TELLING IT LIKE IT REALLY IS! ..
. .Just because no one disagrees with you doesn’t
necessarily mean you are brilliant - maybe you’re the
boss!
Wonder why coach Robert Moore was so elated over
whipping Barber-Scotia? The tiny school up-the-road
apiece is not a good test for J.C. Smith or any other team’s
worth on the basketball courts, and, what is more, one
game does not pnake or break a season.
Cal Thornton and our sports reporter James Cuth
bertson deserve credit and lots of applause for the
excellent way they handled the play-by-play accounts of
the local high school fdotball games on radio station
WGIV. ...Are we to get more of the same during the prep
basketball campaign?
Is the offense in college football slipping ahead of the
defense? Statistics of games played this season agree that
it has. For an example, there were 375 points scored in
eight college games last weekend. That’s an average of
slightly more than 46 points per contest.
Look for Tom Landry, the legendary Dallas Cowboys
football coach, to step down at the end of the regular NFL
season. The veteran mentor has suddenly come face
to-face with the fact that the disciplinary problems with
the younger generation of athletes is too difficult to cope
with. Tom recently levied a $1,000 fine and possible
suspension on any Dallas Cowboy who publicly criticize
the Dallas coaching staff or his teammates.
I wouldn’t be surprised if heavyweight champ Larry
Hoimes calls it quits any day now. The champ has won 46
straight bouts, but, at 35, his legs appear gone and his
punches have lost their flicker. Besides, he doesn’t need
the money.
The victorious Detroit Tigers collected $51,386 apiece for
their share of the World Series loot. That’s approxi
inatelv si4 ooo par ihan the Rnltimnrr Orioles
were paid a year ago.
One for the Books: "The only thing I worry about is
winning: Nothing else matters.” Who said that? Patrick
Ewing, probably the best basketball player in America
today. Records reval the 6-11 Georgetown center has had
little to worry about during his playing career. His high
school team won 77 of 78 contests and he has led the Hoyas
to the NCAA tourney three straight years, ineluding two -
times to the Final Four.
Did you know that Maryland-Eastern Shore’s basket
baU team js coached by Howie Evans, sports editor of the
Amsterdam News, a Black weekly out of New York City?
....Old sportswriters never die, they just fade away and
turn to coaching.
George Steinbrenner has offered to trade New York
Yankee outfielderDave Winfjeld to the Boston Red Sox tor
outfielder Jim Rice, even up. Boston’s hiearchy said "No
Thanks!” '•
Figures show the average NFL player salary is $160,000,
up from $81,000 three seasons ago.
. HOW TIMES CHANGE! — In the short span of two
seasons Northwestern coach Dennis Green, the first black
man to hold a head coach position in the Big 10, was the
toast of the conference, earning its "Coach of the Year”
honors. He’s now sitting on the hot seat, waiting to be fired,
following his team’s very poor 2-7 record this season.
However, the statistics are in his favor. Northwestern only
won three games in the five years prior to Green’s arrival.
When Appalachian State walloped S.C. State, 24-0, two
weeks ago, it marked the first time since 1972 that the
Bulldogs have not had a winning football season. "It’s
tough to end your season this way,” lamented Bill Davis,
"but this will be a learning experience for all of us. If
anyone had told me in August that we would finish 4-6-1,1
would have given them an.argument.” __
In my opinion, Florida A&M bigwigs will make a
decision shortly to join the Southwestern Athletic Con
ference. They are currently toying with several options; to
rejoin the ME AC, throw in with a predominantly white
conference, or SWAC.
A crowd of 63,000 turned out in Jackson, Mississippi, to
watch Alcorn State outscore high-scoring Mississippi
Valley State. The 42-28 victory unofficially won the
Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship for
Alcorn, which raised its record to 7-0.
The Braves will clash with Louisiana Tech in the second
round of the Division 1-AA Playoffs Saturday afternoon.
Tech walloped Mississippi Valley State, 66-19, last week.
The winner will meet the victor of the game between
Arkansas State and Montana StOte.
HOW ABOUT THAT WILLIE TOTTEN! ....The rifle
armed Mississippi Valley quarterback threw for 385 yards
arid two touchdowns in the loss to Louisiana Tech last
week. He hit with 43 of his 75 passes. Because of his
versatility, MVS led the nation in scoring this season with
609 points in 10 contests.
