Page 8, The Herald, Wednesday, December 12, 1979 i \. PERE ACE -ISEETMENL daily SPORTS | IN THE NFL Playoff berths undecided NEW YORK (AP) — With one week remaining in the regular National Football League season, eseven teams have earned playolf berths and six are vying for the three remaining spots. In the National Con- ference, those assured of playoff positions are Los Angeles Rams, 9-6, the West Division champion for the seventh consecutive year, and Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys, who share the East lead with Washington Redskins, each at 10-5, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Chicago Bears, tied for the Central lead at 9-6, are vying with Washington for the remaining two playoff spots in the NFC, On the final weekend of the season, Washington plays at Dallas, Chicago entertains St. Louis Cardinals and Tamp Bay is home against Kansas City Chiefs. If Washington beata Pallas, it will win the NEC East and a playoff berth, even if Philadelphia wons its final game. The tie would be rboken on the basis of best net points within the division. At present, Wash- ington has scored 148 points against its East Division opponents and allowed 104 for a plus 44. Philadelhia, which has completed its _ division schedule, wound up at plus 21. if Dallas wins, it would clinch the division title, beating Philadelphia on the basis of a better conference record — 10-2 to 9-3, The Eagles can win the division title only if they beat Houston Oilers while Washington and Dallas tie. If Washington loses, it still can be a wild-card team. If it tles, it automatically gets a wild-card berth. If Tampa Bay wins or if Chicago loses, the Bucaneers clinch the Central Division tile, The only way Chicago can win the division crown is to beat St. Louis and have Tampa Bay lose ta the Chiefs. Hf the teams finish in a tie, at 10-6 or 9-7, Tampa Bay gets the title on the basis of a better division jecord, 6- 2 to 5-3. Tf Chicago,and Washington each finish 10-6, and the Bears don’t win their division ttle, the tle for the wild-card berth would be broken on the basis of best net points in all games, be- cause both teams would have the same conference record, $4, Going into the final game, Washington is plus 54 points, Chicago is plus 21. In the American Con- ference, Miami Dolphins, 10- 5, have clinched the East Division crown while Pitt- sburgh Steelers, the Houston Oilers and the San Diego Chargers, all 11-4, are assured of playoff spots. Thet leaves Denver Broncos, 10-5, Cleveland Browns, 9-6, and Oakland Raiders, 9-6, alive for the last post-season berth. Pittsburgh and Houston each have one game remaining, the Steelers playing at home against the Buffalo Bills, with the Oilers entertaining Philadelphia. San Diego and Denver play each other on the final night of the season, Dec. 17, at San Diego. Cleveland winds up at Cincinnati against the Bengals and Oakiand is home against Seattle Seahawks. If Pittsburgh and Houston finish the season wilh identical 12-4 records, the deadlock for first place will be broken on the basis of net peints in division games, The other team will be the wild- card team, The Browns can get the other wild-card spot by beating Cincinnati, pravided Oakland and Dnever lose their final games. This would create a two-way tie between the Browns and the Broncos and the tle would be broken on the basis of best net points in all games, since both would: have identical 7-5 conference records. Denver _ currently is plus 37 net points, Cleveland is plus 11, San Diego can clinch the AFC West crown by beating Denver in their final game. Denver can win the division title by beating San Diego in that game, on the basis of a two-game sweep over the Chargers. If Denver loses to San Diego, the Broncos can be the wildcard team if Oaklane and = Cleveland lose, Howeve. , ‘ zéland loses to Seattle and Cleveland beats Cincinnati, the Broncos and Browns would finish tied at 10-6. The tie would be broken on the basis of net points, If Cakland beats Seattle and Denver loses, the Raiders would ¢linch the wild-card berth regardless of the outcome of Cleveland's game against Cincinnati, If Oakland finishes In a two- way tle with Denver ar in a three-way tie with Denver and Cleveland, the Raiders clinch the wild card because of a better head-to-head record — 2-0 against Denver ‘ and 1-0 against Cleveland. Knees can’t take the beating It is a weekday. Players are straining against the resistance of the weight machines, pushing them. selves as hard as they can — grunting, twisting, stretch- ing. It is Sunday. Whistles are blowing, bodies are un tangling — and at the bottom of the pilesomeone