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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 8, 1982)
Portland Observer, September 8,1982 Page 9 Gold* Diamonds* Silver Sport Talk OLBE INSURANCE SERVICES Cash also paid for: Cameras • TVs • Stereos* • Firearms* Anything of value by Ron Sykes. Sports Editor RED DOOR 6616 N.E. Union Av«. Portland, Oregon 97211 289-1716 For All Vour Insurance Needs 0006 S.E. Foster M on Set 9 6 776-7811 * A n In d tp tn d tn l Agent 1.7.----- The Pittsburgh Pirates w ill retire Willie Stargell’ s number at the end of this season. Stargell w ill become only the fourth player in the club’ s history to be so honored W illie’ s no. 8 w ill join Roberto Clemente (21). Honus Wagner (33) and Pie Traynor (20). Isn't it interesting that in just 10 years o f existence the Trailblazer o r ganization has equaled the Pirate organization? The Blazers just re cently retired the jerseys o f Geoff Petrie. I loyd Neal, I arry Steele and Dave I wardzik. WHO’ l I. CRY FOR ROBERTO? Roberto Duran is finished. Dur an. whose anger boiled so visibly and whose fists fought so viciously is gone. Lankford Laing, a super welterweight from London, Eng land, destroyed what was left of Ro berto Duran last Saturday at De troit's Cobo Arena. Laing won a split decision over ten rounds, but most agree that the decision should have been unanimous. Duran weighed in at 155 pounds, and most o f the poundage settled around Duran’s belly. Duran was a sorry fighter this night as the 28- ycar old West Indian fighter threw lightning quick jabs that caught Duran time after time as he attemp ted to come in. After three rounds, I aing realized that he had nothing to fear from (he man that was once known as "hands o f stone," but now belter known for his infamous '.'‘no mas, no mas." : You see, I, for one, w ill not cry ;for Roberto Duran. Sure, I know his sorrowful background. I know pf those stone-cold gutters in which lie slept during his early childhrxxl. I Anow o f the perils he faced and dealt with as a young street urchin. But I won't cry for Roberto. I cued lot Ray I ampkin that hot day in Panama. I marveled at the battle Ray put up and was happy that he had fought so gallantly in spite of (he inefficiencies of his corner. I ^member how Ray was ahead on points, how Ray stood toe to toe with Roberto Duran in Duran's prime and his hometown. I remem ber how Ray’ s corner had sold him short by running out o f water, and I also remember that the temperature oli that day was well over the Kit) de gree mark And I remember how sfd I was when Ray I ampkin was khocked out in the 13th round. You Could tell tfial the young gladiator from Portland was seriously hurt. It Would be more than 15 minutes be fore Ray could be removed from the rrng And I remember Duran, his eyes pieri mg, standing there with all the hate and fury of a wounded ani mal, saying, "T h e next time I fight lieem I w ill keel hccm.” For this I will not cry now that Duran is through, t hey called him an animal. No, he didn’ t have any unfair ad vantage. He had no claws, no extra musculature, no fangs, but he was an animal nonetheless. Duran al ways said that when he entered the ting he immediately conjured up hatred for his opponent. That he in stantly became a raging bull. Now, finally, the matadors, Ray Leonard, W ilfred Benitez, and Lankford Laing, are going to work on the hull And these magnificent Black matadors arc not completely de stroying the bull, but only taking what he loves most . his pride. I eonard humiliated him by wind ing up with his right, then shooting a left that landed flush on Duran’ s chin. Then Benitez, the master craftsman, the slickest, the smooth est, the most beautiful boxer, simply outclassed the shorter, slower D ur an. The Benitez fight is one that D ur an didn't need. A world champion since age 17, Benitez, is simply fan tastic in the ring. Against Duran, Benitez would fall against the ropes and sucker Roberto into thinking he put him there. He would lean there and thump Roberto upside his head repeatedly. W ilfred did not cry for Roberto; in fact, at times he actually smiled at the