European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 13, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 22 commentary the stars and stripes thursday february 13,1986 Micheal Ray the epitome of sadness Clouds form Over Micheal Ray. Richardson puts drugs behind him. A Compromise on Richardson. Richardson has relapse. Micheal missing. The clips Tumble out of their Manila folder the headlines forming a collage of denial and Hope and frustration and deception. Now there is a new Batch of stories about this troubled Man named Mich cat Ray Richardson spelled a i cd a Al to proclaim his individuality. Richardson also stands out As an individual in the category of last chances having missed More meet Ings More buses More planes and More games than anybody has the right to expect. His latest episode missing a practice and failing to see the team doctor on monday shows he has not yet been reached by his four separate Mays in drug treat ment centers in new York new Jersey Minnesota and California. He cannot do the simplest things said Lewi Schaffel the executive vice president of the nets. He cannot follow the rules anymore. It s the Saddest thing in the world. This is  Schaffel and nets coach Dave won suspended Richardson for tuesday night s game. Richardson was tested for drugs tuesday and the result was to remade known before the nets game in Cleveland on thursday night. But All the tests All the chances seem to be the wrong answer for this sad  controversy Over mandatory testing is not really the Issue with Richardson. His problem is that he cannot function in professional basketball and that he needs to prepare for the rest of his life when there will be no basketball. Rehabilitation has worked so far for Many ath letes who have sought treatment but too often the treatment is a Quick few weeks to get the drugs or alcohol out of their system to remind them How dangerous and illegal these drugs  need much More than being shown How to stay clean. They must be confronted by people who care for them they must be scared by Counselor and recovering addicts to face the dangers of  is no intent Here to judge the four separate programs Richardson has sampled but unfortunately Many rehabilitation programs geared to the Rich and famous seem most concerned i with getting the celeb a cities Back in the spotlight again to do what they do Best. Until Richardson s relapse in late Decem Ber his Only apparent after care was talk ing with Larry Doby the former baseball player who is a Friend of Richardson s and a Community affairs offi Cial with the nets. It is not surprising that a player s future is entrusted to somebody with no training in addiction treatment sports officials have generally not shown much inter est in educating themselves about drugs. Most of them see addiction As a problem of morality or discipline rather than an illness suffered by people in All parts of society. In some cases we have the Blind leading the Blind Schaffel said. Even the Counselor Are learn ing As they go along. Maybe they knew All about heroin five years ago but cocaine is so different. Maybe the Counselor Are just learning about athletes and entertainers. We did t ask Micheal Ray to leave treatment after three weeks. They told us he was All right. Maybe a vice president of a Bank can go Home after three weeks but an athlete because of his Fife style cannot go Appolo Richardson Back so quickly. We re just  i believe the Aba has the Best program of  Schaffel said. We were under the impression there was no More next time but because he came Forth voluntarily he had the right to another Reh Abili  to Many drug experts a person with drug or alcohol problems will continue to work even when private life and health Are deteriorating. The Job is often the last bastion of self esteem and rehabilitation often begins with the threat of loss of family and loss  s life seems to be so disordered that even if the nets found a Legal Way to drop him fro the roster and pay off the last two years of his con tract he would probably not help himself. The players May have the deepest sympathy and even love for Richardson but whether or not they will say so they Are demeaned by the melodrama of his comings and goings. The franchise has not yet made much of adent in new Jersey despite having a better team than the kicks in four of the eight seasons since the emigrated from Long Island. After Larry Brown and Stan Albeck left coaching jobs with the nets the Richardson follies Are becoming the overwhelming image of this  does not want to appear to be trying to squeeze a few More victories out of Richardson Buthe said i honestly believe he s better off in Basket Ball. At least he s forced to get help. I m not saying he s taken drugs again but suppose he turns up dirty where is he going to get help the latest disappearing act shows that he is in the wrong business that for his own Good he should leave basketball behind forever and get about the business of saving his life. The league and the new Jersey nuts Are not in the business of social work but this latest Chance for Richardson must be seen in this context a Man s life May quite literally be at stake Here new York urns when College coaches hold their breath Day of decision for football prospects by Herschel Nissen soap football writer Colorado Springs  other football coach Fisher Deberry of the air Force Academy spent thursday holding my  that was National signing Day the first Day a High school senior could officially sign a football Grant in Aid binding him tothe school of his Choice. According to Mcaa rules head coaches Deberry included May not Ven Ture off Campus to sign a Prospect and the service academies must abide by the limit of 95 visits a year by recruits. But there Sone major difference Deberry along with his counterparts at army and Navy do snot have to Honor a letter of intent a Prospect signs with an Oklahoma a Michigan or a Penn state. Jott like those schools air Force brought in a Bunch of prospective recruits last weekend although Deberry pushed everything Back one Day to accept a coach of the year award from the Walter Cam football foundation. After wednesday he planned to Beback on the Road again. Til go see some Young men because there s going to be some kids across the country who Are not going to make up their minds until a week later or until the weekend or until maybe they be had an other visit although most of them will have made that decision by  just because a recruit signs else where does t mean he has heard the Las of a service Academy. All s fair in love and War and recruiting sometimes Means  re allowed to be in touch with them again As Long As Contact has Bee made prior to National signing Day de Berry Points out. If a Young Man has committed himself to another school and we failed to Contact him before National signing Day then it s against Mcaa rules for us to Contact  if we have contacted him before National signing Day and we knew that head a real Strong feeling for the Academy and we were one of his final choices yeah we might go Back and ask him would you still consider the Academy is there any additional information we can get you is it All right if we stay in touch what happens a lot of times is that Young men particularly heavily recruited Young men feel a lot of pressure the few Days before National signing Day. Weight not be Able to Tell him anything definitely to he might go ahead Ana electro accept a Grant in Aid elsewhere. But we encourage every Young Man that we talk with to assure everybody recruiting him that he is genuinely inter ested in the Academy and should he be appointed to the Academy after the sign ing Date there might be a possibility that be would to the Academy. We just thin that s being honest and  at the academies a Hotshot football player can t get a scholarship merely at the coach s whim. In fact there Are no athletic Grants As such because every Stu Dent must be appointed by his senator or congressman the process begins As a High school Junior and clinically every one is on scholarship since cadets Are considered to be on Active duty and receive one half of a second lieutenant s salary from which they must Purchase uniform Sand other necessities. An appointment itself in t  applicant must be approved by a review Board which includes Academy staff officers the superintendent and the  Are a lot of Guys we re recruiting who Are being recruited by a Tot of theother division i schools Deberry says. We have got to really Hustle to get Youngmen appointed to the Academy prior to National signing Date most of the Falcons 90 or so recruits already Are but they have until May 1 to make a decision if we can get the appointment paper in their band that s just like them signing Agrant in Aid. We would like every fresh Man we re recruiting against a division civilian school to be approved and appointed before the National signing  if a Young Man signs our appoint ment no that does not bind him to the Academy. He can still sign a civilian Grant in Aid. If a Young Man signs a Grant in Aid with a civilian University be can still come to the Academy at a later Date if he so chooses As Long As he has started Bis National signing  civilian schools Are going to recruit  just like we recruit against them. We be had some Young men who have decided to accept the appoint air Force coach Chher Otberry. Recruiting sometimes meant Wolf i f ment and have told us so and then other schools still have a Grant in Ald Avi " " and try to recruit them. We have some Young men accept the appointment and then for some reason am another in Early summer they decide maybe it s not the school for them. Trip Cadet training i a transition an  time a difficult time. We Don t Kef a lot of people