European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 30, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Friday August 30, 1991 the stars and stripes b Page 29de Varona lit Torch Beamon still passes on by Hal Bock the associated press t new York a she was americans sweetheart a blonde californian fresh from the 1964 olympics where she had won two swimming Gold medals. He was a Black teen Ager from the inner City of South Jamaica n,y., always it seemed just one step away from trouble. When Donna de Varona and Bob Beamon crossed paths one Day Back in the troubled 1960s, if was an encounter that would change olympic history. De Varona was on a Post olympic tour of inner City schools addressing the students trying to relate to them just what it meant to be an olympian. In the audience Beamon listened and something inside him clicked. A maybe a he thought a maybe that a something i could it was at that moment that Beamon began his journey to the 1968 olympics and the historic 29-foot, 2/2-Inch Long jump that still stands As the world record. There was help along the Way from olympians like Wilma Rudolph and Ralph Boston. But it All began Beamon said with de Varona. A i was on the Way to other areas a Beamon said recently As he accepted a Clairol personal Best award for his work with children in the Miami area. A i was engaged in socially unacceptable behaviour. I was running in the streets involved in gang fights cutting school. One time the cops picked me up after there had been a murder around the Corner. I was in the wrong place at the wrong then along came de Varona. Almost 30 years later she still remembers the schools tour. A those kids taught me a lot about Hope and compassion a she said. How could a Black Street kid relate to a White woman swimmer a sports has no color a Beamon said. A we look at ability and character not Beamon who jumped 24 feet 14 inches at age 14, went to work on his specially. By 1968, he was a world Bob Beamon splashes Sand All Over the place in his record setting 29-2 /2 Long jump in 1968 olympic Carnes. A Flo class athlete at Texas Elpaso. But he spent the months before the olympics without a coach after being suspended for refusing to compete against Brigham Young protesting what he considered to be racist policies of the mormon Church. Still he set a record that has survived for nearly a Quarter Century. He returned to step after the games completing his degree in sociology and then earned a masters in psychology and counselling from san Diego state. For the last 10 years he has worked for the Dade county Parks and recreation department. He currently runs the county a youth sports motivational program encouraging kids. A we face a lost generation a Beamon said. A a we be got to get it Back. Reading comprehension is so Low its a signal we re in trouble from an academic Point of View. Every Day you pick up the paper and read that we be lost another child. That a most Beamon recalled talking to gang kids. Quot id Tell them the kid around the Corner was killed a he said. A they d shrug and say a what can i Tell you better him than a a we re battling a difficult problem. Its a hard Beamon continues the Battle largely he said because of de Varona. �?o1 had no inspiration at All until then a he said. A she passed the Torch to me. In a passing it to the next generation."$10 million salaries on horizon by Ronald Blum the associated press new York the $10 million a year player is coming. The Only questions Are who and How soon. A and for people who find that incredible a says agent Leigh Steinberg a a it a the same As Yelling at a soft drink machine saying that its ridiculous to put a Dollar in when the same exact can Cost five cents in your not Long ago entire baseball teams had payrolls of less than $10 million. The top salary in team sports now is the $5.38 million Roger Clemens averages to pitch for the red sox. But to nearly double that figure wont be hard to do agents and sports officials say. There May be a player who could demand it now if the conditions were right. A if Michael Jordan were a free agent Michael Jordan would get $10 million dollars now a agent Tom Reich said. Jordan is in the midst of a Long term contract with the Aba Champion Chicago bulls that will pay about $3.4 million next season. But he is the Type of player who can generate immense amounts of added Revenue for a team or even a whole league through ticket sales merchandising and television rights. A i think salary rises can be supported As Long As the league expands its Revenue opportunities a said Charles Grantham executive director of the Aba players association. Salaries soar that a a Given. How High a Joe Montana of san Francisco tops the nil at $3.5 million this season John a hot Rod Williams of Cleveland will Lead the Aba at $4 million and Wayne Gretzky of los Angeles will Lead the nil at $3 million. A in november 1979, Nolan Ryan became baseball a first million Dollar player. This year 33 baseball players Are making $3 million or More 123 top $2 million and 223 top $1 million. A last season the Aba had three players at $3 million or More and 24 at $2 million or More. The nil is starting to catch up top. There were two $2 million players last year and 11 millionaires. The average salaries Are amazing $900,000 for basketball 1990-91$891,188 for baseball $361,000 for football 1990 and $254,000 for hockey 1990-91. That a a 526 percent Rise for basketball in 10 years a 480 percent Rise for baseball a 457 percent jump for football and a 235 percent jump for hockey. A who would have predicted where we Are a baseball commissioner Fay Vincent said. Randy Hendricks who negotiated Clemens record breaking four year $21.5 million package along with his brother Alan says the key to the next jump will be television. �?o1 done to think anything a inevitable including $10 million salaries a Hendricks said. A what 1 do believe is that its easy to foresee a $10 million player if revenues continue to Rise. And that a a component of television revenues which is a component of audience ratings advertising rates and the development of International markets and Aba salaries Haye risen the fastest and that sports labor situation has been the most peaceful. The salary Cap tied to players receiving 53 percent or defined Gross Revenue has worked for both sides. Baseball and football May be approaching a maximum for licensing revenues and foreign opportunities appear slim so pay per View is looked at As the biggest potential source of new Revenue. Fans would pay to see games not broadcast into their markets by the free and Cable networks. A i think we May see As soon As next year local option pay television a Steinberg said. A it will not replace but will supplement free Dallas cowboys owner Jerry Jones disagrees a i can to look in a Crystal Ball and see that we re on the threshold of great Revenue Bonanza a Jones said. Dennis Gilbert who represents Jose Canseco and Bobby Bonilla says there will be a $10 million player a soon after pay per View kicks a pay per View is expected to bring in $80 million in the Tyson Holyfield fight a he said. A and that a for one Stern said that for the Aba a any pay per View Bonanza Are very far Down the those who think there will be great Revenue increases believe salaries for top players will increase at an even faster rate in the �?T90s than in the �?T80s. Reich a baseball and hockey agent sees top players on each team getting a larger and larger percentage of the payroll. Quot Star salaries will always go higher a Reich said. A the majority of players on a team Are not going to be High paid players. The majority Are going to be much a which maybe Isnit bad a said Jerry Reinsdorf owner of the Chicago White sox and the Aba bulls. Quot maybe the stars should get the hockey Hasni to had the big Money of the other three sports. The nil recently completed a $51 million three year contract with spor Tschannel America a contract smaller than some local baseball to deals. Nil president John Zeigler said an average hockey salary of $1 million would put some teams out of business. A this business cannot take a 34 percent increase in player costs every two years a Zeigler said. A there is just not available revenues a new revenues or increased revenues a to cover that Type of but the nil players association is seeking changes to the collective bargaining agreement that would result in a sharper salary escalation and agents say there a room to grow. Teams spend because they have to. Under pressure budgets Are ignored. All it takes is one owner willing to try to buy a championship. That owner not Only will break the $10 million Barrier hell pull other top players up. A where a Guy has choices and can create tremendous added revenues he can get a tremendous salary Quot Reich said. A a it a going to be that kind of situation that gets you a $10 million ticket a
