Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 57

roil ih'cc bLUION In This Section Sports on- I derision Page (icorgc Ptisais Outdoors with Oprc Page I SUNDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1975 0 1 1 A A Miami St Big Snow ive Hra 9 Should Help eco Pops into the one one and light end Riley on the i'vo fumbled Odoms recovered. MIAMI Scil r-kpcd Earl Morrall relieved Don St rock' at quarterlx-ck in the second half, and reserve ilety Harry Hill blocked a field goal on the final play Saturday to give Miami a 14-1. 'I victory over the Denver Broncos, keeping the Dolphins' -Mm chances for a playoff berth. The Dolphins boosted their record to 10-4 in the American I oothnll Conference Fas', Division end can win the title if Balti- more (9-4) loses Sunday to New England. If the Colts win to clinch the division title, Miami could qualify as a wild-card entry if the Cincinnati lose lo San Diego.

The 41-year-old formcr Mich.gan State star Morrall, playing with a brace on an injured knee that had sidelined him for three weeks, directed the winning touchdown drive that ended with 1:14 left in the game when Norm Bi'laich powered over Individual Leadefs Kywcrth IS 71, Morris Ml, Bu- RUSHING Denver, Ross 4-7t. Miami, laicl) hit. from the two. Hill blocked a 35-yard field goal attempt by Jim Turner on the final play to save the win for Miami. Morrall had gotten Miami, trailing lO-O at the half, back into the game with a 10-yard scoring pass to Howard Twil- TURNER ADDED another td field goal in the fuuuh quarter for a Denver lead and the Dolphins' winning drive followed.

It started on iho Miami 20 and was kept by a he-passer penalty against linebacker Bob Swcniion; a 12-yard end-around by Freddie Solomon-' and a 20-yard ry-ss to Nat Moore. Solomon's run was by a block by Morrall. Morrall took the Dolphins to a touchdown on the'r first possession of the second half. Driving from the Miami 'M in 10 plays, Morrall hit tight end Jim Mandich for 10 yards on a third-down situation and then came back wilh a Dl-yarder to Solomon. A key Ihird-down holding penalty on coriu-rback Louis Wright gave Miami a first down on the 15.

Mercury Morris got five yards and then Morrall hil Twillcy for the score. Denver was dominant both offensively and defensively in the first half as Strock was unable to gel any kind of a driv? going for the Dolphins and Bronco end Barney Chavous led a spirited defense. Miami managed only three first downs and 41 total yards in the first hall. "I THINK THE LAST PLAY points out this team's character. We pulled down deep," Morrall said after the game, "1 Please turn to Page IE, Col.

2 RECEIVING Denver, Odomt 4 54. Kev worth Murni, Mandich Solomon 2-5. PASSING-Denver, Kamscy 735 yards. Miami, Mnrrail 4-11, yar.ls, Slrock (, 20 yards. Vitale Sets Record I or Shots in Yearbook iry.

If the Dolphin miss 'he playoffs, it will he the first time since 1909 The loss snuffed Denver's hopes for a .500 season and left the Broncos with a 5-8 mark a id their first losing season since 1972. Denver had taken a 10-0 halitime lead on a field goal by Turner and on i touchdown when I ran Lynch look a haivloll Vikings Clip Bills. 35-13 I .1 4 i fY 1 1 1 AN. 1 it 4 ss SUNDAY'S BEST: Great news, puis! Rusty Slaub is an amateur chef and he's single Our man Dick Vitale broke his old record by having his picture in the U-D yearbook no fewer than 22 times. Old mark: IS.

The poor Swami is very depressed. He just found out his praying mantis is an atheist Wayne Stale will gel its Bicentennial football season going by opening against Howard University in RFK Stadium in Washington next Sept. II. Coach Bill Blair ol VMI added a feature to this year's press book entitled: "Memo to the Media." His list of suggestions include: "Please try nut 'to gel me hung in effigy in front of my own home. It is real bad fur family morale." "This year I plan to run my 'contract renewal' offense, so don't criticize it too much." "Don't ever ask my assistants what we are trying to do on the court.

I can assure you, they don't know either." You suspect the ADA is in trouble when the New York Nets the Denver Nuggets in the Nassau Coliseum and give away leaves of Italian bread to the first 3,000 funs who show up Statistic: NHA attendance is up almost 20 percent this season. Jim (Super Fan) Ondrus is taking no chances for (he finale at I'nntiac Stadium Sunday afternoon. He's showing up wilh a gas mask If you're looking for something different, try the wrestling in Crisl'er Arena Sunday with former college greats competing as professionals. They compete under Olympic and college rules, wilh no phony grunls or groans. The Swami 'says, "I've always felt that ballet keeps you on your toes." When he was presented with a watch at an alumni gathering, Indiana football coach Lee Corso said: "After 2-9 and 1-10 seasons, 1 get a little edgy about anything that ticks." Conrad Dobler, offensive guard of the St.

