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SPORTS:-GARY HOENIG%u2019SBottomNow that a federal judge has emphatically suggested that the Yankees-- and, by extension, major league baseball and Commissioner Bowie Kuhn-try living in the twentieth century, and allow women into lockerrooms after games, the real silliness has begun. That%u2019s not a reference to the farcical presence of several women reporters from the local networks in the Yankee lockerroom last week, although the invitation-to-leer approach tells us a lot about how male decision makers at the networks view such matters. No, the award for nonsensical and typically narrow responses goes to none other than your favorite beer commercial actor, George Steinbrenner.Now that George fires Billy Martin three times a day every day for Miller beer, he has assumed a low profile in the day-to-day affairs of his ball club. Winning may not be everything, but it sure shuts the boss up. But in this case, George has intervened, ostensibly on behalf of his players, and ruled that, in the interests of player privacy, the Yankee lockerroom would be closed for 45 minutes after each game. Howls of protest from regular beat reporters, who no doubt expect to be working with normal deadlines sometime soon, resulted in a slight modification of this rule. Reporters will be allowed a whole 15 minutes with the players before the dressing room is closed again for 30 minutes.Nice work, George. Anyone who has ever worked a lockerroom knows that with only 15 minutes to worry about, any player who wants to can avoid reporters. As for those reporters who like to find out a little more than the usual it-was-a-high-fastball, and-l-sure-got-all-of-it information, forget it. With 15 minutes to work with, they%u2019re better off using printed preset questions, which the Yankees would no doubt be happy to provide. Any real reporting is out of the question.Not that the lockerroom provides the ideal setting for getting inside information in the first place. But it does give reporters the chance to observe the players when they are most vulnerable, when the adrenalin has stopped pumping and players must confront the results of their efforts. By placing restrictions on an already difficult lockerroom relationship -the Yankees are not the easiest team to cover - Steinbrenner has made it convenient for the crusty boys in the press box to blame those ignorant women for making their job that much harder. That%u2019ll make it that much tougher for women to break into an already restricted field.I offer George some equally sane solutions:THE PLATO'S RETREAT SOLUTION: Everybody must take off all their clothes before they go into the lockerroom. This includes George himself, who won%u2019t be able to hide that belly underneath those $500 suits. Reporters could be cross-questioned by players on the relative merits of their physical attributes. But only for 15 minutes.M1CROPHONE-AND-A-CAN-OF-RIGHT-GUARD SOLUTION: Players would be required to remain in uniform and meet with the press after each game, in the press lounge. Though there would be no time limit on these sessions, the press box air-conditioning would be turned off immediately after the game, allowing the reporters to savor the collective fragrances of athletic endeavor, and beat a hasty retreat when tolerance levels were exceeded.JOE-TORRE-SAY-YES-TO-BOND-CLOTHES SOLUTION: Each locker would be equipped with a life size painting or photograph of the player in street clothes, with a large hole permitting the player to poke his head through and talk. Players could make a few extra bucks by endorsing brand names of various articles of clothing depicted on these facsimiles. When the player is fully clothed, he could remove the photograph, unless he is embarrassed by the contrast in pretend wardrobe and real life clothing.So come on, George, grow up. Basketball teams have been allowing women into their lockerrooms for years now, and there%u2019s no more potentially embarrassing situation than a naked seven footer and a petite five foot woman reporter. The players don%u2019t giggle and hide in the showers, the women don't gape at the naked bodies. Find me a woman reporter over the age of 17 who hasn%u2019t seen a man s penis, and I%u2019ll find you an athlete who%u2019s never seen a naked woman.As for the issue of the player's privacy, tough luck. The lockerroom is the only place they are required to deal with reporters. Outside cooperation is strictly voluntary., Public pvnncurp is riart o f the deal, nart o f whv th ese epo-starved neonleX * * %u2014* >%u2014' a, aget involved in pro sports in the first place. It%u2019s also why they get paid so damn much money. And if that means they have to wear a towel around their mid-sections for a few minutes after every game, they can somehow manage. In fairness to the Yankee players, they voted to allow women into the iockerroom a year ago.Anyway, George, giving the women unlimited access gives the boys someone else to blame when they lose a few. With both Billy and the regular press temporarily absent, the team is short of designated scapegoats. And, before the playoffs and World Series are n v p r von m ay need one.Page 40, THE PHOENIX, October 5,1978N owP layersNeedLockerroomW rap Up%u2019TwasThe W a llThat Done%u2019em InBY GARY HOENIGWITH JAN ZYNIEWSKIAND STEPHEN GANELESIn the end, it was The Wall, the Green Monster, that did in the Red Sox. They lived off The Wall all season, but in the end it exacted a price. With two on and two out, in the seventh inning of Monday%u2019s playoff game, Mike Torrez got a fastball out over the plate, and Buck Dent, the Yankees%u2019 weakest hitter, hit a wavering fly ball down the left field line. The Wall stretched and greedily gulped it down: a three run homer, only Dent%u2019s fifth this year. The Yankees had a lead and, ultimately, a 5-4 victory for the American League East flag.So the melodrama finally ended: the early Red Sox rush, the Billy Martin death and rebirth; the Yanks%u2019 disappearance from the race; their miracle comeback and the Red Sox disastrous collapse; and, finally, the marvelous dash for the finish, two teams as strong as any in baseball, winning game after game, no