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Show Page 8—THE HERALD, Provo, Utah Tuesday, January 1, 1980 Pro Basketball’s Facelift Increased Game's Marketability The inability of the Bullets to contain better than Commissioner Larry Seattle's priceless backcourt duo made O'Brien that basketball was suffering, victory for the Sonics an easy task and need of a facelift. A few may have provided a preview of what anged, some big-name basketball will be like in the next rookies emerged and suddenly the decade. National Basketball Association For teamsto succeed now. they must became a more marketable product. work together as a unit. Selfish play is Winning teamsare no longer the ones the cuickest route to a losing sea! with the best sevenfooters or the ‘The 1970 and '73 New York Knicks a bulkiest forwards. Basketball has the 1977 Portland Trail Blazers were all become a guard-oriented game, ahead of their time, using every perhaps bestdisplayed by the success member of their roster and creating of the Seattle SuperSonics. well-disciplined teams that won despite a lack of great talent. It was Dennis Johnson and Gus WilThe transition began sometime liams, a pair of intelligent, talented well-conditioned and small guards, who between the end of lasi season and the lifted the Sonics to an embarrassingly beginning of this one for the NBA when easy 4-1 victory over Washington in the it decided to return to the two-referee system and adopt the defunct NBAfinals last season. NEWYORK (UPI) — Nobody knew American Basketball Association's peeping back memories of Willis three-point shot Cartwright, a 7-foot center outof While the ABA wasstill in existence, the University of San Francisco, is also the NBA staunchly refused to consider an unselfish player who fits well in a the 25-foot and over bonus shot. team-oriented atmosphere. In addition, some fine rookies have The never-ending saga of Bill captured the fancy of the fans and Walton's foot went on this year seven new coaches have surfaced this Walton, whois under a multiyear $5.6 season. Larry Bird is proving that million pact with the San Diego ClipBoston's $3.2 million investment was a pers, to be able to play some wise one. A team player. Bird has timethis season. Problems with his left helped stop the grumbling among foot, which wasfractured last year, are Celtic fans and has turned the club into keeping the big manoff the court one of the finest in the league. Compensation became a household In Los Angeles. everybody is excited word this year in the NBA, with about Earvin ‘‘Magic'’ Johnson, notables like Walton, Lonnie Shelton another team player who maybe the and Marvin Webster becoming inmissing ingredient for a championship volved in free agent tangles. season. The Knicks may have been the big In New York. Bill Cartwright is losers, giving up Shelton,$450,000 and a Work Begins on Minnesota Dome MINNEAPOLIS (UPI) — After two decades of pro football and baseball in snow, rain and cold in suburban Bloomington’s cramped Metropolitan Stadium, Minnesota has started dinga $55 soho, — domed stadium in downt It took eight years of legislative battles and a oe string ofegal of fights, butit= pears the legal hurdles now have bee cleared. Construction got under way late last year. By1982, the target for completion, Minnesota no longerwill pediboedins: =ie — and coldest — ts. Met Stadium holds nly 48 48,ooo te otal, smallestin the National Football League, and 45,900 for baseball. Fans who have led up in snowmobile suits, goosedown jackets, wool caps and blankets now are a cinch to bask in comfort in a couple two years, said Mike Lynn, general manager of the Minnesota Vikings. “There is no reasonrei the Super Bowl ae a be eee Minnesota in the said. “It means anywhere fet‘stmillion to $70 million to a local economy — aboutas muchas thestadium The Super Bow! will be played in Detroit's new Silverdome in 1982. The Minnesota Legislature authorized a maximum of $55 million in honds, sold to private investors, for the stadium Businessmen put up $14.5 million in land and investments. The Vikings and the Minnesota Twins must pay for their own lockers and facilities. The stadium was requested by the Vikbut the baseball fans also will benefit by avoiding cold spring rains, although Twins President Calvin Griffith would like a dome that could be removed in sunny weather. Lynn said there is ‘not a chance of one in 1,00" thatthe stadium will notbe built now.‘They are movingdirt. The stadium is under construction,” he said. A legal challengelast fall was rejected by the Minnesota Supreme Court and the last legislator fighting the plan says he won't go to court. State legislators and city councils bickered for eight years over where a stadium would built and whether it should be domed. A Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission was created by the legislature a couple years ago to decide the details.It voted for a domed stadium in downtown Minneapolis. firstround draft choice at the start of last season for Webster whose injured leg has kept him from helping New York become a contender, A federal judge recently overturned O'Brien's compensation package, terming it ‘‘ex- cessive.” The matterstill hasn't been resolved Basketball also lost two of its greatest names — Walt Frazier and Jerry West — to retirement. West surrendered his coaching job with Los