The Battalion
Page 5
Friday • February 14, 1997
Mr. Cowboy' discusses Dallas' past, present
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By Jamie Burch
The Battalion
all of Fame defensive tackle Bob
Lilly (1961-74) played football in a
different era. An era in which the
dia, the players, football and the Dal-
Cowboys were naive and innocent,
otball was the same metaphorical bat
on the gridiron that it is today, but it
sless corrupt and less provocative.
Lilly who visitedTCA Cable yesterday as
rt of a promotional for Classic Sports
twork, said he believes
th( blemished image of
thi Dallas Cowboys falls
on the shoulder of the
“Barry Switzer is
very lax when it
comes to the
standards of the
players.”
, x . ■ -AK-
T »ad coaches,
r |B “Coach (Tom) Landry
/ : |Ks a good person and a
stickler for morals and
niBaracter.” Lilly said,
v Be instilled that in us.
; pc would put up with a
a little, but not a lot. Jim-
■ |l]QT||y Johnson was the
W Bme way. He knew that
Be team came before
1 “ Be individual.
■ “Barry Switzer, [on the other hand], is
Brylax when it comes to the standards of
Be players. I don’t think he realized the
difference between media in college and
media in the pros. They scrutinize every
move you make, especially when you’re
World Champions.”
E Lilly said he dislikes what has occurred
with the Dallas Cowboys.
I “I travel all over the country,” Lilly
said. “Fans everywhere tell me ‘we used
Bob Lilly
Former Cowboy
defensive tackle
to be Cowboy fans, but now we’re going
to have to find somebody else’, because
they don’t like the current image of the
Cowboys.”
Lilly helped build the franchise known
as “America’s Team.” The Cowboys select
ed Lilly, a two-time All-Southwest Confer
ence pick and an All-American at Texas
Christian University, with the team’s first
pick in 1961. Nicknamed “Mr. Cowboy,” Lil
ly played in two Super Bowls, Super Bowl V
and Super Bowl VI.
While Lilly recalls his first few years in
the National Football
League were not enjoyable,
he said he would not have
wanted it any other way.
“It wasn’t any fun,” Lilly
said. “Because, believe it or
not, we won the (SWC)
conference twice when I
was in college. Looking
back, it was a lot more fun
for me to be on a team that
was building, than if I
would’ve come in and
been on a winning team to
start with.
"I wouldn’t want to do it
again, but at that age, I didn’t know any better.”
En route to becoming the first Cow
boy inducted into the Cowboys Ring of
Honor, Lilly played 196 consecutive
games. During his 14-year career, Lilly,
who was elected to 11 Pro Bowls, never
missed a game.
Lilly said there were times when he was
not 100 percent.
“I think there were a lot of times that I
should’ve missed a game,” Lilly said. “But
Coach Landry didn’t see it that way. I broke
several bones. They just weren’t crucial
bones like a femur.”
Discussing various football injuries,
Lilly said his favorite display of tough
ness was when Cowboy fullback Walt
Garrison constructed his own method of
treatment for a broken collarbone during
the 1976 playoffs.
“We’d go get in the whirlpool [after a
game] and there would be a snorkel stick
ing up out of the water,” Lilly said. “Walt
was down in the whirlpool, underneath the
water, letting the water hit his collarbone.
“It amazed me that anyone would go
to such extremes to get the soreness out,
so he could practice. That’s the way our
whole team was. We had enough guys
like Roger (Staubach), Walt, and Leroy
(Jordan) who would play hurt, that
everyone else felt bad if they didn’t do
the same thing.”
Lilly, remembered by some for his 58-
yard helmet toss after losing Super Bowl V,
said his favorite memory was the post
game celebration of Super Bowl VI.
“When we carried Landry off the field he
had a grin from (ear to ear),” Lilly said.
“That was neat.”
But more than anything else, Lilly said
he treasures his 1975 induction into the
Hall Of Fame.
"The biggest thrill of my life was being
inducted into the Pro Football Hall Of
Fame,” Lilly said. “It makes you reflect back
on your mother and father, and your high
school and college teammates.”
Lilly, an All-American and All-Pro,
played football in an all together different
era. More importantly, Lilly is all class.
Dave House, The Battajlion
The first draft pick of the Dallas Cowboys, Bob Lilly, paid a visit to TCA Cable in Bryan yes
terday to sign autographs for fans.
ege Station are!
her had a roomiMet
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eying on skittislivoiiifpflf
e easily offended,
be a bunch onions’*
,” Monique said. 1IT
ibandon all hopes o ’
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:ond comic to take thi
which opened inlai
the 9 p.m. show is soli
show are goingquidl
oest in (he country,
ie positive response,
seen compared to l^
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it be jaded becaused
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with theminOkin# 1
n that. It would be so,
due.”
