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Former Governor John Connally is bankrupt. Dr. Denton Cooley, the heart man, is in debt to the tune of $99.5 million and has filed for bankruptcy. The Hunt Brothers’ oil companies are on the rocks, or is it shale? Bunker Hunt had to sell all his race horses. And, Billy Bob’s Texas closed in Fort Worth.And Wild West Wrestling doesn’t have a home!I grew up during the Great Depression, so these so-called little ones scare the dickens out of me.I’m sure that Wild West Wrestling will jump back into production soon: We are like the summer TV reruns at this moment. Maybe something good will come out of all this. The fans may strive harder to support our economy.Speaking of fans, and asundry other items today, have you noticed the absolute nastiness of fans these days? I know wrestling fans are pointed to as fanatic because when they attend the local matches they shout obsenities, make obviously uncouth gestures and have even been known to attackwrestlers.Rito Romero was stabbed once by a fan and a couple decided to test Killer Karl Kox one night. If they have quit bleeding from the pounding they took, they probably still recall that as an unwise assignment.But soccer fans in some countries are banned from attending matches. American football fans have gone into rages and destroyed their families and themselves. Baseball fans, bonkers on beer a few years ago, stormed all over Cleveland’s park and battered players and other fans. When I was in Chicago with the White Sox the fans took after each other on Bat Night. One of them hit a concessionaire over the head and ran off with his money. Now beer consumption is being rationed. A good move.But there is a problem abrewing, I think. During the World Series last year, it seemed there was a concerted effort in the ball parks and through the media, with fans going along for the ride, to increase the fanaticism, the noise and the hysteria. We can be louder in St. Louis than you can inMinneapolis!But, you may say, we all attended basketball games at the old Snake Pit, the Men’s Gym, and the decibel level and the fans deportment was, many times, scandalous. Don’t get me wrong, I love the cheering, the booing, the obvious delight of fans seeing their team win while the hated, er, disliked opponent loses.The reason I bring this up is that I noticed a group of young fans sitting on the curve right behind the visitors bench at last Thursday’s Northwestern State-NTSU basketball game who were straining over the railing yelling what must have been “Uncomplimentary’’ remarks to a Demon player who had just fouled out. The trainers on the bench patiently controlled the obviously irritatedWrestlingBILLMERCERplayer and urged him to stay in his seat.I think our fans are at a very nice level of intensity, overall. I can’t recall an ugly incident occurring and I would think that those fans who feel it is macho to insult, degrade and infuriate a player who had just played his best for his team should take one step back and remember that it takes two teams to make a game and those are good guys on the other team, too. This is a highly skilled group of athletes playing as representatives of institutions of higher education.As far as professional sports: Despite what the coaches say, it is still just a game.Since I am digressing from Wild West Wrestling looking for a home, does it bother you that SMU was given its share of the 1987 conference football television and bowl revenue in June? SMU’s new athletic director Doug Single said “We’re happy the conference was sensitive to the hardship and expenses we have in starting up a football program again.”I mean, should Ivan Boesky have the $100 million he paid to the government for cheating on Wall Street returned because he wants to go back into business?And that wonderful group called the NCAA. Didn’t they show their colors! New Executive Director Dick Schultz urged the body to “put some common sense into our rules and the functioning ot our association.” So the body rejects rules to tighten eligibility standards and doesn’t give a cursory glance to a plan to have a true playoff for a national championship (Texas high schools play 16 games a year for a true championship!). American Council on Education president Robert Atwell told the group that sweeping reforms are needed to maintain amateurism and pointed to the single factor that corrupts athletic programs: Money.So be proud of NTSU and the Southland Conference: They receive no bowl money, no TV money, no championship money. It’s all up to us — the fans — to support, to cheer, to point with pride to these amateurs.In the meantime, we’ll find a new home for Wild West Wrestling!■ HILL MERCER la the wreatllng column tat of the Denton Record Chronicle.
Newspaper Details
Grapevine Sun
Grapevine, Texas, US
Thu, Jan 28, 1988
Page 14
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
TN, USA 19 Jun 2019
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