Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 41

IT Pistcr.3 epen csscsn tonight: With rookies Isiah Thomas (left) and Kelly Tripucka in the starting lineup, the Detroit Pistons begin the NBA season tonight at the Pontiac Silverdome. Details on Page 2D. Friday, Oct. 30, 1C31 tho scoreboard The complete sports Page 4D. GIRLS CAGE FISHING REPORT COMICS Call with tporti newt: 222-6660 2 hat tricks! Wings blow out Flames 12-4 LJ DETROIT FREE PRESS TPs! i George dvl4 flPuocas Wing wingers Mike Foligno and John Ogrodnick had three-goal hat tricks, but no one threw any hats on the ice, unlike in the good ole days when hockey fans wore hats.

Ogrodnick didn't even get to keep the puck with which he got the third goal of his first career trick. "Chief (Dale McCourt) said, 'I thought you were too old for Ogrodnick said with a laugh. IT WAS quite a. turnaround for Ogrodnick, usually the most dependable forward By BILL McGRAW Free Sportt Writer So many good things happened to the Red Wings Thursday night at Joe Louis Arena that you almost need a computer to sort them all out. First off, they thrashed the Calgary Flame-outs.

12-4. The score was 2-0 46 seconds into the first period and 5-0 seven minutes later. Detroit coach Wayne Maxner has been urging the lads to shoot more. Result: The Wings had 54 shots, repeat: 54. The Flames had just 21 on rookie goalie Corrado Micalef.

The only downer was the small crowd: 9,372. Steinbrenner shows strain of a crazy baseball season NEW YORK 'iJk If you have been paying any attention at all, you are aware, or course, that people who follow sports are getting a little nutty. They are getting that way from those they watch. Even George Steinbrenner Is not his old self. When George came into baseball, he wasn't what you would call conventional.

But consorting with ball players, he Free Prest Photos by ALAN KAMUDA began to go downhill. Now George is a case himself. Before his Yankees could complete their pratfall in the 1981 World Series here Wednesday night, George Goalie Pat Riggin's attempted glove save comes up empty (above) as Willie Huber's goal makes it 2-0, Wings, 46 seconds into the game. Minutes later. Dale McCourt's shot (below) skids past Riggins.

summoned an aide and dictated a message. He apologized to New York for the disgrace his team had brought the city, and promised sweeping changes. Bob Lemon, the manager, almost surely will be on the Wings. He spent an unusual amount of time on the bench Sunday night in an apparent shake-up attempt by Maxner. It worked.

Ogrodnick was all shook up. "Well, it's frustrating," he said. "You know you can play and all of a sudden you got to sit on the bench. not a pleasant feeling, and it's not good if you're happy about it. I was frustrated.

"I didn't think any differently today. I just said, 'Hey, okay, I'm not going to worry about goals or anything, I'm just going to go out there and I came to play like I did last year." Ogrodnick now has seven goals for the year; Foligno has five. Other Wing numbers: Mike Blaisdell and Dale McCourt had two goals apiece. McCourt scored one on a backhand, one on a beatiful fake on the goalie. (He also had nine shots).

Blaisdell added two assists. Don Murdoch had three assists, and showed an incredible amount of hustle. Greg Joly had three assists. Paul Woods had two assists and a goal. And Willie Huber had a goal and two passes.

THE VICTORY boosted the Detroit record to 4-4-2. Last year, the Wings did not win their fourth game until Dec. 6. "We got beat badly by Quebec and we got beat by Philadelphia, even though I thought we played a good game," said Detroit defenseman Greg Smith. See RED WINGS, Page 2D gone.

Why not? He had the job for nearly two months, and couldn't even get the Yanks to a seventh Series game. Reggie Jackson will be gone, too. Even Reggie is sure of it. He made the mistake last spring of thinking he was what the Yankees were all about, and so he figured he ought to be paid that way. 3 4 f.

Poor Reggie. Somebody tell him Steinbrenner is what the Yankees are all about. George played him a little violin music to keep him interested. Reggie had a 3 I lousy season. So long, Reggie.

