Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 41

1 1 DETROIT FREE PRESS Monday, Sept. 18, '67 1 -f Lions Up but Get a Tie "We should have won' says Joe Schmidt. P. 4D. BY JACK SAYLOK Fret Prs Sports Writer GREEN BAY Joe Schmidt's first regular season game as coach of the Lion3 likely wil be recorded as the most frustrating as any he'll ever have.

The Lions hit the Green Bay Packers with a first-half shock treatment, then saw it wear off and had to settle for a 17-17 tie instead of a monumental upset here Sunday in a frantic National Football League season opener. Bart Starr, rocked on his heels most of the afternoon by a wrought-up Lion defense, rallied the Packers to 10 points in the final period, leaving the Lions not knowing whether to be heart broken or happy. The two-touchdown underdog lions seemingly were staving off the inevitable until one almost unbelievable play with Z'z minutes left. The Lions had rang up a 17-0 lead at halftime and were holding on by their fingernails, 17-14, with minutes left. Starr was confronted with a third down and 19 to go situation with the Lion goal line 97 yards away.

Starr backed in his end zone to pass, eluded the rushing Lions and hit Elijah Pitts at the 10. Pitts wriggled away from tackles by Ernie Clark and Tom and streaked 84 yards to the Detroit 11 before Dick LeBeau hauled him down. With less than two minutes left, Don Chandler booted a 28-yard field goal to give the Packers the tie and scramble the Central Division standings right from the start. ALMOST CLOUDED by the disappointing conclusion was the fact the Lions weren't expected to even tie much less win this game. They gave a tremendous defensive performance, holding the Packers to 43 yards rushing.

Mel Farr and Amos Marsh gave the running game new life and it's clear Schmidt's five-year plan has been bumped ahead several notches. But if the rest of his games are as agonizing as this, Schmidt better lay in a big supply of Maalox. Race at a Glance Packers To Pet. GB Play TIGERS 85 65 .567 12 Chicago 85 66 .563 11 Minnesota 84 66 .560 1 12 Boston 84 66 .560 1 12 So Tig 0 0 0 rm Jd'osox wins 'Spoiler' Nats in Drive, too Pg. 7D BY GEORGE CANTOR The Tigers mislaid their Sunday punch again.

But two of their chief pursuers lost the entire weekend, leaving Detroit hanging on to first "place by the margin of one half a game. Frank Bertaina and the Senators snapped Detroit's Lombardi Calls Packers 'Lousy seven-game winning streak at Tiger Stadium with an easy 5-0 decision. Minnesota and Boston, both GREEN BAY AP Photos WASHINGTON DETROIT THE LION defense roared out from the start and was primarily responsible for the halftime lead before 50,861 stunned Packer backers in Lambeau Field. Starr, who went through the entire 1966 season with only three interceptions, had four stolen by the Lions and also was dumped seven times for 58 yards in losses. Vaughn and Mike Lucci picked off one each, in the first quarter, so Starr, who can spot a rookie at three paces, picked on Lem Barney.

The Lion freshman corner-back stepped in front of Pitts and skipped 24 yards for a touchdown with 9 :47 gone in the first quarter. Tins SHOOK Vince's Invinc-ahles so that they were caught off-guard by Wayne Walker's on-side kickoff and Bruce Ma-her pounced on it at the Packer 49. Walker, who had missed an earlier field goal from the belted one through from the 47, upping the Lion lead to 10-0 before the quarter had expired. Defensive pressure applied by workhorse Alex Karras, Lucci, Jerry Rush and Walker put the Lions in good position again following a Green Bay punt. THE OFFENSIVE line punched hugh holes in the Green Bay line as Detroit drove 52 yards in 11 plays.

Marsh got the touchdown from the three and Walker's kick made it 17-0. But the magic wore off at half time. The Lions' offense, aided by only 41 yards in passing, couldn't sustain itself on the ground. Additionally, Farr, who wound up the rushing leader with 95 yards, spent several series on the sidelines after being banged in the head. THE FIRST switch in momentum came early in the third period as Walker's field goal attempt from the 45 was blocked by LeRoy Caffey.

