Every sport is a winner in this crazy sports year
By RON HANSON
What was the biggest sports story of 1966? Was it Jim Ryun's record-breaking summer on the blistering hot cinders? Or was it the "clash of the century" between the two best teams in college football, Notre Dame and Michigan State? Some may say it was the titanic disintegration of one of the most formidable teams in all sports, the New York Yankees.
No one can really say which story was the top one, because in sports, as in few other areas, people fiercely support their own favorites. Because of this, to name the single top sports story would be ridiculous, but sports in 1966 was outstanding enough to warrant a recalling of some of the more memorable events.
B-ball starts year
The year began in the midst of an exciting basketball campaign, both collegiate and professional. Four college teams: Kentucky, Duke, Kansas and Texas Western were knocking off their opponents with championship frequency. The national ratings had them listed in the 1-4 order mentioned above.
When the NCAA national tournament began in March, only Kansas was missing from the four school aggregation at the national championship. Eventual national champion Texas Western overthrew the Jayhawks at the Midwest regional as KU lost the game because one of its white-shoed players was charged with shooting the game winning shot out of bounds. Texas Western went on to win the NCAA, as it had little trouble defeating Kentucky in the title game.
In professional basketball, the Boston Celtics continued their domination of the sport by winning their seventh straight championship.
Changes hit baseball
Changes hit baseball Spring came and so did the baseball season, with some quite notable events.
The New York Yankees in 1966 represented a monumental example in support of the claim that nothing lasts forever. For nearly 50 years the Bronx Bombers dominated baseball like no other team in the history of the sport. In 1966 the American League standings read: New York, 10th. A
Daily Kansan
Tuesday, December 13, 1966
team which once deplored the excuses of its defeated foes resorted to making up a few of its own—aging stars, lack of young talent, and loss of morale.
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Wins triple crown
At season's end, two accomplishments kept baseball in the national sports spotlight. Baltimore Oriole outfielder, Frank Robinson, led his team to the American League pennant and a World Series victory in four games over the Dodgers. Robinson also became the first player since Mickey Mantle 10 years earlier to win a triple crown in batting (led league in batting average, home runs, and runs batted in).
A second development was the retirement of Sandy Koufax. Unable to continue pitching because of a painful arthritic condition in his throwing arm, the greatest strikeout artist of them all called it quits in November. Only 30, Koufax had established strike-out and earned run average marks far out of the reach of any current competitor in either league.
Ryun sets marks
The summer of 1966 was not solely concerned with baseball. A tall, slender and unassuming young man from KU shook the sports world when he ran a half-mile and a mile faster than any other man had ever done before. Jim Ryun, the 19-year-old middle distance runner supreme, ran the half in 1:44.9 for one world mark and broke Frenchman Michael Jazy's world record in the mile when he ran that distance in 3:-51.3. With at least 10 productive track years ahead of him, speculation has it that Ryun eventually might run the mile in 3:40.0.
Throughout the year, a controversial man with a magnitude of talent began building a legend. The legend of Cassius Clay (or Muhammad Ali) is declining to be one of controversy and beginning to be one of boxing. The heavyweight champion of the world in 1966 successfully retained his title five times.
AFL-NFL to merge
Football commanded national sports attention early in the fall when it was announced that the two professional football leagues (NFL and AFL) would merge in 1970. Unable to continue paying the big draft salaries for incoming college stars, the two leagues decided to reduce competition and make it one big family. They also decided to stage a World
Series of football to be played in early 1967. This would constitute football's "super bowl."
Collegiate football in 1966 was obsessed with national rankings. Alumni, players, fans, and coaches themselves admitted a desire to have their teams ranked number one in the nation.
The chance for the number one rating came for two teams in mid-November. Undefeated, untied, undaunted and unscared, Notre Dame and Michigan State, rated 1-2 nationally, squared off in a classic battle. When the game ended, the number one position was still up in the air—the Irish and Spartans tied 10-10.
Notre Dame finally ended the season in the top spot nationally because of its last game victory over Southern California, 51-0. The rankings may say that Notre Dame is number one, but Michigan State people believe they own at least half of that rating.
