mnn OaoMrl-ta- Mrlx TNI MALL maiASTKutT (MwaMI1IMU 41-1177 oatNDaavaaoiaa MrHtMt hMiteie Ol xommiiavoea wi-iim tWHII tmMaieR tM WOttO over HIMMEE'I FIRESTONE STORE Olympic Cager Might Have Bad Heart Steve Sheppard captain of the University of Maryland basketball team and a member of the UB gold medal Olympic squad registered irregular heartbeats on an electrocardiogram test taken last week Sheppard was retested after he showed irregular heartbeats on stress tests in 1974 Further tests for Sheppard are scheduled for Oct 11 four days before formal practice starts University officials and Sheppard are anxious to have the date of the examination moved up FIRESTONE 1JKWMMANI PtOTtAMAM yiMawMU TEXACO mama MTIICmM MOMMA-7JI4 0 iieisTONiSToai 1 MINIM MWKMMNMS PtamMUat Dm WP 1 fm FIRESTONE STOtl MINIM KOOtAOOUMM ai-ws MM Pm Mar imrnn aaxAMAsetrrxs 401 SO SUMMIT 00rM (lam Tat tains STILL AMBNCA'S BIGGEST BARGAIN 1407 CENTRAL 267-8239 iMMiaaWiM mhrhuiwin.