Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 7, 1989)
"^The Battalion ursday, December?, 1989 Sports Editor Richard Tijerina 845-2688 Alan Lehmann Sports Writer ehmann: OU Reserves NCAA ‘death penalty’ A football player is paid illegally, even though his school is on probation and iunder threat of the death penalty. A gestionable source comes forward with ic accusation, and then denies part of his statement. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Well, don’t worry. It’s not George Smith on the loose again. It’s not even a luthwest Conference school under Investigation this time. No, the lucky school is Oklahoma, hat’s right, the boys from Norman are | at it again. Just when Sooner fans Bought their worst nightmares were behind them (and behind bars), a non- jj^Bayer alledges that he was the middle to (pan for payments to two Sooner m Bayers. ICfl Not that Otha Armstrong III did lything wrong himself. He told the 'alias Morning News that he just picked jup the cash from a Tulsa booster at a (estern Union outlet and then pelivered it to former Sooner quarterbacks Charles Thompson and jHpmelle Holieway. I Armstrong first said that the "ayments occurred after the Sooners ad been placed on probation, but later changed his original story and said the ayments occured in 1988, while the loners were under investigation. (/ J| But don’t start weeping for the —Boners yet, because NCAA doesn’t Bern keenly interested at the moment. B Why would they doubt Armstrong? ■ Well, he’s currently serving time in a Texas prison for stealing 25 piampionship rings from former pklahorna Coach Barry Switzer’s home. Sounds like a biased point of view to me. I The NCAA dropped the A&M investigation after Smith called a press conference to officially deny his statements, and I think Armstrong will do the same. I Hey, let’s face it. Armstrong is in jail, and so are a lot of the former Sooners. With so many former Sooners doing — 1 time for real crimes like selling cocaine, ^Bsault and rape, how long before they start leaning on a guy who stole from their coach? I Can’t you just hear the conversation around the cellblock: I “Yo, man. You know that Armstrong guy down in Block D?” I “What’s he in for?” I “Uh ... burglary, I think?” | “No, man. I only hang out with real criminals. Why, you want him iced?” I “No, no, not yet. See, the deal is that he ratted on the Sooners.” I “What?!?” I “That’s right — he said that Holieway and Thompson were on the take.” 1 “Weren’t they?” Even if Armstrong retracts his tatement, the Sooners should get the death penalty (the football program, not the inmates). Not only has Oklahoma flagrantly iolated NCAA rules, but the slimy off- the-field actions of its players prove that Oklahoma isn’t safe for spectators. | So, end this nonsense and give the Sooner football program the death penalty, before a Sooner player ends up on death row. SWC officiating needs a swift kick in butt Season filled with controversy Analysis By Denne H. Freeman Of The Associated Press DALLAS (AP) — The Southwest Confer ence needs to make a big change before next football season in the way it assigns of ficials to football games. The way it is now, the SWC is putting the men in stripes in some uncomfortable situa tions. For example, check the pressure-cooker Ron Underwood found himself inside at the championship game between his alma mater, the University of Arkansas, and Texas A&M University. Arkansas is trailing but driving. It’s fourth down. If the Aggies hold theyTl be Cotton Bowl-bound. If the Hogs convert, they are so deep in A&M territory they’ll score for sure, and be headed to Dallas on New Year’s Day. Quinn Grovey passes and there is a tan gle downfield. Underwood hesitates then throws his flag, ruling interference on the defensive back going over the top of the re ceiver. Automatic first down. Arkansas goes on to win 23-22. Instant replay shows Underwood, a for mer Razorback wingback in the 1950s, made the proper cajl. But the question remains: Why should he Photo by Jay Janner Loyd Dale calms UT’s Ken Hackemack after a brawl in Saturday’s game. Dale was involved in a controversy in the A&M-Texas Tech game Oct. 7. have been put into such a "position? How do you think his Little Rock insur ance business would have prospered if he hadn’t called a foul? It’s obvious some Arkansas grads wouldn’t be banging his doors down for policy renewals. For ages, the SWC has had a rule that if you’ve been away from a conference school 10 years then you can referee, umpire, field judge, back judge, or be the head linesman in a game inyolving your alma mater. How much sense does this make? Is somebody supposed to be automat ically detached from their school after 10 years? It would seem quite the contrary. In 10 years, a lot of graduates are financially more able to become closer to their univer sity. Of course, Texas A&M is hot to get the rule changed. There was an incident in their loss to Texas Tech involving a fumble the Aggies said they should have been allowed to keep. The Aggies claimed a Texas Tech graduate (Loyd Dale) was involved in the decision. Ironically, there was another incident in the A&M-Texas game when the Aggies