Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 10, 1988)
Wednesday, August 10, 1988/The Battalion/Page 5 Sports ilers trade superstar Gretzky 3 p.m. —— EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) —Wayne Gretzky, the greatest hockey player of his time, was traded to the Los Angeles Kings by the Ed monton Oilers in one of the biggest deals in sports history. The blockbuster trade involved four other players, three First-round draft choices and more than $ 10 million. Gretzky, who requested the trade, leaves a city that — among sports fans, at least — has become virtually synonymous with his name and jersey number, 99. “I felt I was still young enough and capable enough to help a new franchise win the Stanley Cup,” Gretzky told a jam-packed news confer ence. He also said he wanted the trade for personal reasons, “for the benefit of Wayne Gretzky, my new wife and our expected child in the new year.” Then, Gretzky was overcome with emotion. “There comes a time when . . he said before pausing. He rubbed bleary eyes in an effort to re gain his composure, but then seemed to give up. Without continuing, he stood up and walked away from the microphones. Oilers’ president Glen Sather said in a shaky voice he hated to trade Gretzky but that it was a good deal “for Wayne, the Oilers and the Na tional Hockey League.” Traded with Gretzky were forward Mike Krushelnyski and forward-defenseman Marty McSorley. Sent to Edmonton were center Jimmy Carson, who at 19 last season set league records for an U.S.-born player with 55 goals and 107 points; left wing Martin Gelinas, who was the Kings’ first-round draft pick in June; three No. 1 draft picks, to be dispensed every other year starting next year. Kings owner Bruce McNall told the Los An geles Herald Examiner that the Oilers also got “in excess of % 10 million.” Gretzky led the Oilers to four Stanley Cup championships in the last five years and holds or shares 49 NHL scoring records. He married actress Janet Jones on July 16, inspiring reports that he was interested in mov ing to California. “Wayne approached me and asked to be traded to the Los Angeles Kings,” Oilers owner Peter Pocklington said. Gretzky said Jones did not ask him to seek a trade. “It’s my own gut feeling,” he said. Oiler fans reacted swiftly to news of the trade. Callers jammed the 21 telephone lines at the team offices, some threatening to cancel season tickets. Until last season, when eye and knee injuries cost him 16 games, the 27-year-old Gretzky won eight consecutive Hart Trophies as the NHL’s Most Valuable Player and seven consecutive Art Ross Trophies as the league’s scoring champion. Still, he had 40 goals and 109 assists to finish second in scoring behind the Pittsburgh Pen guins’ Mario Lemieux, then won his second Conn Smythe Trophy as playoffs MVP when the Oilers swept the Boston Bruins in the Stanley Cup finals. Gretzky holds the NHL record for most goals (92), assists (163) and points (215) in a season. He is also the all-time assist leader with 1,086 and is within 218 goals and 181 points of becoming the record-holder in those categories. Gordie Howe, the all-time top point producer, took 26 seasons to amass 1,850 points. Gretzky is on a pace to surpass that total in his 10th season. Gretzky has been the subject of trade rumors almost annually. Pocklington has often been re ported willing to sell him to a U.S. team for mil lions of dollars. Until recently, Gretzky had said he wanted to play only two or three more seasons. But prior to the marriage, he suggested he might play longer. He was making $900,000 a year in Canadian money, but now must be paid the same amount in U.S. funds, nearly a 20 percent increase. That would put him at $1.08 million. Campbell in hospital suffering chest pains HOUSTON (AP) — The pain shooting through Earl Campbell’s body did something no football opponent ever was able to do in the years when the running back bulled his way to a Heisman Tro phy while at the University of Texas and All-Pro honors with the Houston Oilers. Campbell was frightened. The pain awakened him Satur day and he could not go back to sleep. “I was sitting on the couch and came back to the bedroom and I started crying,” Campbell said Tuesday from his room at Hous ton’s St. Luke’s Hospital. “I was gasping for breath. “I told my wife, ‘Call a bunch of ambulances.’ Two of them showed up and I jumped in. Ev- erytime I see one of those now I’m going to pull off my hat.” Campbell, 33, said he has been subjected to a number of tread mill and stress tests and doctors have found no serious heart problems. He said it was uncer tain when he would be released. Doctors say Campbell, who has been commuting regularly from Houston to Austin and had hoped to move permanently to Austin on Wednesday, may be suffering from exhaustion or anxiety attacks. “Was I scared? Hell yes I was scared,” Campbell said. “The only time I ever came to the doc tor before was when he said turn your head this way and cough. “Once I get out, they told me I’ve got to change a few things.