- Publish date:
A roundup of the week Sept. 24-30
BOXING—Argentina's CARLOS MONZON retained his world middleweight crown with a unanimous 15-round decision over Jean-Claude Bouttier in Paris.
PRO FOOTBALL—The two New York teams, both favored, did not give up a single touchdown—and both lost, the Giants 12-10 to Cleveland and the Jets 9-7 to Buffalo. Don Cockroft accounted for all the Browns' points with four field goals, including a final go-ahead boot with less than three minutes left in the fourth period. An interception by Safety Walt Sumner of a Norm Snead pass ended Giant hopes as Cleveland held onto the ball until the final gun. O. J. Simpson had his third straight 100-plus-yard afternoon as the Jets were very nearly blanked in Buffalo's Rich Stadium. With only two seconds remaining in the game, Al Woodall, substituting indefinitely for the injured Joe Namath, hit Jerome Barkum with a 34-yard pass that finally put New York on the scoreboard. John Leypoldt's three field goals provided the margin for the Bills. Mercury Morris carried 15 times for 197 yards and three touchdowns as Miami dumped New England 44-23. The Dolphins' Garo Yepremian kicked field goals of 40, 36 and 40 yards. Rookie Colt Quarterback Bert Jones threw four first-half interceptions but managed to survive as Baltimore got by New Orleans 14-10. Jones started off with a touchdown on his first set of plays, then things went sour. In the second half he threw only two passes. His running backs, Lydell Mitchell and Don McCauley, racked up over 100 yards apiece. For the Saints, Archie Manning completed 18 of 33 passes for 257 yards. Pittsburgh overwhelmed Houston in the second half to win 36-7 as Terry Bradshaw ran for one TD and passed for another. Steeler Safety Glen Edwards intercepted a Dan Pastorini pass and returned it 86 yards for a score and Linebacker Andy Russell picked off another Pastorini attempt for another six. Minnesota became the only NFL team to remain undefeated in preseason and regular play as the Vikings defeated Green Bay 11-3. Fred Cox's three field goals and Defensive Tackle Alan Page's bruising play were the Viking keys. Page personally caused two Jim Del Gaizo fumbles, dropped the Packer quarterback for one 10-yard loss and was a major factor in Del Gaizo's dismal four completions in 14 attempts for just 36 yards (page 36).
Veteran Quarterbacks Sonny Jurgensen and John Unitas distinguished themselves—the Redskin with a victory, the Charger by establishing an NFL record. Jurgensen, out injured for almost a year, passed Washington to a 28-7 win over Philadelphia in which Charley Taylor caught his 488th career pass. The Eagles' only score came on an 80-yard pass from Roman Gabriel to Running Back Norm Bulaich. While losing to Cincinnati 20-13, Unitas became the first NFL quarterback to pass for 40,000 yards. Essex Johnson, who gained 121 yards for the Bengals, nullified a second-half San Diego rally. Willie Lanier scored on a Ken Stabler interception and Jan Stenerud booted three field goals as Kansas City downed the Raiders 16-3. Dallas massacred St. Louis 45-10 as Michigan State rookie Billy Joe DuPree caught three touchdown passes from Roger Staubach and Craig Morton. Morton later threw another TD, this one 53 yards to Golden Richards. Visiting Los Angeles embarrassed San Francisco 40-20. The Rams rushed for 223 yards, Quarterback John Hadl completed eight of 11 for 118 yards, David Ray kicked four field goals and rookie Safety-Cornerback Cullen Bryant returned a kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown. At Mile High Stadium two touchdown passes from the Bears' left-handed Bobby Douglass plus penalties against the Broncos gave Chicago a 33-14 triumph over Denver.
GOLF—In his second victory in the British Isles this year, Texan CHARLES COODY survived a final-round six-over-par 77 to capture the $140,000 John Player Classic in Turnberry, Scotland. He defeated England's Tony Jacklin by three strokes in Europe's richest pro tournament.
