Pros in Traction

There was a time when the pro football exhibition season, like baseball spring training, was geared to getting players into shape. It was a time for testing rookies, rendering the excess fat off veterans, and giving fans a chance to see some scrimmaging for a nominal price. No longer. With owners trying to make a buck wherever they can, preseason games have turned into a top-price gouge for fans (tickets can run as high as $10). More important, the early games can be dangerous, injury-inducing torture for athletes forced to play hard before their bodies are ready. By last week, with the regular season still a fortnight away, the casualty list was lengthening into the roster of an all-pro team in traction. A sampling:

>> New York Jet second-string Quarterback Al Woodall is out for the season with an injured knee.

>> New Orleans Saint Quarterback Archie Manning, out 4 to 6 weeks with a chipped elbow.

>> Atlanta Defensive End Claude Humphrey, out for the season with torn knee ligaments.

>> Buffalo Bill Cornerback Robert James, out for the season with a knee injury.

>> Miami Dolphin Safety Dick Anderson, out for 6 to 8 weeks with a bad knee.

>> New York Jet Safety Steve Tannen, out for the season with an injured shoulder.

>> New England Offensive Tackle Tom Neville, out for the season with a broken leg.

The list runs on, and already includes at least 15 top players. For some teams, the injuries spell disaster. The Saints without Archie Manning to direct their offense will probably go nowhere. "I'm just sick," says Manning. "What is so disheartening is that I was having my best preseason. We were making progress toward a more productive offense." For the Jets, the loss of Woodall leaves the team without an experienced quarterback in reserve behind fragile Joe Namath who has already put in three weeks on the sidelines with a pulled side muscle.

All the injuries, of course, could merely be a coincidence -the breaks of the game. But fans and players alike could be forgiven for wondering if the cost of the trade off between preseason profits and reduced conditioning time is not out of balance.

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