SWC rejects
Tulane;
smart move
Jayme Blasctike
Sports Editor
Believe it or not, it finally hap
pened.
After nearly a decade of incompe-
tant leadership, the Southwest Con
ference has finally done something in
telligent.
Maybe that's too strong a
statement. In all honesty, they merely
resisted the temptation to do some
thing stupid.
The presidents of the eight SWC
member schools rejected Tulane's bid
to join the 77 year old conference
Monday, thus rebelling against the
wishes of SWC commissioner Fred Ja
coby. Approval from six of the eight
SWC schools was necessary for Tu-
lane's admission, and conference offi
cials indicate the vote wasn't even
close.
This could actually mean the SWC
has a future, afterall.
Fred Jacoby has lobbied hard for the
admittance of Tulane in the confer
ence, presenting them as a replace
ment for Arkansas.
Tulane — a school whose football
team's claim to fame is their annual
come-from-behind victory over Rice
each season, whose basketball team
plays in a worse (and smaller) arena
than G. Rollie White Coliseum, and
whose student body is smaller than
half the schools in the conference.
The only things Tulane brings to the
SWC is the New Orleans television
market and high academic standards.
Unfortunately, Rice can testify that
academics don't balance the bank ac
count, and if the New Orleans tele
vision market was so valuable, you
can bet the Southeastern Conference
would have already snatched that
plum.
A replacement for Arkansas indeed.
If Tulane were let in, why not let in
Tulsa, also? They've said they would
make an excellent addition to the
SWC, and apparently that's all Jacoby
needs to hear.
Unless, of course, the school hap
pens to be a national power.
Some sports fans may have heard of
a land called Oklahoma, where foot
ball is nearly as exciting as that in
Texas, basketball is more than a cu
riosity, and baseball is played reli
giously. Oklahoma has no television
markets, but theyalso don't have any
professional sports teams, so the two
main schools, Oklahoma University
and Oklahoma State, have excellent
attendance at their games.
In the weeks following Arkansas'
departure, the athletic director at Ok
lahoma stated publicly several times
that the Sooners were not satisfied
with the situation in the Big 8 Confer
ence, and would be interested in re
joining the SWC since Arkansas had
left. Although Oklahoma State's ath
letic director said the Cowboys did not
share OU's feelings, many felt the Ok
lahoma schools would stick together if
one decided to go conference hop
ping.
Commissioner Jacoby's response?
He said it wouldn't be ethical to talk to
schools that belonged to other confer
ences, even as the Big 8 began calling
up Texas Tech.
When Arkansas threatened to
leave, the SWC sat on it's hands.
When basketball was becoming a
multi-million dollar sport, the confer
ence ignored it. The conference broke
recruiting rules during the 80's, and
paid for it. Now, finally, with the re
jection of Tulane, it appears the mem
ber schools have woken from their de
cade-long slumber and are demanding
real solutions to real problems.
Hopefully they'll find the solutions,
but Tulane isn't it.
' Richard S. James
Dr. Dick Respess, president of Texas World Speedway, explains some of the construction going on at the racetrack. Despite recent
heavy rains and unfavorable weather, construction is expected to be completed by June 15.
Texas World Speedway celebrates reopening
By Richard S. James
The Battalion
Local officials, heads of motorsports
sanctioning bodies, and racing drivers
got a firsthand look at the reconstruction
of Texas World Speedway at its official
reopening Monday afternoon.
Reconstruction of the track six miles
south of College Station continues in pre-
f iaration for the first weekend of racing
uly 6 and 7. The first races will feature
the SCCA's Escort World Challenge se
ries for production-based cars.
Dr. Dick Respess, president of Texas
World Speedway, said the track is cur
rently undergoing phase one reconstruc
tion, which includes the racing surface,
the fans' comforts, and the corporate
amenities.
Respess said construce sky boxes, the
pit road suites and the 1500-seat speed
way club will be complete in time for the
first race.
Final paving of the track was expected
to begin Tuesday, Respess said, and will
take about 12 days to complete. The pav
ing is being overseen by Clarence Cagle,
who has worked on many major race
tracks including the Indianapolis Motor
Speedway
Although Respess said the track will be
ready well ahead of the grand opening in
July, others are not so sure. Bob Ander
son, head of SCCA Pro Racing, said he is
worried whether the track will be func
tional in time for the first race.
"We're concerned, but will monnitor
the situation," Anderson said. "We'll will
be back next week to check on the pro
gress."
Anderson said he thinks the overall
design of the road course is acceptable,
but said anytime a road course is put in
side of an oval, the road course is com
promised.
"This is showbusiness," Anderson
said. "To be able to have a full course
that's viewable from the grandstands is a
great asset these days."
The inside course is replacing the
three-mile road course that incorporated
half oi the oval and extended out of the
infield. ... . *
Doc Bundy, driver for the LotuSport
racing team which will compete in the
World Challenge series at the track in
July, also is happy with the new layout.
"It'll be a chaflenge," Bundy said. "We
race street circuits, so it doesn't matter
what the layout is as long as there's room
to race, and obviously there will be. It
looks like we're going to generate really
good speed too, and I like high speed."
