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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 15, 1995)
The Battalion Tuesday November 15, 1995 At a Glance Sports Briefs A&M Tennis Team signs international duo A pair of highly-touted interna tional tennis prospects have signed national letters-of-intent with Texas A&M. Signing with the Aggies were Gonzalo Anderson of Lima, Peru, and Juan Manuel Aramburu of Mexico City. Arambura, a senior at Tecno- logico de Monterrey in Mexico City, is ranked No. 5 in singles and No. 1 in doubles in boys 1 6's in Mexico. Anderson, who is a senior at Markham College in Lima, ranks as the top junior player in Peru in both singles and doubles. Aggies sign Kingwood track standout Kohler Caroline Kohler of Kingwood High School has signed a national letter-of-intent to attend Texas A&M on a track scholarship. Kohler is the top runner on King- wood's state champion cross coun try team that is ranked No. 10 in the country. She finished eighth at the 1995 state cross country meet. Women's Golf Team leaps to 10th in poll The Texas A&M Women's Golf Team fenjoyed a 14-spot climb in the latest GOLFWEEK National Rankings, vaulting from No. 24 to a tie for No. 10 with Indiana. Sports Roundup NBA Seattle 115, Philadelphia 107 Atlanta 111, Charlotte 104 Orlando 94, Chicago 88 Milwaukee 98, San Antonio 84 Portland 105, New York 99 L.A. Clippers 118, Golden State 106 L.A. Lakers 106, Sacramento 100 NHL Pittsburgh 4, Dallas 2 New Jersey 1, Hartford 0 Philadelphia 2, Washington 2, tie Tampa Bay 5, Boston 3 Florida 5, Toronto 2 N.Y. Rangers 1, St. Louis 1, tie Winnipeg 6, Chicago 5, OT Calgary 4, Edmonton 2 N.Y. Islanders 5, San Jose 3 Detroit 6, Los Angeles 5 Upcoming Events A&M Volleyball The Lady Aggies travel to Hous ton Friday night for the Southwest Conference Tournament. The Lady Aggies are the No.2 seed in the tournament. Aggie Soccer The Aggie Soccer Team goes to Dallas Saturday to compete against Southern Methodist University in a second-round, NCAA Tournament game at 2 p.m. The Aggies defeated Clemson University last Sunday to advance to the second round. A&M Football Saturday at 1 p.m., the Aggies host Division l-AA school Middle Tennessee State at Kyle Field. It Is the first time the two unversities have met. NFL Football Sunday: Cowboys at Raiders 3 p.m. Oilers at Chiefs 7 p.m. NBA Basketball Wednesday: Houston Rockets at Toronto Raptors 8 p.m. A&M great Childress comes home □ The Houston Oiler defensive lineman visited with students at the Rec Center Tuesday. By Tom Day The Battalion Ray Childress remembers his final colle giate game well. The year was 1984, and it was a mild Thanksgiving evening in Austin. The Texas Aggie Football Team was in town to take on the heavily-favored University of Texas Longhorns. A&M had dropped its last three meetings against Texas by a combined score of 119-42, but the Aggies would defy history that night, beating the Horns 37-12. The victory put the A&M football pro gram back on the national map and jump started the Aggies to 10 victories over UT in the next 11 meetings between the two rivals. Childress, a key player in that break through game for the A&M program 11 years ago, returned to College Station Tues day to visit the new Student Recreational Sports Center. In celebration of the Rec Center’s comple tion, officials invited Childress to tour the new facility, demonstrate the new •* Courtesy of Texas A&M Archives Former Texas A&M defensive standout Ray Childress goes high in an attempted field goal block during a game in 1983 against Texas Christian University. weightlifting equipment and sign auto graphs for A&M students and other visitors to the Rec Center. A two-time All-American defensive end for A&M in 1983 and 1984 and a perennial All-Pro selection with Houston Oilers in the NFL, Childress reminisced about his times at A&M. “Some of my greatest memories are of the games I was a part of in the four years of my life I spent here,” Childress said. “(In 1984), we beat TCU and Texas back-to-back and they were both nationally ranked. Those were big wins and great memories. “It’s always real nice to come back be cause I have so many memories going to school and playing football here and meeting a lot of great people.” Childress’ impact on the A&M football program can still be seen in the school record books. His 360 tackles ranks fourth on A&M’s career list and his 26 career sacks is a still a school record for a non-linebacker. Childress credited former A&M Head Coach Jackie Sherrill for turning around the A&M football program in the mid-1980s and laying the foundation for the school’s current success on the gridiron. “Jackie came in and brought stability and basically rebuilt the program,” Childress said. “He did a great job, and R.C. (Slocum) has done a beautiful job since then.” Since being drafted in the first round of the 1985 NFL Draft, by the Oilers, the name Childress has became a national household name. However, the four-time Pro Bowler’s domination of offensive lineman was inter rupted this season due to a season-ending in jury. Childress is scheduled to undergo arthro scopic surgery on his dislocated left shoul der on Monday. Although he misses being on the field, Childress said it is not neces sarily the end of the world. “It’s disappointing, but words like ‘it’s got to kill you’ aren’t necessarily true,” Chil dress said. “You have to be realistic about "I'll never leave Houston. It will always be my home." — Ray Childress Houston Oiler defensive lineman things and I’ve been lucky and fortunate to only miss three games in my 11-year career. “Now, I just have to make the best of what’s happening now and try to get healthy again. I’d like to play next year.” Last season, Childress was unfortunate enough to be a part of the biggest single-sea- son collapse of an NFL team from the previ ous year in league history. After winning the AFC Central Division with a 12-4 record in 1993, the Oilers sunk to rock-bottom last year, finishing a league-worst 2-14. . However, Childress said the team has re bounded with new talented players such as former A&M standout Rodney Thomas. “Last year was the worst experience I’ve ever had in team