European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - June 1, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse Sunday june 1, 19b6 the stars and St Lopes Pago 23 commentary Mexico has Rich football tradition Mexico City in Mexico the past and the present Are never far apart. In the upscale Al presi Donie Chapulis pc hold there Are rooms and boutiques and restaurants catering to affluent visitors to the world cup of soccer which began saturday. Soccer is the Ball game of today but athletes in Michoacan were playing a game not unlike soccer 2,500 Yean ago As depicted gloriously in a special exhibition at the National museum of anthropology. Between hotel and museum landscapes Crouch be Hind the Lush shrubbery and Cook a mid morning snack of Lacos with a vivid looking Green sauce. Probably men in Straw rials cooking Green Lauce and toasted Corn meal were crouching near the Beach when Hernando Cortes emerged yen the sea in 1519. In one of the classical miscalculations in the history or any nation the mexican ruler Montezuma mistook Cortes Tor he red bearded god King quetzalcoatl. Who according to legend had vanished into the sea Many epochs earlier. Now there Are red bearded mexicans As Well As the majority of dark haired mexicans now the outsiders arrive in air planes and stay at the Al president Chapultepec in the narrow veneer or luxury hat covers a plague of poverty. The outsiders will be Here for a month 10 watch 24 nations Battle for the world cup the most prestigious sports tournament in the world. The outsiders were visible thursday in the museum of anthropology surely one of the most Beautiful and informative museums in the world. The most visible of count were the brazilians because they always Wear the Gold to shirt of their National soccer team and they Are the most gregarious of tourists. While ordering their breakfast of Moll cles Chili and cheese on French Toast the brazilians talked of Futol and a waitress Laid them she had fond memories of the Beautiful play of the brazilian team that won the world cup in Mexico in 1970. Mexicans often cringe at the Way most americans cannot see the fullness and complexity of this historic country. On wednesday night a certain Gringo ate an excellent fettuccine and baked Chicken in a neighbor Hood where Trees were named for Oscar Wilde and Galileo. But out in the proliferating slums the Dusty streets arc too numerous to be named so they arc numbered As High As the Middle 500s. This is the Mexico that is the first nation to be Host to two world cups having been the scene of Brazil s third championship in 970 and having inherited this tournament when Colombia defaulted in 1933. Two world cups within 16 years constitute a great Honor to Mexico he squads of grim police and Gra Cious multilingual hosts speak of the nation s commit ment to Success. Vet two world cups within 16 year Are also a flick of time for ancient Mexico where men were playing Ball games before Christ to say nothing of before Columbus and Cortes. Europeans like to think they invented soccer by kicking around garbage or rags or perhaps even enemies Stulls a few Brief centuries ago. But the exhibition the Ball came at the museum of anther Oriolo by shows thai Mexico had religious and professional castes of ballplayers Long before Europe got around to such civilized trappings. The game was called la Chilli by the aztecs to Kyah by the Maya Tal Adzi by the zapotec. Its roles and its dimensions changed from tribe to tribe but most games involved a hard rubber Ball slightly smaller than today s soccer Ball. In the most common form of the game athletes moved the Ball with their feet or Knees but particularly their hips. Nobody knows quite Why the use of hands was discouraged in this ancient game the sports Page was not a major item in the pre colombian codices thai have survived the invaders and the elements. The games were played on courts measuring As targe As 76 Yards by 49 Yards. There were elaborate Point systems but games could also be won by propelling the Ball through narrow rings at both ends of the court. There was great religious symbolism to the James the Iribas understood Hal she con Cal represented the tension Between Light and dark Day and night Barren Ness and Fertility. In other words the National football league Wilt its pompous musical highlights and High priest incantations and ils overtones of a first Down being the True meaning of life is Only about iwo Lennia too late. Talk about giving your All for the team. The pres ence of massive Stone busts near the indent Fields indicates that athletes May have been selected for Sac Rifice based upon their skills Noi their mistakes and they probably went willingly to their ultimate goal. Eventually the mexican tribes produced a caste of professional athlete who were rewarded with Money Homes and slaves for the r victories. Today it is the losers and the underachiever who arc used to Termi Nate themselves by the mobs in Yankee stadium and Shea stadium. The world cup is known to inspire contemporary viciousness italian players were vilified at Home after one poor world cup showing. Spaniards were not amused at the Boring showing by their Home team in the 1582 world cup and the mexican National team appeared to be tinkering with its lineup in he Days before the opening game a sign of inflated expectations of the Home crowd. The ancient athletes wore leather garments to protect their Misc Eliudis the moderns Wear shorts and shirts. But he posters of the ancient ballplayers Al the museum of anthropology Anil the official