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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 21, 1988)
< 4 e State/Local The Battalion Monday, Nov. 21, 1988 Page 3 i • ^herrill gets supporters’ vote of confidence By Hal L. Hammons Sports Editor and Fiona Soltes Staff Writer Jackie Sherrill got multiple votes if confidence from Texas A&M offi- ials and supporters this weekend as he turmoil surrounding the coach and ormer A&M player George Smith ontinued to boil. In a report in Friday’s edition of he Dallas Morning News, Smith said le had received “hush money” from ’oach Sherrill concerning recent re- ruitment violations, including one iSOO shipment four days after the CAA placed A&M on probation. Smith retracted his allegations Satur- iay at a press conference, saying he nade the story up to promote a book le was preparing with News reporter Doug Bedell. Lane Stephenson, director of A&M’s Office of Public Information, said after the press conference that A&M’s investigation of the situation is still in progress. David Eller, chairman of the Re gents, said Saturday he was com pletely in support the head coach and athletic director. “I am definitely backing Sherrill,” Eller said. “I’m not only backing him, I’m behind him 100 percent. “A&M is built on the support of your fellow man and your team. Be sides, he has done so much for Texas A&M.” At the regularly scheduled Board meeting Sunday, Eller said, “I think Sherrill has done more for A&M, through the 12th Man, than any other person in athletics. I feel confident that Jackie has done an outstanding job. I never doubted that for a sec ond. “There are always going to be overzealous alumni and they make it difficult not to have any violations. “Jackie Sherrill’s job — in my opinion and the Board’s opinion — was never in jeopardy and certainly is not in jeopardy now. Unless some thing new is brought out, I consider it a closed issue.” Eller said George Smith’s com ments at Saturday’s press conference were enough for the University. “The investigation is finished as far as George Smith is concerned,” he said. Regent William McKenzie agreed with Eller’s endorsement of Sherrill. “I don’t know much about what’s happened,” McKenzie said. “But I am very supportive of Sherrill. I’d have to say he is one of the finest men to ever set foot on this campus.” A&M student body President Jay Hays said he wasn’t as sure. “Obviously Sherrill has been here at A&M during some controversial times and he’s had to deal with them,” Hays said. “Whether or not he’s responsible I’m not in a position to say. “I know Dr. Mobley and the Uni versity are taking steps to fix the problem. Sherrill could be a very im portant part of the solution if he would try to be.” There was no doubt about the feel ings of the A&M alumni contacted. The crowd around the Aggie Die- hards’ bus at the Texas A&M-Texas Christian football game was full of vocal supporters of Sherrill and the A&M football program. “We’re behind the school, we’re behind the coach, we’re behind the whole program,” said Dean Carlton, Class of ’49. “Everybody here (at the bus) is in support of Jackie Sherrill and the school,” he said. “(Even if we’re guilty) we will support this school and every institution at this school.” Everyone who spoke blamed poor reporting techniques for the furor. “The fact of the matter is, it was sloppy journalism,” Carlton said. Particular blame was leveled at The Battalion for reporting the story in the way it did. Carlton said, “What I want to know is why somebody at the school paper is not in favor of the school. “The best thing hopefully we can get out of this is get rid of The Battal ion and get another paper.” Bill Price, Class of ’51, implored journalists on the story to stop print ing unsubstantiated rumors. “Be like Mr. Friday — just the facts,” Price said. Price suggested that the News had held back the story to try to nail A&M with two investigations instead of getting it over with one. “These guys have wanted a field day with us for years,” Price said. “When they got us the first time I told my wife, ‘There’s another shoe coming,’ ” he said. “Is this the other shoe?” Price said he was willing to take punishment from the NCAA, how ever, if the charges proved substan tiated. “A&M’s always been fair,” he said. “If we take a whipping we’ll take a whipping. We always have.” Allegations, investigations continue to plague A&M football program By Richard Williams City Editor The following is a compilation of the ent events involving the allegations of ilations of NCAA rules by the Texas football team. The Texas A&M football team came derfire in 1985 when newspapers pub- i d allegations that A&M was guilty reaking NCAA regulations govem- tiefootball team. le allegations were investigated by University and the NCAA. A&M arded its report to the NCAA. This rt included some self-reported viola- that had not been reported earlier, n Sept. 13 the NCAA Committee on ictions met with University represen es to consider A&M’s response to negations. s a result of the findings released . 