threw a touchdown pass on the last play of the third quarter. Texas claimed time ran out before the ball was snapped. Field judge Jon Bible said “no.” Bible went to the University of Texas. Think about all the heat Bible hhs had from fellow Longhorns. The SWC needs to join the Southeastern Conference in making a rule that no grad uate can referee a game involving his school. Period. It would take some extra time figuring out officials’ schedules. But it would be time well spent, which could keep the SWC away from any hint of scandal . The SWC is definitely a conference that doesn’t need another scandal. Ags try to tame the Thundering Herd By Jay Peden Of The Battalion Staff Photo by Scott D. Weaver Tony Milton argues his point after being called for a foul in Tuesday’s loss to Centenary. Milton will lead the Aggies tonight against Marshall. The Marshall University men’s basketball team visits G. Rollie White Coliseum tonight at 7:30 to take on Texas A&M. Both teams are coming off losses. Marshall’s Thundering Herd lost its last game 74-56 at West Virginia, leaving it with a 4-2 record. Marshall is led by 6-2 junior guard John Taft, who is scoring 24.4 points per game. The Aggies, 2-4, lost Tuesday night to Centenary 89-82 despite ca reer bests by senior point guard Tony Milton and senior forward Darren Rhea. Milton dished out 10 assists against Centenary, tying his career high set last year against Stephen F. Austin, and matched against South ern Methodist. Darren Rhea scored 18 points and gathered 13 rebounds in the Cente nary game, both career bests. His previous highs were 14 points last year against Simon Fraser and 11 rebounds against UT-Pan Ameri can earlier this season. A&M junior forward David Har ris is leading the Southwest Confer ence in blocked shots (3.6 per game) and rebounds (11.0 per game). The 22 blocks he has recorded in 6 games this year is barely short of the 25 that Ray Little led the team with for all of last season. Aggie Coach Shelby Metcalf said there will be some different faces in the starting lineup tonight. “I thought Darren Rhea, Brooks Thompson, Lynn Suber and Tony Milton played harder than anyone else in the Centenary game, so they will start against Marshall,” Metcalf said. Harris will round out the starting five. The game will be broadcast locally on radio station KTAM (1240 AML BYU lineman Elewonibi wins Outland Trophy NEW YORK (AP) — Mohammed “Moe” Elewonibi was minding his busi ness, having a little fun booting a soccer ball around on the campus of Snow Ju nior College in Ephraim, Utah, when the football coach wandered by, caught a glimpse of him and led him away. Two years later, the 6-foot-5, 290- pounder found himself at Brigham Young University and Wednesday he was named winner of the Outland Tro phy as the best college lineman in Amer ica. Elewonibi beat out Morris “Moe” Gardner, junior nose tackle from Illinois and Michael Tanks, seniwutcenter from Florida State for the award presented by the Football Writers Association of America. He is BYU’s second Outland winner in four years, following Jason Buck of the Cincinnati Bengals, who took the award in 1986. Elewonibi, a native of Nigeria who grew up in Kamloops, British Columbia, never played high school football. “I was small when I came to Canada,” he said. “I wasn’t even tall enough to play basket ball.” Soccer was his game but when he got to Snow JC, he found the sport limited to club status. “There were guys from the Middle East and Africa and we played a little pickup soccer,” he said. “ But there were no other teams for us to play. We/even played BYU once and lost 13-0.” By then, though, he had grown large enough to try other things. So he had no hestitation about playing football. His first game was less than a rousing suc cess, however, with Snow losing, 41-7. “I was emotional thinking about it, thinking if I did this or that,” he said. “I’m competitive by nature. I don’t like to lose. I worked on my technique and my footwork and by the end of the sea son, I was as good as you can get in ju nior college.” t#j 44 Where do Aggies go before they leave for break?” T-SHIRTS, SHORTS, SPORTSHIRTS, PANTS, SWEATPANTS, SWEATSHIRTS, HATS, SOCKS, PAJAMAS, MUGS AND MORE! DECEMBER Football Schedulf s M T W T F s (jV^T 2 3 4 iiuVLf. 5 6 8 9 10 u (fW 13 14 15 QruJ* 16 17 18 19 20 "21 12 23 % 26 27 30 29 ^<< 30 20% OFF ENTIRE LINE OF AGGIE APPAREL at JCRenney aggie shop Post Oak Mall. 764-1600 you're looking smarter than ever TEXAS HALL OF FAME Your #1 Live Country Night Spot! Thurs. Night- Any Single Shot Bar Drink, Longnecks, Margaritas ^-| oo| Sat. Night- Razzy Bailey $8. 00 at Door College & Faculty I.D. Discount 822-2222 2309 FM 2818 South! Spark Some Interest! Use the Battalion Classifieds. Call 845-0569 Come Play VOLLEYBALL Live Oak Nudist Resort Washington, TX (409) 878-2216 vsIestern UNION THE FASTEST WAY TO SEND MONEY AND TELEGRAMS -BE DIFFERENT- • For That Special Occasion • Rely On Us In An Emergency • 15 Minute Money Transfer 3604 S. Texas Ave. _ ^ _ _ _ Bryan, Tx. 77802 846-9748 (2 lights S. Villa Maria) PAYS CASH FOR USED BOOKS! Redmond Terrace next to Academy Northgate across from Post Office Southgate on Jersey Street