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Show t Sun Times, January 23, 1 980, Page 9 Clearfield Courier, January 23. 980, 1 Bit's Ben Lomond Beacon. January 24. 1 980, Page 9 Sporfstacular Page 9 a pitty that Olympic flame must go out by John Peterson struggle, and anticipation that politicians cant conceive of. Sure, the times are tense and people and nations need to make statements in whatever ways they can. Sermons that must be preached should utilize whatever pulpits are available. But still, its a pity to put out the Olympic flame at a time when the world has never needed that light more. You could make a pretty good case for the old globe needing more Olympic Spirit in 1980 not less. The Spirit of the Olympics is really human decency carried to an extreme. The Games can be traced back to at least 776 B.C. and started as forgot their part of a religious festival. All the bickering little city-statantagonisms and problems every four years to get together in brotherhood and good will to watch the finest athletes of the Greek world compete in a single race. The competition was between individuals then, and the Spirit around the event was the most important aspect. The Games grew in scope over the years, and other events were added to that to that single dash. When the Romans took over as part of the world, they brought a nationalistic slant to the competition and added their particular brand of corruption but the Games rose above it. For centuries, they were a bright spot in a corrupt world. Finally, though, Emperor Theodosius intervened and killed off the Games for good in the year 394 A.D. After more than eleven centuries of bringing people closer together, a politician ended the event. The Games were revived in the modern era in 1896, and they have been Normally, I m about as politically-minde- d as an eggplant. I mean, who can take the Freemen Institute seriously until they put together some kind of an athletic team? Or the Klan. 1 11 start paying attention to them only when they put numbers on their hoods and get Cosell to do the youll pardon the excolor at their next weenie roast. pression Sure, there s a Red Menace to worry about, but it isnt so bad now that Pete Rose has gone to the Phillies. Tapes are something used to measure high jumps and javelin throws and not to impeach presidents. John Birch is a pitcher somewhere a lefty, I believe. Depending on who I happen to be talking with, Im as far left as K. Marx or a little to the right of Atilla the Hun. I get a chuckle out of Jeffersons little essay about all men created equal, and wonder if hed change the words after seeing Jabbar, Walton, 0. J., or Ali. Like I say, I steer clear of politics. I only wish that the politicians would keep out of sports. Its probably too late to add another article to the Bill of Rights making it constitutionally wrong to not separate sports and state. But it looks like theyre going to do it, really do it this election year. In a showboat move, it looks like the Olympics are going to be sacrificed on the altar of politics. Its a darn shame that the dirtiness of politics and ambition have to be mixed in with something basically as clean and honest as sports. More than that, its a sad waste of human resources; years of individual work, den-mothe- rs held every four years at different spots around the world since that time. Well, not quite. There werent any Games in 1916, 1940, and 1944. The modern Games probably erred when they allowed nations to send teams to the competition. International team play is fine and usually desirable, but probably should have been kept separate from the individually-oriented Olympics. With national teams came national pride, then national cheating, then intrigue, violence, and blackmail. The teams, and later on the practice of keeping track of medals won by nations, made the Olympics a natural political forum and a target. Events at Munich in 1972, at Montreal in 1976, and again this year show that the Games are far removed from their original role. Of course, its too late to change that now. If the United States boycotts the Games, well merely be hopping aboard a bandwagon of using them for political ends. And well be getting on way behind the rest of the world. Sadly, but realistically, it is probably time we did something dramatic to make our feelings known. There is a certain kind of immorality in the way we keep bumping along in a stupid, naive manner continually being hammered by everyone on the planet. But still, as necessary as the action may be, I cant help but notice that on those three occasions during this century when the young men and women of the world werent playing games beneath a bright flame, they were firing rifles and dropping bombs on each other. WSS FH?mg PiWMesfe M? OGDEN The Weber State Wildcats and Idaho State Bengals, two cats who know how to fight, meet for the 40th time this Saturday night in the Mini-Dom- e beginning at 8 p.m. (MST). Weber State leads the overall series However, the 26-1- Mini-Dom- e isnt exactly the best place to try and pick up a victory. Since 1970, Idaho State has an overall Dome record of 108-1- 3 (.892) and is 63-- 6 in Big Sky action. The only good part of those statistics is that Weber