Newspapers / Rocky Mount High School … / Sept. 29, 1989, edition 1 / Page 9
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GRYPHON September 29, 1989 SPORTS 11 Athletics takes a turn for the worst Recently athletics has been given a bad name only because of a few careless actions by a few careless athletes and coaches. Because of steroids, Ben Johnson, once thought to be the world’s fastest man, had every one of his titles taken away, and Carl Lewis was given the Olym pic Gold Medal, with his name replacing Johnson’s in the world record books. Although he strongly denies steroid use, Tony Mandarich, defensive end for the Green Bay Packers, has also been accused of using them be cause of his rapid weight and strength increase. Student athletes have definite opinions about the use of ster oids. Senior champion Gryphon wrestler Dewayne Smith replied, “Steroids are for the weak indi vidual. People who use them need a drug in order to compete, while I rely on my natural abil ity.” Football player Russell Hicks, senior defensive special ist, says, “I personally feel that people are bom with certain tal ents, and if they’re willing to work hard to increase that talent, then that’s fine. When people start using illegal substances to better themselves, then I think they should be punished. There is no place for steroid use in sports.” Steroids are a cop out for people who have carelessly based their lives on athletics, with no intellectual base, and ANDREW CARPENTER 1 when they feel inferior to their I peers, or their bodies are about to give out, they have nothing to fall back on, so they turn to these worthless drugs to supposedly improve physically. It is about time that officials arc leveling harsh punishments on these few scourges who are not worthy of being called athletes. Another thing that has plagued athletics is the athletes themselves participating in gam bling. Of course the spotlight has fallen on baseball great Pete Rose, who holds the record for most career hits. Rose strongly denies ever betting on baseball, but did accept late commissioner Bart Giomatti’s decision to expel him from the sport for life. Rose admits to betting on other sports such as horse racing, but says he never once bet on a single base ball game. The more fact that Rose is a known compulsive gambler let most people to believe he bet on baseball. He has the right to do what he wants to with his money, but not to break any rules like the basic one that most people be lieve he broke — that of betting on baseball while still participat ing in the sport. I still do not have sympathy for him since gam bling of any form is a waste of effort, talent, time, and, obvi ously, money. When one makes as much as a baseball player does, why risk losing a lot of it on something as empty as a bet? Greed, I guess — common greed. I also believe that people who do gamble could definitely spend their money more wisely, or give it to someone who truly needs it. What is money anyway? Just green paper with numbers on it as far as I am concerned. It loses any fulfilling qualities it may have when the possessor begins to try anything to get more. When are people going to start being content? Has this word lost its meaning? While many people need money in order to survive, many others, especially profes sional athletes, are blowing the thousands they have just because there is a possibility to gain thou sands more. Pretty stupid, huh? On the college level, athletics has also taken a turn for the worse. Jim Valvano, basketball coach and athletic director at N.C. State University, has been ordered to relinquish his position as athletic director. This mandate came from the president of the UNC System following allega tions that Valvano and others at N.C. State had given certain ath wr Walker Ross Printing Company 113 Atlantic Ave. Rocky Mount, N.C. 1-800-682-1169 446-1981 Yfe give your work the special attention it deserves. letes scholarships even though their high school records and scores on standardizes tests showed that the prospective ath letes were not worthy of being accepted as non-scholarship stu dents. Officials at the university were also accused of fabricating athletes grades so they could remain eligible to play. Valvano admits there are problems in the system, and says strongly that he wants to be part of the solution. I have heard many pe-ople say things like this happen every where. I do not think that a gen eralization such as this has much validity at all. Especially at col leges and universities that are respected for their academic suc cesses instead of their athletic successes. I really do not believe they would allow sub-par stu dents to be admitted regardless of any superior athletic talent. Universities such as Harvard, Yale, or Brown have virtually no name when it comes to athletics, but they have reputations of su perior academics that they would not be ignorant enough to jeop ardize. No matter how talented an athlete may be, if he does not meet university standards aca demically, he will not be ac cepted. I commend Coach Valvano for realizing what was going on and for his strong desire to take part in resolving the situation. 1 believe he has learned from his mistakes and believe other coaches should also learn from I his mistakes so that the college sports arena can be disinfected permanently. 1989 Girls’ Tennis Oct. 3 Greenville Rose A Oct. 5 Northeastern H Oct. 10 Wilson Fike H Oct. 12 Open Oct. 17 Northern Nash H Oct. 19 Kinston A JAMES THOMPSON SKIP THOMPSON THOMPSON INSURANCE AGENCY, INC. 412 s. GRACE STREET P. O. DRAWER 4363 ROCKY MOUNT. NC 27803 TELEPHONE (919) 442-1181 “Oo Ahead, Mahe My Day. Tahe Me T; Chico’s” □ Mei lea n Res ta u ra nt 1701 Sunset Avenue Rocky Mount, N.C. 446-8600
Rocky Mount High School Student Newspaper
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Sept. 29, 1989, edition 1
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