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Ref for World Football League
Page 10 THE BATTALION
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18, W
Williams calls ’em as he sees
em
By PAUL McGRATH
Staff Sports Writer
He stands on the field among the
behemoths of the game ready to
whip out his yellow flag at the sligh
test infraction of the rules. Despite
his 45 years he must stay in equal or
better shape than the players he
presides over.
Jay Williams, director of Parks
and Recreation in Bryan, spent his
summer vacation and most of this
fall as an official for the World Foot
ball League.
For 17 weeks, he and the other
five members of his crew (referee
Dave Brazell, umpire Ed Trexler,
line judge Jerry Braznell, field
judge Tom Sarcinio and back judge
Henry Bowman) traveled the circuit
for the infant league.
Each of the men were informed of
the games they were to officiate
three weeks in advance. The same
crew worked together the entire
season and therefore got to know
each other quite well. “They were
all a fine bunch of gentlemen dedi
cated, experienced. You couldn’t
ask for five more congenial men,”
Williams said.
The crew had to arrive in the city
holding the game by noon of the
gameday. All expenses were paid by
the league. The crew benefitted fi
nancially on hotel cost since Bow
men is a top official in the Hilton Inn
chain and often saved his crew some
expenses.
To become an official in the new
league, Williams had to fill out an
application and send it to the league
office. The league was looking to see
the number of years of officiating,
the number of years refereeing col
lege games and the various refer
ences that could be offered.
Some 4,000 applications were
made to the WFL and these were
narrowed down to 100 after much
screening. These 100 had to then be
interviewed by league director of
officials, Henry Lee Parker. Al
though he did not know it at the
time, Williams learned that the FBI
carried out a security check on him
self and the other 42.
Unlike many of the players in the
struggling young league, the offi
cials had no problems as far as being
paid. They have not yet received
pay for the last two games however
since it is league procedure to pay
them at the month’s end. The offi
cials also received special pay for
working playoff games.
Contrary to the rumor that some
teams found rats in their dressing
rooms, the referees had no prob
lems in this category. "Of course
some were better than others but all
were acceptable,” said Williams
concerning the leagues dressing
facilities.
One problem was presented in
the new rules the refs had to con
form with. There was no longer any
fair catches, kickoffs were from the
30 yardline, an action point was
added after touchdowns, the goal
posts were moved back to the end
line and new bump and run rules
were made.
Williams said he had no difficulty
adjusting after the first three or four
games. After spending 14 years of
ficiating high school football and 11
years covering college ball for the
Lone Star, Southland and Missouri
Valley Conferences plus Southwest
Conference freshmen games; pro
ball was quite a switch. Williams
said he was “more nervous” and had
“more butterflies" than before but
the “better pay gave the incentive to
do a better job. ”
Williams recalls that for some
games, the officials had to be on
their toes the entire game. Specifi
cally, he remembered the
Birmingham-Chicago game that
was won by Birmingham 41-40 on
the last play of the game. It rained
almost four inches during the game
and Williams recalled that you
couldn’t see across the field at
times.
The hardest games to officiate
were the ones with the lopsided
score, Williams said. There is a ten
dency for the players to want to
fight, he said.
Williams close relationship with
athletics began in Rule, Texas
where he played offensive center.
He later played for Texas A&M at
the same position. After graduation
he decided to stay around athletics
and chose to become an official. Of
ficiating became more enjoyable to
Williams because it gave “a country
boy a chance to go to places he
wouldn’t otherwise get to see.” He
mentioned Soldier’s Field,
Anahiem, New York and the Lib
erty Bowl.
Going back over the season, Wil
liams recalled some of the humor
ous incidents that occurred in the
league as it went through its in
fancy. A lot of the WFL coaches
would say to the refs during the
course of a game, “what about this
or that rule?” In reply the refs would
say “you’ve been watching TV about
the other league.’ The coaches
would then usually end up agreeing
with them.
Once Williams was refing a game
in which former Aggie Ross Brup-
bacher was playing. It took three
quarters for Brupbacher to recog
nize Williams and when he did he
said, “My gosh, Mr. Williams, what
are you doing in Here?”
answered him hy saying Trying to
keep you straight. ” Williams has
also had conversations with othei
former Aggies playing in the WFL
such as Edd Hargett and Billy
Hobbs.
Rumors are circulating that (lie
WFL’s first season may have also
been its last. The league was formed
in less than a year (William’s appli
cation was sent in March while
league play began in July.). "Gan
Davidson, John McDonough and
Henry Lee Parker (the leaguefoun-
ders) did a great job for the short
period of time that they had. Sure,
they had some problems adminis
tratively but these can be ironed out
next year," he said.
Even if there is a league in 1975,
Williams is not certain he will be
rechosen to work as an official.
Films will be viewed by the league
to select the hest ones. Williams
personally feels that his crew was
one of the best on the league. In the
meantime, Williams spends his
time refing Ivasketball and college
football games.
So now all Williams can do is wail
to see if a league that is shakily
balancing on one leg will givehima
call. However, should Williams not
get a notice again from the WFLhe
could always throw a flag and
penalize the league five yards for
illegal] procedure or delay ofeame
Bidding on
for Hunter
NEW YORK (AP) — Commis
sioner Bowie Kuhn ruled Tuesday
that the ban for bidding on bee
agent pitcher Catfish Hunter’s ser
vices has been lifted.
Kuhn’s d ecision cleared the way
for the 24 major league clubs to ap
proach Hunter with bonus and sal
ary offers in the wake of his free
agent status granted by an arhitra-
tion panel Monday.
Tin* commissioner notified the21
teams that they could approach
Hunter starting at 9 a m. ESI
Wednesday and that they could sign
the pitcher anytime after midnight
EST Sunday, Dec. 22.
"The purpose of this procedure is
to assure Jim Hunter access to all
clubs and to assure also all clubs a
fair opportunity to prepare them
selves and to discuss the situation
with him, ” the commissioner said
Hunter achieved the free agenl
status when the arbitration panel
ruled that Oakland owner Charles
O. Finley had breached his contract
with the pitcher.
Kuhn’s ruling left the way open
for a possible price war for the
28-year-old pitcher who has won
106 games in the last five seasons
with the A s.
Speculation has centered on j
baseball s richest franchises—the 1
Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red
Sox, New York Mets and New York j
Yankees—and the clubs appeared '
ready to make their offers.
“We’ll he in there pitching,” said
Yankee President Gabe Paul ofthe j
bidding for Hunter. The hope for
Paul was that he could convince
Hunter to do his pitching for the
Yankees.
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