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John Dunlap
Pre's death: a time to cry and ponder
Thursday. June 5. 1975
Even in sports, life can present us with the cruelist of
absurdities.
This past Friday Steve Prefontaine, an amateur long
distance track performer, died tragically in a car wreck. He
had just finished trimming a second and a half off his own
American record in the 5,000 meter run. He also had left a
party attended by a group of Finnish athletes he had helped
bring to America.
And then the car he was driving skidded into a rock
embankment and flipped over. "At the age of 24, an age a'
great many of us can relate to, Steve Prefontaine was dead.
At the same time Evel Knievel was lying in a London
hospital bed being visited by actress Ann-Margret. Knievel
earned his right to the news by attempting to jump 13 buses
with his motorcycle. One can only guess that the money
Knievel made off the 80,000-strong crowd will go well
beyond the hospital bills.
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Prefontaine felt the ArrrKanystemof training athletes
was faulty, that not enough SQediacjhties were available to
the amateur athlete. He also felt that money played too big a
part in one's chances of making the Olympic games, and that
he was not getting any support.
Yet Evel Knievel says he is as American as Mom and apple
pie. He piously and dramatically tells us how great America
is, and then puts on his star-spangled uniform to jump a
bunch of buses, or trucks, or whatever. Or he packs in a quick
million in a farcical attempt to rocket over a canyon.
And who knows? Maybe Knievel, with his knowledge of
American's gullibility and the fact that people in this country
are infatuated with violence (he must watch TV), is the
epitome of modern-day America. He is a hustler in the finest
sense of the word he knows how to take people.
When I heard that Evel Knievel had bashed himself up
again, I shook my head in disgust. But when 1 heard that
young Steve Prefontaine had died needlessly in a car wreck, I
just cried.
Lydecker punts minors for Sainthood
by John Hopkins
Staff Writer
The card on the apartment mailbox reads,
"Mr. and Mrs. Dale Lydecker."
"Come in," calls a voice.
Inside Linda Lydecker is bustling around
the kitchen. The table is set and the salad is
made. She takes time out to say hello on her
way to'check the charcoal. .
The television is tuned to channel 5. On
the screen, Ben Cartwright is reminiscing
about his first wife.
About 15 feet from Ben, Dale Lydecker's
punting leg is resting on the coffee table, as
well it should be.
"I kicked 150 today," he said with a voice
that indicated that was too many.
1 kicked a few extra today since 1 won't be
able to work out tomorrow."
Dale is hard at work getting in shape for
the New Orleans Saints' training camp. He
has earned a free agent contract with the
NFL club and hopes to land the job of
punter.
You might remember Dale on some of
those warm Fall afternoons at Kenan
Stadium. He's the one who trotted on the
field when it was fourth down, amid a chorus
of boos. The entrance of the punter is not a
particularly happy occasion.
Even though the boo birds meant nothing
personal, it still made for an uneasy feeling
for Dale. "Nobody who's behind his team
wants to see the punter come in," he said. "It
was weird. I never really felt that I was a
football player."
Nevertheless, Dale did what he was
supposed to. He thumped the ball at nearly a
40-yard clip for the Tar Heels. Not only did
this keep the opponents backed up in their
own territory, but it kept the stadium's birds
honest, too.
During the spring semester. Dale moved
his headquarters from Kenan to Boshamcr
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Stadium, where he was a fixture in the
outfield of UNC baseball teams for three
years. His exploits on the diamond earned
him a pro contract with the New York Mets,
for whom he played in the minors last year.
It took only one season in the minors for
Dale to realize that punting was the career of
the future. "I'm lucky as hell I had this to fall
back on," he explained.
Dale feels he has a good chance to get the
New Orleans job. "Their punter (Tony
Blanchard) led the league last year, but his
return average was high. He doesn't hang the
ball up high enough, and that's what I do
best," he explained.
The Nyack, N.Y. native learned about the
Saints' punting difficulties by watching the
NFL games on TV. He put in a call to Jim
Shively, a former UNC defensive back
coach, now a member of the New Orleans
staff.
Lydecker impressed the team's brass
enough to earn the free agent contract, and
now he's eagerly awaiting the beginning of
training camp next month.
Dale signed withtfhe Mets last May. and
by virtue of his December, 1 974 graduation
date, became the first UNC student to take
advantage of the new rule allowing an athlete
to turn pro in one sport and still be eligible
for collegiate participation in another.
The Mets sent him off Batavia in the Class
A New York League, last summer, where
Dale hit over .300 and was named to the all
league team.
Dale was not particularly taken with
minor league baseball.
The Mets didn't seem too impressed with
Dale either. Though he was the only Met
minor leaguer to hit over .300, they had him
ticketed for Wisconsin and another Class A
team. "I was really disappointed." he said.
"When you're 23 and don't move up fast, it's
time to think about getting out."
Dale seems to think he's made the right
decision. His hard work and confidence
might just surface on the turf at New
Orleans' domed stadium come next fall.
Oh, yes. A little adv ice for your frustrated
minor league baseballers. If all else fails,
drop back and punt.
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Dale Lvdecker
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