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in Bi riqjuimumik van iiaviv ivBy SPEC. 5 RANDY MURPHYSS Sports WriterTOKYO — We have read many things about the World Football League — some good, some bad, some indifferent. But what about the professional football ' players * in the National Football League, how do they feel about it?In a recent interview with Po* cific Stars and Stripes, five pros representing both the National and American Conferences and a special assistant to the NFL commissioner gave their opinions about this new league trying to kick off.The players are Bill Munson, Detroit Lions; Jim Mandich, Miami Dolphins; Art Thoms, Oakland Raiders; Diron Talbert, Washington Redskins;Jack Youngblood, Los Angeles Rams, and Bill Granholm, special assistant to Pete Rozelle.The six-man group came to the Far East to visit troops in Korea, Japan and the Philippines. They left the U.S. Feb. 10 for a 21-day tour sponsored by the USO, tne NFL and the De partment of Defense.This marks the seventh straight year that NFL players have toured overseas bases to shake hands, show film highlights, distribute souvenirs and rap with the troops.Also making the trip were John Gilliam, wide receiver of the. Minnesota Vikings and Franco Harris, running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers. They were with the group in Korea, but had to cut the trip short so they could participate in an All-Pro Olympia being held in Florida.‘‘The prestige of the game of football lies with the NFL and it’s going to stay there for some number of years until they (the WFL) establish themselves,” said Youngblood, defensive end for the Rams.“Now, to answer your question more precisely. Yeah, I think it’s here to stay. They’ve got lots of money behind it and they seem to have the right organizer in Gary Davidson,” Youngblood said.Davidson founded the American Basketball Association and the World Hockey Association.“They’ve got to get some crowd support behind them and some experienced players to go with Davidson’s experience. If they can do this, I think they’ll have a going league,” Youngblood said.Would Youngblood ever consider jumping from the established NFL to the newly formed WFL?“Not at the present moment. Of course money talks awful loud and if they were to offer me say $250,000 a year, I just MIGHT have to consider it,” the three-year pro laughed.“No, in all seriousness, until they prove themselves and establish themselves better, I don’t think they could offer me enough money to jump right now.”Quarterback Munson of the Lions thinks, “the WFL is great for football because the way it has been for the last few years, since the AFL (American Football League) and the NFL have merged, there has been no bargaining power for the ball player.”“In my particular situation, I played out my option twice and the second time I couldn’t get anyone to talk to me from other teams because at that timethere were approximately 34-35 players in the same boat.‘■Apparently the owners had gotten together and wouldn’t or couldn’t sign a player who had played out his option becausethe commissioner would have made them pay the price to signan unsigned ball player.”What about the players coming out of college? Should they take a look at the WFL and see what it has to offer, or should they join the bandwagon and play it safe by signing with the already established NFL?“I think that every ball player coming out of college today should take a good look at both leagues instead of just going ahead and signing with the NFL for the sake of security reason only,” said the five-year veteran Lion.And what about the already established pros in the NFL, should they give the WFL a chance to talk to them?Munson said, “I think since coming up as a rookie I’ve changed my mind quite a bit. I wouldn’t blame other pros for jumping, because the average life of a ball player is under fiveyears, providing he doesn’t get hurt sooner.“Therefore, he has to gowhere the better money is, because he has to look after his own well-being and family as well.”Will the formation of the WFL be an eye opener for any one of three Miami running backs, «Fim Kiick, Mercury Morris or Don Nottingham, who might be malcontent in not starting along side Larry Csonka?