Angelesafterthree years of frustration and Frazier, who backstopped New York's championship teamsearlier in the decade, never fully recovered from a foot injury and was cut by Cleveland last month. The Big Dipper almost returned. Wilt Chamberlain. perhaps the greatest center in the history of the NBA, was offered a two-year contract by Cleveland to comeout of retirement. Chamberlain, however, now over 40, decided to stay away. Rudy Tomjanovich,a talented player with the Houston Rockets, was awarded a $3 million settlement the courts after suffering severe facial and emotional damage from a punch thrown by Kermit Wasnington And finally, Ann Meyers. the first womanever signed by an NBA team, quickly becamethe first women ever cut by an NBA team whenshe failed in her bid to earn a job with the Indiana Pacers. Meyers was then given work as a color commentatorwith the team and soonafter, the UCLA graduate signed a contract with the New Jersey Gems of the Women’s Basketball League. Save *52 to $96 on foursteel belted radials. Sale £39... A year ago a challenge to the plan was mounted in the legislature. In a fourth-and-goal situation, legislative backers inserted a Minneapolis-only _liquor-lodging tax needed to subsidize the stadium and saved the project. A petition to challengethe tax wasrejected Dec. 14 on a 10-3 vote by the Minneapolis City Council. With that hurdle cleared, the commission began letting contracts. Reg. $52,plus fed. tax’, Size BR78-13. ‘er® wide 78 series radial The Mil features a 2 ply pore radial body with 2 steel belts. Whit 40 mon Two Quiet Events May HaveBig Effect ana y Tire size Reg. Sale* BR78-13 pr78-14 ER78-14 Fr78-14 $52 $61 $66 $71 $78 $83 $75_| 39.00 45,75 49.50 53.25 57.00 62.25 56.25 $81 $85 60.75 63.75 $96 72.00 OnWomen’s Sports During the Next Decade NEW YORK (UPI) — While several still-fresh faces tightened their grasps in the more established women’s sports, two relatively quiet events that place in 1979 may have a more revolutionary effect on women’ssports in the next decade. In tennis, Tracy Aus.led a youth praby prorsiog tee youngest pla: to win & none tennis ar. pionshiip with a in t-set victory over Chris Evert Lloyd. In first full year as a pro, the 16-year-old, who saw her needy on youth challenged byyy Andrea r and Kethleen Horvath, also won italian Open. carte Navratilova, meanwhile, beat Evert to win another Wimbledon championship and undoubtedly will mere the 25-year-old newlywed, who ill won the French Open and over we, as the world’s top-ranked player. Nancy , the sweet New Mexican who almost ‘singlehandedly turned women’s into a marketable commodity in 1! provedthat herrookie year wasno fluke, winning only oneless tourniament (8) while in six fewer events (19). She also broke and spunky AmyAlcott“(the Peter Tekan ase): while rookie Bet Daniel headed a strong crop of new- comers. The youth movement continued as a fee of teenagers, led by Cynthia oodhead and Tracy Caulkins, extended the United States’ dominance in international swimming c tion, Beaver Falls (Pa.) high student Candy Young and sprinter Evelyn Youngexcited American track fans and 13-year-old Tracee Talavera gave Americans hope although Nadia Comaneci and her Romanian teammates dominated the gymnastics scene. Butit’s the unrelenting evidence supplied by Grete Waitz that women notonly can run marathons, but they do it quite well, and a courageaous forage into the hitherto unexplored im of pro team sporis for women — the Women’s Pro Basketball ie — which might turn into theearliest hints of things to come. Waitz, a 26-year-old teacher from Norway,broke world marathon record for women at New York for the second year in a row when she becamethefirst womanto finish in under 2% hours. Her time of 2:27.33, which would putherin the top 10 of many marathons, far exceeded the American record of 2:35.15, established by Joan Benoit at Boston this ar. It was also better than all but 69 of T 11,000-plus competitors. A two-time world cross country. champion and the world record-holderby nearly 30 seconds at 10-kilometers (31:15.4), Waitz trimmed her training for the shorter distances for the 1976 Olympics and madeit only as far as the semifinals in the 1,500. She refuses to do it again. That decision — and the absence of the ee best Ao runner from the mes — prompt the Intermtieaal teur Ath ics Federation to consider seriously ls to add the 10,000 and marathon to the a World Cup or 1983 World Championshi; “Tt won't be ce aid|Waitz. “The arguments have "been tried. In 1973 when wefirst ran the 10,000 in Oslo, lots of journalists said it was terrible, it wasn’t pretty to see women et tired. That jed when set a wor! d record in 1975. Everybody loved it then.” Led mscenter Paula Mayo, the Houston Angel WBL’s obscurefirst season wil 111-104 victory over the Iowa jets which gave the Angels a 3-2 series victory and the first WBL title. Although all the clubs lost $150,000 or moreinthe inaugeral season,the league expanded from eight teamsin twodivisions to 14 teams in Colorado Studies Possible Move Of Olympic Action DENVER (UPI) — Although U.S. Olympic officials say it isn’t likely any 1980 Winter Olympic will be moved outof the snow-hungry Lake Placid, N.Y., area, Gov. Richard Lamm thinks there is a chance Colorado might be asked to host at least some of the contests. Because of his concern that Colorado might