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5*/ y/'At;rikesI'ow- ont is-An-ittletionues-lavecow-for ■ oniscomerforreekints’lose I it.20—be-irlie isen du Idirghtfteragelersanand14—yersi nonI * •20— ame de-r 56La-11 toeat.k.TheNa-lers8-28•isk.inlastwillcanititedwaylast-Ifit.ape.lostwasduel3i 13hasrhilerentsadyamsdck-whoxtra;, in-ard-d to encewithe of Ver-lrewlass.Redwild vic-?ned TD The I 24-the inal-opesromjacktimeusiamcy Tim con-ards k in-cessassoughtarry3uspenaea awrs a peonU.S. OLYMPIC PRESIDENT Douglas Rob\ of Detroit tells newsmen the International Olympic committee threatened to pull the entire U.S. team out of the gamesif disciplinary action were not taken against two Negro athletes. The pair, TommieSmith and John (.arlos were expelled from team for their black power demonstration while on the victory stand following the 100-meter run. ( Associated Press)CongressmanUrgesTo IntercedeConyers HitsSmith, CarlosSuspensionsWASHINGTON (UPI)—Rep. John Conyers Jr., D-Mich.t urged Secretary of State Dean Rusk Friday to intercede on behalf of Tommie Smith andJohn Carlos, the two Negro sprinters suspended for their black power gestures at the Olympic Games.Conyers, one of five Negro House members, said in his view Smith and Carlos should not have done what they did after winning medals in the 200-meter dash. But he felt theirsuspension was “totally unwarranted and likely to produce further problems.“The secretary was not as enthusiastic as I was about finding jurisdiction (to intervene in the matter) in the Department of State” Conyers told newsmen. “He agreed they will inquire into it closely.»»Conyers said if he had been asked for advice before hand,he would have suggested that the athletes either not participate or that they abide by therules, which preclude injectionof political principles into the games.Conyers blamed the suspension on Avery Brundage, chairman of the Internationa! Olympic Committee and dominant figure in the U.S. Olympic group.Bernie’s9Martin’sWin AgainJewelers ScoreFirst TouchGrid VictoryBemie’s Gulf Station and Frankie Martin’s kept pace in the battle for first place in the Pittsfield Touch FootballLeague by scoring shutout victories, end James Jewelers won its first game of the season atLakewood Field last night.Bemie’s edged Coltsville Shell 6-0, Martin's downed Rainbow Restaurant 14-0, and the Jewelers defeated Doran’s Grille of North Adams 6-0.In winning its fifth straight game, Bernie’s avenged its only defeat. The lone touchdown came in the second half when Brian Radovich took a swing pass from quarterback Jim Hunt and sped 15 yards into the end zone. Hunt’s attempted placement for the extra point was short. 7* » ^ r • «A PEXPELLED ATHLETE Tommie Smith carries suitcase as he walks through the Olympic Village en routeto an automobile following his suspension from theAmerican track ami field team for making a black powor demonstration while standing on the victory standon Wednesday. Behind him wearing white cap andMexican jacket is John (’.arlos, who also was suspended.Smith and Carlos ExpelledFrom U.S. Olympic TeamMEXICO CITY—The U.S. Olympic Committee expelled sprinters Tommy Smith and John Carlos from the American team yesterday after the International Olympic Committee had threatened to banish the entire American squad from the Games.Douglas Roby, president of the U.S. committee, made that disclosure while visiting the Olympic village and officially informing the athletes of the step which had stunned the Games community earlier in the day.“I am a member of the IOC,” Roby said, “and they were distressed with the action of the American athletes which they said violated the spirit of the Games.It41I asked them what they would do if we did not take action. They said they might be forced to pull the entire U.S. team out of the Olympics.”Smith, the world record holder in the 100 meters from Le-moo re, Calif., and Carlos, from San Diego, Calif., came back to the village to pick up their belongings.We are leaving right away,” Carlos told a friend. They were accompanied by their teary-eyed wives.Wild confusion erupted around the American headquarters at the village after the early morning shock announcement that Smith and Carlos had been expelled.44Get Rid of Brundage” popped out of a sixth floor window of the Americans’ Edifice II.Athletes wandered around the village, expressing shock and varying opinions on the action.A boycott by other U.S. black athletes appeared unlikely, but there was talk that some of them, perhaps Lea Evans of San Diego, Calif., might choose to run, win a medal and repeat the demonstration.Evans said at first that the entire track team might pull out, then modified his statement.“I will run,” he said. Earlier, he was in tears and near collapse after hearing the news.Roby and Everett Barnes, acting executive director of the USOC, rushed to the village shortly after noon for what Jesse Owens called an “eye to eye confrontation” with Carlos and Smith.Carlos And Smith IndicateThey’ll Fly Home After BanBy MILTON RICHMANMEXICO CITY (UPI)-U.S. sprint stars Tommie Smith and John Carlos were given 48 hours to get out of Mexico starting at 12:15 p.m. (2:15 p.m. EDT) Friday now that they are no longer members of the U.S. Olympic team—and both indicated they would go.