New specimens for Bronx Zoo With an eight-goal cushion, goalie Corrado Micalef cruised to his Dave Winfield would be gone, too, if only George could find somebody dumb enough to assume the $24 million contract he laid on the outfielder last spring. first NHL victory Thursday night 9 Winfield was okay not a million bucks worth. in relief of Gilles Gilbert. The problem was he never captured the fancy of New Yorkers. A big guy like that is supposed to hit home runs, but he had only 13, and then in the Series, he Yanks' Lemon didn't hit anything at all, and there was the boss, fuming, In his seat and all over TV.

dkJ JoQ Lapointe sports on the air The boss is from the shipyards; when he pays a riveter' above scale, that sucker's supposed to rivet lost the Series more rivets. He applies the same logic to baseball. At the end, poor Dave Winfield was so shook he ON-TV, Channel 20 feud threw a grounder to the plate from left field, and fell flat on his face. The crowd booed, then laughed. At least the fans understood they were at a circus.

in the pinch costs Wings fans 5 TV goals When Steinbrenner talks of changes, he doesn't mean one or two. He turns on the blowers and opens the "We can't understand (Channe Ty NEW YORK Despite all the flapdoodle about George door. You do not want to stop by the office to pick up 20 s) motivation for this," said Robert (Rocky) Steinbrenner and death threats and Dave Winfield's Tough luck, Red Wing fans those of you who pay to see ON-TV telecasts of Wings games. Due to a nasty dispute between the scrambled-signal broadcaster and WXON-TV your mail when George is in one of his moods. It happened to Rick Cerone, the catcher, last spring.

Hurlbert, attorney for ON-TV. Exactly what is Channel 20's posi tion? silenf bat, the Yankees' loss to the Dodgers in the 1 98 1 World Series stemmed from one major failure: manager Bob Lemon's mishandling of the No. 9 spot in the batting order. Having won a salary arbitration dispute with the boss, "I'm not going to get into it," said (Channel 20), you missed seeing the he found Steinbrenner outraged. He offered to give His hasty decision to pinch-hit for starting pitcher Aben Johnson, president and genera back the money.

George promised to get even. That's George for you, an international sportsman. manager of WXON. Wings score five goals in the first period against Calgary Thursday night. "It's a feud between the two man NOTES: The death of Michigan All around the country, others would be delighted simply to have won a pennant.

But a pennant is only halfway to the real thing, and the quest for the ultimate agements," said John Tuohey, pro football announcer Bob Ufer under scores the rapid rise of Frank Beck' gram director for ON-TV, which op Tommy John in Game Six Wednesday night was a clear example of how confused Lemon was without a designated hitter. But that move was only one piece of evidence in the case against the 61 -year-old former pitching great. The basic blame, of course, lies with the inconsistent application of the DH rule in the Series. One year it's AP Pnolo mann, WJR sportscaster, who will take over play-by-play duties on Wol drives George toward absurdity. All owners should apologize erates over Channel 20.

"And the poor fan is caught in the middle. I'm certainly not happy." Owner George Steinbrenner (above) made much of the noise. verine football for at least the rest of the season. Beckmann also handles but manager Bob Lemon (below) Unless a court decision changes the Brian color chores on Lions' broadcasts and working relationship between ON-TV made the moves that helped I suppose New York is like most places in the sense that kids growing up here dream someday of playing for the Yankees. The government ought to step in and and Channel 20, Thursday night's Of 3flfl used' the next year isn't; and tne MMUU American Leaeue chamoion faces a doom the Yankees to defeat.

hosts a weeknight talk show. Before the show debuted, Beckmann was one of the better post-game interviewers game, like 16 other midweek Wings make 'em all wards of the court for their own definite disadvantage in odd-numbered years. It must adjust to an protection. If George got his hands on them, the kids among the me- games, was joined a half hour late 8 instead of 7:30 p.m. WXON shows reruns of "Baretta" from 7 to 8 p.m.

Monday through Friday. By the time dia pack that would go bonkers, too. unfamiliar offensive setup and a pitching strategy for which its roster is not structured. Lemon and the Yankees simply couldn't make that 'The harsh truth is this was a screwed up baseball season almost any way you care to mention, starting ON subscribers got what they pay for, it was 5-0 Detroit. (Three 7 p.m.

Sunday games that ON-TV also tele with the players' strike back in June and culminating in the slick playoff scheme devised by the owners to adjustment. Yankee pitchers were sent up to bat 15 times in the Series, and their only accomplishments were three sacrifice bunts. The lack of a DH forced the Yankees to keep one of covers the local sports scene. The politically astute Beckmann certainly knows not to offend those who do business with casts will be shown from start to finish.) their regulars one of the men who helped get them there on the bench. Oscar Gamble and Lou Piniella, who shared DH duties in the regular season, became outcasts; they WXON LEASES air time to ON, Beckmann which charges subscribers $22.50 per month for a package that includes some home games of the Wings, Ti played as much as they did only because Reggie Jackson missed half the Series with a leg injury.