sports,” Childress said. “But, we’ve played a lot better'this year and with the parity that’s in the league these days, that should help our case. “I thought (Thomas) was our best draft pick last year. He was a real deal to get in the third round, and I think he has a wonderful future ahead of him — besides he’s an Aggie.” Childress said he is sad dened by Oiler owner Bud Adams’ desire to move the team to Nashville, Term. “It hasn’t really affected me, but I think the whole situation is pretty sad,” Childress said. “The Oilers have been a fixture in Hous ton for 37 years, and now it’s basically all go ing to be taken away. “I’ll never leave Houston. It will always be my home.” On a local front, Childress said he urges students to take their time in school and make, the most of their time in college. “(College) is a part of growing up,” Chil dress said. “I see so many younger people here than myself and most of them are probably in a hurry to get through school. “But every once in a while you have to step back and ask “What’s the hurry?’ “Take advantage of the opportunity you have to get an education. Once you get out, you’re going to work the rest of your life, so enjoy what you have while you have the chance and make the best of it.” Slocum’s ‘Chalk Talk’ attracts over □Players and coaches taught football basics. By Nick Georgandis The Batealion Texas A&M Head Football Coach R.C. Slocum gave area women a “Chalk Talk” Tuesday night, giving a lesson in the fun damentals of football. : See related EDITORIAL, Page 11 Slocum was joined in the talk by A&M quarterback Corey Thai- lig, tailback Leeland McElroy and Director of Football Opera tions Tim Cassidy. “This is an introduction so when you watch you get more enjoyment,” Slocum said. “Some husbands think they are author ities, but don’t know as much as they think.” Approximately 225 women at tended the buffet dinner and in formal talk ali the Pebble Creek Country Club. Pullig, who is in his third full season as A&M’s starter, said that the most important aspect of playing football is the people involved in the game. “Not one game really sticks out (as my favorite),” Pullig said. “It’s fun to play with quality peo ple. Even if you don’t play anoth er down, you know that you have no regrets.” Most of McElroy’s give-and- take with the crowd revolved around speculation that he will leave school after this season and enter the NFL draft as an athletic junior. McElroy told the crowd that 200 women fans should not give up on the 1995 season yet, even though the Aggies’ national champi onship hopes have been dashed. “We’ve still got a shot at a bowl,” McElroy said. “With the rest of the games, we’re going to make you all proud by making the best of the situation.” After the players had ad dressed the crowd, Slocum ex plained rudimentary aspects of the game — including the differ ence between positions and the basic rules of the game —, then moved on to the standard offensive and defensive formations employed by most collegiate teams. Slocum also explained the revamped bowl coalition sys tem, maybe better than the NCAA itself did. “This year, the Cotton Bowl is not the best bowl game,” Slocum said. “The Fiesta, Or ange and Sugar Bowls are all Tier 1 Bowls. The Southwest Conference champion is picked by one of those bowls. We don’t quite yet know where- we want to be, but we’re still shooting for Tier 1.” ‘Talk’ offensive to female fans W Kristina Buffin Asst. Sports Editor 'hen I first saw the cover let ter to the fax, I nearly burned a hole in the middle of the paper with my eyes. The fax was advertising “Ladies’ Chalk Talk with R.C.” That’s R.C. Slocum, the Aggie football coach for all those women out there who are not in touch with their testos terone side. This “Chalk Talk” advertisement read as “Ladies: Are you tired of asking your husbands / boyfriends, sons / brothers, ‘What happened? What happened?’ during a football game.” I’m sorry but the last time I was at an Aggie football game, most of the women were not turning to their dates and asking “What happened?” Most of the women knew what was going on and were actually yelling out plays for our impo tent offense to run. Well, I decided to shell out the Sll and see what Coach Slocum and se lected players had to say to us ladies. I decided that it really could n’t be that bad, and that I should give this thing a chance. Unfortunately, my faith in peo ple, and men for that matter, only extends so far. Call me bitter, but women have come out of the kitchen and are interested in sports and oth er things that have stereotypically been male interests. After junior tailback Leeland McElroy and se nior quarterback Corey Pullig thanked everyone for their support in a season that has not gone the way that they expected, Slocum got up to speak. I really wish he hadn’t. Slocum began his presentation by explaining to us ladies that yes, there are 11 players on each side. Well, duh. Is that why they call it the 12th Man, not the 13th Man? “I am assuming that you don’t know a lot,” Slocum said. “I’m not trying to be derogatory, but I’m just trying to start everyone off on the same foot.” Excuse me but that was a derogatory com ment and I was offended. Women are often made fun of because they can’t compete with men on their breadth of knowledge of the sports world. Men often pat their wives’ heads and say, “Don’t worry honey, even if I tried to explain it you really wouldn’t understand any way.” By making this comment, Slocum was only reinforcing the stereotype that women don’t know what the hell is going on in foot ball, or in any other sport for the matter. I don’t have a problem with holding Chalk Talks for football fans. They are very informative and something that any football fan would enjoy: Talking to a major collegiate coach about what you love to watch on the weekend. However, when you target a specific group, it is called discrimination, not to mention disrespect. The A&M Athletic Department hosts a different kind of informative session called the Quarterback Club. This is exclusively for men who gather See Buffin, Page 12 General Class Meeting Wednesday November I 5 8:30 p,rn. 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