European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 12, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday August 12,1988 the stars and stripes Page 23 commentary Edwards playing toll role with 49ers when the nil suspended Doug Dubose of the san Francisco 49ers for drug use last week i thought of Harry Edwards. You might remember Edwards As the Guy baseball commissioner Peter Ueberroth hired to direct minority hiring after the Al Campanis Flap. Or you might know Edwards As a professor at Cal Berkley who teaches sociology of  or you maybe heard of Edwards As a staff Consul Tant for the 49ers and Golden state warriors. I did t know of his nil and Aba roles. That is until two weeks ago when i spotted his 6-foot-8, 280-Pound body beneath that Unm Ista Keable Bald Skull. He was standing on the49ers sideline during practice for the july 31exhibition against the Miami dolphins i London. He described his49ers role As i essentially get All the  Dubose might be Edward been one of those headaches. The onetime Nebraska Star went on to score a touchdown at Wembley stadium. And maybe the stuff he took was harmless. Whatever Edwards did t mention Dubose. Edwards did mention Dexter Manley. The Washington redskins defensive end was the biggest name caught in Pete Rozelle s drug sweep. You re going to have that problem with drugs a relapse Edwards said. When asked How the league helps a player quit Coke he replied i did get the Guy on Coke i can t get him  Edwards 45, lectures around the United state about 70 times a year. He charges $5,000 per speech although he noted the military could get him cheaper to speak to troops in Europe. On this Windy practice Bucky Fox Field two Days before the London game Edward spoke for free. For some Guys this is it he said. This is their last Hope. They Don t know anything else. I look around the Bay area to help them get jobs. I go up Toa Guy and say look Man i saw the Cut list and you re on it. I know of a Job where they need some one now. Call him up and you can have it " such is Edwards Job with the 49ers. He s a Cush Ion for players. If what he says is accurate the nil needs a sofa. Sixty one percent of the players leave the nil indent or destitute said Edwards. About one third have medical problems on top of it. Life after sport can be brutal. The one thing they Are they no longer Are football players. There s no financial planning. Over 80 percent have no College degree. They re in a High tech society with no  enter Edwards. He contends he started program to help 49er players plan their Money. The average Guy coming into the nil has Teven had a checking account said Edwards. We get him into a class and teach finance. They read the Wall Street journal. They learn the value of  Edwards knows about classes. As a professor of sociology he teaches two classes per week at Berkley. Here s How he describes his sociology of sport class sport and education sport and race sport and deviance including drugs. Women in  see a Guy making a million busted in a bar. What s going on Here what s the reason for Blac domination of sports basketball football baseball boxing track not Field except for jumping  Are other sports like Tennis and swimming Lily White because of sociological  the talk turned to boxing. I have ambivalence about boxing said Edwards. It needs More control thu bless gloves bigger gloves bigger headgear. It would have to be controlled for me to get involved. I knew a when he was Champion and he s Ashell of that. For every Ali literally thousands Are getting their brains beat  yet Edwards is involved in football which Bashe Knees and backbones. More people have been killed in football in thelast 10 years than in the history of boxing said Edwards. The difference is in football it s Acci dental. In boxing knocking the other Guy s brains out is the purpose. Here he said looking at the 49ers, you have a129-percent Chance of having some kind of injury. That s a certainty. But the aim is not to maim. I boxing the aim is to scramble his  since Ueberroth hired Edwards baseball has hired one Black major league manager Frank Robinson. Is that Progress we re making tremendous Progress said Edwards. We be started a program that in the next year will Start getting Blacks Access to the front of fice. We re looking at it in the third year the eighth year. Nothing happens overnight except Hollywood and if it does it s bad Here today and gone Tomor  Edwards said he will stay on the baseball commissioner s staff even after Ueberroth leaves next year As Long As i see  any word on Ueberroth s successor i won t say said Edwards. It s not going to Beme. That s a 