19th Hole: The Readers Take Over

Granted, attendance has fallen off as a result of the Blues ' record the last four years, but a team's success can run in cycles and is related to management philosophy. The Ralston Purina Company and President Emile Francis have taken the necessary steps (in only two years) to rebuild fan interest and a winning team. And how many other NHL teams have ever averaged more than 15,000 fans per game for six straight years?

Go ahead and take your shots at Colorado , Pittsburgh , Washington and Chicago , but give the management in St. Louis credit for attempting to turn things around.
DOUGLAS G. MILLER
Ballwin , Mo.

Sir:
In the best of all possible worlds, the NHL would not get out of Chicago , as you suggest, but would see to it that the city is represented once again by a major league team.

Since the Black Hawks allowed Bobby Hull to leave in 1972, there has been a steady decline in the team's performance. However, with the Hawks playing in a gerrymandered division, with the likes of St. Louis , Colorado and Vancouver , management has had little incentive to obtain superior players.

So it is that the Black Hawks sleepwalk to a division title and then fall flat on their faces in the playoffs; their current string of 12 consecutive defeats in Stanley Cup play is a record.

It is a tribute to the intelligence of Chicago hockey fans that they now stay away from the stadium that once attracted 20,000 and more for home games. Until such time as the Black Hawks are competitive, the fans will continue to stay away.
JOHN JAY WILHEIM
Battle Creek , Mich.

LOCK HAVEN WRESTLER
Sir:
The FACES IN THE CROWD item on Anthony Calderaio of Boca Raton , Fla. (March 5) says he became "the first schoolboy [wrestler] in the country to go undefeated in dual matches for four consecutive years in four different weight classes."

This is to call your attention to an earlier schoolboy who wrestled in four different weight classes and went undefeated not only in all of his dual matches, but also in four years of tournament competition.

In 1958, Mike Johnson , then a Lock Haven (Pa.) High School freshman, went undefeated all the way to the 95-pound state championship. The next year, while competing at 103 pounds, he again went undefeated and won his second state title. In 1960, he moved up to 112 pounds and repeated the feat, winning a third state championship. And as a senior in 1961, Mike wrestled at 120 pounds and was one of four Lock Haven wrestlers to win a state crown, again going undefeated the entire season.

Mike concluded his high school career with a record of 84 wins, no losses, no ties and very few close matches. So dominant was he that in his four years of competition he was never even taken down. His overall achievements would be considered no small feat anywhere, but they were especially impressive in one of the top wrestling states in the nation. Now the head wrestling coach at Du Bois (Pa.) High School. Mike Johnson is remembered by all Pennsylvania wrestling fans as one of the greatest they ever had the pleasure to watch.
PAUL M. TAYLOR
Secretary
Downtown Mat Club
Lock Haven, Pa.