% Novem
^Hay, November 7, 2000
Sports
Page 7
THE BATTALION
SPN’s ‘Gameday’ headed to College Station
IyBlaine Dionne
lie Battalion
es wellorWor the first time since the show’s inception in 1993,
is." Buto 1SPN “Gameday” will broadcast live from Kyle Field
way ton n Saturday from 10-11 a.m. for the 23rd-ranked Texas
before, tHM football team’s matchup with the No. 1 Oklahoma
shatter® ooners.
styearhi#&M has been featured on the show only once be-
gly, shet in 1995, when it set up shop at the Aggies’ game
terludeo! fainst the University of Colorado in Boulder,
-demptiowteve Vecchione, the coordinating producer of
r dless.it Gameday” who scouted College Station for the show,
the the solid the cable network has been wanting to come to Kyle
feld for quite some time.
Iitionalhoi|^ e ve v i s it e( J A&M twice before,” Vecchione said,
nd Perry (honiple of years ago, we looked at the Nebraska/A&M
ut serious® 6 > t> ut we ended up having to go elsewhere that week-
; was ne . D d. We even looked in ‘96, but that never worked out.”
und the CM
Vecchione said Kyle Field presents a unique location
for the crew that will be advantageous to the University.
“It’s a beautiful stadium with a lot of tradition,” Vec
chione said. “The way we will set up # should make the
‘Home of the 12th Man’ stand out.”
Host Chris Fowler, along with analysts Lee Corso and
Kirk Herbstreit, will be located between the Netum Steed
Laboratory and the side wall of the west stands, with their
backs facing the student section of Kyle Field.
The stage will sit eight feet off the ground in an effort
to have the “Welcome to Aggieland” and “Home of the
12th Man” signs displayed prominently just over the an
chors’ heads.
The “Gameday” crew will arrive in College Station
on Friday afternoon and tape a short segment to run the
rest of that night on “Sportscenter.” The segment will be
taped at the stage between 4 and 5 p.m.
Penny King, senior associate athletic director for busi
ness, said normal A&M gameday protocol will be
changed due to the show’s presence.
King said all people with a ticket will be permitted into
the stadium beginning at 9 a.m.
The Corps of Cadets is scheduled to march in twice
on Saturday, the first to coincide with the show’s open
ing shot, an aerial image of the stadium with the Aggie
Band on the field and the Corps on the track.
King said the Athletic Department is hoping for a
record-breaking turnout of students in the morning.
“Kansas State had 15,000 people for the start of the
show,” King said. “We are encouraging everyone to
come early. We want the student sections totally packed
because there will be cameras everywhere recording
the crowd.”
In an effort to entice people to show up early, head yell
leader Ricky Wood said he is setting up an impromptu
yell practice that will continue throughout the show.
“Midnight Yell is still on Friday,” Wood said. “But
starting at about 9:45 Saturday morning, we’re going to
start doing yells for the show. We really want the stands
packed to show the country what A&M is about.”
Not to be outdone by other schools, A&M is opening
the temporary bleachers in the south end zone for the first
2,000 ticket holders who bring in signs to get their chance
to be on television. After the show, all signs will be col
lected in keeping with normal Kyle Field regulations and
the sign holders will be moved to their assigned seats.
In other developments, in addition to the normal Ma
roon-Out at all football games, fans are being called to
conduct a Towel-Out of Oklahoma by bringing their 12th
Man towels to the game.
Calling the game for ABC Sports will be Brent Mus-
berger on play-by-play and Gary Danielson handling col
or commentary. Jack Arute will report from the sidelines
for the network.
—Jeff!
njury, illness take toll on Aggie basketball
tv! son Lincoln
Battalion
Texas A&M basketball coach
■ Ivin Watkins had plenty of coh-
Jns already this year — new play-
young veterans and a grueling
edule, to name a few.
[With an exhibition game against
stralia’s Team Ezybonds at 7
ight in Reed Arena to open the
son, Watkins is forced to add an-
er worry to his list — injuries.
