January 1993
EDITOR & PUBLISHER
Ernest H Pitt
PRODUCTION
Pca'lett Si mr\ ns
Katfiy le#
STAFF WRITERS
langiton W?M7 J'
Dwnck Mahone
James W'lQhl Jr
Mark G?ay
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Wade NasM
jo# panted
Oieg Jenaon
ShoRTS? More LikE Pants
~V
I want to talk about shorts.
Long shorts.
OK. it's nice to not have shorts climbing all into
-your private parts like they used to. but this Very- ~
Baggy Trend is kind of funny.
No matter how. long the shorts are. players are
tuggfng them dowu further and further toward the
knee and calf or in some cases, like Johnson C. Smith ?
Lady Golden Bulls guard Shani Baraka or Michigan's
Some of these players look like they have a dress
going out there to play.
OK. it's the "in" thing and it's cool to do it. But
go to a high school game and. the players are doiug it.
too. Only the high schoolers don't have the new shorts
that arc designed to swing low, sweet chariot. Many
of them arc still wearing the high-and-dry ones that
guys like lsiah Thomas still likes to wear. You know,
ihe ones that remind people that basketball players
still have thighs. I*he do, really.
But these high school kids will keep tugging and
lugging and tugging and realize that their Fruit of the
Looms arc show ing and begin to push them down just
a little. Others, sensing that since the rapers and hip
hoppers are showing their BVDs, leave the shorts
down and drawers out.
Some parents think it's funny. Some s ports wriF ~
ers, too.
Why do they do it? Why do players beg and beg
coaches ti but an entire box of 44-waist britches with
extra-wide legs? Well, I'll tell ya. The baggy shorts
are more comfy and more cool. Really.
But I wonder where we're going with all this.
Baggy pants are beihg striped in all kind of funky
ways. Have you s^en Arkansas or Georgia Tech play
this year? Boy.
At the rate we're going, the pants are going to be
so long that:
A.) The players won't need warmup pants any
more, or ;
B.) Someone is going to trip over their shorts on
a fastbreak and not get to attempt one of those ESPN
friendly, Dick Vitale-loving, Slam Bam Jams, Baby.
Now what in the world would it be like then?
Hey, it's just a thought.
? Langs ton Wertz Jr.
Blmii Coins Sports Rsvtovt is puMshsd by Btak Sports Inc., 817 N. Ubsrty 9?..
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AfwHosn and tii \Mmlon-Silifw Chronidi
McNair Returns to AIcorn Next Year
? Alcorn State wide receiver Kobie
Jenkins is ready to prod-aim the ll)94
Braves Southwestern Athletic Conference
champions.
And sports information director Der
ick liackett is planning another big Heis
man Trophy push.
Why? Because quarlerhmk Strvr
. McNaijr will be back nexfseason.
McNair announced Wednesday that
he will return to Alcorn for his senior sea
son. He had considered entering the NH,
draft.
McNair' s decision came five days
before the deadline underclassmen have to
declare themselves available for the April
draft.
"I'm still an Alcorn ite/' McNair said.
"I signed a folir-year scholarship, so I will
be back. It was a tough decision. In my
heart I wanted to come back to Alcorn."
Said Jackson State coach James Car
son. whose Tigers have lost three straight
games to Alcorn "McN;iir can heat yon
single-handedly. I'm sure there is a lot of
jubilation on the reservation."
For the first time, the NCAA allowed
underclassmen to solicit advice from an
NliL -advisory committee -ahtuU their draft
worth without losing their eligibility.
McNair, a 6-foot-3, 2 IK pound Mount
Olive native, said he received a letter from
the committee on Jan. } informing him he
was a {Kissible fiist-or second round sclcc
tion.
Steve McNair
"I can't count the number of times I changed my decision. In
the long run I will be happy with the decision "
? Sie ve McNalr
"I can't count the number of times I changed my
decision," McNair said. "It was a seesaw battle through
the whole decision-making process. In the long run I
will be happy with the decision. Part of my decision was
based on what I got from the NFL, but not all of it. I
^ think I made the best decision."
McNair said some of his decision was based on
other junior quarterbacks who have made themselves
eligible for the draft. Fresno State junior Trent Dilfer,
who three an NCAA record 27 1 passes without an inter
ception, announced Tuesday he was entering the draft.
Tennessee quarterback Heath Shuler announced his
decision to the pro team this month.
Alcorn coach Cardell Jones said an extra year in
college would put Steve McNair "in much better posi
. tion in the NFL draft." s
"It is a very happy moment for the entire Alcorn
family," Jones said. "We would have given him our sup
port either way. He will have a little more bargaining
power next year."
It also makes the Braves, who are 22-9-1 with
McNair, a title contender.
* ^e gives us an extra^ extra boost," Jenkins said.
"We should be the front-runner for the title"
"We will he real g(xx) junior-to-be backup quar
terback Jerry Flctche^aid after McNair' s decision. "We
could win the natiofml championship. Most definitely
we will win the SWAC "
With the return of McNair, Fletcher lost his chance
to become the starter.
"Steve and I are good friends," said Fletcher, who /
will be a junior next season. "Whatever decision made I
was behind him. It did lessen my chance to be a starter.
We will work with it. Something has to change.
"I'm not disappointed because 1 figured he would
stay. I was looking forward for my chance to shine. My
time is getting short. I'm thinking about my future as to
stay at Alcorn or leave. I will rtflflRWPBBCTWbn after
baseball season."
Said Marcus Hinton, the team's leading receiver.
"At once time I though we were going to lose him
(McNair). Our offense will still be strong. It will make
all the guys on the team work harder. 1 think Steve still
feels he has a little more to prove. After next year his
stock will go up."
~ In three years, McNair has passed for 9,633 yards
and 75 touchdowns and rushed for 1 ,478 yards and 24
see McNAIR pmge A8