4
1
Friday, June 13, 1986/The Battalion/Page 7
Sports
CBS says NFL’s threat: Honor
$700 million pact or no games
NEW YORK (AF) — A CBS execu
tive acknowledged Thuraday that the
NFL*» tactic* in negotiating iu S3 1
billion televnion contracts left his net
work with the choice of meeting the
league's demands for more than
$700 million or losing the NFL
games
Neal Pilson, executive vice-
president of the CBS Broadcast
brou p and the former head of CBS
Sports, testified at the USFL's $1.5
billion antitrust suit against the NFL
that he and his network were unwill
ing to meet the league’s opening de
mand for S7S0 million That fee
would have covered the 1962-86 reg
ular seasons, two Super Bowls and
five NFC championship games
The issue of NFL pressure on the
networks has been central in the trial.
A major USFL contention is that the
NFL pressured the networks not to
give the USFL a contract for fall plav
One of its demands has been to
have the NFL ordered off one of the
three major networks. Pilson's testi
mony did not involve the USFL
directly but it did demonstrate how
the NFL used pressure in contract
negotiations
Pilson said that as the 1982 nego
tiations continued, NFL Commis
sioner Pete Rozelle told him that he
had agreements with NBC and ABC
— ABC to take over a schedule of
Sunday games and NBC to take over
CBS's schedule
“Mr. Rozelle said that if he was
unable to make a deal with CBS. we
could run the risk of losing our fran
chise," said Pilson. who said the net
work eventually agreed to pay $756
NFL. righu.
million for the
"Didn't that NFL pressure put you
in an extremely disadvantageous
negotiating position?" Pilson was
asked by USFL lawyer Harvey
Myerson.
“It put us in a difficult negotiating
position, yes." Pilson replied.
“Didn't he (Rozelle) say he could
take the NFL off CBS/ Myerson
asked
“I'm not sure he said it, but that
was the impression,'' Pilson said. “We
were facing the loss of our package
But that's not an unusual occurence
At times with other suppliers, they've
•aid they might go somewhere else
The 1982 negotiations with CBS
have come up before in the previous
five weeks of the trial.
Rozelle. asked about it during his
testimony, acknowledged some of the
facts and described it as typical of
financial negotiations. The same de
scription was applied to it by Roone
Arledge, the former head of ABC
Sports, who acknowledged that he
had agreed with Rozelle to take Sun
day afternoon games if either CBS or
NBC failed to reach an agreement
with the NFL
U.s. Open
Tway's play up to par, weather not
SOUTHAMPTON, N Y. (AP)
— Patience and solid putting en
abled Bob Twav to survive rain,
wind and cold while Jack Nkklaus
Grand Slam dreams all but evapo
rated Thursday in some of the
most extreme weather conditions
of all the 86 U S Open Golf
Championships
Tway, a two-time winner on the
PGA Tour this season, scrambled
to a round of par 70 that set the
pace Thursday in the weather-
plagued first round of the Amer
ican national championship
Play was halted at 7:55 p.m.
EDT, with 18 members of the 156-
man field stranded on the golf
course by darkness
It marked the first time since
the 1974 U S Open at Winged
Foot that a score of par was good
enough to lead the tournament
that ranks with the Masters, Brit
ish Open and PGA as golfs Big
Four evenu.
Nicklaus. 46, who captured the
imagination of the golfing world
with his dramatic triumph in the
Masters, all but self-destructed in
his bid to become the only man to
make a one-year sweep of the
game's major titles
The holder of a record 18 ma
jor professional titles. Nicklaus
lost a ball, scored three double
bogevs and played the back in 41
on the way to a 77, seven over par
on the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club
course.
Nicklaus was not alone in his
misery, however.
For example, there was Sandy
Lyle, the Briush Open champion,
playing in conditions common to
autumn in his native Scotland. He
struggled to a 78 and fled the
course without comment
The defending American na
tional champion. Andy North, was
one shot higher at 79.
Andv Bean, a two-lime winner
and twice a runner-up on the
Tour this year, had a hard-earned
76.
The scores ranged into the ridi
culous: 83s for George Burns and
Danny Edwards, an 85 for Jack
Renner Others were even hignei
It was the weather — in concert
with the histone golf course that
sits like a bit of Scotland on the
other edge of the Atlantic — that
did it.
