r Portland u iu o iiu u Obsarvar u i ü i v o i Thursday, i n u iiu a y , u July u iy 1 9 ,1 9 7 9 NBA hopefuls neglect college education Sports Talk N B A basketball ended in early June with Seattle taking it's first NBA championship ever. Naturally, then, everyone would presumably believe that the fans could rest until next season, after all, basketball, as designed by Dr. Naismith, was sup posed to be a winter game just to keep the athlete fit. Not so. Nineteen players, including ten 1979 d ra ft choices strutted their s tu ff before nearly 7,000 loyal fans. A ll d ra ft choices except firs t- rounder Jim Paxson o f Dayton were on hand and gave a lively exhibition o f mid-summer basketball. Abdul- Jeelani, 6’8” , forward, out o f the Italian league showed he can really play the game. Jeelani was im pressive with his speed and overall court sense. Abdul Jeelani, formerly played as Gary Cole when he did his collegiate work for Wisconsin-Parkside. The 6’ 8” strongman resembles New York’ s Marvin Webster on the court, and from his strong perfor mance in the rookie game, he just might be the only rookie with a real shot o f making the team. In order for this to happen though Portland would have to peddle either Maurice Lucas or Mychal Thomp son. Most likely Lucas, if one can believe all the rumors that are flying. I f any power forward goes Abdul Jeelani w ill certainly stick. Those w ith an outside chance would be Rickey Lee, ex-Oregon Stater; Greg Bunch, 6’6” , Calstate- Fullerton; and Stan Eckwood, 6'3” , guard, Harding College in Arkan sas, ninth round pick. Rickey Lee does have good skills and his all around game is certainly as good or better than Larry Steele, a player Lee would have to vie with for a spot on the Blazer roster. Lee has good quickness, good ball handler, goes to the boards hard, and his out side shot is rapidly improving. by Ullysses Tucker, Jr. •’ Before 1 die, I ’ m playing in the N B A ,” said Greg Bunch after the by Ron Sykes Black squad took a 122-99 victory Sports Editor over the whites in the Portland Trail blazer's annual rookie contest. •’ If I die today, I ’ m still keeping my word because I played last sea Moses Malone, Houston Rockets son,” stated the former California center, and the most valuable player State-Fullerton hero referring to his in the NBA last season, has signed brief stay with the Knicks. what is believed to be the highest Bunch, a native o f San Betnadino, contract ever signed by a player in C alifornia, was a C rim inal Justice team sports. major, and though he played four Now at this point all true Portland years o f college basketball, he is still Trailblazer fans should bow their one full year away from graduation. heads for a moment o f silence in O f the six rookies interviewed af honor o f the great player that was ter last week’ s game, four o f them lost by Portland. Moses Malone. did not have college degrees after W illie Smith, 6’ 1” , guard, from matriculation. Others could not be Missouri, was in camp and one has caught in time for interviews. to wonder why. Actually, out o f the 18,587 players Smith is a proven, somewhat, available at N C A A -N A 1 A in player who had an illustrious career stitutions this year, the NBA drafted at Missouri, was drafted number one only 220 o f them last month. That’ s by the Chicago Bulls, and played not to mention the hundreds o f free- briefly for Portland last year. agents from the W BA, Europe, and It is believed that W illie should the Eastern League who are trying have had a free pass to fall camp out. And it’ s needless to say W illie played Unfortunately, an average of only well. He had that great poise that 45 players w ill be listed on the most rookies lack. rosters o f N B A clubs when the While on the subject o f basketball season starts. the WCAC, that fast rising young There’s no telling whether or not conference, is already out with their the player w ill last the whole season press guide for I979-80. Believe me either, one could be dropped in a the San Francisco Dons are loaded. twenty-second phone call. The Don’ s lost only Bill Cartwright, Let’s take a look at the other “ de “ o n ly,” but return another seven greeless” athletes: fo oter in sophom ore W allace Willie Pounds, a 6’6” , 240 pound, Bryant. The profile on Bryant leads: forward from Chaminade College in W ill move over from his forward Hawaii was seven credit hours away position to fill the job at post vacated from a degree