Lefty SAM ADAMS of Boone, N.C. captured his first pro tournament, in the $100,000 Quad Cities Open in Bettendorf, Iowa. His 268 total beat Kermit Zarley and Dwight Nevil by three strokes.
Sandra Palmer shot a 67 to win the $30,000 Cameron Park (Calif.) tournament by two strokes over Sue Berning and Gail Denenberg.
HARNESS RACING—Vernon Dancer, sitting in for his brother Stanley, drove NEVELE BRET ($4.20) to a six-length victory over Southampton V. in the $81,695 Roosevelt Futurity.
HORSE RACING—PROVE OUT ($34.40) upset Secretariat by 4½ lengths in the $108,200 Woodward Stakes at Belmont Park (page 78).
Jorge Velasquez rode TENTAM ($5.20) to a four-length victory over Star Envoy in the $125,000 United Nations Handicap at Atlantic City.
LACROSSE—The COLLEGE SUPER STARS defeated the Club Super Stars 15-11 in Baltimore. Cornell Attackman JACK TRENZ was named MVP, scoring three goals and one assist (page 74).
TENNIS—In the rain-delayed Virginia Slims tournament in Houston, FRAN√áOIE DURR gained her first pro victory of the season, defeating Rosemary Casals 6-4, 1-6, 6-4.
Roy Emerson defeated Bjorn Borg 5-7, 6-1, 6-4 to take the $50,000 Fireman's Fund International in Alamo, Calif.
Margaret Court defaulted to CHRIS EVERT in the $30,000 women's tournament in Columbus, Ga. Court had injured her calf muscle earlier in the week.
Third-seeded TOM OKKER rallied from a first-set loss, survived a 12-point tie breaker and won the $50,000 Tarn Tennis tournament 3-6, 7-6, 6-3 over John Newcombe in Chicago.
TRACK & FIELD—The women's world record was broken by NADEZHDA CHIZHOVA of the Soviet Union when she hurled the shot 70'4½", 7.8 inches better than the previous mark.
WEIGHT LIFTING—The U.S.S.R. took team honors in the world championships in Havana, scoring 96 points. Bulgaria, with 78, was second (page 38).
MILEPOSTS—FIRED: BILLY KINARD, 39, football coach at Mississippi, after two seasons: 10-2 in 1971 and 5-5 last year and 1-2 already this year. He was replaced by his predecessor, JOHN VAUGHT, 64, who had retired because of a heart condition.
JUMPED: From the NBA Los Angeles Lakers to the ABA San Diego Conquistadors as player-coach, WILT CHAMBERLAIN, for an estimated $600,000 a year for the next three years.
ORDERED RETIRED: By the N.Y. Athletic Commission, former World Boxing Association heavyweight champion ERNIE TERRELL, 34, after his fight with Jeff Merritt was stopped in the first round at Madison Square Garden. Terrell won the WBA crown in 1965 and lost it to Muhammad Ali in 1967.
OUT: As chairman of the board of the STP Corporation, ANDY GRANATELLI, 50. The portly racing figure, who was replaced by John Jay Hooker Jr., will remain as vice-chairman.
RESIGNED: New York Yankee Manager RALPH HOUK, 54, after his team finished a disappointing fourth in its division. Manager from 1961 to 1963 and from 1966 until his resignation, he led New York to three pennants and two world championships in '61 and '62.
REVERSED: Garry Bettenhausen's Sept. 16 victory in the first segment of the Michigan 250, by a three-man USAC board of appeals which awarded first place to BILL VUKOVICH. Vukovich, who had not won a championship race this season, appealed a one-lap penalty given him when he allegedly passed the pace car during a yellow flag period. Bettenhausen was moved back to second place.
DIED: Former harness racing official STEPHEN G. PHILLIPS, 86, who revolutionized the sport with the introduction of the mobile starting gate in 1937.
