European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 18, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse Wednesday january 18,1989 the stars and stripes Page 23 i blk him schools role overlooked in uproar wet to a c?�17�t�t rom. In the swirl of John Thompson s protest and John Chaney s cries of Mcaa racism and the move spearheaded by Vince Dooley and the Southeastern conference folks to push through proposal 42 the essential function of the University and the responsibility of the student himself seem to have got lost. Just because someone can shoot a basketball or kick a football does t mean that he is therefore qualified or obliged to attend College. Ideally there must be genuine interest on the part of the individual in question to seek an education some willingness and that interest and will Are often reflected in his ability to read and write and do sums. Colleges of course have a Long sordid history of the exploitation of muscular youths who had no business in school no interest no willingness other than to seek the dream of professional sports. After four years in College rather at College numbers of basketball and football players have left not Only without a diploma but literally without the ability to read simple Street signs. And they left without a pro contract in hand too since Only a meager selection of College athletes make the pros and those who do average career spans of Only three years. Now at age 24 or 25, with no marketable skills disillusioned bitter they wonder what happens tothe rest of my life to try to return some semblance of the education Al mandate to that area of the institution most noted for playing hookey athletics Mcaa schools voted in 1983 to stiffen the admissions requirements for ath letes. Proposition 48 mandated that a scholarship fresh Man could t play on the school team if he had t Ira Berkow received a 2.0 Grade Point average Overall in 11 Core curriculum subjects in High school or if he failed to score 700 on the Scholastic aptitude test or 15 on the american College test. This brought howls from Many Black educators that it was discriminatory because it was Blacks who would be most Hurt by it. But others like Harry Edwards the Blac sociologist said i think it s he pointed out that the academic standards sought were minimal. I think Black educators Are underestimating the capabilities of Black athletes even before the results of the effects of proposition 48 Are in proposal 42 was passed last week. It would go into effect in 1990 and takes proposition 48 a step further by preventing a prop 48 student athlete from receiving a scholarship at All in his freshman year. That would conceivably make it harder for minority athletes to get scholarships but easier for some colleges to compete in big time athletics. While the passing of proposition 48 seemed a sincere attempt to seek academic integrity in the athletic department the passing of proposal 42 was cynical financial ploy. It began apparently when it was discovered that the University of Georgia was allowing athletes to Drift in remedial courses in order to stay eligible. Also Georgia had a deplorable record for graduating Black athletes. Embarrassed Georgia tightened its athletic scholarship requirements. Now ge9rgia, led by its former football coach and athletic director Vince Dooley wanted the other schools in its Southeastern Confer ence to tighten their requirements to give the Bull dogs equal Opportunity to make millions of Dollar from football games. The Sec went along and in turn influenced other schools to vote for the tighter restrictions which became the now infamous proposal 42. The motive was not racism. The motive was no education. The motive was Money. Since about 9 of every 10 proposition 48 student athletes Are Black according to Mcaa statistics it meant that Blacks would be predominately affected. Thus Thompson walked off a basketball court before a game saturday night and Chancy vented his anger. But too Little has been said about the responsibility of the athlete himself and the responsibility of High schools and Grade schools to truly educate or about the stimulus for learning in the Home. It s True that standardized tests often have built in biases it s True that testing in t always the Best barometer of aptitude it s True that kids who founder in High school May Flower in College but it s also True that proven academic standards should t be lowered that kids must learn to reach that Worth while formal education like the pick and Roll is de manding and sweat earned. School is not for everyone but today it can be for almost anyone who truly desires it. And for the athlete As Well As the non athlete Black or White Street kid or Backwoods boy this urging must take hold and the earlier the better read read read. The new York times Ashe from Page 21 the court before his team s game sat urday against Boston College. Thompson said monday that he will take no More symbolic protest walks but left open the possibility of continuing his demonstration by skipping his team s game at