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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 2000)
728 Q. Street Haymarket EVERY _ TUESDAY 4 - CLOSE MLB suspends, fines John Rocker NEW YORK (AP) — John Rocker was suspended until May 1 by commissioner Bud Selig on Monday for racial and ethnic remarks that “offended practically every element of society.” The Atlanta Braves’ reliever also was fined and ordered to undergo sensitivity training for disparaging foreigners, homosexuals and minori ties in a magazine interview. The amount of the fine was not immedi ately known. “Major league baseball takes seri ously its role as an American institu tion and the important social respon sibility that goes with it,” Selig said. “We will not dodge our responsi bility. Mr. Rocker should understand that his remarks offended practically every element of society and brought dishonor to himself, the Atlanta »' .1 Braves and major league baseball. The terrible example set by Mr. Rocker is not what our great game is about and, in fact, is a profound breach of the social compact we hold in such high regard.” The players’ association was expected to file a grievance over the penalty, believed to be the longest against a baseball player for an action not related to drug use since Lenny Randle of Texas got 30 days in March 1977 for punching his manager, Frank Lucchesi. A grievance would force the mat ter before Shaym Das, the sport s new independent arbitrator. With the season to start April 3, the suspension technically is to last 28 days. The suspension will not affect his salary, expected to be between $200,000 and $300,000. “I do not believe it is appropriate that I should be harshly disciplined for my misguided speech unaccompa nied by any conduct on my part,” Rocker said in a statement released by his agents, Randy and Alan Hendricks. “I have previously apolo gized for my unfortunate remarks and stand by my apology. At this time I am considering my options, including my right to appeal the commissioner’s decision.” The 25-year-old pitcher was barred from joining the Braves at spring training. A high-ranking baseball official, speaking on the condition he not be identified, said the commissioner’s office did not want Rocker to report with other Braves’pitchers and catch ers, thus minimizing the number of media descending on Kissimmee, Fla., when camp opens Feb. 17. Rob Manfred, baseball’s executive vice president for labor relations, dis puted that, saying it was not a factor. Rocker’s comments drew a strong response from Braves executive Hank Aaron and civil rights groups. Several Braves players have said they expect Rocker to have a difficult time when he rejoins the team. The pitcher was ordered by Selig on Jan. 6 to undergo psychological tests, but the results of those tests hpVe not been disclosed. Rocker said in a Sports Illustrated story published last month that he would never play for a New York team because he didn’t want to ride a sub way train “next to some queer with AIDS.” He also said, “I’m not a very big fan of foreigners.... How the hell did they get in this country?” He also called a black teammate a “fat monkey.” Braves owner Ted Turner has said Rocker deserves a second chance and pointed out the reliever had apolo gized. “I don’t think we ought to hold it against him forever,” Turner said. “He didn’t commit a crime.” Rocker told ESPN last month that he had lost his cool and said things he didn’t mean about New York fans because he wanted “to inflict some emotional pain in retaliation to the pain that had been inflicted on me.” Rocker said he was frustrated by Yankees fans who threw batteries at him during the World Series. He said Mets fans spit in his face and poured beer on him during the playoffs. IV^ - ; i ¥ * 4 * m «N # «i • N *4 % *§ «K * Os* ft H) ... 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During his three-year stay, NU advanced to the NCAA Final Four twice and went 36-0 in the Big Eight conference, winning three conference titles. Following an NCAA Regional final loss to Ohio State in 1991, Cook left to take over a Wisconsin program. But before he left, he said to the Daily Nebraskan in 1991 that his goal was someday to come back to Nebraska and be the coach. When Cook arrived at Wisconsin, the program was in shambles. His pre decessor had just died, five starters had graduated, the best player had left and there had not been any recruiting done for a year. When I got there we had seven kids on scholarship,” Cook said. “It was in an unbelievable disarray. Plus I had to replace someone who had just died. I had no idea what I was getting into.” That first season the Badgers went 14-17 and finished seventh in the Big 10 Conference. And at times, he con sidered if coaching what was he really wanted to do. Cook turned things around. In 1993 Wisconsin made the NCAA tour nament and did for the next five years. His career at Wisconsin culminated in a three-hour, five-game match against Nebraska at the NU Coliseum in the Pacific Regional Championship. Bohl also left Nebraska to make it on his own. After coaching stints at North Dakota, Tulsa and Wisconsin, he joined Fred Goldsmith’s staff at Rice in 1989. As a defensive