Sweden’s Social Democratic Party was narrowly defeated in parliamentary elections after more than 40 years in power. Voting was held in Sweden for the 349 seats in the Riksdag, the lower house of parliament. With 175 seats needed for a majority, the 175 to 175 split created by the 1973 election was resolved and a right-wing coalition took over from Prime Minister Olof Palme’s socialist coalition of his own Social Democrats and the Left Party. Thorbjörn Fälldin’s coalition of his own Centre Party (86 seats) with the Moderate Party (55 seats) and the People’s Party (39 seats) won 180 seats overall. Leaders of a three-party coalition that toppled the Socialists said there would be no moves to dismantle the advanced welfare state begun by the party of Prime Minister Olof Palme, who said he would formally resign Tuesday.
Minister Dom Mintoff and his Labor Party appeared this morning to be heading for a slim victory in Malta’s general elections but the results remained inconclusive. The first results indicated a close finish between Mr. Mintoffs party and the opposition Nationalists in the struggle for control of the 65‐seat House of Representatives. One seat is expected to separate the two parties when the final figures are announced, probably tomorrow. With some 35 percent of the vote counted by hand in the College of Arts and Sciences outside this walled city, Labor had won 13 seats to 12 for the nationalists.The fate of the remaining 40 seats was still in doubt and the possibility of a Nationalist victory remained. But a senior official of the Nationalist Party expressed disappointment at its inability to gain more ground in the early returns. “We thought we would win by one seat sure,” he said, “now I am not so sure. It does not look good.”
A West German official was on his way to Washington to seek permission to examine U.S. Senate files on the Lockheed scandal. The official is State Secretary Guenther Erkel. The Lockheed scandal has become an issue in West German elections, two weeks away, because of allegations that bribes were paid by Lockheed to West German officials in the sale of 700 Starfighter aircraft in the 1950s.
Pastors in East Germany’s 4,300 Evangelical Christian churches read a pastoral letter as the Sunday sermon, calling for religious freedom and tolerance of activities outside of those allowed in the constitution of the German Democratic Republic (DDR). Although the DDR guaranteed freedom of private religious services, and permitted Protestant and Roman Catholic churches to operate hospitals and retirement homes, other laws prohibited parochial schools and religious instruction to children. Though not mandated, in practice, young adults who were members of church congregations were often barred from higher education within East Germany’s university system. The pastoral letter was written following the August 20 incident of Reverend Oskar Bruesewitz setting himself on fire in public to protest the DDR’s suppression of religion.
The Polish Roman Catholic church, in a statement read in the country’s churches, called on Poles to support the Communist government in its attempts to solve Poland’s economic crisis. The move reflected the growing degree of cooperation between the two antagonistic groups. The government, however, allowed only portions of the appeal to be published in the mass media and censored entirely an appeal by the church for an amnesty for people arrested after June’s riots.
In an extraordinary use of his prerogative as head of state, President Cearbhall O. Dalaigh of Ireland has refused to sign the Government’s controversial legislation for emergency powers without hearing further opinion on the measure’s constitutionality.
Turkish Airlines Flight 452, a Boeing 727 with 139 passengers and seven crew, crashed into Karakaya Mountain as it was approaching Antalya after taking off from Istanbul almost 30 minutes earlier. An investigation would conclude that the pilot had confused a lighted highway near the city of Isparta for the runway at Antalya, and the 727 descended at an altitude of 3,700 feet (1,100 m) and crashed into a hillside at 11:15 at night. All 154 people on board were killed.
Israel’s opposition party forced a special session of parliament for a debate on Foreign Minister Yigal Allon’s unofficial proposal to return some captured territory to the Arabs in exchange for a peace settlement. The proposals came under fire because they were not cleared with the Israeli government before being published in the American magazine. Foreign Affairs. The plan called for Israel to give up sections of the occupied West Bank of Jordan and the Gaza Strip. These areas plus eastern Jordan could become a Palestinian state. Allon suggested. Allon claimed the plan did not differ from basic Israeli policy.
On the windswept Golan Heights last week, a group of 40 Druzes met and embraced in a specially designated area that had been cleared of land mines between the Israeli-occupied Druze community of Majdal Chams and the Syrian village of Hadr. Israelis hope it will be a step towards the lessening of tensions on the Golan Heights border.