Providence on wednesday. I have no More intentions of going to the Bench and walking off he said. I think that Point was made. But i will not go to the Bench until i am satisfied. I just have to feel sincerely that we Are moving in the right Ashe disagreed sharply. Seven Hundred on the sat exams that s like a d average Ashe said. Seven Hundred is so Low that cultural Bias and i m not an expert Proba Bly won t even play a part in the sat consists of a verbal Section and a mathematics portion each scored from 200 to 800. The minimum score is 400 and the maximum is 1600. If you can t score 700, i think you should be in a Community College or a Junior College anyway Ashe said. Ashe who writes a sports column for the Washington Post said he would use the column later this week to speak Outin support of the Rule. He said colleges do a disservice when they accept athletes who can t meet Aca Demic demands. I be seen what these athletes have done. It makes me want to cry because they should not be there. How is going to College going to Benefit them it certainly does not Benefit poor disadvantaged Black student athletes to come into the classroom unprepared simply for the Chance at a professional career he said. The new Rule was sponsored by the Southeastern conference which had Al ready passed a similar Rule of its own. It tightens an existing Mcaa Rule known As proposition 48, which allowed freshmen who did not meet academic requirements to receive athletic scholarships while losing their first year of eligibility. Under proposal 42, players who Don t meet both requirements will not be Eligi ble for athletic scholarships As freshmen. They could however receive Aid from a Booster or from other private sources. Mcenroe Edberg Lendl net victories Michigan from Page 21 plagued Villanova moving into first place in the big East conference. Seton Hall 16-1, now is 4-1 in the big East and holds a half game Lead Over Providence. The pirates who got 22 Points from John Morton forced the wildcats into 17 first half turnovers. Andrew gaze added 16 Points Ramos 12 and Gerald Greene 11 for Seton Hall. Tom Greis had 13 and Doug West 11 for Villanova. Stanford 93, Miami Fla. 59 Stanford Calif. Forward Howard Wright scored 21 Points including 11 in a Row at the outset of the second half to Lead 20th-ranked Stan lord to a runaway Victory Over Miami in a non conference game. Wright hit All seven of his Field goal attempts in the second half As Stanford broke open a 37-30 halftime Lead to go ahead by 15 Points Midway through the second half. The Cardinal now 13-3 Overall Sim ply increased the Lead the rest of the Way. Stanford outscored the hurricanes 33-10 in the final 12 minutes. Forward Eric Brown led Miami with 21 Points hitting 10 of 17. Univ 66, Fullerton St. 63 Las vegas Nev. Greg Anthony hit a 3-Point jumper from 25 feet away with three seconds left to give loth ranked Nevada Las vegas a Victory Over Fullerton state in big West conference play. Cedric Ceballos scored 24 of his 31 Points in the second half and Mark Hill added 19 for the titans. David Butler scored 16 for the rebels. Melbourne Australia a John Mcenroe playing his first match Here in three years beat Michael West Phal of West Germany 6-4, 7-5, 2-6, 6-2 tuesday in the first round of the austra Lian open Tennis championships. Mcenroe the top american seed at no. 7, rebounded after losing the fourth set to break Westphal twice in the final set. It was Mcenroe s first australian open appear Ance since losing to Slobodan Zivojinovic in the 1985 quarterfinals. In other opening round matches Sec Ond seeded Ivan Lendl overpowered Al expander Vronz of West Germany 6-0, 6 1, 6-3 and no. 4 Stefan Edberg downed Roger Smith of the Bahamas 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. In women s play Martina Navratilova and Gabriela Sabatini scored speedy first round victories today As they began their Challenge to top ranked Steffi Graf who won the grand slam and olympic championships last year. Three time australian Champion Navratilova seeded second crushed West German Andrea Betzner 6-0, 6-1 while no. 3 Sabatini playing Down under for the first time beat Cecilia Dahlman of Sweden by an identical score. Lendl took less than two hours to eliminate Vronz ranked 276th in the world. Lendl who has never won the austra Lian open was pleased with his opening Effort in the first grand slam event of the year. I was very Happy with my game today he said. It s just Good to get the first one Over Edberg the reigning Wimbledon Champion and a two time australian open Winner did t have an easy time against his big serving opponent. It was quite a Tough match the swede said. I hard to work Stefan Edberg in australian open. Defeating Roger Smith Lendl won the first nine games before Vronz broke on a backhand passing shot. Vronz was More competitive in the final set staying on serve to 3-All, but Lendl then took control and won the Las three games. While rain delayed play on the outside courts for the second straight Day Lendl s match on Center court went see Mcenroe on Page 26
