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9
The Battalion
SPORTS
Tuesday, February 14,1989
Slocum hires pair
to complete staff
FROM STAFF & WIRE REPORTS
Texas A&M Head Football Coach
R.C. Slocum on Monday hired two
coaches with strong reputations as
recruiters to complete his staff in
time to prepare for spring workouts
which begin March 2<J.
Offensive Line Coach Mike Sher
man and Receivers Coach Robert
Ford replace former A&M assistants
Joe Avezzano and George Pugh.
Pugh and Avezzano were fired in
December for their involvement in
the George Smith scandal which led
to the resignation of former Head
Coach Jackie Sherrill.
Both coaches have been top re
cruiters in previous jobs.
Sherman comes to A&M from
Holy Cross where he served as of
fensive coordinator for the 1988 sea
son in addition to his duties as offen
sive line coach. During his four years
at Holy Cross, the Crusaders went
30-3 in the past three seasons.
He also coached the offensive line
at the University of Pittsburgh and
Tulane. Sherman has a reputation as
an excellent recruiter and tactician
and has coached several linemen
who went on to professional football
careers.
Ford is the former receivers coach
at Tech where he coached one of the
nation’s top units last season during
his one-year stint in Lubbock.
Ford plaved college football at the
University of Houston and caught a
pair of 99-yard touchdown passes
during his college career. He is the
only player in NCAA history to ac
complish that feat.
Ford coached receivers at New
Mexico while also serving as recruit
ing coordinator for the Lobos dur
ing a three-year stay there. He sub
sequently coached at Oregon State,
Mississippi State, Houston of the
United States Football League and
the University of Kansas.
Slocum said Monday he was
pleased to complete his staff and
praised the men for their coaching
ability and experience.
“Both of them possess the out
standing qualities that I was looking
for to fill these two important posi
tions.'* Slocum said.
Landry shakes up coaching staff
Cowboy coach replaces Hackett, Stautner with new coaches
IRVING (AP) — Dallas Coach
Tom Landry, stung by a 3-13 season
and a last-place finish in the NFL.
replaced defensive coordinator Er
nie Stautner and pass coordinator
Paul Hackett on Monday, then
hinted he might be with the Cow
boys into the 1990s.
Landry hired George Hill as de
fensive coordinator and Jerry
Rhome as quarterbacks coach.
Stautner. the Cowboys' defensive
coordinator for 20 years, was reas
signed to work on special projects
and will retire after the 1989 season.
Landry said.
Rhome. who wras offensive coordi
nator for San Diego last season, re
places Paul Hackett. who has been
reassigned to work on special pro
jects for the club.
“ITI try to find Paul a job with an
other club with what he does best,
coordinating an offense,** Landry
said.
Hackett. who joined Dallas in
1986 from San Francisco, is cur
rently working on special projects.
Hill, who was fired after the 1988
season with the Indianapolis Colts,
was defensive coordinator under
Coach Ron Meyer for four seasons.
Stautner joined the Cowboys in
1966 as defensive line coach follow
ing two years as a player-coach.
“I can’t say too much for the con
tribution that Ernie made with the
Cowboys,” Landry said. "We had
some great seasons and some great
Super Bowls. He called every de
fensive play. Sometime you have to
make changes.”
Stautner took the change well.
“1 can understand that Tom had
to change up the defense,” Stautner
said. “I rn looking forward to help
ing out in any way I can.”
Landry admitted he had philo
sophical differences with Hackett.
“I think we’re still friends,”
Landry said.
Landrv said with the coaching
changes he might stay on past next
year.
”1 never said 1 wouldn't be around
after next season." Landry said. “If I
can find somebody (an owner) who
wants me. then I might be available.
1 told my new coaches this.
”1 have no intention of retiring
unless it is forced upon me. I feel
good. I survived the onslaught of
last season.”
Landry said he is trying to build
the Cowboys back into the power
they were in the 1970s.
“Mv objective is to go out with the
Cowboys headed into the right di
rection,” Landry said. “I want to see
us turn it around this next year. I'm
on the bottom and 1 want to go up.”
Landry said he will pay more at
tention to the offense next year and
let Hill work a 3-4 defense into the
Cowboys' scheme.
Dallas was 26th in the NFL last
season in points allowed.
Asked if his famed four-man line
“flex" defense was dead. Landry
said. "You might sav it’s nicked up
some. 1 don’t see the 'flex’ as the
main part of our defense next vear.”
Landry likes Hill because his de
fenses bend but don't break.
His 1987 Indianapolis team al
lowed only a league-low 238 points.
“His defenses don’t give up the
big play and that's what has been
killing us." Landry said. “He plays a
lot olzone.'
Landry also announced he will go
to UCLA soon to see quarterback
Troy Aikman and decide if he is the
Cowboys’ No. 1 pick.
“IH go to UCLA to look at him
personiuly,” Landry said. “If we do
decide to take him we'd like to get
him in Dallas by April. But it would
be a miracle if we signed him early. ”
Landrv also has to hire a running
backs coach after Al Lavan accepted
a similar position with San Francisco
on Fridav.
Billie Matthews, who lost his job
with the Kansas City Chiefs, is ex
pected to be hired to replace l^avan.
Sooners, Longhorns demean themselves by being braggarts
The University of Oklahoma isn't
necessarily popular in this part of Texas.
But lake a three-hour drive north, or
beyond, and Boomer Sooners get as thick as
Longhorn lovers are just west of here.
