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.”
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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!!