in Computer Science by Bill Cartwright a player start and attending summer school before ing to come into his own with bigger he q uit to jo in the Blazer camp. and better basketball to come. Also What w ill Pounds do now that he’ s sophomore Guy W illia m s, 6 ’ 8” been drafted and released? guard will play forward, mostly this “ I ’ ll probably go back home to year. As a frosh Williams was named L A. and wait for my injury to heal ‘ ‘ Freshman o f the Year” and was (bruised heels). Then I hope to try selected “ Honorable M ention” all out somewhere,” he said. “ The W C A C .. . named MVP of the game competition here was excellent, a in USF’ s win over BYU by NBC player had to be in excellent physical sports... had 12 points and a record condition— 1 was not 100 per cent.” 12 assists in that game. USE has Stan Eckwood, the former H ar three consensus high school ding (Arkansas) College standout Americans waiting in the wings. Next said, “ Had I not be«n selected to year USF w ill be the West Coast play in the Los Angeles summer team to watch. league, 1 was going back home to school.” A P E. m ajor, Eckwood needs eight hours to graduate. “ I came Boxing Council champion, currently here to see if I could get lucky and Larry Holmes. The fight would be a indeed I did make the cut. But, I do defense o f his WBA title and would realize that obtaining my degree is also be recognized as a title fight by essential.” the WBC, thus giving the 37-year-old Andy Fields, who the Blazers are Ali a chance to become undisputed high on, is currently lacking the heavyweight champion again. required graduation requirements According to a spokesman for A li, too. who claimed he had the letter o f “ A ll I need is nine hours to credit in the bank, “ The offer was graduate in December,” he said after received several days ago, but A li scoring 20 points and grabbing 9 re doesn’t want to take it. It’ s a lot of bounds. When asked what happens money to tu rn d o w n ,” said the if he fails to make the NBA, Fields spokesman. replied, “ I’ ll just try-out with some other interested organization, there’ s also the chance that I may travel overseas. My education w ill come peared last summer at the Northwest later on.” W om an’ s M usic Festival. Ms. Micky Fox was less serious about Grant's followers w ill recall that she being cut by the Blazers. The 6’ 3” appeared, via National Television, guard from St. Marys College in on a show called ‘‘ Women Alive” Nova Scotia, Canada explained his that was broadcast in Portland three state o f mind. eyars ago. “ The way I performed tonight, Beverly was known locally as a there’ s no way they should have paid member o f the “ Miller Sisters” , a my airfare to camp,” he said. “ I felt popular trio in the late 1950s, which really bad because 1 know the orga appeared regularly on the old Heck nization expected more from me.” Harper show. She is widely known in Fox, a high school assistant coach the Northeast as a class conscious and teacher will go back to Canada feminist siner. She peforms regularly where he plans to work in the same in clubs, coffee houses, schools, capacity. universities, music festivals and “ That's what I was doing before I community events. came here chasing rainbows, but I Members o f the Family Circus guess my best days are behind me,” Theatre Collective w ill provide ad he said " I ’ m no different from all ditional entertainment. Tickets are the others in this locker room, we all $2.00 in advance or $2.50 at the are chasing dreams.” door. Call 232-6956 for information The only other player interviewed with a degree was the 6 '8 ” high scorer with 25 points, Abdul Jeelani, who graduated from the University o f W isconsin— Parkside in Com munications. “ I have excellent skills in Radio- Television Production to fall back on after the game is over,” said the former European star. “ But at this p o in t. I'm co ncentrating on Ali refuses South Africa fight Muhammad A li supported his an nounced retirement from boxing by revealing he had turned down a $50 m illion offer to fight one more bout. ‘ ‘ I ’ve been offered $50 m illion to fight in South Africa, but 1 turned them down,” said A li, twice the un disputed heavyweight champion o f the world and currently the World Boxing Assocation title-holder. According to A li, he was sent a let ter o f credit from an unnamed South African party to fight the W orld Concert benefits Tenant Union Singer/song writer, Beverly