is holding a knee, grimaclag in “pain! Out comes a stretcher arid off goes another entry on the injured reserve list. Is there a relationship? Dees all that work in the trainers’ rooms work to the detriment of players trying to strengthen themselves against the possibility of injury? It has been suggested there is a correlation bet- ween weight training — a fixture among many National Football League teams — and knee injuries. But Dr, James Nicholas, the noled orthopedist at New York's Lenox Hill Hospital, and other experts disagree, “There's no evidence at it this lime that any kind of weight training can bring on a knee injury,” says Nicholas, perhaps the best known physician in this field. “Maybe working too hard, putting too much strain on the jointcan cause pain, lead to tendinitis. But not over- developed muscles. There's only a certain amount of bulk you can develop.” The knee, Nicholas and others stress, simply igs not made for pro football. ‘J think when God created manhe should have put us on all fotlr's,"* jokes Ker Locker, the Dallas Cowboys’ trainer, “Then we wouldn't have played football. We would have all been out chasing sticks or something. “The knee joint, by its very nature, is one of the weakest in the body," Locker adds. “It simply wasn't made to take the kind of punishment dished out in this game.” Marv Pollina, trainer for Cincinnati Bengals, concurs, "The knee wasn't made to play football. No matter how strong you make the muscle around it you can’t ab- solutely prevent damage to “The knee is the poorest constructed joint in the body as far as contact sport is involved," says Pittsburgh Steeler trainer Ralph Berlin. And Jim Omohundro, trainer for St. Louis Cardinals, notes: ‘Not only does the knee get hit from both sides and from the front and back like most other parts of the body in football, but it is also subjected to torsion — the stress of twisting.” Says Pollins: “You can't build up a joint like the knee, only the muscles around it. It doesn’t make sense that be- cause surrounding muscles are built up the joint itself suffers," Except when they are so built up that flexibility is lost, says Dr, Joseph DeF'eo, a New York orthopedist, “If a player is in the middle of a pileup and he's got so much muscle development around a joint that he loses some flexibility around it, he can experience an injury that a less-developed athlete might not suffer. “And a player wha tries lo build himself up to too great an extent can tear some muscle fibers and perhaps suffer a hematoma (internal bleeding) that can cause soreness,’’ says DeFeo. On the lack of flexibility, Locker acknowledges: “There are people who do so much bench-pressing and other overtraining that they have arms like mastodons, LeFlore an Expo now MONTREAL (CP) — Along with an abyndance of talent, outfielder Ron LeFiore hopes to provide a few of the intangibles that could lead Montreal Expos ta a pennant in baseball's Na- tional League next season. “T think I can bring a great deal of unity that can balance whatever imbalance there was here," sald the 27- year-old outflelder who was acquired from Detrait Tigers of the American League last week in exchange for pitcher Dan Schatzeder, LeFlore, along with pit- cher Fred Norman and outfielder Rowland Office, a pair of free agenta signed by the Expos last week, were presented to the Montreal media Tuesday, LeF lore was signed by the Tigers out of a Southern Michigan prison, where he served lime for armed robbery, and went on to post 4 207 career batting average in five seasons with Detroit, Although LeFlore will be facing many NL pitchers for the first time next season, he doesn’t expect the swilch in leagues to pose any major problems. ‘I've faced a tot of National League teams in spring training,” he sald. “'k don’t have to worry about swinging at high pitches anymore. The American League has a higher sirike zone, but [ consider myself a low-ball hitter. The ad- justment is something that will fit right into my pattern of play.” LeFlore also doesn't ex- pect his throwing arm, In- jured much of last season, to prevent him from moving into the Expos' centre-field spot, “The doctor told me it was a muscle tear, but I've been exercising since then and the arm has totally recovered. The doctor said the problem would not reoccur.” Norman, meanwhile, said the prospect of staying in the National League and par- ticipating in another World Serles induced him to join the Expos. The former member of Cincinnati Reds, who was il- 13 in 1979, scoffed at suggestions that at 37 he could no longer withstand the strain of pitching regularly. "I don't consider age to be a