paunchy Duran. It must have been strange for Duran, the deadly w arrior who used to stalk his prey until cornered, then unleash a bevy o f punches against their helpless bodies until they fell, now being suddenly the pursued in stead o f the relentless pursuer. It must have been strange to Duran to have a fighter like Laing beating and humiliating him. When the decision was announced, Roberto as usual crawled through the ropes without showing enough sportsmanship to shake the hand o f the victor. Adios, Roberto. I w on’ t cry fo r you. Dcja v u . . . Gee, isn’ t this 1982? If so. I ’ ve seen this show before. The Oregon Ducks fell, 34-3, to Oregon State before 23,127 at Autz.cn Stadi um and in the process showed noth ing different from last year. Oregon led once in the game as ASU fumbled on the first play from scrimmage. Duck strong safety Dan W ilkcn claimed the football for Oregon, and the Duck placekicker booted a 35-yard field goal to give Oregon a 3-0 lead. Like last year, the Ducks cannot find a pilot to lead their distressed ship. Kevin Lusk, back after a lack lustre '81 season, couldn’ t put a sin gle point on the scoreboard. "K evin is our quarterback,” chortled Brooks; "he executes better than the rest." I f Brooks is to continue with Lusk, then Oregon is in for another 2-9 season. Oregon decided to return to the option offense this year after having 6-5 and 6-3-2 seasons with it in both 1979 and 1980. But one has to re member that it was the quick-footed do-everything Reggie Ogburn at the helm. Rich Brooks should remember that the first priority in running the option is having an option quarter back. And an option quarterback is fast, fast, fast. He should have a good arm, not super, and peripheral vision But most o f all quickness. Kevin Lusk has a good arm. Per iod. But this defeat (to ASU) cannot belong to Lusk alone. The Oregon Ducks’ offense had all the imagina tion o f a brick wall. Have you heard o f three yards and a cloud o f dust? Well, Saturday afternoon Coach Brooks must have borrowed the Woody Hayes playbook. Brooks’ offense had as much dar ing as a $25 U.S. Savings Bond. Oregon has a strong defensive unit, but they, too, weakened after being on the field too long. After watching the Ducks against a good Arizona State team, nothing is more evident than the lack o f offense. Oregon recruited Dana H ill, a fast, quick freshman, to be their op tion quarterback o f the future, the next Reggie Ogburn. The future is now. One has to wonder aloud as to what happened to the offense o f the Professional Pest Control Supplies Linebacker D w ight Ford past. Remember those shovel passes, (he old Statue o f Liberty that gained so well when the Ducks surprised Washington 34-10 in Seattle? The end-aiounds featuring Don Cole man? The season is just beginning, but if Coack Brooks sticks with Kevin Lusk, then it ’s already over for the Ducks. Duck ta ils .. .Ladaria Johnson was Oregon’s most productive run ner against ASU. Johnson was 8-53 in the rushing department. Coach Brooks is wasting talent playing the speedy Dwight Robertson at fu ll back. Robertson carried 14 times and gained just 51 yards. And all 51 yards were gained through the teeth o f the ASU defense. The Ducks this week w ill face a good San Jose team. The Spartans are led by Steve Clarkson, the most underrated quarterback in the na tion. With tf,e 1982 NFL season sched uled to open this weekend, the Su per Bowl champion San Francisco 49ers are having their problems. Regrouping is what the ’ niners are dom g|+$o much depends on the o f fensive line,” said coach Bill Walsh, and that’ s a big problem today. A r chie Reese, a starter last season, bal looned to some 300 pounds, and was traded to Kansas C ity where he flunked his physical and was waived. Then Craig Puki, the young inside linebacker from Seattle, de veloped drug problems and was re leased. Many spoke o f a dynasty after the mighty ’ niners won the Super Bowl. Walsh quickly put things in the right perspective. He stated that M i ami, Pittsburgh and Dallas all fit in to that category in the past. 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