'Ihe U.P.E.I. Sun, Thursday, March 23, 1978, page 12

T H E P R o s t by JOHN CAIRNS

Each year professional sport sees a nuttber of outstanding individual and team adtievettents. 'Ihese often becotte league records. How significant are these records? Do they truly identify the outstanding perfonters? Many observers feel such things are given far too much attention. Is that true?

Hockey's leading record setters are currently the Montreal C‘anadiens. Along with recently establishing marks for most points, most wins, and fewest losses in a season, they have also had an unprece- dented twenty-eight gatte unbeaten streak. In the playoffs further trore, they have lost only three times in two years. Does this evidence make Mczntreal the best hockey team ever? 'Ihose who refuse to argue with the facts say yes, but others disagree. This latter group contends that the success of the Canadians is merely a product of the tittes. 'Ihey feel such achievements were impossible two decades ago when there wer were only six professional teatts and each was competititive. Thus, the argument goes, the Habs are good, but they aren't necessarily the best.

'Ihe satte applies to Gordie Howe and to Bobby Hull who both recently reached the one thousand goal plateau. Was Maurice Richard, who had barely half as many, not as good a scorer? Here too, comparisons through titre are difficult because the gatte has changed. Goals octte tnuch more easily these days. More teatte are playing more ganes than ever before, and defenses aren't as tight as in the past.

enjoy yourself

old favorites

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were once rare, they are no» comm. Howe and Hull being the only thousand goal tten doesn't mean their skills have never been equalled. In fact, they probably have been. Records also cause confusion elsewhere. In baseball for instance, the identity of the hone run king is clearly in debate. Babe Ruth was once the ultimate, but then his single season record succumbed to Roger Maris. Wasthere a new chattpion? Many denied it because Ruth had belted his total in fewer gattes. Technically though, Maris had broken the record.

Recent seasons have further octtplicated

things. mflt's career mark of 714 haters fell to Henry Aaron who was subsequently overtaken by Sadaharu (It in Japan. What does it all trean? Who is tops now? Many observers stuck stubborn- ly with Ruth, their contention being that he [had played fewer gattes and used a heavier ball than his rivals. Others declared that a hate run was a hone run, and that Aaron had clearly outdone the Babe. North Attericans tended to downplay Oh's feat as having been ad'tieved in small Japanese ball parks against weak pitchers. The Japanese though, would certainly disagree. only one thing is obvious. Several rten can

argue a claim to the sane title. 'me facts settle little.

Similar debates occur in

" football. In 1977 for

instance, Edrtn'ttm star Dave Cutler wm the Canadian Football League scoring title. His points total was so high, in fact, that it had never been matdted either‘in Canada or in the United States. , It was thus heralded as ’ an all—pro record, but because Canadian football is very different fran the. Atterican gatte,’ sud't A, status gave the feat ttore recognition than it deserved. With four downs the N.F.L. allows fewer ‘ field goal opportunities. rDeans can usually go for the touchdown, making the league's kickers unlikely

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to match Cutler's scoring. Chce again we fans must be wary of being deceived by the facts. luckily, a few sports officials recognize the flaws of pure statistics. The case of Jacq'ues Detters, coach of the Cincinnati Stingers, ‘is one example of this. With nthe team severely slurping he once offered to resign. IzTeam-ttenagettent, however, ‘said that the probletts ,weren't his fault and refused to accept his Though un— usual, such an instance is definitelysrefreshing.

What we can conclude is

ittply this. Good records elp coaches to keep

ir jobs, players to win

tmphies, and ovmers to sell tickets. Poor ones have the opposite effect. Both types can be m deceiving because their surface - aren't always valid. Every feat is eventually surpassed, but the new record holder isn't

always better than the old

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