14 - THE CITIZEN. F’rince George - Wednesday, January 5, 1977 Jim SPORTS INFLATION Coleman Need top share LOS ANGELES (AP) — While the Super Bowl has grown in prestige over its U-yearhistory, the payoffs to players have been shrinking through inflation. “ I’ve got to get a winner’s share this time to buy as much Sports columnist, as I did with my loser’s share nine years ago,” Oakland guard Gene Upshaw said Tuesday after the team’s first Southam Nows Services workout at the University of Calitornia-Irvine campus in suburban Orange County. The winners of. Sunday’s National Football League A sports reporter can begin the New Year pleasantly by championship game will get $15,000 per man and the losers spending a Sunday afternoon talking on the long-distance $7,500. The same amounts were paid back in the first Super telephone with Jack Gotta in Birmingham, Alabama. Gotta, Bowl in 1967. the All-America Good Humor Man, is moving back to Al­ The Raiders and Minnesota Vikings will play before berta two weeks from now to become the head coach and more than 103,000 fans in the Rose Bowl. Net receipts for general manager of the Calgary Stampeders football club. Sunday’s game should reach $6 million, double the amount The Gottas—all six of them— are looking forward to re­ realized from the 1968 Super Bowl between the Raiders and turning to Canada after an absence of three years. Packers. Tara, the Gotta family’s Doberman Pinscher, also is look­ “ Someone's making more money and it’s not us,” said ing forward to returning to Canada, her native land. How­ Upshaw. “ But all I’m thinking about now is winning and ever, Tara is demanding a travel-itinerary which somehow getting to wear the Super Bowl championship ring.” will bypass Toronto's International Airport where, for 14 Upshaw, as a vice-president of the NFL Players Associa­ days in 1974, she was the object of the most extensive dog- tion, realizes that the main reason Super Bowl prize money hunt in the history of Canadian transportation. has been frozen is that the players' last union agreement When the Gottas were moving from Ottawa to Birmin­ with owners expired three years ago. gham. Tara broke loose in the labyrinthian basement of “ We could get more money in a minute if we’d agree to Terminal Two at Toronto. She disappeared down runway 82 what they’re offering. I think their last proposal was in pursuit of a 747 jumbo-jet. For 14 days Air Canada $18,000 and $10,000. But there’s a whole package of issues employees, RCMP constables, SPCA inspectors and De­ involved and there are more important things than Super partment of Transport sleuths unavailingly attempted to Bowl money to be settled." trap Tara as she wildly chased 747’s, 727’s and even the fat little bumblebee 737’s. It was only when Tara collapsed from exhaustion and hunger that she surrendered to an Air Canada posse. She was shipped, under armed guard, to the distraught Gotta family in their new home in Birmingham. “The trauma was almost too much for her,” Mrs. Joan Hawks unbeaten Gotta said Sunday. “ We had to put Tara in the care of a Birmingham psychiatrist for 14 months. We’ll be everlast­ ingly grateful to Air Canada, the RCMP and all those other people who helped to restore her to us—but I’ve promised with new owner her that she won’t have to travel by air again. I’m going to by Associated Press riors whipped New York put her in the family car and drive her all the way to Calgary Oakland defensive coach Tom Dahms poses with his front line, John Matuzak (72), Otis Sistrunk (60) and No matter what Bowie Kuhn Knicks 120-110, Milwaukee myself. I’ve promised her that our route won’t take us within says, Ted Turner must be Dave Rowe (74). Bucks routed.Phoenix Suns 1,000 miles of Toronto Airport." doing something right. 