The Naples Daily News from Naples, Florida • 23

Section NAPLES DAILY NEWS Tuoe Dm 20 1177 SPORTS College Basketball Ratings Page 6C Judgment Call Fumble Final Day Of Season A Crusher Protest By TOM RIFE Sports Editor So Dm Miami DolpMna' U77 mm aodi la an awkward ftiry Doipiiiiia and Doi-fans alike pointing at Play" in Baltimore which coat the liiamiana a ahot at the Balden la AFC play-off action this weekend "The Play" which found Baltimore! Beit Joaea apparently hnahliai at the New England aix in the waning momenta of Sunday's battle aa apparent fumble recovered by the Pita leaving the Colts a point shy on the board and the Dolphins lathe driver's aeat of the AFC Seat which hoa created turmoil throughout Florida where Miami Dotphia (ana had enjoyed a new type of elation with their young come-from-nowhere "New Name" squad Thia waa the NFL aeam that went down to the final day of the Even in the superstructure of business ailed pro football luck good or bed esnnot be cslculsted But professioneis deel In realism end whst they can do to control their own destiny The Dolphins fete wes such that on die final day of die season their destiny was in the hands of others regular season Play-off berths went unfilled until the final gun And the came uo with a bleak WHETHER YOU agree or diaagrae with referee Fred SHva's quick whlatle on Jones' fumble one hard cold (act remains It was on the final day of the aeam that the Miami Doiphlna were not la a position to determine their own destiny There were no bones made about the tact that the would likely beat Buffalo on Saturday then prey for a New Engfamt triumph over Baltimore But all they could do was watch on television The matter was in the hands of the Colts (who were hungry with all to gain with a win) and the Patriots (who might aa easily have been in the playoffs had not Detroit blocked that Colt punt and beaten Baltimore with nine seconds left the week before) THE DISPUTED fUmble Sunday la the moot immediate of all the factors which have kept the Dolphins out of the playoffs It is not the only factor it is simply the moat immediate A host of other events throughout the aeam could have nude things ao that the Dolphina would have been in charge of their own destiny once the final day of the regular aeam arrived Of four losses two loom aa paramount Two that should not have been Cincinnati and San Diego The Dolphins bowed to the Bengata in Riverfront Stadium on Nov 30 by a 0-17 score Cincy quarterback Ken Anderson put Ms "Triple pass" into effect to sting the young Miami defense in a desperation Bengal comeback ANDERSON HANDED off to Archie Griffin who handed to a crassii John McDaniel who gave it back to Anderson Doipfain rookie defender Vein Roberson had been drawn into coming the reverse and Bob Tntmpy was left all alone And he hauled in egg-gentle pm for the goahead and winning ID You really tank a rookie for being beaten on thia type of play You simply accept the wizardry of the man Ken Anderson -who had the instinct to call the play he somehow knew would leave Trumpy wide open Then look back to the Orange Bowl on Oct 30 na Miami suffered its second loas of year San Diego Charger quarterback Jamea Harris bootlegged into the Dolphin end zone as time ran out and Rod Baninchke kicked the PAT with no aeconds Blaming Chargers won 14-13 Several Dofehlas stayed tacadown on the turf in anguish tough pill to swallow" said Simla THE COLTS VON dm first aaeting of the year with the Dolphins and in grand style A 214 second half outburst handed Miami its first lorn of the seam 4M8 The Dolphins' "New defense was second euesaed Twice Baltimore nearly pve the championship away and in light of Sunday's disputed call the Gotta would have to consider (hemseives a lucky ball dub In the Orange Bowl on the night of Dec 5 the Colts had the qiparent godhead touchdown when Rooeevelt Leaks fumbled into the end am from three yank out and Dolphin rookie Norris Mounts NEW YORK (UP1) no provision for an official protest in pro football as there is in baseball which Is an injustice in one way but a pure teasing In another bffiw what would they do with an official found to have cost a team a key ball game hang him from the nearest goal post? Anytime a protest is upheld In baseball the game in question either is resumed from fee of dispute or replayed entirely Such cases are rare since baseball protests are upheld about as often as Egypt and Israel get together at the peace table In football there's no practical way to replay a game already finished or resume it from the point of contention The mechanics for setting up such a procedure simply are not feasible What could any ruling body do reschedule the same two teams to meet each other again an some given Wednesday? That necessarily mean football officials never make mistakes human the same as anyone Milton Richman else Certainly they make mistakes although on balance they make that