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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 21, 1998)
Simmons eager for training camp Anthony Simmons is expected to challenge Dean Wells for starting middle linebacker ByTimKIass The Associated Press SEATTLE — Anthony Sim mons missed the phone call from the Seattle Seahawks. Then he nearly missed seeing himself picked in the first round of the NFL draft. After agonizing over whether to leave Clemson after his junior year, the 6-foot-l, 231-pound line backer doesn’t want to miss the start of training camp. In a news conference and inter view Monday, Simmons said he told his agent, Eugene Parker, to get him a contract before camp opens July 18. “I’m just ready to get out in the field, get started, get back to play ing the game,” Simmons said. He said he didn’t set any mini mum terms. “I’m not like that,” he said. “Whatever you guys can work out, just as long as I'm working out so I don’t miss out on any thing. I think that would be just an unfair disadvantage to myself.” Simmons, who played inside linebacker at Clemson despite be ing relatively small for the posi tion, said his' first assignment with the Seahawks would be in the middle in a 4-3 set. He is ex pected to challenge Dean Wells for starting middle linebacker. Seahawks President Bob Whit sitt presented him with a No. 51 jersey. Simmons said he picked the number because it was as close as he could get to No. 41 he wore with the Tigers. He said he got into football at the urging of friends in high school in Spartanburg, S.C., play ing first at free safety as a sopho more and switching to linebacker the next year. Simmons, who has a 5-year-old daughter, said he would move to Seattle alone but hoped to return to Clemson in the next few years to complete work on a bachelor’s degree in marketing. A cross and a $5 gold coin hanging from his neck, Simmons said he was glad to be done with the stress “of having no concept of what’s going to happen to me within the next couple hours on draft day, just knowing that one pick’s going to decide my future.” He had visited Miami, which had the 29th pick; Detroit, No. 20, and Seattle, No. 15. Parker pre dicted he'd be taken by Cincin nati, who had the 13th and 17th picks. Simmons thought it would be Detroit. Two hours into watching the draft with friends in a hotel room, hunger got the better of him. When he went into the restaurant to get his order, he left his cellular telephone in the car. Returning, he saw he had re ceived a call. He got back to the room just in time to see his name flash on the screen. “Oh my, whoa! I started jump ing up and down. I couldn’t be lieve it. I was totally surprised,” Simmons said. Jumping up and down is also something he does a lot after big sacks and tackles. “I’m just a player that likes to go out and play the game hard and especially to go out and make plays,” he said. That attitude loomed as large for the Seahawks as speed and in stinct for getting to the ball, head coach Deimis Erickson said. “The thing about Anthony is he loves to play the game. He has fun playing the game, and that’s what it’s all about,” Erickson said. Watching game films, the head coach explained, “Anthony just jumped out at you. He got excited playing the game. When he made plays, he was excited about mak ing plays. That’s what football is all about.” Simmons said he had been told the players he most resembles are Ray Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens and the now-retired Mike Singletary. “I tend not to model myself af ter anyone, you know. I like to just be my own person, I would say, play my own game — my game,” Simmons said. "I haven’t kept up with the NFL too much.” Clippers fire Fitch after four years Bill pitch, the only man to coach more than 2,000 games, is second in NBA history in wins and first in losses By Ken Peters The Associated Press LOS ANGELES — Head coach Bill Fitch was fired by the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday, two days af ter the perennial NBA doormat finished a 17-65 sea son. Elgin Baylor, Clippers vice president of basketball operations, said he planned to compile a list of can didates for the coaching job within a few days. Fitch, 63, coached the Clippers for four years, com piling a 99-229 record in Los Angeles, including 36 46 and a playoff berth last season. Hit hard by injuries this season, including the loss of floor leader Loy Vaught, the Clippers’ record was the third worst in the NBA, behind only Denver, which won 11 games and fired its coach Monday, and Toronto, which won 16 games and saw its coach resign in February. Fitch, who began his NBA coaching career with Cleveland in 1970, is second in league history in wins with 944, behind Lenny Wilkens, and first in losses with 1,106. He is the only man to coach more than 2,000 games. Baylor said he told Fitch he was being let go on Monday morning, meeting with him in the coach’s office at the LA Sports Arena. “We had a very long conversation,” Baylor said. “Like any coach, he was