!
Wednesday, March 26, 1986/The Battalion/Page 11
TANK IWFNAMAUA®
by Jeff Millar & Bill Hinds
(Anonymity not needed
to nail SWC 'rule busters'
j
?i r
|; In the continuing saga — or
ishould I call it trauma -— of college
atlletics, the University of Houston
and the University of Texas have be-
HHne the latest Southwest Confer
ence schools to he accused of wrong-
HHings within their football
pipgrams.
^Former players, ranging from
HHse who went on to play in the
WmL as well as those who never even
finished school, have spoken out
HHunst UH and UT for knowledge-
abh allowing improprieties such as
™Be money loans, use of credit
Cards, complimentary ticket scandals
and ineligible players to go on un
censored.
a copyright story released hv
■ihe Houston Post March 15, former
IfllUH wide receiver David Roberson
^accused the UH coaching staf f of al
lowing him to play football while lie
Vgs splii was ineligible because of grade prob-
10-5. lems. Roberson also said he could re
ceive cash payments up to $375 f rom
the coaches any time he wanted,
ist home g ul n()Wt Roberson is out of a job,
i shot. ir| as a disconnected telephone and is
e 10th undergoing marital problems be-
i single
lt |ause he can’t support his wife or
IK I their 8-month-old son. I le blames all
of this on the UH coaches for not
making him actively pursue a college
degree.
Within the last six months, so
many accusations have been made
B&inst various collegiate athletic de-
tying si partments. A large number of these
ndians h have been levied against the South
west Conference — first SMU, then
players) TCU, Texas A&M and Texas Tech,
ip," Trc* SWC college officials, alumni, etc.,
en he moused to, either out of envy or anger,
when Ii" r ano/jy/nous/y report their rival
Khools for violations of NCAA
he p rules. But as evidenced by players
here an such as Roberson and the many for-
eshmanpmer UT football players, like All-
id last sea^ Americans Tony Degrate and Jeff
cond." Leiding, who spoke out on the com-
6 Aggie* plimentary ticket scalping scandal,
any poiiHhar is no longer the case.
Jj Now it is the colleges’ former play-
ome f ers speaking out against their alma
vhen it 11 maters. They accuse their schools of
header
211 using their talents to fill the stands
•kat5p : on Saturday afternoons and collect
off a s^'millions of dollars a year only to
, playing leave them to make-it or break-it af-
>n. Will f ter their college career are over.
DOUG HALL
Sports Viewpoint
Consider these points:
1 — Yes, major colleges, especially
those in the football-crazed South,
use their income from football to fi
nance athletic budgets and bring
other non-revenue sports out of the
red.
2 — Yes, many major college foot
ball coaches are probably guilty of
“pulling strings” for their players
and allowing players w ho should be
declared academically ineligible to
continue playing football.
3 — Obviously, other improprie
ties are going on in college athletics
that are against NCAA rules.
But to Roberson and to many of
?/d
get up
for"!
the other former athletes who are
now speaking out against their alma
maters because they want other play
ers to put their education before
football and not to let the coaches
ruin their education, I say, quit your
sniveling.
Roberson, who told the Post, “I
can’t even get a job, man,” should
have thought about his future while
he was accepting those cash pay
ments and failing his classes.
A full football scholarship, in most
cases, includes financial provisions
for room, board, tuition, lab fees
and many other necessities. In a
state-funded college such as Hous
ton, the cost is about $1,500 a semes
ter.
So Roberson, like former UH
running back Kevin Gill who told
The Post that coaches should guide a
player “into a field he’s interested in
pliers?
said.
; to be rei*
We hav fl
time
ietition
vercon:
ink about I 1 '
ippointw® 11
ied with 2 *
iecond iu
to reach
for the
I taste in '
I “Went
I don’t k 2 "
1 this yf*
k, but thf;
einent'
■in the
:o our
i
Ave.
o.Bryan)
Spring Formals
in a tuxedo from
Al’s Formal Wear
$5.00
Off
Al’s Formal Wear is
helping you
celebrate Spring!
Celebrate with a
$5.00 discount on the
rental of any
complete tuxedo
ensemble.
FORMAL WEAR
OF HOUSTON, INC.
1609 Texas Avenue, 693-0947
CULPEPPER PLAZA
r/1ls
JV OF HOUSTON INC
$5.00
off Any complete tuxedo ensemble |
I
This offer is valid until May 31, 1986. Not valid with any other discounts.
Coupon must be presented at time of rental. One coupon per rental.
our customers say
HALF
PRICE
BOOK§
we’re Bryan’s
most interesting book
and record store!
RECORDS
we buy and sell anything
printed or recorded
VISA
Five times the selection
of the average book store,
at half the publisher’s price.
And open 7 days a week.
3828 TEXAS AVENUE
Bryan, Texas
846-2738
10am-9pm Mon.-Sat • noon-9pm Sun
23 stores in 4 states
so he can have a career and support
his family,” were receiving a virtually
free education for playing football.
And instead of making the best of
a free deal, they blew it.
We’re not talking about children,
who don’t know better than to accept
unwrapped candy for Halloween,
we’re talking about 18-year-old to
22-year-old men who wasted a shot
at a free college education.
Where does the fault lie? Is it with
the coaches, the athletic system or
with society?
1 say yes to all the above.
Certainly the coaching staff
should have kept closer tabs on Ro
berson’s grades and should not be
handing out free giveaways. Yes, it is
apparent that college athletics are in
a sad state of affairs and that society
has grown accustomed to placing too
much importance on winning on the
shoulders of young athletes.
But for Roberson and all the oth
ers who blew their chances at a free
education I say quit crying. You
rode the gravy train for at least four
years before you realized that the
real world is not a free handout and
that professional sports was not a
guarantee.
Roberson was bound to know that
the cash payments and other bene
fits he was receiving were illegal and
he certainly had to know he wasn’t
going to get a degree by staying on
scholastic probation. So why didn’t
he say something then?
He didn’t say anything because he
would have been biting the hands of
those who fed him — and fed him
well.
I think the NCAA, among other
revisions, should consider a stipula
tion which states that athletes who
accept cash payments or other aid
which violates NCAA regulations
are just as guilty as those who pay
them and should be declared ineli
gible to play football for any school.
This would not solve all the illegal
payments, but it might put a halt to
players accepting money from alums
that coaches know nothing about. In
addition, it might help prevent play
ers like Roberson from turning their
backs on the people who provided
them the opportunity to play major
college football and get a free educa
tion.
Guaranteed Lowest
Prices!
20% off
Ski Jackets
Vinyl & Nylon
We’ll beat anybody’s price. If
you can find a published price
lower than ours We’ll Beat It!
Honeycomb Skis
1008 W. 25th St
Bryan
Bryan Marine
822-0875
How to buy shades.
With the American Express® Card
you can buy everything from new
spectacles to some pretty spectac
ular clothing. The latest in audio
equipment and the latest albums.
The Card is the perfect way to pay
for just about anything you’ll want
during college.
How to get the Card
before you graduate.
Because we believe that college is the first
sign of success, we’ve made it easier for you
to get the American Express Card. Graduating
students can get the Card as soon as they
accept a S10,000 career-oriented job. If you’re
not graduating this semester, you can apply
for a special sponsored Card. Look for
student applications on campus. Or call
1-800-THE- CARD, and tell them you want
a student application.
The American Express Card.
Don’t leave school without it: SM
TRAVEL S,
RELATED 2
SERVICES ©