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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 21, 1988)
odds choked T coach deserved better 11 went over to talk to Bob Beltlich, former head basketball Bach for the U of Texas, between games two '.Bid three 'Bst Friday at > Be Buthwest Binference Bassic in ' Billas. 1 had never met Beltlich Bfore, all hough I Bd heard a lot about him and always had ^nted to eet him. Hal L. Hammons Sports viewpoint ■ He was sitting there on press row, all by himself, watching Southern '^fBethodist and Texas Christian fPSBirm up, waiting for his game with Houston that would follow. He — kiiked nervous — understandable foi a coach about to lead his team irtto post-season, single-elimination anion. Even more so for a coach who was rumored to be fighting desperately for his job at the same Bie. Bl wished my fathei or brother were with me at t he time. Dad is a se;ison-ticket holder f or UT and Bui is a sophomore at t he school. FheiflHoth are avid UT basketball fans, oilgas well as avid Weltlich fans. They it ijwluld have liked to have been there rou, ; :to meet him. jjBPartly for them, partly for myself , to differed him my hand and told him I was from Texas A&M. I told him tt ^Bout Paul and Dad. 1 wished him list! Mod luck for the rest of the me ; r tcjirnament. Why not? A&M already f/Bd been eliminated. I had to root e • fd) someone, and it sure wasn’t jnljBing to be Arkansas or Texas Tech. OfJltlnight as well be a couple of YodUfderdogs — the Longhorns and _ Jtht coach. v _Hlioth turned out to Ik- lost causes. SaiyHpuston played well, Texas didn’t, r (hf japd the Cougars advanced. That 2.9 much wasn’t a big surprise. What followed last week was. ive Idl you haven’t heard yet, Weltlich ted IBs “reassigned” by UT Athletic Dn ector DeLoss Dodds. ■translation: fired. ertoB^f respect for the University of , Tjxas has hit an all-time low, and thin’s saying a lot. f here are any number of ways to say it, but maybe the best is the simplest of all: m^r Weltlich was done wrong, n it (A The reasons for the move were : plai||ere: his record was less than sas wonderf ul, his brand of ball was somewhat less than thrilling, attendance was pathetic. And seeing it from Dodds’ point of view, it makes sense. If the program is losing d money, obviously a change is in orfler. ■But I m not an accountant. And *■ from my point of view, it stinks. IKflWeltlich had the misfortune of iv following one of the most popular coaches in UT history — Abe Lemons. He taught run-and-gun 'xai'Bjcnse, which caters to the masses e w who see little excitement in setting udan attack for 30 or 40 seconds gii: before taking a shot. He was full of e eii One-liners, almost to the point of in is. being another Lou Holtz. Even now, •n d at Oklahoma City College, he still put makes national news with some of his cracks. .jflsiBLemons was fired after his team [gtlffilost 13 straight games. Injuries were a large part of that. Lack of depth, j n oiipiflexibility and poor coaching were teafflf bigger part. (ve si[l Rumor has it that Dodds canned Bnons largely because of his j rI1 ijailure to emphasize academics. ,.. Most of his players were not exactly ip. of Phi Beta Kappa caliber. We’re .talking IQs well within the double- shcdigit range. ^lost of the talent Lemons had left school with him or soon itW the s< afterward. Weltlich’s training in the Bobby Knight School of Basketball Coaching didn’t exactly endear him to those who remained. The media quicklyjumped on his case, dubbing him “Kaiser Bob” for tactics such as, God forbid, making his players practice taking charges during workouts. And that didn’t exactly help recruiting. But the program cleaned up. Players started going to class and, not coincidentally, graduating. The discipline he taught showed up in a vast improvement in defense — as if it would be tough to improve on “nonexistant.” This year, considered by most to be the year Weltlich had to deliver the goods to stay on board, wound up with the Longhorns tied for fourth in conference. You look at that, along with the “talent” the coach had to work with, and try to tell me that’s not great coaching. Many observers think one more win would have earned Weltlich SWC Coach-of-the-Year honors. Most agreed even Weltlich would have to be kept on if the Horns won at least one game at the tournament. They didn’t. And the ax fell. Paul thinks he lost the job midway through the season when the Longhorns were dealt an embarassing loss at home to Rice. Agreed, if one game could cost a coach his job, that was the game. But hey, only a couple thousand people saw it, anyway. I saw four or five games this