Fire, Birmingham collide in crucial league action

Panty raids constituted a campus riot, long hair touched the ears. Chicago’s best pitcher was Dick Ellsworth and South Vietnam had little more appeal than any other suburb of mainland China when thin city witnessed its last meaningful gridiron game.

That, of course, was the Bear’s National Football League Championship bout win, 14-10, over the New York Giants an even dozen years ago.

Yeah, it's been that long, especially since the NFL, players strike shipwrecked this summer's College All-Star Game.

But would you believe there's a good reason to pay 17 per head tonight at Soldier Field ... that's right, an important football game, right here on our stage!

It’s the Birmingham Americans against Jim Spavital’s Fire in an 8:10 p.m. nationally televised World Football League special. At stake: Co-leadership of the WFL Central Division.

As the league's only unbeaten team, Jack Gotta’s Americans will defend their 7-0 slate against the Fire, whose only defeat was three weeks ago against Florida in Soldier Field. Chicago Is 6-1.

Badly. That's how much the Fire needs victory tonight. Why? They've got four games these next 13 days, meeting Birmingham tonight and on the road Saturday. Sept. 7.

Sandwiched around those unenviable tasks are next Monday's date at Southern California, leader of the Western Division, with the rematch on Wednesday, Sept. 11 in Soldier Field. It's a vastly more difficult challenge than Chicago's first "twin bill," two games in five days, earlier against Portland and Hawaii.

And after Southern Cal, there's another Central Division match-up on Wednesday, Sept. 18 against Memphis in Soldier Field.

"That's tough on anybody, I don’t care who you're playing," insisted Fire linebacker Ron Porter, a two-time Super Bowl veteran and holder of 11 tackles last Thursday against the Ypsilanti (Detroit) Wheels. "If we come out of this next series in good shape, we'll play that way the rest of the season."

Down the line, WFL contenders are chasing four playoff spots. Division winners plus the league's best second place team qualify for post-season money games.

At this point, Southern Cal looks strong in the West. It's probably Florida or New York in the East with Birmingham, Chicago or Memphis battling for one or two spots awarded the Central teams. So that's why Chicago must not falter during its next hectic two weeks or against Memphis.

"If we come out of that stretch with just one loss, I'd be the happiest guy in the world." said quarterback Virgil Carter. "We've got to win our home games, regardless. That's the mistake we made against Florida. We just can't be beaten at home."

That would mean only three wins however. “If we get some breaks on the road and play good ball at Southern Cal and down in Birmingham, sure we’d like to win them all. But our thinking must concentrate on winning at home.”

Carter claimed "The pressure's not really on us; it's on Birmingham. We need to relax, play football, have a good time and hope It works out in our favor."

(Yeah, except should the Fire get doused tonight, they'll be 6-2, two games behind Birmingham and in a mental valley with minimal recovery time before Southern Cal. Not a nice thought.)

There is guarded concern that Chicago free safety Joe Womack, WFL pass Interception leader with six, will play just sparingly or not at all tills evening. The ligaments in his left knee, strained against Philadelphia, aren't totally sound. He didn’t play against the Wheels.

"I don’t wont to do anything that would hurt the team," he said, "but I'm concerned about myself, too, because a (bad) knee can end your career." He's just 25 years old.

The Fire picked up safety Randy Richardson, a rookie from Southeast Oklahoma, this week, but it's not likely he'll be activated. Look for Womack to start. If he can't make it, they'll move Harry Howard to free safety and put Mike Carter at Howard's right cornerback spot.

Two new Firemen tonight will be offensive tackle Al Jenkins, recently waived by the Bears, and linebacker Tommy Rousscll, waived by the NFL Philadelphia Eagles. Jenkins started at Houston lost year, was recently waived by the Oilers, picked up by Abo Gibron's Bears and dropped again.

Fire personnel director Bill Byrne has acquired running back Billy Taylor from Memphis for a future consideration and traded running back Clayton Heath to Hawaii.

What Is Birmingham? A club that's scored 91 of its 201 total points during the lint period and escaped against Jacksonville last week, 15-11, when Charley Harraway scored and Matthew Reed added the action point with 19 seconds remaining.

The Americans have come from behind in five games and won them all by less than one touchdown. They wore able to handle hapless Ypsilanti (oops ... Detroit!) by just three and six points: in back-to-back games.

So the Americans are ripe for defeat, as some say, or they play like gang busters when it seems the axe will fall. Take your pick.

That 7-0 record has been accomplished despite losing starting quarterback George Mira on-and-off with a sprained ankle he injured against Jacksonville. But Reed, a free agent from Grambling, has replaced the 11-year vet with nice result!).

Mira ranks eighth and Reed ninth in WFL Passing stats. The Americans are second in total and passing offense and fourth in rushing. They’ve got the WFL’s No. 9 rusher in Paul Robinson, 91 carries for 333 yards. Chicago’s Mark Kellar is second, 113 attempts and 461 yards.

According to Fire linebacker Porter, Birmingham has been especially strong on first down, usually with a running play, and that's opened up their passing for second or third down.

"There's nothing you can depend upon all the time," said Porter. "You can figure tendencies. You can know what they do almost all the time. But what about when they don't?"

THE FIRE LOG: Ex-Indiana quarterback Ted McNulty is back with the Indianapolis Caps, coached by Fire scout Ken Carter ... Advance ticket sales Indicate more than 40,000 for tonight's game. Rumor has it that Soldier Field repairs are complete ... The nationally televised game is blacked out in Chicagoland. It'll be aired on WJJD-FM radio with Eddie Doucette and Mike Pyle ... Kellar has a 78-57 lead over Birmingham's Alfred Jenkins in WFL scoring. All of