Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 13, 1995)
Monday November 13, 1995 The Battalion Sports At a Glance Sports Briefs Volleyball team rolls over Rice in three games Senior outside hitter Andrea Williams led Texas A&M with 9 kills to a 16-14, 15-9, 15-8 win over Rice Saturday at Autry Court in Houston. Senior setter Suzy Wente quar terbacked the Lady Aggies to the win with a match-high 50 assists on the night. The win moved A&M to 20-5 on the year including 8-2 in the South west Conference. Rice dropped to 19- 10 overall and 4-6 in SWC action. Also contributing for the Lady Aggies were sophomore outside hit ter Kristie Smedsrud, who totalled 14 kills and 11 digs, and freshman outside hitter Stacy Sykora who compiled 10 kills and a match-high 17 digs. Top Oklahoma recruit Evans signs with A&M Tracy Evans of Tulsa, Okla. has signed a national letter of intent to compete for the 1996-97 Texas A&M Women's Swimming Team. A seven-time high school All- American, Evans has earned three varsity letters at lenks High School. Last spring, Evans was honored as Oklahoma's Swimmer of the Year. A freestyle specialist, Evans will be a welcome addition to a Lady Aggie team which will lose senior sprinters Deanean Knapp and Julie Bates, a twosome which ranks among the top freestylers to come through the A&M program. Soccer team rolls past Clemson, 4-1 Stew Milne, The Battalion Texas A&M sophomore midfielder Sonia Ibanez moves the ball Sunday against Clemson in the Aggies' 4-1 win. □ The Aggies will play SWC ri val SMU on Saturday in Dallas in a second-round NCAA Tour nament game. By Philip Leone The Battalion In the program’s first-ever playoff match, the Texas A<&M Soccer Team defeated Clemson 4-1 Sunday after noon before 672 fans at the Aggie Soccer Complex. Junior forward Kristin Koop gave the Aggies the quick lead five minutes into the match with a sliding goal off a well- placed pass from junior midfielder Jamie Czimadia. Koop credited Czimadia’s ef fort in getting her the ball in good posi tion to score her 20th goal of the season. “Jamie really did all the work on that one,” Koop said. “She worked the ball around to beat her defender and gave me a good pass, and I just ran as hard as I could to beat the keeper to the ball. Jamie just did an awesome job on that play.” With the score 1-0 in favor of A&M for much of the first half, Clemson’s sopho more midfielder Lisa Mansberry tied the match with a goal in the game’s 28th minute. Less than five minutes lat er, however, A&M’s junior forward Yvette Okler scored to answer for the Lady Aggies. Okler took a crossing pass from junior midfielder Kim Duda and fought off two Clemson defenders to slip a shot passed the goalkeeper. Okler took a series of hard blows from surrounding defenders on the play and was somewhat fuzzy in describing the goal after the contest. “I really don’t remember it,” Okler said. “I remember going hard toward the goal and then the ball popping out to Duda who fed me the crossing pass. I can’t remember playing the ball. I’m just glad that it got into the net.” After taking a 2-1 lead into halftime, A&M’s lead was quickly increased when Okler registered her second goal of the game two minutes into the second peri od.The goal came when Okler knocked in a rebound shot after sophomore forward Bryn Blalack’s scoring attempt hit the top bar of the goal. A&M was able to hold Clemson score less the entire second half with superb play in the goal box from Sunny McConnell, who was aided by equally ef fective play from the speedy Aggie defense. Freshman forward Nicole Shook wrapped up A&M’s scoring on the day with an insurance goal with 1:11 left in the match to bring the final score tq 4-1. After the defeat, Clemson Head Coach Tracey Leone said she was impressed with A&M’s offensive attack and felt positive about A&M’s chances in the playoffs. “A&M scored a lot of goals in different ways — on restarts, on corner kicks, and with a varied attack,” Leone said. “I think they have a very good chance of advancing farther in the tournament be cause of the talent that they possess on their front