e Battalion
PORTS
ursday, June 21,1990
Nadja
Sabawala
Assistant Sports Editor
tea
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le 9eStatioi
Lawson, ODs
WParlmj,
'96-9578
PV stands to
bse a lot more
than just sports
IE
YTITIES
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LC
Julius Becton, president
of Prairie View A&M,
announced May 25 that
insufficient funding is causing the
athletic program to reduce its
sports.
This eliminates 10 sports,
leaving only the men’s and
women’s track for five years, or
until the university has the money
to bring the program up to par.
This outraged many students
and alumni, who are intent on
fighting the drop tooth-and-nail.
Their main concern is that with
the loss of sports, comes the loss
of revenue, loss of students and
ultimately, a loss of the school.
The PV alumni association
wants the university president to
reverse his decision, re-evaluate
the budget and appoint or hire
someone to help him restore
funding to the school.
This “postponement” of
Panther athletics is hurting more
than just the present and future
players — it’s hurting the school.
PV has rich athletic traditions
in the Southwestern Athletic
Conference, and, just 30 years
ago, had more than the average
share of headlines.
In its own regard, the Prairie
View football squad has won five
fictional national championships
and 10 SWAC titles, including
four in 1951-54.
The school nurtured such NFL
talents as Otis Taylor, Jim
Mitchell, Alvin Reed and Kenny
Houston.
Undoubtedly, the ti^ck and
field teams are one of the
Panther’s finest sports. From
1934 to 1970, PV captured the
men’s SWAC title 17 times, with
four in a row from 1948-51.
In 1966, the women’s track
and field team was developed.
Under the coaching of Barbara
Jacket, they won 14 NA1A
national titles, with six successive
claims in 1982-87.
But that was then ...
The present men’s basketball
coach, Jim Duplantier, believed
this year’s team had a shot at the
conference title. The team was
working as a team.
Then they found out there were
no more scholarships to go out.
This would drop PV from
Division I to Division III.
So, what the alumni fears may
happen is certainly possible ...
the players are going to leave
followed by the students and
faculty.
What an unnecessary loss.
SWC trying to keep Hogs
from slipping away to SEC
Attempts at changes could tempt Arkansas to stay
ATT C ^ I T "NT / A D\ A L C ^-V1 » T» * » r *^*r~r* ^-1 ^ ^ ^ -M — .—. —- —. « —. 1 * _ _ ~.
AUSTIN (AP) — A key Southwest
Conference committee Wednesday
discussed expanding the league and
revising sports schedules so that ev
ery SWC team might not play each
otner in all sports.
The discussion came in the wake
of Arkansas athletic director Frank
Broyles’ comments that the Razor-
backs are considering severing their
76-year association with the SWC to
join the Southeastern Conference.
SWC president James Vick em
phasized that Wednesday’s 3'/2-hour
discussion by the SWC executive
committee was much broader than
whether the league could survive
without the Razoroacks.
“I think everyone is concerned
about what the conference will look
like in five or 10 years, so we’re not
just talking right now about whether
Arkansas is going to change confer
ences,” Vick said.
There is speculation that confer
ence powers Texas and Texas A&M
might also be lured away by the SEC.
And then there’s Texas Christian, a
private school that joined the SWC
in 1923, which wants Texas and
Texas A&M to declare its intentions
so it can plot its own future.
A Texas Tech official said the Red
Raiders are considering options,
such as moving to the Big Eight or
Western Athletic Conference, if Ar
kansas should leave.
There’s more. Some reports said
that Big Eight power Oklahoma, a
charter SWC member which left in
1920, might be a logical choice to re
place Arkansas. Another suggestion
that surfaced at the College Football
Association meeting in Dallas earlier
this month was the formation of a
Big Southwest Conference, combin
ing the SWC and Big Eight, said
Vick, faculty representative at
Texas.
“Part of the problem is to make
sure that we keep the whole confer
ence strong and not just increase one
team’s share or one school’s share”
of television or gate receipts, Vick
told a news conference.