I.ouis Cardinals, claims he gets so nervous during the games that he biles fingernails on other people's hands Somebody stole Ricky Hell's car on the USC campus but all they got was a 1D66 Chevy. i's Like Going' to Heaven The Quote Machine: Hank Strain, TV commentator, or San Francisco quarterback Sieve Spurrier "He has very deceptive speed. He's a lot slower than he looks." Diron Talbcrt. Washington Redskins defensive tackle, speaking about the Oakland Raiders "They're not dirty. They just hold a lot." Bill Yeeck, baseball impresario, on his purchase of the Chicago While Sox "We hope lo bring a small degree of nonor (o Chicago, and a small degree of cash to ourselves." George Connor, introducing former Notre Dame teammate Ziggy Czarobski at a banquet "Ziggy was the only Free Pres Wlro frvirti BUFFALO -On a frimd, frosly and snow-covered Rich Stadium field.

Chuck Foreman scored four touchdowns Saturday, leading the Minnesota Vikings to a win over Buffalo. Still, the versatile Viking running back had to take a back seat in the regular-season finale to quarterback I ran Tarkenton and Buffalo's O.J. Simpson, who both set all-time NFL records in Ihe howling snowstorm. Tarkenton threw a pair of touchdown passes to Foreman, giving him 291 TD passes for his career and breaking John Unitas' career record of 290. Simpson accounied for both of Buffalo's TDs, running for 24 yards to score the first one, then taking a 54-yard pass for the second to give 1 1 I iMHW' Please turn to Page 4E, Col.

1 Ski Operators BY CHARLIE VINCENT Free Presi Sports Writer "In we had bad snow, in '74 it was the energy problem, in '75 it was the economy. I don't know what it. will be this year and it's too early to get a good reading, but we look comfortable going into the holiday season." This weekend's snowfall made Boyne Country's Chuck Moll even more comfortable about the 1 975-7G season. Boyne is Michigan's most popular ski complex and Moll's assessment sums up the hopes and apprehensions of ski operators throughout the state. or most, 1974-75 was a good year.

Not great, but certainly better than average. The current season started out as a 100-percent hummer, fraught with rain and temperatures that soared into the high 60s just last weekend. About Ihe time Ihe operators would get their slopes covered, a warming trend would melt (heir efforts into streams of cold water and mounds of mud. "We've lost little belter than a week already," says Alpine Valley's Jim Bell'er. "And because of the weather we're a little behind last season, when we had between 140.000 and 150,000 skiers.

"But we see indications it will be better. There jeems to be enthusiasm for skiing this year that we didn't sec last season. We see a strong turnaround in our food and beverage business and we're hopeful now that we can -iiainlain the favorable weather conditions." Every Day Is Like Weekend For a of Ihe ski areas, the holiday season is the key to their entire year. "If we were to lose it due to bad weather during the holidays," Belfer said, "our overall business would be down about one-third for the year, because there would be a carry-over effect. Eveiy day during the holidays is like a weekend d.iy and there's just no way to get it back once its gone." Malt Locbriccio at Fine Knob, one of Ihe most popular areas in metropolitan Detroit, also admits "right now we're down about 12,000 skiers from this time last year and the weather is lo blame." But Locbriccio is quick to point out that last winter was the best in ihe history of his area "we skied about 175,000 last year and we never gone over 120,000 before.

"Now we'll try like hell to make up over the holidays." REALISTICALLY, MOST SKI operators admit it will be difficult duplicating the success of 1074-75, because last winter's weather approached perfection. "We got a fool of snow on Dec. I.ochriccio points out, "and that got us off with a boom. This year, instead of snow, it's been Belfer agrees. "Last season was good because of the extended season, ll was super from a weather standpoint, hut on a skier-per-day basis it was not as good as we would have liked." Mt.

Brighton's Gene Hill sees the return of favorable economic conditions as a boon lo the ski industry. "Business Is starling to pick up all over," he says, "not just in skiing. I've talked lo peop'c in other businesses and they all ti ll inc Ihe same thing: Business is picking up. We're very optimistic." But Mt. Brighton, like most other Michigan areas, has fell the effect of the unseasonably warm weather that hung on until just a few days ago.

"We've been closed four days since we opened Nov. 24," Hill says, "and three of those days were Sundays. So we're nol equal to last year. But. you know, if the weather patten was moved over two days if the bad weather had com'c on Mondays and Tuesdays we'd have doubled our dollar business.

You just can't duplicate weekend days." Custodiers Spending More, Too Like most of his competitors, Hill sees the purst strings of his customers loosening up. "The customers we' are getting are spending more money," be says. "Just the other night I saw a guy with a family of five come in for tow tickets, rentals, tlie whole thing, peel off $100 and just go out and ski. No problem." Mt. Brighton's business was up 22 percent a year ago, following a trend that Hill says goes back at least "a decade.

