The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, July 11, 1991, Summer, Page 8, Image 7

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    Sports
NUfootball schedule loses patsy lineup
A year ago, Nebraska football crit
ics were feasting on a diet of cream
puffs.
Remember the non-conference
schedule? *
Baylor was supposedly bad, North
ern Illinois was more like Nobody
Important, Minnesota was a pack of
lame-duck gophers, and Oregon Stale’s
Beavers were predicted to be the worst
team in college football.
Never mind that every one of those
teams went on to do well later in the
year. Baylor was in the Cotton Bowl
chase right up until the end, and
Minnesota humbled Big Ten cham
pion Iowa in their final regular season
game.
Never mind that. The Comhuskers
played patsies, and the supposedly
weak early schedule was considered
a major factor in the team’s Iate
season nose dive.
Well, a year later, the Nebraska
football program has left behind the
embarrassment forced on them last
year by their schedule bashers, which
included national publications like
Sports Illustrated.
This season, Husker fans won’t
have to put up with strains of “Play a
real team!” or “Pick on somebody
your own size!” from Colorado and
Oklahoma.
Instead, Nebraska fans can -shout
back at their Big Eight rivals — with
good reason.
First of all, the Huskcrs have noth
ing to be embarrassed about. They
will kick off the season September 7
against Utah State, an alright excuse
for an opener. Next is wide-open
Colorado Stale, a bowl team last year
that has an outstanding coach in Earl
Bruce.
Then comes the match-up that can
earn back national respectability for
'A. ~r *—A A -1
the football program: A September
21 televised home dale against Pac
Ten champion Washington, which has
been on or near the top of every pre
season poll.
Top that off with a trip the follow
ing week to Arizona State, Nebraska’s
first road game of the season. Arizona
Slate is not projected to contend for
the Pac Ten title, but figure in Ne
braska’s 2-4 lifetime record on the
beaten sod of Sun Devil Stadium, and
the game could be interesting.
Four Western teams, and at least
two major tests early for Nebraska.
Not bad, by anybody’s standards.
And Oklahoma?
Well, if last season was full of
cream puffs for Nebraska, the Soon
ers have found their way to the bakery
this year.
Oklahoma opens with three home
games, and will blow out each oppo
nent, guaranteed. In order, Sooner
fans will get treated to romps over
weak sisters North Texas State, Utah
State, and Virginia Tech.
In early October, the Sooncrs play
Texas in Dallas, their only real lesion
the road to an October 19 showdown
with Colorado in Norman. In all,
Oklahoma has only three true road
games all season, the finale against
Nebraska included.
And Colorado?
Certainly you remember Buffalo
coach Bill McCartney last year, stand
ing in the Orange Bowl locker room
claiming his team deserved a national
• championship on the basis of their
i -*
OH, COME ON. ITS NOT GOING TO BE THAT EASY,
Michael Weixel/Daily Nebraskan
strong scncauic.
Mac had a point then. But this year
he’ll have to construct something new,
because Colorado’s 1991 schedule is
duller than McCartney himself.
In fact, the Buffs have Baylor and
Minnesota—patsies a year ago—on
their list for this season. Colorado’s
other two non-contcrcnce games,
against Wyoming at home and at
Stanford, don’t look too taxing either.
That leads one to believe that
Nebraska, having played the toughest
non-conference schedule, may have
the experience and seasoning needed
to make a run at Colorado and Okla
noma, no mailer whal prcscason polls
arc saying.
Bealing them bolh would almosl
be like throwing ihc cream puffs right
back in ihcir faces.
Adkisson is a junior news-editorial major
and a Daily Nebraskan reporter and colum
nist
jncaa rule-breakers may nave
due process rights nationwide
By John Adkisson
Staff Reporter
A proposed Congressional bill that
would require the NCAA to use due
process stems from one already in
effect in Nebraska.
EdTowns(D-N.Y.) introduced the
bill in the House of Representatives
May 1 with 28 co-sponsors. The bill
currently is in the Education and Labor
Committee wailing approval.
