Wednesday 21, 1988/The Battalion/Page 9
Sports
Batiste, attention mix well
Profile of the Week
Dana Batiste
By Hal L. Hammons
Sports Editor
There’s no mystery about Dana Batiste.
He walked into Tuesday’s press conf erence
Iat Cain Hall Dining Hall just like he belonged
I— like he was talking sports with some old
| buddies at the Dixie Chicken.
Truth to tell, he has gotten to know the
Texas sports writers fairly well. He’s the
[hands-down favorite interview on the Texas
A&M football team. And so it would figure
that he would get to know them pretty well.
It was Batiste who had the biggest crowd of
[all the players during the NCAA press con
ference a couple of weeks ago. It is Batiste
who will talk when few' others will. Need a
good sports feature? Go talk to Dana.
As was pointed out in the interview Tues-
I day, it is “The Blitz Brothers” who usually get
all the hype. It is John Roper and Aaron Wal
lace who opposing coaches say they have to
| structure their offensive attack around.
But it’s Batiste who leads the team in
[tackles. In fact, he has almost as many as
Roper and Wallace combined.
Maybe it has something to do with playing
[on the inside. You can run away from John
Dana Batiste (48) wraps up LSU tailback Slip
Roper fairly easily. Just put two or three
blockers on him and run a toss sweep to the
opposite side.
But you can’t run away from Batiste. Not
and still keep the ball in bounds.
Photo by Dean Saito
Watkins for one of his team-leading 27 tackles.
And similarly, he doesn’t run away from
anyone else. And at Texas A&M, that’s espe
cially welcome. Remember, it was here that a
See Batiste, page 12
OSU talented trio
taxes Aq defense
Texas A&M’s unexpected open
week helped heal some of the
wounded, but otherwise the team
did not benefit from the w'eekend
off, Head Coach Jackie Sherrill said
at his weekly media luncheon at Cain
Hall Tuesday.
While the return of running back
Darren Lewis and split end Rod
Harris should help the struggling
A&M offense, the week off caused
by the cancellation of the Alabama
game may have hurt the Aggies.
“With one open week usually you
can survive that,” Sherrill said.
“When you have two weeks open in a
row it becomes very tough.
“You’re very reluctant to scrim
mage because you certainly don’t
want to lose a player, but, conse
quently, you’re not going full speed
in a lot of things you have to go full
speed at in the game.”
Sherrill said the Aggies lost a
chance to get some game experience
for younger players and are having a
tough time keeping team morale up.
“It seems like we’ve had three
spring practices in a row and now
we’re just getting to our season,”
Sherill said.
A&M-OSU
to air locally
for $20 fee
People who would like to see
the Texas A&M-Oklahoma State
game but don’t want to drive to
Stillwater, Okla. can watch the
game on television — for a price.
Cooke CableVision will pro
vide a live feed from Home
Sports Entertainment on a pay-
per-view basis.
The game will cost viewers $20
if they notify Cooke CableVision
before 6 p.m. Thursday. The
charge is $25 after that time.
For more information about
the telecast, call Cooke at 846-
2229.
Inside linebacker Dana Batiste,
A&M’s leading tackier, echoed Sher
rill’s as he said the team is angry
See Sherrill, page 12
ow do sporting imports make it in America?
tw
Welcome to this
peeks look at the
■weird world of un-
American sports.
t! B'he topic: Tennis
I and golf.
I I don’t want to be
■osed minded, but
how did these
Jsports get so
i popular?
R Golf as a Scottish
Bnport sport has
• I somehow taken
^■ver acres and
ItpHcres of choice
■razing land in the
Jerry
Bolz
Sports viewpoint
,S. I’ve played golf once, but thinking
back on the experience, I was kind of lost.
Only Europeans could thouroughlv
# MSC TOWN HALL
PRESENTS
enjoy dominating a small white ball around
a large, finely cultivated expanse and
“putting” it into a cup. That sounds as
American as drinking hot tea on a hot
Texas afternoon.
Somehow, though, golf entered the
United States — somewhat like fireants are
doing now. Some Americansjust didn’t
fully understand that we beat the English in
the war and are free to participate in our
own pastimes now.