"Our business has increased every year for at least the last 10. and we feel we've got the momentum now Unit will allow us to do more business than we did hist year. It's our feeling that our area and Boyne arc gonna be" the big guys in the business in the stale." Boyne is the unquestioned leader. At its four areas Boyne Mountain, Boyne Highlands, Walloon Hills and Thunder Mountain 300,000 skiers stnoo in line lasl year for a chance al the variety of challenges offered by Ihe numerous runs. Boyne has never again approached the record of set four years ago.

Nevertheless, Moll says he expects the areas' 1,250 beds to be 80 percent occupied during the holi-days. Outside Mancelona, where the Kingdom of Schuss Mt. attracts a hard core of dedicated followers, marketing and public relations manager Scott Stilling says all the rooms are booked for the holidays. "There's a long waiting list for the holidays. L'veryono is to come up here.

We've got 800 beds and "they arc all booked lor the holidays. A cheek wilh Schuss' reservation office showed a few openings before Christmas, but iiiirv a bed available alter the 25th. SCHUSS, ONE OF THE most popular slupes in the far-flung Traverse City area, increased its business by 15 percent last year over 1974 and Stilling says they expect business this year to increase by another five percent during the week and 15 percent on weekends. Crystal Mountain, another of the Traverse City-area lodges, had one of the state's most phenomenal growths last year. "We were up 50 percent," says president George Petritz, "and we expect it to go up another third this year." Unlike Boyne, which is jammed with skiers when conditions are right, Crystal Mountain had room for a such spectacular growth.

In 1974 it skied just 40.000. Last year ii. attracted 60,000 and this year it expects 80,000. One of the few areas that had a disappointing season lust; year was Traverse City Holiday, the small, family area just" outside Traverse City, operated by Owen and Ray Sutton. "We just didn't seem to get the snow last year," Mrs.

Sutton commented. "It seemed to go ardlind us, and a lot of Please lurn In Page 5E, Column 1 1 i -4 5. I Individual Leaders PASSING-Minnesoti, Trknlon 15-34-0, lit. Lei JM, It. IjIIjio, Ferguson RECEIVING: Minnesota, Foremtn It-Hi 51, Maronoi It 111.

17, Lash 4 1, Gilliam 4-35, Voinl Marinaro 315. McClanahan 3-1. Buf. lalo: Simpson 3-t, Gant 3 33, Braxton MS, Hill -H, Seymour HI, Washington 211, Chandler 4 33. RUSHING: Minnesota, Foreman IMS, Marinaro I II, McCMnal.an 17-47.

Os-born Lea 1-0. Buliaio, Simpson 13-57, Branton 1-U, Ferguson 1-4, Maranqi 3 IS. Washington 11, Hay-man 1-3. when student to take English as a foreign language. Bill Russell, coach of the Seattle SuperSonics asked how much Me was getting for Earl Mormll, handing off here to Mercury Morris, said after Saturday's 11-13 victory over Denver that the brace on his damaged knee djdn't bother him 'I've always been slow, so it didn't slow me down any'.

7 U-D Shuls UM Wins Its Tourney making pose telephone "You can look for a rate hike." Karecm Abdul abba on the trade that sent him from Milwaukee to Los Angeles "It was like dying and going to heaven." Bo Sehembcchler, U-M football coach "Archie Griffin and I have a lot in common. We both played for Woody Hayes. He brags about it and I can't live it down." The Almightv Swami "I once knew a girl named 'I hev called her that because she'd been Ihoiih the mill." Oil' Xtivier, CI' With 90-76 Runaway 91 6i Bill Russell I'M were also named to the all-tournament' squad. MICHIGAN didn't get untracked until the second half, when the Wolverines outset-rod the Redskins 22-7, to take a 5S-45 lead in the tirst minuter. "Michigan is one of the quickest teams I've seen," said Miami coach Darrell llud-ric.

"They ran ahead of us in (he second hall. They broke it open with their tasi break. In the first half, we controlled it. Michigan doesn't play as free and loo when the game is close." ANN ARBOR (AP) The chigan Wolverines, led by Phil Hubbard (21 puints) and John Robinson (20), defeated Miami of Ohio. 90-76, to win the Michigan Invitational Tournament Saturday for the fourth straight year.

