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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 3, 1989)
The Battalion SPORTS 9 Friday, March 3,1989 Slocum says SWC is cleaning up its act New A&M coach pledges to keep alumni out of recruiting Aggie teams look to active weekend CRUNCH ml YOU WANT! WE'U 111 a., the ervices long- ' - as act- row in j nst his e com- ) Tow ’d that ipport ! was Ued to ! AUSTIN (AP) — The assistant who succeeded Jackie Sherrill as head football coach at Texas A&M in the wake of an NCAA investiga tion said Thursday cheaters in the coaching profession should be re moved from college athletics. New A&M Coach R.C. Slocum also said he is laying down the law to keep Aggie boosters out of recruit ing and will make the locker room off-limits to alumni after games. He said he would hold regular meetings with his staff and periodic meetings with A&M players to make sure they comply with NCAA rules. Slocum, an assistant for 16 years before becoming head coach in De cember, followed NCAA enforce ment director Rich Hilliard and Butch Worley, director of compli ance at the University of Texas at Austin, as speakers at the first Sports Law Conference. The conference, sponsored by the State Bat of Texas, attracted ap proximately 260 people. Slocum was added as a speaker af ter the program was printed. By Stan Golaboff “There are a tew cheaters in this world but the problem and the di rection we should go is find those cheaters, identify those guys, and get them out of the game,” Slocum said. He mentioned no names. Slocum was promoted from assis tant head coach after Sherrill re signed in December as head coach and athletic director. John David Crow was named athletic director. Sherrill’s resignation came after the Dallas Morning News quoted a former player as saying he was paid “hush money” to keep quiet as the A&M athletic program was being in vestigated. The NCAA assessed A&M a two-year probation in Sep tember and barred the Aggies from post-season play after substantiating violations of regulations that govern extra benefits to athletes. The former player, George Smith, later said his story was not true. Slocum said part of his job is to tell 200,000 Aggie alumni that if they in flict damage on A&M, suc h as violat ing recruiting rules, which might keep A&M out of a bowl game, the school will “seek damages to correct that situation.” On recruiting: “What I’m telling them is, ‘Basically there’s nothing you can do. I don’t want you writing, calling, talking, doing anything with any of our recruits. We’ll handle re cruiting. “ ‘Send your checks to us and sit in the stands and yell for us — that’s what we need for you to do,’ ” he said. The NCAA has penalized six Southwest Conference schools for football rules violations in recent years and, Slocum said, “For years people were running around saying, ‘You know, everybody’s doing it.’ And you know what, it looks like most everybody was doing some of those things.” He said his contract, as well as those of Athletic Director Crow and Slocum’s assistants, provide immedi ate termination without pay for kno wingly violating an NCAA rule or remaining silent when they know a rule is being violated. UT’s Worley said school President William Cunningham “every year talks to the entire staff, and his pol icy is pretty clear: ‘If you knowingly violate a rule, you’re fired.’” Worley said UT game programs include two pages telling boosters “don’t don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t — there are not many do’s in there.” Slocum said, “With all the things that we’ve been through in this con ference — the adverse publicity . . . I think in the long run that we will have all have gained from this situa tion. I think our conference right now is, without question, in better shape than perhaps it has ever been in from the standpoint of compli ance with NCAA legislation.” He said the SWC head coaches met a week ago, and added, “I feel as confident as I can that every coach in that room feels exactly like I do, and that all those people are doing every thing they can to comply with the rules and to make sure we’re all play ing on a level playing field.” SPORTS WRITER Two seasons will end and two more seasons move into high gear Saturday as Aggie fans will have plenty to keep track of this weekend. The Texas A&M women’s basket ball team plays its final game of the regular season Saturday at 2 p.m., when the sixth-ranked University of Texas Lady Longhorns invade G. Rollie White Coliseum. It will be the swan song of the col legiate careers of four Lady Aggies. Seniors Donna Roper, Lisa Jordon, Nette Garrett and Veronda Round- tree will all play in Aggieland for the last time. A&M (16-10 overall and 8-7 in Southwest Conference) is coming off an overtime loss to Texas Tech, 71- 68. A&M is currently tied for fourth with Tech. Texas (22-4 overall and 15-0 in SWC) has already clinched the SWC championship and have won 19 games in a row this year. The Lady Longhorns have won 116 straight SWC games and 167 