Lebanese, Syrian and Palestinian leaders failed today to reach agreement on the terms of a cease‐fire that would have insured that Lebanon’s new president could be sworn in Thursday without military incident. Fighting is expected to continue.
Two Iranian F-4 jets lost instrumentation when approaching a bright, unknown radar object over Tehran, Iran. One of the pilots said he could observe the object up to 70 miles away. When the Phantom approached the UFO, the jet lost all of its instrumentation, forcing the pilot to break off his interception and head back to base. After breaking off, the plane’s instrumentation resumed. Iran scrambled a second F-4, this time maintaining its distance. This F-4 was able to secure a radar lock on the UFO. At one point the UFO “launched” an object at the Iranian fighter, and the pilot responded by attempting to fire a Sidewinder missile at the object. His plane lost all instrumentation, weapons control and communication when he armed the missile. The pilot attempted to eject, but even his mechanical ejection seat would not respond.
Thailand’s former prime minister and dictator, General Thanom Kittikachorn, returned from exile and his arrival led to a wave of anti-government protests demanding that he leave the country again. Kittikachorn had led an authoritarian government for ten years before being ousted in 1973. He had been living in Singapore since an unsuccessful 3-day return to Thailand in 1974. Student demonstrations at Thammasat University would lead to a violent suppression 17 days later with more than 45 people killed by police on October 6.
Kim Yong Kyu, a Communist spy and official of the North Korean Workers Party, landed along with two armed guards at Geomun-do a remote island off of the coast of South Korea, then decided to surrender to authorities there. When Kim’s two bodyguards refused to go along with him, he shot and killed both of them, then surrendered to police the next day.
The Communist threat from North Korea, seemingly underlined by the slayings last month of two American guards in the demilitarized zone, is being used as justification for a wide range of new Government controls in South Korea. These include fines, forcible shearings of thousands of long‐haired males, arrests for wearing purportedly obscene T‐shirts, a clampdown on foreign words and signs, bans on “decadent” music and other social restrictions. These rules come on top of existing political restrictions that formally ban criticism of the Government as well as criticism of the ban on criticism of the Government.
Isao Matsudaira, 69, was elected governor of Japan’s Fukushima prefecture in a special election after Morie Kijura 76, resigned in the wake of a bribery scandal. The new governor was backed by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. His margin of victory, however, was 20% lower than Kijura’s only five months ago and was viewed as a possible indication of voter reaction to recent scandals in Japan. A record 81.2% of the eligible voters went to the polls.
American and Japanese experts have begun taking apart a top-secret Soviet MIG-25 Foxbat in northern Japan. Japanese Defense Agency sources said. They said that 11 American experts had joined the Japanese at the civilian airfield at Hakodate where the MIG was flown by a defecting Soviet pilot about two weeks ago. The Defense Agency was planning to transfer the disassembled MIG to an Air Self-Defense Force base to inspect it in detail before returning it to the Soviet Union.
U.S. military planes have joined the search for a light plane that disappeared shortly before landing at Manila seven days ago with American. German and Japanese diplomats aboard, the Philippine government radio said. Henry Lee of Anaheim, alternate U.S. director for the Manila-based Asian Development Bank, was identified as one of the three Americans on board.
The Panamanian government charged that the United States was to blame for an outburst of rock-throwing and looting in Panama City last Wednesday. A government radio broadcast said. “The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency has carefully organized a plot to destabilize our country and our revolutionary process.” Canal Zone officials called the charges “gross distortions.” Canal Zone residents said Panama was trying to make the United States a scapegoat because of its domestic problems.
An American Mennonite missionary said he believed Argentine police were holding his 19-year-old daughter. kidnaped nearly a week ago. John D. Erb of Jackson, Minnesota, said there had been no word from the armed men who broke into his home and seized his daughter, Patricia. Erb said earlier he understood his daughter had been involved with leftist political groups. Washington sources have said rightists may have been responsible for the abduction. Rightwing terrorists have been blamed in the abduction and murder of hundreds of suspected leftists this year.