State has four of the 13 wins over the Bengals including an 0 win there last season. Webers e conference record in the is Weber State, Northern Arizona and just last weekend, Nevada-Renare the only conference schools to 81-7- Mini-Dom- 4-- hand Idaho State a setback in the Mini-Dom- e madia fife with victories ference record to and over Northern Arizona (73-5Nevada-Ren- o Weber State set e an Conference, school and Dee Events Center records for attendance Saturday night against Reno with a crowd of 11,715. The old conference mark was 11,144 set by Weber three weeks ago against Idaho. The school and Dee Center record was 11,692 set against both Utah and Utah State. Robinson gone, the scoring has been evenly distributed this season. Joe is the leading scorer Fazekas with a 13.4 mark, followed by Freeman at 12.2 and Paul Wilson (6-at 11.8. Idaho State has been starting one of the tallest teams around with Fazekas in the middle at sophomore Dale Wilkinson at 0 and Wilson at The backcourt for the past five games and has consisted of Scott Goold (6-Joe Stewart 6-- 0 (91-65- ). (6-1- This season has been somewhat of a disappointment for the Bengal, though their schedule has been strong, facing UCLA and USC on the road to open the season. Lynn Archibald is in his third season as head coach with an but this year overall record of overall and 3 in the Bengals are conference play. 37-3- 4, 3-- 7-- The Bengals have had some problems as well, with one player having been kicked off the team and another, Tom Freeman, is starting to practice with the team again this week after being placed on suspension for a couple of games. With Lawrence Butler and Brand off-cou- rt all-tim- 1, 6-- 5. (6-6- ). Bruce Collins crept closer to The Wildcats are currently riding a winning streak, the longest in the nation and were ranked 19th in last weeks UPI poll but were ignored in the AP rankings. The Wildcats extended their con e leading scorer becoming the in Big Sky history. Collins is just 127 points short of Steve Hayes 1,933 career mark. Collins is currently in fourth place, 21 points behind Michael Ray Richardson of Montana. all-tim- Three Utah schooDs lead division races Three teams within the same state leading three major college basketball conferences? Can any state match the Weber State-Uta- h Young hold on the Big Sky, Pacific Coast Athletic and Western Athletic Conferences, respectively? Probably not, and thats what makes the feathers stand so proudly out of the hats of the Wildcats, Aggies and Cougars as conference action moves into the last week of January. Leading the basketball parade is ' Weber a School with the nations longest winning streak, 17 games, and undefeated in the Big Sky Conference with a 0 record, and a commanding e lead on the little seven as theyre calling the rest of the league. The Wildcats, after a pair of rather wins in the Dee Special Events Center last week over Northe thern Arizona and Nevada-Rend Weber outfit now prepares for a trip to Pocatello Saturday and a battle with the Idaho State Bengals Utah State, meanwhile, made a foray into California and startled and Long Beach Santa Barbara, State, 100-9- 2 (in overtime), to hustle back to Cache County with an unrecord in the PCAA. blemished, The Aggies need worry about only one team this week San Jose State, with the Spartans visiting Logan Thursday and then the Aggies returning the State-Brigha- . r 6-- two-gam- ho-hu- 18th-ranke- (3-3- ). 88-8- 4-- favor with a trip to San Jose Sunday. BYU, the defending WAC champion, ran into a Wyoming slowdown on Friday night in the Marriott Center in Provo and watched almost helplessly as the Pokes captured a 3 win. But the Cougars took out their frustration on Colorado State Saturday night, 104-8to keep a one-hagame lead over in the wacky chase. UTEP (4-- 1 to University of Utah, struggling for direction since winning a pair of WAC " games on the road to open the season, lost to Colorado State Friday, forward Danny but found 65-6- two-gam- 2, lf 4-- 83-7- C Vranes on Saturday to spank and jump back into Wyoming, record. the WAC race with a Weber coach Neil McCarthy figures his Wildcats are on top of their game. I think we went into a little slump during the first four games of the league, but I think were out of that slump now. Were scoring again. forward Bruce Collins is on a tear. He hit 12 of 18 from the field and pulled down 1 1 rebounds Saturday against Reno. He was brilliant for the second game in a row, McCarthy said. He did it all. He blocked shots, he rebounded well and he shot very well. Weber, which will be expecting a national ranking a good deal higher than last weeks 18th showing, has just Idaho State to worry about Saturday, 54-3- 2 All-WA- C e its the toughest swing you can make in the PCAA. Tueller said. Santa Barbara hadnt lost a league game (3-- 1 now) and Long Beach State had lost only games on its floor in 12 years. Were very proud of both wins. d You know, they talk of our Were told Friday when the Pokes went nine minutes without shooting, unloaded on Jim Williams Rams Saturday with Fred Roberts scoring 21 points to go along with Danny Ainges 18 points and Alan Taylors 14 rebounds. And, at Utah, the Utes recovered from Fridays debacle against CSU, halfwhere