Page 8
The Battalion
Friday, December 2,1988
And now a little bedtime story
about days of Texas’ old glory
Well the end has Finally come. I suppose it’s
appropriate that my last column as sports editor
should run the last day of my tenure — and the
day after the Aggie football season finally wound
down.
Choosing a final column topic was difficult.
There’s so much that hasn’t been said.
I haven’t explained why I think Shelby Metcalf
should be replaced as Texas A&M’s head
basketball coach. I haven’t said how much I’ve
regretted not getting to cover women’s basketball
or volleyball in my tour of duty at The Battalion.
/ never blasted Mike Tyson, Brian Bosworth or
Rod Dockery.
But a choice must be made. And considering
how so many Battalion readers think we printed
a bunch of lies concerning a certain head football
coach and athletic director, I suppose it’s
appropriate, just for once, to indulge in the
world of fiction.
It’s getting late, too. The paper isn’t going to
be ready to go to press until about 1 or 2 in the
morning, (That’s went to press for you readers, I
suppose.) And Tm sure you’re just as sleepy as I
am.
So gather ’round, children, as the sun sets
upon this once-glorious state, and I’ll tell you a
bedtime story. . . .
Once upon a time there was a greeeaaat big
place called Texas, and it was just chock-full of
neat stuff. The people were friendly, the weather
was moderate, and folks just kinda lived their
own little lives without botherin’ other people a
whole lot — ’cept for a little braggin’ now and
then.
But one thing set this place apart from all
other places.
You see, the inhabitants of this little paradise
were, well, not quite right in the head all 12
months of the year. And as September grew near
and the leaves began to turn, the natives started
to get restless.
And when they got restless; they started
runnin’ over folks.
The local farmers got into the action some,
Q
Hal
Hammons
Sports Editor
and when they did they were baaaaad news. Even
worse news for anybody who wanted to run over
them. You never woulda thought agricultural or
mechanical types could be so vicious.
And they were not the only ones, by any
stretch. There were rampaging herds of wild
horses that centered up north near the
panhandle. Some rangy mountain lions from
down on the coast were usually tough to cage —
and pretty much impossible to tame. And there
was a clan of bears just to the west of here that,
when it wasn’t time to hibernate, could cause a
mess of trouble.
And if you went back far enough you’d find a
time when even coastal night fowl and northern
amphibians were a force with which to be
reckoned. Strange, I know, but true nonetheless.
But the main death-and-destruction types
were from a little town to the south and west.
You never would’ve thought cattle could cause
such a ruckus. You see them grazing in a pasture
or something and you think, “Low brain-wattage
types here.” But it seems that certain pastures
were different.
Because when they’d stampede into Dallas,
Fort Worth, Houston, Waco, Lubbock, or even
here in College Station, they were usually
unstoppable.
And when they were in their home territory —
shoot, seems like not even an Indiana Irishman
could stop ’em.
But then things started to change. And not for
the better.
’Course, the birds and toads were the first to
kick off. No one was too surprised at that — they
just couldn’t evolve at the same pace as the
others. The toads keep showing signs of
significance, but it always seems to amount to
nothing. Oh well ...
The big turnaround happened one year when
a blight from Kansas came down and wiped out
the herd of horses. They’d proven succeptible to
it, and in fact they were still reeling from the last
battle they’d had with it. The second shot put ’em
away. Nobody’s seen so much as a single pony
since.
The bears, apparently, have just stayed asleep
for the last couple of years. At least, that’s what
I’m told. They certainly haven’t caused any
trouble lately.
.Actually it’s been the farmers who’ve been
pushing people around lately. After a few years
of mediocre,yields, they’ve been reaping some
hefty cotton harvests recently.
But unfortunately, they got hit by the blight
too. That and some angry hogs wiped this year’s
crop out, and it looks like the pickings will be slim
for some time.
The gulf-coast cats looked like they might be
able to reek enough havoc to make up the
difference, but it looks like the plague is
spreading east.
West, too. The cattle are looking purty sickly
already, and just not from the blight.
It don’t look too promising for the future.
Someone’s gonna have to breed a new strain —
one that’s resistant to this kind of disease.
Trouble is, no one seems too concerned with the
problem — they’re just trying to water down the
results. Trying to keep the dying horses out in
the field long enough for one more harvest.
But don’t cry. You’re forgetting, it’sjust a
story. Now, if this were real, well it’d be purty
depressing. ’Nuff to make you want to watch . . .
basketball or something.
But anyway, I hope you liked it, ’cause it s tirne
for bed. And that’s the last page of the story.
The end.
If Sherrill’s leaving,
get an outside man
Jackie Sherrill hasn’t even left
Texas A&M yet — despite what
you might have heard from news
reportslately. But already rumors
are starting to lly about his suc
cessor — or successors.
Most of the speculation seems
to be centering around the head
coaching aspect of Sherrill’s job.
Either people are assuming the
jobs will stay under one man or,
more likely, they are thinking the
new athletic director would be
separate from the coach and
therefore uninteresting. I am of
the second persuasion.