After talks with Ian Smith, Secretary of State Kissinger said that he was confident the Rhodesian Prime Minister would recommend that his country accept an Anglo-American plan for black majority rule. Mr. Kissinger, who will leave South Africa today for more talks with black African leaders, clearly wanted to convey the impression that progress had been made on the Rhodesian issue. Mr. Smith left to report to his colleagues in Salisbury soon after the meeting.
Henry Kissinger and John Vorster, men of sharply differing backgrounds and beliefs who have been brought together by a common interest in defusing the explosive political situation in southern Africa, appear to have found a grudging respect for each other in their 30 hours of talks over three months. There has been none of the public jocularity and bonhomie that characterized the relationship between Mr. Kissinger and other contrasting political figures he has met, such as Prime Minister Chou En‐lai of China or President Anwar el‐Sadat of Egypt. But behind closed doors, Mr. Kissinger is reported to have established a surprising rapport with Mr. Vorster. “He’s blunt, he’s honest and he’s forthright, and Henry respects him for that,” a Kissinger aide said today after the Secretary of State’s latest round of talks with the South African Prime Minister. “I think Henry’s found that he’s also a lot more realistic than anybody gives him credit for.”
Street campaigning in New York City, Senator Mondale spent time with four of the city’s ethnic groups — Jews, Arabs, Chinese and Italians. The Democratic vice-presidential candidate spent most of the day outside doing such things as riding through an Arab neighborhood in Brooklyn, visiting the San Gennaro Festival in Little Italy, touring a Chinese grocery and taking a tour of Jewish shops in Brooklyn.
When President Ford and Jimmy Carter face each other on national television this Thursday they will be as well prepared as their staffs can make them for what is supposed to be a spontaneous encounter. Aides have prepared lists of possible questions, and the best responses the candidates could make. The films of the 1960 Kennedy-Nixon debates have been reviewed over and over and polls have been taken ascertain what might be expected of the candidates from the viewers.
Sweeping tax reforms that would place the burden of government on the wealthy and big business rather than the working class were promised by Jimmy Carter. Responding to Republican charges that he would increase taxes, Mr. Carter said he would never do that, but would bring about changes in the tax laws.
George Bush, Director of Central intelligence, said today that the defection September 6 of Lieut. Viktor I. Belenko at the controls of a Soviet MIG-25 interceptor “is probably a major intelligence bonanza” for the West.
Mechanics and ground crew members returned to work after the tentative settlement of their 28-hour strike against Trans World Airlines was announced. Some flights operated Sunday, with others scheduled to be resumed today and Tuesday. All domestic flights were expected to be back in operation today. The 12.000 members of the International Assn. of Machinists struck at the end of a government-ordered 30-day cooling off period. The contract had been extended since last Oct. 31 and retroactivity of any pay raise was reportedly a major issue. TWA said the annual average wage for the strikers was $16,500. Union leaders gave no details of the agreement and there was no comment from TWA. The strikers included mechanics, ramp servicemen, dining, commissary. cleaning and teletype personnel.
Top negotiators for the striking United Auto Workers and Ford Motor Co. met informally in Detroit for the fourth straight day, hoping to pave the way, in a formal meeting today, for settlement of the five-day walkout of 170,000 workers in 22 states. Spokesmen refused to give details of the latest discussions by President Leonard Woodcock and Vice President Kenneth Bannon of the union and Ford Vice President Sidney McKenna. The major points of contention that caused the strike were reduced work time, pensions, health care costs and wage issues. Ultimately the union wants the current 40-hour, five-day week cut to 32 hours and four days for the same pay.
The auto industry has renewed its attack on air bags with a study. showing that just one in seven Americans favored the controversial safety device in their cars. Only 4% interviewed in the study commissioned by the Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Association agreed that improved safety systems could contribute to safer driving. Most said that getting drunks off the road and enforcing existing laws would accomplish more. than safety devices. The study results were given to Transportation Secretary William T. Coleman Jr… who will decide whether air bags will be installed in cars.
Twelve jurors and six alternates will be seated in Baltimore today in the federal political corruption trial of Maryland Gov. Marvin Mandel and four codefendants. U.S. District Judge John H. Pratt concluded a series of personal interviews with more than 200 prospective jurors last week. The first prosecution witness is expected to testify Tuesday and the trial might last three months.