The winds gusted to SO mph or
more, pushing scudding gray
clouds in front of them. Rains
ranged from drizzle to squalls, one
of which was severe enough to
cause a brief delay in plav. Tem
peratures were in the n «h 50s.
“The conditions were the most
difficult I’ve seen in the American
championship." Nicklaus said*
"I'd have been happy with a 76."
“Miserable." said Tway. “A day
of survival •
“I love it." said Tom Watson, a
notorious foul-weather player,
who holed out a bunker shot for a
birdie in his round of 72.
"It’s my favorite kind of weath
er," Watson said of the blustery
conditions that were as bad or
worse than am he encountered in
winning five British Opens.
Australian Greg Norman, the
“Great White Shark," who has
been on a tear around the Amer
ican tour was second when play
was suspended at 71, one over par
“I think 71 was like shooting a
67 or 68 under good conditions
There were some par 4s where 5
was a good score today." said Nor
man, who has scored two victories
and two seconds in his last five
starts.
With Watson at 72 were South
Africans Denis Watson and David
Froat. Tommy Nakajuna of Japan.
Rick Fehr and Kenny Knox, an
upset winner in Florida earlier this
season
Golden Cub?
Verplank follows Jack's tracks with near ace in debut
SOUTHAMPTON. N Y. (AP) —Scott Ver-
plank's professional debut in the 86th U.S.
Open on Thursday included a near hole-in-
one and a struggling 5-over-par 75 over the
wind-swept, ram-soaked dunes of Shinnecock
Hills
“It was a two-spike, two-sandwich day,” said
Verplank. the most heralded player to come
out of amateur golf since Jack Nicklaus.
Verplank held up a wet golf shoe that had
two spikes missing out of it.
A diabetic, he has to constantly munch on
food to keep his blood sugar level constant
“This was the toughest day I’ve ever played
golf on. said Verplank. who recently won the
NCAA title as a member of the Oklahoma
State team. “I'm not happy with my round but
I m not upset either I d probably been satis
fied if 1 hadn't bogeved the last hole
Verplank's near ace came on the 172-yard
Par 5 No 17. His 7-iron shot flew straight at
the flag and the ball lust missed bouncing in
the hole He then rolled m an 8-footer for his
first birdie of the day.
“I really didn’t think about being a pro out
there until that hole," Verplank laughed
“Some guy yelled from the crowd 'that's your
first bird as a pro.’ 1 told him ‘you’re right
Verplank, the winner of the 1985 Western
Open, decided in May to turn professional in
this tournament. He has an exemption on the
PGA Tour through 1987.
Asked how it felt to be a pro. Verplank, the
1984 U-S. Amateur champion, said, “It was
just another round of golf in which I was
trying to survive. I guess shooting 75 today was
just about like shooting par."
Winds gusting to 50 miles an hour, rain
squalls off the Atlantic Ocean, and numbing
cold made a good putung touch difficult
“There’s no telling how many 8-footers I
missed." he said. “And it seemed every time I
missed the fairway 1 got a bad lie. All you could
do was take your medicine and pitch the ball
back to the fairway."
Verplank went out in 2-ospr par 57 and
came bac k in 3-over 38. ^
“I just wasn't sharp around the greens." said
Verplank. who played in the same threesome
with Calvin Peete and Bernhard Langer Peete
shot 77 and Langer had 74.
Verplank said. “It was the type of day where
I'll certainly never forget my pro debut. Now
that was an antagonizing wind. It seemed to
blow out of every direction It was very, very
difficult ”
A surprisingly large crowd followed Ver
plank despite the harsh conditions.
One fan kept yelling. “Go Cowboy. Go
Cowboy "
Verplank. who is from Dallas, also had
problems with his driver, missing six fairways.
“Depending on how the wind was blowing
you had to start your drive out over the rough
and hope the wind blew it back," he said.
“Sometimes it didn’t.”
Asked if he was going to spend the rest of
his day by a warm fire. Verplank replied, “Are
you kidding? I’ve got to go repair this putting
stroke. I’m off to the putting green."