A&M gets first taste of ranked competition against Arizona
—
%
n m
unior second basemen Brian Benefield
)f Texas-Arlington Tuesday afternoon.
Dave House, The Baitalion
waits for the ball to convert a double play against the University
By Jeremy Furtick
The Battalion
This weekend the Texas A&M Base
ball Team will put their No. 7 national
ranking on the line against a perenni
al national baseball power — the Ari-
izona Wildcats.
The Aggies (5-2) will be facing their
first nationally renowned opponent af
ter competing against in-state squads
in the first three series of the year. To
day’s starting pitcher, freshman Casey
Fossum, said Arizona’s distinction adds
a little motivation to the team.
“Playing a big Division I school
instead of the small Division I teams
like we have been gives us more in
centive to play harder,” Fossum said.
“There is a little more pressure in
this series because of (Arizona’s)
reputation as a good baseball team.”
Sophomore outfielder Jason Tyn
er and senior first baseman Jason
Stephens will lead A&M’s offensive
attack against the Wildcats (7-5). In
the Aggies’ first seven games, Tyner
has been on a tear, going 17 for 30
(.567) and scoring seven runs from
the lead off spot. Stephens has blast
ed three home runs, collected 10
RBIs and raised his average to .357.
The Aggies are hitting .367 as a team
and are averaging over seven runs a
game, but they have not been able to
get early leads on their opponents.
A&M Head Baseball Coach Mark
Johnson said this trend is due to an
inexperienced pitching staff and
shaky defense.
“You have to realize most of our
guys are crossing the line for the
first time,” he said. “Four of our
main pitchers didn’t even throw
last year.”
Senior John Codrington and ju
niors Ryan Rupe and Jamie Smith are
returning from injuries sustained last
season, while Fossum was in high
school a year ago.
“Crossing the line for the first
time, or for the first time in a while, at
Texas A&M is tough,” Johnson said.
“And then if we make an error or two
behind them, it really multiplies the
problem. So it’s not all a pitching
problem we haven’t played solid de
fense either.”
Johnson said the pitchers’ early-
inning struggles will decline as they
gain more starting experience. Fos
sum will be making his third start of
the season today, while Rupe and Co
drington will maike their second starts
tomorrow and Sunday, respectively.
Stephens said he does lay some of
the blame on the offense, saying the
Aggies’ experienced lineup should re
spond better in early innings.
“We know how to get ready for a
game, we just need to do it,” Stephens
said. “But it will come. We’ve got the
talent, we’re just getting off to slow
starts. We’ve got to drive runners in
when they’re on base.”
In the Aggies’ two losses, there
have been ample opportunities to
win the ballgames. Even in their five
wins, A&M has struggled to put
teams away, winning by an average
of three runs a game. Johnson said
the close-game experience has been
good for his team but he would not
mind a blowout.
Stephens said the tension-filled
games are holding back part of the Ag
gies’ offensive arsenal.
“When we’re playing from behind
all the time, we have to play station to
station,” Stephens said. “We have
great team speed and would like to
jump out and get a lead so we can just
turn it loose and get going.”
Today’s and tomorrow’s contests
will begin at 3 p.m. at Olsen Field,
while Sunday’s game starts at 1 p.m.
As a special Valentine’s Day event,
the Diamond Darlings will be taking
photos of fans and their sweet
hearts or having their pictures
made with fans for $1. Sweethearts
will also receive half-price admis
sion to today’s game, while free
schedule posters will be handed out
on Sunday.
md Paquita 7b play or not to play
.tival Ballet L^ a jj wa ^ s to hear word on tournament
By Nicki Smith
The Battalion
(,/srlh . Qtmen ami W 1 '
- \LS(: Room 292B
I The Texas A&M Softball Team
ps all set to put its hard work
bd dedication to the test at the
epsi-Cola Classic Tournament
eld at the University of Texas at
[rlington this weekend.
I However, because of in-
tement weather, the Lady Aggies
hay not receive this opportunity,
foday’s games have been can-
bled. UTA officials anticipate to
egin playing games Saturday af-
hrnoon or evening.
After splitting two games with
kuthwest Texas State University in a
ouble header held last Tuesday, the
ady Aggies will put on their tourna-
lent game face for this weekend.