Most of the rumors seem to be
centered around University of
Houston Head Coach Jack Par
dee. He’s certainly got the cre
dentials: NFL and USFL experi
ence, college experience, proven
winner, proven program-builder.
And most importantly, rumor
has it, still fiercely loyal to Texas
A&M. After all, it’s not easy to
dissociate yourself completely
from the school where you were
an All-American.
Whoever isn’t on the Pardee
bandwagon seems to be support
ing Defensive Coordinator R.C.
Slocum for the job. And again,
that would make sense.
Slocum interacts well with the
media, can obviously coach with
the best of them, and would make
the transition from coach to
coach as easy as could be ex
pected. Not to mention the fact
that Sherrill placed enough faith
in Slocum to appoint him as his
replacement against TCU.
But paradoxically, the very
reasons that make the two men so
qualified for the job make them
the very men who would be abso
lutely the worst for it.
If Sherrill quits or is f ired after
the recent turmoil, it will leave an
Hal L. Hammons
Analysis
impression in the minds of peo
ple across the country that’s even
worse than the one they have
now. Proven guilty once, his leav
ing would imply his guilt again.
And hiring someone else to
come in and fix the situation will
look bad if the Board of Regents
hires a “good Ag” — no matter
how qualified he might be.
I have no question about Slo
cum’s coaching ability, and I
imagine he will make a fine head
coach one day. But if he stays at
A&M, there will always be people
wondering if he was part of the
wrongdoing of Sherrill’s adminis
tration.
Pardee is doing a fine job at
Houston, and I’m happy for him.
But he’s a “good of boy.” And
Texas A&M doesn’t need a head
coach that’s chummy with the big
bosses.
It needs a coach that will never
be accused of being a “yes-man”
to men who have stood behind
Sherrill staunchly throughout all
the controversy of the last few
years.
Who then? Well, I’m not
counting on being on any kind of
consultation committee when and
if Sherrill vacates his jobs, but I
think the obvious man for the job
is Earl Bruce, the man whose
Ohio State Buckeyes beat the Ag
gies two years ago in the Cotton
Bowl.
Bruce is a proven winner,
there are no questions about his
integrity, and there’s little doubt
he could be hired away from
Northern Iowa, where he is now.
And best of all, he has no con
nections with Texas A&M.
Curry’s job safe
at Bama until ’92
From Staff and Wire Reports
Head Coach Bill Curry is safe at
Alabama until at least 1992.
He got a concrete vote of confi
dence for the remaining three years
of his contract before Thursday
night’s regular season college foot
ball finale against Texas A&M Uni
versity.
Alabama officials were so con
cerned with rumors about Curry’s
job, they called a press conference to
deal with them nine hours before
kickoff.
After the Crimson Tide’s 30-10
victory in Thursday night’s “Hurri
cane Bowl” Curry has a 15-8 record
in two years at Alabama and this
year’s team is 8-3 but some Crimson
Tide alumni haven’t been satisfied.
“His contract is not for sale,” said
Dr. Roger Sayers, Alabama’s interim
president.
There were rumors that Curry
would be fired after Alabama’s Sun
Bowl game Dec. 24 against Army.
“Bill Curry will be our football
coach tomorrow, next week, next
month, next year and at least the
next three years,”.Sayers said.
Sayers said ESPN’s report last
week that an influential group of
alumni had banded together to buy
out Curry’s contract was incorrect.
“That is absurd,” Sayers said. “I
hope that any alumni group with $2
million to spend on Alabama will
contact me at their earliest conve
nience because I have in mind seve
ral outstanding academic pro
grams.”
Sayers said Curry’s ethical behav
ior was a “first priority” of the ad
ministration and he said the school
also is “pleased with his leadership.”
He said Alabama’s definition of
football success was a winning pro
gram and one in which it “chal
lenged for conference and national
honors and does so with integrity.”
Sayers praised Curry for this sea-
£
CRIMSON TIDE
son, saying he lost two great players
to injury yet kept the team compet
itive.
“When a group of players can ad
vance this far during adverse cir
cumstances someone is molding real
leadership and Character,” Sayers
said.
“That is the kind of person we
want in charge of our program.”
Red Blount, president pro-tem of
the board of trustees, said, “I’m here
to reinforce what Dr. Sayers said
about our football program.
“Let me repeat Billy Curry is our
football coach and he will be our
football coach for at least three years
and I hope longer. His contract is
not for sale. In the words of a recent
candidate for president: Read my
lips.”
Blount said, “One of our trustees
has been rumored to be a part of
buying out coach Curry’s contract.
This rumor like all the others is com
pletely without foundation.”
One of those rumors had Texas
A&M coach Jackie Sherrill reseign-
ing after Thursday night’s game and
assuming the head coaching position
at Alabama, his alma mater.
Curry, a Georgia Tech graduate,
has an overall coaching record of 46-
51-4. He was head coach at Georgia
Tech from 1980-1986 and recorded
a mark of 31-43-4.