A court decision ordering Philadelphia Mayor Frank L. Rizzo to face a recall election on Nov. 2 will be appealed to the state Supreme Court this week, his attorneys said. If Rizzo loses the appeal, he is expected to mount a combative campaign to retain the office he was reelected to 10 months ago in a landslide. The recall move began last spring, shortly after Rizzo was inaugurated for a second four-year term. Last year, part of the former police commissioner’s campaign was that he had kept his word to hold taxes down during his first term. But shortly after the election, Rizzo declared the city was in a financial “emergency” and proposed tax increases.
A federal agency is spending millions of dollars to safeguard the elderly from street crimes that cause many to live in self-imposed “house arrest”. The Law Enforcement Assistance Administration said it was adding $2 million after spending $5.5 million on such projects as an escort service in Brooklyn and television surveillance of housing in Plainfield, New Jersey. Other projects include security patrols in housing projects for the elderly at Syracuse and supplying locks for the elderly poor in South Bend. Elderly Boston residents are being provided with contract services to watch their homes and block meetings, the LEAA said.
A.T.&T.’s record profits for the third quarter — $1.01 billion, making it the first corporation ever to net $1 billion in one three month period — have caused a stir. On Wall Street the company’s stock moved to its highest level in a decade. The company’s competitors said the profits proved A.T.&T. should be broken up and consumer groups said that it was just one more sign that rates were too high.
More resignations among the trustees of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters’ Central States Pension Fund are expected in the next several weeks as the fund seeks to reach an accommodation that would slow down the government investigation into mismanagement of the fund. Two of the fund’s trustees were forced to resign last week after they balked at going quietly, and some persons close to fund said that the resignation of the union’s president, Frank Fitzsimmons, was not inconceivable.
The Rev. Sun Myung Moon ended his four-year ministry to the United States at a mass rally here yesterday, leaving behind a highly publicized but much criticized movement that must face, among other things, the questions of Congressional investigators. About 50,000 persons — about half as many as organizers had predicted would’ turn out — showed up at the Washington Monument for a “God Bless America” rally organized by Mr. Moon’s Unification Church. Most seemed to be there for the music and the fireworks display — billed by the 56‐year‐old evangelist’s followers as “the world’s greatest international fireworks.” But those who listened to Mr. Moon’s address heard him make explicit the fundamental purpose of his movement—a purpose that appears to he political as much as it is religious.
An Army Reserve sergeant says she will fight attempts to dismiss her as a drill instructor because she is a lesbian. Miriam Ben‐Shalom said today that an Army Reserve Board that met in Milwaukee yesterday was going to recommend that she be given an honorable discharge because of regulations banning homosexuals from the Army. “’I find it rather incredible that everything else I’ve done in my life is ignored other than the fact that I am a homosexual,” she said. “The Army is apparently not concerned that I’m a mother of an 8‐year‐old daughter, a poet, an honor graduate of the University of Wisconsin‐Milwaukee and an excellent drill instructor.”
An Oregon senator, charging that tuna fishermen are killing marine life by dumping diesel fuel at sea, asked the Environmental Protection Agency for a ban on the practice. Senator Bob Packwood, a Republican, said tuna fishermen sometimes dump tanks containing up to 1,500 gallons of diesel fuel to make space for fish storage when catches are big.
A consumer boycott of hair sprays, deodorants and other products that use fluorocarbons as propellants has been called for by a top federal official. Dr. Russell Peterson, chairman of the President’s Council on Environmental Quality, said he would ask President Ford to support a voluntary ban on the products and request that industry phase them out. In a speech and press conference in Salt Lake City, Peterson cited scientific reports that state that fluorocarbons can damage the atmospheric shield that protects the earth from harmful solar radiation. Spokesmen for the aerosol industry criticized Peterson’s recommendations as premature and possibly unfounded.
Radio signals relayed from the Viking 2 lander on Mars this morning indicate that no substantial number of pebbles dropped into the hopper of its X‐ray analyzer when the sample collection system was reactivated. Friday. It had been hoped that pebbles from a sample dug from the Martian surface a week ago had been left in the collector head was positioned to open its jaws wide to sift into hoppers of the biological experiment’s trough. The electronic controlling operation of the collector head then broke down. When it returned to operation Friday the head was positioned to open its jaws wide and dump its load into the X‐ray experiment.
