MSL NOTEBOOK : Newman Wants Games on TV

Ron Newman, who often gets the ball rolling by making bold statements, is at it again.

Last year he suggested the U.S. national team play a Major Soccer League select team, the winner advancing to the World Cup.

The game didn’t happen, but it did lead to an exhibition between the two and it also helped open the gates for MSL players to join the national team.

Newman’s latest project is television. He’s particularly upset that there won’t be any live TV coverage in San Diego of the MSL championship series while the Sockers and Crunch are in Cleveland for Games 3 through 5.

“I just think it’s a disgrace to our city that we’re not going to be on TV,” Newman said. “Is this city so small that we can’t get enough commercials to put this on TV? If the Padres can get 50 games on TV, surely we should be able to get one.”

This time, Newman isn’t just talking. He said he will put up $2,000 of his money if three others will match that. Leasing a production truck and satelite time costs approximately $8,000 per game, according to a source who works in sports broadcasting.

“I thought it’s not always easy for the owners to come up with the money,” Newman said. “There are so many other expenses they have to cover for this team. But I just want to make sure our fans can see a game because I think they deserve it.”

Anyone else with a couple thousand in pocket change can call the Sockers at 224-4625.

While there won’t be any TV while the series is in Cleveland, San Diegans can watch Games 1 and 2 from the Sports Arena--but on tape delay.

Those games will be telecast by XEWT-TV (Ch. 12). The telecasts will begin at 11 p.m. Friday and Sunday. Jorge Villanueva will do the play-by-play for the Spanish-language station.

Although they won’t mark one another on field, an interesting statistical matchup will be that between Socker forward Paul Wright and Cleveland forward Zoran Karic.

They were traded for one another toward the end of the 1989-90 season.

This season, Karic, 29, led Cleveland in goals (73) and assists (48). Wright, 21, was third on the Sockers in goals (38) and assists (23).

A couple intangibles make the trade appear less one-sided:

First, Karic was said to have a selfish attitude while with the Sockers, the absence of which has made for better team cohesion. Secondly, Wright is regarded as the fastest player in the league and his speed has added another dimension to the Sockers’ offense.

Wright would like to be considered in the same class as Karic and wants to prove it in the series.

“They’ve got Zoran putting up all those numbers on that side,” Wright said. “And the Sockers have me on this side, so I’ve got to play up to par. I have to shine.”

Newman was in rare form at Tuesday’s gathering with sportswriters and sportscasters:

“Al Miller (Cleveland general manager) believes he can beat us. He reminded me of a story of when he was coaching the Philadelphia Atoms back in 1973, and I was coaching in Dallas. We (Dallas) had the best team and we were supposed to win it all.

“So the two teams ended up in the Soccer Bowl (the championship game of the old North American Soccer League), and during the pregame luncheon we had with the media, I stood up and announced Al and Philadelphia had no chance in that game because we had Kyle Rote Jr., who had been in the seminary, and we had Kenny Cooper, who had become a born-again Christian; he was my goalie then. And I said with that much help, the man upstairs was wearing blue and gold, which were our colors at that time.

“I went on to say that the reason why their was a hole in the roof of Texas Stadium was so that the man upstairs could watch our game.

“Well, Al was absolutely convinced that we had everybody on our side, so he went out and brought with him two nuns and a priest and he beat us, 2-0.”

Newman also had a footnote: “That story about the hole in Texas Stadium was used several years later on NBC, but for a big football game . . .

“Our game hasn’t been able to get on national TV, but my jokes have.”

The Kansas City Comets, teetering on the financial brink since March, will be around at least another three years after a Kansas City businessman agreed to buy three ownership shares last week.

Delbert Dunmire agreed to invest $630,000 over the next three years to keep the team afloat. With the commitment, he becomes the club’s largest shareholder.

The next franchise to fall in place might be the Tacoma Stars. They have called a news conference for Friday. Earl Foreman, MSL commissioner, will be on hand.