“I’m going to eat just so many calories — and broccoli.” Campbell won the 1977 Heis man Trophy and played for the Oilers after being the first player selected in the 1978 draft. He’s the Oilers’ all-time leader in rushing and touchdowns. He now works as an assistant to the president at UT. UH Cougars look to add defense to potent offense HOUSTON (AP) —The Houston Cougars’ offense had trouble scor ing more points than their defense could give up last season. “We need our biggest im provement on defense,” Coach Jack Pardee said. “That’s our weakness.” The Cougars lit up scoreboards from Wyoming to Texas with their run-and-shoot offense last season en route to a 4-6-1 record. But the defense ranked last in the conference in pass defense and next to last in total defense. The Cougars’ defense returns seven starters, including cornerback Johnny Jackson, who set an NCAA single game record with three inter ception returns for touchdowns. He gained 181 yards on those re turns for another national record and led the SWC with eight intercep tions and 218 return yards. “He’s done things that no other college football player has done,” Pardee said. “If he plays to the level of last year, he would be an All-American.” Pardee expects the ’88 Cougars to pick up where the ’87 team left off. “We lost four games that one more good play we could have won,” Pardee said. “So we’re right there.” The Cougars were 3-0-1 in their last four games of the season. They started their late-season surge with a 60-40 victory over the Texas Longhorns, beat Temple, tied Texas Tech and beat Rice. The run-and-shoot offense is back and Pardee thinks this season will produce even more spectacular of fensive fireworks. “We’ve just scratched the surface of what we can do,” Pardee said. “The second time around we really think we’re capable of competing with anyone we play.” Pardee has the offensive weapons to make the plays starting with wide receiver Jason Phillips, who led the nation with 99 receptions last season. Phillips’ 99 catches was a league one-year record and his 15 catches against Texas Christian equaled the one-game SWC record. David Dacus took over as the quarterback after freshman Andre Ware broke his arm in the fifth game of the season and rewrote sev eral Houston passing records. Dacus set SWC single game re cords with 442 yards of total offense and 450 passing yards. “Now that our quarterbacks know what we’re doing, we should pro gress faster this year than we did last year,” Pardee said. The Cougars’ running game must become more of a threat to keep teams from playing only against the pass, Pardee said. “Our running game last year was horrible,” Pardee said. “We’re not going to live by the run. If they’re going to play us pass defense, we’ve got to make them respect our run ning game.” Kimball Anders, the team’s lead ing rusher last year with 841 yards, was also the second-leading receiver with 61 catches. 1/2 Off Your Prescription Lenses With Any Marchon Frame! SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE For complete optical service, visit the newest EyeMasters at Post Oak Mall! • Choose from thousands of Frames • In-Store Laboratory for Prompt Service • 21 Quality Checks on Your New Glasses • Custom Personalized Fitting and Color Analysis • Lifetime Care Commitment - Minor Repairs and Adjustments are Always Free! And, during our Grand Opening save with 1/2 off your prescription lenses when you choose a great Contact Lenses Only Quality Name Brands (Bausch & Lomb, Ciba, Barnes-Hinds-Hydrocurve) 7ft 00 POST OAK MALL 1500 Harvey Rd. at Highway 30 693-8680 looking frame from Marchon. . The hottest collection around! Hurry in - Offer ends September 10, 1988. EyeMasters No other offer applies. Doctor’s prescription required. Lens tints, coats and options extra. US —I < </) LU 55 59 TO LU < </> LU < if) LU < (/) LU -l < m y CHARLES C. SCHROEPPEL, O.D., P.C. < DOCTOR OF OPTOMETRY $99 00 $ 99 00 pr. *-STD. DAILY WEAR SOFT LENSES pr. *-STD. EXTENDED WEAR SOFT LENSES pr. *-STD. TINTED SOFT LENSES DAILY WEAR OR EXTENDED WEAR LIMITED TIME OFFER SALE ENDS SEPT. 9, 1988 SAME DAY DELIVERY ON MOST LENSES in > r~ m cn > i— m c/> > i— m (/) > r~ m if) > Call 696-3754 For Appointment cn LU < in Eye exam & care kit not included 707 South Texas Ave., Suite 101D College Station, Texas 77840 1 block South of Texas & University m SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE