S’ORTS
T IE BATTALION
Jmies
Continued from page 5
sefvice group, to provide service off the field.
“When we aren’t practicing, we go out and
help in the community,” she said. “Last week we
wtnt to Bee Creek Park and signed some auto-
liphs for little kids. It’s fun to see them.”
Blames said she realizes that being an Aggie
solball player can have a huge impact on girls just
learning to play the game who look up to the
A;;gies for guidance.
I “Little kids see us and want to have that
driam of going to college and playing softball. It
en:ourages them to go to college after high
sciool,” she said.
I On campus, James is just another student; her
chsses are just a little earlier, and she works a lit-
tlt harder than the average Aggie.
I Practice begins around 3 p.m at the Aggie
Siftball Field, which means that all the players
mist have classes done by around 2 p.m. James’
sciedule is loaded with 8 a.m. classes,
wiightlifting sessions and softball practice that
Imts into the evening.
■ When the alarm clock hits 6 a.m., James rolls
oi; of bed to begin another day.
I “All of our classes are early in the morning,”
Janes said. “I usually have 8 o’clock or 9:10
cl sses, I sit through class, go home and get ready
logo to practice, go lift, head to practice, and try
losqueeze lunch in sometime between.”
I Although the team has Mondays off, every
number is required to complete two weightlifting
isions per week in addition to normal practice.
James’ dedication to her responsibilities not
Wednesday, March 31, 2004
only shines on the diamond, but in the classroom
as well.The spring semester is filled with games
and practice and when they girls aren’t playing,
they are studying.
“We aren’t even here most of the time,” James
said, regarding the travel requirements of the sea
son. “When we have free time when we are here,
we have to study.”
James’ comments come as no surprise to peo
ple who realize that these women are more than
just athletes, but students too. There is no profes
sional softball league, so most women are forced
to give up the game after school and focus on a
career. James, who is majoring in agricultural
development, sees no reason to rush out of school.
“I don’t know what 1 want to do yet,” she said.
“I will definitely try and get a good job, maybe
move back home and work there.”
OU pitcher Keiter knows all too well what
James can do on the field. When Keiter elected to
walk Aggie sophomore Rocky Spencer in the sev
enth inning of Saturday's game to get James in
front of the pitcher, many considered the move to
be disrespectful toward James’ abilities^) but Jana
welcomed the challenge.
“When they walked her, I said ‘Bring, it.’ I was
ready to go,” she said. “They made that call, they
gotta live with it.”
Twelve pitches later, OU suffered its first loss
to A&M in 10 consecutive meetings as James
laced a two-out single off of Keiter’s foot. James
could do nothing but smile as the winning run
crossed the plate.
Whether she’s signing autographs for the
youngest Aggie fans or smashing game-winning
runs, one thing is certain: James is a hit.
IFL extends life for instant replay
By Dave Goldberg
ASSOCIATED PRESS
PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The NFL once
in compromised on instant replay, deciding
sday to keep it for five more years rather than
|tting it in permanently.
The owners did add an extra coaches' challenge
teams who successfully used two challenges.
I ice replay was reinstituted in 1999. teams were
liitedtojust two challenges, except for the last
Jo minutes of each half, when a replay official
luld order a review.
Also, a federal appeals court in New York
ed to hear arguments to overturn the lower
mrt ruling allowing Ohio State sophomore
lauriceClarett and other underclassman and high
Mers into the draft. NFL chief counsel Jeff
shsaid if the court rules in the NFL's favor
'fore the April 24-25 draft, Clarett, Southern
lia sophomore Mike Williams and seven
lers would not be included.
Should that happen and the NFL subsequent-
loses the appeal, a supplemental draft for
Jise players would be held within 10 days of
'thecourt decision.
But the NFL seemed optimistic the court would
I hold its longstanding rule that a player can not
I drafted until he has been out of high school for
Iree years.
I "Yes, I think there is a very substantial chance
| will not be in the draft,” Pash said of Clarett.
Pash said the hearing will be April 19 or 20.
The vote on replay was 29-3, with Kansas City,
Idianapolis and Cincinnati voting against, but
lizona voting for it for the first time in the two
Icades it has been considered.
