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U.S. swimmer Biondi laments athletes’pay for play
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -
America’s best sw immcr took a swipe
Monday at an unfair system of play
for pay in the Olympics as a growing
number of countries reportedly
planned to reward medal winners
with fat bonuses.
Matt Biondi heated up a simmer
ing controversy over under-the-table
payments and blatant pro contracts
for Olympians shortly after the
American flag was raised in the
Olympic Village.
Rival swimmer Jens Peter Bemdt
had more political concerns on his
mind as he won a squabble over his
eligibility. The International Olym
pic Committee rejected East
Germany’s demand that Bcrndt be
banned from the Games because he
defected to West Germany in 1985.
While more than 400 athletes ar
rived in Seoul, bringing the total to
more than 4,500 five days before the
Games begin, political issues also
were broached by South Korean
President Roh Tae-woo.
Beset by several violent student
protests last week, Roh said he ex
pected “further democratization and
liberalization of the country” after the
Olympics.
North Koreans will have an oppor
tunity to see the Games on television
for free, if their government allows,
thanks to an agreement by the IOC to
let a coalition of East-bloc television
companies provide the transmission.
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'Maybe the only
true amateurs that
are left are in the
swimming pro
gram.
— Biondi
IOC' president Juan Antonio
Samaranch opened the committee’s
Former NU player teaches skills
By Mark Derow itsch
Senior Reporter
Former Nebraska fullback Micah
Heibel deposited his football knowl
edge in the back of his mind, but his
new job is making him withdraw it.
Last year, Heibel was the starthig
fullback for the Comhuskers. Now
he’s coaching the sophomore football
team at Lincoln High School.
“I spent five years at the university
learning to play football,” Heibel
said, “and now all that football
knowledge is useless. At least coach
ing puts some of that knowledge I
learned to use.”
Heibel said that since he just fin
ished his college career with Ne
braska, he knows how to handle most
coaching situations.
“I know what it’s like to play high
school football since I played in high
school not too long ago,” said the
1983 graduate of Lincoln Pius X High
School.
“I know what a high school athlete
should and shouldn’t be able to do,”
he said.
Heibel, who played for Nebraska
from 1983 to 1987, said his students
respect him more since he played
college football.
Heibel rushed for 356 yards on 64
carries during his senior season. He
scored four touchdowns and gained 7
yards in Nebraska’s 31-28 loss to
Florida State in the Fiesta Bowl.
“Playing at the university gives me
some credibility with the players,” he
said. “At least all the football knowl
edge I gained there didn’t go to
waste.”
'Playing at the Uni
versity gives me
some credibility
with the players.
At least all the
football knowl
edge I gained
didn't go to
waste7
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Although he played for Nebraska
last year, Heibel said some of the
players at Lincoln High don’t remem
ber him.
“Some do and some don’t,” he
said. “Others don’t believe that I
played at Nebraska. I guess nobody
knows where the fullbacks play.”
Besides coaching, Hcibcl also
teaches two algebra courses at Lin
coln High. Buthesaid his first priority
is teaching math, not coaching.
“I didn’t go to college to play
football,” he said. “I went to become
a teacher. To be perfectly honest, I
didn’t think I would mind coaching
football, but that’s all.”
Most students in Heibel’s classes
are sophomores. But he said he helps
coach most of the players.
“I work with sophomores mostly,”
he said. “But on game day for the
varsity. I’m up in the booth helping
out.”
Heibel said he would like to play
football again, but only on one condi
tion.
“It would be fun to play again only
if I could just show up on Saturday,”
he said. “Those guys put in a lot of
time during the week. 1 don’t know if
I could make a commitment like that
to football again.”
He said practices go much more
smoother for him at Lincoln High
than they did at Nebraska.
“Two-a-days didn’t seem to be as
taxing this year,” Heibel said, “since
I just walked up and down the side
lines.”
94th session with a speech that in
cluded a blast at the North Koreans for
boycotting the Games, saying they
sacrificed their athletes for politics.