“This is for the accusal,” said Todd
Harrison, a spokesman for Towns in
Washington. “So this isan equity bill,
insuring that anybody accused of any
wrong-doing by the NCAA gets the
due process that they are entitled.”
Nebraska passed a state bill re
quiring due process this spring. Ne
vada is the only other state that cur
rently requires due process, but Flor
ida, California, Illinois, Iowa, South
Carolina and Missouri arc also con
sidering similar state legislation.
“We looked at the Nebraska and
Nevada legislations Very carefully,”
said Towns. “I think what helped
insure support was the fact that the
NCAA was concerned about the ef
fects of the bills in those two states.”
Ncvada-Las Vegas basketball coach
Jerry Tarkanian and Louisiana State
basketball coach Dale Brown came to
Washington last month to testify in
favor of Towns’ bill.
Tarkanian, whose program has been
the subject of numerous investiga
tions, has been the most outspoken
critic of the organization, calling it a
“bully.”
In Nebraska, the stale bill requir
ing due process took effeet this month.
The first athletes protected under due
process are Tony Farmer and Jose
Ramos, Nebraska basketball players
currently under investigation by the
NCAA.
University of Nebraska vice presi
dent and general counsel Dick Wood
said the stale law has not made much
difference in the way the university
has handled the Ramos and Farmer
investigation.
“As a slate university, we have
always been required to give a stu
dcnt-athlctc due process in these
matters,” Wood said. “Nothing has
really changed under the law.”
Wood said the only difference the
law has made is to require due proc
ess from the NCAA, other athletic
associations, and private universities
across the state.
One advantage under the law is to
give an investigated athlete the right
to a hearing. This would 'give the
athlete the right to respond to any
charges brought about by the NCAA.
The first such hearing in Nebraska
may occur as early as next week,
when Ramos will testify before James
O’ Hanlon, dean of the Teachers Col
lege. Wood and A1 Papik, Nebraska’s
assistant athletic director for compli
ance and academic services, will also
be present.
O’Hanlon said Tuesday that Ra
mos’ hearing is “tentatively” set for
next week.
Players to try for pros
by jonn Adkisson
Staff Reporter
Rich King will be a Seattle
SupcrSonic, and Tony Farmer wants
to be a Los Angeles Laker.
But the list of former Nebraska
Comhuskcrs entertaining thoughts
of playing professional basketball
goes three deeper.
Clifford Scales, Beau Reid, and
Keith Moody, members of Ne
braska’s 1991 NCAA Tournament
team, said they plan to try out with
professional teams, although none
of the three were taken in last
week’s NBA Draft.
King became the first first-round
NBA pick in Huskcr history, going
to Seattle as the 14th pick overall.
Farmer was not chosen, but has
said he has committed to attend
the Los Angeles Lakers’ tryout
camp later this month.
Scales said he will attend the
Golden Slate Warriors’ mini-camp
in Utah beginning July 17, and
then go on to play in the Los Angeles
Summer League, a testing ground
lor lulurc pros.
He said he looks forward to
trying to make Golden State’s roster.
“They’ve got an outstanding
guard in Tim Hardaway,” Seales
said. “But they need a backup, and
I felt it was a good opportunity for
„ . »)
me.
Last season, Seales played in
all of Nebraska’s 33 games, aver
aging ten points and three rebounds
per game. He left Nebraska as the
all-time steals leader, and was thir
teenth on the all-time scoring list.
Reid will join Seales in Utah,
but hoping to make it with the Sac
ramento Kings. Reid, another guard,
will also play in the LA Summer
League, and said he hopes the ex
posure he gets there will allow him
to play professionally somewhere.
“I’m hoping it can attract some
European scouts,” Reid said. “But
goal number one is to make it with
the Kings.”
Reid, an academic All-Ameri
can all four years at Nebraska, said
See PLAYERS on 9
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