European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 1, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday december 1, 1988 the stars and stripes Page 21 sports letters air Force axed the wrong sports i read inc article on Safe s dropping five sports because of budget restraints. What a sad commen tary on where the leadership is today when they  sports such As skiing Power lift ing and track and Field. They eliminate these sports however they keep such specialized and costly sports As tackle football. While 22 players on the Field need a rest 2,000 peo ple in the stands need exercise. The Only answer to this must be the egotistical attitude of the base commanders who View them selves As owners of the team much like George Steinbrenner. C Mon Safe drug yourselves into the latter part of the 20th Century. Support sports programs that keep airmen and their families physically tits them goals to reach and can be accomplished m their entire life there Are currently age categories from local to world championships in skiing Power lifting and track and Field. I know of no such championship for"Over-40  Larry Parker West Berli editor s note col. Junes k. Wiles director of morale welfare and recreation to Safe replies the of Aston to drop Safe championship in skiing tick and Field  and boxing was nude with much regret. In coordination with the ath Letic director of All three numbered air forces reconsidered Many factors before making our decision. These actors included the relationship to air Force or higher feral Competition participation opportunities other than Safe championships and the level of interest i.e., the number of  actively supporting or Fielding Esau in the sport. After ii thorough review of the entire sports pro Gram it was determined that skiing tick and Field Power lifting and boxing benefited the least number of people. Our dropping these sports front our Calendar was not intended to eliminate them. In fact through various local base invitational boxing smokers and Power lifting meets. Third air Force boxing and track and Field championships and arc open ski races Many of our athletes will still Hare numerous opportunities to compete. In addition the truly outstanding performers can still apply through the Safe sports office to at tend air Force or higher level competitions. While we realize thai these alternative Means of Competition will not always be available to every one we feel the majority of Safe personnel who actively participate in skiing boxing Power fling and track and Field will be Able to continue to do so on a compel. Air Force members must maintain their physical fitness. The current air Force program leaves the Choice of method up to the individual. We fully sup port the air Force fitness program and Are proud of the role of the Safe varsity sports program in help ing maintain physical fitness and morale of our peo ple. Vow Are confident no one will relax their fitness efforts As a result of our having to reduce the scope of the Safe sports program. Rugby offered As alternative i d like to address the Washington Post article inthe nov. 15th Issue. It dealt with the fact that it seems most sports programs for children and Young sters really Are not leaching them inc sort of sports that can stay with them for a lifetime. I totally agree. The sorts of organized sports that Are taught in most american schools such As football baseball Field hockey Dodge Ball Bowling and others do no satisfy the dual goals of lifetime sports 1, being Able in improve and sustain Overall physical fitness As life progresses and 2, being a sport that can be enjoyed Welt into Middle age 1 offer an alternative Rugby. The last time played football was in High school and i Haven t suited up since. But i have been playing Rugby for Over seven Yean and i will never go Back to football this has become my lifetime sport and it can be come that for others As Well. This is a unique sport that can in tact be played by most any age even As one gels older. Most players of Rugby play Well into their thirties and then mos switch into organized old boy leagues of older players. There arc also opportunities to referee and  would like to attempt to dispel the myth of Rug Byas a brutal and uncontrolled sport. Statistics support the fact that football players arc six times More Likely to suffer catastrophic injuries As a result of playing such As broken Bones and spinal and neck injuries. Other sports that have been proven by the numbers to be More dangerous than Rugby arc soccer hockey Lacrosse boxing and wrestling. Rugby is a rather uncomplicated and thoroughly enjoyable sport. Also As a full Contact sport it is an excellent stress receiver. The sport is especially Good for military personnel because it combines ail of the attributes that Are fostered in the Soldier aggressiveness teamwork proficiency tactics strategy and control. Another added Benefit of playing especially Here in Europe arc the numerous Ravel opportunities and social occasions that Rugby generates. For More information on Rugby Contact John dates hic s/68th Armor box9iapo by 09086 easy Pickin s Bug writer i enjoy seeing How your staff chooses the weekly College football predictions but in bugs the Heck out of me when the entire Stair picks the same team. Why not give them is games to pick and throw out the games that arc 10-0 and 9-1? anyone with a fourth Grade education knows that Arkansas will beat Baylor. All these games do is keep writers like Tracy Tan Ner and Ben Abrams above inc .500 Mark on inc season. Hey