they blew a seven-poitime lead, to call on Mr. Vranes for 18 win over points in a Wyoming which was trying for an' r extra rare Beehive' WAC' sweep) on but the game is in the Mini Dome. USU coach Rod Tueller, reveling in the glory of coaching a first-plac- e team in the first year as head coach, cited his teams character building and a molding together of players on e the sweep on the coast. two-gam- come-from-behi- high-powere- offense (91 this Arizona Javelina with his bow and arrow earlier this month. He and his frjend.n BipghorT'.oth avid - chers, enjoyed their hunt through northern Arizona. They plan to make an annual affair out of it. MARK WAYMENT BAGGED West Point archers points per outing), but our defense is doing just the right job containing the other team just enough that we win. Im satisfied with that. USU was paced by a brilliant offensive effort by Dean Hunger Saturday (33 points and 14 rebounds) while Keith Hood turned in excellent defense. BYU and Utah make the trip out west (way out west) this coming week. It will be no bed of roses. San Diego State (which draws BYU on Thursday) and Hawaii both played close games at UTEP and New Mexico the past weekend and the two Utah schools in the WAC certainly had problems with Wyoming and Colorado State. BYU, stymied by a Wyoming stall take home javelina Ever seen an Arizona Javelina? If havent Mark Wayment and Van you Bingham of West Point would be happy to show you whats left of the onq they tagged earlier this month in a hunt within the legal state-wid- e boarders of our southern friend, Arizona. The idea about getting involved in a Javelina hunt in Arizona first took shape after reading about the event in Bow and Arrow magazine. This archery publication is a monthly edition that gives all the latest information that would interest archers. Being avid archers from the beginning, it didnt take Mark and Van long to plan the hunting trip. The trip entailed some eight or nine days in weather 60 to 75 degrees. Van stated a few days after he got home, We Planers of the Week were hunting in short sleeve shirts most of the time. It was terrific. Wayment, the son of Eldon and LaVora Wayment of 455 North 2000 West, was the one who actually shot and brought home the only Javelina. Bingham, also of West Point and son of the Arnold and Blanche Bingham, hit one Javelina but never found his animal. Mark, who has hunted with the bow and arrow in previous deer hunts, shot the Javelina some 40 miles northeast of Tucson He w as some 25 yards from the animal when he hit it with an arrow in the back which paralyzed, it. Despite paying $70 for a license, Bingham says hed like to make an annual affair of the Javelina hunts. jokingly continued, Mark, half-waWere going for a polar bear next. . y basketball championship for the second straight season. They are led by Coach Mitch Wilcox who mer Weber State basketbal star and player under Coach Neil McCarthy. CORY SYLVESTER CAROLINE SMITH DAN EASTMAN nod as week's top preps Sylvester, Eastman, Smith getfavored Bobcats. victory over Scott Hunter Cory Sylvester, Danny Eastman and Caroline Smith have been tabbed as the Sportstacular Players of the Week for. the week of January 13 through January 19. Sylvester, only a junior, popped in 29 points in a spectacular performance against Sky View last outFriday night. His high scoring burst helped the Lakers gain their first region victory of the season and down the much Sylvester is also a star football and baseball star at Bonneville. Selected this week as the outstanding wrestler was Dan Eastman of Weber High School. Dan is a senior who wrestles in the category. Eastman is presently wrestling with a terrible pain in his back but continues to win each week in wrestling competition. Eastman claimed a 21-- 8 185-pou- of Bonneville last week to up his region Eastman has lost only record to two matches all season long and they have come from the same man. 2-- Caroline Smith was selected as the woman player of the week for her effort against Weber last week. She helped the Royals to a solid victory over the Weber Warriors, an upset indeed. nt is a for- IRedsCdos woo champioosHiip Coach Mitch Wilcox Roy Junior High basketball squad turned in a most impressive season, finishing the campaign without a blemish in the loss column, standing above the rest with a 12-- record. In two years at Roy Junior, Coach Wilcox has compiled a 23-- 1 record and won the league championship both years he has been at Roy. The secret to our success in the 0 obedience that these kids have shown. They do everything I tell them and consequently the five kids we have playing on the floor for us are usually playing together, said Wilcox. The five starters for Roy Junior were usually Reed Newey, Mike Harris, Daren Cutler, Tom Nygone and Ryan Gumall. Other top players have been Mike Kempinture, Kent Field, Chris Checketts and Mike Coe. One of the highlights of the season was beating North Ogden twice. The Knights are usually a tough contest in Weber County junior high action. Wilcox student taught at Roy High before he came to Roy Junior and was hired into the staff two weeks after school began. Wilcox played basketball at Weber State College for two years under Coach Neil McCarthy. |