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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (July 23, 1997)
j(Wednesday - July 23, 1997 S The Battalion • PORTS ew mom Swoopes to return to basketball OUSTON (AP) —With baby in S lw, Olympic star Sheryl Swoopes Bis to prove she can be a good per and help the Houston lets win a WNBA title at the e time. Iwant people to look at me now say that Sheryl is not only a (athlete, but No. 1 she’s a moth- he 6-foot forward said Tuesday ling a conference call from her ^ ijnie in Lubbock. woopes, a former All-Ameri- ■ at Texas Tech, was assigned to ■ Comets for the opening WNBA l;on after leading the U.S. linen's basketball team at the keo ii. Hi 1996 Atlanta Olympics. She gave birth on June 25 to a son, Jordan Eric Jackson, but says she’d like to be in uniform with the Comets by August. Swoopes is eager to set an exam ple for other working mothers. “There are a lot of women out there ... that are working and rais ing a family and still working moms, but not a lot of people rec ognize them or know who they are,” Swoopes said. “I think a person like myself, they can say ‘Well, if Sheryl can do that she’s setting a statement for the rest of us.’ If it’s something they want to do, they should do it.” She will have to find time be tween workouts for diaper changes and feedings. For now, the new mom breast feed ing; she says she will probably switch to bottles in three or four weeks. “I’ve worked things out,” she said. “With all the appearances I have to do before, they have to understand that I do have a child and I’ve made it clear that wherever I go, if he’s able and my doc tors say ‘Yeah, it’s okay,’ he’ll be going with me.” If the baby gets sick, mom will stay put. “If it reaches the point where something is wrong with him and he can’t go, well, I won’t be going either,” Swoopes said. “Right now that’s the plan, that he’ll travel with me.” At the beginning, she plans to play about 20 minutes a game. She’s been working out the last couple of weeks. “I’m obviously not in the type of shape I want to be to go back and play, but Tm in good enough shape to go back and be able to con tribute to my team,” Swoopes said. “Hopefully I’ll be able to take them to a championship this season.” Swoopes, who scored a record 47 points in Texas Tech’s 1993 NCAA championship victory over Ohio State, led the NCAA in scoring that season at 28.1 points per game and averaged 23 points in the 1993-94 season with Bari, Italy. She got excited about joining her teammates after flying to Houston for a recent game at The Summit. “The fans were going crazy dur ing the game, and when they intro duced me I got tears in my eyes,” Swoopes said. “It made me ready to play just sitting on the sidelines. It made me more anxious to get out there and play with them.” : "ormer A&M basketball coach saw a lot in tenure niii By Travis V. Dabney The Battalion caching legends only come around every so of ten, and those who last 27 years like former A&M Head Basketball Coach Shelby Metcalf are ven less common. Metcalf’s head coaching duties at exas A&M University spanned over four decades and e saw everything from the integration of African- merican players to the eventual demise of the now- efunct Southwest Conference. Metcalf has complied a list of achievements that ost coaches would die for. Metcalf coaclied his teams to six Southwest Con- rence crowns, five NCAA tournaments, four NIT ostseason tournaments and two Southwest Confer- nce tournament championships between 1963 and . He also has been elected to the Texas Sports Hall fFame and the East Texas State University Sports Hall fFame. It would also appear as though induction ito the Texas A&M Sports Hall of Fame would be the at logical step in this storied career. Metcalf spends much of his time these days work- ngon a private lake project in Kurten, Texas. “This lake is really my passion right now, and this reaout here is so beautiful,” he said. Metcalf was born and raised in Tulsa, Okla., and at- ended East Texas State University before entering the J.S. Air Force. While in the Air Force, he served as the ithletic officer of the base he served on in Germany, yter Metcalf’s return to Texas, he joined A&M as the freshman basketball coach and was later promoted to head coach in 1963, in which the Aggies won their first Southwest Conference Championship in 13 years. After Metcalf finished his coaching career, he joined the Center for Academic Enhancement at A&M. He spent five years working for the center per forming various tasks such as going on speaking en gagements and other public relations duties. “The individuals that I worked with over in the cen- terwere great people and it was a real pleasure to work with them,” Metcalf said. Metcalf has many memories of his basketball days atA&M and while the losses were tough, he said the victories made it worthwhile. “I couldn’t sleep the night before a game,” Metcalf said. “1 couldn’t sleep the night after a game and if we I couldn’t sleep the night before a game. I couldn’t sleep the night after a game and if we lost that was really tough.” Shelby Metcalf Former A&M basketball coach lost that was really tough.” Metcalf lives in Bryan with his wife Janice who is a school teacher. “My wife is the world’s greatest school teacher,” Metcalf said. Metcalf was known for his undying loyalty and honesty with two separate groups during his coach ing days — the media and other coaches. His rela tionships with both is something he takes