three. They’re a very, very dangerous.” Advancing farther in the NCAA tour nament will be a difficult task for the Aggies, who are scheduled to face the Southwest Conference Champions of Southern Methodist University on Nov. 16 in Dallas. SMU, 21-0-1 on the season, beat the Aggies once in the regular season and again in a hard-fought conference cham pionship game a week ago. Despite his squad’s lack of success against the Lady Mustangs, A&M Head Coach G. Guerrieri believes Sun day’s win over Clemson gives the Lady Aggies a boost of confidence going into the next round. “SMU has been to the tournament probably four times, and they still haven’t won a game,” Guerrieri said. “We have won a game, and I think that gives us a little bit of confidence going in the game.” When asked about A&M chances against SMU, Guerrieri’s All-SWC for ward Bryn Blalack responded with the same sort of optimism. “Third time’s a charm,” Blalack said. Sports Roundup nfl SF 49ers 38, Cowboys 20 Bengals 32, Oilers 25 NBA Spurs 84, Cavaliers 81 AP Top 25 Poll 1. Nebraska(45) 2. OhioSt.O 2) 3. Florida(5) 4. Tennessee 5. Northwestern 6. FloridaSt. 7. KansasSt. 8. NotreDame 9. Colorado 10. Texas 11. SouthernCal 12. Michigan 13. Virginia 14. Arkansas 15. Kansas 16. Oregon 1 7. Alabama 18. TexasA&M 19. PennSt. 20. VirginiaTech 21. Auburn 22. Washington 23. Syracuse 24. Clemson 25. Miami Record Pts 10-0-0 1,530 10-0-0 1,476 9-0-0 1,458 8-1-0 1,350 9-1-0 1,295 8,1 -0 1,239 9-1-0 1,172 8-2-0 1,105 8-2-0 963 7-1-1 950 8-1-1 885 8-2-0 772 8-3-0 743 8-2-0 725 8-2-0 685 8-2-0 649 8-2-0 617 6-2-0 521 6-3-0 438 8-2-0 413 7-3-0 405 6-3-1 275 7-2-0 147 7-3-0 122 6-3-0 53 Upcoming Events Men's Basketball The Men's Basketball Team will take on the Melbourne Magic in an exhibition game at G. Rollie White Coliseum tonight at 7 o'clock. Aggie Soccer The Aggie Soccer Team travels to Dallas Saturday to take on the Mus tangs of Southern Methodist Univer sity in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Lady Aggie Volleyball The A&M Volleyball Team travels to San Marcos to take on Southwest Texas State University Tuesday night in non-conference action. The team travels to Houston on Saturday to compete in the SWC Tournament. Lady Aggie Basketball The Lady Aggies host the preseason National Invitational Tournament beginning Wednesday with a game against Lamar at 7 p.m. Aggie Football The Aggies play host to Middle Ten nessee State Saturday at Kyle Field. Agent Steinberg ponders draft, agents □ Leigh Steinberg will talk to students at 1 p.m. today at Rudder Theater. By Kristina Buffin The Batt alion He was living in the dorm at Boalt Hall School of Law on the U.C. Berkeley campus in the early 1970s when members of the freshman football team moved into his dorm. There he met former Atlanta Falcon quar terback Steve Bartkowski. Bartkowski had a favor for his friend, sports agent and lawyer Leigh Steinberg. “He was the 1975 first round draft pick, took one year off from school and then came back and asked me to represent him,” Steinberg said. “I was just brim ming with law experience, and we ended up signing the biggest contract for a rookie.” Steinberg negotiated a record- breaking $600,000 contract for Bartkowski, the largest NFL contract until San Francisco 49er Steve Young’s 1993 con tract of $26.5 million became the largest contract in NFL history. He also negotiated the largest seven-year contract at $50 mil lion for Cowboy Troy Aikman. Today at Rudder Theatre, from 1-3 p.m., Steinberg will be speaking to business law stu dents and the general student body on his thoughts about sports business in the 1990s. Steinberg not only represents football players but professional baseball, basketball and hockey players as well. Players such as Texas Ranger Will Clark, San Francisco Giant Matt Williams, and New York Knicks Greg An thony and John Starks have em ployed his services. A problem that often alien ates many fans from profession al sports is the exorbitant salaries that athletes receive. As an agent that has garnered some of the biggest contracts in sports, Steinberg has received some of the blame