if they Don t know College fool bait Why cover for them do Stults. Zwell Brocken West Germany Reader lauds racquetball play i had the greatest pleasure and Thrift of watching one of the Best racquetball games i was privileged to Sec. In was the final of the men s Mas leis Whitfi took place during the Heidelberg Raqu Coball . The two contestants were Willie minor of the  Force and Lewis Washington of the . Army. Both players were in Superb physical condition fast Strong and extremely agile. They were very competitive and intense and were imbued with an ardent desire to win. During the energetic and fierce match both play in were fair sportsmen and above All they played like gentlemen. This exemplifies what i consider personally should be the epitome and goal of army sports competitive fair and Tough. Harris Cusse Walldorf. West Germany renew lion Bison rivalry if someone had mentioned that Christmas was cancelled this year i would have believed it eve before the news that Dodds had erased the classic Heidelberg Mannheim rivalry. Traditionally and certainly the most competitive confrontation Between neighbouring High schools has slopped this year because of an array  like scheduling school sizes find costs. 1 can remember As an athlete in the Laic 70 s whence the Heidelberg Lions calculated our entire sea son s Success on one game against the Mannheim Bison. Today As a referee officiating Ball games be tween the two schools i can still observe the inbred dislike for the other school on and off the playing Field. And it was great. Just  As any other reason for athletic competitions. Why would anyone allow such a rivalry to be stricken from the schedule the games Drew stand ing room crowds of parents teach ctr administrators Community members and the students them selves. Spirit week at school could t have fared better with your opponent being your Cross town rival. No need to reply As i have heard All the fabricated answers besides i heard Christmas is a go this year. Wayne Bardell Mannheim West Germany no. 6 Iowa finds no roadblocks at Drake by the associated press Des Moines Iowa if you re heading on the Road you might As Well Start out against a team that has t won anywhere in eight games. Make that nine. Sixth ranked Iowa had Little trouble with in state rival Drake storming to a 96-72 Victory tuesday night. Using full court pressure and the Power of de Morton and Matt Bullard underneath the Hawk eyes beat Drake for the Lola straight time. 13 j. Armstrong scored 20 of his 25 Points in the first half. Morton added 19 Points. But in was  which forced 22 turnovers thai made the big difference. I Don t know How you can get much better than that coach Tom Davis said of the first half in which the Hawk yes own bounded the bulldogs 44-27 and forced 16 turnovers. Roy Marble had 14 Points for Iowa Bullard scored in and freshman Reserve James Moses 12, Honor. Grabbed nine rebounds while Bullard and Marble each Hod seven Terrell Jackson led Drake with 19 Points is in the second half. Sam Roark scored 17 of his 18 Points in the first half and Eric Berger added 17. In other tuesday games no. 7 Illinois ski Melro state 55 Champaign Iii. Just who is metro slate it s College basketball a division ii school from Denver whose coach. Bob Hull used to work for Lou he Sonai Illinois. So Hanson inv cd his former assistant and the Road Runn Cra were Nice guests. Four of the Zillini were in double figures led by Nick Anderson with 15 Points. No. 14 Fin. Is. 100, Fla. International 75 Tallahassee Fla. The seminoles also spread the wealth with five players in double figures Tony Daw on scored 27 Points. George Mccloud and Tharon macs added 17 each Irving Thomas chipped in with 11. And Tat Hunter had 10 Points and 14 rebounds. Florida state has averaged 116.5 Points in its two games in ranked As Larry Bird sidelined from the Aba for several months after surgery on both heels watched from the sidelines Eddie Bird scared 27 Points in Indiana stale s 70-66 defeat of Texas was Cyan att care haul ind at Minneapolis freshman Bob Martin ignited a19-fi rally to end the first half As Minnesota look charge fora97-64 Victory Over Youngstown state. Kevin Lynch added seven of his 14 Points during the spurt Al Oxford Ohio the Indiana hoosiers took Miami Ohio 87-70 As Jay Edwards had 28 Points and seven rebounds. At Ecsi Lafayette ind., another big ten Winner was Purdue. Jimmy Oliver scored 18 Points and Mclvin Mcmanis added 17 As the boilermakers outclassed Long Beach stale 100-53. Purdue forced 22 turnovers handmade eight steals. At Auburn Ala the tigers held off Georgia stale 7470 As Derrick Dennison scored 19 Points and Kin Hank ton had six in the final Thiee minutes at Waco Texas san Diego stale routed Baylor 83-58, Sam Johnson scored 16 Points for the visitors 2-0, who dropped Baylor to 0-3. It was the first regular season game Baylor played in the new.10,084-Scal Ferrell can  Hanover n.h., Dartmouth of the Ivy league toppled Boston College of the big East 80-74, with Jim Barton scoring 26 of i 36 Points in the second half. Dartmouth Down 41-36 at the half fell behind by 10 Points in the second Naif before Barton Winlon his scoring rampage. He added eight rebounds for the  Ellis had 24 Points and 13 rebounds in la Fayette s 68-61 win Over army and Raymond Dudley s 20 Points led air Force to a 72-54 Victory Over Adams  Alexander scored 19 Points leading five Iowa slate players in double figures in an 88-58 Romp  Byron Houston scored 17 Points Hilling eight of nine Field goals As Oklahoma state de feat a Samford 70-44