3B
SPORTS/The Charlotte Post
Thursday, November 20, 1997
Moore keeps his perspective
Continued from page 4B
“Sometimes the best players
don’t make the NFL, and I’ve
seen it happen here where
great athletes don’t get the
chance or do the best they can
to get to the next level.
Tm a realist. It would be a
shame if I waste my time focus
ing on the NFL.”
Moore’s role model for dealing
with high expectations is for
mer teammate Raleigh
Roundtree, who was drafted by
San Diego in the April NFL
draft. Roundtree was projected
as a prototypical tackle coming
out of S.C. State, yet didn’t let
his impending jump to the pros
change his outlook on the game
or life.
“He set a real good example
as far as handling the pressure
and the media,” Moore said.
“He never said Tm this and
that’ He never said ‘I know Fm
going pro.””
Moore, a four-year starter
who has played aU three line
positions, said the Carohnas
Classic will be important to
S.C. State on a couple of fronts:
the Bulldogs want to improve
their four-year win streak over
the Aggies and earn a possible
Heritage Bowl bid. A&T week
brings out the best in everyone,
he said.
“We talk about it,” Moore
said. “The one thing about it is
it has the true ring of a rivahy.
A&T was 8-2 and preparing to
go to the Heritage Bowl (last
season) and we snuck up on
them. The coaches don’t have
to do much that week.”
Moore’s come a long way
since he first stepped onto the
Orangeburg, S.C., campus four
years ago. In that time, he’s
grown as a scholar and a foot
ball player. He’s proud to have
been able to contribute to S.C.
State’s reputation for produc
ing powerful offensive linemen.
No running back, quarterback
or receiver can be successful
without the guys up front.
“We’ve always taken pride in
being the top offensive line in
the MEAC,” he said. “Fm just
trying to continue that legacy.
The offensive line tries to be
productive, and we take pride
in that at S.C. State.”
Aggies’ play earns them
a trip to the Hula Bowl
Pelshak ready for S.C. State
It’ll ‘be a
dogfight’
Continued from 1B
A&T, which has yet to beat
rival S.C. State in the
Carolinas Football Classic, will
be out to change the status quo
Saturday. Last season, the
Aggies had the better record,
but their 8-3 mark included a
35-0 shellacking by the
Bulldogs, who finished 4-6.
Much will be at state this sea
son, too. The winner could get
an at-large bid to the NCAA
Division I-AA playoffs or the
Heritage Bowl against the
SWAC champion.
“Last year we overlooked
them because of their record,”
Pelshak said. “This year,
they’re winning and we’re look
ing forward to putting an end
to their postseason aspirations
and ending oiu" four-game los
ing streak to State.
‘The game at Ericsson
Stadium truly will be a dog
fight. I guarantee it.”
Continued from 1B
holes we helped create. 1 only
know we’ll give a better effort
than last season.”
Florida A&M coach BiUy Joe
praised McNeil for his relent
less effort after A&T beat the
Rattlers earUer this season.
“He’s an outstanding defen
sive end,” Joe said. “He’s the
best we’ve played against in
many years. He’s quick, he’s
very aggressive, he’s tough,
very smart and I don’t see how
he can miss playing on
Sundays. We have a lot of
respect for him because he gave
us fits for foiu- quarters.”
That tenacity is one of
McNeil’s strengths, said Aggies
coach Bin Hayes. He gets so
excited, McNeil’s pre-game per
sona bums with an intensity
that’s on the edge.
“McNeil comes to play every
down, every game, and even
finds it hard to shake hands
with opponents prior to kick
offs,” Hayes said. ‘When we
played Morgan (State) in
Baltimore, one of the game offi
cials introduced himself as Tbd
White (the same name as
Howard’s star quarterback)
and IR be damned if Chris did
n’t try to tackle him. 'Fhis kid
n
1*
rii
Hayes
really gets after opponents.”
McNeil knows hell be a factor
Saturday,
and that’s
the way he
likes it. His
responsibili
ty will be to
shut down
S.C. State’s
powerful
running
game and
pressure the
quarterback.
“I’ve already proven that
there’s not a tackle and a back
that can block me,” McNeil
said. Fm making teams one
dimensional. They never run to
my side.”
The soft-spoken Clybum,
who’s known as “House” to his
teammates, was the first Aggie
nominated to the Hula Bowl. A
Winston-Salem native, he led
East Forsyth High to the 4A
state championship and played
in the Shrine Bowl in
Charlotte. He’d like for his last
game at A&T to be memorable.
