European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 15, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 26 the stars and stripes thursday september 15, 1977 bears favored Over vikes for Central Crown rams cowboys heavy picks in pfc races by Bruce Lowitt a sports writer there was a time when figuring out the division winners in the National football league s National conference was As easy As one two three. One was a runaway by the Minnesota Vikings in the Central division. Two was a tussle Between the los an Geles rams and san Francisco 49ers in the West. Three was a Down to the wire dogfight among the Dallas cowboys. St. Louis cardinals and Washington redskins in the East. Now the numbers Are thoroughly jumbled. The East once the hardest division to figure now looks like a near runaway for the cowboys already a Strong pick to win not. Only the division but the pfc title and maybe even super bowl Xii. The cards still have the explosiveness to make things interesting and not enough de sense to stay with Dallas but enough of what it takes to outrun Washington. Phila Delphia and the new York giants re jumped in a few key spots have Only slender chances to reach the Long sought goal of a .500 season. In the West the rams not Only look like sure champions but May be the Only team in the division to finish Over .500. Los an Geles is a powerhouse with or without the Ball. The san Francisco 49ers, who looked so promising and so spirited for a while a year ago. May find it Tough trying to put it All together for another new coach. This time they la be closer to also ran new or leans and Atlanta. Minnesota which has ruled the Central division for so Long is getting a bit crumbly around the edges and looks Ripe for a Tumble. The Vikings still will be Tough in the clutch but look for the Chicago bears to get hot around mid season and make a run to the top. Detroit As usual will be respectable. The Only thing keeping Green Bay out of the basement is Tampa Bay. There was Only one position where Dallas was weak last year the experts said. The cowboys needed a powerhouse breakaway runner they said. With him they predicted it would be super team time. Enter Tony Dorsett. The Vikings Are perhaps Best known not As the perennial Central division champions but As the perennial super bowl losers. They May not get the Chance to tack on a fifth championship game loss or maybe even a first win this time. The defense is starting to show a few cracks. Fran Tarkenton shows no sign of slowing Down just yet but maybe this time his propensity for losing the big ones won t wait until Post season time. Wide receiver Sammy White and All purpose Back Chuck Foreman the latter coming off a divisive contract squabble Are still Bright stars but the supporting cast leaves some questions As to staying Power. And a schedule much tougher than the emerging bears could do them in. Hurt Bartkowski to be replaced by Hunter for Falcon opener Atlanta a Steve Bartkowski of the Atlanta Falcons underwent knee sur Gery tuesday to remove torn cartilage and coach Leeman Bennett said the injured quarterback would be replaced by Scott Hunter in sunday s National football Riessen Okker win in doubles Woodlands Tex. Up the third seeded team of Marty Riessen and Tom Okker won a first set tie breaker 7-3, and then coasted to a 7-6, 6-3 Victory Over Mike Machette and Dick Bohrnstedt in the first round of the $125,000 . Professional doubles championships tuesday. Also winning first round matches were Vijay and Armand Amrit Raj Jaime and Alvaro Fillol and Terry Moor and Mike Cahill. Other first round winners included Syd Ball and Kim Warwick John Feaver and John James Ross Case and Geoff masters and Tony Dawson and Greg Perkins 6-3, 6-4. Boxing smoker slated for Budinger sept. 23 Hanau Germany the Hanau Community will hold an invitational boxing smoker sept. 23 at 7 . At Armstrong Barracks in Budinger. Weigh ins and physicals will be held the same Day at 10 . For further information Call sgt. Haynes or sgt. Markham Athanau i 1 2361 721. Italy advances in Mcisaa Cage Tehran Iran a Italy Consoli dated its chances of reaching the final of the 24th world military basketball championship monday night by defeating France 88-78, while Syria Defeated Egypt 68-33. In tuesday s games Algeria Defeated Togo 58-50, while Iran beat Pakistan 103-88, and Greece Defeated Senegal 83-72. League season opener against the los an Geles rams. Or. James Funk said there were no com plications in the hour Long operation in which the medial cartilage was removed from Bartkowski s right knee. The third year former no. 1 draft Choice was expected to be out for six to eight weeks. Meanwhile Bennett said he had selected Hunter As the team s starting quarterback Over Kim Mcquilken. Hunter completed eight of 14 passes for 52 Yards in preseason games. The Atlanta Falcons have won some big games with Scott Hunter As Quarter Back and we have Confidence in his ability to Lead our football team Bennett said. After Bartkowski was injured in the fifth game of 1976, Hunter led the Falcons to three victories including a 17-10 upset Over the Dallas cowboys. He finished the season with 51 completions in 110 attempts for 633 Yards and five touchdowns. Pinson inducted into reds hop Cincinnati up one of the top hitters in Cincinnati reds history Vada Pinson has been inducted into the re shall of Fame. Pinson currently a coach for the Seattle mariners of the american league is the 41st member of the reds Hall. The formal induction took place in pre game ceremonies at riverfront stadium. Pinson 39, who ended his playing career in 1975, was a runaway Winner in his first year on the fan s ballot. He was with the reds briefly in 1958, then spent the next 10 full seasons in a Cincinnati uniform As an outfielder with a career batting averageof.297. He hit .300 or better four times including a .343 Mark in 