WEDNESDAY,, FEBRUARY 14, 1968
Rec Hall: Where Have All the Fans Gone?
By PAUL LEVINE
Collegian Sports Editor
Yogi Berra called it a long time ago. As usual,
the old New York Yankee spoke in rather cryptic
terms, but he called it just the same. •
"If the fans don't want to come ..out to the
ball park, you can't stop them," Yogi said.
At the time, the rotund little catcher offered
his comment to explain why the Kansas City Ath
letics had more mules roaming the outfield than
fans in the stands. '
While Yogi was
referring to profession
al baseball’s attend
ance problems, his re
marks hit uncomfort
ably close to home for
Penn State—home be
ing Rec Hall. Penn
State’s winter sports -' / C.
program, encompass- c
ing seven sports, is i. .’'XSiSv \
surely one of the best
in the country. Cur- 'wQry
rently, two winter \rJ-}l§L '
sports, gymnastics and py
wrestling, could bring.
regional and even na- LEVINE
tional titles to Lion Land. And yet, something is
missing’.
If you don't believe it. take a quick trip to a
Wednesday night basketball game, a Saturday
afternoon gymnastics meet or a Saturday night
wrestling match. At every event there is a distinct
lack of warm bodies.
A paltry, somewhat disinterested crowd of
3,400 showed up for last -Wednesday’s basketball
game with arch-rival Syracuse. The undefeated
gymnasts competed before 4,000 last Saturday
afternoon and the wrestlers drew 2,400 for their
>.&r/&.'.
Intramural Team
Continues Streak
By PAN DONOVAN
Collegian Sports Writer
Undefeated Pittsburgh-Reading downed the Lawrence-
McKean basketball team, 33-26, in Section B ot the-.
Dormitory League in intramural action last night.
Lawrence-McKean kept the game close up until late
in the contest when desperation shots failed. Both teams
used tight zone defenses which forced each other to shoot
from the outside. - .
The game started with both sides having cold shooting
nights. Then Mark Taylor of Pittsburgh-Reading and
Rich Herskowitz of Lawrence-McKean led their teams
in bombarding the basket.
Pittsburgh-Reading’s play was sparked by the fine
rebounding and all-around play of Hack Boskabich. He
scored 8 points and controlled the boards for" the victors.
Charlie Messner helped keep the hopes of the Law
rence-McKean team alive. Messner’s 11 points and ac
curate passing played a major part in the team’s offense.
Taylor took overall scoring honors, hitting 15 points
for the winning side. Lawrence-McKean’s duo of Hersko
witz and Messner totaled 11 points apiece while Boska
bich and Tom Horlacher each tossed in eight for Pitts
burgh-Reading.
In other League B action, an exciting game saw
Somerset-Venango edge a determined Bethlehem five,
32-30. Bethlehem decided to use a collapsing box defense
to try and thwart the scoring of Somerset-Venango’s
top shooter, Steve Hasenmiller.
Bethlehem was successful in holding the Somerset-
Venango ace to only 12 points, but Hasenmiller’s team
mates Dave Denar and Rich Sokolowski took up the
slack by scoring eight points each.
Bethlehem had its superstar, too, in Steve Lupin.
Lupin’s marksmanship accounted for 20 points in the
losing cause, while support came from teammate Steve
Karp, who tallied 8. The one basket Lupin wished he
had made was a last minute desperation try which would
have tied the game.
Montour-Pike won with a big comeback play in the
second half. With his team down by 14-7 halfway
through the contest, Carl Weiss came charging with 11
markers in the second period, totaling 14 for the game
and giving Montour-Pike a 29-27 win over Snyder-
Wayne. High scorer for the losers was Sam Dull with 9.
Americans Falter in Olympics
Lady Skiers Up then Down
GRENOBLE, France (/P) For one fleet- Alpine victory in the Games, had a com
ing moment yesterday, a youthful band of bined time of 85.86 seconds, .19 ahead of run-
American girls stood on top of the ski world, nerup Nancy Greene of Canada. Another
But disaster again overtook them and dealt French girl, Annie Famose, got the bronze
the United States another heart-breaking in 87.19.
blow in the Winter Olympics. Americans also got off to a poor start
The U.S. girls—Judy Nagel, 16; Wendy in the men’s figure skating as expected
Allen, 23; Rosie Fortna, 21, and Kiki Cutter, winner Emmerich Danzer of Austria took a
18—stunned onlookers by grabbing four of narrow ledd over countryman Wolfgang
the top six places in the first run of the Schwarz after two of the five compulsory
slalom. figures. Tim Wood of Bloomfield Hills, Mich.,
But France’s Marielle Goitschel came was fourth, Gary Vixconti of Detroit sixth
along and snatched the gold medal as the and John Petkevich of Great Falls, Mont.,
Americans were shut out when three of 13th.
them were disqualified for missing gates Toini Gustafsson of Sweden captured
on the first run and Miss Nagel fell on the her second gold medal, winning the women’s
second. five kilometer cross-country ski race ahead
Miss Goitschel, giving France its third of„two Russians. No Americans were entered,
OHIO DEPARTMENT OF HIGHWAYS
INTERVIEWING ENGINEERS
March 14, 1968
Register at Placement Office
Career Opportunities in Planning
Design, Construction and Operations
TRAINING PROGRAM
LOCATIONS—I 2 Field Divisions and Columbus Office
Headquarters and Assignment of Choice
Major Problem—Exceeded by only one other state
Other Action
Saturday night contest.'
