Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 10

I-F New Coach Hudspeth: Lions DETROIT FREE PRESS Wednesday, Oct. 6, '76 rase ore Will If; llLwx BY JACK SAYLOR Fra Pnsi Sportt Writer If first impressions are any indication, fans can look forward to a rewing-up of the Lions' passing attack. At his inaugural appearance Tuesday as the interim coach of the Lions, Tommy Joe Hudspeth revealed his philosophy of football for an overflow media gathering at Pontiac Stadium. "Sax Judd, playing at the University of Tulsa many years ago, summed up football the way I feel," he said: 'As long as a football's got air in it, you gotta' throw Hudspeth, a 45-year-old non-drinking, non-smoking Mormon (one wife, three children) was named Tuesday by owner Bill Ford as the interim replacement for Rick Forzano, who resigned Monday under the pressure of internal bickering, player unrest and a 1-3 record. Ford, who was not present for the twin press conferences of Forzano and Hudspeth, related in a statement that he picked Hudspeth "because he has more head-coaching experience than any other many on the staff and also that he wanted to Ijeep the present staff of assistants intact.

Hudspeth, a former Tulsa quarterback and defensive back (vintage early '50s), is an unknown figure to most Lions fans working behind the scenes as the co-ordinator of personnel and scouting since 1974. FRIENDLY, HANDSOME, DAPPER and enthusiastic, the Kansas native is labeled by associates as "meticulous and demanding, but flexible" He has 10 years experience as a head coach at Brigham Young and Texas-El Paso as Free Press Photos by RICHARD LEE There are smiles that make you happy, like Tommy Hudspeth (above) meeting the press for the first time as Lion coach. And there are smiles that make you blue, like Rick Forzano (below) as he bid adieu after his resignation. Forzano wasn't enjoying the last laugh it was a sad moment in his career. Rick: 'I Still Think Coach Isn't Problem; The Lack of Talent Is Fin a Good Coach wen as assistant coaching service with the Calgary Stam-peders and at Tulsa (both places with Lions vice-president and assistant GM Rogers Lehew), and finally with the Chicago Fire of the ill-fated World Football League.

The Hudspeth overtones are heavy on offense and that's where the breakdown came that aided Forzano's demise. "Moving the football will be our one big challenge," admit-t Hudspeth, who was aproached two weeks ago by Ford concerning the possibility of becoming interim coach. At Brigham Young, Hudspeth's teams ranked among the top 13 in the country in passing for four straight years. He also was offensive co-ordinator of the Fire. Hudspeth concedes his collegiate record (as was Forzano's) is no great shakes.

"I had a terrible team at El-Paso," he said. "I inherited it as an interim coach there. We were 1-4 the first year and 0-11 the second." At BYU, his record was 39-42-1. "I don't say I'm going to set the world on fire now, either, but we're going to try. "I'LL BE DEMANDING of the team and ask them to do certain things.

I think the talent is sufficient here to win. Some people, we have to get more out of. I think the team can win. We could still make the playoffs it's not over yet." Hudspeth, a sharp-eyed tal- he groped for a proper answer. Popular with fans and press, Forzano couldn't make his style come across with his team.

He's a mom-American flag-apple pie guy who also often wears his religion on his sleeve. THAT REPELLED SOME. The disciplinary methods irked others, while others said they distrusted him and charged him with double talk. Although Forzano said ha felt he had tha backing of his staff, there is some reason for doubt of 100 percent support there, too as witness the off-season departure of Raymond Berry. Forzano said that even had the Lions won Sunday's game at Green Bay (unless it had been very convincing), he still would have tendered his resignation.

