European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 24, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday july 24, 1986 the stars and stripes Page 19 Tarakanov wants smiles and sports by Dave Kindre Atlanta Constitution on his video recorder at Home in downtown Moscow soviet basketball player Sergei Tarakanov plays tapes of american games mailed to him boyfriends in Spain and Italy. No american basketball on russian to Tara Kanov said. I watch tapes of finals and All Star tames. Everybody in world studies american basketball. It u Best almost 4,000 Miles from Siberia the wheat Andice of his Homeland a memory in White and Gold Tarakanov sat in the lobby of the hotel Melia Cas Tilla in Madrid where his team lost to the United states 87-85 in sunday s final of the world championships. The hotel is a shining Palace of luxury a boy never dreamed of in Kras Noyack deep on the asian Plain. To sit with Tarakanov is to wonder again Why weddin t go to their olympics and Why they did t come to ours. He is a husband and father with daughter Katia 4vt. Smiling very tall May be a player  he is another farm kid who Only wants to play Ball against the Best. Take Down the Road signs and you could t Tell Siberia from North Dakota. A Small world. I think it is not right the United states to no come to Moscow in 1980. It is political situation. We Are sportsmen and americans Are  America did not come we lose All our feel Ings for basketball and we lose in olympic  so Good in Moscow. Not so Good in los an Geles. I think the games not full without us. Not High level of sport now 28 years old a 6-foot-10 Forward on the soviet National team since 1978, Tarakanov was is when he received a letter from the famous coach Vladimir Kondrashin the hero of the 1972 olym pics in which the soviet Union for the first time Defeated the United states. Kras Noyack is 3,000 Miles from Leningrad where Kondrashin worked. Kondrashin had seen written reports of a siberian championship game i which the Star was Young Tarakanov then 6-7. Coach sent me letter said Tarakanov. He ask me to come to Leningrad to study and to play basketball. I like it. I Start basketball at 14 years  late i think so. Soccer running is All before. Only basketball player in my family was my Mother  a smile came to Tarakanov s delicate face. He Isa Bright Man who wants to be a coach one Day. Because his Earnest English is As wonderful in in sight and grammar As Casey Stengel s Ever was Tarakanov s words Are quoted directly Here. He spoke deliberately and  High school i was trained three times a week Only. Not so often As in America. Not so popular Asport in our country As in United slates we have Good coaches at famous cities Moscow Leningrad near the Baltic sea. In Siberia very difficult conditions. Very difficult for Money. Young player is,17 years old maybe he will be Good and he stays and stays in Siberia. Then he be finished  not Good. In Leningrad i practice More often. More quickly make  but now after eight years As an established National player Tarakanov does t play much for the new coach Viktor Obukho. Siberia or North Dakota an athlete does t like sitting Down. The soviet Union s 91-90 overtime escape from Yugo Slavia was fresh in Tarakanov s mind when some one asked if this was the Best soviet team in Tara Kanov s time. I think now we have Best team. In Europe. Andin world. Except for United states. Only United states can make very Good team that can play our team. And United states does not make team of professionals. No Larry Bird. Nobody in user i Larry Bird. If we play Good we have about 10 play ers at one High level. What about Arvida Sabonis the soviet s Youn giant the 7-2 Sabonis was drafted in the first round by the Aba s Portland Trail blazers on the slim Hance he someday might come to the United states. Sabonis is the most talented player in world but not so serious. He is Best in soviet Union and in Europe already so he not train hard. If i train three hours he More three minutes. If he played in the United states for example he must make one High level of play because United states has Many play ers and More physical game. Our level is less and Pecan play nearly without training. But not in United states. I think it better for him and for american basketball the Portland Trail blazers if it was two years from now. Because now he has permanent position on National team and two years he can play better. He played on 1983 tour of United states hews 19 and All the United states said Ralph Samp son and Sabonis were even. Ralph Sampson no More  would Sabonis Ever leave the user for the United states is very difficult question. He wants to play Good. He wants. But Many problems against it. He has family in our