The Chicago Fire could be debating whether to roll out the red carpet or a white llama rug for Jim [King] Corcoran and the Philadelphia Bell tonight at Soldier Field.

Corcoran fancies himself a colorful character – he was the subject of a film called “The Forgetables,” prior to the 1974 Super Bowl telecast – and delights in cavorting on the field.

He arrived in the World Football Leauge billed as “a minor league Joe Namath,” but not for his passing ability alone. Playgirl magazine has asked him to pose for a nude centerfold, which means he’s major league in at least one respect.

Corcoran is also quarterback for a Bell team that may or may not be everything it’s cracked up to be but seeks its third straight WFL win against the Fire, which should be anxious for redemption. Kickoff is 8:05 pm.

Not coincidentally, it will be Playboy night at Soldier Field and hutch of bunnies will be flouncing around in tribute to the free-spirited King.

The Philadelphians come to town on the heels of the league’s biggest controversy, papering the crowd to promote a healthy image. Bell officials admitted giving away some 40,000 freebies for its home opener at huge John F. Kennedy Stadium, and nearly 60,000 for a nationally-televised contest against New York.

In a ‘Nixonesque’ statement only hours before the President stepped down last Thursday, John H. Kelly, Jr., resigned as president of the Bell, saying with ironic timing, that “as president I have to bear the responsibility for whatever happens.”

That behind them, the Bell and Coach Ron Walker are no concentrating on winning, and means utilizing a multiple offense that features nearly as many sets as the Bell has paid customers.

Focus of the Philadelphia attack is the independently wealthy Corcoran, who nicknamed himself “The King,” slept on satin sheets and had his own valet as star of the Pottstown [Pa] Firebirds of the Continental Football League. Walter was his personal coach, and his main receiver was little Jack Dolbin, now with the Fire.

He three for four TD’s in the Bell’s romp over Memphis last week.

Corcoran’s top pass-catchers with the Bella are Don Shanklin, older brother of Ron Shanklin, of the Steelers, and ex-Bear Linzy [Fearless Fly] Cole. The King leads the WFL in completion percentage with .562 and 10 touchdowns.

Countering the Bell is the Fire’s Virgil Carter, who tops the league in yardage gained thru the air [1,006 yards] and most TD’s, 11. Coach Jim Spavital has thrown in a few of his ‘peanut plays,’ too, that could take advantage of receivers Dolbin and James Scott and Running Back Mark Kellar.

FIRESIDE CHAT – the Fire urged fans to arrive earlier this week to avoid long lines at the ticket booths, even though 14 men are available to handle them … Sections 110 and 108 in the still unfinished southeast corner will be used. Some 1,400 tickets were sold for that area last week, and patrons had to be seated elsewhere because seats weren’t finished as promised, causing much confusion … Linebacker Keith Best will dress for the game and is a possible starter … A crowd of 28,000 [paid] is expected.

It was the kind of night those unhappy quarterbacks dreamed of when they decided to cast their fate with the new World Football League.

George Mira, Virgil Carter, Tom Sherman, John Huarte, Boh Davis — all were either unhappy with their backup roles in the National Football League and decided to make the jump. And Wednesday night they came up big winners.

The unbeaten Americans blasted the Hawaiians 39-0 before 43,297 in Birmingham, the Fire edged the Philadelphia Bell 32-29 before 27,607 in Chicago, the Memphis Southmen crushed the winless Detroit Wheels 37-7 before 14,424 at Ypsilanli, Mich., the Stars whipped the Portland Storm 38-16 before 16,222 in New York and the Florida Blazers downed the Jacksonville Sharks 33-26 before 23,890 in Orlando. The Southern California Sun is at Houston against the Texans tonight in a nationally televised game.

Carter, who played at Cincinnali and Chicago before falling out of favor, threw an 11-yard TD pass to Jack Dolbin with 1:34 left to play to lift the Fire over Philadelphia. Carter hit five straight passes as he moved Chicago 80 yards in the last two minutes for the winning score. Carter earlier passed six yards to Cyril Pinder for a score and Pinder and Mark Kellar each ran a yard for TDs.