coordinator and linebackers coach there, three of Bohl’s players earned All-Southwest Conference honors. In 1994 he moved with Goldsmith to Duke where Bohl was instrumental in one of the greatest college football turnarounds ever. As defensive coordi nator he inherited a squad that was coming off of a 3-8 season. Bohl said the Blue Devil football players were ashamed to admit to fellow students ! that they played on the football team. “Ninety percent of the coaching we had to do at Duke was from the shoul der pads up,” Bohl said. The mental coaching worked as the team started out the season 7-0 and were featured on the front cover of Sports Illustrated. The team would fin ish at 8-4 and receive its first postsea son trip since 1989 as it played in the Hall of Fame Bowl. Even though Bohl was part of a successful program at Duke, he wanted more. And he got the opportunity to get more and come back to Nebraska when then-Nebraska Linebacker Coach Kevin Steele left NU to coach in the NFL. The chance to coach at Nebraska was too good to be true for Bohl even if his decision was questioned by his col leagues. “At the time I left we had a good staff, and we had taken Duke into the top 25,” Bohl said. “Professionally, some people questioned a couple of things and some told me I would be crazy to go back (to Nebraska). “I did recognize that in the ’90s, Nebraska was one of three to five pro grams who could win the national championship. Nebraska was in my heart, and it had always been a dream of mine to come back and coach. All of these things told me it would be a great opportunity.” Cook wasn t as excited to return to Nebraska - at first. In fact when Pettit first mentioned the idea of coming back to coach at Nebraska as an assis tant coach, Cook told Pettit he was crazy. But after being wooed heavily by Pettit and after talking with Bill Byrne, the situation started to feel good. But Cook admitted it was tough to leave Wisconsin. “Probably the biggest reason I decided to come back was that Coach Pettit was No. 1, he recruited me,” he said. “No. 2 was Bill Byrne. This is a unique athletic department, and he has created a great working environment with coaches. “The third reason is (my family) had lived in Lincoln, and we love Lincoln and the state of Nebraska.” It all came down to a question of timing. Pettit wanted to make one last run before handing over the program to his chosen successor. And Cook was in the right stage of his life and had the guts to replace the coaching great “There are tradeoffs with every job,” Cook said. “And that’s one of the risks that I’m taking, that I really have to replace a legend in the volleyball world and in the state. But the rewards' are great.”' Last season as associate coach, Cook ran the Husker block and defense while handling all of the recruiting duties. But his appointment as coach wasn’t official until Dec. 13. Lindsey Wischmeier, a setter who was recruited in Pettit’s last recruiting class, has no doubt that Cook can do the job. “1 think filling Coach Pettit’s shoes is a tough job, but if anyone can do it, Coach Cook can,” Wischmeier said. “I don’t think there will be a drop-off. We might even get better.” After five seasons as a linebackers coach, Bohl eased his way into the defensive coordinator role on Jan. 3, following the retirement of McBride. As an assistant Coach he whs part Of two national championships in ’95 and ’97 and has coached four All-Big 12 Conference performers. Junior middle linebacker Carlos Polk, who was one of those all-confer ence selections, is confident that Bohl will succeed as a defensive coordinator. “Coming up the last four years under him, I think he^ going to be an excellent defensive coordinator,” Polk said. “All he needed was an opportuni ty and now that he’s got it, he’s really going to make well with it.” Polk thought the transition from McBnde would be similar to the suc cessful transition from Tom Osborne to Frank Solich as coach in 1998. Asked if he gave any tips to Bohl about replacing a legend, Solich said Bohl had already picked up everything he needed to know to be successful at thejob. “Coach Osborne didn’t give a great deal.of advice to me,” Solich said. “I’d been around Coach Osborne and I think he anticipated that I picked a few things up. “Coach Bohl has been in the sys tem for quite some time now and has had a great deal of experience in the coaching profession. I have all of the confidence in the world that he will mesh and do an excellent job as defen sive coordinator.” Both coaches said they thought the transition would be smoother because they had seen the trials Solich went through when he took over. And though they’ve never talked about professional similarities or the challenges ahead, they do know each other, though only for about a year. They’ve seen each other through ath letic department functions. They have developed their relationship by attend ing the same church in Southeast Lincoln. “We live right by that church,” Cook said. “But it seems like all of the people we’ve met, including several football coaches, have helped us meet people and develop relationships.” And it’s those kind of relationships that will help both men as they embark on new endeavors.