year at the Frank Erwin Center, which has a capacity of about 16,000. Nothing but orange seats for miles and miles at all of them. The UT “fans” don’t support losers, if you hadn’t heard. And plenty of Lemons’ old backers have unequivocably stated in the newspapers that they would not watch another Longhorn basketball game until Weltlich was fired. They stuck to it, too. Full marks for perseverence to those fine specimens. It must have been tough this year, when it was becoming obvious that Texas was getting good in a big way. I guess they were convinced that Dodds wouldn’t tolerate a coach that couldn’t put fans in the seats, regardless of his other accomplishments. They appear to have been correct. Too bad. In this day and age of controversy in college athletics, Weltlich was a breath of fresh air. His pupils went to and passed their classes.There was never any hint of impropriety concerning him or his program throughout his tenure. With such acclaimed programs as the ones at Maryland and Memphis State being shaken up by less-than-squeaky-clean coaches, it is refreshing to see a program with no skeletons in the closet. And an Austin American- Statesman columnist reported last week that none other than Dick Vitale himself was already pushing Lefty “You-Wouldn’t-Believe-How- Much-Better -You-Play-on-Cocaine” Driesell for the job. A real clean-nosed choice there. Really gives me hope for the program. Vitale’s more reasonable choice is Gene Keady, the acclaimed but supposedly unhappy coach at Purdue and an old roomie of Dodds. If they could pull that off, I’ll be impressed. A Keady-for-Fred Akers deal wouldn’t look too bad at all for Dodds. But don’t count on it. A more likely choice for the job is Eddie Foegler, whose Wichita State squad made DePaul look like the Lakers Friday in the first round of the NCAA tournament. I can’t help thinking, however, that the right man for the job was already there. He just didn’t have a good PR department. MX Open MdfcTfanwiitt Am Society • Memort* Student Ceoter • A«t1 Unfcentty LORNA COOKE deVARON, Founder/Director March 1988 Rudder Auditorium 8:00 RM. For ticket Info. Call: 845-1234 Monday, March 21, 1988/The Battalion/Page 11 Tyson retains title by battering Tubbs TOKYO (AP) — Mike Tyson softened Tony Tubbs up with body punches, then knocked him down with a left to the head in the second round to retain the world heavyweight championship Mon day at the Tokyo Dome. After the left hook landed, Tubbs reeled into a neutral cor ner and collapsed as Tyson tried to hit him once again. One of his cornermen immediately jumped into the ring and referee Arthur Mercante stopped the fight. The end came at 2:54. Tubbs held his own in the first round with a left jab. But in the second round Tyson began land ing sledgehammer blows to the body which hurt Tubbs. Tyson also got in some good right up percuts and a couple of left hooks to the head. But it was the body shots that spelled the end for the 238'/i- ound Tubbs. He was badly hurt efore the left hook that put him down crashed into the side of his head. There appeared to be blood on a yellow towel that was used to prop up his head while he was still on the canvas. Tubbs had said before the fight he didn’t think he’d win a decision and would have to gam ble for a knockout. He never had a chance to gamble as Tyson took complete command in the second round. The fight was the second heavyweight title bout in the his tory of Japan. In (he other, George Foreman knocked out Joe “King” Roman in the first round Sept. 1, 1973. The Japanese now' have wit nessed 7 minutes, 56 seconds of heavyweight championship box ing. ' Tyson now will fight Michael Spinks on June 27 at Atlantic City, N.J., in a defense for which he is expected to make $17 mil lion to $20 million. The fight, which was televised live in the United States Sunday night bv Home Box Office, was Tyson’s first outside the United States. Defenses in several other countries are planned. Tyson, who weighed 2I6 l /4, picked up $10 million for his sev enth championship fight. Tubbs’ cut was $550,000 for bis second loss against 25 wins. Tyson’s re cord is 34-0 with 30 knockouts. The 30-year-old Tubbs, a for mer World Boxing Association champion, moved well and was accurate with his jab in the first round. He also got in some body blows, but spent most of the time circling away from Tyson’s con stant pressure. Bell unhappy, vocal playing DH for Jays From the Associated Press George Bell, the Toronto Blue Jays’ reluctant designated hitter, says he accepted the role Sunday because he faced a 30-day suspension. “A solution is coming,” he said, re fusing to expand but indicating he