Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 29, 1990)
2? ^Sllhe Battalion PORTS ednesday, August 29,1990 Tennis’ bad boy all grown up for U.S. Open play H e used to be the number one tennis player in the world. He was famous for throwing temper tantrums and making a line judges’ life a living hell over a close call. In his prime he was practically unbeatable and unbearable. Looking like a cross between Axl Rose and Krusty the Klown, a 31-year- old John McEnroe is struggling to keep that once shining tennis career afloat at the U.S. Open. McEnroe, a four-time winner of the Open, received a confidence boost by defeating Javier Sanchez in straight sets in Tuesday’s first round Open action. Wearing a bandana and sun block on his face to protect from the intense heat, McEnroe survived tie breakers in both of the first two sets, advancing to a second- round match with Swede David Engel. McEnroe’s last tournament victory came in 1989 when he was ranked fourth in the world —his highest ranking since 1985. Last year he departed the Open in the second round and in January, he was expelled from the Australian Open for abusive behavior. However, it’s been six years since McEnroe’s last victory at the U.S. Open, and this summer he’s suffered through some quite humiliating defeats. In June, McEnroe was ousted from Wimbledon — the tournament that earned him the most notoriety — in straight sets. “McBrat,” as he was called by the English press for his tirades of See Pils/Page 11 Sports Editor Aggies face tough Hawaii trip Battalion file photo by Mike C. Mulvey A&M football coach R.C. Slocum said the team may be sluggish after today’s eight-hour flight to Honolulu to prepare for Saturday’s game against Hawaii. By RICHARD TIJERINA Of The Battalion Staff Somewhere in a Baytown office, Jackie Sherrill may be sitting in his chair, smiling. In College Station, R.C. Slocum sits in his, worrying about a weekend trip to Hono lulu. Slocum’s Aggies open their season this weekend by traveling to Hawaii, where the Rainbows were 9-0-1 last year at Aloha Sta dium. Slocum said Tuesday that he was less than enthused about taking his team all the way to Hawaii just to play a football game. It wasn’t his idea. Sherrill pushed for the game two years ago when he was still the Aggies’ head coach and athletic director. A&M was 1-6 in season openers under Sherrill. Although A&M beat Louisiana State in the opener last year in Slocum’s first as coach, it did so at home. The team will take a two-hour bus ride to Houston early Wednesday morning, then catch an eight-hour plane ride to Hawaii. A five-hour time difference exists between Honolulu and College Station. “Jackie must have known something I don’t,” Slocum said. “If we were playing a mullet team, I wouldn’t worry so much about those things. “But we’re banged up, and we’re playing a very good team in their home stadium. We’re having to work like devils to get the re.” The Aggies were all smiles before mak ing their first road trip last year. After beat ing LSU 28-16, A&M headed to Seattle to take on Washington. Slocum promised to show the team the “bright lights and the big city” in the days before the game. He took the team sightseeing to Puget Sound. A&M lost the game on national tele vision, 19-6. The team is planning to visit Pearl Har bor and the National Military Cemetary, but defensive lineman John Miller said the Aggies aren’t expecting much of a Ha waiian tour this year. “Coach Slocum has told us that whenever he takes us somewhere, he wants to take us to some local places for the culture,” Miller said. “We did that last year in Seattle, and I think we lost focus of the game. But this year, I think it’s going to help more than anything. “With this being our first game, we’ll be so up for going out and playing. It’ll be no problem.” It might be up to the upperclassmen to show the team how to take care of business this weekend, safety Larry Horton said. “We’ve got a lot of mature guys and we know why we’re going down there,” Horton said. “We won’t be tense or anything. We’re focused, and we’re not going to take the same attitude we did when we went to Washington. This game is very important for us to win.” It could be crucial for the 13th-ranked Aggies as the season progresses, although Slocum dismisses any talk of national cham pionships. A&M’s home schedule is soft, and must play Southwest Conference pow ers Arkansas, Texas and Houston on the road. But the Aggies have won their last two games against the Cougars in the Astro dome and their last three games at the Longhorns’ Memorial Stadium. A&M hasn’t beaten Arkansas in Fayetteville since 1967. “This could set the tone for the whole season,” Miller said. “Hawaii is a great team in Hawaii. They take advantage of teams that go out there just wanting to see Hawaii and take their minds off the game.” Slocum’s not taking any chances of that. With an open date next weekend before hosting Southwestern Louisiana, he said the last thing he wants is his team mulling over a loss to Hawaii for two weeks before playing again. “I spent the whole summer with people going, ‘Oh, boy, y’all are going to Hawaii!,’ and all that stuff,” Slocum said. “I promise you if we win the game Saturday night then I might relax for a moment. “This will be a tough trip for the coaches — we’ve got 80 guys that we’re going to be trying to maneuver through Honolulu for three or four days before you play a ball- game.” Offensive lineman Mike Arthur said al though the team will enjoy the trip to the beach, they won’t forget their trip to the field Saturday. “We’re not going to worry so much about having fun,” Arthur said. “We’re not there for a vacation, we’re there for a game.” And that’s exactly what the team didn’t See Trip/Page 11 Ebenhad side his . x<y oiu.v $$$$$ AGGIE BUCKS Nadja Sabawala 845-2688 UT defense ready for ’90 AUSTIN (AP) — Texas middle line backer Brian Jones sat on a golf cart, recu perating from 2‘/2 hours of practice in 100- plus degree heat, and recalled the slogan Longhorns’ Coach David McWilHams came up with in spring training: Whatever It Takes. Jones knows the rest of the sentence is: to finish better than the 1989 record of 5-6. And to win a bowl game — something the once-proud Longhorns have done only twice in 10 years. With that in mind, Jones, a 6-3, 238- pound senior from Lubbock Dunbar, has taken McWilliams’ motto and added to it. “Some of the guys and I have expanded it to ‘By Any Means Necessary,’ which is taken from Malcom X,” Jones said. “They both pretty much mean the same thing. If it takes practicing in 106-degree heat, then that’s what it takes.” The current Longhorn defense has shown signs that it may have the heart of the old Texas teams, which dominated opponents in the 1960sand 1970s. The contemporary Texas defense blitzed often and successfully during an intrasquad scrimmage on Saturday, coming up with 12 sacks and dominating the offense. After that performance, defensive end Oscar Giles reflected the mood in the Texas defensive camp. “I was proud of our defensive lineman, linebackers and secondary,” said Giles, a 6- 3, 246-pound senior from Palacios. “Every series seemed like three-and-out.” Giles also believes in the “Whatever It Takes” philosophy. “We were saying that all last spring,” he said. “I can’t really say where it came from, but it’s within us and it is going to stay within us. It’s a team deal and a personal deal.” Jones and Giles tied for the team lead in sacks last year, seven apiece. This year, Jones said, “I want to be in double figures in sacks, have 150 tackles, at least three interceptions and cause at least five fumbles. If I do that, we will win every game.” “I really shouldn’t even consider those goals,” said Jones, who led the team with 108 tackles last season and recovered one fumble. “That’s just my job.” IS [ice ;ion The Ju stice shon rm Oct. I h time be- David H. firmatiou. JZn ft-ggiz ‘Tradition Don’t be caught without them! AGGIE BUCK 100’s (increments of $100) or AGGIE EXPRESS(^2 75) Si dollar is a dollar except zufen it comes to convenience. Students, Faculty and Staff say goodbye to cash. ‘E < MjO<y debit card convenience campus ivide! g,” said i ittee aidt st date fa ST ' S noiui- a full * tart of fa to repta i, whore ealthrea- thejudgt iis no®- full Sen- :t. 8. )emocrat! oniniititf 'ore Sept >nlythr« Ians for 1 mony fa elved' M -1 Siccepted at Commons andSlisa Efining Centers and these other [ocations: Food Court Cafeterias Snack Bars Markets AgCaFe Bernie’s Place The Common Market Memorial Student Center Bus Stop Snack Bar The Underground Market (MSC Cafeteria) Common Denominator Pie Are Square Golf Course Snack Bar Underground Food Court The Pavillion Snack Bar Humours Vet Snack Bar Zachry 7 t aggie bucks at the TEXAS A&M BOOKSTORE and “Billy Mac's at the dtirport It’s ‘Easy! Eurchase an originalSIQQIE account at four locations: Aggie Bucks Food Services Office in the basement ofsbisa Efining Center Memorial Student Center (MSC) Cafeteria Common Market in Commons Complex and through Registration Process (For additional information contact: r Te?(as SL&lM food Services 845-S421