"The attitude situation was adversely affected by four to six players or so," Forzano said. The number of those on the squad against him was staggering. The few who were rated as pro-Rick were mockingly called "nod-squadders." Forzano tried everything he knew to pla-Please turn to Page 3F, Column 1 BY JACK SAYLOR Free Press Sports Writer In the transient world of football coaches and baseball managers, only the names of George Halas and Connie Mack come to mind as having completely averted firing in one manner or another. They owned their own teams. It is never an easy thing to endure, and Forzano admitted it was a very unhappy moment Tuesday as he stood in front of a battery of lights, cameras, tape recorders a.nd faces and tried to explain his painful decision to resign as coach of the Lions.

"I don't know what went wrong," the little 47-year-old said. "I have ideas, but those will remain in my head. I failed. We are judged on our records. Did I win or lose? We're 1-3 and were 7-7 the last two years.

Circumstances? They have to be overcome. I was unable to do that." Forzano admitted he didn't know what he would do. Football has been his life from the time he lost the sight in one eye as a 14-year-old high school linebacker in his native Akron, Ohio. Occasionally, he spiced his remarks with the familiar Forzano humor. But mostly he was grim, uncomfortable and bit his lips as And so now William Clay Ford has given us the old assistant coach of the Chicago Fire as the new head coach of the Lions.

Ah, progress. I've got to give one of our telecasters full credit for the best remark of the whole affair out at The Big Muffin Tuesday morning when Rick Forzano said goodbye and Tommy Hudspeth said hello. I would use the guy's name because he happens to be one of the TV people I admire and respect, but I'm not sure he wants his name used. Hint: It wasn't Al Ackerman. Anyway, he put the whole thing in perspective by calling the firing-and-hiring session another in the never-ending "give-'em-a-chance" tactic the Lions have learned how to use so well over the years.

It goes like this: The Lions hire a new coach every few years end they say: "Hey, give the guy a chance." Who can argue with such plea? Such logic? Any man new on a job deserves a chance to prove himself. So, now, we must all take two steps back, bite our lips and let the Lions go their merry way for another well, what? The rest of this season? Next season? The 1980s? The year 2000? How long does it take to get the job done? Pretty clever, eh? They have bought some more time for themselves and the bucks will keep rolling in. New England is coming in Sunday and now there will be a curiosity to see what the new man can do, or if the players suddenly feel inspired and play above and beyond their abilities. The players get a break because now they can point to Forzano and say he was the cause of all the trouble. Yeah, it was him, not us.

Who's Going to Do Scouting? I can live with all of this stuff because it's part of the sports ecene, except I still wonder when Ford is going to place up to the real, problem and try to solve it. That's the operation of ent sleuth who said he was perfectly happy with his role in personnel, was in Tulsa Monday, ready to visit practice at the University of Ar- Please turn to Page 4F, Col. this franchise. If he would pause for a moment to consider what he has on his hands at the moment, it might frighten him. He has what should be one of the very best franchises in the game one that is playing in a gleaming new palace, in the safety of the suburbs, and one of great tradition that is loyally supported by its fans.

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Hudson's Men's Shoes, at all our stores. elite instead of dragging the aregs. Ford ought to think about that a lot. The problem is not who coaches the team heck, we've had a lot of those since Ford has been the boss it's been the quality of the players which was lacking. Our guys simply have been overrated for years.

They can give us all the mumbo-jumbo they want. Forzano can blame himself for the team's failure; Hudspeth can promise he will move the ball (let's hope it's foward); Thomas can say the Lions are close to being a contender: Ford can say he wants a win in Wings Will Be Exciting BY TOM HENDERSON Frt Press Sports Writer There's a new feeling at Olympia one of confidence as the Red Wings head toward Thursday night's season opener with the Washington Capitals. For too many years this has been a hockey club big on hope and not much else when training camp broke. There were the usual assurances from the front office that THIS was really the year the Wings had a chance to make the playoffs, but no one expected much. The Wings' story was just one of too little talent, both in the trenches and in the front office.