At least three Aggies who started
of the ‘99-’00 season will miss
ight's game with the Aussies as they
over from injuries ranging from
pie tendonitis to major surgery.
Tomas Ress, Aaron Jack and
dy Slocum will not play tonight
;ainst Team Ezybonds. Four other
’gies, suffering from less serious
uries, may or may not play.
“I’ve been here 18 years and I’ve
ver seen this many injuries this
rly in the year,” said A&M trainer
ike Ricke.
Ress has suffered the most, from
his development of a staph infection
and appendicitis in October. The ill
ness landed him in the hospital for 12
days and in the ICU for five.
While fighting the infection, the
lanky forward, who had bulked up to
230 pounds during the off season,
lost 24 pounds. Ress is out of the hos#-
pital but is still on intravenous an
tibiotics and will be out of action at
least until the first part of December.
“Tomas was a sick, sick guy for a
while,” Kummer said. “But his spir
its are back. Now he just has to get
back to himself (physically).”
Jack, A&M’s lone senior starter
and one of just three upper classmen
on the roster, suffered a concussion
early in A&M’s practice schedule.
The injury still causes him headaches
and he will have to wait pt least one
week after the headaches stop to play.
It is his first concussion in more
than three years, and his first since
joining the Aggie squad. However,
the 6-8 forward was plagued by a se
ries of concussion at Penn State ear
lier in his college career that eventu
ally prompted his transfer to A&M.
Slocum, the team’s starting center
in 1999 as a true freshman, is suffering
from tendonitis in his right shoulder.
Among the other players injured
are the team’s leading point scorers
and starting guards Jamaal Gilchrist
and Bernard King. King averaged
16.9 points on his way to Big 12
Newcomer of the Year honors while
Gilchrist provided 9.4 points per
game from the point guard position.
Gilchrist is listed as doubtful with
a groin strain and King is question
able with a groin strain and a
strained back.
The A&M coaching staff has not
yet decided who will play at point
guard if Gilchrist cannot play.
Forward Brian Brookhart and
guard Dylan Lead round out
A&M’s red cross list, but both are
probable for the game.
ON NOVEMBER 10TH r 2000
THE ASSOCIATION HAS PLANNED
A PARTY IN YOUR HONOR!
HERE’S WHAT YOU DO TO JOIN IN THE CELEBRATION:
• Come pick up a numbered ticket anytime after 8:00 a.m.
• Return to the building around 2:00 p.m. to enjoy the festivities
well have food, drinks, and games set up for your enjoyment.
• Then at 3:00 p.m. we will start delivering rings!!!
CONGRATULATIONS!
WE'LL SEE YOU ON NOV. 10TH
AT THE CLAYTON W. WILLIAMS, JR. ALUMNI CENTER!
SPONSORED BY
The Association
A OF FORMER STUDENTS
IA/& an& Thes Aggie, NetluonJc!
A&M can take some solace in the
fact that tonight’s game will not count
toward its record, but the injuries will
hamper the learning experience pro
vided by exhibition contests.
“We’re looking forward to our
first exhibition,” Watkins said. “We
wanted to look at a bunch of differ
ent combinations, but because of the
injuries we may not get as much out
of this as we’d like.”
Ezybonds was 0-3 on its Ameri
can tour going into Monday night’s
game at Sam Houston State.
The Aussies are led by 6-8 for
ward Scott Mitchell, averaging 17.3
points, and 6-5 guard Damien An
derson, averaging 13.7 points.
The Aggies will debut three her
alded newcomers who were part of a
Top 25 recruiting class.
Due to the injuries, rookies Nick
Anderson and Nolan Butterfras,
along with sophomore transfer Kei
th Bean, will likely log a number of
minutes.
, FILE PHOTO/The Battalion
Andy Leatherman and his Aggie teammates will try to pick up the slack
in the absence of many starters for their exhibition opener tonight at 7.
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