“I wouldn’t rule out the possibility
of expanding the conference, be
cause I think that’s the sense of
what’s going on around the coun
try,” he said.
But Vick added, “It’s not clear
that adding one team, adding three
teams, combining conferences — it’s
not clear that any one of those op
tions really benefits the conference.”
Asked if SWC member schools
were “ticked off” at Arkansas for
thinking of pulling out, Vick said, “I
don’t think anybody really blames
Arkansas for looking at the options.
I think they may question whether it
would be a wise decision for Arkan
sas to change conferences.”
“Everyone is concerned about
what Arkansas might do, so I would
say everyone wants to try to keep Ar
kansas in the league. But I don’t
really sense panic or overreaction to
what has been in the press,” Vick
said.
As for Texas and Texas A&M
leaving, Vick said prior to the meet
ing, “There’s always conversation
going on. There are rumors. There
haven’t been any formal contacts.”
First indoor
World Cup
in the U.S.?
FLORENCE, Italy (AP) — The
United States has been given per
mission to consider domed stadi
ums for the 1994 World Cup, cre
ating the possibility of the first
indoor games in tlie champion
ship’s history.
Scott LeTellier, president of
the W’orld Gup ’94 Organizing
Committee, said Tuesday that
grass would be placet! on top of
the artificial turf. All domed L'.S.
stadiums currently have artificial
surfaces, which are prohibited by
FIFA, soccer’s governing body.
LeTellier also said UFA had
indicated it would allow games to
start in the early evening and at
night. Those matches would start
from 1 1 p.m. on in Europe and
possibly early in the morning, Le
Tellier said.
He said it was very likely that
starting times would not be set
until the countries in each game
were known. T his would enable
more matches with non-Euro
pean teams to be played at night.
A total of 27 cities and 31 stadi
ums have indicated they will bid
for the 1994 tournament, the first
in the United States. Between
eight and 12 cities will be selected
next year.
The use of domes allows addi
tional bids to be made by New Or
leans (Superdome); Indianapolis
(Hoosier Dome), Pontiac, Mich.
(Silverdome); Syracuse, N.Y.
(Carrier Dome), and Tacoma,
Wash. (Tacoma Dome).
Thomas hurt inside
Aguirre expresses fear
for teammate to FBI
NEW YORK (AP) — Isiah
Thomas, the most valuable player in
the NBA championship series, said
Wednesday he was deeply disturbed
by reports that he was involved in an
FBI gambling probe.
“It hurt,” he said at a ceremony in
a midtown hotel, where he was pre
sented with the MVP trophy and a
new car. “I can’t say it didn’t affect
me at all.”
Thomas’ name became involved
in the investigation when Mark
Aguirre, his Detroit Pis
tons’ teammate, met
with a former FBI
agent to express con
cern about his longtime
friend’s association with
gamblers, according to
sources quoted by a De
troit television station
and Detroit area news
papers.
“I asked Mark about it,” Thomas
said. “He said he didn’t have any
thing to do with it. When I talked
with the FBI, they said they hadn’t
talked with Mark and they said Mark
hadn't talked with them.
“As long as the government said I
wasn’t the focus, I don’t think there
are any more questions to be an
swered.”
Reports last week —just two days
after Thomas and the Pistons had
beaten the Portland Trail Blazers in
the NBA Finals —said a grand jury
had subpoenaed checks totaling at
least $100,000 that Thomas cashed
at a grocery store owned by a neigh
bor and friend, Imad Denha.
The sources said authorities had
linked Denha to Henry Allen Hilf,
the central figure in the gambling in
vestigation. Federal authorities con
sider Hilf to be Michigan’s largest
bookmaker, and Denha is a sus
pected money launderer, they said.
The reports also said Thomas ran
high-stakes dice games at his home.
Afterward, Thomas angrily den
ied he was the target of an investiga
tion and his lawyers issued a
statement saying, “In
none of these (dice)
games would his wagers
be considered ‘high sta
kes.’”