MORE ABOUT MICHAEL! ....Former’ North Caro
lina standout, Michael Jordan will earn more than $6
million in the next five years. He recently negotiated a
5-year contract with Nike worth $2.5 million to endorse
their footwear.
Delaware State has lost some of its luster. The school
that is supposed to strongly challenge North Carolina A&T
for the MEAC cage title this season, has lost two of its top
reserves. Forwards Greg Whittington and Dave Taylor did
not return to school
Charley Christian and his vaunted Norfolk State
Spartans are headed this way. The CIAA defending
champions will take on Winston-Salem State in Winston
Salem Tuesday night before facing J.C. Smith here
Wednesday night and North Carolina Central in Durham
on December 8. They're the preseason favorites to win the
Northern Division this year.
Word out of Richmond, Va., is that coach Dave Robbins
has an impressive array of basketball talent and his -
Virginia Union Panthers are set to give Norfolk State an
interesting battle for the Northern title. Heading the cast is
three time All-CIAA center senior Charles Oakley, who
was third in sewing, second in field goal percentage,
second in rebounding and eighth in blocked shots a year .
ago.
Bulk LookTowards QAA Top
Ranking
Season With Optimism
The opening week for the Johnson
C. Smith basketball program re
vealed a few surprises that has both
the men and women teams looking
towards the upcoming CIAA wars
with optimism.
Coach Bob Moore had predicted
the Bulls would be back in Bray
hoy, but he didn't mention that the
Bulls could fly. Of Smith's top
seven scorers, six are guards. Five
Bulls average double figures, led by
sophomore forward Dante John
son (24 points per game). Then
comes Moore’s army of fleet-footed
guards led by Thomas White (14.5
points per game). Rodney “Jimmy”
Richardson (14.0 points per game),
Reggie Moses (13.5 points per
game), James Shockley (10.5 points
per game), John Rousey (8 points
per game) and Darin Park (7 points
per game).
A wellspring of new faces dis
played solid talent in guard Jimmy
Richardson and forwards Kevin
Hinton and Keith Green. Freshman
center Allan "JJ” Simpson has the
makings of a big man that can
physically dominate the boards.
"The entire team is composed of
scrappy fighters,” acknowledged
Moore. “There will be a few teams
in the CIAA with mor^ talent on
paper, but this bunch isn't going to
be intimidated by anyone’s repu
tation.”
The Smith women (3-1) are also
off to a good start. As a team, Smith
is shooting 53.3 percent, well above
the national average. Scoring is
balanced with four averaging dou
ble figures in Odelia Jones (21
points per game), Caryl Hardin
(15.5 points per game), Cassandra
Howell (14 points per game) and
Saundra McCracken (10.5 points per
game). Newcomers Janie Young (6
points per game), Regina Pitts (6 -i
points per game) and guard Shar
rion Beard have shown they’ll make
—big contributions -in- tho _
ahead.
i -—--—--L
Dante Johnson
.Talented Bull sophomore
The second annual Johnson C.
Smith's Women's Invitational
Tournament gets underway Friday
at 6:30 p.m. when defending
champion Virginia State meets
West Virginia Tech, at 8:30 p.m.
JCSU hosts St. Augustine's. The
consolation and championship game
is set for 5:30 p.m and 7:30 p m
Saturday night at Brayboy
If the Golden Bulls are out of the
WBTV Classic after Thursday's
round, Sunday’s scheduled 2:30 p m
game against Elizabeth City State
will be moved to Saturday night. The
schedule would then be WIT con
solation at 5 p.m., JCSU men vs
ECSU at 7 p.m. and the WIT
championship at 9 p.m The Bulls
will next host the powerful Norfolk
State Spartans in Brayboy on Wed
nesday, December 5.
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C ontinued From Page 8A
10. SOUTH MECKLENBURG
Two players transferred out and the
Sabres are without a lot of depth
again.
Herb Davis' team was 0-18 and
1-22 last year. Look for improve
ment. Roman Phifer, a 6-2 horse
comes back with his 12 6 points per
Kennedy, 6-1, and Damian Rawlin
game. He is joined by Dennis
son, a 5-11 point guard who trans
ferred from West Mecklenburg.
Eric Heath. Brian Blue, Jeff
Hagans are all expected to help the
Sabres
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