National Collegiate Athletic Association

The NCAA News - Briefly in the News

June 3, 1996

Emory serious about baseball

A scan through the enrollment guide for Emory University turns up the usual -- organic chemistry, trigonometry, classical literature -- until the eye catches "Baseball in American Culture." Did Emory -- ranked 16th in the nation by U.S. News & World Report -- offer a credit class on baseball?

The class, officially known as Liberal Studies 385L, was taught by Peter Dowell, associate dean, and Dana White, professor of urban studies, with guest appearances by Peter Aronson, chair of the university's economics department. That's a heavy-hitting lineup of instructors for a course that may appear to be trivial.

How did the class come into existence? "On a personal side, we love baseball," Dowell told Marty Rochlin, Emory sports information assistant. "But baseball has a place in culture as well. Why else would there be a body of literature devoted to it -- its rural connection to America, its role in city development and desegregation?"

Dowell recalls a historian in Ken Burns' "Baseball" series who said, "In 200 years, America will be remembered for jazz, the Constitution and baseball."

Offered for the first time this spring, 65 students applied for the 28 spots in the class, which were awarded on the basis of seniority. Class participants included casual and passionate baseball fans; male and female students; students majoring in history, Spanish, political science and biology; and three members of the Emory baseball team.

The class explored the origins of baseball, from the first clubs in New York to the first professional team in Cincinnati. It traced how the industrial revolution and creation of cities paralleled the explosion in the game's national popularity. The course syllabus included 10 books, a journal requirement, a group presentation and two exams.

Has the course been a success? "On the whole, yes," Dowell said. "We had to leave some areas uncovered -- women in the game especially." He hopes to offer the course again next spring.

Home-floor advantage

The training ground for Oklahoma State University wrestler Mark Smith, Arizona State University coach Lee Roy Smith and two-time Olympic champion John Smith -- now coaching at Oklahoma State -- was the family home.

The three brothers plus another brother, Pat, who is vying for an Olympic berth this year, conducted household tournaments to hone their skills.

Six girls in the family also were active participants in the wrestling matches at the family home in Del City, Oklahoma. The kids created a pairings bracket like the ones used for tournaments and the bracket sheet would be the winner's prize.

"We'd move the carpet back, and it would be very competitive," John Smith told USA Today. "You bet the girls were in there," often times winning.

John, who is retired from competition, said some of the best matches in the world are conducted in living rooms. "I can tell you that from experience," he said.

Pro Bowler player graduates

Just two semesters shy of his degree but with an opportunity to prove himself in the professional ranks, Western Carolina University defensive end Clyde Simmons left school to join the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League.

Ten years later, Simmons proved himself in another way when he accepted his diploma during graduation ceremonies at Western Carolina last month.

With a $14 million contract, a Mercedes and a 10-year career in the NFL, why return to school?

"A college degree is something they can never take away from you," Simmons said. "No matter what they say about you, they can never say you weren't college-educated."

Simmons is not an average football player. He has made several trips to the Pro Bowl and was the 1992 league record-holder for most sacks. And he was not an average student when he returned to the Western Carolina campus in 1995.

He first attempted to resume work on his degree in 1992 but too many commitments -- a Pro Bowl to play in, clinics in Australia -- interfered. He realigned his commitments, telling everyone that he would be at Western Carolina during the spring semesters of 1995 and 1996, and he completed the work on his industrial distribution degree.

It meant separation from his wife and three children Monday through Friday and total suspension of other activities, but he was determined.

Simmons said he had promised his mother to finish school, and he wanted to set a good example for his kids.

"Education is a priority with me," he said. "I talk about it a lot, so if they (my kids) see me do this, then they'll understand the value of an education."

-- Compiled by Sally Huggins

Looking back

5 years ago: The NCAA Presidents Commission, meeting June 25-26, 1991, in Kansas City, Missouri, agrees to sponsor proposals at the 1992 NCAA Convention to strengthen academic requirements for initial and continuing athletics eligibility. The Commission proposes strengthening initial-eligibility requirements by increasing minimum core-course requirements from 11 to 13 and increasing the minimum core-curriculum grade-point average from 2.000 to 2.500, and creating an indexing system combining grade-point averages with minimum standardized-test scores. In the area of continuing eligibility, the Commission proposes that institutions require any student-athlete to complete at least 25 percent of course requirements in the student's degree program by the beginning of the third year of collegiate enrollment, 50 percent by the beginning of the fourth year and 75 percent by the beginning of the fifth year. (The NCAA News, July 3, 1991)

10 years ago: In a June 27, 1986, interview with The Associated Press, NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers says that the NCAA's mandatory drug-testing program is on schedule to begin testing at 1986-87 postseason football games and NCAA championships. The interview is published shortly after the June 19 death of University of Maryland, College Park, basketball all-American Len Bias. An autopsy revealed that cocaine intoxication was the cause of Bias' death. Byers told The Associated Press that the NCAA drug-testing program will be the most complete in the nation, and that the Association's establishment of the program represents the most forthright position taken by any domestic sports organization regarding drug use. (The NCAA News, July 2, 1986)

20 years ago: The new NCAA Classification Committee distributes a plan to reclassify the Association's football-playing institutions into four divisions. Later, 41 Division I institutions protest the proposed reclassification of those schools into a new "Division I-A" that also would include a number of Division II schools. In response to the protests, the Classification Committee recommends proceeding with the four-division plan but proposes permitting all current Division I members to remain at that level of football competition. (NCAA News, June 15 and July 15, 1976)

25 years ago: The first National Collegiate Men's Lacrosse Championship is played June 5, 1971, at Hofstra University. Cornell University defeats the University of Maryland, College Park, 12-6, in the championship game, which attracts a crowd of 5,458 fans. (NCAA Championships record book)