country friends. If he goes to United states very difficult for head. Is problem too if our team loses Sabonis. Not so Good for  the Atlanta Hawks also drafted two soviet play ers Valeri Tikhon Enko and Alexander Volkov. Same thing Tarakanov said. What a Man on the lobby Couch wondered would Tarakanov like americans to know about the soviet Union i can Tell you one thing. Nobody in the uss wants to be enemy with the United states. Nobody wants War. Everybody wants peace and Friendly smile and sports. Of Liap photo Arr Das Sabonis was picked by Portland. Skins continue youth movement by signing top pick iI i a i a Tia chit Rah Ctm of re a Illuv by United press International the Washington redskins signed to draft Choice Markus Koch a versatile defensive lineman from Boise state end ing the Rookie s two Day holdout Gener a manager Bobby Beathard said tues Day. The 6-foot-5,275-Pound Koch was selected in the second round of May s nil draft 30th Overall the Kitchener Onta Rio native was to report wednesday. The contract believed to be Worth bout $450,000, spans three years and includes a signing Bonus of about$200,000, the Washingon Post reported. Hawaii wide receiver Walter Murray a later second round Choice is the Only remaining unsigned reds Luns.  veterans starting defensive end Dexter Manley and punter placekicker Steve Cox also remain without con  coach Joe Gibbs running 79 players through a pair of practices inthe second Day of drills in Carlisle pa., said changes in critical positions remaking it More difficult to get a beat on this year s edition of the reds Luns. John Riggas the mainstay of the nil Roundup redskins ground game for nine seasons was released on March 19 and injured quarterback Joe Theismann the team starter since 1979, is expected to announce his retirement soon. Both Are 36. George Rogers 27. In his second sea son with the redskins enters training Camp As the starting running Back. Jay Schroeder 25, who guided the redskins to a 5-1 record after Theismann suffered compound leg fracture last nov. 18, is the starting quarterback. Theismann is scheduled to undergo team physical sometime this week before announcing his future plans. Schroeder who reported to training amp sunday represents the teams movement toward youth. The redskins finished last season 10-6 and out of the playoffs for the first time since 198 1. Schroeder said he considers himself the starter regardless of Theismann s  now i m going in with the Atti tude that i m the Guy. If he comes in he Shat m the Guy Ong to have to beat me out. So whether e comes or not it does t really  co i m the Guy who s out Here working and expect to play Schroeder said. Rookie free agent running Back Richie White of Central Arkansas was waived tuesday. Tight end Clint Didier suffered mild hamstring Strain and will be Side lined until monday the team announced. In other nil developments Chicago bears coach Mike Ditka said he likes the draft choices who Are in training Camp and has Little to say about the two who have not arrived. Receivers David Williams and Lew Barnes and tackle Paul Blair have made Strong impressions on Ditka in the wee the bears have been in Camp at the University of Wisconsin Platteville. The bears top two draft picks run Ning Back Neal Anderson and cornerback Vestee Jackson have no signed. General manager Jerry Vainisi says he does not expect to sign either until after the bears return from their aug. 3 exhibition in London. Ditka had nothing to say about Ander son whose agent is on vacation until after the bears leave for London  said Jackson would get a Good look at cornerback. The Pittsburgh Steeles will be without their starting running backs when training Camp opens Friday. Wal Ter Abercrombie is in a Santa Barbara calif., Hospital with aseptic meningitis and is expected to remain hospitalized for two or three Days. Abercrombie was visiting a Friend in Santa Barbara when he became ill and was hospitalized sat urday. Frank Pollard underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee last week alter injuring it while playing basketball. Pollard is expected to miss three to four weeks of Camp. The Denver Broncos signed the final holdout when Veteran punter Chris Norman agreed to a series of one Yea contracts. The eagles announced the signing of punter Ray Criswell a fifth round draft pick and free agent running Back Mike Irving. Eagles offensive line Man Kevin Allen missed the morning practice after being treated at a Hospital monday night for dehydration to tee Miami dolphins veterans suffered injuries in practice tuesday. Safety Mike Kozlowski pulled a muscle in his right calf linebacker Robin Sendlein sprained his left knee and Strong safety Glen Blackwood suffered a minor ankle in jury