“The only thing I’ve
understood is that it’s a
rumor,” Thomas said
of the investigation. “In
terms of fact-finding,
there hasn’t been any.
It’s not true. It’s false.”
As for the check-cashing, Thomas
said, “My friend runs a supermar
ket. He cashes my checks, comes
home and gives me the money.
There is nothing illegal about it.”
“It’s easy, it’s simple,” Thomas
said. “It’s not wrong. I don’t even
have a checking account. My wife
handles all the (business) deals.”
After the story broke, the U.S. at
torney in the Eastern District of
Michigan said that Thomas was not
being investigated.
Meanwhile, NBA commissioner
David Stern praised Thomas for his
unselfish play.
7
Sports Editor Clay Rasmussen 845-2688
Photo by Sbndra N. Robbins
Dale Marable, a junior industrial distribution major from Sher
man, takes a swing in intermediate golf class at the Intramural
Sports Complex field on the west side of campus.
Softball coach Brock named
regional coach of the year
From Staff and Wire Reports
Texas A&M softball coach Bob
Brock has been named the Central
Region Coach of the Year for the
1990 season.
Brock will be honored by the Na
tional Softball Coaches Association
at the Victory Club and Coach of the
Year Banquet.
The ceremony is held in conjunc
tion with the NSCA Annual Conven
tion this November in San Antonio.
Brock was excited about the
award, but gave credit to his team’s
performance.
“I’m happy to receive this recogni
tion,” Brock said. “This is quite an
honor.
“I’ve always felt like the teams are
what gets a coach these honors.”
Brock guided the Lady Aggies to
a 47-20 record this year, gaining a
berth in the NCAA playoffs this past
spring.
Just a year before, Brock’s Lady
Aggies struggled to a 31-27 record
and missed the NCAA playoffs for
the first time in Brock’s nine years at
A&M.
He turned the program around in
1990, fielding a young team that in
cluded seven freshmen and four
sophomores.
The Lady Aggies gained a top ten
ranking in both the NCAA and the
NSCA polls and reach the playoffs
for the seventh time.
“We had a good year,” Brock said.
“I’m excited that we were able to
turn things around so quickly.”
This year’s award marks the third
time that Brock has been named the
Regional Coach of the Year honors.
In 1986 and 1987, he was named
as the top regional coach. He has led
the Aggies to two national titles, one
AIWA title and a NCAA title.
50.00
S2.50
itury.
lay.
TT
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Tei#
TtheHilj 0 '
ity Dr
569
OVtSC ‘Dinner Dfieatre
and
ftggie DCayers
present
6 %jns (Riv Vu
June 21, 22, 23, 28, 29, 30
di Buffet dinner zoidBe served at 6 pm in the Rudder ‘EffiiBit T(aCC
‘Buffets offered include:
June 21 and June 29--‘Te?(as BarBeque
June 22 and June 30--Cajun
June 23--International
June 28--Italian
The theatre zvill Begin at 8 pm in Rudder Rorum
6 Rms Riv ( Vu is a nezvspaper advertisement which catches the eye
of prospective tenants for this vacant apartment zvith a river ztiew;
among them a man and a woman who have never met Before.
Jis they are the last to leave, they find themselves locked in the apartment
and commence to get to know one another in a very humorous fashion.
Tickets may Be purchased at the Rudder Bot^ Office
Students: $13 includes dinner and theatre
$3 theatre only
Jdgnstudents: $20 includes dinner and theatre
SUPERCUTS
The Nation’s #1 Hair Styling Salon
Now open in Culpepper Plaza!
Supercut - $8 • Students & Professors with I.D.-$7 • Children 13 and under-$6
Introductory Offer for Texas A&M Students & Faculty
Bennigan’s
Texas
Ave.
Supercuts
l Safeway
$2.00
off
Harvey Rd.
A Regular $8.00 Supercut
with this coupon
Expires Aug. 25,1990
Mon.-Fri. 9-9
Sat. 9-8
Sun. 10-6
CALL 696-1155
1519 S. Texas (Between Bennigans and Cowhop Junction) - Culpepper Plaza