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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (June 21, 1979)
P a g « 8 P o rtla n d O b a a rv a r T h u rs d a y , J u n a 21 1979 King promotes title fight, ignores TV boycott Sports Talk above all he is good. He is one o f the many fighters around today that are so good that nobody w ill fight them. So they grow stale in the gym — grow old, waiting for the big break that never comes, while some kid with less talent, that no one fears, comes along and strikes it lu cky. . . ” King announced that the big fight card would be carried by closed cir cuit into some forty locations. Many o f the locations are providing jobs and business o p p o rtu n itie s fo r Blacks. He also announced that Jimmy Young w ill be on the card facing tough Wendell Bailey. . zite» - T by Ron Sykes Sports Editor There are times when tragedies strike so suddenly, and during those times grief seems to shake the foun dation o f our souls. Tony Dorsett, Cowboy running back, had such an experience: Gigi Clayton had many things going fo r her, she was b e a u tifu l, an honors student, a debutante, and had a football hero who loved her and wanted to marry her. The 18-year-old also had one thing going against her . . . a mysterious ailment that claimed her life last Friday. "C la y to n was the person who taught me how to fall in love,'* said grieving Dallas Cowboy running back Tony Dorsett, who planned to announce his engagement to Miss Clayton in August. The storybook life came to an end late last Friday night in the intensive care ward o f Parkland Hospital. Dallas Cowboys' football stars Ed “ Too T all” Jones, Tony H ill and Thomas “ H ollyw ood” Henderson were honorary pallbearers. Dorsett, who reportedly leaned into her coffin to kiss her goodbye said, “ I keep telling myself she’s not dead “ She and 1 had so many plans to gether. Gigi was so full o f life,” Dor sett, a Heisman Trophy winner from the University o f Pittsburgh said. "She’ ll always live within me.” Miss Clayton and Dorsett met at a Christmas party last year and dated for the first time a week later “ She and Tony had plans. Every body knew it was coming. It must have been some kind of strong relation ship,” said Ezra Clayton, the girl’s father. “ They were just drawn together.” Everything was going fine until just after Memorial Day. The Clayton family attended a cookout at Dorsett’s expensive estate near Wylie and the next day Gigi drove Dorsett to the airport so he could catch a flight to California. She first became ill the next day while driving around Dallas in Dor sett’s Mercedes Benz. She returned home, com plaining o f strange feelings in her extremities. M rs. Ora C layton, the g irl's mother, said she told her daughter to go to sleep and arranged an appoint ment with her doctor. Doctors first thought she had a nervous problem, he couldn't really figure out what it was. She com plained o f headaches and heT hands and feet became cold. Dr. Powell said she was hyper ventilating, breathing too fast. The doctor prescribed thyroid pills and urged her to start eating fu ll meals. On Friday, June 1st, she was sup posed to pick up Dorsett at the air port, but was unable to do so and sent her brother, Gary Clayton, 23, instead. The brother brought Dorsett to the house where they found she was barely able to walk. Dorsett and the g irl’s brother took her to St. Paul Hospital to see Dr. Powell again. SS a TS MW j Î th I I THRU« A U G I8 T H I POSTTTM6Ï AT7 3 0 P M Ï C o n M o r t d CM) ■ r PtxnarvlH I 0 Nt ??>0 «X) « *» •» S' _ S w 'il c w » r undar t? ea admawdH r.j, ... .q- iMULTNOMAHl W e Specialize In Life & Health Ineurance • Investment Products • G roup, M edical i t Denticai U nder T en , All Tax Sheltered Plena, Pension, Etc. “ It was the same problem, except now she couldn't walk,” the doctor said. D r. Powell ran blood tests, thyroid, and every kind o f test, but couldn't find out what was wrong. The next day she was paralyzed. Que sera, sera. The inevitable happened to Yankee C liff Johnson. After a clubhouse brawl with Rich Gossage, that left the Yankees relief ace sidelined with a fractured thumb, Johnson was dealt to Cleveland. C lif f Johnson was one o f the unique Blacks in major league sport. He was a reserve catcher/first base- man. This u tility status is usually reserved fo r whites fo r reasons unknown to modern man. Johnson was sent to Cleveland for Don Hood, a lefthander who the Yanks hope can fill the void left when Gossage was injured. Hood was 1-0 with a 3.68 ERA when he departed Cleveland. While still on baseball and travel, how about Dock Ellis? A controver