Takes College's Air Hockey Wizard to New York City
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The Daily Collegian Thursday, November 7. 1974- • ksl;` ,.. .NM*. State College's air hockey wizard Gourdine could takes short cut to New York City become sport's One afternoon Mike Dickstein was trying to catch a bus golf clubs, a tennis racket and balls, a bowling ball and first Black and for shortcut between czar looking a College and Beaver bag, a Brunswick air hockey table, plus an assortment of Avenues. He wound up last weekend in New York City. games. Some shortcut, huh? , CLEVELAND (AP) The owners will meet at the Now before you call up the campus patrol and send By the way, Mike is looking for a buyer for the air Simon P. Gourdine could new 525 million Coliseuni. them to find out whether it's this writer or Mike Dickstein Jeff Young hockey table. He already has one that he won in the become the next com- home of ' the Cleveland that's crazy, let's explain a little. Qn that afternoon, about Delaware Valley Regionals in Philadelphia this past sum- missioner of the National Cavaliers. A news conference a and half Dickstein year a ago, wandered past the Cam- mer. Basketball Association and is scheduledfor 3 p.m. EST pus Casino, a local amusement hall. His words may be 001., the first black to hold such a best here Ass't Sports Editor Revealing the more serious side of his beneficial high position in professional pastime, Dickstein related Selection of liennedy's suc- particular reasons that he was sports when the NBA's 18 -"I saw this funny looking thing, with this puck flying happy to go to cessor requires 14 favorable New York. owners meet here today. back and forth, and I went in. I spent all my lunch money votes among the owners "It's rare However, before the there for the next three weeks." so that you get a bunch of serious people The 34-year-old Gourdine is owners You still wanna turn us into the loony bin, together talking airhockey," he said. ''People come up to vote, the committee appointed right? Well, on sort of program. the prime candidate to suc- "funny thing" to get some conditioning Mike related me and say 'I hear you're the pinball Oh, by the commissioner to find the looking turned out be fairly well that the champ. air ceed WalterKennedy, who has known the was structure of the tournament required that he play hockey? Oh, yeah, it's one of those.' his successor will have to for- around country. It pioneeredby Brunswick games announced he will retire June hockey, 27 last Saturday, starting at 8:30 a.m. The champ, mally submit Gourdine's and it's calledair "When a know 1,1975. David Barnett of Athens, Ga., was crowned "about 3:15," you're really good football player, people name for consideration. That Air hockey, for in any of Mike said. all about it. But air hockey, people don't really know the those who've never been the currently is NBA is considered a mere foc-, amusement halls, is large with a scopeof it. Gourdine local played on a table Dickstein made it to New York after winning a local in ad- mality, and Gourdine's narrie laminated surface. the corn- "They say you're vice president charge of Underneath table an air tourrfey this past September at Funtime USA, beneath `so the champ,huh?' and they always ministration and has been a is expected to be the only one pressortulls in air from thesurrounding area, then shoots think they're gonna Pappy's Restaurant. Local winners were sent to a beat me with one hand tied behind league's submitted it all along the table's surface through small holes in the their back and one leg sticking up in member of the staff regional tourney in Philadelphia, Mike's hometown, a the air. But they don't since June, 1970. sides Dickstein explained that the puck then travels on a month later. Mike did not win in Philadelphia, due to a realize that there's more to it than just hitting it back and The NBA has been in the virtually frictionless surface. unique protest of tournamentrules. forth." "I have heard the stories, forefront of giving blacks and administrative Players strike the puck with a bat shaped like a large "They havefree shotsat the goal if you're charged with Dickstein said that he has offered an air hockey course and I an very much consefouslicoaching through of it," Gourdine said of a pub- positions in sports puck with a handle. This piece is called the goalie because a foul," Mike, said, "and a lot of the fouls they call are the Free University, meeting with little interest. it is also