Tuesday, October 8, 1968
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
9
White in Mexico City
The United States' Olympic basketball team arrived Sunday in Mexico City—with them was KU's All-American guard Jo Jo White.
White stopped in Lawrence a few days before leaving for the Olympics. He described the team as being strong in some aspects and weak in others.
"Perhaps the lack of enough big men and enough good centers are the greatest weaknesses." White said.
Coach Henry Iba emphasizes a ball control type of game in which rebounding superiority is essential. "We'll just have to work harder to get the rebounds." White explained.
Iba is the head coach of the Olympic basketball squad. He also coached the 1964 Olympic team and coaches Oklahoma State's basketball team.
The United States has never been defeated in Olympic basketball competition. But forecasters are predicting the first defeat in Mexico.
"That hasn't affected the team at all," White said. "Those kinds of predictions are not uncommon."
The Olympic squad has played against three professional teams. They defeated the New York Knicks, 65-64 in overtime, and lost to Cincinnati, 71-63, in the NBA league. They also defeated the Denver Rockets, 89-53, in the ABA. White scored 17 points against Denver.
On his first contact with the'
pros White said he didn't think they played as hard as college teams. Though they beat N.Y., White said he thought the Knicks were the best pro team.
"Cazzie Russell, Willis Reed and Oscar Robertson impressed me the most among the players." White said.
White wants to be drafted by the pros but did not say which team he would rather play with.
The high altitude training at Alamosa, Colo., did not bother White, "except the first few days." He believes the Olympic team has had enough time to train.
White did not go with the team on a European tour this summer because of a job he had in Lawrence.
"Russia, Yugoslavia and Brazil," White considers will present the U.S. team with the toughest competition.
The players on the Olympic squad which have most impressed White are Spencer Haywood, 6-8 center from Trinidad State Junior College, and 6-5 guard Charlie Scott from North Carolina.
"It didn't take too long to get accustomed to international rules," White said. "The game is played much faster under international rules."
White believes he will start at guard with Calvin Fowler, 6-1, from the Goodyear AAU team.
"Among the most notable differences, besides the quality of the players, is their maturity,"
Buff lineman is Big 8 pick
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (UPI)—Colorado's Mike Schnitker nearly played linebacker for the Buffs this year, but coach Eddie Crowder finally started him at defensive end—and now he's glad he did.
Today Schnitker was named the Big Eight Lineman of the Week for his play in Colorado's 28-18 win over upset-minded Iowa State Saturday.
The 6-2, 230-pound senior was in on nine tackles including four unassisted—and was the key man in stopping two Iowa State drives near the goal line.
Crowder said, "Mike took away much of our opponent's offense and put enough pressure on thrithir quarterback to enable our defensive secondary to have one of its better days."
White said in comparing his Olympic teammates with players he has faced in college competition.
A senior from St. Louis, White has only one semester of basketball eligibility left at KU. He's majoring in physician education.
"The game against Texas Western in the regionals," was White's immediate answer when asked to recall the game that brought most memories to him. White connected from 40 feet away in the final second of the game against Texas Western, but the shot was not allowed and KU lost because a referee claimed White had nipped the side line. Texas Western went ahead to claim the NCAA National Championship.
Kansas tight end John Mosier (88) squares off against New Mexico middle guard Jerry Buckner in Saturday's game in Memorial Stadium. Mosier had just received one of three passes he caught during the game.
"KU's team should be pretty good this year," White said. "Probably what happened last year is that the team didn't give as much as it could have," he explained when asked about KU's failure to capture its third consecutive Big Eight Championship.
'Rookie' Heston now quarterback in his movie 'Pro'
HOLLYWOOD (UPI)—The all-around National Football League quarterback faded back into the protective pocket of blockers looking downfield for receivers. Defensive behemoths poured in on him ready for the kill. It was a tense moment.
Then the director screamed, "Cut! Hold it!"
He looked in the direction of Charlton Heston, the quarterback, with relief. The star didn't have a mark on him.
It was all part of a new motion picture, "Pro," built around a fading quarterback who has played beyond his prime. When his team loses he's booed, when it wins the old pro breathes new life.
Since last March Heston has been working with University of Southern California coaches Marv Goux and Craig Fertig to learn the art of quarterbacking.
"When I ran out onto Tulane's field for the New Orleans-Boston Patriots game this summer 68,000 fans screamed for the team. It was a thrill being part of the squad—even though I wasn't going to play."
