Cousy Fears Trouble

[Way Of The Ray <wayray@ix.netcom.com>]

              Cousy fears                        
              trouble

              09/11/98

              By JIM BAKER

              Baseball's
              popularity is
              finally recovering
              from the 1994
              strike on the wave
              of Mark McGwire's
              record home run
              drama and classy
              relationship with
              Sammy Sosa, but
              Bob Cousy doubts
              that pro
              basketball can
              make a similar
              rebound from a
              protracted
              lockout.

              "Baseball has
              snapped back, but
              I'm afraid that
              sport is more
              solidly based in
              the American
              psyche than is
              basketball,"
              declared Mr.
              Basketball in a
              Herald interview.
              "This situation
              could do
              irreparable harm
              and the season
              start could be as
              late as Jan. 1."

              The Cooz, who'll
              segue with Tom
              Heinsohn from Ch.
              38 to Ch. 68's
              three-year Celtics
              road-game deal
              whenever the
              season does start,
              knows fans are
              turned off by the
              greed of
              multi-millionaire
              NBA players. And
              in stating his own
              position, he
              relates how
              markedly his
              sympathies have
              changed.

              "I started the
              Players
              Association, but
              I'm leaning toward
              management now,"
              Cooz said. "No one
              is worth $36
              million, but
              that's our system.
              We've gone over
              the moon with $120
              million contracts
              -- to a point
              where the team
              owners don't know
              what they're
              getting into. We
              need new
              guidelines and the
              owners are
              adamant.

              "I'm disappointed
              and concerned.
              There's plenty of
              money on the
              table, but we're
              going through this
              for the sake of
              more. The owners
              are determined
              this time and it
              seems both sides
              have hardened. I
              think the Players
              Association has
              cornered
              (commissioner)
              David Stern and
              he's not going to
              bend."

              Cousy is upset
              about the state of
              his game as he
              nears the
              quarter-century
              mark on the tube
              at a fifth
              station.

              "We're all in
              limbo," he
              lamented.