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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 19, 2000)
SPORTS Jncsdav, Veilnesday, January 14, 2(XK) THE BATTALION Page 9 ken 3 hab; iFormer A&M coach Sherman named Pack head coach irli in im. had beCTB mg him.Bi |Nc. : by them I that. ( REEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Mike Sherman tebed less than five hours to persuade Ron Wolt Jsk the Green Bay Packers’ future on another ed ir attested coach. ^^Volf, the Packers’ general manager, hired >he man as the 13th coach in the team’s 81-year listory on Monday. Sherman replaces Ray __Bides, who was lired two weeks ago after one 1-8 season. ^^■sherman. a longtime college assistant with three years of NFL experience, spoke with Wolf for 4 1/2 hours in Wolf's office at Lambeau eld on Saturday. ■iy Sunday morning. Wolf had made up his |ld. ['I knew that for all intents and purposes, the eh was over,” Wolf said. “I went home and ht about jt that night. I told my wife that if I ly and truly had any guts, 1 would go sign e Sherman right on the spot.” hetman was not the first to be interviewed Iquickb made the best impression, Woll said. ^Kict. their chat reminded Wolf of a similarly en lightening conversation eight years ago with Mike Holmgren, who took the Packers to two Super Bowls in his first head coaching job. “When he [Sherman] was sitting there, he just blew my socks off,” Wolf said. Sherman was the Packers’ tight ends coach for two seasons before following Holmgren to Seat tle, where he was offensive coordinator this sea son. Green Bay was his first NFL stop after 16 seasons as a college assistant, most recently as of fensive line coach at Texas A&M and UCLA. "I realize that this is a huge responsibility and undertaking on my part, but I look forward to con tinuing the legacy that has been created here,” Sherman said. “Many teams in the NFL don't have an identity. We do. 1 think last year, some how', we just forgot that a little bit.” Green Bay missed the playoffs for the first time in seven years. Wolf believes the Packers have a roster that can succeed now, but Rhodes’ inability to win and his light touch on discipline prompted Wolf to change course. Sherman’s interview might have been im pressive, but the rapidly shrinking pool of candi dates undoubtedly influenced Wolfs decision. Wolf could not accept the salary demands of for mer Kansas City coach Marty Schottenheimer, and St. Louis offensive coordinator Mike Mart/ took a hefly pay raise to stay w ith the Rams. "J told my wife that if I really and truly had any guts, I would go and sign Mike Sherman right on the spot." — Ron Wolf Packers CM Wolf expects Sherman to curb the lack of discipline that was Rhodes’ downfall, but Sher man also was attractive because he adheres to I lolmgren’s offensive scheme. Wolf believes the Packers’ players — partic ularly three-time MVP quarterback Brett Favre — will be better off staying in the same system. “I consider myself an offensive coach, and I want to be very much a part of the offense,” Sher man said. “Certainly, Mike Holmgren's philoso phy w ill be a part of what we do right here. ... We'll tweak it a little bit here and there, but it’s pretty much that same philosophy.” Sherman passed his time quietly during his first stay in Green Bay. Wolf said he and Sherman never spoke at length during the two years that Sherman coached the tight ends and supervised the scout team. Packers players who knew Sherman, particu larly the tight ends who played under him, ap plauded the move. Sherman and I lolmgren “are going to be kind of similar,” Tyrone Davis, who caught seven touchdow n passes during the best season of his career in 1998, said. “Mike w ill bring his own aspect to it, but l think he will bring that same kind of discipline. Accountability is one of the biggest things we need here.” Mark Chmura, who made the Pro Bow l dur ing both of Sherman's seasons in Green Bay, said: “The team will take to him well.” “He'll demand a lot, which he should. He won’t let the little things slip,” Chmura said. In Seattle, Sherman coordinated the team’s of fense, but Holmgren called the plays, just as he did with offensive coordinator Sherman Lewis during his seven seasons in Green Bay. 1 lolmgren touted Sherman as a future coach to friends around the league, praising his organi zational skills and capacity for hard work. “Mike Sherman will be missed,” Holmgren said. “1 le was a very important part of our staff the last three years and our early development in Seattle.” Sherman joins Rhodes, Jon Gruden, Steve Mariucci, Dick Jauron and Andy Reid as former I lolmgren assistants in Green Bay who now run their own teams. Presidential candidates sound off about Braves’ pitcher John Rocker oungeri :h. tauc ■ ATLANTA (AP) — Plenty of people hai e been taking sw ings at John Rocker. A1 Gore and Bill Bradley did not shy away from the bat- ^Vs box when they ^■1 their chance. The Democratic ^Bsidential candi- ^■cs criticized Rocker’s disparag- remarks about foreigners, minori ties and gays during Monday night’s De- Kvratic debate in Dos Moines, Iowa. ■ "I don't know John Rocker and 1 don’t want to know John Rocker,” Bradley, a former NBA star, said. “But I do know one thing: This would not have happened had an organization and a team (been) at tuned to the kind of things that he said. I “When 1 was on the Knicks, one of my jobs was when there was a white player that came on the team who didn’t quite understand — used the wrong words ... 