The high speeds should make for a
good show for the race fans, and many
changes are being made to better acco
modate them, Respess said. He espe
cially hopes to target the students at
Texas A&M.
"We want the local residents to come
out, and one thing that was not done
very well in the past was reaching the
students," he said. "The students
weren't attracted because the prices were
too high."
Respess said there will be discounts for
students.
Texas World Speedway currently has
four events scheduled for 1991. The first
event is the SCCA races in July with the
Escort World Challenge series, the
Truckguard/Shellzone series for mini
pickups, and the American City Racing
League which features open-cockpit rac-
ingcars.
The July lineup will be followed by the
American Motorcyclist Association Na
tional Road Race Series August 9-11 and
the ARCA 500-kilometer stock car race
September 21-22. The World Challenge
and Racetruck series will return to the
speedway as support races for the season
fmale of the Liquid Tide Trans-Am Tour
October 18-20.
Baseball
signings add
depth to Ags
From staff and wire reports
Texas A&M Head Baseball Coach Mark
Johnson announced the signing of 15
baseball recruits Tuesday.
"We are veiy pleased with this class,"
Johnson said. "They are a quality
group."
Noting the recent concern over aca
demics, Johnson said the recruits would
perform in the classroom as well as on
the field.
"They'll have the opportunity to earn
their degrees at A&M," he said. "We feel
like each one has that goal."
Johnson said the upcoming minor
league draft was a concern. In past years,
several recruits have passed up A&M to
turn pro.
"We'll have to see what happens with
the draft," he said. "Some of these play
ers will be drafted."
Texas A&M Baseball Signees
NAME Pos Ht Wt Class
Barber, Paul INF 5-11 175 Frosh
Queen City (High)
Carroll, David LHP 6-1 185 Frosh
Fairfax, VA (Chantilly HS)
Casey, Robert RHP 6-2 190 Sr-TR
Bryan (High/Hardin Simmons)
Claybrook, Steve OF 6-0 165 Frosh
Robstown (Calallen HS)
Clemons, Chris RHP 6-4 200 Frosh
MacGregor (High)
Curl, John OF 6-2 185 Frosh
Logansport, IN (High)
Estes, Jay IB/OF 6-2 175 Sr-TR
Abilene (Cooper/Hardin Simmons)
Fowler, Jared INF/C 6-0 180 Frosh
Everett, WA (High)
Gonzales, Eric INF/OF 5-4 160 Jr/TR
Robstown (High/Southmost JC)
Keller, John C 6-0 185 Jr-TR
Blinn JC
Lewis, Robert C 5-11 180 Jr-TR
Rolling Hills, CA (LA Harbor JC)
McIntyre, Spencer LHP 6-1 175 So- TR
Calgary, Can. (Indian Hills JC)
Minor, David RHP/OF 5-11 200 Frosh
Brazoswood (High)
Moore, Trey LHP/IB 6-0 185 Frosh
Keller (High)
Sherwood, Matt RHP 6-2 215 Jr-TR
Abilene (Cooper/Blinn JC)
’•'Miller, Matt C 6-2 205 Frosh
San Diego, CA (Mt. Carmel)
^Signed football scholarship, but will
also play baseball.
Lakers looking for second win
CHICAGO (AP) — The Los Angeles
Lakers believe they have the poise, talent
and experience to win again Wednesday
night, in front of the boisterous crowd at
Chicago Stadium.
The Chicago Bulls saw their league-re
cord 15-game playoff home winning
streak snapped Sunday, when the Lakers
won Game 1 of the Finals 93-91.
The Lakers are 5-2 on the road in the
postseason.
"We know that no one in the crowd
can come on the floor and do something
to us, so it's what the teams do on the
court," James Worthy said. "Our mental
preparation to play on the road is the
key.
"The nucleus of the team, the core of
us, knows what to expect. We try to use
the hostile crowd as an incentive. The sit
uation is not foreign to us."
The most experienced Los Angeles
layers — Magic Johnson, Worthy and
yron Scott — learned a lot about playing
on the road in three Finals against the
Boston Celtics and the mystique of Bos
ton Garden.
"The building doesn't make the
game," Worthy said. "The fans and at
mosphere make the game. Some of the
most fun games are on the road."
Vlade Divac, the Lakers' second-year
center from Yugoslavia, is playing in his
first Finals, but said European basketball
prepared him for places like Chicago Sta
dium.
"The crowds in Europe are crazier than
here," Divac said. "They throw every
thing on the floor there, even chairs.
Winning on the road is easier here, even
in Chicago."
"We've been successful on the road be
cause we're totally focused," guard By
ron Scott said. "We don't listen to any
one saying what we can and can't do on
the other team's floor."
Magic Johnson had 19 points, 11 as
sists and 10 rebounds in the opener.
"As a point guard, I have to control the
situation more on the road," Johnson
said. "Every turnover, every possession,
is more important on the road because
every mistake is magnified by the crowd.
Since I'm the leader of the team, I have to
remember all those things."
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