Sports Editor:
Peter Hockaday
peterhockaday@dailyemerald.com
Wednesday, June 4,2003
-Oregon Daily Emerald
Sports
Best bet
NBA Finals:
New Jersey at San Antonio, Game 1
5:30 p.m., ABC
Wyden’s bill could lessen agents’ power
The Oregon senator proposes
a bill that would hold sports
agents accountable in their
dealings with NCAA athletes
Peter Hockaday
Sports Editor
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., intro
duced a bill to the U.S. Senate on
Tuesday that could change the way
collegiate athletes interact with
sports agents.
r
The Sports Agent Responsibility
and Trust Act, if passed, would force
agents to have full disclosure when
dealing with NCAA athletes.
Agents in pursuit of contracts
with NCAA athletes would be re
quired to notify, in writing, those
athletes of the dangers of leaving
school early. Agents would not be
allowed to postdate contracts and
would face more restrictions in
discussions with athletes’ friends
and family members.
“By creating a national require
ment for sports agent conduct, the
bill will send a message to agents
that there is no place left in Ameri
ca that is a safe haven for taking ad
vantage of student-athletes,” Wyden
said in a release.
Wyden’s bill has the support of
NCAA President Myles Brand, Uni
versity President Dave Frohnmay
er and Oregon Athletic Director
Bill Moos, among others. The bill
has already been introduced into
the U.S. House of Representatives
by Rep. Bart Gordon, D-Tenn., and
has at least 75 co-signers.
“I applaud Sen. Wyden for intro
ducing this bill into the senate,”
Moos said on Tuesday. “I’ve long
been concerned about athletes with
collegiate eligibility being enticed
into making decisions they may not
be ready to make.”
The bill could play into Brand’s
master plan to curb the number of
student-athletes who leave school
early. Brand, the former Oregon
and Indiana president who now
sits atop the NCAA, has a long
range “strategic planning process,”
as he calls it, for restoring credibil
ity to the collegiate governing
body. Part of that process is bol
stering graduation rates, which
would certainly improve if more
sports agents were held account
able for their actions.
“It is important that agents be
Turn to Agents, page 12
Ducks turn
pigskin to gold
Twenty-three Ducks play on
professional football rosters, led
by six who were drafted in 2002
Where are they now?
Mindi Rice
Sports Reporter
Among the National Football League,
the Arena Football League and the
Canadian Football League, 23 former
Oregon football players appear on pro
fessional rosters.
From the most recent, like Justin
Peele or 2003 draftee Keenan Howry, to
guys from almost 10 years ago, like Alex
Molden and Kenny Wheaton, Ducks are
continuing Oregon’s football success on
the professional level.
Five quarterbacks lead the recogniz
able names of former Ducks in the NFL.
Detroit Lion Joey Harrington and
Philadelphia Eagle A.J. Feely both be
came the unexpected starters for their
teams during the 2002 season.
After four years of high expectations
in Cincinnati, Akili Smith was cut by
the Bengals on Monday.
“It felt good that Jon (Kitna) and
(Corey Dillon) called me,” Smith told
the Bengals’ Web site Monday. “They
basically said it was the best thing for
me and that I was going to hook on with
somebody and get a fresh start.”
Smith was the third pick overall by
the Bengals in the 1999 draft. He was
given the task of resurrecting Cincin
nati’s program with little NFL experi
ence. Kitna and Dillon were team
mates with Smith in Cincinnati and
called him on Monday. He also re
ceived calls from four NFL programs
interested in him.
“Those things were probably true,
but as a quarterback, you can’t say
that,” Kitna said. “You have to bear the
brunt, and he didn’t have anybody here
to teach him
that. I would
have loved to
have been
here for him
then.”
The best
year for Ore
gon football
players seems
to be 2002.
Seven Ducks
were chosen during the 2002 NFL Draft
following Oregon’s No. 2-national finish
in January.
Harrington, the No. 3 overall pick in
2002, led the Ducks in the draft. Mau
rice Morris went to Seattle, Rashad
Bauman went to Washington and Peele
was drafted by San Diego.
Wesley Mallard earned a ticket to the
New York Giants and Steve Smith went
to Jacksonville. All six remain with the
team that drafted them.
Harrington was taken off the field in
Detroit’s Dec. 15 game against Tampa
Turn to Then & now, page 12
Part2of 2
Catching up
with former Oregon
football players.
mrnmmm
Emerald
Akili Smith was cut by the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday and is now in search of another NFL team to quarterback.
Carrie Zografos (41)
was one of several
Oregon runners
who missed the
NCAA
Championships
this season.
Emerald
J
I Duck runners fall behind,
fail to make NCAA meet
All seven Oregon runners who made
the trip to the West Regionals failed
to make the NCAA Championships
Women’s track and field notes
Jesse Thomas
Sports Reporter
With eight field athletes traveling to Sacramento
on June 11 for the NCAA Championships and no
runners making the journey, the “track” in Track
Town USA is beginning to fade.
Seven runners traveled to Cobb Track and Angell
Field on Friday in hopes of a nationals bid and all
walked away empty-handed.
For some, their careers ended that day in Stan
ford, Calif., and for others, careers began.
Redshirt senior Carrie Zografos ended her Duck
career in the 5,000 meters, finishing 13th in 17 min
utes, 4 seconds. That time was nearly 15 seconds off
her season best.
“I just had higher hopes of going for it and getting
in the top five,” Zografos said. “I’m disappointed that
the season is over and it being my senior season. But
when you get injured you get injured, and in athlet
ics that’s the name of the game.”
Freshman Nicole Feest never even expected to
race in regionals, where she took 17th in 17:41.31,
but she gained valuable experience to help her in fu
ture endeavors.
“Now I have a better idea of what I need to do next
year and how to prepare better for the right time of
Turn to Track, page 12