The Bell's King Corcoran, the WFL passing leader, had TD passes of two yards to Alan Thompson and 45 yards to Claude Watts and ran a yard for another score.

Chicago Fire running back Cyril Pinder (46) is stopped after a short gain by Philadelphia linebackers Bob Grant, and Curt Kral. Action is in the first half of the WFL game Wednesday night in Chicago. (AP Wirephoto)

Quarterback Virgil Carter threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Jack Dolbin with 1:34 remaining to give the Fire its fifth victory in six tries. Cyril Pinder and Mark Kellar rushed for a combined 263 yards for the winners. King Corcoran threw for two TDs and ran for a third for the Bell.

Philadelphia Running Back Alan Thompson (22) is dropped for no gain by Chicago Fire linebacker Ron Porter has Chicago Defensive End Ken Sanduk (74) closes in during second quarter Wednesday night in Chicago. (AP Wirephoto)

The Chicago Fire's game plan of a persistent ground attack almost backfired against the Philadelphia Bell, until the World Football League's best passer went into action in the closing minutes Wednesday night.

Virgil Carter, the WFL's top aerial gunner, came out firing in the final three minutes to engineer an 80-yard scoring drive capped by an 11-yard touchdown shot to Jack Dolbin for a thrilling 32-39 victory over the Bell.

Up until Carter's big payoff flip, the Fire had running backs Cyril Pinder and Mark Kellar banging away at the Bell for 263 yards between them.

"We wanted to keep possession of the ball," explained Jim Spavital. "We wanted to keep their offensive team off the field because they are dangerious with their many types of plays." But it almost proved a costly strategy because Bell quarter-back King Corcoran rallied his team to a 29-25 lead midway in the fourth quarter on a 45-yard scoring pass to Claude Watts.

That's when Carter triggered what he tabbed a premature "two-minute drill" by hurling the Fire 80 yards in nine plays capped with a short shot to Dolbin for the decisive touchdown with 1:34 left in the game

"After our final touchdown, they still had time to drive with their fine offense,” said Carter, who had tried only 10 passes for five completions and only 32 yards through the third quarter. He wound up with 11 for 19 and 104 yards, including six hits - one a 46-yarder to Don Burchfield - in the final Fire drive.

It turned out Carter was almost right. Corcoran, who passed for two touchdowns and scored a third on a sneak, began a last-minute bombardment that could have pulled out a victory.

Corcoran uncorked a 65-yard toss which Mike Carten dropped on the sidelines deep in Fire territory.

“I thought he had it,” said Corcoran, who connected on 17 of 34 tosses for 256 yards.

The game ended with a Corcoran pass from the Fire 37 being intercepted by Joe Womack, who filched three Corcoran passes in all.

The victory, in which Pinder rushed 18 times for 151 yards and scored two touchdowns and Kellar pounded out 112 yards on 23 carries, boosted the Fire record to 5-1. The Bell sagged to a 3-3 mark.

Bell coach Ron Waller conceded the Fire "controlled the ball on us. We had them on the ropes and fought our hearts out."

A Soldier Field crowd of 27,607 watched the Bell take an 8-0 lead in the first quarter on Watts’ six-yard run and then fall behind by 18-8 in the second quarter and trail 25-15 as Pinder smashed across from the one-foot line on the last play of the third quarter.

Then Corcoran put the Bell back in charge with his one-yard scoring keeper and his 45-yard pass to Wats early in the fourth quarter.

A handsome prince recused the Chicago Fire from the evil king last night at Soldier Field.

Just when it seemed the Fire would be consumed by its own mistakes again, the Stormin’ Mormon Virgil Carter came on to help register a 32-29 victory over the Philadelphia Bell and self-proclaimed swinger Jim [King] Corcoran.

Perhaps not a triumph over contrasting lifestyles, but a World Football League win the Fire needed to prove it can conquer other teams, as well as itself.

For a while, it looked like the latter case would prevail, despite the running of Cyril Pinder, completely healthy for the first time, and bullish Mark Kellar. Pinder, the ex-Bear and Philadelphia Eagle, gained 151 yards on 18 carries, and Kellar fought for 112 yards on 23 carries, each scoring a touchdown.