“I cannot find words strong
enough to express my regret at the
way in which these athletes, regarded
as insignificant, are thus unhesitat
ingly manipulated and sacrificed to
supposedly ‘high’ interests,” he said.
“Higher than what, one might
ask ”
He also said the IOC needs to
change its rules “to the world of to
day,” and keep a sharp eye on the
“indispensable but controlled advent
of commercialization in sports.
At least seven nations reportedly
plan to reward their winners with
bonuses, though they’re all very
hush-hush about the money so far.
The Soviet Union, China, Hun
gary, Saudi Arabia, France, West
Germany and Malaysia are believed
to have pay-for-play plans, some as
high as $30,000 for a gold.
Biondi, a contender for seven
medals, said he had virtually no
chance of winning all golds as Mark
Spitz did in 1 V/Z, and had as little
likelihood of cashing in on his per
formances.
Biondi considers himself the fa
vorite in the 100-meter freestyle, in
which he holds the world record, and
his U.S. relay team is favored in the
400 freestyle. The 6-foot-7 Califor
nian says the favorites in his other
individual events areTom Jagerof the
United States in the 50 freestyle and
West Germany’s Michael Gross in
the 200 free and 100 butterfly.
“Maybe the only true amateurs
that are left are in the swimming
program,” Biondi said. “I have a hard
lime believing that tennis players who
are competing here are amateurs. I
have a hard time believing that Carl
Lewis is an amateur.”
The Olympics have all but offi
cially gone professional for many
sports. Lewis and several other track
and field stars have been socking
away six-figure incomes for years,
tennis pros like Chris Evert and Mats
Wilander also make hundreds of
thousands of dollars and basketball
players like Danny Manning are al
ready signed to hefty NBA contracts.
a ^ 4 4
B-rate college lootball tans
can enjoy a day at the park
THOMAS from Page 7
that shined in June begin to fade like
cheap denim in September. It’s char
actertesting time; time to bite finger
nails.
And all we can do is watch — not
from either a 3rd-base box or bleacher
seat — but from our living rooms.
That’s too bad. Baseball is a sport
that needs to be viewed from ringside
to be fully appreciated.
With baseball over yonder, people
back home often dismiss baseball as
an action-lacking game dominated by
a man on a mound.
But let’s not forget that baseball is
a game of strategy, parity and ageless
tradition.
This is a game where managers
bolt from the dugout, scream bloody
murder and kick dirt on umpires’
Hagar slacks. Only at a ball park.
In Nebraska, the football team’s
perennial success breeds sympathy
for others — like those people back
East.
They’re the ones cheering for B
rate college football teams every
Saturday. Poor guys.
But save those condolences. Those
poor fellas are the same ones who get
home from work and don a wind
breaker and ball cap.
They catch the train or subway to
Yankee Stadium or Fenway Park. A
hot dog and a beer or so later, they’re
in their seats, watching baseball.
It’s a grand ol* game. Always was.
And on this weekend, it’s too far from
home.
— / - -
Pro success hasn't surprised Washington
By Tim Hartmann
Staff Reporter
Brian Washington thought he
never lived up to his potential as a
Comhusker football player — which
has been a pleasant surprise for the
Cleveland Browns this year.
Browns coach Marty Schotten
heimer has labeled Washington, a
former strong safety at Nebraska, as a
surprise. Washington was selected in
the 10th round of the 1988 National
League Football draft, and has earned
a starting spot at defensive back as a
rookie.
“Brian had a very good sophomore
year at Nebraska, but he didn’t start
all the time as a junior or senior,”
Schottenheimer told The Associated
Press. “However, he tested very well
with us.”
Washington said he knew he had
the ability to play professional foot
ball, so his NFL success has not sur
prised him. However, he said, his
limited playing time as a junior and
senior at Nebraska did hurt his confi
dence.
‘I never thought
(making the NFL)
would be a long
shot. My thing with
Nebraska was just
try not to quit and
to stick it out.’
