he Battalion
SPORTS
Friday, July 20,1990
Sports Editor Clay Rasmussen 845-2688
Douglas
Pils
Sports Writer
Watch out for
Texas football
powerhouses
1 wice a year, the sports
world takes a break from the
spectacular and the amazing.
In February there’s no more
football and that’s when 1 really
wish the hockey and basketball
seasons were shorter.
After baseball’s All-Star game
there’s really nothing happening
in July with the exception of the
Tour de ‘Greg LeMond’ the
Frenchmen like to put on every
year.
The coming of August can only
mean one thing. Football!
Our Aggies seem to be a lock
to make a triumphant return to
Dallas — returning many of last
years’ stars that came within two
questionable calls from a perfect
Southwest Conference record.
A tough road schedule should
decide the Aggies fate this year.
Oilers returneth
In addition to A&M, the
Houston Oilers and the Dallas
Cowboys will be interesting to
watch this season.
The Houston Oilers will be one
of, if not the most exciting teams
in the NFL this year. With new
head coach and master of the run-
and-shoot Jack Pardee, many pre
season publications expect the
Oilers to challange the San
Francisco 49ers for top honors
when the Super Bowl rolls
around.
Pardee’s offense will fit right
in with Houston’s quick and
powerful line, Warren Moon and
their fleet-footed receivers.
With the bad-boy image gone
to Atlanta with Jerry Glanville,
the Oilers can get down to
business and work on achieving
the greatness that’s been expected
from them for the last couple of
years.
Cowboys cometh
A little farther north, the Dallas
Cowboys can do nothing but
make an improvement over the
last two seasons.
Dallas is 4-28 in the last two
campaigns and with head coach
Jimmy Johnson and quarterback
Troy Aikman entering their
second year it will be interesting
to see how close the Cowboys
come to a play-off spot.
The arrival of running back
Terrence Flagler and defensive
end Daniel Stubbs in a trade with
the 49ers will help on both sides
of the line. Flagler and first round
draft pick Emmitt Smith, from
Florida, give Dallas two reasons
to believe they will improve upon
a rushing offense that finished
24th in the NFL last year.
An 8-8 record will be tops for a
team that is still young and
inexperienced. Pride should
definitely be restored in the
Cowboy organization this year
and if the fans in Dallas are
willing to wait, a playoff
contender is only another year
away.
Get ready boys and girls,
football is just around the corner.
The Aggies get started Sept. 1 in
Hawaii and the pros get started
the next week on Sept. 9.
Former A&M defensive back Jones makes camp
Battalion file photos
Texas A&M former defensive back Gary Jones cornerback Mickey Washington (right) is still ne-
(left) signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers while gotiating his contract with the Phoenix Cardinals.
Washington set
for negotiations
By Douglas Pils
Of The Battalion Staff
Former Texas A&M defensive
back Gary Jones made it to camp on
time.
Jones, the ninth round draft pick
of the Pittsburgh Steelers, signed a
two-year contract with an option for
a third year literally minutes before
he was to report to camp on
Wednesday.
Scott Casterline, Jones’ agent,
would not disclose the terms of the
contract but said the contract was in
line with what other Steelers’ picks
were receiving.
While Jones is a low round pick,
Casterline said he is expected to
make the team.
“Assistant General Manager Dan
Ferens said the team was very
pleased with Gary’s mini-camp,”
Casterline said. “They are looking to
play him at strong safety and maybe
some cornerback as well.”
At 6-1, 205 pounds the hard-hit
ting Jones — he once knocked out
opposing quarterbacks in back-to-
back weeks at A&M — would be a
big cornerback by NFL standards
but Casterline said that would Fit
right into the Steelers game plan.
The Steelers All-Pro cornerback.
Rod Woodson, is 6-0, 199 pounds.
“What impressed the Steelers the
most about Gary is his strong charac
ter and his ability to get along with
his teammates,” Casterline said.
Jones became close friends with
the Steelers’ starting free safety,
Thomas Everett. Jones and Everett,
a four-year veteran from Baylor,
roomed together this summer in
Dallas.
Overall, Jones is headed to a class
program, Casterline said.
“Gary’s very excited about being
with an up and coming team like the
Steelers,” he said. “The comradery
with his teammates and a great foot
ball city like Pittsburgh is a whole
new experience for him.”
With Jones in camp fighting for a
position, Casterline said he can now
concentrate on getting another for
mer Aggie defensive back signed.
Casterline also represents cor
nerback Mickey Washington, the
eighth round draft pick of the Phoe
nix Cardinals.
“Right now things are not moving
along very well at all,” Casterline
said. “We are worlds apart and
Phoenix is notorious for not giving
big contracts. We’re hoping to break
that trend.”