pride in. “The two smartest things I ever did as a coach was remain honest with the media and maintain good re lationships with other coaches no matter the circum stances,” Metcalf said. While Metcalf had many successful teams dur ing his tenure at A&M, he had one that fell into the great category. “The 1980 Sweet Sixteen team was undoubtedly the best team I ever coached,” Metcalf said. The 1980 team finished the season with a 26-8 record and went on to defeat Bradley University and the University of North Carolina in the first and sec ond rounds of the NCAA Tournament. The Aggies fell to eventual national champion Louisville in the next round. Dean Smith, Head Coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels, praised the Ags after their double overtime loss. “If they win the national championship I want peo ple to remember that we tied them twice,” Smith said. As Metcalf continues down the road of life he looks back at his days as head coach with great pleasure. “A&M has been good to me,” Metcalf said. “And I got to do what I really loved and that was coach ing basketball.” ' v mm ‘k\ $ 0t v i ^ jr £>//$* ? (i jfr ^ mmm ■ h ■ Photograph: Tim Moog Former A&M Basketball Head Coach Shelby Metcalf stands in front of his old stomping ground, G. Rollie White Coliseum, Tuesday afternoon. ebraska, Texas picked to win Big 12 DALLAS (AP) — Texas and Nebraska, who in last year’s first Big 12 championship, re picked by the media to square off again this year’s title game. Longhorns tailback Ricky Williams was eked the offensive player of the year and irnhuskers defensive lineman-linebacker antWistrom was chosen the defensive play- ofthe year in the preseason poll of reporters. The poll was released Tuesday in anticipation the league’s head coaches coming to Dallas for Jir annual two-day gathering with the media. Nebraska had a conference-best seven ayers on the preseason All-Big 12 squad, xas had the next most with five. ' The predicted order of finish in the North vision was Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas vfte, Missouri, Kansas and Iowa State. In the South, the media predicted the fin ish to be Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Okla homa, Oklahoma State and Baylor. The Big 12 championship game is sched uled for Dec. 6 in San Anto nio. Texas won last year’s game 37-27. Nebraska’s other all-conference players are of fensive line man Eric An derson, ® center Aaron Taylor, running back Ahman Green, defensive lineman Jason Peter, defensive back Ralph Brown and punter Jesse Kosch. Texas’ other picks are quarterback James Brown, place-kicker Phil Dawson, defensive lineman Chris Akins and defensive lineman- linebacker Aaron Humphrey. The all-conference receivers are Colorado’s Phil Savoy and Iowa State’s Ed Williams. The tight end is Alonzo Mayes of Oklahoma State and the other linemen are Mike Morris of Mis souri, Melvin Thomas of Colorado and Todd Weiner of Kansas State. Ryan Olson of Colorado was picked on the defensive line and the other linebackers are Dat Nguyen of Texas A&M and Mark Si- moneau of Kansas State. The remaining defensive backs are Ryan Black of Colorado, R.W. McQuarters of Okla homa State and Tony Blevins of Kansas. Irvin, Williams take part in mediation over lawsuit AUSTIN (AP) — Dallas Cowboys Michael Irvin and Erik Williams were excused from practice Tues day while they participated in me diation with lawyers from a Dallas- Fort Worth television station. Irvin’s attorney, Royce West, con firmed that the players were in volved in mediation with television station KXAS, which the players are suing for defamation of character. The suit stems from the report ing of rape allegations made against the two by Nina Shahravan, who later recanted. West said he was not involved in Tuesday’s proceedings and could not provide any details. Peter Gins berg, another attorney for Irvin, who was involved in the mediation did not wish to comment on the proceedings. KXAS attor ney Chip Bab cock did not re turn a phone call requesting comment. Cowboys coach Barry Switzer said both players were excused from practice for personal reasons. Irvin f A Taste of Summer! Wednesday, July 23 5pm-7pm MSC Forsyth Center Galleries (across the hall from the Aggieland Post Office) FREE! Refreshments served. Sculptor, Larry Ludtke, whose works include such campus artwork as James Earl Rudder, will give the artist’s view of the creation of his sculptures. |L Memorial Student Center If Visual Arts Committee http://wwwmsc.tamu.edu http://vac.tamu.edu . If you have special needs please call in advance at & (409) 845-9251. # Local radio news from the newsroom of campus and community news 8:04 a.m. Monday through Friday during NPR Morning Edition on KAMU-FM 90.9 College Station / Bryan BRAZOSTRADER ■ANTKHJE5 & COLLECTBm: Browse in our store for a different shopping experience! Bargains Galore! • M - F 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. • Sat 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. • Sundays by chance 210 West 26th St., Bryan (409) 775-2984 p^GGTj? < j^ oGR Y/;< Attention, Orientation Leaders!! If you are interested in an Executive Committee position, ^ applications for the 97-98 Director staff So will be available in 314 YMCA July 23rd through July 31st from ^ Sam to 5pm. Program Coordinator applications will be available in September. For more information call the aolp office @ 862-2746 or student Life orientation @ 845-5826 Congratulations to Brian Anglin, 97-98 AOLP Director!!