9, the Aggie football team was ed on a two-year probation, was bar- from post-season appearance this on and lost five scholarships for the iX'iui iviui«jj.g9 sc hool year, re plMlI During this press conference President ley ball alilBilliam H. Mobley announced that both he and Head Coach Jackie Sherrill had been placed on administrative probation. It was during this press conference that Sherrill said, “If Jackie Sherrill does something wrong, Jackie Sherrill will leave. This institution comes first.” The NCAA gave Mobley credit for taking control of the program. The report states: “After he (Mobley) took office, the University began taking actions that were designed to gain con trol over the University’s athletics pro gram in general and its football program in particular. The committee believes that President Mobley’s actions provide a basis for mitigating the penalties in the case. Absent President Mobley’s ac tions, the penalties imposed on the Uni versity’s football program would have been more severe.” On Nov. 18 the Dallas Morning News, in a copyrighted article, quoted former A&M fullback George Smith as saying he recieved cash payments as “hush money” from Sherrill. The article also quoted Smith as say ing he recieved a $500 payment on Sept. 13; four days after the NCAA report was made public. The story contained a quote from Rob ert Smith, A&M’s compliance director and vice president for finance and ad ministration, that said Sherrill did not deny making the payments, but that Sherrill had said he was coerced into making them. Mobley later said he believed that Robert Smith may have been misquoted. “I think there may be a slight misquote about that statement,” Mobley said. “You need to further direct your question to Robert Smith. I think there is some concern whether the ‘not’ was left out of that sentence.” The Battalion has not been able to ask Robert Smith about the possibility of a misquote. The News has said the quote is correct. At 1:30 a.m. Friday The Battalion re cieved a story about the article from the Associated Press newswire. From ap proximately 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. Friday The Battalion attempted to interview Mob ley, Sherrill, Robert Smith, vice presi dent for finance and administration, and A&M football players for an article to run in that day’s edition. None of the members of the administration The Bat talion sought to interview could be reached for comment. The football play ers interviewed refused to comment ex cept to say they first heard about the alle gations through radio reports. The Battalion’s Friday edition con tained two editorials about the allega tions. One editorial said that if the alle gations were true Sherrill and anyone associated with the violations should re sign or be fired. The second editorial said the football program deserved the “death penalty” if the allegations were true. The Battalion received several phone calls Friday afternoon that Sherrill was going to hold a press conference at 3 p.m. to resign as head coach. At approximately 3 p.m. Lane Ste phenson, director of A&M’s Office ol Public Information, said a press confer ence was not going to be held at 3 p.m. Stephenson said his office had also re ceived reports of the rumors, but he said he had not been informed that Sherrill would resign. Stephenson and an official with A&M’s Sports Information Office said they could not confirm that Sherrill would be with the team at the next day’s Aggie football game. At approximately 4:30 p.m. Mobley held a press conference. During the press conference Mobley said the University had already begun an investigation into the matter. He also said A&M wanted to complete the investigation as soon as possible. “It is of high importance for the insti tution, high importance to all the individ uals involved,” he said. “We have no in terest in a high level of ambiguity for any period of time.” The article said George Smith was try ing to change his story before the article was printed. During his press conference Mobley said the A&M investigation would try and determine if what Smith told the News or Robert Smith was the truth. Mobley said George Smith had earlier called Robert Smith to report that everything he told the News was not true. Mobley said A&M was “in contact” with George Smith. During the press conference Mobley said A&M officials were worried about the impact of the allegations. “We are concerned about the integrity of the institutions,” he said. “We are concerned about our probationary status and we are concerned about the individu als involved.” A statement from Sherrill, released at approximately 5:45 p.m., said Sherrill was still in charge of the athletic program and would return to coach the team for the upcoming game against the Univer sity of Texas. On Saturday A&M defeated Texas Christian University 18-0. R.C. Slocum was acting head coach for the game. Saturday A&M held a press confer ence which started at 6 p.m. During the press conference Smith, reading a pre pared statement, said he did not tell the truth during the interviews with the re porters. The News reported in the article that Smith had signed an affadavit stating that everything he would tell the reporter was true. Members of the Board of Regents have said they still support Sherrill. David Eller, chairman of the Board, said the regents believe Smith’s statements during the Saturday night press conference and Smith will not be questioned again. receivers :all o -y (col, rrill’s 1 fou’ll ha« the sa® channel l( s definite! or journt • editorial lo $100 $100 $100 $100 $100 $100 $100 $100 $100 $100 $100 $100 $100 $100 $100 $100 IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME STUDY Wanted: Symptomatic patients with physician diagnosed Irritable Bowel Syndrome to participate in a short study. $100 incentive for those chosen to participate. $100 $100 $100 $100 $100 $100 $100 $100 $100 $100 $100 $100 $100 $100 who is re M’s mone( ves? ith a net ;ory of this m. dia shook orint ne»i rship. On .re Aggie* ificance I® ay in prin 1 ’ times vet ire a net^ giving o»[ st like an' Sports I# 1 wt outre m throngl 1 m outre - good<> [ don’t t $40 $40 $40 $40 $40 $40 $40 $40 $40 $40 $40 $40 $40 Are you suffering from a $40 » TENSION HEADACHE?? 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