Hawkeye harassment: This is going to throw Iowa into a state of apoplexy. A friend who`s gotten a sneak preview of Street & Smith`s preseason basketball issue says the magazine is picking the Hawkeyes for 10th place in the Big 10 race. Immediate reaction from Tom Davis? ”I knew B.J. (Armstrong), Ed
(Horton) and Roy (Marble) were decent, but I didn`t know they were that good,” said the coach, referring to his three departed stars. ”My
(returning) players will be offended, but maybe this will be good for our fans. They expect so much in this state.” The Hawkeyes, a perennial contender, haven`t finished last since 1939. Michigan, the home state of the sportswriter doing the picks for Street & Smith, is the selection for No. 1, while Michigan State and Minnesota are seen as top challengers.
– Michael II: The Bulls are searching for a new mascot, and the notice says applicants must possess ”dancing ability, gymnastic ability, creativity, improvisational capability, and the ability to work well with children.” This sounds more like the team is looking for another Michael Jordan.
– Gulping Gophers: You can look for Minnesota`s athletic scandal to start getting warmer. Luther Darville, a key figure in the headache, is expected to arrive any day in the Twin Cities after extradition from The Bahamas. The ex- Minnesota counselor is scheduled to stand trial on embezzlement-related charges. There`s considerable concern in Gopherland over Darville`s possible defense. The university`s exhaustive report on its problems has been turned over to the NCAA, but a hearing before the infraction committee now may be delayed from September to early November. Lou Holtz has been implicated in part of the mess, but one well-placed source says ”there`s no reason not to believe” the Notre Dame coach`s denials that he was involved in any wrongdoing while at the school.
– Raking Leafs: Now that Maple Leaf owner Harold Ballard has hired Doug Carpenter as coach and chief scout Floyd Smith is expected to become his new general manager, he may think about star scorer Ed Olczyk. The former Blackhawk is entering an option year, and he`s anxious to talk contract. Estimated worth? Our sources say he should get at least $300,000 per year in any new deal.
– On the move: Ex-Cub Jose Cardenal is spending the summer as a roving instructor in Cincinnati`s farm system. ”Mostly I go back and forth from Plant City (Fla.) to Billings (Mont.),” said Cardenal, on a recent Chicago stop. ”I get kids out of college in Billings and the kids just out of high school in Plant City. I like it. I played in these places when I was coming up, and I think can help. I tell them they have to crawl before they walk.”
– Getting sweaty: The National Cycling League, a 14-city tour of leading bicyclists, stops in Chicago Sunday afternoon for racing at the far north end of Lincoln Park near Byrn Mawr. Heading the Chicago team is former Polish Olympic star Andrew Mierzetowski. . . . After looking at September`s Bicycling Magazine, maybe there is something to this sport. This issue looks hotter than Playboy. The cover says: ”Cycling Gets Sexy.” Without giving too much away, here are headlines from the survey in the feature story: No Wonder You Missed That Turn, The Road Can Wait, Hard Core, The Ultimate Dilemma, Obsession, So That`s Why They Ride So Slow and Love Triangle.
– Keeping up: Most of us never saw the great Bobby Jones play golf, but this weekend you can see the next best thing at the University of Michigan course in Ann Arbor. It`s time for the 11th annual Bobby Jones Open, an event in which anyone with the name Bob, Robert, Robbie, Bobby or Roberta Jones can play. More than 100 golfers from the U.S., Canada, England and Wales are entered. ”Anyone with the name Bob Jones had to have been asked about their golf game countless times, and that`s why I felt there was interest in a tournament,” said founder Robert A. Jones. Chicagoans will be proud to know that one of our entries, Oak Park`s Robert L. Jones, who consistently shoots in the low 70s, is a leading contender.
– News, notes & nonsense: Good omens for coach Bob Hallberg at Illinois-Chicago. Incoming freshman Felando Thigpen, a 6-7 star at Westinghouse last season, was selected Newcomer of The Year in the recent Schlitz Malt Liquor Summer Basketball League at Whitney Young. Also, the Flames` Chris Harris was picked College Player of The Year in the league. . . . Olympic gymnast Phoebe Mills judges a cakebake Friday morning at the Wendy`s at Washington and Wells. Proceeds from the fundraiser will benefit Literacy Volunteers of Chicago. . . . Coca-Cola is negotiating with Wayne Gretzky and Gordie Howe to appear jointly in a ”Road to the Records” advertising campaign. . . . The eighth straight season of semipro football in Chicago opens Friday in Hanson Stadium, where the Chicago Panthers face the Chicago Chargers. . . . De Paul plays basketball at North Carolina on Dec. 16.
– And finally: Attention 14-15-year-old Chicagoans. Heitz Casting will be announcing a call for prospective actors to play the role of a young Isiah Thomas in a upcoming movie. Shooting of The Mary Thomas Story will begin in September. The film is based on Isiah`s mother.
