Safety Joe Womack (knee) is doubtful for the Birmingham game.

Confident Fire eyes showdown, stiff slate

Jim Spavital, spotted a helicopter fluttering over the Chicago Fire’s practice field in Des Plaines yesterday afternoon.

He adjusted his cap back and broke into the wide grin you expect from winning coaches.

“Hey Hawk,” he yelled to zany television commentator Alex Hawkins, “Do think maybe that’s Birmingham up there?”

Spavital’s kidding remark was a healthy sign of the Fire’s easygoing confidence in approaching tomorrow night’s World Football League confrontation with unbeaten Birmingham at Soldier Field.

“We’ve had the best work week since we left Lake Forest,” said diminutive Wide Receiver Jack Dolbin. “Everybody seems to be concentrating more. I don’t want to say we’re uptight. It’s kind of a tense confidence.”

Spavital and his staff are cautious against investing too much importance to the Birmingham contest, nationally telecast but blocked out in the Chicago area.

“We don’t look at this as a must-win situation,” said Spavital. “Of course we want to win, we approach every game that way. But, we don’t want to put too much emphasis on it. We’ll be playing four games in 14 days. You can’t continuously get players psyched up.

“With Birmingham,” he continued, “our players get themselves up naturally. Our coaches haven’t had to say a word. That’s good, because we’ll have just too many games in a short time to even try that.”

That tortuous scheduling could prove the stiffest test of all. The Firemen depart for the West Coast Sunday to face the Southern California Sun on Labor Day, followed by a rematch with the Americans next Saturday night. Chicago returns home Sept 11 against the Sun again.

“Most players just are not used to playing so many games like that,” said Spavital. “In the Canadian Football League, we didn’t think anything of it. That’s just the way it was and we had to accept it. I hope our players can do that here, too.”

But for insurance Spavital is looking at more players in case the grueling series takes a toll. Most notable of the new men in camp is Linebacker Tom Roussel, a National Football League veteran who will likely be activated tomorrow.

Spavital’s secondary is also a concern. Free Safety Joe Womack’s left knee is still a bit stiff, and Spavital won’t know whether he can play until today. “It’s up to Joe,” said Spavital. “It depends on how he feels mentally. He’ll make the decision.”

FIRESIDE CHAT – Fire brass obtained more help to handle what they expect to be the largest crowd of the year, 40,000. Bond’s Menswear and Playboy Club are new ticket-takers and ushers were hired to avoid long lines and congestion in Soldier Field entrance ramps.