He also has run on the field with the New Orleans Saints squad which will serve as the team in the picture. Hearing Heston talk football is not unlike listening to an excited kid relating the time he sat on the bench during a big game.
"One of the wonderful things about acting is the Walter Mitty syndrome," Heston grinned. "As a boy I dreamed of being a great quarterback. Now I'm playing one.
Heston jogs, swims and plays tennis. He is in magnificent shape for a man who has turned 40. But he found the moves of a quarterback brought muscles into play that he never knew he had.
Heston was there for background shots and to study Bill Kilmer, the Saints' quarterback who will double for him.
Kilmer will be shown in action and being mowed down occasionally. Then the camera will cut to Heston in a close-up.
Heston was a bench-warming scrib end at New Trier High School in a suburb of Chicago. He never made the yarsity, nor is he a particularly graceful athlete despite his 6-foot, 3-inch physique. He admits it.
"The only thing that came naturally to me was parting the Red Sea in 'The Ten Commandments,'" Heston said with assurance.
"I told the USC coaches when we met that I wasn't a particularly good athlete. But I have three assets," Heston said. "I'm strong, stubborn and I have a thick skin."
Racial demonstrations won't disrupt games
MEXICO CITY (UPI)—Planned demonstrations by American black athletes will "in no way" disrupt the Olympic games scheduled to start here on Saturday, U.S. spring star John Carlos promised today.
Carlos, one of the United States' top hopes for a 'gold medal, declined to spell out exactly what form the "demonstrations" would take. But his words meant a new headache for Olympic officials even as the possibility of more violence in the streets here—like that which claimed 33 lives last week—seemed to be fading.
Carlos, holder of the world record for 200 meters, raised the subject of demonstrations the very minute he and other members of the powerful U.S. track and field team set foot on Mexican soil for the first time Sunday.
"There will be demonstrations throughout the meet," said Carlos, who is from New York City, "but no demonstrations to disrupt the meet. At the same time, we want to dramatize to let the black people in the United States know we really are not satisfied with what's happening."
Payton Jordan of Stanford
University, head coach of the U.S. track team, frowned his displeasure at Carlos' remarks and commented, "anyone who speaks for the black athletes speaks only for himself."
Husker's Sigler no quitter wants to defeat Jayhawks
Carlos, who wore a pin,
"Olympic Movement for Human
Rights," in his lapel, said, however,
that he was speaking for other black members of the U.S. team as well as himself. Tommie Smith of Lemoore, Calif., another star U.S. spinner, wore a similar pin.
"They wrote me about the possible black movement meeting down here," Smith said. "If they meet, I'll be there." He did not specify who "they" were.
At the Olympic village, 6,776 athletes from 95 nations had checked in through Sunday and were busily settling into their apartments and getting started with the final phases of their training. By Tuesday night, when the last of the athletes is expected to arrive, it is believed this total will top 7,000 athletes from 126 nations.
LINCOLN, Neb. (UPI)—Nebraska quarterback Ernie Sigler believes a man who gives up on the football field will give up later on in life.
Meanwhile, this Olympic city was starting to breath a little easier after last week's violence. Federal troops and city riot police still were visible in many parts of the city, but there was no hint of any further trouble.
"I got discouraged a lot of times," the 22-year-old Husker signal caller said of his former second team status. "But I knew if I quit on the football field I might quit later on in my professional life."
"This is a real hardworking team and I'm just glad to be a part of it," he said Tuesday in an interview.
Sigler was listed in this year's pre-season Nebraska football brochure as "back-up man for Frank Patrick." Patrick was the Huskers' number one quarterback last year and everyone figured this year would be no different.
The quiet native of Dallas, Texas, said he gets more nervous during practice than he does at game time.
But during Nebraska's first game of the season, Sigler, a third quarter substitute for Patrick, led the Huskers to a 13-10 come-from-behind victory over Wyoming. He's been the number one field general ever since. In fact, Patrick didn't even get in the game during Nebraska's 17-14 win last week over the University of Minnesota.
"As far as I'm concerned, it counts just as much in practice as it does on Saturday afternoon," Sigler said. "If you don't get it right in practice you won't get it right during a game."
Additive Advice
SAN FRANCISCO (UPI) Motorists are cautioned to check with their dealer before using additives in their car's automatic transmission fluid. The California State Automobile Association says unauthorized use of material not recommended by the manufacturer may void the factory guarantee.
"My goal now is to beat Kansas," he said, "you try to take 'em one at a time and you work hard to win each game."
"We have nothing to fear but fear itself . . . and the boogy man."
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