Scorecard

THE ALTITUDE LAG
In the 30 months since Mexico was awarded the 1968 Olympics there has been a lot of offhand worrying and some sober investigation of the effect the thin air of Mexico City will have on performers. In the AAU swimming championships held at sea level in Brandon, Fla. last week, the swimming worriers were able to measure the damage using a very human (but very dependable) standard: Roy Saari of Southern California. Although Saari placed only second in each event, swimming in water a trifle chilly, he clocked 16:41.5 in the 1,650-yard swim, 4:42.0 for 500 yards and 1:43.4 for 200 yards. In contrast, three weeks ago, winning the same three events in the NCAA championships at the Air Force Academy (altitude 5,900 feet), Saari was 26.7 slower at 1,650 yards and 8.6 and 1.6 seconds slower respectively at 500 and 200 yards. Furthermore, his times in the two longer events were very much slower than those he recorded as a junior last year, racing at Iowa State, and as a sophomore in the Yale pool. In simple terms, a Saari-by-the-Sea can beat the trunks off a mile-high Saari any time.

BIG ENOUGH FOR BOTH?

The question is not whether the coming season will be a success at South Carolina U. under Paul Dietzel, late of Army and LSU, who is developing a reputation as the oldest established permanent floating football coach in the land. It is whether the state is big enough to contain both Dietzel and the gentleman from Clemson, Frank Howard. When it was announced that Dietzel had signed for $35,000 a year Howard received a needling telegram saying Dietzel must be twice as good a coach because he was getting twice as much money. The salty Howard, who maintains he has helped oust eight coaches from South Carolina, said, "Yeah, I know old Colgate Paul." Didn't he mean Pepsodent Paul, a nickname given Dietzel because of his bright smile? "Nawww," growled Howard. "Colgate Paul. Because Colgate beat him, too."

All this adds competitive fire to the traditional Clemson-Carolina game, which doesn't really need any more. Further, the LSU ticket office is swamped with eager requests for its September 17 opener against South Carolina, assuring a 67,000 sellout crowd for Dietzel's return to his old school. It promises to be a dandy football season down South.

THE SINGING NONE

As tender in track as it is tough in basketball—Ivy League champion this year—the University of Pennsylvania has ended another indoor season without a win. No matter that the school has no indoor-track facilities. " Villanova kids will run in the snow," said Penn Track Coach Boo Morcom. "They're track men. Ivy League kids won't. They're students who go out for track."

To prove his point Morcom produced a letter written to him by one of his runners before the annual Polar Bear meet against Princeton and Columbia.

"Dear Boo," the letter said, "I will not be going with the indoor track team today. For a number of reasons I am not prepared for this meet and I refuse to humiliate myself and the university by putting in an unsatisfactory, token performance. Realizing my failings, I have decided to go with the glee club to Boston, since my voice, at least, is in good shape...."

FISHERMAN

On Lake Texoma, whose waters overflow the borders of Texas and Oklahoma, every boat is a pew and every fisherman a member of the congregation. Three times each Sunday, in season, the Rev. Tom Arney, using his own 17-foot runabout for a pulpit, begins a sermon over a loudspeaker system: "Come, let us worship God together." This week, to celebrate Easter Sunday, nine additional preachers spread out along Texoma to join Arney in a sunrise service.