remains unhappy as a DH. He had an RBI single in four at- bats Sunday during the Blue Jays’ 9- 1 exhibition victory over the Pitts burgh Pirates. After two games in National League parks, it was the first time Williams could use the DH since Bell refused the role during a game last Thursday against Boston. Manager Jimy Williams sus- ended Bell for a day and fined him 1,000. Williams wants to to move Bell, last year’s American League MVP, out of left field and give the job to center fielder Lloyd Moseby, thus opening the spot in center for rook ies Rob Ducey or Silvestre Cam- pusano. “It’s a 24-man roster, it’s a team roster and a team does not revolve around one person,” Williams said. Astros 2, Twins 1 A two-run single in the ninth in ning by Rafael Ramirez gave Hous ton the victory. It followed singles by Billy Hatcher and Glenn Davis. Minnesota was limited to four hits by Mike Scott, Rocky Childress, Scott Medvin and Larry Andersen. Rangers 2, White Sox 1 Charlie Hough allowed lour hits and made no balks in six innings and Steve Kemp pinch-hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning for the Texas Rangers. In his only other exhibition start, Hough was called for nine balks in four innings. He gave up a homer to Roy Smalley. Azinger holds off Kite for Bay Hill Classic win ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Paul Az inger turned back Tom Kite with a final-round 66 Sunday for a 5-stroke victory in the Bay Hill Classic. But it wasn’t that easy. The largest winning margin of the 2 Pa-month PGA Tour season was deceptive. On three occasions — twice on the back nine — Kite closed to within a stroke of the lead. It was not until Azinger engi neered a 2-shot swing on the 14th hole that he had some breathing room. Azinger chipped in from 25-30 feet and Kite bogeyed from a bun ker, giving Azinger a four-shot lead with four holes to play. He won this one, the fourth of his career, with a 271 total, 13 shots un der par on Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club. The victory was worth $135,000 from the total purse of $750,000 and pushed Azinger’s winnings for the season to $209,025. It also brought an end to peculiar string of troubles for men who win the PC.A Player-ol-the-Year title. Az inger had that distinction last year, with three victories and $822,481 in earnings. His Bay Hill victory marked the first time since Tom Watson in 1980 that a Player of the Year had been able to win a tour event the following season. Kite, a single stroke back of Az inger going into the final round, had a closing 70 and was alone in second at 276. No one else was within nine shots of the runaway Azinger, who led or shared the lead all four rounds. FRESHMEN ... LOOKING FOR INVOLVEMENT? 1988-89 Memorial Student Center Council Assistant Program *** The MSC offers an environment for students to learn and develop leadership skills, as well as challenge you to become involved in this dy namic part of Texas A&M. *** The MSC invites you to join the 1700 other students who work to put together over 1300 pro grams yearly for the campus and community. Informations Sessions will be on March 28 in Rudder 301 at 7:00 pm and March 29 in Rudde 601 at 8:30 pm. Only One Session in Necessary Applications will be available at Orientations. Indian Fast Food 1 Naaz Kebabs 1 ▲ A Now Open! Kebab Roll Spiced 100% Ground Beef in Koti (Bread), with Salad and dressing 65 Indian Chicken Sandwich Marinated Breast of Chicken, Deep Fried, on a Bun, with Salad and tangy dressing 95 Other items available University & South College near McDonalds Drive Thru • Walk-up • Outdoor Seating free" DRINKS with this ad Valid thru March 31, Notes -N- Quotes 846-2255 112 Nagle St. FREE PARKING Lasing Printing - Typing Services Word Processing* Resumes *Thesis Disertations*Research Papers* Flyers Printing From Any IBM or Compatible PC-DOS»MS-DOS»5 l /4 or 3 Vz Disks on HP Laser Jet Printing Styles Available Courier Times ROMAN BOLD Courier BOLD Times ROMAN Italic Times ROMAN Proportional Helvetica BOLD UT j:;: iVij iV-ij (# i:; L-T V: FT: Vjjj M f i!‘.» A : iv. V,xy ($r Y.u* M: M •’v* y. • :• 5th Annual Spring PLANT FAIR Seminars on Displays by Plant Sales Texas Wildflowers Pecan Grafting Roses Tissue Culture Fruit Trees Pruning and more Brazos Vally Orchid Club African Violet Club and others Ornamentals African Violets Orchids Roses Pecans Blackberries Bedding Plants all 6 pks 75« March 26th 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Horticulture/Forestry Bldg. (west campus) M'J • iT m rW w It M:) ij';f ■M) i ■, > S) ’•.'•A TV c'.'t '.i.'A ■ffj <ir> . | ;:i* IhI N:) !£ , i jii*; fK) iii] £>) :;:i| H#) ::: i’ £3