many Only a few years ago the Los Angeles Rams were given five downs during the same series The referee lost count of the downs and for doing that he and his entire crew drew a suspension All this comes into sharper focus now due to the uncommon furor continuing over Sunday's contest in Baltimore where quarterback Bert Jones of the Colts fumbled away the ball near the Patriots' goal line with less than three minutes left but the referee ruled he had whistled the play dead and Baltimore immediately took advantage of that break to beat New England 3B-24 for its third straight AFC East Division championship They put one man on the phones especially to handle all the the angry calls coming in from Miami and the New England area Monday All the callers were incensed over whst they felt was a sheer outrage Everybody calling in wss mad Although the Patriots already had been eliminated hum the playoffs before game their supporters are burned up because a victory was "stolen" from them The Miami fans are boiling because they feel their team wss Jobbed out of the division title and Dolphin coach Don Shula who was watching the game on TV Is steaming because he sure whether the referee blew his whistle accidentally prematurely or arbitrarily know what the ruling was whether the whistle had blown or whether they (the officials) Just didn't see the play" Shula keeps saying "but it was evident that Jones fumbled and New England only another way of him saying he feels the referee blew his whistle either accidentally or too quickly Shula was burned that way earlier this year when an official later admitted to him he had blown his whistle accidentally giving the ball back to the St Louis Cardinals after they had fumbled It and the Dolphins had recovered Fred Silva was the referee in game no rookie having officiated in the NFL II seasons For working Sunday's game be got $575 plus a lot of heat Jones says he know If he fumbled before the play was over or not If Silva was guilty of whistling too quidtly it been he was being overprotectiue of Jones Consciously or otherwise most referees like to see quarterbacks absorb unnecessary punishment particularly quarterbacks of Jones' ability so they sometimes become a bit overprotective Regardless it was purely a Judgment call on part and as such all those irate Miami and New England fans have no solid basis for their condemnation of him mas tree symbolizing defensive unit which la nicknamed Orange Steder quarterback Terry Bradshaw and the rest of the Pittaburgh crew promiaa to be formidable opponents but the Broncos claim they're ready to meet the challenge UF1 OKANGE CHRISTMAS 11m Broncos plan to print the torn orange la their Americas Football Conference playoff battle against the Pittsburgh Steelers In Denver an Dec 24 Bronco coach led Miller tight and detatalve end Lyle Alzado pane beaide an orange Christ definite of all the variables and absolutely the moat unpredic- Thomaa recovered Miami went on to win it 174 THE COLTS logic In trying to punt against the Lions with just nine seconds left last week left even the moat devout Baltimore tana in question Even taking a safety would have been better than a blocked punt and touchdown for Detroit And you cunt believe that the Colts deliberately lost Just to knock out New England Had Baltimore wan over Detroit that would have been it then and there Sunday's game would not Tbe Dolphina a team with balance in youth and age offense and defense had to feel they had a shot They had a commitment to themselves They had mitfe one to their tans as well THE CLASS OF THE Shula organization prevailed as the Dolphina me back Into contention There were ill-pro performances And right not making the playoffs with the type of seam the Dolphina put together is a tough pill to swallow Even in a multi-million dollar bualneea structure an element of uncalculated uncertainty The NFL is big business Prefree Irwale deal in real lam Call it an element of hick good or bad Call it destiny a destiny which was out of the hands of the Dolphins And remember thm factors that could have made the final day of the regular seam meaningless "The would have been meaningless as well The Dolphins may find themselves looking beck to the second New England game which they lost 14-10 With a fourth and one on the Patriot goalline a Bob Grim pm tali incomplete THERE VERB THOSE who criticized Grieae But you can be almost sure that had the pass gone for a ID and the Dolphins won many of thm aame critics might have been calling the aerial "the greateat call of the year Nobody expected a The NFL aeam is a plethora of variables Recruits injuries bounces of the ball and the Judgment Judgment the moat in- Cards' Loss to Buccaneers Costly They can criticize his judgment but who's to say their I asm judgment of him is right That goes for Don Shula too He exactly a disinterested witness watching that game If It's any consolation