European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 18, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse Saturday. March 18.1989 the stars and stripes Page 23 commentary preps should Block National shot where is Bruce Gehrke no thai we really need him for those who never had the pleasure the late Bruce Gehrki was a legend at Mineola High school on Long Island a winning coach and a zealot about protecting athletes from outsiders namely me. After Reading this week s five part series in the new York times about the growing pressures of High school sports. I found myself wishing the big lug were running the National federation of state High school associations. I d like to hear what he d have to say about television offering big Bucks for National tournaments All Over the country. Guhrke and i bumped Heads More than a Quarter of a Century ago when 1 worked for a newspaper that rightfully believed in interviewing High school ath letes. A reporter never knew what he might find maybe a Young Jim Valvano doing a song and dance As a freshman on his father s Seaford High basketball team. Maybe a laugh. Maybe a tear. Maybe a reflection of w hat it was like to score the winning goal. At Mineola High what you got were arms folded across the muscular Chest of Bruce Guhrke who looked like or. Clean with a Smirk. It s been Nice talking to you Gehrke would growl when a journalist approached. Many coaches were afraid of letting High school students speak for themselves. How innocent those fears seem today when every maker of sneakers and grease burgers is waiting to sponsor High school games. It could be As big As mtg and slash movies. And school Board presidents superintendents principals athletic directors coaches parents and local boosters think television tournaments will put a Little excitement into their lives. It has to be More exciting than running a gym class. Or educating Chil Dren. While High school students cannot do math or learn a foreign language More and More so called educators Are devoting their Energy to recruiting ath letes from across town. Geography hey a dozen kids per state will know where Las vegas is. Don t get me wrong. I love the intensity of High school sports. I m hopeful about the return of the new York Public schools basketball final to Madison Square Garden s fell forum next week after 17 years. One of my most enjoyable events As a news reporter in Appalachia was covering a tiny school from Eastern Kentucky reaching the Sweet 16 in the big cily of Louisville. But i would submit that a slate tournament is the natural Boundary for High school sports. Lei s pass a bus Rule. If a team can gel there comfortably in a bus in s tolerable. But sending High school learns winging around the country is an abuse. There Are already so Many abuses intense Competition among private schools for disadvantaged youth who usually Lurn Oul to be very tall and very fast recruiting for eighth graders robbing Ihm of their youth. The colleges have Long become a feeder system for professional leagues at Garcal Cost to integrity. Weave coaches accused of sending $100 Bills in air express envelopes to parents of prospects. We have agents lurking on Campus signing up athletes who Are exploited by taking a pressure Job with Low pay and few Legal rights. Now this National plague is spreading to inc High schools. Athletes Are learning in is acceptable to Cut Corners to stay eligible. And other children Are learn ing Hal playing inc flute or writing a poem is not nearly As valuable to their elders As going to the teachers will be under pressure to change inc grades of flunking students so the High school can qualify for the had Sci invitational. When newspapers including the new York times Slart running National ratings of the top 25 High school learns icy Are part of the problem. But television Money is the big culprit. In will make a lot of High school officials do things they might nol have thought of on their own be in Florida on a wednesday night ten thou Sand for our scholarship fund sure we can gel the kids out of class fora few Days. Who will protect children from being exploited the National federation based in Kansas City. Mo., supposedly represents 89 percent of America s secondary schools. It has traditionally opposed National tournaments bul Brick b. Durbin the executive director recently said i think limes have changed. I m not As opposed to it As i once when the Cable no works offer big Money to Cre ate National tournaments to fill their air Lime i like to think somebody would land in the doorway arms folded and growl it s been Nice talking to you the a Yolk to not jump in Mcaa Pool makes splash with baseball players by Ben Walker a baseball writer Plant City Fla. For George Brett Mike Schmidt Frank Viola and Al most everyone else at Spring training the hottest action this week is at the Pool. Thai s the Mcaa basketball tournament s a real big thing Bretl said wednesday. You Nave to be in one and maybe two or Mcaa tournament started thurs Day and in every clubhouse right next to a depth Chart and a list of which players mus make the upcoming two hour bus trip the by ackels Are posted. The Buzz is basketball nol baseball. For a lol of Money or a Lillic i Csc Are the games thai really count. To me the Mcaa Pool is syn Ono Mous wild Spring training Texas Man Ager Bobby Valentine said. Even 20 years ago it was a big How big last year when Fri agents made their annual Lour of big league Camps to warn about gambling they had to wait outside the los Angeles locker room until the dodgers finished their Pool. Some teams arc More serious than others. Kansas City and Minn Sola arc full of Pool players. Boston in t so involved. I m nol in Boston s Wade Boggs said. I Don t really follow it like some other twins however Are eager to play. I think we re going to have three differ ent kinds this year Viola said. Shane rawly brought a new one when he was traded Over from Brett and the royals scoff at Minnesota s puny pools. We re Way bigger than they. Are Brill said. We. Have pools on a very thing even Golf in one such Pool numbers Are drawn out of a hat for picking order. Brett Saddle with two Low choices got stuck Wilh my a Csc state and South Carolina. He tried to belter his chances in the $20-pcr-pick Pool by buying Loyola Mary mount from Kurt still will and getting Virginia from Pat to another royals Pool players got a Blank Sheet with the pairings and filled it out to the end. I m picking Missouri Brett re going to win because of sentimental reasons. Their coach Norm Stewart is sick and they re going to do in for teammate Willie Wilson disagreed. I be seen Missouri a lot this year and they re not going to win Wilson s going to be Cor Clown and Illinois in inc championship game and George town is going to Cor Clown no. 2 in inc Nalion Hsihe most popular Choice among major All the Way Cincinnati s Eric Davis manager Jim Leyland considered an Mcaa affix Dianado also warned the hoyas but instead wound up Wilh the 38th pick in the pirates Pool. I Don t have a Chance he said. Ill probably wind up with Fairleigh Dickin if he docs he won t have a Chance. Fairleigh Dickinson in t even in the 64 Leam Cyva the new Philadelphia manager swept St. Louis Pool last March Wilh a stunning selection. He filled out a Blank Sheet before the tournament started and picked unheralded Kansas to beat Oklahoma in the Champi Sean Elliott s wildcats had Mike Schmidt and Chris James pooling $150 for . On ship game exactly whal happened. This Spring Leyva Gol inc i7lh Choice in the Phillies Pool and took Louisiana state. Bob Scanlan Drew the lop pick and look Georgetown later that Day he found out he had been sent to the minors. Schmidt who won Philadelphia s Pool several years ago by Laking Louisville really wanted no. 1 Arizona. So after Scanlan took Georgetown Schmidt and Chris James pooled $150 to buy inc Sec Ond pick and gel Arizona. We also got North Carolina As a backup Schmidl said. I d love to see North Carolina and Duke play again. In docs l gel any belter than Pittsburgh s Brian Fisher is hoping his Luck will change. He never came close inaction with Atlanta and the new York Yan Kees and Learned up this year Wilh Road room Malc Doug Drabek in the pirates Pool. The Pittsburgh pitchers wound up with the 62nd pick. Siena Fisher said. Thai s who Well end up with. It happens every still being in the Pool is a big Deal. That s All they Lalk Aboul Fisher s wife Kelli said. In s the game they really want to
