Oakland Tribune from Oakland, California • 61

SribnnrTODAY Friday, tW rim." ala. Smith may have assembled-the best laCSfarth smarting five Of his 20 years; Carolina. Led by junior forwttttntmqi vSamPerv Worthy and sophomore center Houston. The final will be held Monday night' i NEW ORLEANS (AP) Dean Smith has jiaketi North Carolina to tho Final Foar'o the NCAA basketball tournament seven times, Denny Crum of Louisville is' heading into his fourth, Houstons Guy Lewis is working on Na 3 and John Thompson of Georgetown is -the rookie. 1 Its a new experience, said Thompson.

I Just hope I can control my excitement to the extent that I can be rational enough to coach. The Final Four Saturday, ai 12:39 p.m. PST before a sellout crowd of-6 1,000 at the Ionisiana Superdome, I rNa 6 Georgetown and 20tb-ranked Louisville start the show. They will be followed by Na 1 North Carolina and Louisville, 23-9, matches Georgetown In the depth of its bench and speed. Each team also uses a full-court pressure defense but the obvious difference is in the middle, where 7-foot freshman Patrick Ewing patrols for "Georgetown.

Although be has yet to fulfill his offensive potential, Ewing has become a strong factor on defense, leading the nation in blocked shots with H6: Another major concern for Louisville is its physical condition. Reserve -forward Poncho Wright has a stubbed toe, and freshman guard Milt Wagner has a virus. Starting forward Derek Smith has six stitches in his upper lip and a sore Jaw, suffered in the region- North Carolina, 30-2, will be a Mg favorite over the Cougars, although Houston is the only team that has played in the Superdome this beating Louisiana State 73-69 for the title of the Sugar Bowl tournament the week after Christmas. Roy Danforth, former Tulane coach and now an associate athletic director, has seem teams flounder in their first trip to the Superdome. Initially, there Is a problem of depth perception, Danforth said.

A player, going into the dome for the first time, after playing In the normal basketball arenas, tends to overshoot He finds his shots hitting the back of the kins. North Carolina is particujtarly strong np front Houston is led by guad Rob Williams, whose scoring avUTSgeof 21 per game is the best among Final Four competitors. This is our seventh time hers pod weve never been the favorite said. "I think the ideal wSy (0 come in is the one where everybody ignores it Many times we felt thktway and played some of our best basketball when they said the other three tohtau all had a chance. The Hoyas, 29-6, are on a tear.

They won their first three games of the tournament by an average margin of 16.6 points. Including a 24-point victory over fourth-ranked Oregon State in the West Regional final. Crum is the only coach among the four, that has won the title. The Cardinals won the I960-national champion-. ship, finished third in 1975 and fourth in 1972..

war nomatch By Ron Bergman Ml bVv ON THE Py Ron Bergiftan: By Nick Peter' Sfl VJ- Opening Day might be more than a week away, but this isnt the exhibition season for the -two Bay Area television stations that will carry baseball this year. This looks more like war. It started with a declaration issued Feb. 11 by KTVU, the Giants flagship. The three-page broadside obviously was intended by Channel 2 to scare advertisers away from the As new home on Channel 44.

It was read by potential sponsors and ad agencies. Under the Mg black headline, Buyer Be-. ware, are the words, As baseball on KBHK, what to expect The nine-paragraph text reminds everyone how poorly the As did for the final three of the five years they were on Channel 44 when they came to this area from Kansas City. The As SCOTTSDALE, Aris. Vida Blue pitched like he was trying to give the Giants a reason to him and Greg Minton was even worse.