“Going Up” opens at John Golden Theater NYC for 49 performances.
New York concert promoter Sid Bernstein offers $230 million to charity for a Beatles reunion; they politely decline.
Major League Baseball:
The Los Angeles Dodgers piled up 16 hits, including four by Bill Buckner and three apiece by Steve Garvey and Ed Goodson, to roll over the Atlanta Braves, 8–1. Buckner homered with a man on base and drove in another run with a single. Garvey and Goodson each accounted for two RBIs. The Braves scored their run off Tommy John (10–10) in the fifth inning on doubles by Darrel Chaney and Junior Moore.
Steve Braun capped two rallies with run-scoring singles as the Twins came from behind to defeat the Angels, 7–5. The Angels held a 3–0 lead behind the three-hit pitching of Paul Hartzell before the Twins erupted for four runs in the seventh inning on five singles, including one by Braun. The Angels tied the score in their half, but the Twins pulled away to stay with three runs in the eighth on two walks, a single by Larry Hisle, an error and single by Braun. Bill Campbell (16–5) notches the win.
A homer by Jerry Morales in the second inning enabled Ray Burris (14–13) to pitch the Cubs to a 1–0 victory over the Phillies in a duel with Jim Lonborg (16–10). Despite the loss, the Phillies were able to hold their four-game lead in the East Division when the Pirates bowed to the Mets, 7–6.
With three doubles by Pete Rose to lead the attack, the Reds defeated the Giants, 5–2, behind the combined four-hit pitching of Gary Nolan (13–9) and Rawly Eastwick. Nolan departed for a pinch-hitter after seven innings and Eastwick finished, picking up his 24th save. The Reds settled the issue with three runs in the first inning on a double by Rose, singles by Ken Griffey and Joe Morgan, an infield out by Dan Driessen and sacrifice fly by Cesar Geronimo. Doubles by Doug Flynn and Rose added a tally in the second and the Reds’ final run came across in the fifth on Rose’s third double, a single by Griffey and sacrifice fly by Morgan. Chris Speier homered for the Giants.
The Indians, who won the first game of a doubleheader, 5–4, with the aid of homers by Boog Powell and Tommy Smith, completed the sweep by defeating the Orioles in the second game, 3–2, in 13 innings. In the opener, Powell homered after a pass to Rico Carty in the sixth as the Indians scored three runs to take a 4–2 lead. Smith’s circuit clout in the eighth enabled the Indians to stand off a two-run rally by the Orioles in the ninth. The nightcap was forced into extra innings when Ken Singleton homered for the Orioles in the ninth to tie the score at 2–2. In the 13th, the Indians seemed to be stopped when George Hendrick bunted into a double play after a single by Carty, but Powell walked and Charlie Spikes and Ray Fosse followed with singles to produce the winning run.
Steve Dillard hit his first major league homer, connecting with two men on base in the third inning, to start the Red Sox off to a 6–1 victory over the Tigers, extending their winning streak to five games. Dwight Evans contributed a triple and two doubles to the attack.
Two rookies, Mark Lemongello (2–0) and Bo McLaughlin (4–4), pitched the Astros to a pair of 3–2 victories in a sweep of a doubleheader with the Padres. In the opener, Lemongello triumphed over Randy Jones when the Astros scored the winning run in the ninth inning on an infield hit by Al Javier, sacrifice by Jose Cruz and single by pinch-hitter Jerry DaVanon. McLaughlin hurled a four-hitter in the nightcap. The Astros scored in the first on a double by Greg Gross and an error before adding a run on a homer by Cliff Johnson in the fourth. The Padres tied the score when Johnny Grubb walked and Bill Almon hit his first major league homer in the sixth, but the Astros put over the deciding run in the eighth when Cesar Cedeno singled, stole second and scored on a double by Johnson.
After falling behind, 5–0, in the first two innings, the Royals rallied to defeat the White Sox, 6–5. Jim Essian and Lamar Johnson each batted in two runs for the White Sox. The Royals erupted to tie the score in the fourth, counting their runs on five singles and a triple by Frank White. George Brett, who had three hits to raise his season’s total to 202, singled in the eighth and was forced by Hal McRae. After two wild pitches by Terry Forster around a pass to John Mayberry, Al Cowens rapped a single to drive in McRae with the Royals’ winning run.