factor,”’ said Norman. “TI keep myself physically fit. Age shouldn't be a factor. It's simply the result of self- destruction if you can’t play anymore.” Office, who batted .249 in 124 games with Atlanta Braves last season, enters an oulfield derby that wili in- clude at least eight players. "It's going to be a big praj- ect, " Office said. “Everybody wants to start, but I think the manager is Boing to do the right thing by giving everybody some playing time.” Lukowinch wins Briar EDMONTON (CP) he bh cheque was great, but Fa Lukowlch said it will never quite match the thrill of winning the 1979 Canadian curling title. “The Brier was a thrill of a lifetime," said Lukowich after winning the World Open Tournament of Champlona Bonspiel Tuesday and picking up $20,000. “If ybu: loge a bon- spiel there's. always another bonsptel you can enter,”’ Lukowich, who now lives in Calgary along with third Mike Chernoff but still curls with Medicine Hat, Alla., teammates Dale Johnston and Ron Schindle, beat Vancouver’s Bernie Sparks 6-4 to win the $65,000 event. He moved from Medicine Hat last June but said it hasn't hurt the rink’s play. “We've been doing it for three years, with Chernoff living in Calgary. We've had to travel to get together. Everybody practises on their own. We'va been together enough years that we know what everybody throws." Sparkes, who has gone to the Canadian chamr” "shin tournament nine (im... stayed close as the two ands never gave up more thai: one point an end, until the 10th. but they can't scratch their backs. Muscles like that are almost useless, A certain amount of flexibility is required. That's called func- ‘jonal strength.” Kluss, * Clippers win big Action in the Terrace Men's Basketball Association Tuesday night featured a couple of blowouts, with Kluss and Sons beating All Seasons 92- 69 and Ev's Clippers beating the Skeena Hotel Orphans 90- 77. At least the first half of the early game was close, with All Seasons leading 37-36 after 20 minutes. Kluss really took over in the second haif with Willie Chemko's 18 second-half points leading the way. Chemko had 38 for the game, and Fred Lindsay with 32 helped out. All Seasons got 21 from Greg Ross and 17 from Mike Ireland. In the late game, Dale Prest’s 24 points led Ev's Clippers to a convincing victory over the Skeena Hotel Orphans, 90-77, While the point spread was not as great as the first game, Ev's led the whole way, and were up 45-29 al the half. Paul Walker got 16 for Ev's, The Orphans got 16 each from Jim Checkley, James Harvey and Willie Harvey, Next Action is the TMBA is Thursday night at Skeena Junior Secondary School, Kjuss and Sons meet Ev’s Clippers, while All Seasons play the Skeena Hotel Or- phans. Rupert beats Kitimat The Prince Rupert Kings scored two late goals last night lo beat the Kitimat Winterhawks 4-2 Tuesday night in the only PNWHL game played. The Kings took a 2-1 second-period lead on goals by Dan D'Eon and Jerry Trask after a scoreless first period: Dan Fournier replied in the second for the Win- torhawks. John Rich tied the game midway through the third period, but with less than two minutes left in the game Gary Coons and Gary Kent scored to lifl the Kings to the win. Next game in the PNWHL ‘s Thursday night, when the Smithers Totems travel to Granisie to meet the much- improved Lakers. IN UNIONDALE Islanders drop Habs - By THE CANADIAN PRESS Before Anders Kallur left the Swedish National team and his homeland to join the National Hockey League's New York Islanders, he often read about Montreal Canadiens. “All the stories said the Canadiens were the best,”’ said the 27-year-old right - winger Kallur and the Islanders were the best Tuesday night. The native of Ludvika, Sweden, scored a shor- thanded goal and set up a tally by Bryan Trottier in lifting New York to a 41 victory that wasn’t as close as the threegoal margin indicated. “We never had a chance,” said coach Bernie Geolfrion of the defending Stanley Cup champion Canadiens, who had their road winless streak extended to six games and find themselves with just two victories in the last nine contests, “'The Islanders, in the first period, weren't going anywhere. We never pushed them hard enough.” It was Kallur and the Islanders who did the pushing, pressuring Mon- treal into rushed plays and forcing a number of giveaways, One of them came at 3:42 of the second period, while Kallur was helping kill a penalty to Wayne Merrick, Montreal right winger Guy Lafleur lost contro! of the puck at the centre red line, and Kallur raced away alone — faking to his backhand and pulling the puck back to the forehand for a 10-foot shot past goalie Michel