Blue and Minton the clubs top starter and reliever, respectively, hardly played their roles against Milwaukee Thursday as the vaunted Brewers batting attack pounded out 17 hits and powered an, 8-0, victory at Scottsdale Stadium. It wasnt Vida Blue stuff Id like to have against' a good-hitting lineup like the Brewers have they 'Can hurt you even when youre throwing well, Blue said after he was pftmded for eight hits in six Innings and was fortunate to 'escape with only three runs scored. But Blues stint was a rousing success com-' pared to Minton's. The right-handed relief, ace was battered lor nine hits and five runs in three Vida Blue is still looking for a good outing. began on KBHK in 1968, but no ratings are avail- in Oakland.

able for their first two seasons from Giants telecasts, Bell said. The-Giants will have a bigger audience the Asl' KTVU might be concerned because the Giants, despite the stations contention, drew bqly a 9 Nielsen rating last season before the baseball strike, which means about 300,000 peoplWtere watching. 1 -The As got off to the best start ofhny 'baseball team in history, winning their first 11 games, three of which were on Channel 5-As games before the strike piled up a It? kitting, giving them about 100,000 more viewers a game than the Giants. KTVU spokesmen are saying Channel cant do as well its an UHF atationthat takes an extra effort to tune in on manyuetaf UHF viewer penetration hasnt beeti'a topic of discussion in the last five years, countered KBHKs White. For one thing, there4een a proliferation of cable.

Were cm 104 cabld Systems from western Oregon to Nevada. The As probably will do better this' time around on 44 because of other factors. Many more homes now can watch UHF cause Congress passed a law in 1964 malting it mandatory for manufacturers to Include thS high- er-numbered frequencies -on all sets. Also, theres this new monster antenflaoutoP of Mount Sutro that brings Channel 44 and clear as Channnel 5 or 2. The Giants could boost their TV season if they get off to a decent start Asrecent-ly as 1978, they had a 15 rating, but theywht in contention that season.

Winning has a UTTV do with That also was the last year Simmons was associated with the innings. Among the hits was a home run by Bob Skube, the secnnd in as many games off Minton, who holds the major league record of 255 consent the Brewers had three straight singles and a walk. 1 Blue insisted the trade rumors involving him have not affected his pitching, but he took steps to find out whether the club was really about dealing him. -When I go out there to pitch, I Just concentrate on the batters, Blue said. All that trade talk doesnt bother me because I realise it can happen.

It doesnt take an expert to figure out theres a youth movement on this pitching staff. I dont think itll happen this spring, but it could happen sometime. Whens the interleague trading deadline April 1st? The only thing I dont want is to hear about it on the radio while Im driving across the Bay bridge. I went to a highly-placed Giants official the other day and told him Just that, Blue added. I just want to be clued in when something is going down.

He told me he didnt think I would be traded this spring, but you never know. The release, which also notes lower ratings for the Warriors on KBHK this season in their first year away from KTVU, asks: What can you expect ot the Giants on. KTVU? Double digit ratings, which theyve been delivering for years. What can you expect of the As on KBHK? Certainly not double digits even though KBHK might want you 'to think sol Quite probably no better than their delivery during their 1972 Championship season a 7 rating Dont forget whats happening with the Warriors. They're an' exciting basketball team this season, with a strong winning record, their first In many years.

And yet, what kind of ratings are they producing on KBHK? Twos and threes. During their worst losing seasons, when they were trailing their division, the Warriors still generated season average ratings of fives and sixes on KTVU, doubting what KBHK is now delivering with a winner. Think twice before you invest any ad dollars in the As on KBHK Will you get what you) paying for? Reaction at the San Francisco headquarters of KBHK ranged from horror to disbelief. Welcome to the Mg leagues. You can't ignore it because it hurts, said.

KBHK General Manager Bill White, who ap- Reggie Smith had a cyst under his eye drained, and was excused to visit a doctor. Champ Summers played first base and was adequate at the position where he may start opening day, according to Robinson. when the club changed radio stations gml was reated by replaced by Lindsey Nelson, who was treated by listeners like an outsider for the three Summers, who has not played first base since he was with Cincinnati in 1977, used the same word to describe his play at the new position. utive innings without yielding a homer. The Moonie doesnt get Mt like that, said a disbelieving Minton.