used the hole, or goal, at your end of the stupid. "They still think it's something you take your girlfriend lished report of his chance t 9 block So I don't take myfoul shots. I hit them into a cor- to BillRussell became thefirst table, from opponents' shots. ner Satu'rday night." of being elected. "My main of the table." black coach of a major pro Dickstein related helost in a semifinal round after turn- concernat thispoint is that the Dickstein turned out to be a good enough air hockey Mike agled that he and many others that competed in ,be team when he took over the player ing down a foul shot with a 6-3 (7 wins) game story might premature. that the Brunswick people along with Aurora and lead in the New York would like to develop a circuit with tour- BoM.on Celticssin 1966. Therp Holiday Inns, extended an invite to visit New York City that would've given him the match. (The best out of three You know the owners have to naments around the country. He insists it's in thefuture. vote, which they presumably are five black head coaches last weekend and play in a North American air hockey sets constitutes a match and the best of three games "I years know that ten from now, when I try to tell mill do Thursday, and to that and eight assistants in the tournament, all expensespaid. makes a set.) people started, stories about how it they'll laugh," he said. the story -- a league. Russell and Wayne "Like whettfootball extent was Free ride to New York huh? Makes you wanna dash to • "But the guy who ran the tournament knew Iwas a good was first started. But it's growing." speculativepiece Embry of the Milwaukee the nearest air hockey player Bucks are genetalmanagers table maybe? That's exactly what and he spoke to Brunswick," Mike said. "He told Along with other local air hockey enthusiasts, Mike is Mike had in !hind upon reaching Big Apple. Con- them he wanted to good tournament in New treated the have a York , trying to start a league in the area. (If interested, call at "I hope that it's as sequently, he finished third in a field of 32 and returned to and could he bring an alternate in case people didn't show 237-1376.) He has worked such. I anxiously await the Gotirdine. 34. has been an littleold out all the details for team play State College with a big bag full of goodies. up. They saidyes and I went, and people didn't show up, so and scoring. On his own, he is also considering outcome of the meeting." assistant US. attorney and However, if I play." revisions served the Army in Vietnam you're suddenly having visions of yourself got to for the table and the game itself. But meanwhile he as the next air hockey champ of North America, you best For his efforts Dickstein receivedtsoo dollars, a of probably takes all the'shortcuts he can. Gourdine said hetalked with after receiving a lam degree sl.t. some of the owners, "but I from Fordham Lam School in .;.;{.;.;.}f~1::-titi SS%ism::r.::.'~.~'r:{~STr}~::{:?-:•i:{?.':•'i.•.....• tii:~:: }~r .ti:~'}:l:•:1W.Y.1:~.:r.'NnV}::i.YX.•f~.IT~hII~IIsi j'.l: can't go into details." 1965. Marshall unimpressed by Cy Young award EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP Winning on his being named the Cy Young Award win- the Cy Young Award hasn't mellowed Mike ner. Marshall, the ironman relief pitcher of the Reporters who phoned Marshall's home Los Angeles Dodgers. were greeted by a recording suggesting they Marshall was unimpressed when informed leavetheir name and number. that he had been voted the NationalLeague's In an earlier telephone interview with the top pitcher by a panel of the Baseball Writers Los Angeles Herald Examiner, Marshall told Association of America. Even the fact he was baseball writer Bob Hunterthat he would not thefirst reliever so honored failed to stirhim. decide whether he would play 1975 until An Associated Press newsman who Visited March. the pitcher at his home near the Michigan "By making this statement, I do not mean State University campus, was greeted to say, or imply, that I do not intend to pitch graciously, but was firmly told he would not again," Marshall explained. "What I'm be granted an interview. saying:is that I simply will weigh the various "It's nothing personal," said Marshall. "I ingredients, my family, my academic pur- just don't want to talk about it." suits, my feelings, and baseball at that time Marshall's tight-lipped policy apparently and thenmake my decision. Not before." was aimed specifically at news service agen- Marshall, who appeared in a record 106 cies.