1961, when the reds won the National league Pennant. Pinson is among the All time red s leaders in nearly every offensive category including games played times at Bat hits doubles triples homers total bases and stolen bases. Chicago will be banking on Mike Phipps or Bob Avellini to provide quarterback leadership that has been missing for sever Al years. If Phipps obtained in a Trade with Cleveland shows he was Worth wait Palomino Lopez retain wac crowns los Angeles a Danny Little red Lopez bounced Back from a second round Knockdown to score a seventh round knockout of Jose Torres tuesday night to retain the world boxing Council Feather weight championship he won last novem Ber. Lopez making his first defense since taking the Crown from David Kotey knocked Torres to the Canvas once in the third round and twice in the fourth round. Although Lopez was unable to put him away Torres Corner called it quits follow ing the seventh round. Since Torres did not answer the Bell for the eighth round Lopez was Given a knockout Victory his 33rd in 38 fights. Lopez 25, from Alhambra calif., now has a 35-3 record. In the other half of the wac Champion ship doubleheader welterweight King Carlos Palomino scored a unanimous Deci Sion Over Italy s Everaldo Azevedo. Palomino making his third title defense since he won the Crown last summer had a great Deal of trouble with Azevedo the 33 year old ring Veteran ranked As the no. 6 contender. Palomino was on the offensive throughout the 15-round fight but was unable to score any damaging blows to his backpedal ing then clutching opponent. In prelims at olympic auditorium Fea Turing two . Olympic Gold medal win ners lightweight Howard Davis scored a fourth round knockout of Veteran Tury Pineda and Light heavyweight Michael Spinks made Short work of Ray Elson stopping him in just 51 seconds of the first round. Ing for and if Walter Payton gains 1,000 Yards again the Midway could have its monsters Back. The Lions have made a career of hover ing around the break even Mark every season. Even though they be got proven Talent on both units they never seem to put together More than one or two Good games in a stretch. Green Bay went big for defense in the draft but it will take at least a year or two to develop it. However at least the pack ers have something to develop. Tampa Bay with the exception of potential run Ning Back stars Anthony Davis and Ricky Bell look every bit As Good As last year s edition when the buccaneers were 0-14. Here s How the pfc standings figure to look after 14 weeks of regular season play East division Dallas St. Louis Washington Philadel phia new York giants West division los Angeles san Francisco new or leans Atlanta Central division Chicago Minnesota Detroit Green Bay Tampa Bay at gives Borg player of year award Woodlands. Tex. Up Wimble Don Champion Bjorn Borg was awarded the third association of Tennis professionals Jaks award As the Tennis player of the year. Other winners of the awards were Tim Gullikson newcomer of the year Tom Hewitt and Frew Mcmillan doubles team of the year Jaime Fillol at service award Roy Wilder at lifetime award. Also Rex Bellamy of the times of London writer of the year Bud Collins of pcs and Abc broadcaster of the year Sherry Snyder founder and director of National Junior Tennis children s Tennis award Bertie Bowron court official of the year and Lew Hoad at great player of the year. The awards represent work for the year ending july 1977. At member players voted on them. Reutemann s contract renewed Ferrari undecided on other Driver Modena Italy up italian race car builder Enzo Ferrari announced tues Day that Argentine Carlos Reutemann would be one of his Drivers in formula 1 grand prix Competition next season but did not name the second Driver. The renewal of Reutemann s driving contract was expected but Ferrari s delay in announcing the second Driver increased speculation that negotiations were in the critical stages with american Mario Andretti who met with Ferrari monday. Ferrari also announced his company would unveil its new formula 1 racer the 312 t3, before the end of the year would Supply 2-liter formula 2 engines to a racing team employing 20-year-old Ameri can Driver Eddie Cheever and was experimenting with a supercharged 1,500 cd West Germany captures world modern Pentathlon Warendorf Germany up West Germany won both the team and individual titles at the world military modern Pentathlon championships rolling up 15,449 Points As compared to the 15,282 scored by runner up United states. Italy was third at 14,827. Gerhard Werner a German army ser Geant took first place in the final individual standings with 5,360 Points. Other individual placings 2. Masala Italy 5,325 3. Robert Losey ., 5,299 4. Achim Bellmann Germany 5,272. Formula 1 engine. Reutemann 35, of Santa be Argentina joined Ferrari one year ago after racing for the British Brabham formula 1 team. He won this year s brazilian grand prix in a Ferrari and has 35 world driving championship Points after 14 of 17 races Good enough for fourth place in the standings. The other driving spot in Ferrari s for Mula 1 racing stable for next season became available aug.29, when Ferrari announced that former world driving Champion Niki Lauda of Austria was Leav ing the team As of oct. 30. Lauda 28, of Salzburg now has 69 driving championship Points and is virtually certain to win his second title this season. Press speculation on Lauda s replacement has entered this week on Andretti the 37 year old former Indianapolis 500 Winner who won sunday s italian grand prix at Monza. Andretti said before the Monza race his negotiations with Ferrari were in a very delicate stage and that a decision could Only be made after he visits the United states this week to see about his contractual commitments there. Sports on of major league baseball Boston Redfox at n. V. Yankees 1 . Friday