— Washington
“When I came to (Cleveland’s)
training camp it was a fresh start for
me, and I started to build up my
confidence again. I never thought
(making the NFL) would be a long
shot
“My thing with Nebraska was just
try not to quit and to stick with it."
Washington knew that if he stuck
w ith football at Nebraska he could get
a tryout with an NFL team because of
his physical skills. Washington, who
now weighs 215 pounds, runs the 40
yard dash in 4.4 seconds.
Although the Browns drafted him
in the lower rounds, Washington
came to training camp believing he
could play with anybody in the
league. If a player coming to the NFL
from college is intimidated he’s going
to have a tough time, Washington
said.
“Some guys come into training
camp, see all their idols and they’re in
a daze,” he said.
Washington played with
Nebraska’s varsity as a freshman and
started as a sophomore. During his
sophomore season, Washington
made 37 tackles and intercepted three
passes. As a junior and a senior,
Washington split time at strong safety
with Jeff Tom jack, finishing with 18
tackles in 1986 and 33 tackles in
1987.
A personal conflict with George
Darlington, Nebraska’s secondary
coach, was one of the main reasons
Washington did not play well and as
much as he would have liked to while
at Nebraska, he said.
“I was not only playing against the
other team — I was playing to keep
my job, and in a way, I was playing
against Coach Darlington,” Wash
ington said. “With a young athlete,
you can’t do that.”
Washington attributes his success
at Cleveland to the coaching staff. He
said the Browns’ coaches al low you to
make a mistake.
“The one thing that the coaches tell
you in the NFL is to have a short
memory,” he said. “That’s the best
thing they could have told me. If you
make one mistake and keep thinking
about it, the mistakes start multiply
mg.
NFL coaches want their players to
be loose and relaxed, Washington
said. Before one preseason game,
Schottenheimer walked by Washing
ton and asked him why he looked so
uptight.
The mental aspect of the game is
the key difference between college
and professional football, Washing
sfiiSr 5?1 V /
^ Daily Nebraskan File Photo
Former Cornhusker defensive back Brian Washington, a starter this season for the NFLvs
Cleveland Browns, congratulates a Louisiana State player after the 1987 USF&G Sugar Bowl.
ton said. Because professional offen
sive and defensive schemes are more
complex than those used in college,
“you must recognize what people are
trying to do to defeat you,” he said.
“If you blink your eyes,
somebody’s gone,” he said.
Another difference between col
lege and professional football is the
way players treat each other, Wash
ington said. NFL players are profes
sionals and they act like it, he said.
“The thing about the NFL, is we’re
all men and we’re all mature,” he said.
“There’s not a lot of guys talking and
say ing‘I ’ 11 get you the next play.’You
just line up and play football.”
Washington said college players
often taunt opposing players, but in
the NFL the players get along fairly
well. Before an NFL game begins,
players usually go out on the field and
talk to each other, he said.
Cleveland is a lot different than
Lincoln, Washington said, but there is
one similarity: the fans.
“The fans are crazy about foot
ball,” he said. “Most NIL teams don’t
have it like that. We sell out the
stadium almost all the time.”
The Browns are 1-1 this season
after dropping a 23-3 decision to the
New York Jets on Sunday.
Washington has made six unas
sisted and four assisted tackles in the
two games. He said several of his
tackles have come when Cleveland
was in the ‘Bear’ defense, where he
moves to a linebacker position.
Now that he is playing in the NFL,
Washington said, it’s important that
he keep a level head.
“You can p’U it up on a pedestal
and say that the NFL is God’s gift to
the world, and you’ll get your head
floating every which way it can,” he
said. “You can’t do that. You’ve just
got to go out and stick to your game
plan and give 110 percent every
play.”
Washington was a Parade Maga
zine Prep All-America selection at
Highland Springs (Va.) High School
and could have gone to just about any
major college in the country. He said
that going to Nebraska, which plays in
the run-oriented Big Eight Confer
ence, might not have prepared him for
all the passing in the NFL.
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