"Now. Down, Boy — Back In Your Corner — That's A Good Dragon — Down —"
HERBLOCK
THE WASHINGTON POST
The television industry has had no real surge. Probably science fiction and old comebacks are as much the rage as anything.
1966 entertainment not static
"LOST IN SPACE," a good old cliff-hanger adventure story, was successful last season. This year the two big science fiction entries are "Star Trek" and "The Time Tunnel."
Entertainment is definitely not static - especially with Doug and Tony hurtling through time in the living room, Mrs. Miller being mistaken for Petula Clark, and George and Martha having it out in every neighborhood movie house and community players' group.
By EARL HAEHL
On the adventure circuit, U.N.C.L.E. added a new agent called April Dancer. David Janssen finally caught a glimpse of the one-armed man. Ben Gazzara is still running for his life. And Max Smart has finally stopped using his shoe for a phone.
Color, once synonymous with the NBC peacock, has been extended to ABC and CBS increasingly in the past years. Almost all primetime programming is color.
Things won't be the same at the opera house since the Met has moved to Lincoln Center. But that's the way the world moves—nothing static.
For those who would rather not fool with the television buttons, there are the movies. And movies draw crowds.
Few motion pictures in 1966 have the sheer force and brutality of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" Mike Nichols, working with the Burtons, built an atmosphere in which the viewer felt suddenly tied to the story.
1966 HAD ITS share of adventure, situation comedies, and science fiction movies. In the realm of adventure "The Silencers" and "Modesty Blaise" followed close on the heels of the James Bond craze.
And last spring a phenomenon occurred when Mrs. Elva Miller decided to get into singing. Her boots walked all over a record and they decided to sell it.
The Beatles, a sort of living myth, are still in the news occasionally. John made a discourse about Jesus, got his locks trimmed, and made a movie.
With all the glitter and life in the big cities it is often comforting to know that Lawrence has some entertainment to offer. The highlight: a focus attention on this city for the world premiere of an opera. The time: Centennial week. The place: University Theatre. The show: "Carry Nation."
THE STAGE HAS been in a state of turmoil for years. It cannot thrive on the static.
On Broadway . . . "Mame," a musical based on "Auntie Mame," is one of the most publicized productions. Another is "The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis De Sade."
The two present a Broadway representing the dichotomy of forces at work. "Mame" is light and flippant; "Marat/Sade" brutal and stark.
Entertainment 1966 has provided something for every taste, and Entertainment 1967 has a lot to build on.
Air pollution tops list
People kick science into 1966 limelight
By JIM SULLINGER and NANCY PAINTER
Science, speaking generally, was pulled kicking and screaming through 1966 by the people of this country. This is quite ironic, since the reverse usually has been true during the past few years.
In past years, the general public has never had an intimate relationship with the scientific world. The public has gone about its business content to let science play in its ivory tower, only to be understood by those who inhabit it.
A new scientific awareness on the part of Americans has penetrated the land. Science and citizen, one might say, have entered into partnership.
HOWEVER, THICKENED yellow clouds of choking smog, and rivers covered with chemical slick,
became omnipresent to the American public—they were sickened by what they saw.
Congressmen and senators poured millions of dollars into the space program so that Americans could take part in explorations.
Committees were formed to look at the problems that were directly concerning the lives of the U.S. citizens. Industry was asked to contribute its efforts toward a solution.
The proof for this public awareness and feeling of kinship to the scientific world can be found in the major news stories of the year.
FIRST PLACE ranking is given (by importance) to the air and water pollution situations. The people not only sought legislation from the government, but techniques to control the problems from science.
The LSD controversy, in third place, focused the public's attention on drugs. Again, science was sought in connection with this problem.
In the second place is the space program. More achievements in this area have come this year than ever before. The Gemini program and the moon pictures stirred the public's imagination.
OTHER IMPORTANT stories were birth control, fourth; cigarette health problems, fifth; mechanical heart implants, sixth, and the strides in cancer research, seventh.
Science always has been in the business of bettering the lot of man inhabiting the earth. It shoves man forward and solves his problems. Now, the scientist and the taxpayer are truly partners for progress.
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