Larocque. : “I'm used to killing penal- ties,’ said Kallur. “I did it a lot with the Nationals,” The shorthanded goal, the Islanders’ third this season, doubled the lead rookie Duane Sulter had provided with the first of his two goals in the contest, In the other NHL games Tuesday night, New York Rangers beat Detroit Red Wings 2-1, Vanconver Canucks heat Hartford Whalers 5-3 and St, Louis Blues tied Pitlsburgh Penguins 3-3. Guy Lapointe halved Men- treal's deficit at 6:55 of the period. But Trottier flicked in the rebound of a Bob Lorimer shot at 11:20 and Sutter finished the Canadiens off with 3:01 left in the game. Geoffrion seethed alter the contest, “T tell them how to play — there's a system,” Geoffrion said, “but if they don’t want NHL STATS WALES CONF MRENCE Norris Division WLT FAP «UF ONT 9096 V1 8 118 113 IP 1 8 7 98 Montreal Lat Ang . Piits @ 92:39 Hartford =, B11 8.89 94 24 Celrolt . #12 5.82 85 23 . Adame Division Bulfala . 6 3110 68 41 Batton We 3, 4,99 Fa 38 Minn 12.6 #109 8431 Toronto 12.11 3.93 69 @ Quebec 10.74 4 64 100 24 CAMPROQLL CONFERENCE Patrick Divistan Phila A o1 Fa2y Ba 43 Rangers 12.420 4115 118 30 | Atlanta W728 0-3,9] 90 F (alandera 1013 4.99 9F 24 Washing 41% § Fave 13 . Smylhes Division. Vancouver ILL F993 99 31 Chicago... 8 10.87 79 24 St. Loule . 916 5S 84108 23 Winnipeg 914 4 80 112 29 Colorado B18 3.85 % 19 Edmonton . > soa ‘ * +26 614 & G4 115 18 + Tuewday Rei . NY (slanders W Montreal «| Ny Rangere +2 Detroit 1 Vancouver 15 Hartford 3 Pitteburgh 3 St. Louis 3 . Tenight's Games NY Rangers at Chicago NY lslanders at Pittaburgh Atlante af Edmonton Minftesote al Washington Hartterd at Los Angeles Winnipeg at Quebac Colorado a! Toronta to doit (execute), what can! do?" “We're all working very hard, now,” said New York coach Al Arbour, and hard work wins games." Canucks 5 Whalers 3 Veteran Chris Oddleifson and rookie Gary Lupul scored 30 seconds apart late in the first period to help Vancouver beat Hartford. Oddleifson broke a 1-1 tle at 18:10 of the first period and Lupul followed with his third goal in as many NHL games since being recalled from Dallas of the Central Hockey League. Jere Gillis later added two goals for the Canucks’ eventual winning margin. Rangers 2Red Wingsl =: Walt Thaczul peored & werplay goal at 18: a the first ‘eriod to lead the:. Rangers past Detrolt, Reed . Larson opened the scoring}: for Detroit with any. unassisted goal at:11:21 of ¢: the opening period. Don; Maloney tied it when che’. akated from behind the’: Detroit net and beat goalie; Rogie Vachon with & 15-foot :. wrist shot at 15:07, ‘i Blues 3 Penguins 3 i Rick LaPointe turned ; Bernie Federke's pass into ; his fourth geal of the year ; with 6:09 left, glving St. } Louis its tie with Pittsburgh. ;: LaPointe's goal offset Peter t Lee’s unassisted score three: minutes earlier for Pill: ; sburgh. Three-point play wins for Pacers The ASSOCIATED PRESS Joey Hassett has become basketball's lateat specialist — he's Indiana Pacers’ designated three-polnt goal shooter. Hassett, nicknamed Sonar because of his long-range shooting talent, struck again Tuesday night, After sitting on the bench the entire second half, he enlered the game with New York Knicks leading 113-110 and two seconds showing on the clock in a Natlona)l Basketball Association game. ; Hassett raced free behind foot jumper with 46 seconds ° left. In other games, Denver: Nuggets beat San Antonlo:. Spurs 127-121, Seattle. SuperSonics nipped. Milwaukee Bucks 105-88, - Chicago Bulls defeated. Portland Trailblazers 104-03: and Phoenix Suns sunk Washington Bullets 123-99. Hassett, a third year pro from Providence, waa signed « by the Pacers after being cut - by Seattle, He has connected | on 17 of the long-range - baskets. Earlier this season : 4 screen, took an Inbounds he tled a game agalnst Utah - pass from Phil Chenier and with a threepointer and won : lofted a three-pointer from Agame against Houston with 3 the left side that went through at the buzzer, sending the game into overtime. The FPacers squandered a seven-point Jead in the five-minute extra perlod but came back to win 124-122 on Alex English's 13- . three bombs in overtime. An NBA rule, being tested - for one year, gives players | three points for a shot made: from beyond an are ranging * from 92 feet from the basket - to 23 feat, six inches. : WEDNESDAY 5 p.m. to midnight KING CFTK BCTV KCTS CBUFT 2 (NBC) 3 (cBc) 4 (eT) 9 (PBS) 11 Cosmos 00 | Carol Happy Hollywood Mister :1§ | Burnett Days Winsday Regers Coe FR] News Hourglass Cont'd | are Oe Cont! 45 | Cont'd Cont'd Cont'd Con pany nt'd 100 | Coni‘d Wed. 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