Pag« 4 Portland Observar Thursday, July 2 8 .1979
Have you filed for
Sports Talk
OREGON
PROPERTY TAX RELIEF ?
by Ron Sykes
Sports Editor
s ‘ wt*
The story concerned the operator
o f a traveling » ircus, who was offer
ed the service* o f a one-man thrill
act. "G o t all the th rill acts I can
use,” he argued.
"B u t you’ ve never seen an act like
mine,” the man said. “ I climb to the
top o f a 200-foot ladder and dive in
to a steel tank covered by only six
inches o f water.”
Well, the circus operator had to
see that with his own eyes, and sure
enough, the man climbed to the top
o f the 200-foot ladder and belly-
flopped into the tank with a splash
heard across the continent.
“ That’s the greatest act I’ ve ever
seen,” the circus operator said. The
circus boss agreed, " I ’ ll give you
$13,000 a week for six shows and a
matinee.” “ Not on your life,” the
performer responded.
The circus operator raised his o f
fer three times and got the same
re je ctio n , and fin a lly asked in
despair, "Ju st how much do you
want?”
“ I don’ t want a dime,” the man
replied. "T h a t was the first time I
tried it. and it h u rt."
A good friend o f mine, whom I ’ ll
refer to as ’Olympia Jim ,’ and for
obvious reasons, got hurt in just a
similar way the other night while
engaging in a sports conversation on
the subject o f boxing. Now, if you
follow my Column with any regu
larity you w ill certainly remember
the topic two weeks ago was on
boxing. And who was the greatest.
Well, I was fortunate enough to coax
a few experts o f both the past and the
present to join me in a rap session to
discuss the iron men o f pugilistic
fame.
Now, if Ruby Kay will excuse my
redundancy, I ’ ll set the scene.
On Monday, July 23rd, six of us
met at C leo ’ s. Joe Boyd, Louis
H arris, Charles H into n, Olympia
Jim, M r. Tigner and myself. The rap
session was to be held at 8:00 p.m. in
the back room . H in to n , H arris,
Boyd and Harris arrived promptly at
eight. Tigner strolled in, apologeti
cally, fifteen minutes later. And this
was to be the only time during our
session that he would admit error.
From the beginning it was obvious
that the meeting was divided into two
camps, the old generation against the
now generation.
D ivided it was, w ith H in to n ,
O lym pia Jim , Boyd and Tigner
representing the Joe Louis era and
Harris and my favorite columnist
representing the Muhammad A ll era.
Homeowners-file with your county assessor
Renters-file with Oregon Dept.of Revenue
Everyone agreed that their cham
pions were the best. Harris argued
that everything in the world o f sports
today is better. Sykes concurred.
Tigner then said, "Y o u youngsters
today think you know everything,
and you don’ t know nothin’ , Joe
Louis would have knocked that Clay
outta the rin g ."
Harris scoffed at this and insisted
that Louis was too slow. Harris told
the group that he had spent
numerous hours at the PSD library
reviewing film s o f the boxers o f
yesteryear and it was comical and
hilarious. "T h e old timers couldn’ t
hold a candle to the good present day
heavyweights," he concluded.
Olympia Jim sitting to my right
proclaim ed Jack Johnson as the
greatest heavyweight o f all time, and
that Henry Armstrong could have
easily destroyed Sugar Ray Robin
son.
A t this point Olympia Jim ’s know
ledge lost some o f its credibility.
Which fighter had the most heart?
“ A li,” shouted Harris, “ His heart
was big as all outdoors." Olympia
Jim, who earlier stated that Henry
Armstrong would decapitate Sugar
Ray, pulled on his last swig o f beer
and calmly said, “ Jake LaM otta."
"W h y Jake L a M o tta ? ” H arris
asked. “ Because he had to fight a
man, Sugar Ray, who was the best
fighter pound for pound to get in the
r in g ." A t that point Lou Harris
keeled over backwards and the
meeting abruptly adjourned. And
please. Ruby Kay, excuse my redun
dancy, but I would have certainly
been remiss not to report on this
meeting.
A l (Bubba) Baker, last season’ s
NFL defensive rookie o f the year ex
tended his three year contract with
the Lions for a reported additional
$30,000.
Outside linebacker Isiah Robertson,
traded from the Los Angeles Rams
to the Buffalo Bills a week ago, has
signed a three year contract with his
new club.
The 6 '3 ", 225 pound linebacker,
an eight year vet, is received by the
Bills as the cornerstone to plans for a
more respectable linebacking crew
Detroit Pistons signed Roy Hamil
ton, their first-round choice from
UCLA.