world cup photographs by Annie Lei Bovi i both emphasize the trim instinctive Basic physicality of these athletes with the rugged mexican landscape always in the Back ground. There is one difference the tribal ballplayers lived and died in their native regions unknown to most of the world. Through the Marvel of television these 24 professional teams will be seen by Marc than 2 billion Spectator throughout the world. Rivals credit Auerbach with Midas touch by Howard Ulman Boston a everything u Trade a draft lottery a championship seems to go red Auerbach s Way. The image persists that his Mere touch will turn a valueless object into Gold. I Don t discourage it and i Don t encourage it says the master builder of the bos ton celtics. I ignore but his rivals Don t. He Calls up a team and says hey i m interested in your 12th player that Guy is Likely to Slart the next game for them. They suddenly reassess celtics general manager Jan Volt said. La s not entirely foolish for competitors to use Auerbach s Knack for judging Talent a skill that has helped make the celtics favor ites to win their 6th Aba title. The pre Vious 15 were won since Woerbach joined the team in 1950 As coach and then took Over As general manager in 1966. The celtics with Chance to win More regular reason and playoff games in one season than any other team enter Sun Day s game against the Houston rockets Wilh a 2-0 Lead in the Besl of seven title series. To get them to this Point Auerbach re lied on his intelligence foresight patience and i passion for winning. He never Sils Back and accepts his Posi Tion in Aba drafts. Instead he imaginatively shapes the order to his needs. What lie can l get from the draft he pilfer from Oiler clubs through trades. He made six or seven magnificent moves Philadelphia general manager Pat Williams said. Every one of them worked and the end result is probably the Best team Auerbach who gave up his general Man Ager title after the 1984 season but re rnai cd As club president does t deserve All the credit. Player move result from con Fin Thuu red Auer tue. Knack for judging Talent sult Lions Wilh owners coaches and other officials. But Volk does t mind seeing the Praise flow toward Auerbach. Not at All he said. If it weren t for red i would t mean anything to be vote and assistant coach Jimmy Rodgers were More responsible than Auerbach for trading Gerald Henderson 10 Seattle two years ago for what became the second pick in this month s draft. I Don t have that big an ego that every thing that s done i do myself Auerbach said although he has the final say on play ers. Red has enough respect for he people who work for him that if everybody said yes he d listen real Long and hard even though his opinion was Volk said. In 1979, Boston signed free agent . Carr. The celtics gave Bob Meadoo to Detroit As compensation but got two first round draft choices. The pistons had the worst record that season making one of those picks the first one in the 1990 draft. Boston traded that Choice and another first Rounder to Golden slate for Robert Parish and the third pick in 1960, which turned out to be Kevin Mchale. That was the Deal that made the Williams said. In 1978, Boston took Larry Bird with the sixth pick even though he was t eligible for the Aba until 1979 and the celtics needed immediate help. In 1981. They drafted Danny Ainge on the second round even though he was playing baseball for the Toronto Blue jays. You be just got to have patience and wait for real Good players Auerbach said. The celtics other four main contributors came from trades Dennis Johnson for Rick Robey. Bill Walton for Cedric Max Well. Scott Wedman for Darren Tillis and Jerry Sichling for two second round draft picks. I Don t feel i know More than anybody Auerbach said. I just feel that we work of he has t been perfect. Michael Young hard. We do a lot o thinking Tillis Charles Bradley Freeman Williams and Norm Cook were among his last 10 first round choices and none of them has turned into a Sta. Williams particularly praised Auer Bach s Eye for Talent on Bird and pariah. He said scouting T Bird were not All glowing and that Parish Wilh Golden state was viewed in the league As a non of Auerbach s ability to evaluate play ers Volk said. He s like Roy Lobbs. There goes red Auerbach. The Best there Ever Hobby was the baseball hero in the novel and movie the Auerbach s reputation is so impressive that Volk said he has a problem dealing with general managers who fear being fleeced. I Don t think 1 do Volk said simply because i think icy re so Happy to talk la me instead of red. Red is a very personable Guy. One of the signs of his liking you is the Way in which he insults you in a Friendly Way or flicks Cigar ashes on your Auerbach can be Truffer playful. At the draft lottery he told Williams who got the top pick that if Williams did t take North Carolina Center Brad Daugherty he would. Williams wondered what Auerbach was up to. If i confuse them Thal s great Auer Bach said. That s the trouble with a lot of general managers. They worry about the other teams. I Don t worry about what they Sla or try to be cute or make crazy if you and 1 handled ourselves As red docs in Many cases they d lock us in a room said Williams. His main project in life is donating Money to Piranha re search but that s part of the mystique of Al age 68 and in his 36lh season with the celtics Auerbach has no retirement plans. When 1 was with him at he lottery ii was obvious that he still had the gleam in his Eye Williams said. Father time is the Only Hope for the rest of the
