Portland Observer, April 29, 1982 Page 11
Sport Talk
by Ron Sykes, Sports Editor
Quickly now! Can you name the
starting tight end Tor the world
champion San Francisco 49ert? I f
you can’t how about Russ Francis.
The ex-Patriot, now retired, has in
dicated that he’s ready to end his re
tirement but only if he’s traded to a
California team.
The New England Patriots are
willing to make a deal to trade the
ex-University o f Oregon great. The
rich get richer and the 1981 Super
Bowl champs are the front runners
in negotiations to sign Francis.
D avid Thompson has certainly
had his share o f ups and downs, es
pecially during the ’8 1-'82 season.
There have been numerous rumors
on why the 6-6 guard has not played
up to par. Amid all of his adversity,
Thom pson kept his head above
water. And we are delighted to share
this heartw arm ing story w ith our
readers: From the Los Angeles Sen
tinel we bring this story to you:
Sometimes it takes exposure to
another person's problems to make
one realize just how lucky he is.
That was the way David Thompson
o f the Denver Nuggets felt after
visiting 17-year-old M ark Lyons o f
Schenectady, New York, earlier this
month.
Lyons, who had been battling
cancer for the last four years was a
lifelong fan o f Thompson and the
Nuggets. “ He knew all o f my statis
tics, even from back when I was
playing college basketball at North
Carolina State," said Thompson.
A hospice organization informed
the Nuggets that Lyons* greatest
wish was to meet Thompson. So a f
ter Denvre’s game at Boston on Fri
day night, February 3, while the rest
o f the team headed for Washington
for a Sunday contest against the
Bullets, Thompson took a detour of
several hundred miles and spent
Saturday at the Lyons* home.
" I ’ve visited hospitals before but
I ’ ve never been requested by a per
son to see th e m " said Thom pson.
" T h e y asked him what he wanted
and he said to see David Thompson.
Going to see him was the least I
could do. It really made me feel
good to hear about a guy in this
situation wanting to see me. One o f
the biggest thrills o f my life was the
response he made to me. It was
overwhelming. It just makes me feel
unbelievably good about myself.”
W hen he entered the house,
Thompson said he saw a row o f ath
letic trophies lining the m antle,
m arking M a r k ’s achievements in
basketball, hockey and baseball.
But that was all in the past. He had
already lost a foot, then a leg to the
disease, which finally had spread to
his brain.
" I t was so sad when I came into
his house,” said Thompson, "but it
was touching. H e was glad to see
me.”
Thompson thought about all his
hardships and realized then and
there that things could be worse.
Thom pson has not had an easy
year. Things certainly haven’t been
rosy for him . H e ’s missed twenty
games because o f in ju ry and b rie f
suspension and has never been able
to achieve the level o f performance
that has made him one o f the N B A ’s
most exciting and productive play
ers over the past five years when he
averaged tw en ty-five points per
game. B ut, as he learned from his
visit to Schenectady, Thom pson’s
problems are pale when compared
to those o f M ark.
Thompson spent several hours
with M ark and some o f his friends,
and when he left M a rk cried, his
mother cried, and yes, D avid
Thompson shed a tear or two him
self.
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TOILET
Calvin M urphy earns Ph.D
C alvin M urph y, ot the Houston
Rockets, who earned a B. A. in Soci
ology from N iagara U niversity in
1970 before starring in the N B A ,
will be awarded a D octor o f Peda
gogy degree from the alma mater in
recognition o f his work with young
people and the disadvantaged in a
special ceremony on Wednesday,
A p ril 28th. Pedagogy is defined as
the a rt, science or profession o f
teaching.
Murphy organized the nationally
acclaimed Marching Thunder Baton
and drum Corps nine years ago and
continues to personally direct the
nearly 100 youngsters who provide
entertainment at Houston’s college
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Did you know?
th a t on the Washington Bullets,
Rick Mahorn is nicknamed "L e o n "
because o f the large gap in his front
teeth.
that Greg B allard is " p o c k e ts "
because o f his a ffin ity for playing
pool.
that three point specialist Joe
Hassett calls himself "basketball's
version o f Manny M o ta ,” to which
Warriors coach Al Attics responds,
"Y ou can’t make a 6-8 reboundcr or
a Icaper out of him, so you use him
when it will help the team. When he
takes the three pointer you’ve got to
live w ith it, and sometime you die
with it.”
th a t the Seattle Super Sonics dis
tributed 20,000 free tickets to their
April 2 and 4 games to help the sag
ging economy. And to boost their
sagging concession sales.
th a t the Boston Celtics became
only the second team in N B A his
tory to win 60 games or more in
three consecutive years, joining the
Milwaukee Bucks o f 1971-73.
that Shaler Halimon, former first
round draft choice o f the Philadel
phia 76ers and ex-B lazer, is now
driving for T ri-M et.
th a t Nick Jones, former Oregon
Duck star, is selling for Cablesys-
tems Pacific.
th a t H arold Carm ichael, P h ila
delphia Eagle wide receivr, is now
number six on the all time list for
catches. Carmichael moved up from
the number 13 spot.
th a t Seattle "W innebago W a ll"
Lonnie Shelton, 6-8, Jack Sikma, 6-
11; and M ike Donaldson, 7-2, was
the real reason the Sonics were able
to contain Moses Malone.
th a t Len Elmore o f the New Jer
sey Nets will receive my note for the
"comeback player o f the year. ” E l
more made a solid contribution this
year and was one o f the reasons the
Nets were able to make the playoffs
this year.
th a t Elvin Hayes o f the Rockets
last week became the second active
player in the NBA to appear in over
1,000 games. He is joined by K a r
eem Abdul-Jabbar.
th a t "Jellybean” Bryant. 6-9, o f
the San Diego Clippers started at
three positions during the season.
He started at fo rw ard , center and
guard.
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RECAPTIRE
Albarto Salazar, shown above
during the Oregon Invitational,
won the Boston Marathon laat
weak. A former University of
Oregon runner. Salazar is with
Athletics West.
P u rc h a s e 3 re c a p tire s f o r y o u r c a r
Dunk Kings
seek players
Since 1977, hoopsters ages 14-17
from Washington and Oregon have
traveled in the U .S .A ., Puerto Rico
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against the top local com petition
during Dunk Kings Summer Basket
ball Classic Tours.
This summer the D unk Kings
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west U .S .A . with featured cities in
cluding C hicago, D e tro it, C leve
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C aro lin a; cities featured are New
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B altim ore, W ashington, D .C .,
R ichm ond, Raleigh and Greens
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T o u r participants who make the
open tryouts must each pay their
own tour costs— $480 per person—
but are expected to be good enough
to play against some o f the coun
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on the tours. A tradition o f all Dunk
Kings Summer Basketball Classic
Tours is to help expose Northwest
hoopsters to the best summer com-
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test skills and gain experience.
Players 14-17, with varsity or
junior varsity basketball experience
preferred, please write with self-ad
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Seattle, W A S H 98112, (206) 323-
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