sports
/-Commentary
The day we judge
Oregon’s grid future
'-Mike Marino-^
A friend and I were walking by Mac Court the other day when he
asked, “Where’s Rich Brooks’ Mercedes?”
I said that I wasn’t sure about the car, but that Rich was probably off
recruiting somewhere. And indeed, he and his entire staff have been
trekking the country in search of Oregon’s football future.
This Wednesday we’ll see some of the results. That’s the day when
the NCAA allows high school football players to sign national
letters-of-intent and it’s the day when the Ducks can see just how well
they fared against the USCs and UCLAs. Only one thing is for sure: it's a
nervous time for all the Athletic Department.
John Caine
chances are good
“We re under tremendous
pressure,’’ said Oregon’s AD,
John Caine. "I'd like to see us all
off the hook soon — our staff and
myself.” These days, recruiting
tells the tale for a program. Good
recruiting means a good program,
bad recruiting means, “We've
had one winning season in the
past 13 years,” Caine explained.
“And there’s an old saying in
college athletics, ‘You’re just
about as good as your recruiting
effort.’ And if you don’t have the
players, you’re not going to go so
far.”
wants to go far. And the athletic
department is staking a lot on the
results. A good deal of money
goes in to the business of sending
coaches hither and yon, more
than some people would deem
feasible. But ask anybody this
side of Jimmy the Greek and
they’ll tell you: you have to spend it
to make it.
"Some people wonder how we can justify spending so much
money just for football,” Caine said. "But the football program has to
develop over $1 million in revenue — that's for one year. In other
words, the team has got to produce to produce. And there’s a little pride
involved, too. Just ask yourself how you feel about 12 out of 13 losing
seasons. That’s how Brooks and Caine feel.
The last two of the football regimes (Don Read and Dick Enright)
had the recruiting programs break down," Caine said. And that’s the
reason for the clean start with Brooks. He admitted when he first came
here that Don Read was a fine gentleman and a good coach, but that he
didn't have enough players.
"There’s a lot of truth in Rich’s statement,” Caine assessed. “Don
Read was a good coach. But so much goes back to the failure in
recruiting.”
Which is why you don’t see Brooks around so much any more. Or
his Mercedes. He and his staff, led by recruiting coordinator Ron
Hudson, have been after players around the country. And there’s talk
that they’re doing a darn good job. So good, in fact, that Brooks joked
that the NCAA might wonder what went on if so many good players wind
up signing their hearts to Eugene.
A few other folks might turn a head or two. Oregon's recruiting effort
has expanded as far as Deep South and the chances are good to better
that they’ll get a big name from there. “And every time we get a big name
from an area,” Caine reasoned, “the other kids in the area are going to
say, hey, if this guy goes all the way to Oregon, maybe they have
something there.’ And that’s what we want.”
With the effort put in by Oregon's "Tiger” staff, it may be what they
get. The recruiting year begins in the early spring, when the coaches
talk to high school people about their kids. Then comes summer and the
time is spent contracting incoming freshmen. In the fall it's obviously
football season, but it’s also time to scout. ”Our staff is gone by
Thursday night,” Caine said. “Often there’s only one coach left for late
workouts on Friday. All of the others are on the road.'
And then after the season — from the third week in November unti
now — they’re only home on weekends. And all that time they’re going
from place to place, selling the program and the city of Eugene.
The outcome we ll see tomorrow.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A
Vanderbilt University tennis
player is to be one of first two
blacks ever to enter Davis Cup
competition for South Africa.
Peter Lamb, an 18-year-old
junior from Cape Town, was
picked Sunday by the South
African Tennis Union for the North
America Zone finals which begin
at Vanderbilt on March 17. Named
with him was Robbie Venter, also
black. Both are to join the squad in
Nashville.
Earlier, a group opposed to
South African participation in the
competition said it would picket
the offices of Vanderbilt
Chancellor Alexander Heard and
President Emmett Fields this
week.
Dr. Richard E. Lapchick, head
of the American Committee for
Equality in Sport and Society
(ACCESS) announced the plan
Saturday after the school officials
refused once more to cancel the
two-day matches. ACCESS is
angered by South Africa’s strict
racial separation policy —
apartheid.
Lamb said Saturday he would
play for South Africa, if asked. His
interest, he said, “is strictly from a
tennis standpoint and has nothing
at all to do with politics."
Heard and Fields spent two
hours Saturday with Lapchick and
nine community representatives.
"We still have not changed our
minds,” Fields said afterward.
Tolford
(Continued from page 12)
Two weeks ago, Schmidt won
the 1,000 — meter run in the
Portland Indoor Developmental
Meet, running a 2:56.2.
The women also showed well in
the mile, with three runners
finishing in the top nine. Katy
Mountain led the way, getting fifth
with a time of 5:10.4. Jody Parker
was seventh, running 5:14 and
Debbie Richey doubled back from
the two — mile to get ninth in
5:19.5.
Kathy Picknell set a lifetime
best in the shotput, throwing the
ball 39-4v4, followed by Maggie
Vonn at 39-4. Neither placed in
the competition won by
nationally-ranked Marsha Meck
lenburg of Seattle Pacific with a
49-foot put.
Melanie Batiste was a oouDie
placer for Oregon, getting fifth in
the 440 in 61 seconds, in the first
time she had ever run the event.
She also took second in her heat
of the 60-yard dash with a 7.2
time. Rose Ann Klingerman of
Oregon was fourth in the 440 with
a 60.8 time.
Joan Walton finished fourth in
the long jump to round out
Oregon's showing.
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Student Bar Association presents:
Ron Ridenhour
speaking on
The Pentagon and the Police:
Militarizing Domestic
Law Enforcement
February 14 12:30
229 Law
Public Invited
Vandy to play for S. Africa
“The matches will go on as
scheudled. We told of our support
for human rights and also of our
support to see that blacks
have their full rights. We believe
that Vanderbilt ought to be an
open society and we are not
endorsing apartheid by letting the
South African tennis team come to
play tennis.”
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