B3-Sunday News, October 26, 1980

side-lines

by Andy Fraser

At play on Fantasy Island

There was a moment the other night, shortly
after Tug McGraw had struck out Willie Wilson
to end a relatively innocuous World Series that I
almost became emotional over what I was seeing

on the TV screen.

Out on the field players
leaped and cavorted in glee
over their championship.
And that was what did it.
The players, just the players,
and not the fans.

For the first time in 2
major televised professional
sport im recent years, there
was no mass invasion of the
field by the ‘fraud squad’,
whose goons think that
by racing to the field they
will be seen and their fame
will live forever. There was
no attack on the players by
fools trying to steal souvenirs
in the way of hats, gloves
and bats.

In fact the celebration was
left to the guys who did all
the work; the players.

As | say, a very emotional
moment, especially in this
day and age when the fan is
actually more important in
the overall scheme of things
than the players who are
nothing more than
marketable commodities.

Mind you, any fan who
even thought of invading

that field would have to be
accused of total mental
incompetence.

During the last inning, it
appeared that the whole of
the United States Army and
all police forces gathered to
ring the field complete with
full riot gear, horses and

dogs. And there is the
distinct possibility that
special marksmen and

mortar squads were dug in at
strategic positions to open
fire the moment anyone
raided a leg to teap the
restraining wall.

While it is true that TV
has brought sport to the
mases, it is also true that it
has also brought the masses
to TV sport.

Perhaps because of the
superficiality of sports
commentating, and the total
pandering to the fan at the
expense of the players and
the sport, these fans have
come to realize that they can
live out some of their fan-
tasies and if a camera is
nearby. they will get that

A MEETING OF MINDS between Mark Garfield, left,
of the North Shore News, and Bl Nichol of Fast
Eddies fast week im theirs 2-2 the im Imcuserial leaguc
soccer. (Gord Waldock photo)

tis 2? Went 3rd St

bene the (OC clare Conte) Noh Van ouvert

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Complete foreign & domestic
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specializing in toreign cars
Mercedes, Volvo, BMW

COACH
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(300 & Pemberton cagfit

exposure they so desperately
want.

The unreal world created
by the eye of the camera has
distorted sport to the point
where the actual skillful
competition is secondary to
the overall ‘event’.

No game is complete
without the ‘hi mom’ shot of
some player on the bench
during the game who always
appears more interested in
being on TV than playing:
the shot of the fan in the
gorilla) mask, or _ silly
costume; the endless
mutations of chickens; the
leggy, jiggly cheerleader
who is imevitably out of
sync, looking slightly bored;
and of course the im-
maculately attired plethora
of experts who make up the
broadcast team.

All have contracts more
secure than the players.

Sport has changed since
the advent of mass TV
coverage, and it has not
necessarily changed for the
better. More superficial
entertainment for the fan,
but nothing to stretch or
perfect the skills.

The sport purist is dead;
long live fantasy island.

NASL NONSENSE

Professional sport exists in
spite of the people at the top.
not because of them.

Firemen
remain

undefeated

Firefighters remained the
only undefeated team in the

North Shore Industrial
Soccer League following
their 32 win over Tecum

Teak last weekend tn regular
league play

In other action a four goal
performance by Larry Kerr
led Soprovitch Sounders to a
$2 wim over Darcy Brown
while North Shore News
drew 2 2 with Fast Eddies

The final game of the day
saw Pegasus come up witb a
convincing 5 2

win over

Dark room

987-2211

If you doubt this axiom,
then please explain the
actions of the immates who
run the North Amenican

Soccer League.
If there was a ‘fifth
column’ engaged in

espionage designed to
destroy the league, they
wouldn't be as obvious, nor
as successful as this bunch of
mental midgets who met in
Toronto this past week.

The NASL, as a league, is
in trouble. There was an
msignificant two percent
increase in attendance; TV
ratings dropped in the U.S.
to the paint where ABC
wants out (a death knell for
any sport today); the large

number of weak sister teams
m the league: the lack of
regular coverage in U.S.
sporting magazines; and a
general disinterest south of
the border as evidenced that
no U.S. city wants to host
the 1981 Soccer Bowl.

Yet, in spite of the
troubles, the league decides
to continue the debacle by
choosing an absolutely
nonsensical system of points
for wins.

They seem to forget,
though it’s not hkely they
ever knew, that this is the
most popular game in the
world and that it reached
that level by its simplicity.

Until the league leaders

can accept the fact that the
rest of the world soccer has
something going for it, then
this league is doomed. They
seem more intent on
building indoor soccer than

promoting and creating
strength in the regular
league.

The only hope is that the
game can rise above those
people who control the
purse strings,who are making
a mockery out of it and who
would be emmently qualified
to crew the Titanic. But
don't bet on it!

By the way, don't forget
the Canada-U.S. World Cup
preliminary next Saturday at
1 p.m. at Empire Stadium.

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