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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 23, 1983)
P M Page 18/The Battalion/Wednesday, November 23, 1983 f i : :■ S b :l New Kyle Field suites may be approved soon by Tracey Taylor Battalion Staff In a land where football is king, it’s not surprising to find the spectators treated as dukes and duchesses. And the kingdom of Aggieland is no different. Kyle Field, A&M’s mulit-million dollar football complex is one of only six college stadiums in the nation that offers its alumni enclosed suites for their viewing pleasure. And plans are underway to add 48 more suites in the near future. “They’re for the wealthy,’’ Wally Groff, associate athletic director for finance, said. “People who give a lot of money to the University should get something nice in return. ” These donors “get” exactly what they pay for: Plush carpeting, closed-circuit TV and waiters. The suggested price on the new suites is somewhere between $125,000 and $175,000 apiece for a 15-year option. The proposed plan for the new suites places two levels of boxes on the north end of the field. Each box will seat up to 16 people and would be connected to the pre sent suites by a covered walkway. A parlor area and a multi-purpose meeting room are also included in the blueprints. The plan is currently before the Board of Regents. “It’s kind of in a non-status,” Harry Green, executive director of the Aggie Club, a fund-raising organization for the athletic department, said. “The regents ha ven’t approved it so it’s kind of in limbo. ” Green said the project was a pretty big one for the Athletic Department to take on and everyone wants to handle it carefully. “It’s a question of weighting between academics and athletics,” Green said. “You have to keep things proportionate.” Board Chairman Bum Bright seems to feel that the perception people might have could be a problem and was quoted as saying A&M didn’t want to appear to be taking away from academic funds for athle tics. The estimated cost for the north-end structure is $7 million. But the money to fund this project, like the money that funded the suites built in 1979, would come from the owners of the suites themselves — not the state. “During the building of the third deck,” Groff said, “I told Emory (Bellard), who was athletic director at the time, that we had to take care of our contributors. ” Thus, the idea, derived from the Astro dome skyboxes, was born. The Athletic Department presented it to the university administration and got the go-ahead — if the money could be raised through the Aggie Club. The state coordinating board also gave their permission, provided the money was raised before construction. The department commissioned an architect to draw up plans and presented them to the Aggie Club, along with a re quest for a list of the top 100 contributors to Texas A&M. “We held what I like to call the ‘Aggie Draft, ” Groff said, “The top 100 contribu tors were gathered together in a room in the MSG.” In order to be eligible to buy a box, a contributor either had to be there in per son, send a representative, or be only a phone call away. “We put 46 of the 48 boxes on sale and the number one contributor got the first choice as to which box he wanted,” Groff said. “Within 3‘A hours they were all gone. ” The boxes ranged in cost from $10,000 to $50,000 depending on the number seated. That price bought only an 8-year option (up in 1988) on the box — not the tickets to the games. The owners of the boxes must make a decision at the beginning of each season as to whether or not they wish to buy season tickets and thus the box for each of the home games. The Athletic Department put only one condition on the sale — that the owners of the boxes keep contributing at or above the same level they had previously maintained. Cincinnati’s Brown named to Rice helm .£ tl\e x^iii|bow store is your Christmas store our upstairs is now open just in time for the Christmas Season come and see our new location in Post Oak Mall next to Wilson’s across from Premier Video If you liked us before, you’ll love us now ov^ n ed and operated by Aggie Students Post (?ak Mall 764-0470 Battalion Staff CINCINNATI — Watson Brown, who led the University of Cincinnati to a 4-6-1 record in his only season as head coach, announced his resignation Tues day to accept the head coaching position at Rice University. UC Athletic Director Mike McGee announced Brown’s res ignation at an afternoon press con ference. “We re sorry to see Coach Brown leave,” McGee said in making the announcement. “He’s done a fine job here. I’ve been led to believe that the financial advan tages offered by Rice are very im pressive.” Brown was in only the first year of a four-year contract with UC and his first victory at the school was a memorable one, an upset 14-3 victory over Penn State in the opener. The Bearcats were 3-2 on the year when starting quarterback Troy Bodine fractured his left arm in the Florida State game and was out the rest of the season. From that point on, UC was 1-4-1. At the time of his injury, Bodine ranked eithth in country in passing efficiency and Cincinnati was sixth nationally in passing offense. McGee said Brown and his wife, Brenda, visited Rice Sunday afternoon and Monday and he was informed of Brown’s decision Tuesday morning. 