straight against SWC teams. A&M was the last team to beat Texas on Jan. 23, 1978, in College Station. “This is a chance for everyone to come in see one of the best teams in the nation (Texas) and the best player in country (Clarissa Davis),” Head coach Lynn Hickey said. “And, who knows, maybe they’ll see us beat Texas. We’re not bragging, but the possiblity exists.” The Aggie men will also close their regular season Saturday. A&M plays Texas at 7:30 in G. Rollie White Coliseum. A&M (14-13 overall and 7-8 in SWC) will try to avenge an earlier road loss (85-80) to the SWC co-lead ers in Austin. Head Coach Shelby Metcalfs Aggies are coming off a 71- 60 win over Texas Tech and have won six of their last seven. Texas (20-6 overall and 12-3 in SWC) are coming off an 82-79 win over Southern Methodist. Texas See Weekend/Page 1 1 Is Jimmy Johnson the right man to coach America’s Team? Have you read a newspaper this week? Watched TV’ ? Then you're undoubtedly aware that, at long last, the Dallas Cowboys have a new owner and a new head coach. If you’re even just a casual fan, that’s BIG NEWS! I mean in Texas that’s tantamount to petroleum becoming obsolete or all the cows dying. Supet Aggie Bum Bright had been trying to unload “America’s Team” for almost a year. Bright had some cash flow problems when the Securities and Exchange Commission decided that it could do a better job of running his savings and loan bidness than he could. So he decided to liquidate his controlling interest in the Cowboys and Landry Stad-, I mean Texas Stadium. But it took forever. The unthinkable had occurred. Nobody wanted to buy the Cowgirls at the price Bright was asking. And as the pitiful, torturous season wore on, they were about as worthless to any potential buyer as a stock tip from one of the I hint brothers or a Ben Johnson “J ust Say No” button. But the bottom line is this: some hillbilly is the new owner and he booted Tom Landry and replaced him with Jimmy Johnson. Now, I’m all for putting Landry out to pasture and out of true Cowboys fans' misery. His performance in the past season was absolutely deplorable. The Flex was an antiquated abomination. He needed to leave. But to replace him with Jimmy Johnson? I mean sure, Johnson has been coaching pro football for at least five years. But is he the coach for America’s Team? NO!!! Jimmy Johnson is a sleaze! A few words on the Bavarian Symphony... Let’s take a little quiz. It may help to familiarize you with the new coach’s character, or lack thereof. 1. During Johnson’s tenure in sunny, south Florida the Miami Hurricanes led the nation in: a) passing yardage b) passing defense c) turnover ratio d) arrests and indictments. 2. Johnson has supported giving athletes a monthly stipend because: a) NCAA rules forbid athletes to have jcjbs b) they might need bail money. 3.If you are a University of Miami football player the last thing you would expect to happen to you is: a) have a career ending injury b) lose to Cincinnati c) get busted d) graduate. 4. In a brief, well conceived essay (essay? bummer.), discuss the origin of Jimmy Johnson’s hair and the possibility that it may be a rug purchased in an Elvis novelty shop. Okay, his hair may not be a relevent factor in this situation. But would you buy a used anything from him? Let him date your sister? Me neither. But now Tm stuck with him as the coach of my favorite team. I suppose I could dwell on the good things. umber o' [> impro' 1 the mos money he n.” ion of tilt t he leg® partinei® it nation r i to 8! 1220! 39 one! — kter “Eloquent!” - The New York Times “Remarkable!” - The New Yorker “Extraordinary!” - The Los Angeles Times “Marvelous!” - France Soir, Paris “Magnificent!” ■ Wiener Zeitung, Vienna The Bavarian Symphony Orchestra of Munich, one of the world's great orchestras, presented by the Opera & Performing Arts Society at Texas A&M. March 8 8 p.m. Rudder Auditorium Tickets on sale in the MSC Box Office Phone orders 845-1234 VISA/MasterCard Welcome This season we bring you the world. MSC Opera and Performing Arts Society • Memorial Student Center of Texas AficM University Landry’s gone. The Flex went with him. Jerry Jones has a lot of money to pay top talent. He wants to be an active, involved owner. That means Bonehead, I mean Gil Brandt, can’t draft anymore Rod Hills. Johnson can now pay his team in broad daylight. Yeah. Maybe there are some good things about this. Maybe the Cowboys can be restored to their former glory. Maybe they can once again be feared in the Meadowlands, Veteran’s Stadium and RFK. Which is a better fate than the returning players at Miami face. I can imagine Joe Hurricane now. Sitting in his dorm room, doing a little crack, wondering pensively: “Who’s gonna sign the checks now?” Or do they get cash? POTHERS BOOKSTORE Woodstone 4th Annual Giant Parking Lot Sale We’re overstocked, we’ve moved to the lot! Friday, Saturday & Sunday March 3, 4, 5 10 a.m.-6 P- m - 901 Harvey Rd, Woodstone Gree k /2 Price Discontinued Books 500 & up ^/O and lots more... L> mi iLU-LU • 45WM llapY