Indiana Pacers signed Mickey John
son, forward, to a multi-year con
tract. Johnson played last year with
the Chicago Bulls.
Venable joins AM F staff
Charlie Venable, regarded as the
best professional Black bowler in the
country and the only full timer on
the PBA tour, has been signed as a
member o f the AM F Staff o f Cham
pions, it was announced by R.R.
W oodruff, vice president, market
ing, A M F Bowling Division-U.S.
The 28-year-old Venable, a
native o f B ro o klyn , but now a
resident o f the Bronx, has been a
PBA member since the summer o f
1972 when he finished th ird in
Rookie o f the Year vo ting . He
bowled infrequently through most o f
his early professional years because
he was pursuing a degree in business
management, which he received in
1976 from Medgar Evers College in
New York City. His lone PBA vic
tory came during his undergraduate
days when he won a PBA Regional
tournam ent at Lansdale, Pen
nsylvania in 1975.
Venable’ s best finish in a national
PBA tourny came in 1977 when he
finished fo u rth in the BPA U.S.
Open, his first exposure on network
TV. He earned $6,930 in five ap
pearances that year, but then made
his first full swing o f 31 tournaments
in 1978, winning $16,212, including
a fifth -p la c e finish in the Midas
Open
As an exempt touring pro, he hit
12 stops on the 1979 PBA Winter
Tour, earning $6,500, with his best
finishes being 11th at Alam eda,
California and 13th in the San An
tonio AM F MagicScore Open.
Venable started in the ju n io r
bowling ranks at 13 and had the first
o f his six sanctioned 300 games at
age 16. One o f his perfectos came in
his PBA rookie year at Rochester. In
between tour stops, Venable carrries
a 218 average in the highly com
petitive Eastern Classic League in
Paramus, New Jersey.
Venable has been hailed as the be"
Black bowler since the legendary late
J. Wilbert Sims o f two decades ago,
and is confident that he w ill be the
first Black to be crowned a PBA
champion. " I t ’ s only a matter o f
tim e ," he says.
FILE BY AUGUST 1
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LLOYD CENTER
L L
T R
The Tim bers finally found a w inning com bination in M itch ell. Butler.
Day and Best, as they soundly defeated the Ft Lauderdale Strikers 4-1
during last Saturday's hom e game at the Stadium Next hom e gam e is
against the Vancouver W hitecaps, Saturday. July 28th at 8 00 p.m
(Photos Keith Kvernvikl
Ali cancels
Muhammad A li will not be able to
attend the scheduled events o f
"A u g u s tfe s t,” the m ajor annual
fund raising activity o f the Albina
W om en’ s L e a g u e /N o rth /N o rth -
east Youth Development Program
on August 25th, as previously an
nounced.
Muham mad
A li’ s
personal
secretary informed Mrs. Bettie Lou
Overton, President, A W L via tele
phone on Saturday night, July 21st,
o f the decision that, " M r . A li was
overextended and would not be able
to attend the ceremonies in his
honor.” The cancelled events include
a scheduled parade with Alt serving
as the Grand Marshall.
The renaming o f the A W L build
ing in honor o f Muhammad A li will
take place as scheduled on Saturday,
August 25th, at 8 N.E. Killingsworth
Street at 10:00 a m. The food and en
tertainment activities w ill continue as
scheduled.
E
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O
' '•'forAst/.iom
D
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S
du<a/iS‘f t a f a r u / > )te a /m r n / fâ e n / r i
1518 NE KILLINGSWORTH
PORTLAND. OREGON 9721 1
284-7997
E XO D U S
JU LY 1979
ON SOCIETY:
I live in the crowds of jollity, not so much to enjoy the company as to shun
myself.
Samuel Johnson
ON SUSPICION:
Always suspect that which seems probable, and begin by believing what ap
pears incredible.
Emile Guboriau
ENERGY.
We can't afford
to waste it.
ON SUSPICION:
All persons, as they grow less prosperous, grow more suspicious.
ON SUSPICION:
All persons, as they grow less prosperous, grow more suspicious.
New York Life
For ell of your life.
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Life, Hwatth Group Insurance
Annuities, Pension Plans
700 NE Multnomah, Suita 400
Portland. Ora. 97232 231-4724
JO H N S . PARIS
Field Underwriter
THRU!
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Terence
ON SUCCESS:
Nothing great was ever achieved w ithout enthusiasm.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
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