sial figure much o f his career in Pitts burgh, E llis has now switched playing fields in the past two years. After leaving Pittsburgh in 1977, he went from the Yankees to Oakland, before finally moving to Texas and now the Mets. Maybe this time Dock w ill find his happy home. Trade rumors are growing louder and louder. Portland is extremely in terested in the Bulls’ Artis Gilmore. The interest is strong and the com pensation w ill be equally strong. The saying goes “ I f you want something, then you must give up something.” P o rtla n d wants G ilm o re and Chicago wants all pro M aurice Lucas, all pro Lionel Hollins, and starting center Tom Owens. The handwriting is on the wall . . . Portland is going to make changes, big changes. H ollins is asking to renegotiate and like nobody is listening. Hollins, when healthy, is one o f the finest point guards in the NBA. Hollins had a dismal season marred with numerous injuries. The bottom third o f the season found "T ra in ” filling the role as the third guard, which prompted Hollins to wonder aloud whether Jack Ramsay had lost confidence in him . Ramsay, fo r some strange reason has a thing about playing Dave Twardzik. So now he has two quick guards in rookie sensation Ron Brewer and veteran Hollins. Hollins and Brewer would on the surface happen to be the strongest combination, but there are apparen- ly some underlying currents pulling this combination apart. Now I have to wonder just how good Jack Ramsay is as a coach. Sure he orchestrated a winning team in Blazerville, but many have said that he can also destroy a franchise just as quickly. Remember Philley when Ramsay was General Manager, there too, he made wholesale trades that led eventually to the 76er de mise. The hope here is that he not act too hastily. That he w ill deal from strength, and he surely does have that from a team which won 45 games and also made it into the playoffs with many injuries to key personnel. Sure, Portland's needs are glaring in the middle. Owens tried his best, and did well, but he’ s not the strong center that is needed The daily grind took its to ll and by seasons end Owens was worn down. The Blazers style demands a strong rebounding center, which Artis Gilmore certainly is but Gilmore is lacking in the other qualities. Gilmore needs to be down tight. For Portland’ s offense to roll it necessitates their center coming out high. Gilmore has never excelled in the passing game. Portland’s center must be the hub o f the attack. Who then should Harry Glickman seek for this al! encompassing role? Philadel phia has a baby bull that just might be available, Darryl Dawkins, 6’ 11 ” and strong would be a wise choice. W E S T E R N LIFE IN S U R A N C E C O . "T h is is my ’ Fair Opportunity* crusade,” King said. “ Nobody dic tates to me when I'm right. I may loose my shirt by doing this without the big TV bucks but I ’ll be satisfied that I ’ve been a man." DENTAL INSURANCE is a valuable asset. . . your health and L a rry H o l m e . w it h P r o m o t e r D o n K in g , w ill d e fe n d h is h e a v y w e ig h t t it le a g a in a t c h a lle n g e r M i k e W e a v e r . L a rry Holmes w ill defend his heavyweight crown on June 22nd, despite the refusal o f all three net works to televise the bout. Promoter Don King undaunted by the networks refusal is promoting the fig h t at Madison Square Garden anyway. “ It would be against all my prin cipals; all the things I have fought to overcome for me to cancel this bout and deny young, Mike Weaver, a shot at the Heavyweight cro w n ," King told a packed press conference at his fashionable New York offices. “ That has been the story for too long already and I refuse to be a part o f it.” “ Who regarded a young Muham mad A li, then known as Cassius Clay, a ghost o f a chance against the appearance devastating Sonny L is to n ? ’ ’ he asked. “ Not many,” he answered. "W ho gave a green upstart George Foreman a prayer against the awesome and punishing Joe Frazier?” he asked. “ Not many,” he answered again quickly. “ Can we forget how com pletely Foreman overwhelmed Frazier?” King reminded all that Weaver is rated 8th in the World by the WBC and 10th in the W orld by Ring magazine. 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S k y lin e Blvd., S u ite 220 "Jimmy Young is a world contend er and a great guy," King said. "1 can’t throw him to the wolves simply because he lost a fight. Jimmy de serves the chance to fight his way back.” Total Cast Wbaa Parcbasad ladividaaUy *104.95 . 5-Piece 1 Sot Sat lacladas: 1b»lacb Tata Bag 23-lacb Canaaat Salt Bag 2b-lacb Salteas« M 28-lacb Saltcasa . " T 30-lacb Saltcasa SAFEWAY