The tournament has been discontinued for I97G, arid probably will not be resumed at all. Michigan's Robinson was named the most valuable player of the tournament. Annond Hill of Princeton; Chuck Goodyear of Miami; and Hubbard and Wayman Britt of Pistons I 98-86 Row Michigan coach John Orr said, "You've gotta have something to come back and play that hard in the second half after being so tired (after the first half and Frida night's game against Southern Illinois). Once we got, our break moving, we pulled away from them." j)se. 8 in i nai BY CHARLIE VINCENT free Prcsj bno-ls Writer For the first time in almost two weeks, Dick Vitale grinned after a basketball game Saturday, shook hands with well-wishers, accepted a pat or two on the back, then began- thinking about Monday night's meeting with Michigan State in Cbbo Arena.

The volatile University of Detroit basketball coach, 'who is occasionally critical of his Titans even in victory, had criticism only for himself after Saturday night's thrashing of the Xavicr Musketeers. "I don't know what got into me," he admitted alter the victory, which balanced L'-D's record at 3-3. "I hcneliwd two kids who helped us win 34 games. I don't know how 1 van do it, but now I've rectified It. do it but now I've Testified it.

"And they did a great job for us tonight." VITALE started seniors Riley Dotson and Laval Perry at guards in place of freshman Terry Duerod and junior Dennis Boyd, who had started both games in the Titans' win-less road trip last week. Perry and Dotson scored only III points between them, but Vitale insisted they triggered the victory. "For Ihe (irsl lime in a long time we played together to- Please lur nlo I'n-y Col. Ernie Hanks, former Chicago Cubs home run star "I like my young players to be married and in debt. Thai's the way you motivate them." Fred Shero, Philadelphia Myers coach "Nowadays the siifcst pi ice in the world is in a hockey fight." Had ISeirs for Note Colbert The Omnipotent Swami "There just has to be something to acupuncture.

Did you ever see a sick porcupine?" Gene Stalling, Dallas Cowboys assistant coach "If you listen to the fans in the stands, you wind up sitting with them." Bill I.ankaitas, former Penn Staler, when asked if head coach Joe I'aterno was as easy going as characterized "The onlv time he's loose is when he's 9-0 and has Temple remaining'." 1 rank Howard, former major league slugger "The trouble with baseball is by the time you learn how to play it, you ean't play it anymore." Dept. of Incidental Information: I.eRoy Jordan's nickname in Dallas is "Double Nickle." He wears No. 55 A belated apology to Hob Ufcr's boss lor the comment made in the column on the day of the Ohio State-Michigan game. Sorry for the misunderstanding. I as Vegas Lesson: The best way to get out of a poker game with a small fortune is (o -start with a large fortune Nate Colbert, trying to get it back in Puerto Rico, is on the ragged edge with the Montreal Expos.

If he doesn't show improvement in spring training, the Expos will wit him. New golf rule prohibits caddies from standim; behind and helping them line up their putts. What ehout ri'. Cotton 1 Allanta Hawks coach. games arc hardly ever won or lostjn the seeoivl i that's when he tries lo rest his older players.

Cus D'Amato, the old fight manager, is tr i it time with it heavyweight named Easy Eleven, a -r nt Monmouth race track Sad News: Slupsi bloom, the" former lii'lit heavyweight has been moved to a violence ward in a We; He's 71. The Swami, just back from a trip out west. i who was so tough she could roll a cigarer wit'i drunk with the other. Special to tht, Fret Frist LANDCV'FR, Md. The Pistons suffered (heir eighth straight defeat here Saturday night as Phil Chenier scored 10 of his 20 points in the final quarter is, help rally the Washington Bullets from a onc-poini delic'l in the third quarter to a 03-SU victory.

The Pistons plaved without center Bob Lanier, who missed is second straight j.ame with a sprained ankle and sore knee, "ail Williams started at center, but played less than three mutes before bem-j replaced by r.xikie Lindsay Hairston. The victory snapped a two-game losing streak for the Bullets owned their Cent mi Division record at 13-13. Detroit, the NBA' Midwest Division dropped to 11-14. V'c. Pistons will be Idle until Tuesday night, when they play iie Bullets In a 7:35 p.m.

game at Cobo Arena. like Kiordan scored 12 of his 14 points in the first periud to i-'; ti Bullets to an I I poiiir. lead. After three periods, how-t i. had taken the Fad, K7-Ili, on Curtis Rowp' jump from the cornnr.

Hairston scored puinis and had 16 rebounds, both career lis for the rookij from Michigan State. For the Bullets, Dave cjred III points in his first game against his lormer ites. Riordan had 14 and Flvin Haves II. ORR SAID that during the halftime in the locKcr room, "I got on 'em. That's the first time all year I've gotten mad at them.

"We're surprised, -really, that we're 5-1," said Orr. "We have played tough teams." The stubborn Redskins led for the first 6' minutes of (he game, but Michigan's Robinson tied it up with a tip-in at 11:22 and the Wolverines never relinquished the lead. Michigan had five starters in double figures with Rickey Green scoring 12, Britt 12, and Steve Grote 14 to complement Robinson's and Hubbard's.