Naturally, attendance is poorer at the less
glamorous events. You can find more people
gathered at the New College Diner any weekday
at 4 a.m. than at a Saturday afternoon fencing
meet.
There are some obvious reasons why the bas
ketball team can't fill Rec Hall to its 7,500 capacity.
The Lions are currently sporting a 7-8 record and
this sort of team doesn't inspire -wild throngs of
exuberant fans. But there are 25,000 students at
University Park, and enough should be interested
to cover at least half the bare spots in Rec Hall's
bleachers.
With the wrestling and gymnastics teams,
however, it is a different story. The gymnasts are
5-0 and may be headed for Another national cham
pionship. Even if the Lions aren’t number one,
they have some of the best individual gymnasts
and most exciting competitors anywhere.
This weekend the gymnasts will find out if
they are the best in the East when they meet unde
feated Temple. State fans, however, won’t get a
chance to show their‘colors since the meet is in
Philadelphia.
Bui wrestling fans do get their chance. Now
5-1 on the year, the wrestlers will battle for Eastern
supremacy against Navy (7-0) in Rec Hall Satur
day night. Besides being a test for the wrestlers,
Saturday's meet could be a real test of the fans'
loyally.
If the crowd approaches the size of last year's
7,900-plus contingent for the Lehigh meet, doubts
Could be erased. But a mediocre showing by the
fans who have been averaging 2,000 a meet, might
even overshadow a winning performance by the
wrestlers. Even worse, a small and quiet crowd
could even hinder a winning effort.
“There’s no question that a large and scream
ing home crowd helps us win,” wrestler Vince Fitz
' —Collegian Photo by Dan Rodgers
MARK TAYLORgoes up for two points for Pittsburgh-Reading in intramural action last
night. Taylor scored 15 points and helped his team to a 33-26 victory over Lawrence-
McKean. Charlie Messner of the losers looks on and Ted Davis tries to stop the leaping
Taylor.
LEI'S
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THE DAILY COLLEGIAN, UNIVERSITY PARK, PENNSYLVANIA
j levine's sports line
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FEBRUARY 15 1968
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sa'id yesterday. “I know that it.;has ahyays helped
me.”
There is one possible explanation why attend
ance to date has been so poor. In the wrestlers’
three home meets and the gymnasts’ three home
contests since Winter Term'began, neither team
has been the last bit pressed to win. The wrestlers
inundated Springfield 31-12, Cornell 30-6 and last
week breezed by Syracuse, 34-5.
In a sport where victory is sometimes decided
by less than one point, the gymnasts have won
every home meet by at least 15 points and last
week defeated Syracuse by 65 points.
It wasn’t always that way, and hopefully it
won’t stay that way for long.
“In 15 years, I’ve never seen anything like
this,” said State Athletic Director Ernest B. McCoy.
“Ordinarily, we have-plenty of competition. I’m
utterly amazed that this year, many of the tradi
tionally tough teams seem to have fallen down.”
Gymnastics coach Gene-Wettstone and wres
tling coach Bill Koll agree.
“The teams in the East are having problems
with their gymnastics programs," Weitsione said
yesterday, "But some of them like Massachusetts
and Pitt that are weak now will be on top in a
couple of years. And other teams like Southern
Connecticut will be challenging Temple and Penn
State."
Koll is also confident that the weaker wres
tling teams will improve.
“Generally, we have had a pretty representa
tive schedule,” Koll said. “Things go in cycles. A
couple of years ago, Syracuse was. the league cham
pion. Now they’re down. Usually, Cornell is the
power of the Ivy League, and Springfield is the
best in New England. This year, neither gave us
much competition. But other teams are coming'
back. Pitt looks like it’s going to be strong again,
and little schools like Franklin and Marshall are
coming along.”
Where's The Action?