"It was a ridiculous performance. The fact its a spring game is no consolation 'to me. I was horrendous. Mintons mishap left him with a 9.00 earned run average and 14 hits relinquished in eight innings. Blue, improving his ESA to 6.75, has been touched for 22 hits in 12 innings.

Remember, these are the bell cows of a staff that is supposed to make the Giants a contender. V' They didnt pitch very well, Manager '''Frank Robinson said. About the only good thing you could say about the.game is that our pitchers got their work in. Surely, nothing good could be said about an anqmjc batting order that produced only two hits against left-handed starter Randy Lerch and none off relievers Frank DiPino and Chuck Porter over the last four innings. Darrell Evans two-out double in the fourth and Johnnie LeMasterS two-out single in the fifth" represented the offense for the Giants, who collectively are batting .247, compared fo a robust .325 for their opponents.

Im not concerned about it thats what aping games are for, said Robinson, who will bus with the team to Yuma for a pair of games' with the San Diego Padres, today and Saturday. Blue quickly fell behind in the first as Mil-' waukee belted four hits and scored twice with the help of Cecil Coopers sacrifice fly and Ben Ogli- Vics run-scoring double. Gorman Thomas hit a 415-foot solo homer for 3-0 in the third. Blue's pickoff lifted Mm out of scoring damage in the fifth, inning in which 1 pea red genuinely pained by it all Thursday I dont think (KTVU General Manager) Alan Bell I felt adequate there," said Summers, who did not make any of tha Giants four errors. I can make the plays, so Fm glad hes giving me a chance.

Heck, Id pitch for a chance to hit. was The Giants never could recapture tfie magic on the field or in the booth. Ratings pltliigfetf on both radio and television. It will take some time and ratings Recto to see how Channel 44 will da KBHK hasn't sold all of its commercial inventory yet, but it. has six national sponsors lined up and needs more.

knows about this. Hes too classy of a guy. Bell said later he appreciated being called, classy, but added, Even classy guys can gfct Skewered. "I didn't read that release, but I dont really need to be involved in every piece of sales promotion that goes out of here. I dont challenge whats in there.

It serves a useful purpose. I dont think theres anything underhanded or' dirty about it Bell said Channel 44s contention that high ratings would move over from KPIX, Channel 5, was overly optimistic, as were the prices being asked for commercials on As telecasts. NOTES: Ehc-Giant John Montefuseo is scheduled to pitch for the Padres today against Rich Gale and Fred Brelning A sellout crowd Thursday included Raiders owner Al Davis and N.L. President Chub Feeney Feeney received the loudest ovation The club is keeping its fingers crossed that Joe Brown recommends the Pirates acquisition of Rennie Stennett GM Tom Haller said the Astros inquired about Jack Clark, but I guarantee we will not trade him to Houston. Clubs are.

calling us all the time and asking about players its no Mg deal So far, Miller beer, Union Oil DatsufMlpol-1 ta cameras. Mastercard and Burger Klim lave signed up for As games. Bell said the Giants telecasts are virtually sold out, but he said be couldnt be specific One way or the other, its almost time to hear the cry of, Play ball! And fromihay the two TV stations are going at each real hard ball. I think they) trying to take money away i Yjr- Mets unleash big artillery NANCY MARR of Oakland ii mb 'By Dick Yeung WINS 100 Auto Sweepstakes Contest F. Kingman, George Fester, and Ellis Valentina If nothing else, that mobile tapestry tips us that Valentine is to be around awhila Mets officials disclaim any attack on the Yankees in their campaign.

They 7 the interpretation is in the heads of Yankee officials. "They dont kid me, counters George Steinbrenner. I know the advertising business. So the Yankees are about to counter-attack. Their explosive slogan will be: ITS NOT HOW YOU TALK.

