Sports

SPORTS

By V.K. Harrington

SAVE THE BIRD

  A quick glance at the standings shows the Tigers reeling toward the cellar once again. Were it not for Ron LeFlore and Mark "The Bird" Fidrych, in that order, manager Ralph Houk would no doubt find himself standing in line at the local MESC office.

   Brought to Detroit by Tiger owner John Fetzer, Houk was billed as the  would-be master who possess'ed the leadership, knowledge and patience necessary to develop the new wave of overly publicized Tigers.

   Of the original crop of yearlings, only LeFlore has truly panned out. Hitting .315 with 53 stolen bases, he's the lone "star" of the Detroit cubs, while Fidrych suddenly became the Motor City's latest national hero this summer.

   Pilot Houk, however, seems bent on making Fidrych the winged bird of the north. Repeatedly the skipper has been guilty of obscene miscarriages of justice in allowing the Bird to stay on the roost for all too long.

   Young, gangling and the best he's got, Houk, instead inserting Hiller in the late innings, criminally permits Fidrych to pitch all night to the delight of Fetzer's bankers. In his last start, the Brewers pasted the Bird for eight runs and nine hits, causing Mark to suffer his third loss in four outings. Those late-night flings sap the Bird's juice, endanger his arm and ultimately threaten to shorten his career.

 Avoid a fallen eagle- bring back Billy Martin!

THE LIONS' TURN TO ROAR

   The Lions appear primed and ready to challenge the Vikings from Minnesota for top billing in the and blue division this season.   

   Coming off back-to-back victories over Kansas City and Baltimore, Lion coach Rick Forzano's troops are geared and peaking for their opener against Chicago next Sunday. How they handle the Bears, who main undefeated in pre-season play, will provide an indication of just how hungry the Lions are and what strides have been made in their quest for a championship.  

   Chicago has greatly improved over last year since acquiring Jim "The Wizard" Finks as general manager from Minnesota. The Vikings are a year older but still remain capable of stopping the Lions from reaching the top . . . Green Bay, under Bart Starr, still has a way to go . . .

   Even without Landry, Owens and Taylor in the backfield, the Lions have the horses to get the job done. Consistency is the only ingredient at this point. Cut out mental errors like penalties, fumbles, and dropped passes, and the Lions will be divisional champs '76.

THE US OPEN FOREST HILLS

llie "Nasty" Nastase, the Jeckyl-Hyde of tennis, has once again exhibited behavior detrimental to tennis and himself. Nastase, in his usual manner, cursed U.S. Open officials and spectators at Forest Hills while spitting at his opponent. Still officials lack the courage to discipline and discourage "Nasty" from letting "Hyde" out of his bag and onto the court.

 Next week: a preview of the Pistons.