In the whole tournament, there
|re 26 teams divided among six
[rackets. Some of these teams in-
llude the University of Texas-Ar-
ington, Baylor University, New
lexico State University, Texas
ech University, Oklahoma State
Iniversity and the University of
Iklahoma. However, the brack-
ts have not yet been determined
nd a revised schedule will be an-
lounced today.
A&M Head Coach Jo Evans said
egardless of the situation, the Lady
Aggies will face some tough com
petition, but are hoping to play well
and place among the top teams in
the tournament.
“There are going to be some very
experienced teams,” Evans said.
“We know going in that this tourna
ment will be a challenge for us, but
at the same time, it will give us a bet
ter feel of where our strengths and
weaknesses lie.”
Senior pitcher Lori Gioco said
the tournament will help the team
work on its concentration.
“We still have some major things
we need to work on,” Gioco said.
"We should be pretty strong because
we have good players filling the
shoes left open by last year’s seniors,
but at the same time we haven’t seen
each other at game time.”
The Lady Aggies have attended the
Pepsi-Cola Tournament the last three
years and won the first place crown in
1994. But the Lady Aggies have not ad
vanced to the finals since then.
Senior center fielder Gina Perez
said this year’s team is going to try
to change that.
“Ever since I have been here we
have always done well in our first
tournament,” Perez said. “We are
all dying to play and have become
pretty anxious. Hopefully, we will
use that to explode on the field.”
Cowboys ride into
town to face Aggies
By Matt Mitchell
The Battalion
Following a frustrating loss to
Texas Tech University Wednesday
night, the Texas A&M Men’s Bas
ketball Team has double vision.
The Aggies’ next two games are
both against the Oklahoma State
University Cowboys, with the first
coming Saturday at G. Rollie
White Coliseum. Tip-off is slated
for 12:45 p.m.
“We’ve got to go out and battle,”
A&M Head Coach Tony Barone
said. “It’s a big-bang game for us.
“They’ve had a lot of close
losses and they’re coming off a
tough one at Kansas, where most
everybody gets their pants hand
ed to them, so I don’t think that’s
anything unique.”
OSU is still smarting from the
104-72 whacking they received
Wednesday night at the hands of the
Kansas Jayhawks. The loss dropped
OSU to 0-9 on the road this year, a
statistic that bodes well for the Ag
gies, losers of four straight games.
See Aggies, Page 6
Ryan Rogers, The Battalion
junior Calvin Davis battles with
Tech's Tony Battie for the rebound.
Lady Ags
grueling
By Jamie Burch
The Battalion
Forced to playing without her
alded senior guard Lana Tucker for
the rest of the season, the Texas
A&M Women’s Basketball Team (8-
14 overall, 2-10) continues its road
trip as the Lady Aggies travel north
of Lake Texoma to take on Okla
homa State University (13-9 overall,
5-7) Saturday at 7 p.m.
The Lady Aggies, who have lost
five of their last six games, are search
ing for anyway possible to finish the
season on a positive note. A&M is
coming off a demoralizing 29- point
loss (75-46) to Texas Tech University
Wednesday night, in which the Ag
gies scored just 17 points in the first
half and shot a horrid 24 percent (16-
of-65) from the field.
A&M’s ineptness was even more
obvious on the defensive end. Tech ju
nior center Alicia Thompson torched
the Lady Aggies, scoring 30 points.
Senior guard Melissa Rollerson
led the Aggies in scoring with 13
points, but said she has not been
playing up to par.
“I try not to think about [having
to be the leader] because I haven’t
been playing good,” Rollerson said.
continue
road trip
“I try not to put any additional pres -
sure on myself because it’s only go
ing to make the situation worse.”
OSU is trying to halt a three-game
skid of its own. The teams latest de
feat came in overtime at the hands of
Kansas University, 79-76. Junior for
ward Renee Roberts leads the Cow
girls in scoring (14.5) and steals
(2.36). While Freshman forward Jen
nifer Crow is a threat from three-
point range, averaging 44 percent
(33-of-75) from downtown. As a
team, the Cowgirls average a sizzling
70 percent from the charity stripe.
Assistant coach Lisa Jordan said
the team is less concerned with
wins and losses than achieving a set
of goals.
“We have four goals for each
game,” Jordan said. “We want to
hold our opponent under 70 points,
outrebound our opponent, get to
more loose balls, and take at least
three charges.
“If we can do those four things,
then regardless of what the score is,
you can feel good about your per
formance.”
But as the Lady Aggies have
learned, the problem with a theory
is that until you prove it to be true,
it is just a theory.