By Bill Nichols
If the ole town appeared a bit brighter Saturday might, credit Billie Jean King -- not Muny Light.
The irrepressible BJK was here with the Philadelphia Freedoms to play against the Cleveland Nets in a World Team Tennis skirmish at Public Hall.
In the afternoon Billie Jean was in a talkative mood and when she talks you listen because everything she says is interesting that is, if you can catch it all.
Billie Jean gives the impression she wants to change the entire world all by herself and after hearing her for a few minutes you get the feeling she'll do it, too.
For starters, she calls the Olympics a farce. "It's exploitation of athletes," she declared.
"The NCAA and AAU could change or be abolished and then make the Olympics open for all people who like to compete.
"Take our volleyball team. Do you know how they pick it," she asked. They take one player from each section." "How can you get the best team that way?
That's just one thing that bothers me.
"I'd like to help all sports, women and men alike by ending exploitation. Let's get the athlete to compete and quit worrying about being professionals. There's no one more professional that the Russians. We get our best people who wants to compete and talk about the Olympics.
"A professional is some one good in all fields except sports."
"It shouldn't be that way. The professional athlete is the motivation in sports."
"There's nothing wrong with money, but too many Americans think money in sports in bad. Money helps if it is used right. There should be more dollars appropriated.
"With more money available more people can compete but a person shouldn't be looked down upon because he gets paid."
Billie Jean is a pioneer in sports, the women's movement and anything else she finds to her liking. She enjoys being a pioneer. Her pears should be thankful for what she has done to help women, athletes, tennis and all other sports.
She takes everything with enthusiasm. She's even enthusiastic when she greets someone and there's a sincerity about the way she does it.
And without Mrs. King it's doubtful there would be World Team Tennis. She was enthused about it before anyone else.
"This idea of team tennis is great," she said. "I'm all for it." "Americans are team oriented and city oriented and this is just right for both."
"And I'm encouraged about its future. Sure we have problems. Everyone has problems, hockey, basketball, the NFL, everyone."
"And new league has problems, but we're doing super. The people in tennis have made a three to five year investment. That's how confident they are of its success."
"But, one thing has to be done and that is to bring tennis to the people. Bring the ticket structure down so everyone can see it. In Philadelphia we have tickets for $1 and $2. I'd like to have it so a family of four can see tennis for less than $10."
Her immediate goal is for Philadelphia to win the first WTT title. After that comes the U.S. Open, progress on her new magazine, Women's sports event for the superstars.
"We're going to hold it in December in the Astrodome where women from all sports will compete in something like the Superstars for men that was on television," she explained. "I want to bring athletes together and this is one way of doing it."
While she's concerned about changing the adult sports would she is equally interested in the young.
"There is too much emphasis on winning at the young age," she said. "The pressure children give themselves is enough. Parents shouldn't add anymore of it. Little League parents are the worst. They want their son to be the ballplayer dad wasn't and that isn't the way it should be.
"Don't push the youngster. Everyone should go at his own pace, but I do think it's great to specialize in one thing and do that well."
Billie Jean King is still delightful despite her enormous success. Basically she still the same as she was beginning her climb to the top. Even now you can ask her the time and she'll tell you how the watch was made -- and you listen, too, because you probably will learn something.