Catfish Hunter gained his 16th victory with the Yankees this season and 200th of his career by defeating the Brewers, 2–1, in a game shortened to 5 ½ innings by rain. Carlos May and Oscar Gamble singled and Jim Mason drove them home with a double for the Yankees’ runs in the second. Since 1901, only Christy Mathewson and Pete Alexander have hit the 200 mark before their 31st birthday, but arm trouble will limit Catfish to 224 wins. He’ll win 17 this year, after 5 straight 20-win seasons.
The Cardinals rallied for five runs in the ninth inning, featuring a bases-loaded triple by Ted Simmons, and won the opener of a doubleheader, 9–7, but Woodie Fryman (13–11) pitched the Expos to a 1–0 victory in the nightcap. With Del Unser contributing a homer, the Expos held a 5–4 lead in the opener before blowing their advantage. The Cards’ rally started with a single by Jerry Mumphrey, double by Garry Templeton and intentional pass to Keith Hernandez. Simmons cleared the bases with his triple. Two other runs followed before the inning ended on a double by Lou Brock and single by Willie Crawford. Tom Walker, who picked up saves in both ends of the previous day’s doubleheader, was the Cards’ winner in relief. Fryman was able to come out a winner in the nightcap over Lerrin LaGrow when Wayne Garrett singled in the eighth, Andre Dawson sacrificed and Ellis Valentine doubled.
Dave Kingman took over the league lead in homers with his 36th and 37th of the season and also hit a sacrifice fly, driving in a total of five runs, to mark the Mets’ 7–6 victory over the Pirates. However, the Mets also needed a homer by John Stearns, plus a pinch-triple by Bruce Boisclair and pinch-single by Ed Kranepool, to post their tying and winning runs in the sixth inning. The Pirates counted twice in the first on a single by Frank Taveras, a stolen base and singles by Omar Moreno and Willie Stargell. Their four other runs registered in the fifth when Moreno and Stargell each homered with a man on base.
Defeated in the first game of a doubleheader, 9–1, the Athletics lost ground in the West Division race, although coming back to win the second game, 13–3. As a result of the split, the A’s dropped six lengths behind the Royals, who edged the White Sox, 6-5. Tom Grieve and Juan Beniquez each batted in three runs and Jim Umbarger (10–12) pitched a four-hitter in the Rangers’ victory. In the nightcap, the A’s exploded for seven runs in the fourth inning on six hits, two walks and an error.
Los Angeles Dodgers 8, Atlanta Braves 1
Minnesota Twins 7, California Angels 5
Philadelphia Phillies 0, Chicago Cubs 1
San Francisco Giants 2, Cincinnati Reds 5
Baltimore Orioles 4, Cleveland Indians 5
Baltimore Orioles 2, Cleveland Indians 3
Boston Red Sox 6, Detroit Tigers 1
San Diego Padres 2, Houston Astros 3
San Diego Padres 2, Houston Astros 3
Chicago White Sox 5, Kansas City Royals 6
New York Yankees 2, Milwaukee Brewers 1
St. Louis Cardinals 9, Montreal Expos 7
St. Louis Cardinals 0, Montreal Expos 1
Pittsburgh Pirates 6, New York Mets 7
Texas Rangers 9, Oakland Athletics 1
Texas Rangers 3, Oakland Athletics 13
NFL Football:
The Chicago Bears defeated the San Francisco 49ers, 19–12. Chicago’s Walter Payton ran 28 times for 148 yards and two touchdowns to break a six-game 49ers’ winning streak over the Bears extending back to 1969. Payton struck from 20 yards out with 4:05 gone in the first quarter and again midway through the second period from the 7. Both defenses added to the scoring with second quarter safeties, the 49ers when Tommy Hart tackled Payton in the end zone and the Bears when Mike Adamle blocked a Tom Wittum punt through the end zone.
The Miami Dolphins fell to the New England Patriots, 30–14. The Patriots’ Steve Grogan passed for 166 yards and three touchdowns while rushing nine times for 76 yards and one touchdown. Bob Griese put the Dolphins ahead 7–6 in the second period on a five-yard pass to Andre Tillman, but Grogan brought New England back 1:37 later as he zigzagged his way 13 yards putting the Patriots ahead to stay. Sam Cunningham added 106 yards on the ground while his running mate Andy Johnson caught seven passes for 93 yards including first and third quarter touchdowns. New England’s defense minimized Griese’s effectiveness with three interceptions and five sacks totaling 52 yards.