But, another faux pas by a Fire specialty team threatened to waste the best running effort for the Fire this season.

Leading 25-15 early in the fourth period, Chicago’s Barry Ruffner, a safety who played little last night, camped under a Don Warner punt at the 1. “He should have stayed away from it,” said Coach Jim Spavital.

Ruffner touched the ball and dropped it. Philadelphia’s George Chatlos, the former Michigan State linebacker, recovered at the Chicago 1. Two plays later, Corcoran bulled over for the score and it was Chicago 25, the Bell 22.

Corcoran, who passed for 256 yards on 17 of 34, hit Claude Watts over the middle for 45 yards and a touchdown 4 ½ minutes later and now the Bell had the upper hand, 29-25.

Enter Carter, who completed only five passes in the first half – “We were running so well, why pass?” he said later. With 3:09 left in the game, Carter took the Fire on a touchdown drive reminiscent of the home team’s winning series against Jacksonville.

Carter connected with Tight End Don Burchfield for 11 yards, James Scott for 15 and Burchfield again for 26 yards to the Philadelphia 20. An illegal procedure penalty against the Bell brought it to the 14. Two plays later, Carter hit little Jack Dolbin, playing against some of his old mates from the Pottstown Firebirds for an 11 yard score. Soldier Field – containing an announced 27,607 – went up for grabs and owner Tom Origer nearly swallowed his cigar.

“My first worry was,” said Carter afterward, “that we had left too much time on the clock, given Corcoran and the Bell passing attack.

It almost was. Corcoran went to work again, hitting Don Shanklin and Linzy Cole for good gains and setting up a first down at the Fire 45. His bomb for Mike Carten was dropped – “It was right in his hands, he should have caught it,” said a disconsolate Coach Ron Waller – and two plays later, Fire Safety Joe Womack intercepted a toss intended for Carter again, over the middle. It was all over.

“We really didn’t see what we could do passing-wise, until that final drive,” said Carter. “It’s not that I couldn’t throw, I just didn’t throw much, period.”

Both Carter and Dolbin explained that the Bell’s coverage on Dolbin and Scott prevented anything over the middle. “It was a post pattern,” Dolbin said of the winning pass. “I was actually the third receiver. I just got free, and Virg hit me.”

Most heartening was the running of Pinder, who until last night hadn’t played a full game. “I know people have been waiting to put the rap on me,” he said, accepting congratulations. “But, some people ought to try playing with muscle pulls. Then they’d know how I feel. Or felt. I fell great now.”

Quarterback Virgil Carter's 11-yard touchdown pass to Jack Dolbin with 1:34 left rallied the Chicago Fire to a 32-29 World Football League victory over the Philadelphia Bell Wednesday night.

With time running out, Carter's pinpoint passing swept the Fire 80 yards in nine plays for the decisive touchdown after the Bell moved ahead 29-25 midway in the final quarter on King Corcoran's 45-yard scoring pass to Claude Watts.

Until he triggered the winning touchdown Carter mainly relied on his two running backs, Cyril Pinder and Mark Kellar, who rushed 263 yards between them with Pinder scoring twice on a six-yard pass from Carter and on a one-yard smash.

The Bell, seeking a third straight victory, jumped to an 8-0 lead in the first period, but fell behind as much 18-8 in the second quarter and 25-15 in the third period.

A crowd of 27.607 was announced at Soldier Field which has a capacity of 55,700.

The Fire apparently had the game wrapped up with Pinder’s second touchdown on the last play of the third quarter, capping an 80-yard march in which Pinder broke loose on a 39-yard run to the Bell 29.

But, Corcoran ignited the Bell in the fourth period for two touchdowns. The first came after the Bell’s George Chattos wrestled a punt reception from Barry Ruffner on the Chicago 10.

Two plays later, Corcoran sneaked across from the one-yard line to cut the Fire lead to 25-22.

With 8:13 left in the game, Corcoran hit Watts with a long pass and scampered across on a 45-yard scoring play to move the Bell ahead 29-25.