Brazil ( revs up,’ crushes Northern Ireland
./
m
u
c-ry: Professional Sales & Service
8IAJN04I B4A-BIKB 110 Cottog* Main
SPECIALIZED ■■
2 HUNTER , v.
b 1WZ
walking c*stance from
campus at Nortfigate
ATTENTION
AUGUST
GRADUATES
Order your Graduation
Announcement Now!
Deadline extended
till June 17
MSC Student Finance Center
217 Memorial Student Center
Monday-Friday 8 a.in.-4 p.m.
CORONA BEACH CLUB T-SHIRT
NOW ON SALE AT THE MSC1
2 SIDED BLUE AND YELLOW SILKSCREENED DESIGN ON WHITE
SHIRT HIGHEST QUALITY HEAVY WEIGHT 100% COTTON
SHIRTS SPECIFY S • M • L • XL
T Shirts $10. Tax tncludad 2 50 poetage & handling If mailed
Send check, money order. Visa, MasterCard number with
expiration date to: Mickey T& Co.
F.O. Box 13683
College Station. Tx.
or call 764-6900
for B/CS Delivery
Ctty.
VMC#.
124 krday
Tivw A Km £eat
Al
MEXICO CITY (AP) — The
vaunted Brazilian soccer machine
finally got into gear at the World Cup
Thursday with a 3-0 thrashing of
Northern Ireland
Although a had the only spotless
record in the 24-team tournament
(two wins, no goals allowed) heading
into the game with the Irish. Brazil
had drawn enuasm from the media
and even from within the team for its
listless performances
The Brazilians, who are seeking a
record fourth World Cup. were any
thing but listless Thursday. Their
passing was accurate, their speed and
hair too much for the Irish to handle
Caraca scored twice and Josimar got
the other goal in eliminating the Ir
ish. 0-2-1.
Brazil plays Poland Monday in
Guadalajara in Round 2.
“We are capable of playing better
and 1 am confident that we can use
our power to go further in this com
petition.’ Brazilian Coach Tele San
tana said “The margin of victory
could have been greater, but 1 am
sausified."
It’s hard to believe the Brazilians
can play much better
“It was always going to be a diffi
cult match,” Irish Man^rr Billy
World Cup Schedule
FIRST ROUND
Thursday
Brazil 3, Northern Ireland 0
Spain 3, Algeria 0
Today
West Germany vs Denmark at Quereuro, 2 p.m.
Uruguay vs. Scotland at Queretaro, 2 p.m.
Bingham said. “We had to play k
tight, but plans go astray when you
are hit with two cbsssicai goals such as
Brazil got.’’
Irish goalie Pat Jennings did not
have a very pleasant 41st birthday.
The oldest piaver in the tournament
played well but had no chance on any
of the goals m what he has said is his
final internationaJ appearance
“It was an emotional ending for
me, Jenning* uud. "It is alway* diffi
cult togive something up "
In Tnursday’s other game. Spam
advanced by defeaung Algeria 3-0 as
Ramon Caldere scored twice and
Eloy Oiava also connected in a rug
ged game. The Spaaish placed
second in Group D with four points
and will oppose the winner of Group
E next Weanesdav in Qaeretaro De
nmark plays West Germany on Fri
day for the E title
“I’m very pleased with the victory
and qualification." Spanish Coach
Miguel Munoz said. “We could have
scored more goals but I am satisfied "
He was not so happy with his
team's injury situation Julio Salinas.
Miguel Gonzalez and Emilio Butra-
gueno — the core of Spain's attack —
were hurt in the game
“We will have to see whether they
can recover in the next few days,"
Munoz said
The Algerians, like Northern Ire
land. were 0-2-1 in Group D.
Virtually all of the matches for the
next round are set Aside from Brazil
and Spain's games, it will be Argenti
na. winner of Group A, vs. Uruguay
or Scotland (those teams plav Friday
If Uruguav wins or ties, it advances;
Scotland must win.); Mexico (Group
B winner) vs. Bulgaria; the Soviet
Union (first in Group C) against Bel
gium. Morocco (atop Group Fj vs.
West Germany or Denmark (the Ger
mans must beat the Danes Fndav to
finish first in E. Otherwise. West Ger
many plays Morocco.); England
against Paraguay and Italy vs.
France
“Double Tree leaves you room to grow"
1901 tV fbBnuut OU ttlS