be asked to hold the downhillskiing and ski-jump events in February, the governor said he has ordered his staff to study the possible fiscal impact. Colorado voters rejected a chanceto host the 1976 Winter Olympic games seven years ago, saying they didn’t want the winter games staged in the Rockies. Lamm said he believed Colorado could end up as host to the downhill skiing and ski jump events for the 1980 Gamesif Lake Placid, N.Y., the official host city, does not have enough snow. The New York ski omehas been having serious snowfall problemsthis three sections stretching coast to coast for the 197980 season, hired five former NBA coaches or players to direct teams and saw the teams’ cash value grow. The WBLis far from established but, with more and more of the cautious college stars signing with teams, the outlook is definitely optimistic — both within the league and among players honing their skills in fast-growing collegi scholastic programs. As Jan Ternyiak of the expansion San Francisco Pioneers boldlyputit, ‘‘In five years this is going to be as big as the NBA. That might be hyperbole butironically, the WBL’s biggest media ure came courtesy of the NBA. After All-America Ann Meyers,who 1% years earlier was the very first player chosen in a WBLdraft, madeanabortive attemptto play with the NBAIndiana Pacers, several WBL teams bickered over her rights until she signed a a lucrative contract with the New Jersey Gems in November. Meyers’ farcical experiment with the NBA mayhave been a regrettable media hype designed to help the Pacers but by proving that women can’t play with men — yet, anyway — it very well may have demonstrated the need for a women’s league.It certainly got the WBL someattention, Elsewhere, marathon swimmer Diana Nyad becamethefirst i from the Bahamas to when she completed the 89 miles in 27 hours, 38 minutes; Linda Fratianne regained the world figure skatingtitle ad Tai Babilonia teammed with Randy Gardner for the world pairs championship; Leah Mueller and Beth Heiden took speed skating titles; Austria’s AnneMarie Proell-Moser won hersixth skiing World Cup; and Rogers, 17, made a strong Meadowlands winter meeting, prompting veterans to tab her the best female prospect ever to have ridden at a major thoroughbred horse track. LR78-15 * Plus fed. tax from 1.98 to. 2.96 eachtire. Tires mounted at no extra charge. No trade-in ed. Sale prices effective through Saturday. 25% off fiberglass belted whitewalls El Tigre 278s feature a2 ply polyester body with 2 fiberglass belts. Whitewall. Save on sport sizes,too. 33 month warranty Tire size JCPENNEY TIRE WARRANTY These JCPenneytires are led against road hazards and defects until 2/32” of tread remains. They are aiso protected against premature wearout during the warranty period. If a tire fails return it to JCPenney and we will repair or replaceit charging you, at most, for that portion of tread used. Chargeswill be based upon the currentselling price. WITH PROPC OLYICE $39 |29.25| 78-13 $46 [24.50] 070-14 $48 E78-14 F78-14 $50 [37.50 $52 |39.00 36.00) G78-14 $54 [40.50 H78-14** $57 142.75 78-15 $57 [44.75 78-15 $61 [45.75] 178-15** $65 [48.75] **4 polyply plies/2 glassbelts ayiate 3B = 10 coaxial speakers. 25% off our 15-step =, Sale A,: 58.99 pr. Reg. 73.99. Three-way k 6x9" speaker system has tune-up. 5% woofer, 200z. magnet. 4 cyl., Reg. 49.88 4 Sale 59.99 pr. Sale37.41 Reg. 79.99 Loud and Clear stereo speaker f at _ 448938 $38 }28.50 B78-13 “Plus fed. tax from 1.42 to 3.19 each tire. SNOW&ICE MEL Reg. Sale* A78-13 magnets. system. 18 watt per channel. 6 cyl., Reg. 54.88 sale41.16 Rustproofing 49.99 59.99 Station Wagons Compacts, Intermediates, ni and light Trucks A vital service for new and late modelvehicles. We'll spray seal with DacarCote® the entire underside, plus door and rockerpanels. eeMyown suspicionis that there is somethingto it, and our people think there is somethingto it,” said Lamm,who helped lead the successful voter effort to keep the games out of Colorado in 1976, Despite the rumors Colorado might be in the running for someevents, a spokesman for the U.S. Olympic Committee in Colurado Springs and the Lake Placid Olympic Organizing Committee insist such plans are not being considered “There is no alternate site in Colorado — none whatsoever, to my knowledge,”’ said the spokesman for the national committee. Despite his former opposition. the governorsaid he would welcomethe chance to host someof the 1980 eventsif only a minimum amountof tax moneyis involved. Manufactured andDistributed by Officials at Colorado’s Cope Mountainski resort, located between Dillon al Vail, confirmed they MORGRO Chemical Company were contacted by a representativeof the U.S. OlymSalt Lake City, Utah Ph: (801) 266-1132 pic Committee more than a year ago to determine whether Copper could be an alternatesite for the downhill skiing events. eo *Intermediates, sedans, light trucks higher. Now, two great |ways to charge! 8 cyl., Reg. 59.88 Sale 44,91] We'll use combustion chamber cleaner, install new plugs, points, rotor, condensor and distributor cap. Set timing, and more. Astre, Vega and someforeign carsslightly higher. Electronicignition systemsless. Lets is the only snow & ice melter that reduces the freezing damage to concrete. JCPenney 2y*Auto Center Orem University Mall Open Mon.-Sat, at 7:30 a.m. Phone 224-5952 ©1980 JCPenney Co. Inc. |