Head-butting Ron Porter (50) of Chicago and Alan Thompson (22) of Philadelphia tangle in second-period WFL action. (UPI wirephoto)

Virgil Carter hit Jack Dolbin on an 11-yard touchdown pass with 1:34 left to play Wednesday night as the Chicago Fire snatched a 32-29 victory from the Philadelphia Bell in a World Football League game.

Carter, a veteran with Cincinnati and Chicago in the National Football League, took the Fire 80 yards in two minutes, completing five straight passes in the winning drive. His heroics eclipsed those of Philadelphia quarterback Jim “King” Corcoran, who plunged for one last period touchdown and passed for another that gave the Bell a brief 29-25 lead over the error prone Fire.

The Fire entered the last period ahead 25-15, largely on the strength of slashing runs by Cyril Finder and rookie Mark Kellar, who ran for one TD each and shredded the Philadelphia defense for 263 yards rushing.

The Bell got one quick score in the fourth period when Barry Ruffner of Chicago fumbled a punt on the Fire 10 and Philadelphia recovered. Two plays later, Corcoran plunged over for a score.

Four minutes later after a short punt gave Philadelphia the ball in Chicago territory, Corcoran hit Claude Watts on a 45-yard TD pass to give the Bell their brief lead.

Carter hit on 11-of-19 passes for 104 yards and two TDs, running his league-leading total of scoring passes to 13. Pinder rushed for 151 yards, plunging for one score and taking a pass for another, and Kellar rambled for 112 yards and one score.

The colorful Corcoran, who led the WFL in passing percentage, hit 17-of-34 for 256 yards and two TDs. The victory was Chicago’s fifth in six games and Philadelphia fell to 3-3.

Joe Spencer prefers brains over brawn on his offensive line of the Chicago Fire.

“There’s no place for dump people on the line,” says the assistant coach. “I’ve seen guys who could block a house away, but they only had muscle between their ears.”

“When you see as many different defensive fronts as we’ve seen already in the World Football League, and 95 per cent of our blocking is called at the line, you damn well better know what you’re doing,” he noted after yesterday’s practice at Maryville Academy in Des Plaines.

Spencer is proud of his interior linemen, namely Guards Mike Sikich and Dave Bradley, Tackles Steve Wright and Glenn Hyde, and Center Guy Murdock, but mostly because of their intelligence.

It was their adjustment to Philadelphia’s defense that led to the Fire’s 32-29 victory last Wednesday and the impressive rushing of Cyril Pinder [151 yards] and Mark Kellar [112]. Spencer expects to see a similar set from Detroit Thursday night in their nationally-televised game at Ypsilanti, Mich.

"Philadelphia doubled on our wide receivers, that's four people on two, and that opened it up for our running," said Spencer, who coached the offensive line for the New York Jets Super Bowl Champions. Virgil Carter audibled about a third of the time and took advantage of their set. If you're running well, and the defense doesn't change in response, why should you change?"

Spencer is a bear of a man, former star lineman wiht Green Bay, Cleveland, and Philadelphia, but he treats he players with a mature hand. "What sense is there in yelling at a player in practice and embarrassing him in front of the group?" said Spencer.

"That just makes him feel uptight, and that's when a player really starts making mistakes. I try to talk to him man to man, tell him what he did wrong, and advise him how to correct it. That works best for me."

Spencer also realizes that fans won't notice a good block unless, he says, "it's blood-curdling," but insists anything that makes a defender move a half-step out of position and miss a tackle, is an effective block in his book.

"We had 47 running plays against Philadelphia, and not one missed assignment," he said. "When you see Virg scrambling that's not because our line broke down, that is a set type of blocking and Virg throws as well on the run as any quarterback I've senn."

Spencer added: "What makes you proud is that you never see our players walk to the line of scrimmage. When it comes from within, when you don't have to push, that's nothing but the players' pride. And that cures whatever mistakes you have.

FIRESIDE CHAT - Safety Barry Ruffner, who fumbled a punt that led to a Bell touchdown, has quit the Fire what Coach Jim Spavital calld "personal reasons." ... The visitors' locker room in Ypsilanti is being remodeled and the Fire may have to dress at their motel instead. "Welcome to the World Football League," sniped a Fire aide.