European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 27, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday february 27,1989 the stars and stripes Page 25 commentary sooner debate is winning the Only thing Phil Dessauer is a former managing editor of the Tulsa world and professor of journalism at the University of Tulsa by Phil Dessauer the question of the Day in Oklahoma is not whether John Tower should be confirmed or Ollie North freed from trial. The dinner table locker room Issue in these parts is whether the University of Oklahoma should dismiss its head football coach Barry Switzer. Although bad news blows have been popping around Switzer like a string of firecrackers it seems Clear that heis not going to resign. And although editorials in Oklahoma City and Tulsa newspapers have called for a change pro Switzer fans Are As fired up As his critics and showing far More strength. The coach has the backing for example of gov. Henry Bellmon even though Bellmon is a graduate of Oklahoma state University. Last week Bellmon showed up at a press conference wearing a red of Blazer and gave Switzer his Blessing despite his deep concerns expressed later about the controversy swirling around the sooner football program. No definitive count has been taken to show Public sentiment on the Issue but the Tulsa world conducted a Telephone poll of its readers last week. Free Calls were tallied on whether Switzer should resign and the response was 1,608 for resignation and 5,145 against or 76 percent to 24 percent in Switzer s favor. A Tulsa television station Kotul took a 50-cents a Call Telephone poll and got the same message 2,014 for dismissal 6,852 against 77 percent for Switzer. Basically we got three themes from the pro Switzer people said Alex Adwan editorial Page editor of the world. First of and Switzer Are not responsible for what every football player does. Second everyone is innocent until proved guilty. The third argument was he s not hired to be a baby Sitter he s hired to win those games " this seems to Echo Switzer s own philosophy As he once expressed it to his team the greatest Reward in football is winning. That s the most important goal there is. That s Why they have  the 51-year-old coach has had a winning percentage of .844 in his 16 years at Oklahoma the Best record in College football among coaches now Active. Switzer s current troubles started dec. 19, when the Mcaa put the sooner on three years probation. Football scholarships and recruiting were stringently reduced and Switzer was accused of failing to exercise supervisory  within the next two months five players were arrested. Three were charged with rape one Quarter Back Charles Thompson with Selling cocaine to an Fri agent and another with shooting his Roommate. All this has left five players suspended and Switzer and the University embarrassed. Even the University s interim president David Swank told lbs sports we probably became a Little lax because of the great athletic Success we have had and so we maybe let things slide More than we should.". The defense focuses on the fact that in a big program Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer. Fans leaning his Way like Ous half a dozen bad apples Don t represent the 80or 90 other players. Switzer himself interviewed after Thompson s arrest said the player did it for the reasons most people do for the  the coach also leans on the defense that he cannot be every player s wet nurse. It will take at least another season to see the full reaction from the University its athletic department and Switzer himself who can t absorb any More shocks. A new president is to be selected and he May be heard from in athletic matters. Also there s a big mob of fans 9ut there who will figure in decisions to be made and right now they see to be leaning Switzer s Way. Winning scores for More than 30 years have created a sooner subculture if not a religion and the More than 70,000 seats in the stadium Only begin to Tell the extent of the football Fervour. The feeling flowered during the coaching years of Bud Wilkinson whose teams won 47 consecutive games in the 1950s. Switzer is the heir to that tradition and has lived up to it on the scoreboard. It s doubtful hell Ever equal Wilkinson s popularity. Wilkinson ran for the United states Senate in 1964 and lost by Only 21,000 votes in the year that his Republican ticket mate Barry Goldwater ran 197,000 behind in Oklahoma in the race for president. In the subculture attending Home games Lias grown into a ritual of red and White carnations Caps and Jack ets neighbourly tailgates on the practice Field reunions at fraternity and sorority houses and a general air of Hoo Pla. People drive in from the far Corners of the state and beyond a Home game is a social and sociological event. Many Oil alonians have sought for years to Light of a Cowboy and Indian state reputation and some found sooner football a preferable if not perfect image. At least that picture conjured up winners. Now the word heard most often is laughingstock. There s even a note of derision today in the Oft quoted statement of former a former