The rumor that won`t die: Last week, William Perry was definitely out. This week, his status has been upgraded to possible. Next week, the decision will be made. That`s the latest report on one of sports` most burning issues
–whether Perry will compete in Wrestlemania 2, the April 7 extravaganza that will be telecast on closed circuit to some 200 theaters around the country. ”Yes, the door is open just a crack. I can see a tiny ray of sunlight coming in,” acknowledged Perry`s agent, Jim Steiner, who last week said there was no way the Refrigerator would rumble. Perry is on vacation and incommunicado, said Steiner, but they will be getting together next week to discuss the offer. And just what is that offer? A minimum of $100,000, we hear.
In related news: The promoters of Wrestlemania 2 are also trying to organize a battle royal matching six football players against six wrestlers. No names available yet, but that match (and Perry`s, if he accepts) would be held at the Horizon.
HEARTS AFLUTTER
The audience was heavily female, which prompted spokesman Lois Gredell to note: ”I haven`t seen so many fluttering hearts since the Bruce Springsteen concert.” Members of the Broadcast Advertisers Club were at the Hyatt in record numbers Thursday to see, hear (and sigh over) luncheon speaker Gary Fencik, who not only plays for the Bears, but also happens to be single, articulate and good-looking. Fencik was accompanied by a pair of crutches, a testament to his arthroscopic surgery last week, and he captured his audience even before he uttered a word. A stream of women lined up for his autograph during lunch. The men present were equally impressed and peppered Fencik with questions. One asked him to name the biggest change in pro football since he`d started playing 10 years ago. ”The players themselves,” replied Fencik.
”They`re getting bigger and bigger and I`m getting smaller and smaller. At training camp, the rookies laugh at me. I`m always a disappointment to people physically.” Oh, really, Gary? Could have fooled us.
FLAME OUT
John McEnroe dominated men`s tennis for most of this decade, but now he has taken his considerable talent and temperament on a sabbatical. He is, in fact, a burnout case, the latest victim of that dreaded disease made famous by former Eagles` coach Dick Vermeil and former tennis star Bjorn Borg. ”I don`t think it surprised anybody, and quite a few of us were surprised he didn`t crash before now,” says Arthur Ashe, the former Wimbledon champ who`s now the perceptive ABC tennis analyst. ”There`s some fairly good empirical evidence that seven years on the tour is about the limit if you`re in the top five. A psychiatrist or pyschologist would have to answer why. But, empirically, that`s the rule of thumb.” What happens with burnout? ”You lose enthusiasm for playing. You have difficulty sustaining the sacrifices necessary to play
–that is, you don`t want to practice. Your concentration wavers more in matches. And you also start looking at those vacation ads like ordinary people. You start saying, `God, I`d love to do that. I`d love to go to Tahiti.` But then you think: `Darn, I`ve got to go to a tournament.` Then it`s time to cool out.” Can McEnroe come back? ”There`s no question in my mind he`ll be back and be back very well. The important factor is whether he recognizes that at age 27 he`s not the same physical specimen he was at age 21. Also, opponents won`t fear him as much. Before, McEnroe went on the court and the other guy thought, `God, I`m going to lose that match.` When he comes back, that other guy will think, `This guy is shaky. If I stick with him, if I get him mad, I can beat him.` He`ll be very vulnerable the first few months back. But he has so much talent, if he plays to 80 percent of what he was, he`ll be all right.”
NEWS, NOTES AND NONSENSE
With McEnroe sidelined, Jimmy Connors is the only active American in tennis` top 10. But, says Ashe, ”Three Americans seem ready to burst through –Brad Gilbert, Tim Mayotte and Paul Annacone.” . . . Ashe and Al Michaels are the announcers for ABC`s telecasts Saturday and Sunday of the $1.8 million International Players Championships from Boca Raton, Fla. . . . Northwestern mascot Willie the Wildcat is a finalist to lead the cheers at the Final Four NCAA basketball championship next month and competes for the chance this weekend in Orlando. Willie (also known as NU senior Mike Bang) faces South Carolina`s Cockey the Gamecock, Georgia Tech`s Buzz the Yellowjacket and the University of Mississippi`s Rebel. . . . Sunday`s ”Two on 2” (Channel 2, 10:30 p.m.) takes a look at CHAMP, the year-old Chicagoland High School Athletic Medicine Program that provides free medical exams and treatment for inner-city high school athletes. . . . Chicago State is featured in a piece CBS airs at halftime of Sunday`s Georgetown-Syracuse game. Entitled ”On the Fence,” it focuses on teams that could be picked for either the NCAA tournament or the NIT. At halftime of CBS` telecast of Saturday`s Oklahoma-Duke game, Northern Illinois` Kenny Battle struts his stuff in a feature on the best dunkers in college. . . . On Sunday afternoon at 3:30, SportsVision replays the Sting`s 1984 championship-clinching victory over Toronto and follows it with a live telecast of the Sting-Kansas City game. . . . Sting announcers Howard Balson and Kenny Stern have been signed to do syndicated radio broadcasts during the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.
And finally: De Paul coach Joey Meyer, whose Blue Demons are struggling this season, appears on ”The Sportswriters” Sunday night at 9 (Channel 32). When invited to be on the show, Meyer asked: ”Should I wear a helmet?”
