State
takes
One afternoon Mike Dickstein was trying to catch a bus
and looking for a shortcut between College and Beaver
Avenues. He wound up last weekend in New York City.
Now before you call up the campus patrol and send
them to find out whether it's this writer or Mike Dickstein
that's crazy, let's explain a little. Qn that afternoon, about
a year and a half ago, Dickstein wandered past the Cam
pus Casino, a local amusement hall. His words may be
best here
-"I saw this funny looking thing, with this puck flying
back and forth, and I went in. I spent all my lunch money
there for the next three weeks."
You still wanna turn us into the loony bin, right? Well,
the "funny looking thing" turned out to be fairly well
known around the country. It was pioneered by Brunswick
and it's called air hockey,
Air hockey, for those who've never been in any of the
local amusement halls, is played on a large table with a
laminated surface. Underneath the table an air corn
pressortulls in air from the surrounding area, then shoots
it all along the table's surface through small holes in the
sides Dickstein explained that the puck then travels on a
virtually frictionless surface.
Players strike the puck with a bat shaped like a large
puck with a handle. This piece is called the goalie because
it is also used t 9 block the hole, or goal, at your end of the
table, from opponents' shots.
Dickstein turned out to be a good enough air hockey
player that the Brunswick people along with Aurora and
Holiday Inns, extended an invite to visit New York City
last weekend and play in a North American air hockey
tournament, all expenses paid.
Free ride to New York huh? Makes you wanna dash to
the nearest air hockey table maybe? That's exactly what
Mike had in !hind upon reaching the Big Apple. Con
sequently, he finished third in a field of 32 and returned to
littleold State College with a big bag full of goodies.
However, if you're suddenly having visions of yourself
as the next air hockey champ of North America, you best
Marshall unimpressed
by Cy Young award
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP Winning
the Cy Young Award hasn't mellowed Mike
Marshall, the ironman relief pitcher of the
Los Angeles Dodgers.
Marshall was unimpressed when informed
that he had been voted the National League's
top pitcher by a panel of the Baseball Writers
Association of America. Even the fact he was
the first reliever so honored failed to stir him.
An Associated Press newsman who Visited
the pitcher at his home near the Michigan
State University campus, was greeted
graciously, but was firmly told he would not
be granted an interview.
"It's nothing personal," said Marshall. "I
just don't want to talk about it."
Marshall's tight-lipped policy apparently
was aimed specifically at news service agen
cies. "I don't think ... the organizations have
much sensitivity for the individual," he said.
The relief pitcher who helped the Dodgers
win their first pennant in eight years was sod
ding his lawq when visited by the reporter. He
took off all avy work glove to shake hands,
smiled. t resumed puttering around the
yard.
Marshall and his wife, Nancy, have been
living neaethe MSU campus since the season
ended. He is- studying for a doctorate in
psychology at NISU.
He didn't even ask a reporter for specifics
Smith to NY
Connors to Pittsburgh
PITTSBURGH (AP) The
Pittsburgh Triangles of World
Team Tennis said yesterday
they had acquired the rights to
sign Jimmy Connors, who
crushed ex-Triangles'l)layer
coach Ken Rose Fall in win
ning this year's finals at Wim
bledon and the U.S. Open.
WTT rights to Connors, 22.
came to Pittsburgh in a deal
that sent backup players
Isabel Fernandez and Gerald
Battrick and unspecified
"future consideration" to the
Baltimore Banners.
"I only traded for him
because I fully expect to sign
him," Triangle owner Frank
College's
short cut
.;.;{.;.;.}f~1::-ti ti SS%ism::r.::.'~.~'r:{~STr}~::{:?-:•i:{?.':•'i.•.....• tii:~:: }~r
on his being named the Cy Young Award win
ner.
Reporters who phoned Marshall's home
were greeted by a recording suggesting they
leave their name and number.
In an earlier telephone interview with the
Los Angeles Herald Examiner, Marshall told
baseball writer Bob Hunter that he would not
decide whether he would play 1975 until
March.
"By making this statement, I do not mean
to say, or imply, that I do not intend to pitch
again," Marshall explained. "What I'm
saying:is that I simply will weigh the various
ingredients, my family, my academic pur
suits, my feelings, and baseball at that time
and then make my decision. Not before."
Marshall, who appeared in a record 106
games, received 17 Of the 24 first place votes
and 96 points, easily outdistancing teammate
Andy Messersmith, who had 66. Marshall had
a 15-12 record and saved 21 games for the
Dodgers.
Following Messersmith in the balloting
came Phil Niekro of the Atlanta Braves and
another Dodger, Don Sutton. No pitcher was
named on all 24 ballots, but Marshall came
closest, with mention on 22 of them.
Catfish Hunter of the Oakland A's was
named American League Cy Young winner
last week.
Fuhrer said of Connors. • scheduled a meeting later this
Meanwhile, the 4 Triangles month with Connors and his
also said they t p traded agent, Bill Riordan. _
negotiating righ to Stan Connors won every match
Smith to the New York Sets for he played in the WTT last
a 1975 No. 1 draft choice and season, when he commanded
"future consideration." a contract which required he
Smith, Connors' main rival play only about half his club's
as top U.S. player, did not matches.
compete for the Triangles last That contract was criticized
season when Rosewall played by many WTT owners, who
and coached for Pittsburgh. complained it hurt attendance
Rosewall, 39, told the because they were unable to
Triangles last week that he guarantee Connors' ap
had retired as coach, and pearance.