100-percent certainty. I la give you that  meanwhile football s commissioner in t leaving and Dubose Hopes to return. Two weeks after Lon Don Edwards must be lecturing about one of his49ers drug problems. The stars and stripes gym guru Karolyi plans new strategy by Bill Glaube Baltimore Sun writer Houston one controversy Dowland another to go for the United states gymnastics federation. One Day after winning the Battle of the coaches Bela Karolyi began laying the groundwork for a new and potentially More explosive Campaign. Karolyi called tuesday for the us to hold a final olympic selection meet during a closed door Competition be tween the United states and France at his gym aug. 26-27. It will be a final testing Karol isaid. Check on the readiness and physical integrity of the athletes. Well have better Opportunity to think about the final lineup of the olympic  the meet also would give two Karoly kids alternates Rhonda Faehn and Kris tie Phillips a last Chance to earn spots a olympic competitors alongside fellow Karolyi coached gymnasts Phoebe Mills Chelle stack and Brandy Johnson. Mike Jacki Usuf executive director said moving the alternates up to one of the six starting positions is  the Only Way it could happen is i there was an injury to one of the six others said Jacki. And i mean a real injury not some sprained ankle. Every one was Clear on the trials. They were Alock trials. We have our six member  the Usuf also is locked into a coach ing staff without a designated Leader after the resignation of Don Peters. Karolyi and Peters feuded openly for Tabler spells trouble with the bases loaded up gymnastics coach Bela Karolyi. Wants More trials months with Peters quitting monday after failing to produce one olympian. The realigned staff is comprised of the personal coaches of the athletes who will g to Seoul South Korea for the 1988ames. Joining Karolyi in Seoul will be Bill and Donna Strauss the coaches for Hope Spivey Mark Lee the coach for Missy Marlowe and Becky Buwick the coach of Kelly Garrison Steves. Each person has his own responsibility with the athletes said Jacki. It s not like we re asking the City of new York to unite. We just have a Tew people. If we can t get these people to work together inthe Best interests of the . Program we re in deep trouble. I can t believe the won t work  Kansas City to. A nobody can explain it but coming to Bat with the bases loaded turns Pat Tabler into a .565hitter. Amazing says Kansas City manager John Wathan. Unbelievable says teammate Frank White. Just Luck say the grinning Tabler. Tuesday night was the Baltimore orioles turn to fall victim to Tabler s amazing unbelievable Luck. The Roy als trailed 4-2 in the ninth but loaded the bases with on out on a bunt single and two walks. Pat Tabler up stepped Tabler a career .292 hitter digging in with the bases loaded for the 62nd time. Orioles Relief Pitcher to Niedenfuer had the misfortune of being on the Mound. Niedenfuer delivered. Tabler swung and produced a three run double that gave Kansas City a 5-4 Victory an boosted Tabler s career bases loaded average to .565. Tabler who came to the royals this season from Cleveland has 35 hits and 85 Bis in those 62 at bats. Since joining the royals he is 3 for 3 with 9 Bis including once when he walked. For the season Tabler is 6 for 7 with17 bases loaded Bis. I can t think of a More incredible statistic in All my years in baseball a than said. It s just amazing. And we Renot talking about just a few at bats. I Don t know How you can top a statistic like that. You wonder How he does  Tabler wonders , Guys i Don t know what i m thinking in that situation he said. Just got  but like a grizzled old Gambler once noted if something keeps happening it s not  re not talking about 10 or 20 at bats Wathan  what does happen when Tabler Steps into the Batter s Box and sees the bases loaded do his reflexes Sharpen while his eyesight grows Keener Doe added strength flow into his arms from some mysterious Reservoir of will Power hidden deep in his being or As Tabler says does he just get Lucky i just go out there and play and what happens happens he said. You just think about trying to get those runs Inland helping the team  first base coach Bob Schaefer know what he s going to do next time Tabler bats with runners Only at second an third. I m going to go stand on the first base bag and look at him and just smile Schaefer  Tabler magic As his teammates were calling it even distracted Rookie Pitcher Israel Sanchez from the fact he had notched his first major league Victory i was t worried about retrieving the Ball Sanchez said. I was chasing putdown to congratulate