Washington is in a situation where
he could play immediately. The Car
dinals intercepted just 16 passes last
year and ranked 22nd in the NFL in
pass defense.
The Cardinals training camp be
gins in Flagstaff, Ariz. this Saturday.
Casterline said he is doing with
Washington what he did with Jones.
“Mickey is already there staying
with Cedric Mack, who is another
one of my clients,” he said. “I feel
when it comes right down to it both
sides will want to see him in camp
and we can come to an agreement.”
Other former A&M players who
have not signed include offensive
tackle Richmond Webb, the first
round draft pick of the Miami Dol
phins and tight end Mike Jones, the
third-round pick of the Minnesota
Vikings.
Ags that have inked their con
tracts are linebacker Aaron Wallace
with the Los Angeles Raiders, line
backer Jeroy Robinson with the
Denver Broncos and offensive line
man Pat Cunningham with the Indi
anapolis Colts.
Americans steamed at Italians Dallas’ Johnson claims Cowboys
LeMond pulls within seconds of lead flt ’ read y for successful season
BORDEAUX, France (AP) —Just when things got a
little flat at the Tour de France Thursday, it began to
heat up.
In temperatures of 104 degrees over a 125-mile
straightaway course from Pau to Bordeaux, Greg LeM
ond remained five seconds behind Italy’s Claudio
Chiappucci in the overall standings with just three
stages to go.
Eric Breukink of the Netherlands snuck past 1988
champion Pedro Delgado into third when he came in
second in the 18th of 21 stages. Gianni Bugno of Italy
won in a sprint finish with 147 of the remaining 157 cy
clists.
Bugno crossed in 5 hours, 41 minutes, 33 seconds,
averaging a leisurely 22 mph.
LeMond was placed 32nd while Chiappucci was just
three slots ahead, but both finished 19 seconds behind
Bugno.
There is another flat stage on Friday before the fire
works start on Saturday in the time trial by Lac Vassi-
viere.
But the' bad words started off the course when
Chiacppucci responded to LeMond’s accusations about
the Italian’s behavior in the pack on Wednesday.
LeMond had a flat tire in the 17th stage and dropped
back to change wheels. Race ethics usually call for the
pack to slow down and not take advatage of the situa
tion.
But Delgado’s teammates attacked and took Chiap
pucci along.
“I was sure that they went faster because of it,” LeM
ond said. “When I got back I told Chiappucci that I
wouldn’t forget this.”
LeMond returned to the pack aided by a relay system
from members of his team, pacing the defending
champ and acting as windshields.
By the finish, the only thing LeMond lost was respect
for Delgado and Chiappucci.
AUSTIN (AP)—Jimmy Johnson
admits his life is winning football
games. It’s taken him a year to get
over his last less-than-enjoyable sea
son.
But his batteries are recharged af
ter his disastrous 1-15 NFL rookie
season that shook the energetic
Johnson’s legendary confidence.
“We made some mistakes,” John
son said.“We didn’t know the talent
base was that bad. It wasn’t fun.”
Johnson added “I haven’t hurt as
much in my life. It was as difficult a
year as I’ve ever had in my life.”
Personal problems also coincided
with Johnson’s professional prob
lems in 1989. Johnson and his wife,
Linda Kay, were divorced.
A drained Johnson studied the
Rose slapped with prison, $50,000 fine
Friends recall ‘Rosy’past
CINCINNATI (AP) — The peo-
le with whom Pete Rose spent his
0 years in baseball preferred on
Thursday to recall Rose the player
rather than Rose the admitted tax
evader.
On the day Rose received a five-
month prison term and additional
penalties for failing to report his
earnings from sales of his memora
bilia, the reaction was perhaps best
stated by Dallas Green, Rose’s man
ager on the 1980 World Series
Champion Philadelphia Phillies.
“I think we’re all saddened by
what happened to him,” Green said.
“I remember Pete Rose the base
ball player. When he put on a uni
form there wasn’t a player more
dedicated. He played every inning
with everything he had. AH of us
make decisions in life and we have to
live with them. He made decisions
that took him down the wrong
path.”
Added Phillies president Bill
Giles: “He will always be remem
bered as one of the greatest players
in baseball history.”
The sentence, which also includes
three months in a halfway house,
1,000 hours of community service
and a $50,000 fine, hardly came as a
surprise. Last Aug. 24, Rose was
banned from baseball for life by late
commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti
for gambling on sporting events.
“The only thing I’ll say about Pete
Rose is that he’s the greatest compet
itor I’ve ever managed. This in no
way will ever change my feelings
about him as a ballplayer. In my
heart, he’s a Hall of Earner,” said De
troit’s Sparky Anderson, who also
managed Cincinnati’s “Big Red Ma
chine” which won consecutive world
titles in 1975 and 1976 with a cast
that included Rose.