When you get up in those parts, you find
there's kind of a pride that goes along with
being an Okie — especially those that have
been forced to cross the border into Texas.
Ask almost anyone in the Texas
Panhandle (including those in Panhandle.
Texas) and the natives will claim that
Oklahoma is not pan of the United States
— but a separate entity altogether. Not
surprisingly. Okies stranded in Texas will
say the same about their present state.
When it gets down to it, the main cause
of all these rivalries is not which state has
the most beautiful higuway scenery or the
best fishing holes. And they could both care
less who has the largest state product or
which one entered the union first. All
nonsense.'
The real rivalry has been established
where pride makes some of its biggest and
ugliest faces-r on the playing field.
Not just any field, though. There is only
one rivalry that stirs up the states enough to
be newsworthy — the University of Texas
versus the University of Oklahoma.
Let me be dear. Mosi evei yone else in
these states, whether they are related to the
schools or not, can be caused to have the
hair on their neck raised with just the
mention of one of these schools antics. But
Texas and OU are the ones responsible for
all the hair-raising.
What I mean by antics is something a <r .
Texas or OU representative says or does
that they see as normal but at least mildly
disturbs everyone else. For example. Brian
Bosworth's haircut.
It's hard to point a finger at either school
for surting the raucus. Who knows when it
kicked up. But neither school is gaining
respect from the other or the rest of us
by sunders.
One thing that gets people so irate is the
boastful pride associated with Texap and
OU. Their attitudes show signs of dontempt
for “lessers" all around the states aild even
the rest of the country. V-N
Take OU basketball coach Billy Tibbs'
comment after beating No. 1-ranked^
Arizona in a basketball game Sunday.
When asked ii iiis team was the best in the
country, he said, “When you really got
down to it. and I had to be fair. I'd probably
put us in there."
I don’t knock Tubbs. He's just a coach
there that has fallen into the overall attitude
problem at OU. Again, who know’s who
started it.
The same thing goes on at Texas. With
the suit of baseball season, the Longhorns
have in their midst the source of one of
their greatest boasts. Their baseball team
has been racking up wins for years.
They play with a lot of confidence
(known as cockiness to others), and there
fans ascribe the greatness of the ball team to
themselves when shouting out insults to
teams less blessed in the win column.
What's the point to all of this pride?
There is no point.
I don’t believe guys like Bosworth are
bad apples. I just think they get caught up
in trying to prove they are somebody bigger
than they really are.
Sorry old peer pressure.
Texas and OU have such a reputation to
keep up that the entire communities of the
universities — athletes, coaches, fans,
faculty, supporters, you name it — have to
continually boast to make sure they still
look good to everyone else.
In fact. Oklahoma used to get along just
fine without it. I’ve heard stories of the
seniors on the OU football team unloading
a freshman quarterback's car for him when
he first arrived at the school in the late
1950’s. Then they took him out to eat.
It's sickening. But there’s not a lot that
can be done about it. especially by a lone
Aggie columnist.
All 1 have to offer is to ask A&M not to
let it spread.
Can you imagine Brian Bosworth or
Jamelle Holieway carrying anyones bags up
dormitory stairs? 1 can — in an
environment othei*than Norman,*
Oklahoma.
Simply, realize that your athletes are only
people and your school only an institution.
We’re here, we picked A&M. Why care if
otlrUnage is better than anyofte elses,
including Texas and OU?
£*IcivnHali
Welcomes
RCA/NOVUS RECORDING ARTIST
NEW AGE PIANIST
St. Valentines Day
Tuesday, February 14
■ Rudder Theatre
8:00 P.M.
Tickets $6.00
Limited number of carnations
will be given out at the door.
Tickets Available At MSC Box Office
For More Information Call 845-1234
STUDY ABROAD OFFICU
STUDY IN ENGLAND AT THE
UNIVERSITY OF LANCASTER
Semester and Year
Programs for
U ndergraduates
and Graduates
INFORMATIONAL MEETING
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14 2:30-3:30 p.m. ROOM 229 MSC
STUDY ABROAD OmCE. I«l BIZZELL WIST. COLUCE STATION. TX («Ot) S4S-0S44
OPEN BAR
8-10Tues.-Sat.
W
HAPPY VAl€NTIN€ SASH
Match your heart with
CASH & PRIZES
OPEN BAR 8-10
Plus FREE Champaign ^
After 10:00... If
$1.00 Passion Punch All Night
2501 S. Texas
Winn Dixie Center
693-EDGE
pr
MSC
Political
Forum
CAPITOLIZE
ON YOUR
SPRING BREAK
WASHINGTON, D.C.
$415
price includes airfare, hotel
Itinerary in Progress: We are planning a number of governmental,
social and cultural activities which Promise to make tlie trip both
educational and enjoyable. Possible activities include visits with
senators, congressmen, and other government figures, tours of
the Pentagon. FBI. and other prominent sites. There will also be
free time for personal excursions. Payment in full is due February
25th. The trip is open to everyone.
Vi
INFORMATIONAL MEETING
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14
228 MSC
6:00*7:00 pm
or for more information call 845-1515
I alpha phi
1
1 sorority [ \
Open House “Y
Tuesday, February 14
Valentines Day
6:30-8:00
Alpha Phi House
A<I>
1401 Athens Dr
Call for more Information
696-1144
Bring A Friend
Dr*M Casual