SPORTS
Fans are also a big problem for UNC gridders
The college football season is about to
wind down now, and most of the hundreds
of college foottull squads across the nation
will hang up the cleats and clean out the
lockers until spring practice.
The teams that win their conferences
and prove themselves as powerful foes will
only take a short break before venturing
into the second and most important part of
the college grid season, the bowl season.
However, the Carolina Tarheels, par
ticipants in bowl contests 6 of the last 8
years wiU be in the majority, that being
the group hanging up the cleats until
spring practice.
Hie beginning of the season saw the
Tarheels as a favorite among many avid
college grid fans to repeat as the ACC
champions, or at least make a bowl ap
pearance, but all that is now highly
unlikely.
Carolina has had to deal with a new
coaching staff along with an entirely new
system, and the adjustment has been
strained on both sides of the coin.
Most of the players on this season’s
squad were recruited by the now departed
BUI Dooley, and for many seniors, it has
been hard to play under a set system for
three years and end up having to learn a
whole new staff and a whole new way the
final year.
Pre-season polls, fan talk and player
attitudes prior to the opening game
against East Carolina had steered all
thoughts toward another ACC title and an
even bigger bowl bid.
New coach Dick Crum raved about his
newly-installed veer offense that would
prove potentially-dangerous to many
defenses, especially with a healthy Amos
Lawrence, who Crum thought would be
more "suited” for the veer.
In addition, the graduation loss of Alan
Caldwell, Rod Broadway and Dee Har
dison was to t>e only a minor problem,
since the Heels were blessed with several
young talented players Jockeying to fill
those positions.
The crop of freshman signees was rated
overall as a talented group, with the likes
of Darrell Nicholson and highly-regarded
placekicker Jeff Hayes leading the way.
Also, this was to be the year of the pass,
and the slow boring football of former
coach Dooley was to metamorphosize into
the highpowered exciting attack
engineered by Dick Crum to delight the
fans.
But after eight contests and five
disappointing, tough defeats, things have
not looked nearly as good as was projected
and many of coach Crum’s pre-season
hopes and plans have fallen through.
He has already gone back to the power I
as the primary offense, switched signal-
callers umpteen times, and has constantly
defended his team's problems as being
n.ore of a mental nature rather than poor
coaching and lack of talent.
"Famous Amoe” Lawrence started
early in the season oi of the veer as Amos
who’ and has only recently beg\m to show
his true form as he has now eclipsed the
600 yeard mark and still has a good chance
of gaining 1,000 yards on the season.
The defense that lead the nation in
scoring and cuased headaches for op
ponents last season seenu to have
wither«d away like a once sweet rose, and
opposing offenses have had littk trouble
cToaatng the goal Un« against the Hwls.
B.n ^nothrr rrDbktn aurtw rhU Vnn
and fateful season has been that of the fan
reaction.
When the weather is good, everybody is
smiling and happy, but when the thunder
rolls and the li^tning strikes the people
find it fit to complain.
Of course, the object in all sports is
winning and nothing else, but in some
situations, winning may come a bit harder
and may take a while longer.
Here at Carolina, the grid program is
undergoing a complete face-lift operation
with nothing but good intentions, and once
coach Crum and his staff realizes their
faults and learn the personnel, things may
take a positive course.
The coaching staff has been rather
disappointing and so have some of the
players, but Tarheel fans and students
have go to realize that this is their school,
their team and they need to give their
support and most of all . . . keep the faith
because things will get better somehow,
whether that necessitates another
coaching change or not.
Carolina is known for sending many
quality basketball players to the pros, and
the tradition has continued in the names of
Phil Ford and Geff Crompton, who are 1978
graduates of the Tarheel roundball squad.
Ford and All-American performer and
National Player of the Year in his four
year stint at Carolina is now the starting
playmaking guard for the NBA’s
rebuilding Kansas City Kings.
When first chosen by the Kings, Ford
caused many hearts to stop in Kansas City
by denouncing the Kings’ franchise as
having a non-winning tradition and by
saying that Kansas City was not his ideal
place to live and work.
However, after threats of going to Italy
to play and of returning to school. Ford
finally came to his senses and signed with
the Kings for a lucrative multi-year pact.
He is now teaming with second-year
man Otis Birdsong in the Kings’ back-
court, and is among the NBA’s leaders in
assists. He is averaging around 15 points
per game and is a major factor along with
Birdsong in Kansas City’s respectable
early season performace at around the .500
mark.
The King’s front office obviously has
confidence that FMl will be the final (and
main) ingredient in their quest to become
highly competitive, because he as been
assisted jersey number "one”.
On the other hand, the 6-11 now 250 lb.
