C.C. Reader The Coa What Time Is It? It's that time again, sports fans. College basketball is just around the corner. Colleges and universities around the United States have started practicing their man-for-mans, zone defenses and fast breaks. This year's college schedule is exceptional. The competition around the country wil be extremely intense this year and a few Eastern basketball teams may surprise the traditional collegiate powers. Georgetown University with Eric "Sleepy" Floyd and 7 footer Pat Ewing look to be the best team in the East. However, Villanova and Dick Harter's Penn State squad could surprise a lot of people. Penn State has four starters returning from a 17-10 season. This year's team looks to be the most talented Penn State squad in years. Coach Harter has done a fabulous job recruiting and upgrading the Penn State University schedule. This year's schedule includes games with NCAA Champion Indiana, the University of North Carolina, DePaul and Alabama. Penn State's lack of size may hurt them against the top 20 teams. But, Dick Harter should utilize his lack of size by using a fast-breaking style of offense. Note: Local product Brian Dean (6'5") will most likely start at small forward for the Lions this year. 1. UCLA 6. Georgetown University 2. UNC 7. Missouri 3. Kentucky 8. lowa 4. Wichita State 9. Wake Forest 5. DePaul 10. Villanova By now the free agent draft has taken place in New York. Reggie, Ron Guidry, Dave Collins, Dick Tidrow, and Ed Farmer are the cream of this year's crop. If Reggie doesn't sign with the Yankees, I look for him to sign with the Orioles or Braves. I'd like to see him as a DH in a Yankee uniform for the next two years. I think the Phillies should consider signing Ron Guidry. They need to improve the pitching staff that cost them the league title this year. However, knowing the Phillies, they won't make a deal unless they get something for nothing. We are now into the 12th week of a most uneventful professional football season. People talk about how boring professional baseball can be, but have you been watching the football games televised this year? It is the same thing week in and week out. We are subjected to less than professional-caliber running attacks and air shows that have made pro football games four-hour affairs. I thought I'd never say this, but BRING BACK THE RUNNING GAME! Bring it back long enough so that football will become less predictable. Professional teams pass almost constantly now. Let's call for a little more balance from the best players and coaches in the world. Girls—Watch your boyfriend, father, husband, or brother during a professional football game. Count how many times he falls asleep. Case closed. Coach-- Don't go around bragging that auto racing isn't a sport too loud--especially here in Central PA sprint car country. Mebbe you ain't from these here parts, boy! • You should try to arm wrestle a frequent driver some time. Race cars don't handle like your average family bus! A lot of dirt tracks get rough enough to make Pittsburgh roads feel glass-smooth. And you'd better have great endurance when you're stuffed in a full Nomex fire suit and helmet during a 500-mile race in over 110-degree heat! All of the good drivers keep in shape by running and lifting weights. They know that they have to if they're going to win. It takes teamwork to win a race. The best driver with a lousy pit crew is no better off than the best quarterback with a lousy front line. Most races are fairly evenly matched, so it takes superior strategy to win. Sure sounds like a sport to me! It sounds like you've never raced, or never done it right! Why don't you restrict your column to subjects you know something about? Dear Gary, It was great to hear from you. Thank you for writing, Gary, you have made some excellent points in your letter. Granted, Formula One racers need to work hard at staying in shape. Formula One drivers run and pump iron to stay physically fit for the grueling test of human endurance. The 250-mile race. Basketball's Best Pro Football Boring? The Coach's Mailbag Monday, November 23, 1981 However, I don't believe for one minute that stock car and weekend sprint car drivers prepare themselves physically prior to their respective races. And, what about the guys that drive those fuel dragsters? Most of the drivers have full-time jobs during the week and work on their cars in their spare time. When do they find time to work out? Hey Gary, thanks for writing. Hope to hear from you again. Hey Coach, If today's brand of hockey is too rough for you, I suggest that you probably don't understand it. The violence is necessary. The brutal beatings, maulimgs, and maimings perpetrated in the name of sport are a vital and essential part of the game. I don't know who you are, Coach, but dammit, you hopefully are not in the medical