1 took him over to the side and said, ‘Look, that doesn’t work on this team. If you want to be on this team, you respect everybody,’” he said. “If that had happened on the Atlanta Braves, you wouldn't have had John Rocker.” Said Gore: “I, first of all, think w hat he said was reprehensible and disgusting. And I condemn it without any reserva tion, of course.” Last week, Texas Gov. George W. Bush said he agreed w ith baseball com missioner Bud Selig’s decision to have the Braves relief pitcher undergo psy chological testing. In a Republican debate. Bush, a for mer managing general partner of the Texas Rangers, said: “The fellow said some incredibly offensive things. He is a public person. And 1 appreciate them try ing to get the man help.” In an interview in Sports Illustrated last month. Rocker said he would never play for a New York team because he did not want to ride a train “next to some queer with AIDS.” He also bashed im migrants, saying “I’m not a very big fan of foreigners.... I low the hell did they get in this country?” Rocker later apologized and in a sub sequent interview with ESPN said his comments were in retaliation for verbal and physical abuse he said he received from New York Mets fans during the NL Championship Series. That was not enough to prevent the heavy metal band Twisted Sister to ask the Braves to stop using their song "I Wanna Rock" to introduce Rocker when the reliever enters games. “We’ve got I lispanics in this band. Ital ians in this band, people who are Polish and Russian.” guitarist Jay Jay French, the heavy metal band’s co-founder, said. “We’re all immigrants, all foreigners quote unquote — and this is our way of saying his comments were not acceptable.” New York-based Twisted Sister is best known for its 1984 hit single “We're Not Gonna Take It." The song’s video featured lead singer Dee Snider and oth er band members wearing garish make up and wild hairstyles. Officials Needed ling bcfottS \ jury conaS rath on Jw/ his trial Gj it Ham, Itfi tinning toi i’s neckw£! t feel like*! lant district* i.Hxlmanss s her intoft visits frienri she had b<^ Is" tikes, and It lohody^Gt* in execiM effectively m. | recsports.tamu.edu Official's Orientation Clinics Basketball/ Outdoor Soccer Jan. 24 7:00pm. 281 Rec Slow Pitch Softball Jan. 31 7:00pm 281 Rec r Center fx Ave. $ | old's Gym f -5464 I 4-on-4 Flag Football/ Sand Volleyball Feb. 21 7:00pm 281 Rec Call Mike Waldron at 845-9672 for more information. Canadas government agrees to bail out country's struggling hockey franchises a-'v'-t'ht* /a / a n\ Tl-w* an icHnilino The* 1 f'nntriKiittnii ic tc-v m*\,*h*<*A * OTTAWA (AP) — The Canadian government is bailing out its six NHL teams to protect w hat it regards as the coun- try’s national heritage. No dollar figure was put on Tuesday’s federal aid pack age, which runs to 2004 when the collective bargaining agreement between the NHL and its players expires. ^ The federal money, designed to keep the teams com petitive and prevent them from moving to the United States, is contingent upon contributions from the league, city and province in which the team plays. “The federal government’s willingness to participate in a shared solution for Canadian N1 !L teams is not about giv ing money to rich hockey players and team owners,” In dustry Minister John Manley said. “It’s about helping these teams get through a difficult pe riod so they w ill be in a position to emerge from their current financial problems as sustainable Canadian NHL franchises.” Manley acknowledged the plan has its critics, but said many C anadians feel passionately about the game. In our hearts, really, I feel that hockey is really part of Canada,” Manley said. The decision immediately benefits the Ottawa Senators, UrvY*. rCd r rece ' vc ^ such assistance. Senators ow ner Rod l -d m n ; a 0rTncr P res 'd em the Liberal party of Canada, led the cam P a 'gn lor federal assistance to NHL teams. fhe federal contribution is not to exceed 25 percent of the total of any aid package involving the league, the city and the province involved. It will be reviewed annually and is to be repaid to Ottawa if the team moves. Manley admitted the British Columbia and Quebec gov ernments have shown little inclination so far to help the Vancouver Canucks and Montreal Canadiens. I he NHL already provides some compensation to Cana dian clubs hurt by the low value of the Canadian dollar. Teams get most of their revenues in Canadian dollars and pay most expenses in U.S. dollars. “The (Canadian) federal government courageously has shown its commitment to addressing a difficult issue in a meaningful way,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said. “The NI1L remains committed to maintaining a strong pres ence in Canada and we will continue to work with our clubs and governments at all levels as this process continues." Eric Maldoff, a lawyer w ith ties to Prime Minister Jean Chretien, will be the federal negotiator who works with the league and other parties in tailoring a package for each team. Government polls showed little appetite for subsidizing wealthy team owners and millionaire hockey players, an some lawmakers echoed that line Tuesday. “Nobody wants to see our teams in trouble, but this is a ques tion of priorities,” said Grant I fill, a member of par nimen PIZZA Better Ingredients. Better Pizza. . 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