After the Dodgers had prevailed Wednesday night, Jackson was asked if the absence of a DH had swung the gers and Pistons, along with uncut movies. ON-TV lawyers say they have a 50-year contract with WXON. But recoup their losses. That scheme gave free entry into the playoffs for the Dodgers, who had only the second best record overall in the National League. It gave the same to the Yankees, whose won-lost record was only the third best in the American League.

At times in the playoffs and Series, they played like considerably less than the best, with bad base running, strategic blunders, and at times, atrocious fielding, as when Jackson tried to catch a fly ball in his cleavage. The hell of it is, some of the club owners would do it again. They now prefer the tiered playoff plan to the traditional Series format. They're getting a little nutty, too. They all should join George Steinbrenner, and the station says it wants to get out oi outcome.

He refused to make excuses. "The DH, the this, the that," he scoffed. "Flip that stuff. Hey, they beat us. They're the champions." Mr.

October, unlike his shameless employer, wouldn't his station, which broadcasts games of all the major teams in the area. Earlier this season, he was criticized by Michigan coach Bo Schembechler in a post-game verbal exchange. Beckmann says it was a mistake. "Bo thought we were doing an investigation," he explained. "We weren't." In most cases, you can count on Beckmann to toe the company line, whether he is defending yet another See SPORTS ON THE AIR, Page 6D the deal and has sued to do so.

A trial is pending in U.S. District Court in offer alibis or make apologies. And he left the analysis to others. If the dispute continues through next spring, it could intrude on tele THE MISSING DH was unfair to the Yankees, but Lemon See WORLD SERIES, Page 6D casts of Tigers' games, which next year will begin at 7:35 p.m. Amid Lions' rookie crop failure, Green shows promise "The lightbulb goes on at different stages for different people," defensive line coach Floyd Peters said.

"He came up with eight tackles, one sack and two presses, where he forced the quarterback to get rid of the ball early. And he recovered a fumble. He was generally more aggressive this time. He did an outstanding job for a rookie." Green, a softspoken 23-year-old from Alabama State, was obviously pleased, both with his performance against the Packers and the praise from Peters. "I've been playing spot play mostly," he said.

"It seemed it was my opportunity to show the people in Detroit I can play some ball. I said, 'This is I just wanted to make the most of it." ACCORDING to Peters, Green might have been ready to start, except for two unexpected developments during the exhibition season Green's By CURT SYLVESTER Free Presi Sports Writer Until last Sunday, the only real news about the Lions' 1981 rookies was bad news usually someone injured or cut from the team. Six of the 12 rookies drafted by the Lions last spring were cut before the regular season began. Wide receiver Tracy Porter (fourth-round draft choice) and offensive lineman Larry Lee (fifth-round) made the team. But they seldom play except on special teams or in emergencies.

Last Sunday Lee put in five plays on the defensive line. No. 3 draft choice Don Greco, a guard who "waffled" everybody he ran into at Western Illinois, and llth-round defensive back Willie Jackson are spending the season on the injured reserve list. No. 1 choice Mark Nichols, the wide receiver who was supposed to do fpr the Lions' passing game what Billy Sims did for their running game, suffered a broken hand and Ehrmann, who turned out to be even better than was expected when he signed as a free agent.

The rookie got only spot duty at both defensive tackle and end, and it took some time for him to show his stuff. And he learned a few lessons the hard way. "At Denver he got pushed around a little," Peters said. "But this time (against Green Bay) he'd deliver a blow and go after them. He learned his lessons well.

He's producing now." Green recalls the Denver game as one of the lowlights of his season. "In Denver I wasn't playing aggressive ball," he said. "They were hitting me from all sides, and I was blank out there. It was like I had my head cut off. I realized I just had to go back to basic balI guess See LIONS, Page 6D fractured shoulder blade in the exhibition season and has never regained the starting job he lost to veteran Leonard Thompson.

Nichols has four catches in eight games, none in the last two. And, until last Sunday's game against Green Bay, the most memorable thing accomplished by defensive lineman Curtis Green the No. 2 draft choice was breaking his hand in a pre-season game. NOT ONLY DID he lose the starting defensive tackle job coach Monte Clark had picked out for him early in training camp, but the best he could get was spot duty behind Bubba Baker, Doug English, Joe Ehrmann, William Gay and, most recently, Steve Furness. But against Green Bay last Sunday with Ehrmann on injured reserve, Baker out with an injurnd Gay banished to the sidelines for spearing the Packer quarterback Green made his mark.

Curtis Green: "You have to come out for every g8(ne just like it's the first one.".