profession. A little blood never hurt nobody, and in fact the ancient doctors believed that bloodletting on accasion was good for the body. So from now on keep to writing about something that you know about. And if you do, I'll look forward to seeing blank space under your logo from now on. P S I would sign my name, but why bother. I mean, what the hell, Coach. Since you are too apathetic or too ashamed to sign yours, why should I, a mere student who wishes to remain anonymous, sign mine? GO EAGLES! GO PENN STATE! GO TO HELL, COACH!!! Dear Bloodthirsty, Before I address what I believe is the main point of your letter I'd like to point out your spelling errors: "accasion" should be spelled occasion; "maulimgs" should be spelled maulings. I failed to correct your grammatical errors. I do that during the week and that's enough for me. Now for the good stuff. You're a perfect example of the average unintelligent "hockey head" that gets off on the violence and brutality in hockey. You're correct, a little blood never hurt anybody. However, I'm not talking about accidental cuts and bruises. I'm talking about players who use their sticks and fists as weapons. These so-called players use their sticks to cut, carve, and sometimes dissect opposing players. Is violence a necessary part of hockey? The NHL and you obviously operate on the assumption that violence is a necessary release for anger and frustration. This venting of anger and frustration can become a learned behavior. One example of this learned behavior is ex-Flyer Dave Schultz. Schultz has stated that his job with the Flyers was to start and end fights. He would predetermine his opponent prior to game time and then psych himself up for his fistfight or fights. In the 17 years that I have followed hockey, the Philadelphia Flyers have been the cheapest, most violent, and most gutless team that I've ever seen. Kenny "The Rat" Linesman has taken over where Schultz left off. The only difference is that "The Rat" waits until a player's back is turned. Fighting and violence as outlets for frustration have no place in athletics. Like hockey, football is an emotional contact game, but fighting isn't allowed. H a player does fight, he is immediately ejected from the game. There is more contact in one quarter of a football game than there is in an entire game of hockey. Why aren't there more fights during a football game? Hockey is a fast, rough sport in which crisp body checks are an important part of the game. Hockey is at its best when there's no fighting or violence. I think the average hockey fan will agree with me that some of the most exciting and best hockey ever seen was during the 1980 Winter Olympics. No fights. No violence. No stick fights. Just good clean, fast, aggressive hockey. The Flyers' style of violent, brutal, and unprofessional hockey has affected the game's image. It has hampered the NHL's ability to land a television contract. It has also affected children who play hockey and many other sports. Youngsters are influenced by what NHL and other professional players do. If they succeed by playing in a violent way, then young players are going to be encouraged to do the same. So, what has the excessive violence done for the game of hockey? Not a thing, I say. It has derevolutionized a once-great game. Oh, I forgot. It has quenched the thirst of unintelligent, illiterate, and disgraceful fans like you, Bloodthirsty. Yours in Hockey, P.S. Proofread your letter before you send it in next time. WANTED: Offensive Coordinator. Location: Eastern school (Happy Valley, Pa.) Requirements: 1. Imaginative offense; 2. Guarantee a touchdown 50% of the time when within opponents' 10 yd. line; 3. Must be an innovator; 4. Must be able to work well with God. References: If you have graduated from any school other than Penn State University and Brown University, you need not apply. It's too bad that the Sports Editors of our C.C. Reader must stoop to high school antics (Editor's Note of the October 29, 1981 issue of this paper). I happen to know that the only inconvenience caused by the appearance of my column was to D. Reider and to K. Spiegel, our illustrious C.C. Reader Sports Editors. I believe that the readers of our newspaper deserve more than just your basic intramural flag football article. Oh, and don't forget that non-sport bowling. Really Kevin, your bowling articles are extremely enlightening. But, a sports section it don't make. I'll tell you what. You boys keep reporting on our campus activities and I'll keep doing my thing. Which, if I do say so myself isn't half bad. You boys must be related to Mr. Bloodthirsty (Re. Coach's Mailbag) because you like to cheapshot. But I still love you Gary Pellett #B9 The Coach's Classifieds COACH'S NOTE Page 5 Coach A BLOODTHIRSTY FAN COACH Coach
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