Pag-e 6
THE BATTALION
College Station, Texas Thursday, April 13, 1967
Sports Aplenty
First Visit
To The Dome
By GARY SHERER
Some eight million people have gone through the gates
of the Harris County Domed Stadium in Houston since its
inaugural game back on April 9, 1965.
To many Texans the “Dome” or “Astrodome” has be
come fairly commonplace and a trip there is not as romantic
as it was back in the spring of 1965.
But to this writer (a New Yorker) my first visit to
the monstrous wonder this past weekend will go down as
one of my most exciting experiences.
Upon entering the doors marked “mezzanine” I tried
to act nonchalant just like this was not by first visit. My
act didn’t last long when the first view of the field came
to my eyes. “Wow” was the only word I could utter as
that “green” field stared back up at me.
Two friends and I found our way to the seats corres
ponding with our tickets and settled down to watch the
game. Watch the game I did not, as my head was in a
constant turn scanning the vast expanse before me.
“Don’t stumble Aspro,” started me back to the game
and Astro third-baseman Bob Aspromonte pulled in a pop
fly. “Thataboy Aspro,” yelled the fan as his doubts were
apparently gone after the catch.
Oh yes, the Astros were playing the New York Yankees
in a spring exhibition game. This fact was rather secondary
in my mind as the impressive sights of this place kept my
attention.
My thoughts during the game were kind of jumbled and
mixed-up as my attention was diverted from one spot
of the Dome to another.
The thoughts went something like this:
“Hey a fly ball to left,” . . . “There it goes up in the
. . . Wow look at that ceiling,” . . . “A ceiling in a ballpark ?”
“Hey, another hit by the Astros,” . . . “Wow look at
the scoreboard,” .... “CHARGE” . . . “GO-GO-GO” . . .
“What am I yelling about, I’m a Yankee fan,” . . . “Hmmm,
the scoreboard just flashed a question,” . . . “How do I
know what? . . . Oh its multiple choice,” ... “I still don’t
know.”
“I wonder how that scoreboard works” . . . “Oh I know,
I bet its done with? . . . Boy it sure is something.”
“Well its the fifth inning” . . . “Hey what are those
guys in the orange space suits doing?” “Oh they’re
smoothing out the infield.”
“Is that grass for real ?”.... “Its not grass, its called
Afetroturf,” “It looks like a mammoth pool table,”
.... “I wonder if the dirt is artificial too.”
“I hear that the scoreboard really goes wild when
the Astros hit a home run,” .... “C’mon hit a home run
Astros,” .... “Hey wait aminute I THINK I’m a Yankee
fan?” .... “Phooey, the game is over .... No home runs
.... I’ll have to come back tomorrow.”
I did go back the next day and managed to watch
the ball game a little more. But my attention was still
somewhat diverted by this architectural wonder as the
game progressed.
It was a great experience and one I hope to repeat
many times while in Texas.
CRACKS AMERICAN RECORD
Bill Utley, right, of Indiana University, lis
tens to the results as they were announced
with Dick Roth, Santa Clara Swim Club,
after he defended his 200-yard individual
medley championship at Dallas, Tex., with
a blistering 1:55.9 at the National AAU
indoor swim meet. It cracked the American
record of 1:55.9 held by Roy Saari. Roth
came in a close second. (AP Wirephoto)
Clay-Patterson Fight Definitely Cancelled
Amid Controversy Over Location Of Bout
CHICAGO (A*) — The proposed
heavyweig-ht title bout between
champion Cassius Clay and Floyd
Patterson will not take place at
any site, Clay’s manager announc
ed Wednesday.
Herbert Muhammad, Clay’s
Black Muslin adviser, told the
Associated Press that plans for
the bout were dropped in the
wake of refusals by the states
of Nevada and Pennsylvania to
accept the bout scheduled for
April 25. Clay’s scheduled in
duction into the Army is set for
April 28.
Muhammad said earlier Wed
nesday he telephoned Angelo Dun
dee, Clay’s trainer, to break up
camp at Las Vegas where the
fight originally was scheduled
before the Nevada State Athletic
Commission rejected the bout
Tuesday.
Pittsburgh, named as an al
ternate site, was eliminated by
the Pennsylvania State Athletic
Commission Wednesday on order
of Gov. Raymond P. Shafer.
Asked if the fight might be
held elsewhere, Muhammad as
serted: “No, not with Patterson.”
Would Clay defend 1 against
any other challenger?
“We have no such plans at
this time,” said Muhammad.
Muhammad blamed the cancel
lations in the two states on
“racial or religious prejudice.”
“If he (Clay) was a white
Christian champion, I don’t think
the fight would have been stop
ped,” said Clay’s manager.
“If the governor of Pennsyl
vania knew the champion was
going to be beaten by Patterson,
he would have let the fight go on.
“They are trying to stop it
because the champion is a
Muslim and a Negro. This has
given the whole country a black
eye.”
Meanwhile in Cincinnati, Clay’s
attorney started another legal
effort to keep the champion from
being inducted into the Army.
Shafer said his first word of
the fight being switched to Pitts
burgh came from newsmen. He
said he phoned Nevada Gov.
Paul Laxalt about why he want
ed it banned in Nevada. He
quoted Laxalt as saying he felt
the first Clay-Patterson bout,
which Clay won by the 12th round
technical knockout in Las Vegas
in 1965, was not a good match
and he saw no reason for a repeat
performance.
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