SPORTS
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Veilnesday, January 14, 2(XK)
THE BATTALION
Page 9
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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
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■ 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
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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
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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
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