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12th Man Scoreboard h
Aggie fencers gig opponents in qualifie
The Texas A&M Fencing Club
produced qualifiers for the Ju
nior Olympics after a successful
competition in Port Aransas last
weekend.
Greg Dillworth and Kevin
Hawkins both took first place ti
tles, while Leslie Brown placed
third in the women’s division.
The students will compete in the
National Junior Olympics in Col
orado Springs, Colorado, in
March.
A&M hosts the NCAA fencing
tournament in January. The Ag
gies currently hold second place
among Texas schools and hopeto
capture the first place tide from
the University of Texas. Rice,In-
lane, Southwest Texas State, and
the University of North Texasare
among the schools invited to the
tournament.
Judo team closes fall season in Dallas
Texas A&M’s Judo Club trav
eled north last weekend to com
pete in the Dallas Champion
ships.
Teams from the University of
Texas and Arkansas as well as
clubs from Florida, Colorado,
Louisiana and others around
Texas competed. The Aggies had
an off-week, finishing near the
bottom of the 20-25 team field.
John Hughes took third in the
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men’s novice 215-pound and
heavyweight divisions. David
Schmidt also came in third in the
novice 185-pound division.
Another notable performance
was Bob Perez’s fourth place in
the 132-pound class.
The tournament marked the
last for the judo Club this fall but
thev " ill resume action |an.2l.
Coming Attractions
A&M swim team travels to Tuscaloosa
The Texas A&M swimming
team splits up squads this week
end to compete in two tourna
ments.
After a two-week layoff, part of
the team will travel to Tuscaloosa,
Ala., to swim against teams from
Iowa, Arizona, Clemson, Florida,
Southern Illinois, Indiana and
Alabama, the host team.
The rest of the team goes to
Fort Wort for the Texas Christian
Invitational to face teams from
Texas, Rice, Oral Roberts, Drury
College and TCU.
Swimmers in Alabama get un-
derway today at 11 a.m. and con
tinue through Sunday while those
in Fort Worth compete only Fri
d.iv and Saturday.
Aggie coaches are hoping for
some of their swimmers in Ala
bama to meet NCAA qualifying
standards. Swimmers considered
favorites to do so are Mike Va
rozza and Ernie Vela for the men,
and Susan Habermas, Laura
Crimes, Joan Wojtowicz and Jen
nifer N ewcomb on the women's
team.
Aggie hoopsters battle Lamar tonight
The A&M men’s basketball
team hosts the Lamar Cardinals
in a 7:30 match tonight at G.
Rollie White Coliseum.
The Aggies have posted a 3-1
mark so far this season while the
Cardinals stand at 1-1.
A&M defeated Stephen F.
Austin 1 17-88 earlier this week in
Nacodoches.
travel to Minneapolis, Minn, for
the Dial Classic. A&M takes on
Kansas State at 6 p.m tonight.
Coach Lynn Hickey coached the
Ladv Wildcats before coming to
A&M. *
The I adv Aerne hoopsters
Minnesota plays Radford in
the other first round game and
the finals and consolation game
will he Saturday.
Rangers make bid
for fireballer Ryan
HOUSTON (AP) — The Texas
Rangers have offered free agent
pitcher Nolan Ryan a one-year con
tract for more than $1 million.
Rangers General Manager Tom
Grieve said Thursday.
Ryan became a free agent at the
end of the 1988 season with the
Houston Astros and has been of
fered a 1-year pact by both Houston
and the California Angels.
“We think he would go hand in
hand with our other veteran pitcher,
Charlie Hough,” Grieve said. “They
would provide strong leadership for
our young, developing pitching
staff.”
Grieve said he made the offer
Tuesday night to Dick Moss, Ryan’s
agent, after the Rangers lost out in
the bidding for pitcher Mike Moore,
who signed a multi-year contract
with the Oakland Athletics.
So Grieve turned his attention to
Ryan, another $1 million pitcher.
“We didn’t feel we could negotiate
with more than one million dollar
“I just want to express by this«!•
fer that we are serious,’’ Gris
said.”
Ryan earned $1 million in the 111
year of his contract with the Asti
after leading the league in striit
Houston originally offered Ra
$800,000 plus incentives to playito
season for the Astros.
T he Astros have increased tlB
of fer to $1.15 million, the Hoi®
Post reported Thursday, but it is
below the reported $1.5 milliono!
fered try the Angels.
The Post said Ryan rejected
offers by the Angels and Astros ait
now is looking to the Rangers
pitcher because what would happen
if both said yes?” Gripvp «aiH
Grieve said.
Grieve says the Rangers’ initial of
fer to Ryan isn’t the best one Ryan
has received, but the Rangers are
willing to negotiate.
Ryan led the National Leap
with 228 strikeouts last season.Ii«
the ninth time he has been
league strikeout leader.
Ryan could be a benefit to you®
Texas pitchers Bobby Witt, JeffR®
sell and Jose Guzman, Grieve said.
“Our younger pitchers mayn#
to see what conditioning and dew
miniation and drive and courge
do,” Grieve said.
“Here’s a guy who lias thrown
miles per hour for 22 years. Tl
doesn’t happen by accident."
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