This was followed by a Green Bay punt, which Doug Hart touched just before it ab bi ab bi Rush puts squeeze on Starr, preventing one pass three-time losers during the weekend, remained one game behind while resurgent Chicago Cullen is 4 1 1 0 Stanley cf 4 1 0 Brnkmn ss I H. Allen cf 4 2 MeMlln 3b 3 0 slipped by them into second. F.Howrd If 2 1 Bertaina stopped the Tigers Stroud cf 0 0 Casanova 2 0 Valntine rf 4 Coggins 2b 4 0 0 M'Aulff 2b 4 2 3 Kaline rf 3 6 1 0 Horton If 4 0 1 Freehan 4 0 0 0 Wert 3b 4 0 0 Cash lb 3 0 1 1 Oyler ss 2 0 0 0 Cmpbll ph 1 0 0 0 Trcwski ss 1 0 0 0 Hiller 2 0 Dobson 0 0 Marshall 0 0 Come rph 1 1 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 on seven Hits after maneuver ing out of some early difficulty Epstein lo 3 Bertaina 4 1 Hank Allen's three-run homer in the fifth broke open the 1 0 0 0 game. Wckrshm 0 Price ph 1 The blast came on Pat Dob- Totals 31 son's first pitch after relieving Washington Johnny Hiller. 5 5 Totals 34 7 0 100 130 0005 000 000 0000 McAuliffe.

DP Washington DETROIT Cullen, 1. LOB-Washington 5, Detroit 10. THERE WAS a ho-hum kind 2B McMul en. valentine. Kaline, Free han.

HR H. Allen (2). Casanova. of air about the entire proceed SF F. Howard.

ing, as if the Tigers just couldn't IP ER BB SO get with it after their two nerve racking victories over Wash Bertain (W, -5) 9-7038 Hiller (L, 4-2) 4ii 4 4 4 2 3 P. Dobson 0 11111 Marshal 2 1 2 Wickersham 2 0 0 0 0 0 ington. They left nine men on base, Dobson faced 2 men in 5th. PB-Freehan. for a three-game total of 33, as they went through their second WHAT'S IT MEAN? Are the Lions really on the way back? Or were the Packers caught flat in Sunday's operner on Lambeau Field? It's difficult to tell.

Probably a little of each. But you can be sure of this the "Jap" didn't like it. Not one bit did he like it. Vince Lombardi isn't accustomed to losing. Or even tying.

Especially on his sacred soil in this Wisconsin community. He'd won 13 games in a row the last five of the 1966 season, the NFL title game, the Super Bowl, the All-Star game and all five exhibition games this summer. Everything but the Kentucky Derby. So there were the reporters standing in the hall outside of the two dressing rooms after Sunday's game and Lombardi's voice was booming throughout the corridors. "You made us look like lousy coaches out there," he boomed.

"You were lousy and made us look lousy." Tom Miller, who is Lombardi's assistant general manager, was standing there with the reporters. He heard, too. My, how he heard. His eyes got THIS BIG. "All right, everybody back c'mon, every body back," he said, trying to herd the reporters out of listening range.

Nice try, Tom. But it was a little late. Lombardi's words and sentiments came through loud and clear and it made the rest of his post-game pap the Lions credit Karras was sensational we didn't do anything different in the second seem so meaningless. Tie Gratifying But Not Satisfying THE LIONS WEREN'T happy with tie. You can't be when you're 17-0 ahead and are in complete control of things.

But when they get to thinking about consecutive Sunday without crossing the plate. Maybe we just weren't con centrating enough," said an un-excited Mayo Smith, between niouthfuls of potato chips. "Me Mil Tf 7 Pii I llllllllnJ MHIbF 7 ikm'mmvtltmat or the coaches or any of us." It was a natural reaction with Boston coming in Monday night for another climactic series and the Tigers assured of being in Another, aimed at Dowler, is intercepted by Vaughn Turn to Page 4D, Column first place when they met no matter what happened Sunday THE MANAtiKK relaxed his office after the game and had to restrain himself from White Sox Win, Only V2 Behind CHICAGO UPl Southpaw Cary Peters, backed by the slugging of Ken Berry, hurled the surging Chicago White Sox within one-half game of the American League lead Sunday with a 4-0 victory over the Minnesota Twins. Peters limited the Twins to four hits as he posted his 16th victory against nine losses and led the White Sox back into second place in the four-cornered pennant chase. The White Sox, who have reeled off five straight victories, including a three-game sweep of Minnesota, are one-half game in front of the Twins and the Boston Red Sox, This is the season to step up to talking to reporters about the nowlooknewlook Green Bay Packers.

plaids: the bold, fresh look in "It's been this way all along and there's no reason it should change now," he said. "We just can't get any breathing room. 'We're liable to be playing baseball this year longer than contemporary fashion. The Glen plaid collection from GGG for this season is exceptionally handsome, tending to quietly defined shades and patterns. They're in rich, earthy tones of brown, blues of depth and brilliance, greys both light and medium, and the new plum and iade shades and they're all intertoned with soft, subtle complimentary hues.

Ele Lombardi and the Packers." Detroit was never In this one. Washington scored a quickie on Hiller in the first, added another in the fourth and landed the knockout punch in the fifth. Frank Howard knocked in the plaids by GGG gantly hand-tailored and -detailed in distinctive I- and 2-button models, from $155 to $200. who were beaten by Balti first one with a sacrifice fly after Allen singled and Ken Mc more, 5-2. First place Detroit, meanwhile, was upended by Mullen doubled.