quarter asked and none given, until Catfish Hunter came out with nothing on Sunday and got bombed by lowly Cleveland while ageless Luis Tiant two-hit the Bluejays for Boston to earn the Red Sox a final crack at redemption.And Monday, the two teams played Carmen Basilio and Ray Robinson, veterans who had been there before, punching and counterpunching. Carl Yastrzemski, 39, and not intimidated by Ron Guidry%u2019s incredible numbers, opened the second with a shot off Guidry that caressed the right field foul pole. A Rick Bufleson double and Jim Rice%u2019s r.b.i. single made it 2-0 after six. Mike Torrez, a Yankee pigeon all year and victim of rugged fan criticism for inability to win second half games, had yielded only two hits in six innings, more than matching the usually incomparable Guidry.But then came The Wall%u2019s cruel intervention. By inning%u2019s end, Torrez and his hopes of vindication were gone, and the Yanks, adding a run on a Rivers walk, steal and a %u2018Munson double, moved up 4-2. Gossage replaced Guidry, and the game seemed secure when Reggie Jackson belted a tremendous home run, his 27th, off Bob Stanley to lead off the eighth.But the Red Sox w eren%u2019t through. Not yet. In the eighth, they scored twice off Gossage, Yastrzemski and Lynn contributing r.b.i. singles. In the ninth, Rick Burleson walked with one out, and Jerry Remy lined a shot in the sun that Lou Piniella seemed to misplay. Piniella recovered quickly and prevented Burleson from taking third. Jim Rice shot to right, deep enough to move Burleson to third. That left it up to Yaz once again. Yaz, the consistent and inspired performer. But he couldn%u2019t do it one more time. A popped out toN ettlps a n d th e l o n o o o o d h v wasfinally over.The Yankees hardly had a moment to celebrate, since the American League playoffs begin Tuesday night. Iliey face the well rested Royals, with Guidry unavailable until Friday, or Game 3, at the earliest. The Yankees must win one in Kansas City before Guidry pitches, or M onday%u2019s win againstN ew Kn icksNo Better?After all of the off-season fanfare, the Knicks are certainly a different team. But they may not be better. In fact, all the maneuvering and compulsive searching for a first-quality center may have left them a weakened bail club, particularly after last week%u2019s compensation decision by Commissioner Larry O%u2019Brien on the Marvin Webster acquisition.Obrien awarded Lonnie Shelton, next year%u2019s first round draft choice, and $450,000 to Seattle for Webster. Thus the Knicks have contrived to subtract Shelton, Earl Monroe, Jim MacMillian, and Phil Jackson from last year%u2019s squad. In their place are Webster, guard Mike Glenn, and a first round draft choice, Mike Richardson, with a broken foot. In addition, the draft choice lost to Seattle will no doubt be a very high one, since it will actually be the N ets%u2019 choice, obtained as compensation for money owed to the Knicks.Such shortsighted strategy is allthe more galling because the Knicks are simply letting Monoe and MacMillian get away. After all of the Pearl%u2019s contributions-- sometimes he kept everyone from sleeping through games-he has been virtually released to make his own deal. Chicago and Los Angeles are reportedly interested. One can%u2019t help but hope he comes back to haunt the Garden. MacMillian may yet sign with New York, but only because their misuse of him these past two seasons has rendere him virtually valueless.The current starters figure to be Heywood, MacAdoo and Webster up front, with Glenn and Ray Williams in the backcourt. Jim Cleamons may get a crack at a starting job because of Richardson%u2019s injury. That team may have trouble making the playoffs- and if it does, look for Willis Reed to get most of the blame. G.H.NEXT WEEK: A PREVIEW OF THE NETS AND NEW YORK%u2019S TWO HOCKEY TEAMS.N.Y. Football: Same Old StoryIt took a little longer this year, but the New York football scene is beginning to take on a familiar autumn aura of disappointment.The Giants blew a first quarter lead against an Atlanta team they were supposed to beat and lost, 23-20. The Jets, plagued by key injuries, fought gamely but futilely and fell to the unbeaten Pittsburgh Steelers, 28-17.The Giants capitalized on a kickoff fumble and a blocked kick-andreturn to jump off to a 14-0 lead over the Falcons. But Steve Bartkowski, a starter for only the second time this season, brought the Falcons back, riddling a patchwork Giant secondary (starters Ray Rhodes and Terry Jackson were sidelined by injuries) with repeated medium and longrange bombs to Wallace Francis.Francis had caught only four passes until Sunday; he caught seven for 153 yards against the Giants. Joe Pisarcik%u2019s in-your-face bravado seemed mostly foolhardyBoston may turn out to have been in vain.Should the Yankees survive, however, and even win another World Series, the team management should nonetheless take an off season look at the team%u2019s future. Only Dent and Randolph, of the nine starters, are under 30, and the p itc h in g sta ff, w h ich h eldon Sunday, as he was dropped repeatedly for losses, including a costly safety before the first half ended. It was a disappointing loss, with Dallas, an angry Monday night loser to Washington, waiting next week.Matt Robinson looked game but overmatched as he replaced Richard Todd at quarterback for the Jets against the Steelers. His gritty scrambling and clutch passing kept the team close while Terry Bradshaw and Lynn Swann methodically picked apart the porous Jet pass defense. But Robinson%u2019s inability to read the blitz resulted in several failures to score while the Jets were in close, and despite Bradshaw%u2019s best efforts, the Jets were unable to close the gap. Buffalo provides a breather for the battered Jets, who were without key defensive players Burgess Owens (free safety) and Greg Buttle (corner linebacker) on Sayday. G.H.together for the stretch nr_ m mmore depth if it is to L* roong enough again next year. Even Guidry, who compiled the best won-lost percentage of any 20-game winner in baseball history this season (25-3), can%u2019t be expected to carry the team again as he did for most of his long,im nrnhahle season 1\\