“I’m going home, home, home,” said Carlos, who was suspended by the U.S. Olympic Committee along with Smith for their “Black Power” gestures during the medal-awarding ceremony after the 200-meter dash at the Olympic Games Wednesday.The USOC said Carlos told the committee to make out his return plane ticket to the United States for New York City, his home, rather than for San Jose, Calif., where he attends San Jose State. Smith, the winner of the 200 in which Carlos finished third, indicated he would go to San Jose.Emissaries NotifyThe suspension of the two athletes—who stood during the playing of the U.S. National Anthem at the ceremony with their heads bowed and their black-gloved hands raised in a “Black Power” gesture was announced by the USOC at 3:20 a.m. (5:20 a.m. EDT). Two emissaries were sent by the committee to the Olympic Village at midnight to inform the athletes.Carlos Didn’t KnowCarlos claimed after breakfast this morning that he didn’t know anything about any suspension.However, the USOC said any doubt the situation was cleared up at 12:15 p.m. when Douglas Roby, President of the USOC, contacted both runners by telephone.“Roby read them the announcement of the suspension, a committee spokesman said. “He asked them if they understood it. They said yes. He told them their credentials would be lifted and they will be given 48 hours to leave Mexico.”• •The spokesman was asked when the 48-hour period started. He replied, “when Mr. Roby spoke to them, at 12:15 p.m. today.” Earlier, it had been indicated the period began at the moment of the official announcement.Period BeginsThe spokesman said the U.S. State Department, actingthrough the U.S. Embassy in Mexico, also had entered the case and had informed Roby that when a man is disqualified as a member of the U.S. team, his credentials will be picked up and he will be given 48 hours to leave the country.Meanwhile, it appeared that any effort that might be in the making to stage a boycott by U.S. black athletes in support of Smith and Carlos would not be making much headway.The two top-rated U.S. boxers, heavyweight George Foreman of Pleasanton. Calif..and lightweight Ron Harris ofCanton, Ohio, both Negroes, indicated they would continue in the boxing tournament. Vince Matthews of Queens Village. N.Y., a member of the U.S l.HOO-meter relay, said, “right now, I feel like going home,” but he also was reported as saying that he intends to run here.The first reaction from the officials of other national teamsKC Royalshere was in support of the U.S. officials’ action.“I would not hesitate tosuspend any of the Japanese athletes if they did the same kind of thing the two Americans did,” said Tetsuo Ohba, head of the Japanese delegation.Gen. Alfred M. Santos, Philippine National Olympics Committee member, said the clenched-fist gesture by theAmericans “reminded me of Hitler.”Yugoslavs CheerCarlos, however, found some supporters during a 45-mintit° visit he made to his quarters in the Olympic Village. A group of men, said by some to he Yugoslavian journalists, cheered him and tried to shake his hand.Carlos himself wasn’t very happy with the large number of newsmen seeking to talk to him. saying at one point that he would “bust one of you” if he were not left alone.The U.S. Olympic Committee made the decision to suspend the two runners at a meeting late last night. The official suspension announcement read:“The United States OlympicCommittee expresses its profound regrets to the international Olympic committee, to the Mexican organizing committee, and to the poeple of Mexico for the discourtesy displayed by two members of its team in departing from tradition during a victory ceremony and the Olympic stadium on October 16.“The untypical exhibitionismof these athletes also violates the basic standards of sportsmanship and good mannerswhich are so highly regarded in the United States, and therefore the two men involved are suspended forthwith from the team and ordered to remove themselves from the Olympic village. This action is taken in the belief that such immature behavior is an isolated incident. However, if further investigation or subsequent events do not bear out this view, the entire matter will be re-evaluated. A repetition of such incidents by other members of the U.S. team can only be considered a willful disregard of Olympic principles that would warrant the imposition of the severest penalties at the disposal of the United States Olympic Committee.”With that warning about a “repetition,” much attention turned to Lee Evans—Carlos’ friend, San Jose teammate and roommate here—who was scheduled to take the track late Friday as the favorite in the final of the men’s 400-meter run.Like Carlos, Evans was one of the original supporters of theabortive attempt by HarryEdwards, a former professor at San Jose state, to organize a black boycott of these Olympics. Evans made one brief appearance early in the day. would not comment on the entire matter, and appeared to be crying as he was driven away in a small bus to anunknown destination.SiegfriedLeads CeltsTo VictoryPistons Lose106-88 inNBA OpenerGet SpriggsFrom BucsKANSAS CITY, Mo. (UPI)-The Kansas City Royals of the American League Friday announced the purchase of outfielder George Spriggs from thePittsburgh Pirates.Spriggs, 27, batted .276 and stole 46 bases in 131 games withDETROIT (UPI)—Hot-shooting Larry Siegfried thawed outcold-shooting Boston in the thirdquarter Friday night and theworld champion Celtics tore from a two-point halftime deficit to a 106-88 National Basketball Association victory over the Detroit Pistons.The Celtics shot only .250 in the first half as the Pistons took a 40-38 margin before Boston outscored Detroit 39-17 in the third quarter to ring up a win inits opening NBA contest. Detroitis now 0-2.MM n
Newspaper Details
The Berkshire Eagle
Pittsfield, Massachusetts, US
Sat, Oct 19, 1968
Page 18
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