disappointed. We talked about a lot of things. We probably talked half an hour or longer.” During a telephone conference call with reporters, Baylor said there were several reasons Fitch was dis missed. “If you look at the disappointing season, I know we’ve had injuries and all, but the organization felt we should have had a better season,” Baylor said. “Looking at the record and the overall perfor mance, and the direction the team was going ... we felt it was time for a change.” The 17 wins is the same number the Clippers had their first year under Fitch, 1994-95. They improved to 29-53 his second year, then were 36-46 to finish fifth in the Pacific Division and earn a playoff spot last year. They were swept in the first round by Utah. This season, however, without a solid center and with forward Bo Outlaw lost to free agency before the season and Vaught out most of it because of back surgery, the Clippers slipped back into their old role of being one of pro sports’ weakest teams. Owner Donald Sterling is moving the team after next season from the Sports Arena to a new arena to be built nearby. The Clippers will share the facility with the Lakers and the NHL’s Kings, however, and will be the building’s “third tenant” as far as sched uling games goes. Asked if the organization felt a coaching change was necessary since the Clippers will be more or less competing with the Lakers for fans, Baylor replied: “I think absolutely. Next season and when we go into the new arena, we certainly want to be competitive.” Fitch and the coaches who preceded him with the Clippers always have been hamstrung because the organization has a history of bad draft picks and bad trades, and of letting good players leave rather than paying high salaries. Golf: Baumgartner said women will improve ■ Continued from Page 7 Gomric is in fourth with a first round 73, while eight players — three of them Wildcats — are tied for fifth at 74. The No. 1 player in the country, the Sun Devils’ Grace Park, is among the four players tied with Patterson for 13th. Anika Heuser is second on Ore gon after the first round with a 76 that ties her for 17th. Heuser is coming off an individual title at the Peg Barnard Invitational on April 12, which was the Ducks’ last tournament. The other three players compet ing for Oregon are Kylie Wilson, Jerilyn White and Karen Bristow. They are placed in that order after the first round with Wilson’s 78 landing her in a tie for 26th, White’s 80 tying her for 37th, and Bristow tied for 42nd with 81. “I think you’re going to see all five of [the Ducks] improve dra matically [today],” Baumgartner said. "I think Paula Patterson is going to go out and shoot par or better. She’s going to know that we’re going to need her leader ship, and she’s going to step it up a notch.” The second 18 holes is played today before the tournament con cludes with Wednesday’s final round. “The Pac-10 Championships is n’t won on the first day,” Baum gartner said. “And we feel really confident about the next two.” COMPUTER RENTAL & INTERNET ACCESS Bring this coupon to the Kinko's listed be(ow and receive 50% off on-site Mac & IBM Rental and Internet Access. kinko's 1265 Willamette, Eugene 344-3555 I Offer does not apply to digital output of files. Offer is limited to one coupon per person Coupon must be presented at time of purchase and is not valid with other offers or discounts. Offer valid at time of purchase only and may not be discounted or credited toward past or future purchases. Offer valid at Kinko's bsted locations only. Coupon void where prohibited by law. Mo cash value. I Offer ecpires 3/30/98. ®1998 Kinko's. Inc. All fights reserved. Kinko's is a registered trademark of Kinko's Ventures. Inc. and is used by permission. Kinko's retires written permission from the copyright holder in order to reproduce any copyrighted materials. | AAA550- | Open 24 Hours • Ask about free pickup and delivery | EXP 8/30/98 Was your writing teacher exceptional? 003149 CompoAition tit* y*a\ 1997-98 Help us reward him/her. If you have had an excellent teacher this year in an English Composition class (any class with a 'WR' prefix), nominate him or her for an Outstanding Composition Teacher Award. Leave a note or a detailed letter with the English Department or mail it to Anne Laskaya, Department of English, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403. Nomination must be postmarked or submitted by Monday, April 27,1998. For information, call 346-3911. 003166 AuAbua ZnCflcuulL fyfia+tce Qfieece. 9tahf, The University of Oregon has overseas study programs in Vienna, Austria; London, England; Angers, France; Athens, Greece; and Siena and Macerata, Italy. • Recieve UO resident credit for courses taken • Attend 1,2 or 3 terms • Attend one or more programs consecutively • Each program provides excursions • Most forms of financial aid may be applied Application deadline for Fall term: May 1, 1998 For more Information contact: The office of International Education and Exchange, 330 Oregon Hall (541) 346-3207