At the center of the greatest transportation complex in the world ... in the manager’s office of the aerial gateway
to the United States . . . at the. nation’s busiest, most modern seaport ... in the operation of the country’s
only completely air-conditioned mass transit system ... on the construction site of what will be the tallest buildings
in the world ... in the financial planning, operation and administration of an organization which has in
vested almost $2 billion in public terminal facilities ... in forecasting the need for, and the design of future public
projects . . . and in the million and one' ordinary, and extraordinary details that develop in the operation of
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Come To Where The Action Is! Interested in a career that daily demands your talents in finding solutions to the
major transportation problems faced by urban centers? Care to join skill and vision to help the greatest
metropolitan area in the world remain the hub of international activity? Then come to THE PORT OF NEW
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What Is The Pori Authority? Dynamic best describes The Port of New York Authority, whose major responsibility
has been the development. of interstate transportation facilities in the country’s greatest and liveliest urban
center—metropolitan New York-New Jersey, an area covering some 1,500 square miles of land within a 25-mile
radius of the Statue of Liberty,
Created in~1921 the Port Authority is a public agency of the States of New York and New Jersey. It is structured
and, operated like a private business corporation with decentralized line and staff departments. Drawn from
all walks of life, almost every state in the nation and a number of foreign countries as well, an energetic staff of
over 7,100 men and women dedicate their talents and skills to carry out the programs and projects of this
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How To Come Where The Action Is. Want to get in on the action? Then see our representative. He has the an
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m— ,
Plan to visit him on Monday, February 19
Sign up in the Placement Office . . . today!,. Or Write,
Two Still Unbeaten
It’s 21 down and 7 to go for finishes with Creighton, Niaga-
Hoaston and 17 down and 5 to ra, Canisius, and Fairfield,
go for St. Bonaventure, the only ... ~ ... ~ ,
two all-conquering powers in f t ‘/L™ ” a '
the Associated Press’ Top Ten ments for both teams
rankings of major-college bas- In the weekly - 11, announced
ketball team's. Tuesday and based on games of
Houston, Jed by . <5 famed last Saturday, Houston collect-
Big E, Elvin Kayes, maintain- 2B of the 36 first place votes
ed its grip on first place in the- anc * 251 points in the balloting
weekly poll './it' a 21-0 record a national panel of (ports
while St. Bonaventure held onto writers and broadcasters. .
fourth place with its 17-0 rec- UCLA, 18-1 received the other
ora - eighi first place votes and 332
Hayes’ team plays Miami of points.
Florida Thursday and the Air- T3 „ v ,,- , ~ , .... -
Force on Saturday, both at Nfill^rarilL 0 «
home, and then winds up its t v£ w r B S n '
regular seasou schedule against lF v a ’
U of Texas-Simmons, Virginia Vander -
Tech and West Texas State. bllt and Duke '
St. Bonaventure. with the
lesser-known but able Bob
Lanier as its star, travels to
Seton Hall Wednesday for its
only game of *he week an 1 then
IM Sports Results
GRADUATE
Whiz Kids 24, Physics Dept. 20
B. C. & E. 24, Standard Devia-
tions 20
Sams 34, Perturbation: 29
Chinese S.C. 34, Speeds 33
Nads over. Sophists, by, forfeit
Has Beens 39, Knit Sew 20
COUNSELOR
Pollock 21, East 18
West 24, North 22
NORTH HALLS presents
its
lonely Hearts Club Jammy
Tonite from 6:30 - 8:30
The Intrigues
Refreshments
Happy V.D; (Valentine's Day). l
Management/Engineering/finanee/Electrenics Systems Design
... and in the expanded SUMMER INTERN PROGRAM .
But Koll also feels that the caliber, of oppon
ents should have little effect, on the 'size of the
crowds. ' v
"If people want to see a wrestling match. I
like to think they'll come out to see the team no
matter who we're wrestling," said Koll.
Some observers fear that a new era of spirit
less Penn Staters may be abandoning Rec Hall.
And, according to McCoy, it may not even be the
students’ fault. -
“Every year there are more and more activi
ties for students,” McCoy said. “There are too
many things to do and
too little time to do
them. And every year nHpF ''wW*
the classroom ordeal *’
gets tougher. We’d love ’
to get 7,000 people in K :
Rec Hall for every >
event. But now, we’re i
very pleased to get
5,000 to 6,000.”
Gene Wettstone
agrees.
“Students don’t
have the interest in
sports that they used
to,” he said. “They SRNfiST B. McCO-Y
have so many other . . . it’s a shame
things to do that they aren’t captivated by ath
letics. The day of rah-rah college spirit is over.”
While it is generally agreed that there is a
lack of student support in the athletic program, no
quick solutions are available.
“We’ve tried some things in recent years,”
McCoy said. “Saturday afternoon events have
drawn well sometimes. But there are just too
many things competing for students’ time. I think
it’s all a shame but I don’t have the answer.”
Even Yogi would have had trouble with this
one. \
Study in
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The Personnel Department / The Port of New York Authority
111 Eighth Avenue / New York, New York 10011
PAGE SEVEN
TIM MIXER
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