ITS HOW YOU FINISH! Wow. Doubleday scurrying to the bomb shelter beneath the bookshelves of Doubleday Ca Tht muM mui That could send Nelson PHOENIX, Alls. Out here In the scenic Southwest, mighty Camelback Mountain shakes from, the cannonading noises 'back East i The Yankees and Mets, unable to beat hardly anyone else on the playing fields of Florida, are lobbing shells at each other as The Battle for New York steps np. I have been in. direct touch with the action via my trusty battlefield phone.

The on-spot communiques are frightening. Casualties could run high. The re-arming Mets have broken the true They are wheeling out the Mg stuff, quote him, but the 55,000 fine area is a Mt more devastating. Two years ago, Bowie Kuhn dapped the Mets with that assessment for casting, aspersions on the safety of Yankee Stadium. Actually, it was Jerry della Fem-Ina, boss of the Mets ad agency, who bad made the crack.

Swept up in an exchange such as is escalating now, della Femina described Yankee Stadium as "The Bronx detention center, or some such, stopping short of calling it Ft. Having no authority to fine the riTrijmbdinn 4dman. Kuhn fined the Mets, who passed on the cost to della Femina Fining an ad agency 5,000 is about -asdeterring as fining-ai ballplayer $5,000 these days. Della Femina is back, full force, mugging George in the subway can, but evidently within per-missable limits. The only one moved about it thus far is Gen.

Steinbrenner, who can engage in wan on several fronts, including those in his own camp. We dont have a power shortage on the Yankees; its a mi-raga snaps the general over the field phona We have plenty of power. It is silly of the Mets to take us on this way. We are the Yankees. We have won 22 world championships and SO-some pen- very silly of them to take this way; we have too firepower, says Gen.

same time, he is cordial diplomatic Mets top brass. Fred and Nelson Doubleday friends of mine, he They are not responsible Its Cashens work, and at the agency. Cashen says be hasn't notion of what Is talking about Our ads aren't aimed at Cashen says. Weve long, without power at Did you hnow.to example. earlier this week they Its us on a 40 by 60-foot billboard on Square? SMASH HIT OPENS OFF -BROADWAY, April 1S.

proclaims the towering ad. Thats nothing. The dirty stuff is still to coma Were working on a few other things, said the account execu-stive for the brash agency that Snaps the Mets battle plan. "Weve given up the Magic is Back theme, said Joe Fetrocdot Madison Avenue mqven. 1 be Ijiew theme is power.

p- u-huh. Power, like In no more Reggie Jackson across town. jr ms -aww wyiifHBuun mv much Steinbrenner. At the maintaining relations with Wilpon are good says. to this.

the guys Frank the slightest Steinbrenner subway Goerge, so John Chatman, Salesman at MELROSE Ford, presents $100 check to Nancy wMe MELROSE'S Sain Manager VWayne Jones looks on -Shea- havw it Rs thariita" (Yankees switch from power-em-t'fphasis to. speed-emphasis Is simpto. Then JL: 1 aklanAribuflf 1 Nancy entered the TribuneTODAY Auto Sweepstakes coupon In the MELROSE FORD winner. Enter Auto Sweepstakes TODAY. Entry coupons and details each Monday, Wednesday and Friday In the TribuneTODAY.

Of course they hsve, and The General himself has finished first five times in six yean. But baseball as all else, is a whats-new business, and whats new is that the Yankees arent scoring runs in Florida, and the Mets are lobbing mortar shells at them through their mercenary on the northern flank, della Femine- Is he suggesting George is paranoid? not saying that hut I had better Mess myself or hell think Dn putting the devil on him, Msjor Cashen said over the field phona And dont write that or it will cost me Ifl About as subtle as a letter from George steinbrenner Inviting a jlayer to early training pamp. No shortage of power on the c'Mets, is the slogsn to bp delivered to New York subwa riders. -JThese underground posters are be feature pictures of Dave I rM-- i -f-. r.

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