but said it is all about economics. “Sports is an entertainment business,” Steinberg said. “In the entertainment industry no body is disturbed when Tom Cruise and Jim Carrey earn $20 million for a film. It is because they see sports as just a game. ” Since Steinberg deals with athletes fresh from college, he, along with other agents, have had to be careful with NCAA regulations that seem to be plaguing colleges this year. For example, TCU’s Andre Davis was suspended for alledgedly ac cepting insurance from an agent. “Everyone shares in the blame,” Steinberg said. “The coaches are pretty aggressive in preventing things like this from happening. Texas athletes are the best protected because of a Texas state regulatory law. The agent is punished as well. On the whole, higher round athletes are better screened than ever.” The question most popular on the A&M campus lately has been whether or not running back Leeland McElroy will enter the draft after this season. Steinberg said that McElroy will go high in the draft this year or after his senior year. “He’ll be picked right at the top of any draft,” Steinberg said. “It’s a personal choice for him whether or not he leaves after this year, but he is a top of the draft player. It’s a choice of short- or long-term economics and whether or not he wants to finish his college education. It’s an individual choice, but other players that have gone early in the draft have not have had problems.” In addition to representing athletes in contract negotiations, Steinberg has become involved in the now prevalent issue of sports franchises moving from town to town. He helped lead the effort to keep the San Francisco Gi ants from moving to Tampa/St. Petersburg and was the co- chairman of the “Save the Rams” committee. “Teams that move precipi tously undercut fan loyalty,” Steinberg said. “When the NFL refuses to enforce its own rule it opens the floodgate. “It can’t be good for pro sports. The loyalty to fans and the fact that they’ll always be there and the heritage of the team that has been passed down through families. The commis sioner has to step in, or every city will experience a loss.” One thing that Steinberg emphasizes over everything else is the idea of athletes giv ing back to the community. Athletes that he represents are involved in their community and national charities. “I grew up with a dad that worked on a human relations commission and taught me my purpose was to make an impact and help make this a nicer world,” Steinberg said. “Working with athletes, everything else material fades. I want to estab lish the feeling that I will only work with athletes that retrace their roots.” Aggies take first, second at Invitational Staff and Wire Reports The Texas A&M Women’s ! ; Swimming Team won the | ; 1995 Reveille Invitational this | ; weekend at the Student i Recreational Center Natatori- j ; um while the men’s team fin- ! ished second. The field included the Uni- I : versity of Texas, Rice Univer- ; ; sity, the University of I ; Arkansas, the University of I ; Houston and Southern : I Methodist University. The I8th-ranked women’s ; ; team finished with 821.50 | : points, besting No.3 Texas by ! ; 58.5 points. On the men’s side, seventh- } ranked SMU won with 1,149 ' : points, followed by A&M, No. i 4 Texas, Rice and Arkansas. On Friday, A&M sopho- | ■ more Stacie Karnes won the i women's 500-yard freestyle | with a season best time of ; : 4:52.89. The women’s 200- ' I yard medley relay team added j ; another first place finish with ; a time of 1:47.49. On Saturday, the women | continued their winning ways | by adding another four first ; place finishes. Freshman ; Tammy Lee took first in the : 100-yard backstroke with a ; time of 58:19, while sopho- ; more Danee Mastagni scored i a victory in the 100-yard | breaststroke (1:05.09). Lee and Mastagni paired i up with Karnes and senior ; : Denean Knapp to win the | 400-yard medley relay with a i time of 3:51.82. Mastagni, ; Karnes and Knapp also com- | bined with senior Julie Bates ; to take first in the day’s final i event, the 800-yard freestyle ; relay. “I’m