Grant, a graduate o f Grant High School, is returning to Portland to do a benelit concert for the Portland Tenants’ U nion. The concert w ill be held Saturday, July 28th, at 8:00 p.m. at the Northwest Service Center, NW 18th and Everett. Beverly is a powerful singer and guitar player who leaves her audience with both a sense o f shared experien ce and a feeling o f strength. She currently resides in New York where she performs with her band, “ The Human Condition” . This w ill be her first local performance since she ap She’s unmarried. She’s pregnant. She needs help. She should call 249-5801 Birthright tree confidential counseling tor pregnant girls 4023 N E Halsey Paga 9 For a free government catalog listing more than 200 helpful booklets, write: Consumer Information Center, Dept. B. Pueblo, Colorado 81(X)9. W E S T E R N LIFE IN S U R A N C E C O . Wholly Owned by We Specialize In Life & Health Insurance • Investment Products • Group. Medical & Dentical Under Ten, All Tax Sheltered Plans, Pension. Etc. x 1750 S.W. Skyline Blvd., Suite 220 to come on as a free agent. The way it stands now, a player can cruise through college majoring only in basketball and no books. E n fo rc in g degree regulations would be no more than a “ weeding o u t” process, like the one the Federal C om m un ica tion s C o m m ission uses in its selection o f engineers. They are all required to pass the First Class Operators Test. In short, out o f eleven players on rosters around the N BA, five or six w ill not have college degrees. The Board o f Governors should take these factors into consideration. LOOK FOR THE BIG "T "A Sure Sign of Good Taste" U.5.DA Orafe A Modi Froten 4 to 7 ft« lb S.130th * DIVISION 14 S I. 73nd A FLAVfl 3’ N t I S f h * F «EMO NT N W BU«NSIOf ol 31*1 .H I SAN «AFAR-1910 N.l. 123nd to ,« I O« m >«2339 FACIHC O r.«Ml CHy-»7l MOLALLA Canby-1 OS I S.W. I « UOYO C fN T M WORKS WEEKENDS AND HOLIDAYS. Put an ad in the Yellow Pages and you II get twenty-four hour a day, 365 day a year, selling against 96% of all homes and businesses. And, not one word about time-and-a-half, double time, triple time, golden time, or what-have-you. St. Paul Compañías O T II a HAMILTON establishing myself in the NBA. I ’ve always believed in having alterna tives, if 1 fail to make the Blazers I can go back to Europe.” This story should not be inter preted as an attack on the character, or academic abilities o f any o f these individuals—but something must be done about the increasing number o f college athletes attempting to gain entrance in to the league w ith o u t college degrees. These players are generally left out in the cold after being released by teams, the sad part is th a t the majority are ill-prepared for the job world and will never complete their education. However, there are excep tions to the rule—even though many still pursue this dream at all cost. Locally, odds are that Jim Paxson from Dayton University w ill be the only rookie on the Blazer roster this season. (Why gamble on youth when a cargo o f compensation is coming from San Diego for the signing of Bill Walton?) In the meantime, the other rookies are in Los Angeles scrapping for the chance to take a trip to "Fantasy Is land.” The land of playing in three cities in three days. “ In the final analysis,” said Dr. Robert L. Green, dean o f the college o f urban development at Michigan State University, and the author o f a landmark study on discrim ination towards Blacks in the Big Ten (1972) “ When the athlete plays his last game and he doesn’ t have the skills to play pro ball, he’ ll get dumped. And i t ’ s especially true w ith the Black athlete. “ The average white kid who misses the pro thing w ill have other options because there’ s a support system in the white community to help cushion the fall. “ They’ ll sell insurance or cars, real estate, and enter professions where their reputation as athletes will help them in the white community,” Dr. Green stated Question: I f the N C AA can estab lish regulations requiring an athlete to have a GPA o f 2.0 to enter big in stitutions—then why can’t the NBA Mfluire a BA degree to sign a con tract in the league and eliminate the hardship rule? That way, the incoming athlete would be better able to deal with the “ real world” just in case “ the dream doesn’t pan out.” The athlete would also be forced to apply himself aca demically to qualify for the draft, or Call Today 297 4836 IT NEVER STOPS SELLING.