University or Csc Dent George Cross that Oklahoma should have a University the football team can be proud  no one is very proud now although there Are signs that some Rabid boosters Are beginning to sense the shame. A few not Many have gone so far As to desert Switzer. One admirer told the Tulsa Tribune he was one of the first to think the newspaper was Hasty in calling for Switzer s resignation but after a lot of thought i know you were  Swank and the University Board of regents have taken some corrective Steps and we can look for a More conscientious Switzer at least for a while. Sometimes he promises to be Good and changes his ways but later forgets How much the spanking Hurt. In judging Switzer it s too easy to say he is merely following his agreed role in society to win games for his school his team and the people of Oklahoma who like things they can be proud of. Some coaches have found ways to win and also guide their players into lives beyond football. A lot of people in Oklahoma deplore what they Call the okie mentality and would cheerfully Trade Switzer for a faculty pay raise or a new science lab. But it does appear that another great number enjoys winning football and is willing to forgive a coach such sins As looking the other Way when boosters express their gratitude. The boosters themselves Haven t received the kind of attention they deserve. Who Are these people who can t restrain themselves from rewarding excellence on the playing Field Are they corrupter of innocent Lineback ers or have they themselves become stars in a game behind the game should t they answer to someone a Bill has been introduced in the Oklahoma legis lature to seek damages from boosters who push of and Oklahoma state also under Mcaa probation into Mcaa penalties. Even if your family farm is not show ing a profit Don t bet it on this proposition. The Barry Switzer need to pay much More attention to the rash of problems. But the coaches must have some moral backing better than the one expressed recently by a Newspaperman who said i be always thought the Success or failure of a coach at of de Pended on whether he beat  last oct. 8, the score at Dallas was of 28, Texas 13. The new York times Mcenroe beats Hlasek to capture Lyon tourney Lyon France a John Mcenroe showing flashes of the Bril Lance that once made him the world s Best Tennis player downed top seeded Jakob Hlasek 6-3, 7-6 7-3 sunday to win the $291,000 Lyon grand prix Tennis tournament. It was the 73rd career grand prix title for Mcenroe who was ranked no. 1 in the world from 1981-1984. Only Jimmy Connors with 107, and Ivan Lendl with 74, Are ahead of him. I feel i am getting closer and closer Mcenroe said of his form that helped him win three Wimbledon titles and four . Open titles. My game is getting stronger and i am very optimistic about this  Mcenroe has climbed to no. 8 in the computer rankings after falling to the mid-20s. Hlasek is ranked ninth. After winning the first set of the sin Gles match 6-3, Mcenroe held off three set Points in the second set saving two of them on a Brilliant service return and a defensive lob in the ninth game. He faced set Point again in the 10th game but came to the net and forced Hlasek to hit a backhand Long. Mcenroe who turned 30 last week battled Back from a 5-2 deficit in the second set to Lead 6-5 and serve for the match. Hlasek then took advantage of two unforced errors by Mcenroe to Force a tiebreak. In the tiebreak Mcenroe jumped to a 4-1 Lead and held on with Volley winners and Good service returns before Hlasek ended the match when he could t Han dle a Sharp serve to his backhand. Mcenroe won $52,200 for the sin Gles title. Hlasek pocketed $26,100. Blair sets Point record in world sprint skating Heeren Veen the Netherlands a american Bonnie Blair and Igor Zhe Lezovsky of the soviet Union set Overall Point world records sunday to win the world sprint Speed skating championships. Blair who won the 500 meters on sat urday and sunday totalled 159.435 Points edging defending Champion Christa luding of East Germany who finished with 159.600. Japan s Seiko Hashimoto took the Bronze with 162.395. Zhe Lezovsky won three out of four events Over the weekend and equated the 1,000-meter world record on saturday on his Way to the Gold medal. The soviet finished first in the men s standings with a world record total of 145.945 Points. Uwe Jens May of East Germany was second with 146.770 and Andrei Bak Valov of the soviet Union finished third with 147.285. Zhe Lezovsky bettered the world Point total Mark of compatriot Pavel Pengov who compiled 146.955 Points at High Altitude six years ago. Blair broke the re Cord of 160.060 set by East German Karin Kania set three years ago. . Skater Dan Jansen saw the Bronze slip away when he was edged by Rakhva Lov in the 1,000. Blair already was leading after the first Day ahead of Hauck and luding. In the 500 meters sunday she almost slipped but recovered and went on to win the event in 39.54 seconds. It was Blair s first world title. She was the olympic 500-meter Champion in Calgary. An sports Radi College basketball Villanova at Georgetown 1 30 . Tuesday