“It’s unfortunate it had to hap
pen,” Boston general manager Lou
Gorman said.
CINCINNATI (AP) — Pete Rose
was sentenced Thursday to five
months in prison and fined $50,000
by a judge who drew a distinction be
tween two Pete Roses — the baseball
legend and the tax cheat.
Baseball’s all-time hits leader also
was ordered to spend an additional
three months in a halfway house and
to perform 1,000 hours of commu
nity service with inner-city youths
during his year of probation.
The former Cincinnati manager,
who played for the Reds and the
Philadelphia Phillies, expressed
shame over his conviction on two
counts of failing to report more than
$354,000 in income.
His voice broke when he told the
judge his 5-year-old son, Tyler, had
told his wife that “daddy is a jail
bird.”
Rose earned the undeclared in
come from selling baseball memora
bilia, signing autographs and gam
bling. He already has been banned
from major league baseball for his
gambling, the activity that could cost
him an otherwise certain place in
baseball’s Hall of Fame.
In his sentencing, U.S. District
Judge S. Arthur Spiegel referred re
peatedly to Rose’s status as one of
the greatest of all American sports
heroes. Rose had 4,256 hits in his 24-
season major league career.
“Foremost, we must recognize
that there are two people here: Pete
Rose, the living legend, the all-time
hit leader and the idol of millions;
and Pete Rose, the individual who
appears today convicted of two
counts of cheating on his taxes,”
Spiegel said. “Today we are not deal
ing with the legend.”
Spiegel later added, “When one
commits a crime, he must be pun
ished.”
The judge could have sentenced
Rose to six years in prison and a
$500,000 fine.
Spiegel allowed Rose to remain
free until Aug. 10, so that he may
have surgery to repair torn cartilage
in his right knee. At that time, Rose
is expected to report to a brand new,
minimum-security federal prison in
Ashland, Ky.
Despite his injury. Rose walked
into the courtroom without crutches.
He was accompanied by his wife,
Carol, and a team of lawyers.
A few fans in the back of the
courtroom applauded briefly when
Rose entered.
Rose was contrite in his statement
to the judge. “Your honor, I’d like to
say I’m very sorry, very shameful to
be here today in front of you,” he
said. “I have no excuses because it’s
all my fault.”
“I hope no one has to go through
what I went through the last year
and a half,” he said. “I lost my dig
nity, I lost my self respect... and I al
most lost a lot of dear friends.”
Rose didn’t speak as he left the
courtroom, but his spokeswoman,
Barbara Pinzka, issued a statement.
“I accept my punishment and
have no plans to appeal,” the
statement said. “I will serve my sen
tence, pay my debt to society and get
on with my life.”
The sentencing culminated 18
months in which Rose’s baseball ca
reer unraveled.
Dallas Cowboys problems in the off
season and decided the primary
problem was lack of speed. He has
added speed at every position.
“I believe we can win with the
players we have,” Johnson said. “I
believe we can have a winning sea
son. I personally will not be happy
unless we win more games than we
lose. That’s my makeup.”
There are only 28 players left
from last season in a massive turn
over of former coach Tom Landry’s
personnel.
Owner Jerry Jones said don’t
laugh at Johnson’s vision of an over
.500 season.
“I believe this is where you’ll see
Jimmy Johnson at his best,” Jones
said . “He’s had tough times before
and always excelled. He has the in
tellect of a heart surgeon.”
Johnson said the 1989 season
which included only a victory over
the Washington Redskins was hard
to swallow.
“We were frustrated because we
wanted things to happen sooner
than it was happening.” Johnson
said.“But we don’t want to forget the
hurt and disappointment of losing.
That’s what drives you to win. That’s
why I was upset after last season. I
don’t like to lose.”
Johnson brought the Miami Hur
ricanes a national championship in
1987 and was 52-9 at the school in
five seasons. He said became accus
tomed to winning.
“I won’t be happy this year unless
we win more than we lose,” Johnson
said. “Last year we knew it was going
to be an uphill battle. This year we
have a realistic chance to win. We’ve
had a major improvement in talent
over a year ago.”
Johnson said last year’s team had
so many newcomers because of in
jury, trades, and waiver wire pickups
that “we were playing sandlot ball
because the receivers didn’t know
the plays.”
Johnson said “We never quit but
we weren’t really a team. We were a
ragknot group.”
He has whipped his leftover
“ragknots” into shape in the off-sea
son, holding more minicamps than
any team in the NFL. A rebuilt in
door training facility and a new
weight training coach, Mike Woicik
of Syracuse, has the team in top con
dition. “One of the reasons I feel so
good about this season is because
Mike has joined us,” Johnson said.
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