“I guarantee you, the Battle
at the Border will be an aU-out
war,” he said.
Then comes that trip to
Hawaii.
NBA’s fashion police handing out tickets
By Chris Sheridan
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK- The NBAfashion
police were on patrol again
Monday, trying to make sure
shorts are short enough and
knees are naked.
The latest to cross the fabric
line were rookie center Kelvin
Cato and forward Rasheed
Wallace of the Portland Trail
Blazers. They were fined $2,500
apiece by the league and the team
was fined $25,000 because the
players wore uniform shorts that
hung below their knees.
It was the second such penalty
in a week from the conservatively
dressed folks at the league’s Fifth
Avenue office.
‘“It has gotten out of control,”
said Rod Thom, NBA vice presi
dent of operations. “This is a pro
fessional league and you should
wear your imiform in a profes
sional manner.”
The length-of-shorts rule, which
is new this season, states that
shorts must be at least 1 inch
above the top of the knee. Thom
acknowledged some flexibifify in
the rule, but anything below the
midpoint of the kneecap is out of
bounds.
“If you look at other leagues.
Garnett
they all have
rules and regu
lations about
how you have
to wear your
uniforms. We
can't have play
ers wearing
shorts that
hang down to
the middle of
their calf,” Thom
said.
More than 30 players have been
warned by the NBA to shorten
their shorts.
Last Saturday night, a repre
sentative from the athletic appar
el company Starter, which makes
the Sacramento Kings’ uniforms,
and league official Christopher
Arena were in the visiting locker
room in New York, their eyes cast
downward at knees.
The players union said a griev
ance would be filed over the fines
to Cato and Wallace, just as one
was filed last Friday when the
league fined Chris Carr, Stephen
Marbury, Kevin Garnett, Chfford
Rozier and Doug West of
Minnesota $2,500 apiece and the
Timberwolves $25,000.
“It seems like a waste of time,”
union director BiUy Hunter said.
“They should be more concerned
with on-court conduct, trying to
enhance the game so there are
more points scored and seeing
that the quality of the game is
kept at a sufficient level.”
At least two members of the
Timberwolves, Stanley Roberts
and Sam Mitchell, were among
those who were warned and sub
sequently hiked their shorts high
enough, Thom said.
‘Tve moved mine up a little,”
said Keimy Anderson of the TVail
Blazers.
Unlike the
Timberwolves
general manag
er Kevin
McHale, who
ridiculed the
fine last week.
Blazers’ presi
dent Bob
Whitsitt was
careful in his
reaction, at
least publicly.
Jordan
“I think there are a lot of other
issues to worry about,” Whitsitt
said, “but we’ll-do orrr best to com
ply”
Cato, although obviously upset,
declined to comment. Wallace
doesn’t talk to reporters before
games.
The trend toward longer shorts
is widely acknowledged to have
begrm with Michael Jordan, who
wore his baggier than irsual with
the Birlls becairse he had North
Carolina trunks imdemeath.
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O 1990 Alisuie Insurance Compam; NonhbfOf'k, Illinois
PAL
moves
closer
City champions
Raiders play Cary
team Saturday
By Herbert L. White
THE CHARLOTTE POST
The PAL South Raiders will
try to move one step closer to
the Pee Wee Super Bowl this
week.
The Raiders, Charlotte’s 9-10
age group city champions, will
play the Cary Jets Saturday at
10 a.m. at Durham City
Stadium in the second round of
the N.C. Regional playoffs. 'Fhe
winner advances to the region
al final next week in
Wilmington.
“Going to Orlando” Raiders
offensive coordinator Sammy
Shannon said, “is our goal.”
That’s the site of the national
championship game on Nov. 29
PAL South (9-1) has been on a
roll of late, beating the
Winterfield Cowboys 19-8 in
the Optimist Bowl for the
Charlotte city championship
and Salvation Army of
Gastonia 7-0 last week.
Running back-linebacker
Jameal Anthony has sparked
the Raiders with seven touch
downs in the last three games
as well as being a defensive
standout. The offensive line,
led by Isiah Person, has done a
good job of opening holes for
Anthony and protecting quar
terback Rodney Carson.
Jameal wouldn’t have scored
all those touchdowns if it
weren’t for these boys block
ing,” Shannon said.
Defensive standouts include
linebacker Sidney Westbrook,
free safety Brandon Autry, and
linemen Jebontay Crockett and
Tony McCoy. .
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