“Some people were still concerned about
I Jay,” commissioner Paul Tagliabue said about
w not instituting it permanently. “And there were
11 my, including myself, who felt that putting it in
I f five years rather than permanently would pro-
11k incentive for the officiating department
aijdthe league office to continue to find ways to
prove it.”
Twenty-four votes were needed from the 32
to keep it. That was another reason,
jgliabue said, why some teams were reluctant to
it in permanently — if that were done, it would
[uire 24 votes to get it out.
Although it was not put in permanently, the
■tension was the longest ever for replay.
I It was first instituted in 1986 and extended a
Pat a t me through the 1991 season, when it
jw is removed, largely over concerns aboht the time
] look to review plays. In that system, a replay
B icial in a booth would decide what to challenge
jaild review it.
I Replay came back in 1999 with the challenge
| item and in 2001 was extended for three years.
The additional challenge in this package was
added to reward coaches who had gotten both of
them right.
But that could be rare. Last season, there was
only one instance when a team had two successful
challenges — Carolina against Houston.
The revenue sharing agreement, which would
have expired on Wednesday, was extended for
another 15 years. But before that happened, there
was extensive debate over its future.
While no one questioned the concept by which
the bulk of league revenues are apportioned —
primarily the $80 million per team from television
— owners such as Dallas’ Jerry Jones and
Washington’s Dan Snyder want wider marketing
rights for their teams' products. At the same time,
owners in smaller markets, including Buffalo’s
Ralph Wilson, Indianapolis’ Jim Irsay and
Pittsburgh’s Dan Rooney, expressed concern
about what they consider an increasing disparity
in cash flow between haves and have-nots.
“There are a lot of issues that we have to dis
cuss,” said Jeff Lurie, owner of the Philadelphia
Eagles, one of three teams to abstain on the vote,
along with Tampa Bay and Oakland. “We're not
talking about the basics — television. But there are
lots of ways of sharing other money that doesn't
involve that. That’s what we’re going to study.”
In other news Tuesday:
—The owners renewed the NFL Trust, which
provides $4 million per team in licensing revenue
for shirts, hats and other products with team logos.
But Tagliabue agreed to appoint a nine-member
committee to look at all aspects of revenue sharing
in the face of questions from several teams, led by
Washington, Dallas and Miami.
—Tagliabue said he was receptive to a contract
extension beyond May 2005, when his current
contract expires. However, the commissioner, who
will turn 64 in November, added: “I don’t want to
work forever.”
SPORTS IN BRIEF
Aggie tennis takes Tulsa 4-3
The No. 25 Texas A&M men’s tennis team
gained even more momentum Tuesday with a
quality road win over No. 49 Tulsa, 4-3. The victo
ry was the fifth straight for A&M.
Things didn’t look good for the Aggies early on,
as the Golden Hurricanes were able to win the
doubles point. A&M’s top-ranked doubles team of
juniors Lester Cook and Ante Matijevic fell for the
second straight time at court No. 1, this time to
Tulsa seniors Dustin Taylor and Alejandro Tejerina.
The Aggies were able to rebound by taking four
of the six singles matches in route to victory. The
win was sealed as Cook, ranked No. 20 in singles,
defeated Taylor, 6-7, 6-3, 6-0.
r THE BATTALION
Radio news from the newsroom of
campus and community news
1:57 p.m. Monday through Friday
on KAMU-FM 90.9
College Station/Bryan
Grass
Zapatos
Cantina
April Fool’s Day
Thursday, April 1 st
9-11 pm
it's april. do you know where you're living next year?
Melrose Student Suites are currently seeking
energetic, adventurous student
leaders
to be guides in developing active
communities. Onr
Community Ambassadors
are live-in student staff members
responsible for developing community and
marketing Melrose Student Suites.
Go to www.melrose.com for an application!!
Applications
Due April 7th
/f^osey
Tina Kuo
Director of Resident
& Community Relations
979-680-3680
Please return appbcatms to:
Melrose College Station
601 Luther St. West
College Station, TX 77840
coming august 2004
www.warehouseapartments.com