139-111, Chicago Bulls A crowd of 9,194, the second trimmed New York Nets 88-80 largest of the National Basket­ and Portland Trail Blazers M ove welcomed ball Association season in overwhelmed Boston Celtics Most members of the Gotta family have specific reasons Might have some surprises Atlanta, showed up Tuesday 128-84. for welcoming the move to Calgary. Mrs. the former night and cheered both the Gotta, Atlanta went ahead to stay Joan Patterson of Regina, is horse-happy she is en­ LOS ANGELES (AP) - There is a “ What matters isn’t the formation, important, he won’t know which one’ll Hawks and their colorful new and with a nine-point burst in the chanted by the prospect of equestrian sports in Alberta. Jeff theory floating around the Super Bowl it’s the guys who are in it, their ability, be coming.” owner. And if Turner’s goal is third period that established (12) and Tony (11), the two eldest children, have missed the scene—that Fran Tarkenton of Min­ their desire,” says Tarkenton, a veteran One of those linebackers is the Mad to sell tickets, the Hawks’ an 80-72 lead. Denver, whose opportunities to play hockey daily since they left Ottawa. nesota is going to run Oakland’s line of 16 years in the National Football Stork, the angular Ted Hendricks. He’s spirited 113-109 upset of Denver 24-11 record is the best in the The two younger children, Jake (7) and Gia (6) don’t have a ragged, then pass the pants off the Raid­ League. “There is no mystery to de­ looking forward to a few footraces with Nuggets certainly did not hurt. NBA, twice pulled within two vote on domestic moves. ers. fence, only to how well they play.” Tarkenton. The victory snapped an points before Lou Hudson’s 22- "Speaking for myself," says Jack Gotta, “Calgary always “ Well, I don’t know about that,” says The reason the Raiders’ three-man “ I can remember more than a few eight-game Hawks losing foot jumper with 1:27 left made has occupied a soft spot in my heart. I started my Canadian Otis Sistrunk, one of Oakland’s three de­ line (installed by coach John Madden games when he was running back and streak. They are 1-0 under the it 111-107 and clinched the vic­ football career with the Stampeders in 1956.1 had been cut by fensive linemen whose job, in part, will because of a wave of injuries in the pre­ forth, back and forth, with me right new management team of tory. Dan Issel led Denver the Cleveland Browns after playing their six exhibition be to catch the Vikings' scrambling season) won’t make a major difference, after him,” he says. majority owner Turner and with 29 points and Thompson games. Meanwhile, Gene Filipski (fullback) had gone to quarterback. Tarkenton points out, is the presence of “ I tell you, there are few things more general manager and presi­ scored 23. — > Calgary briefly but he was claimed by the New York Giants “ I think we may have a few surprises a fourth linebacker, who will more than frustrating than chasing that man all dent Mike Storen. Turner and before the season opened. Before he left Calgary, Gene re­ in store for him.” likely be blitzing in at him most of the over the joint, then seeing him get a pass Storen took over the club Mon­ Rick Barry scored a sea- commended me to the Stampeder coach, Otis Douglas. Tarkenton, too, has reservations day. off. day, one day after baseball sonhigh 38 points and Jamaal about the widely held view that his abil­ "I had four and one-half happy years in Calgary until they And that fourth linebacker, says Sis­ “Ah, but it’s oh, so sweet when you commissioner Kuhn sus­ Wilkes added 23 as the War­ ity to move laterally, combined with the traded me to the Saskatchewan Roughriders for Lovell Col­ trunk, could create problems for Tar­ catch him.” pended Turner from operating riors snapped New York’s threeman Oakland line rather than the eman. I played for Saskatchewan through 1963; I played the kenton: Oakland is the first team with an al­ the National League Atlanta three-game winning streak and 1964 season for the Montreal Alouettes and, then, I went back usual four, will make the Raiders espe­ “ He won’t know how often that most constant three-man line to make it Braves for what he termed built a three-game string ot to Regina in 1965 when Jim Duncan and I became assistant- cially vulnerable. linebacker will be coming—and more . into the Super Bowl. “conduct detrimental to their own. coaches for Eagle Keys.” baseball’’ in his pursuit of The Bulls broke open a thenfree agent Gary sloppy game with a 16-6 burst Once before. Gotta dropped out of football. After the Sas­ Matthews. in the third quarter. Mickey katchewan Roughriders lost the 1967 Grey Cup Final to the Elsewhere in the NBA Tues­ Johnson was Chicago’s high Ottawa Rough Riders, Gotta decided that he needed a STATISTICS STORY Skaters training day night, Golden State War­ scorer with 20 points. change of scenery” so that I could re«s9ess my life and my future.” He left Regina; he moved his family to Kelowna, B.C. and J HOCKEY Shutt. • Mtl 32 23 55 may be too heavy he took a job as a subsitute teacher with the Board of Educa­ NHL Dionne.