“It’s certainly in the realm of possibility,” said All-Pro tight end Mandich of the Dolphins. “Players throughout the league are happy to see another league begin because it gives us a wedge in our bargaining power.“Another thought along those lines is that, a new football league is going to open up more jobs for kids coming out of college — good football players who get caught in a crunch with the NFL. So all in all, we’revery happy with the formation of a new football league.”“I think the WFL definitely has a chance to make it big,” said defensive tackle Talbert of the Redskins.“The reason I say so — the * best man at my wedding on the 26th of January was Jack Pardee, who is now the head coach and general manager of the Washington-Baltimore franchise,“Jack’s an intelligent guy and if they get enough guys of his caliber to be coaches and general managers, they’ll definitely be a success.“It’s definitely going to be up to these type of people to get the league off the ground. The owners, they can just throw in their money, but it takes a leader like Jack Pardee to make a team go.“This year it’s going to take seven good leaders like Pardee, because the league consists of only seven teams. I’m lookingNational Football League standouts line up at Tokyo’s Sanno Hotel during a Far East trip to meet GIs and talk sports. From left are Jack Youngblood, Los Angeles Rams; Dlron Talbert,Washington Redskins; Bill Granholm, special assistant to the NFL commissioner; Bill Munson, Detroit Lions; Jim Mandich, Miami Dolphins, and Art Thoms, Oakland Raiders. (SS)King Keeps Cool hr Win20 Pacific Stars StripesFriday, March 1, 1971CHICAGO (AP) — Top-seeded Billie Jean King overcame a shaky first set to storm past Peaches Bartkowicz 7-5, 6-1 in the featured match of the opening round Tuesday in the Women’s Pro Tennis Circuit Tournament.The straight-set triumph over the 24-year-old woman from Hamtramck, Mich., advanced Mrs. King to a second-round match Wednesday against Sharon Walsh of San Rafael, Calif. Miss Walsh defeated PattyShoolman of Fairport, N.Y., in her first round match 6-1, 6-2.Ms. King, of Hilton Head, N.C., is a heavy favorite toreach the finals and add more*Billie Jean Ups Earnings to 41 GsNEW YORK (UPI) — Victory in both singles and doubles last weekend by Billie Jean King raised her money won total thus far on the USLTA tour to $41,360, more than $13,000 ahead of her prime rival, Chris Evert.Billie and the other ladies are playing in Chicago this week, then move to Dallas for the Maureen Connolly Brinker International, March 4-10.The top 10:1. Billie Jeon King $41,3002. Chris Ever! 28,1003. Kerry Melville 17,0034 Rosemary Casals 16.5CC5. Francoise Durr 11,7506. Nancy Gunter 9,1037. Betty Stove 8.4008. Lesley Hunt 5,5509. Helen G^urlay 4,95010. Laura DuPont 4.700money to the $10,000 she won last Sunday in Detroit.Mrs. Bartkowicz, who is making a comeback in competitive tennis following the birth of her first child five months ago, was complimented by Ms, King for her fine showing in the first set, which was tied four times.“If Peaches had taken that first set, she could have won the match,” said Ms. King.Three other seeded players advanced. They were third-seeded Rosemary Casals of San Francisco, Calif., who survived a grueling three set struggle over Janet Newberry of La Jolla, Calif., 6-7, 6-2, 6-4, rallying to sweep the last two sets afterlosing the first; fifth-seeded Francoise Durr of France, who experienced little trouble against Ceci Martinez of San Francisco, 6-3, 6-2, and seventh-seeded Betty Stove of Holland, who eliminated Isabel Fernandez of Columbia 7-5, 6-3.In Wednesday’s second round at the Lakespore Racket Club, Miss Casals will meet Czechoslovakia’s Martina Navratilova; Miss Durr will face Lesley Hunt of Australia, a veteran of the pro tour; and Mrs. Stove will be challenged by Tory Fretz of Los Angeles. Both Miss Navratilova and Miss Fretz won their first matches Monday.Cons Squelch SquiresNORFOLK, Va. (AP) — The San Diego Conquistadors, putting on a fourth-period rally sparked by Flynn Robinson, beat the Virginia Squires 126-119 in American Basketball Association action Tuesday night.Robinson came off the bench and scored 25 points to lead the key Conquistador surge in the final quarter, which the Squires began with an eight-point lead, 96-88,San Diego scored 11 straight points in the first 3:20 of that final period and took a 99-96 lead,Virginia tied it 99-99, but a jumper by Steve Johnson gave the lead back to San Diego, who held it the rest of the way.Travis Grant led San Diego with a game-high 32 points, followed by Robinson’s 25. Robinson was 7-for-9 from the floor,2-2 on 3-point goals and 5-6from the free throw line.George Carter had 31 points to lead Virginia, while Jim Ea-kins had 29 and Ciney Powell 27, Carter shot only nine of 31 from the floor and 2-5 insidethree-point range.