Fred Silva draws some support from Lee MacPhall President of the American League "In this particular case there couldn't be any protest in baseball either because it was a judgment says MacPhsil "The only time there can be a protest with us is when a rule is interpreted improperly Besides we've found thnt different camera positions can give you entirely different views of the same play You see it from one angle and you say a bad call! Then you look at it another way and you say now wait a minute' My sympathy is all with him (Silva) He was right there he most likely was in a position to see the play best and he was the one who had to make the call" gets cut off ril still believe we did the right Coryell aright have a crack at Boone's head The coach was especially irate because he is not consulted in the draft gffrrthmt "I want to have something to say about the Coryell said "Coaches should have a say in who they will coach because if they win it's the coaches who get fired" With defensive help from talented rookies there appeared little doubt the Cardinals would have made the playoffs The downhill slide begsn after half the SL Louis secondary was injured against Philadelphia and the team scurried around for replacements because of a lack of defensive depth la the final Tsmpa game two of the scores came when receivers were able to get behind a rookie cornerback who replaced the Injured Lee Nefoon a fill-in for the starter In addition SL Louis began the season with only one established linebacker and tailed to fill the remaining holes At end a rookie was attempting to learn the nuances of middle linebacker Coryell emphasized the team's weakness when he said only two of the Cardinal defensive starters could play for the New York Giants Presumably he meant All-Pro cornerback Roger Wehrli and second-year lineman Mike Dawson Coryell has held a aeries of meetings with Bidwill to go over the problems and has been assured more of a say in the draft However he also is unhappy with his own paycheck and the number of coaches the teem keeps on the payroll Eight SL Louis players become free agents Feb 1 -Metcalf Jim Otis Ken Reaves Ike Harris Charlie Davis Bob Bell Jerry Latin and Mark Ameson The Cardinals have the choice of matching any offers made to the players by other teams or accepting draft picks ascompensation Coryell and most of the free agent players say they want to remain in SL Louis if the price isrighL ST LOUIS (UPI) The dismal season that culminated with a defeat at Tampa may have cost the SL Louis Cardinals their coach and star player Both Don Coryell and Teny Metcalf voiced doubts about returning after the Cardinals lost their final four games Sis straight victories earlier in the somm had made an appearance in the playoffs seem IWUllL Coryell who nbrmally chooses his words carefully when talking with reporters tuvt out at owner BUI rightnem with the team's purse strings To make matters worse Coryell was quoted in a San Diego newspaper as predicting the owner's frugality would result in only four wins mt year and two the yser after that Coryell later apologized publicly and said the San Diego story followed what he thought was an off-the-record conversation with a friend who also happened to he a sports editor like to say something to Bill Bidwill" Coryell said at an wards dinner "I regret very much spying what I did in pine expressing myself as 1 did I'm a very poor loser I had to blow up I guess it's better to blow up than commit But the damage had been done and Cardinal tans were wondering about the return of their coach The big question arising from the season is how a team which handed Dallas Its first defeat and pounded Minnesota when the Vikings still had Fran Tsrinton quarterback could finish with a 7-7 record That answer goes back te the last draft of college players and puts a Muck cloud over the Cardinals' method of drafting With one of the league's top offenses and worst defenses Coryell ezpected to land sii Mp in ths draft Instead the team used its first and second picks to take a quarterback and running beck SL Louis already had five good running backs "In my mind there is no quertion I did the right said George Boone the man in charge of the draft picks put my bead on the chopping Mock but even if it SOLAR TABLES Eastern Standard Tim Sunrls Suns! Dcmbr 20 7:04 am 5:42 pm 21 7:07 am 5:43 pm 22 7:07 o-m 5:43 pm 23 7:07 am 5:44 pm TIDES Eastern Standard Tima Naptes Outer Coos! Beating forecast: Cape Sable to Tsrpan Springs Southerly winds IS knots shifting to srtheriy II knots la the north psrtisn tonight and south portion Wednesday morning Seas 1 to feet higher after the wlndshlft A few showers melaly tonight Gulf water BnHHWs IV VIwBs LUNAR TABLES Eastern Standard Tima Maonrlsc Moons! DocsmOor to 2:30 pm 2:51 om 21 3:10 pm 3:43 am 22 3:51 pjn 4:35 am 23 4:24 pm 5:27 am iBaamaasisaeLSPistitiiaitiHaKSeztaeBassssesLtisssssaLti.