Tuesday he telegrammed = There was no immediate
Fuhrer that he also wouldn't 'Word from Fuhrer on whether
return as a player. he would abide by a similar
Fuhrer said he had contract next season.
001.,
get on some sort of conditioning program. Mike related
that the structure of the tournament required that he play
27 games last Saturday, starting at 8:30 a.m. The champ,
David Barnett of Athens, Ga., was crowned "about 3:15,"
Mike said.
Dickstein made it to New York after winning a local
tourrfey this past September at Funtime USA, beneath
Pappy's Restaurant. Local winners were sent to a
regional tourney in Philadelphia, Mike's hometown, a
month later. Mike did not win in Philadelphia, due to a
unique protest of tournament rules.
"They have free shotsat the goal if you're charged with
a foul," Mike, said, "and a lot of the fouls they call are
stupid. So I don't take my foul shots. I hit them into a cor
ner of the table."
Dickstein related he lost in a semifinal round after turn
ing down a foul shot with a 6-3 lead (7 wins) in the game
that would've given him the match. (The best out of three
sets constitutes a match and the best of three games
makes a set.)
• "But the guy who ran the tournament knew I was a good
player and he spoke to Brunswick," Mike said. "He told
them he wanted to have a good tournament in New York
and could he bring an alternate in case people didn't show
up. They said yes and I went, and people didn't show up, so
I got to play."
For his efforts Dickstein receivedtsoo dollars, a sl.t. of
air hockey wizard
to New York City
Jeff Young
Ass't Sports Editor
.ti:~'}:l :•:1W.Y.1: ~.: r .'NnV}:: i.YX.•f~.IT~hII~ I I si j'.l:
• ksl;` , .. .NM*.
golf clubs, a tennis racket and balls, a bowling ball and
bag, a Brunswick air hockey table, plus an assortment of
games. Some shortcut, huh? ,
By the way, Mike is looking for a buyer for the air
hockey table. He already has one that he won in the
Delaware Valley Regionals in Philadelphia this past sum
mer.
Revealing the more serious side of his beneficial
pastime, Dickstein related particular reasons that he was
happy to go to New York.
"It's so rare that you get a bunch of serious people
together talking air hockey," he said. ''People come up to
me and say 'I hear you're the pinball champ. Oh, air
hockey? Oh, yeah, it's one of those.'
"When you're a really good football player, people know
all about it. But air hockey, people don't really know the
scope of it.
"They say `so you're the champ,huh?' and they always
think they're gonna beat me with one hand tied behind
their back and one leg sticking up in the air. But they don't
realize that there's more to it than just hitting it back and
forth."
Dickstein said that he has offered an air hockey course
through the Free University, meeting with little interest.
"They still think it's something you take your girlfriend to
Satu'rday night."
Mike agled that he and many others that competed in
New York would like to develop a circuit with tour
naments around the country. He insists it's in the future.
"I know that ten years from now, when I try to tell
people stories about how it started, they'll laugh," he said.
"Like whettfootball was first started. But it's growing."
Along with other local air hockey enthusiasts, Mike is
, trying to start a league in the area. (If interested, call at
237-1376.) He has worked out all the details for team play
and scoring. On his own, he is also considering revisions
for the table and the game itself. But meanwhile he
probably takes all the'shortcuts he can.
Gourdine could
become sport's
first Black czar
CLEVELAND (AP)
Simon P. Gourdine could
become the next com
missioner of the National
Basketball Association and
the first black to hold such a
high position in professional
sports when the NBA's 18
owners meet here today.
The 34-year-old Gourdine is
the prime candidate to suc
ceed Walter Kennedy, who has
announced he will retire June
1,1975.
Gourdine currently is NBA
vice president in charge of ad
ministration and has been a
member of the league's staff
since June, 1970.
forefront of giving blacks
"I have heard the stories,
and I an very much consefouslicoaching and administrative
of it," Gourdine said of a pub- positions in sports
lished report of his chance
of being elected. "My main
concern at this point is that the
story might ,be premature.
You know the owners have to
vote, which they presumably
mill do Thursday, and to that
extent the story was -- a
speculative piece
"I hope that it's treated as
such. I anxiously await the Gotirdine. 34. has been an
outcome of the meeting." assistant US. attorney and
served the Army in Vietnam
Gourdine said he talked with after receiving a lam degree
some of the owners, "but I from Fordham Lam School in
can't go into details." 1965.
The Daily Collegian Thursday, November 7. 1974-
The owners will meet at the
new 525 million Coliseuni.
home of ' the Cleveland
Cavaliers. A news conference
is scheduledfor 3 p.m. EST
Selection of liennedy's suc
cessor requires 14 favorable
votes among the owners
However, before the owners
vote, the committee appointed
by the commissioner to find
his successor will have to for
mally submit Gourdine's
name for consideration. That
is considered a mere foc-,
mality, and Gourdine's narrie
is expected to be the only one
submitted
Bill Russell became the first
black coach of a major pro
team when he took over the
BoM.on Celticssin 1966. Therp
are five black head coaches
and eight assistants in the
league. Russell and Wayne
Embry of the Milwaukee
Bucks are genet almanagers
The NBA has been in the