* # •?SAN DIEGO (126): Johnson 6 4-5 14, Grant 11 10-12 32, Jones 4 7-8 15, Lamar 53-4 13, Shepherd 4 0-0 19. O'Brien 4 3-3 11, Bassett 0 C O 0, Robinson 9 5-4 25, Adams 2 0-0 4- Totals:45 32-38,VIRGINIA (J19); Powell 13 1-4 27, Car ter 11 7-7 31. Eaksnt 9 11-12 29, Twordzik 6 1-1 14, Taylor 4 1-2 9, Licjan 0 00 0, Brawn 0 0-0 0, Barr 3 3-4 9. Totals 44 24-30.San Diegc* 34 32 22 38-124Virginia 29 36 31 23—115Total foals: San Dtego 21, Virginia 29. Technical Fouls: Virginia bench and La mar. Three-point goals: Sheapard 2, Rob inson 2. Carter 2, Twa^dzik t. A: 2,604.forward to seeing what they’re going to do.”How does the special assistant to commissioner Pete Rozelle, Granholm, feel about the WFL?“I cannot give an honest answer to that question, but I have to believe they’re going to launch it. It looks like they’ve got the sites for it,” Granholm said.Granholm, who left New York for the Super Bowl game, then went to the Pro Bowl game and immediately started the 21-day tour with the players, has been out of contact with the latest development concerning the new league.“If it does get off the ground, it probably would not be a good brand of football that first year. But when I say that, I certainly don’t mean that if they sustain that they wouldn’t improve as the years go by.”Does Granholm feel that the Pro Bowl game draws fan interest after a climactic Super Bowl game? Since he went to the Pro Bowl game this year, does he feel the fans are in favor or it and support it?“I don’t think it has the interest that it had a few years ago. It’s still popular from a television show standpoint. It’s still popular in that they still fill the stands and that the money goes to the ball players pension fund. That’s the reason it’s played,” said Granholm, who is making his sixth tour of the Far East for the USO.Can we look for some changes in the game that will add interest to the NFL and make it more appealing to the fans?“There may be some modifications made in some of the rules, but often rule changes aren’t really drastic to the fans.“There has been a lot of talk about the field goal, the kickoff and the two-point conversion. I think there will be some changes in these areas,” Granholm said.“I personally would like to see the two-point conversion enterthe pro ranks to avoid the chances of ties. But when you get to voting on that, coaches get involved and they are definitely against it.“Apparently it’s one less variable or decision they have to make during a Sunday afternoon, but it does lend a lot to a game. It gives you some real interesting situations.”Does Granholm fee) that the college kids drafted today are ready to step right into starting roles in the pros?“Physically there’s no doubt about it. The guys are all more progressive than let’s say five years ago. That’s the whole trend throughout the United States.“Mentally the kids today know what to expect, because each weekend throughout a regular season they are faced with similar circumstances as the pros are. They know that in order to make it big they have to win ball games, the same as in the pros.“Also, the college ranks are starting to play more of a professional football style, so when a guy comes in he doesn’t have that much adjustment to make. He’s sort of groomed for professionalism.”Hole-in-One by KimSINGAPORE (UPI) - South Korea’s Kim Hack Young Wednesday scored a hole-in-one in the pro-am tournament, curtain-raiser for the 1974 Singapore Open Golf Championshipwhich gets under way Thursday. Kim, 38, using a four-iron, scored the ace at the par-3, 194-yard 14th hole at the Bukii course of the Singapore Island Country Club
Newspaper Details
Pacific Stars and Stripes
Tokyo, Tôkyô, JP
Fri, Mar 01, 1974
Page 11
Full Page
Clipped by
Marc H.
VA, USA 18 May 2023
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