No more. "Coming out of training camp, we're in the best condition I've ever seen a Red Wing team," enthuses general manager and still coach Alex Delvecchio. "We've finally got six good, NHL-caliber de- Bill Ford ner more than anyone else. It all gets back to talent, and this is where the Lions come up short. What bothers me most is that at a time when the club needs fresh new talent, the man in charge of scouting this talent and, subsequently, procuring it, is now the coach of the team.

I mean, the Lions didn't hire Tommy Hudspeth to draw x's fensemen and we've got three balanced lines." And though Fats admits Montreal looks like the top team in the Norris Division, he's still pleased with his team. "We're not starting off the Pi M' Alex Delvecchio season 'setting Billy Dea and o's for the team; he was hired to go out and get the best players available. I think he's done pretty well in his two years on the job. He has given the team some players of promise. I But now he is given the job of trying to pull this messy on-' (he-field situation together.

You must wonder who is going to his old job. They've got to juggle things around again and divide up his assignments and that can't be a very sound move when you are In other words, how can the Lions expect to catch up with such sophisticated and successful franchises as the Dallas in a business as competitive as pro football. boys, Los Angeles Rams, Minnesota Vikings, Miami Dolphins, Pittsburgh Steelers, Oakland Raiders and those of that calibre if they keep fritzing around with their operation? Rick Went Out With Class More than anything else more than a mere change of head coaches which you surely understand is only a smoke screen this organization needs direction at the top. Tell you what. I'd rather see William Clay Ford in there running it every day himself instead of entrusting it to Russ 1 Thomas.

1 But Mr. Ford does not have the time for such a venture, and so Thomas stays and the franchise suffers. Oh, how it suffers. Ford said he would find it hard to tie a can to Forzano without tying it to Thomas. Those who know Ford and his relationship with Thomas knew that such a statement didn't mean much.

William Clay Ford was no closer to firing Russ Thomas as his general manager than he was to hiring me as his first-string quarterback. The press conference at The Big Muffiirwas poignant because Forzano sat there like a man, before those lights and cameras and microphones, and spoke of what it was like to lose the job that meant so much to him. Rick went out with class. The new man, like so many new men who haven't played a game yet, came across impressively. He said all the right Slings, like we have to commit, men, and we have to block and tackle and execute because that's how you win, men, and I want input so I can give you output and, by golly, we're going to do our damndest to give this town a winner.

It was a familiar speech. What impressed me is that Hudspeth called almost everyone by his first name. I wonder if Jimmy Carter knew such a man was available. But more than Forzano leaving in style and Hudspeth coming in with a flourish was the fact William Clay Ford was nowhere to be seen and when Thomas was asked his one question, he said, and we quote, "I have no comment." The losers: Guess who? our sights on second or third place; we're taking a run at them (Montreal)," Delvecchio said. "At the end of last season, we gave the fans exciting hockey.

We're striving to keep giving them exciting hockey. And we will." At the very least, Delvecchio admits, "We've got to be over .500" for the season to be successful. "If we get 80 points, we'll be in the playoffs." Time will tell if his team finishes over .500 and gets its 80 points and make the playoffs. But, based on their strong finish last year and their four wins in seven exhibition games this year, the Wings should make a good run at Los Angeles and Pittsburgh in their division. Here are brief sketches of the 20 Red Wing players who make up the 1976-77 team: Walt McKechnie: Wings' leading scorer last year (26 goals.

56 assists) was also leading scorer in exhibition season with two goals and nine assist. A lanky center, McKechnie i entering his 10th season in NHL. Dan Maloney: Rugged left winger, Wings' second-leading scorer last year (27 goals, 39 assists) is an extremely hard worker. Showed in the preseason (37 penalty minutes in seven games) that he isn't afraid to keep mixing it up. Dennis Polonich: Spunky, little (5 feet, 8 inches) and young (22), right winger has found a place on team's top line.

He racked up 302 penalty minutes in only 57 games last year in his rookie season, but had only eight minutes in the entire preseason. Polonich was third among preseason scorers with four Please turn to Page 4F, Column.