0-8 in the Southwest the past season announced his resignatioul | the season after six yean school. At 33, Brown was the! youngest NCAA Divisis head football coach tit BALT (weight ■ cured of Jyear, sai Ian exhil: season. ■ Leona; A former quarterbach I overed 1 derbilt, he began his c« I retina, s career as a graduate assists (with am alma mater under Steve Sis I 1973 and moved to EastCi I Dec. 10 to serve as quarterback a ceivers coach under Pat I) 1974 and 1975 Brown then served aso! I at that ( coordinator at Jacksonvfe I The t (Ala.) before going to Test I Boxing for one year as quarterhui receivers coach It was rumored that Rice offered Brown a five-year contract worth $1.2 million. His yearly in come package at Cincinnati was estimated at $100,000. Rice officials had no comment on the coaching change, but sche duled a press conference for 10 a.m. Wednesday. McGee also said Brown had a buyout provision in his contract, meaning either Brown or the Houston, Tex., school will have to ..reimburse UC for the remaining three unfulfilled years of the con tract. That reportedly could run ashigh as $150,000. Brown will replace Ray Alborn In 1979, Brown be«| head coach at Austin two years directed the Gov-1 to consecutive 7-4 seasons He returned to VamW 1981 as offensive eoordini; ceiving a large share of the for the resurgence shown at Rice, which was 1-10 overall and Commodore football pi Met’s rely on ‘saviour Strawberry ripenin. He s« ? but won lit signal “I’m pion ret went su tina. John: the dam detecte< Leon; to the r conferei that wil LS ma United Press International NEW YORK — Darryl Straw berry, once very green around the edges, has ripened to the point where he thinks he can become the saviour for the seemingly hopeless New York Mets. The 21-year-old outfielder, named the National League’s Rookie of the Year Tuesday, said Wednesday his first big league season has built his confidence to the point where he feels there is nothing he can’t accomplish on the baseball diamond. “I think I will come out with more confidence next year,” Strawberry said. “I had to make some adjustments last year, and I look forward to being the team leader. I feel it’s important for me to lead the ballclub because the Mets look at me as their saviour. It’s hard for me to say what I’m capable of doing. ” start in which he batted just . 191 over his first seven weeks in the majors. “He really went from Double A ball to the big leagues, ” said Mets’ general manager Frank Cashen. “It was a quantum leap with a short stopover in Tidewater (Tri ple A). The big question everyone asks is what would have happened if he’d played longer at Tidewater? would he have struggled so much in the beginning? “I said then, and I say it now, he had so much talent that we felt by the time we got to September he would be putting the numbers on the baord that shows the real Dar ryl Strawberry and we would be gin to see more of the real Darryl Strawberry that we re going to see in the years ahead in September than we were going to see in May or June.” water and is enamored wit lan ksgiv young outfielder’s skills. Hf ov ^ er, he has seen too many|i ‘IV. 011 l! fail after good first-yearpd . L ’ r a ances and so is reluctant! P feasor Strawberry’s praises too lot | I °,' a . Very tew players Ivt = . , have his all-round n1 ^ 1 1 Johnson. “But he’s a roob rl ie . as V* there’s too much hype aboii| r I’m going to try and doW b in] I'm going to poke fun atli f gers ha protect trim a little bit. Unite It’s ver Defense is one areainwl Mets feel Strawberry vast improvement next Despite being the posses Overall rec SEC. That d jU’s Bor [iperviso: plea fror rifle arm and outstanding ypKeithe Strawberry neverthelessf cautiously in the outf Strawbery hit 26 homers, drove in 74 runs and batted . 257 last sea son, even though he did not play his first big league game until May 4. Moreover, he accomplished those numbers despite a terrible SHOW YOUR AGGIE PRIDE ... An A & M Tradition PRICES 10 Kt. Jeweler’s ITEM Gold Bronze Money Clip, 1 7 /<" $225 $110 Ranger Buckle Set for V/' Belt Buckle 2V»" x 3V»", Keeper, Tip $350 $190 Oval Buckle for 1Va" Belt 4V»" x 3V«" $975 $375 Belt Tip for IVa" Belt IVa" x 1 'h" $175 $75 Keeper for IVa" Belt 1 %" x V«" $175 $75 Texas residents: add 5% state sales tax TOTAL Amt. EASY TO ORDER Name 1-800-334-0854, ext. 800 Address City/State/2 ip Daytime Phone (_ Check Mastercard Money Order Visa is enclosed. American Express Account Number Expiration Date: Month Year Authorization Signature tor Charge Allow 4 to 6 weeks for delivery. • Courtesy engraving All articles hand-engraved sterling silver, twisted wire rope edge with hand-cut overlay in either 10 kt. gold or jeweler’s bronze. WESTERN TRADITIONS Post Office Box JB College Station, TX 77841 Strawberry said he never lost confidence despite his poor start, thanks in large part to batting coach Jim Frey, now the manager of the Chicago Cubs. “I really had confidence all the time because Jimmy Frey kept my confidence up. Even when I struck out three or four times, he just told me I had to keep my head up, that tomorrow was another day. Like Jimmy says, you have to go out there and think you’re the best player on the field. When I’ve got that in my mind, no one can stop me. I have a chance to go out there and do something great ev ery day.” Dave Johnson, the Mets’ new manager, had Strawberry at Tide- “He was the best outf/ Double A two years ago,” Gorman, the Mets’ vice dent, player personnel, dropped a ball early in tlie and was tentative out that. With more experientf start to show the kindofo'lni offere he can play. He can be sfftached f one.” Kelp attra r of St led to t 1984 sease The bo< com mei ind Whar H’s futu Even tl id win Ec e act. Edwan One thing Strawbetf guaranteed for next seas® 1 | nice fat raise in salary. He ! F the major league miniit-f $40,000 last season andlM jump into triple figures* Ark for “We certainly do not me/) cheap with Mr. Strawberv Cashen. “We ll pay him ^ have to pay him.” HONGKONG RESTAURANT It ; £■ ^ M- Special, Hong Kong Beef Enjoy our Wine & Beer with Free Chicken Wings (With Mon.-Thnrs. 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