The Green Bay Packers were crushed by the St. Louis Cardinals, 29–0. Jim Hart completed 15 of 29 attempts for 211 yards, but the game belonged to Jim Bakken and the Cardinals’ defense as St. Louis shut out the Packers for their first win over Green Bay since 1965. Bakken scored 17 of the Cardinals 29 points, splitting the uprights on five of six field goal attempts. The St. Louis defense allowed 131 net yards. Terry Metcalf contributed 110 yards of offense on two pass receptions and 15 carries, including a two-yard touchdown.
The Houston Oilers prevailed over the Buffalo Bills, 13–3. Oiler running back Don Hardeman’s 19-yard run gave the Oilers their final margin after Houston’s Curley Culp recovered Gary Marangi’s fumble with four minutes left in the game. Fred Willis and Ronnie Coleman were the major offensive threats in the game, Willis running for 96 yards, Coleman for 74. Skip Butler kicked a 54-yard field goal for the first score, but Benny Ricardo, who signed with the Bills just three days before, countered with a 27-yarder for a 3–3 halftime tie. Marv Bateman’s 78-yard punt was the top in the NFL in 1976.
The Baltimore Colts edged the Cincinnati Bengals, 28–27. Bert Jones connected with Roger Carr on touchdown passes of 22, 65, and 68 yards but it took Roosevelt Leaks’ two-yard scoring run on the second play of the final quarter for the Colts’ victory. Leaks’ touchdown was set up when defensive end Fred Cook intercepted a pass from Cincinnati’s John Reaves. Lydell Mitchell rushed for 106 yards on 27 carries while Jones picked up 301 yards through the air. Bengals’ starter Ken Anderson was 12 of 19 for 183 yards including a TD pass to Bob Trumpy, but he missed more than two quarters with a minor concussion.
The Los Angeles Rams and the Minnesota Vikings played to a 10–10 tie. Los Angeles’s Jim Bertelsen dove over from the one with 1:55 left in regulation and Tom Dempsey’s PAT tied the game at 10 which stood up for the next 16 minutes and 55 seconds as overtime attempts by both the Vikings and Rams failed to break the deadlock. Fred Cox was short on a field goal attempt from the 35 with 57 seconds left in the fourth period and Fran Tarkenton had two deep passes picked off in overtime to deny Minnesota a victory. Nate Allen snuffed out Los Angeles’s only scoring threat in overtime when he blocked a 20-yard Dempsey field goal try after the Rams had driven 71 yards following Monte Jackson’s interception of Tarkenton on the first play of overtime. Tarkenton passed for 294 yards, including a 56-yard touchdown pass to rookie Sammy White in the fourth quarter. The Rams’ defense held the Vikings to 74 yards net rushing in five quarters.
The Detroit Lions beat the Atlanta Falcons, 24–10. Greg Landry came off the bench in the third quarter and led the Lions to a 24-point fourth quarter with the help of a few Falcons’ fumbles and a fake field goal touchdown. Landry scored on a five-yard run seven seconds into the final period after Charlie West recovered an Atlanta fumble at the Falcons’ 17. Then, Errol Mann lined up for a field goal try, holder Joe Reed took the snap and tossed a 32-yard TD pass to linebacker Ed O’Neil. Rookie James Hunter intercepted a Steve Bartkowski pass on the Falcons’ ensuing possession and returned it 39 yards for a score. Atlanta rookie Bubba Bean was the Falcons’ only big weapon, picking up 98 yards on the ground including a second quarter touchdown burst.
The San Diego Chargers shut out the hapless Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 23–0. San Diego held a 9–0 lead over the Buccaneers going into the final three minutes of the game, but exploded for 14 points in 18 seconds to romp over Tampa Bay in its inaugural home game. Toni Fritsch converted a pair of 48-yard field goals and a 22-yarder before Rickey Young swept around right end for a 46-yard score. Chargers’ cornerback Tom Hayes then intercepted rookie quarterback Parnell Dickinson on the first play of the next series and sprinted 37 yards for the final touchdown. Dan Fouts completed 14 of 21 passes for 154 yards.