Something in some Americans, though,
wants to hold onto the haughtiness of the
European spirit on the weekends and
Wednesdays (doctors), while being natives
the rest of the time.
Besides that, golf is confusing. Have you
ever tried to explain golf to a small
American boy.
“You walk around all day, carrying this
big bag, swinging at a little ball and trying to
get the lowest score.” It just doesn’t work
well in an Americans mind to win with the
lowest score. Even small children know that
you have to have the highest score to win in
games.
Another thing about golf is the clothing.
There’s no uniform. Athletes in slacks and
preppy shirts just don’t seem real sportsy.
The clincher, though, is seeing a male
golfer wearing knickers and one of those
convertible-driver’s hats. That’s when I
know the European thing has gone too far.
When I was growing up, my Dad used to
watch golf on the weekends. I’m pretty sure
that’s how he learned to go to sleep in what
he estimates as seven seconds.
The poor man. It has grown to be such a
pattern that now he can even be caught
resting his eyes through a Yankee or a
Steeler game, his favorite teams.
Tennis is also gaining acceptance as a
big-time sport. It has long been a weekend
sport for many Americans. And, although
golf is more stately than tennis, the sport
seems to also attract an elite group of
participants and fans.
Although tennis players generally sweat,
they can’t really be compared to a hockey or
basketball player. Tennis players, especially
professionals, are great athletes. They have
a great amount of agility, good
conditioning, and lots of stamina.
But tennis doesn’t allow the athlete to
really let go. They’re caged-up on a tiny
court and can only hit the ball so far. What
would Jose Canseco do if he was told he
could only hit the ball in the infield?
But it’s the tennis fan that really is
confused.
The mentality of tennis is related to that
of golf. I’m sure it has something to do w'ith
the large European roots.
Fans pay outrageous prices to go
crosseyed watching a fluorescent green ball
being slammed back and forth. While at a
match, fans dine on extravagant dishes at
more extravagant prices.
Only at a tennis match would you see
fans eating strawberries and cream. Who
forgot to order the hot dogs and mustard?
Scoring in tennis is a little strange too.
The guy with no points is love. Love
suddenly turns to 15 when one point is
scored. Fifteen goes to 30 with another
point, so logically, three points would make
45. Unfortunately, that’s not how it goes.
One good thing has come from tennis,
though. Shoe*
lit'
TUESDAY OCTOBER 25.1988
G. Rollie White Coliseum
8:00 P.M.
TiCKETS GO ON SALE SEPT. 24
Tickets are available at the MSC Box Office
& Dillards in the Post Oak Mall
a For more Information call 845-1234 - Tickets are $14.00
MACINTOSH
- YOUR TICKET TO -
. SUCCESS
As easy as 1,2,3!
Step 1: (Optional) Interested in learning more about Macin
tosh? Contact the Micro Computer Center at 845-
4081 for information about free introduction classes
or visit the MCC on the first floor of the Memorial
Student Center.
Step 2: Order your Macintosh at the MCC. Stop by and
place your order before September 16. Tell us what
Macintosh Plus, SE, or II that you want. ($50 deposit
required)
Step 3: Pick up your Macintosh in room 214 in the Memorial
Student Center on October 3 or 4.
A&M "Ticket to Success" Sale Savings
RESERVE YOUR MACINTOSH BEFORE
SEPTEMBER 22,1988 TO GUARANTEE DELIVERY ON
OCTOBER 3RD AND 4TH
MACINTOSH PLUS
MICRO CENTER
REGULAR PRICE
SALE PRICE
$1192.00
$1135.00
1916.00
1848.00
2443.00
2359.00
2484.00
2385.00
3539.00
3417.00
456.00
440.00
.1908.00
1813.00
Apple Student Loan Program
Apple now is offering a student loan program to help full
time students purchase a computer. Call or come by the
Micro Computer Center for details.
Introduction to Macintosh classes
Introduction to Macintosh classes will be held in room
024 in the MSC at the following times:
Date
Tint?
9/22
9:00 -10-30
9/26
9:00-1050
9/29
9:00 -1050
M icroComputerCenter
Computer Sales and Supplies
In the Memorial Student Center
At the entrance to the Texas A&M Bookstore
Monday - Friday 7:45 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
(409) 845-4081