Crompton has been a pleasant surprise for
the Denver Nuggets.
He is the third-string center behind
superstar Dan Issel and little-used Kim
Hughes. He has been hitting around 4 or 5
points and has grabbed some important
rebounds for the Nuggets.
Ironically, the Nuggets decided to hold
on to Crompton while cutting former Wake
Forest standoiM Rod Griffin, who was late
to camp and very off with his game until
recently.
Ford is now playing on the same team
•?*th.?om»er T'toiut J8uc?»^
(N.C. State), and Crompton is playing with
N.C. State’s all-time great David Thcmip-
son, former UNC alumnus Charlie Scott
and is being coadied by Larry Brown, who
was also a standout in his playing days at
Carolina.
When Clemson and Maryland collide in
tomorrow’s ACC “game of the season,”
you might as well throw away all the
records and statistics.
This is going to be the game between two
of the conference’s best teams and some
heads are going to get knocked around.
Both squads have talented quar
terbacks, capable runningbacks, potent
receivers, deadly defenses, winning
traditions, national recognition, good solid
coaching staffs and other desired
characteristics.
The major difference in the game will
probably be in who makes the least
mistakes.
Maryland has been strong throughout
the season until the Penn State game when
turnovers and a tumuitous Nittany Lion
defense turned them back and spoiled
their chances for a jump from the 5th spot
in the national polls.
We must also remember that our own
Tarheels were only beaten by a single
point at the hands of the Terps in the early
going.
In addition, Clemson’s Steve Fuller to
Jerry Butler connection and the tough
Tiger defense will just be a little too much
for Maryland, despite the Terps’ pride and
joy runner Steve Atkins and new marvel
signal-caller Tim O’Hare.
Speaking of quarterbacks, that will also
be a major difference in tomorrow’s en
counter. Maryland’s O’Hare is great, but
so is the Tigers’ Fuller (who is probably
better) and Fuller’s experience will no
doubt weigh heavily in a game of such
magnitude.
So, with all these factors in mind, look
for Clemson to send the Terrapins down in
defeat by a score of 17-14 tomorrow in a
hardly-contested defensive battle in
College Park, Md.
Despite the slowness and sadness of the
Carolina football season, something good
for the future has apparently beamed
through the dark tunnd.
Freshmen linebacker Darrell Nicholson,
who was the most highly sought prep
school prospect in the state last year, ha.s
been playing a major defensive role for the
Heels ever since Lawrence Taylor’s early
season injury that hasn’t gotten him back
to full strength yet.
Nicholson, a 6-3 220 lb. Winston-Salem
native, has recently been starting at the
inside linebacker spot and has been per
forming excellently for the defense.
Intramurals are a form of
leisure for Stanley Reid
By THERESA WILLIAMS
and PATRICIA RUSHING
Staff Writers
He excels on the volleyball court. He excels at the bowling lanes. He excels
in a life which he has dedicated to Jesus Christ.
He says that he owes it to his body. He owes it to himself. Who is this in
dividual? Stanley Myron Reid, an all round sports athlete and Christian
student here at UNC.
Reid, a senior Sociology major, admits that volleyball is the sport which
he is best at. Football is the sport which he prefers to watch most.
He has actively participated in sports since he was 8. He is one of seven
children and he admits that his whole family is athletically inclined.
Reid, a graduate of Episcopal High School in Washington, D.C. received
sports awards in track and football. Here at UNC he has participated in
several intramural sports. In 1977, he won an award in track and volleyball.
This semester he is a member of a bowling team, The Ebony Rollers, and
a volleyteam, The Soul Patrol.
Reid feels that there is a sport for everyone. “Not everyone can be a pro,”
he states, “but there is a sport that each person can enjoy and develop skills
in,
He advises all aspiring athletes to maintain discijriine and to do things
re^arly to keep physically fit. "One can be fit at age 2 and 82 depending on
how he cares for his body. One does not have to compete in order to stay fit.”
The Fayetteville native says that Muhammed Ali is his favorite sports
figure. Reid says, “I like the way he dealt with the setbacks. He dedicated
himself to his career and overcame setbacks.
He feels that in all aspects of life one encounters setbacks. He advises,
"but by dealing with these setbacks effectively, one is able to grow.
Reid views life as a gift from God. “What I do with my bfe is my gift to
Him. He’s the factor in everything I do.”
Reid ac^its that he was bom healthy and that he owes it to himself to keep
it physically fit. mentally alert, and spiritually strong. If I’m good to my
body now. he sUtes. "then it vnll be good to me when I’m older.”
INSIDE SPORTS
with James Alexander, Jr.