The Philadelphia Eagles downed the New York Giants, 20–7. Mike Boryla threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Harold Carmichael in the first quarter, carried the ball over from the one in the fourth period, and Horst Muhlmann kicked field goals of 44 and 38 yards in between to give the Eagles their first win of the season and Dick Vermeil his first pro coaching victory. The Philadelphia defense held the Giants to 59 net yards in the first half and shut out the New Yorkers until Craig Morton tossed a seven-yard touchdown pass to Walker Gillette with 1:15 left in the game.
The Dallas Cowboys rolled over the New Orleans Saints, 24–6. Dallas had to settle for a first quarter field goal instead of a possible 14 points following an illegal motion penalty and the Saints’ recovery of a fumble in the end zone, but the Cowboys drove for touchdowns on their two possessions of the second quarter. Scott Laidlaw scored both Dallas touchdowns in the second period but Roger Staubach, who completed 15 of 22 attempts for 239 yards, kept the drives alive. Drew Pearson got the final touchdown for the Cowboys when he picked up Billy Joe DuPree’s fumble of a 32-yard Staubach pass in the end zone.
The Denver Broncos routed the New York Jets, 46–3. A stingy Denver defense gave up only 185 yards while its offense rolled up a club record 543 yards in defeating the Jets for the fifth straight time. Four different running backs scored for Denver including Otis Armstrong, who rushed for 94 yards on 17 carries. Broncos’ quarterback Steve Ramsey picked up 192 yards through the air and hit Haven Moses for the only TD pass of the day. Rick Upchurch gained 138 yards on rushes, returns and a reception. His 24-yard punt return and 53-yard catch both led to scores in Denver’s 23-point second quarter.
The Pittsburgh Steelers whipped the Cleveland Browns, 31–14. Brian Sipe’s two touchdown passes gave the Browns a 14–0 halftime lead over the defending Super Bowl champions, but linebacker Jack Lambert fired up the Steelers’ defense and ignited a 17-point third quarter by blocking a punt. Terry Bradshaw hit John Stallworth with a 14-yard touchdown pass following Lambert’s block and the two combined again in the fourth period. Franco Harris ground out 118 yards on 25 carries and drove through the Browns’ defense from the 2 to top off the scoring in the third quarter.
The Washington Redskins topped the expansion Seattle Seahawks, 31–7. The Redskin defense held the Seahawks in their own territory during the first half and yielded only 205 yards while Billy Kilmer and Mike Thomas kept the Seattle defense busy. Kilmer threw for 184 yards, including touchdowns to Thomas, Frank Grant, and Jean Fugett, who caught five passes. Thomas picked up another touchdown on a five-yard run and rushed for 143 yards. Jake Scott halted three Seattle drives with two interceptions and a fumble recovery.
Chicago Bears 19, San Francisco 49ers 12
Miami Dolphins 14, New England Patriots 30
Green Bay Packers 0, St. Louis Cardinals 29
Houston Oilers 13, Buffalo Bills 3
Cincinnati Bengals 27, Baltimore Colts 28
Los Angeles Rams 10, Minnesota Vikings 10
Atlanta Falcons 10, Detroit Lions 24
San Diego Chargers 23, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 0
New York Giants 7, Philadelphia Eagles 20
Dallas Cowboys 24, New Orleans Saints 6
New York Jets 3, Denver Broncos 46
Cleveland Browns 14, Pittsburgh Steelers 31
Seattle Seahawks 7, Washington Redskins 31
Born:
Alison Sweeney, American TV actress (“Days of Our Lives”), Daytime Emmy Award winner and later host of The Biggest Loser; in Los Angeles, California.
Raja Bell, NBA shooting guard (Philadelphia 76ers, Dallas Mavericks, Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns, Charlotte Bobcats, Golden State Warriors), in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.
Lawrence Hart, NFL tight end (Arizona Cardinals), in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Jim Ward, American musician (At the Drive-In; Sparta), in El Paso, Texas.
Mikayil Jabbarov, Azerbaijan government minister and sports administrator; in Baku, Azerbaijan SSR, Soviet Union.
History Diaries 