Hiller walked Howard in the Washington, 5-0. fourth and he scored from sec it later in the week, it won't seem so bad to In fact, it'll probably start looking pretty good when they realize whom they were up against and what they were supposed to lose by. The point spread ranged from 13 14 points, depending on your friendly bookmaker. Remember this is the team that faced that murderous five-game schedule at the start of the season the team everyone felt could be down 0-5 before the leaves started to fall. This was the team which lost to Denver remember? and the team which everyone figured would do well to break even this season.

For this reason, if nothing else, the tie with the Packers was a gratifying one. Not satisfying, but gratifying. It proved at least for the day the Lions are no patsies. But lest they get carried away, they should also realize that their offense still isn't what a pro offense should be. Despite shocking the Packers in that fantastic first half, the fact is that the Lions wound up with only ond on Fred Valentine's double.

PETERS AND Jim Merritt were locked in a scoreless duel until the fifth inning. Then a walk and Tim single along the first base line brought in Dobson. Allen when the Sox broke ahead with an unearned run. With one out, third baseman Rich smashed his first pitch into the seats. Rollins booted Rocky Colavl THAT WAS Washington's last hit but it effectively killed off to's grounder.

Colavito took second on an infield out and scored on Tom McCraw's the Tigers. "Anytime you bring in any triple off the right field wall, body in this ballpark you've got to expect the next pitch to land Berry opened the sixth with his seventh homer of the year out in the bleachers," said Smith in a moment of heat. to touch off a two-run burst Ron Hansen's sacrifice fly, following singles by Don Bu Turn to Page 6D, Column 7 "Mavbe we'll nut a screen Turn to Page 7D, Column 1 Birds Flip Bosox For 3rd Straight BOSTON (UPD Homers by Paul Blair, Andy Etche barren and Boog Powell Sunday gave the Baltimore Oriles a 5-2 victory and a three-game sweep over the pennant- hungry Boston Red Sox, who fell into a tie for third place 41 yards in the air. Milt Plum was only 7-for-17 and you can't win many pro games with that sort of passing game. The running game was clicking and enough can't be said for this kid Mel Farr, who not only is an All-American but he's an Ail-American with guts.

When he was in there, the Lions were dangerous, their ground game a threat. When he was out well, it looked like Harry Gilmer's team. Pass the Bouquets to Schmidt SPEAKING OF OLD HAR, his successor has done a nice job of getting the Lions ready for this season. made some mistakes like holding at the wrong time, jumping offside and getting caught in the switches on pass defense. But these mistakes were minimal, compared to what Gilmer's guys would do a year ago.

If anything, the Packers looked like the Lions used to look. Joe Schmidt came out for this first one wearing a grim mask across his face. As they lined up for the kickoff, he was rolling up a program in his hands, squeezing it tight. He fingered his tie, then removed the tie. Then he opened his collar.

But he did a very interesting thing after Plum led the Lions in to their second touchdown. He patted him on the rump a3 Plum came in off the field. There was a time here, in 1962, when Mr. Schmidt seared Mr. Plum's hide: It was after that Herb Adderly interception.

So, this one was different. At least for openers. one game out of first. won seven of eight games going Blair, who went 4-for-4 Satur into the three-game series with day, hit his 11th homer in the first inning after losing starter the Orioles, scored both their runs in the third inning brief Gary Bell walked Curt Blefary, ly to cut Baltimore's lead to run. BATIMORE STARTER Gene Etchebarren's homer, his seventh, came with the bases empty in the second and, Powell hit his 12th, also a solo shot, and his second in as many games off reliefer Gary Wasiewski in the fourth.

Brabender, who got his fifth victory against four losses OPEN MONDAY TO 9 P.M. Except Birmingham; open to 5:30 gave up three hits in the inning as Jose Tartabull collected pinch single and Mike Andrews The Orioles picked up an unearned run in the -ninth when beat out a bunt for a hit. Powell in 1 pinch run Tartabull went to third on ner Kuss snyaer stole second Brabender's throwing error and Andrews moved up as Jerry and scored on wild throws by Elston Howard and Reg Smith. The Red Sox, who had a four- Adair flied to center for the ARB0RLAND BIRMINGHAM EASTLAND GRAND RIVER GREENFIELD JACKSON LINCOLN PARK LIVONIA MALL MACK M0R0S3 MACOMB MALL NORTHLAND P0NTIAC MALL SHELBY STATE UNIVERSAL CITY WESTB0RN WESTLAND WONDERLAND WOODWARD MONTCALM Turn to Page 6D, Column 4 game winning streak and had 0.