really proud of every- i body on this team,” A&M ; Head Women’s Swimming i Coach Don Wagner said. I “Every kid out here this week- ; end swam 15 events in three | days, and they did it with the ! greatest of attitudes.” Saturday was successful ; for the men as well. Senior Scott DeWolf finished first in the 200-yard butterfly while ; junior Robb Pantano finished second to 1996 Olympic hope- i ful Ryan Berube of SMU in the 100-yard backstroke. A&M also scored second place finishes in all three relays ; (200-yard freestyle, 400-yard medley, and the 800-yard freestyle). End of the Road: An Oiler fan faces the inevitable O nce, a long time ago, I could walk the streets of this town wearing Houston Oil ers apparel without being laughed at. That was before the Buddy Ryan-Kevin Gilbride fiasco, the utter collapse that was the 1994 season and the negotiations to move the team to Nashville, Tenn. This week, Oilers’ owner Bud Adams is almost certain to sign the papers that will move the team to Nashville for the 1998 sea son. The shock of it all has finally hit me — the only pro football team I’ve ever rooted for is leaving my hometown for good. It sounds stupid that I have just reached this realization because it has been general ly accepted that the Oilers would move since the initial rumblings began in late July. Adams has now moved past former As tros’ owner John McMullen as the worst pro fessional sports franchise owner to ever smell up the Bayou City. Sure, McMullen took away Nolan Ryan, Jose Cruz and the exploding scoreboard — but he never took the Astros out of the Astrodome. All this time I figured something magical would happen, maybe Mattress Mac from Gallery Furniture would swoop down from I- 45 North between Tidwell and Parker and kick in the money needed to build the new stadium that Bud Adams requires. Either that or the “Luv Ya Blue” team from the late 1970s — you know Bum Phillips, Earl Campbell, Carl Mauch, Robert Brazille and Billy “White Shoes” Johnson — would rise from retirement like the Ghosts of Houston Past and haunt Adams until he saw the error of his ways. But neither has happened, and soon the term “Houston Oilers” will be as outdated as the Run and Shoot offense itself. Most people don’t particularly care about the Oilers’ move because they don’t care about the Oilers. Even die-hard Oilers’ fans have become disillusioned in the past couple of years after seeing Houston go to the playoffs seven straight times, but never make more than a tiny ripple in the NFL’s wave pool. Will I ever stop missing the team that gave me The Tyler Rose, The Electric Slide and Mojo? No way. But damn it, they’re still my team. I’ve watched or listened to every single Oiler game since 1978 save one. That one had a lot to do with my girlfriend at the time and “what exactly my priorities were.” Long sto ry short, I overcame that debate the follow ing week — attending the Oilers-Jets game at the Astrodome instead of a meet-my-par- ents-dinner at a really stuffy restaurant. The point of all this rambling is that I don’t know what to do with my Oiler allegiances. The move means the Columbia Blue have ex actly three seasons to reach and win the Su per Bowl — something they have never done. Even I can face the reality that this is un likely to happen, no matter how many great players the Oilers sign as free agents or draft over the next couple of seasons. When the Oilers move, they will cease to be the Oilers. I’ll still recognize the players, but it won’t say Houston across their jerseys, and that will be strange. Will I root for them? I don’t know. I love watching former A&M standout Rodney Thomas rumble downfield and I even bought a Steve McNair jersey even though he never plays. But I must come to terms with the fact that these two young stars will enjoy their best years in the NFL as members of the Nashville Hound Dogs or Hillbillies or whatever they plan to name the team in 1998. Will I be able to watch their games? Maybe. Will I cheer for them? Possibly. Will I ever stop missing the team that gave me The Tyler Rose, The Electric Slide and Mojo? No way. Aikman