Cheat Sheets, Poultry Science and Floral Design

[Stallion]

How did we miss Bob Costas' interview of former Aggie Antoine Wright wherein he establishes that he is well prepared to become the next Colonel Sanders:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUvtaBhWbO4

[Stallion]

March 14, 2007, 7:57PM
Byrne counters controversial talk from former Aggie Wright


By TERRANCE HARRIS
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle

TOOLS
Email Get section feed
Print Subscribe NOW
LEXINGTON, KY. _ Texas A&M athletic director Bill Byrne defended the athletic department's reputation today after former basketball player Antoine Wright accused the school of not caring enough about athletes' academics.

Wright, a three-year star and first-round pick of the New Jersey Nets in the NBA draft two years ago, made controversial comments about how he was treated as an athlete at A&M in an interview for HBO's Costas NOW with Bob Costas that aired Tuesday night. Byrne responded to the claims on the eve of the Aggies' NCAA opening round game against Penn, calling A&M one of the best academic institutions in the world.

Wright was recruited and played his first two years under former coach Melvin Watkins and then played his junior season under Billy Gillispie.

"That's really unfortunate it came across like that," Byrne said of Wright's comments. "There may have been things that happened prior to my arrival, but things are going well right now."

Wright was asked several questions about his academic experience at A&M during the segment with Costas. At one point, Costas asked Wright about how much of an education he got while at A&M.

Wright, who left for the NBA after his junior season, responded: "I had more of an education in high school. Once I got to college, I kind of let my hair down a little bit. I don't have to write term papers any more ---I just have to get a grade now and play basketball."

Costas then asked Wright about the agricultural classes he took at A&M and Wright seemed to imply they weren't tough courses. He also said, to keep student-athletes from flunking out, they were often steered towards the school's College of Agriculture.

"In certain classes, you see, you know, a quarterback, me, a running back, and then a farmer. So, it definitely was a little bizarre," Wright responded. "But, we’re all in poultry science for a reason. We're in this class because we need to get this grade. We're not really trying to learn about chickens."

Costas also questioned a floral design class Wright took at A&M.

"It's not as easy as it sounds to be honest with you," said Wright. "But they put me in there with a couple of athletes. You’re gonna ask me a question about floral design, I can’t answer it because I needed a grade."

Byrne said he was not contacted by the HBO show to respond to Wright's claims. HBO, however, said in the piece that A&M administators said they had no knowledge of Wright's accusations.

"I was surprised we didn't get a phone call about it, but (the story) is very typical of this time of the year," Byrne said. "You understand there are going to be a variety of stories and slanted stories that come out."

"HBO stands by its report," Raymond Stallone, a spokesperson for HBO, said. "We did indeed have an on the record conversation with an athletic department spokesman (Colin Killian). We contacted the athletic department in advance."

Byrne did acknowledge that many students at A&M struggle to find majors because of the high academic requirements made not only to get in but to remain on course towards graduation. The school is implementing a University Studies major in the fall to offset the issue.

The Aggies have six seniors on the team this season who are all on pace to graduate with star player and certain first-round draft pick Acie Law set to receive his degree in agriculture development in May.

[PK]

Deleted

[Stallion]

Follow up establishing 11 out of 13 players on the Aggie BB team major in agriculture life science, agricultural development or have no major.


Mike Finger: Page 2 - Student athletes? When pigs fly

Web Posted: 03/15/2007 01:03 AM CDT


San Antonio Express-News

LEXINGTON, Ky. — If the academic curriculum for Texas A&M athletes really is the joke a former Aggies basketball player makes it out to be, Logan Lee doesn't get the punch line.
Here Lee is, one of the top four reserves on an A&M team with a legitimate chance to reach the Final Four, preparing to begin the NCAA tournament in one of college basketball's most historic venues. And yet despite all of the hype and all of the anticipation surrounding today's game against Pennsylvania, he can't help worrying about his schoolwork.

"It's Spring Break right now, but I'm still calling people trying to get my assignments," Lee said Wednesday from a locker room inside Rupp Arena. "I've got some projects, some reading I need to get done. It can be pretty tough."

But apparently not for everyone. In an interview on HBO's "Costas Now" earlier this week, former A&M standout Antoine Wright described a system in which athletes are steered into easy classes by school officials with little regard for whether the kids actually learned anything.

Wright, who left the Aggies after his junior season two years ago and now plays for the New Jersey Nets, told Bob Costas he "had more of an education in high school" than he did at A&M, where he was an agriculture development major.

"In certain classes you see, you know, a quarterback, me, a running back, and then a farmer," Wright said. "So, it definitely was a little bizarre. But, we're all in poultry science for a reason. We're in this class because we need to get this grade. We're not really trying to learn about chickens."

Those comments have generated quite an uproar, but they're more sidesplitting than earth shattering. Just about everyone realizes that a significant chunk of college athletes are on campus for reasons other than academics, and it's no secret that many college athletic departments are good at finding less-than-grueling courses to keep their players eligible.

Maybe not all of those classes involve barnyard animals. But they exist in universities all over the country, and there's a perfectly reasonable explanation for their presence: The academic standards for an athletic scholarship typically lag far behind the standards for the general student population. So in many cases, schools need to offer course work that gives athletes a chance of advancing toward a degree.

It isn't a perfect system, but it's the way it is. And it only rings hollow when someone tries to deny it.

On Wednesday, A&M athletic director Bill Byrne tried to put a good face on Wright's comments. He said it was "very unfortunate that it came across like that," and said Wright might have been referring to the state of the program before the arrival of coach Billy Gillispie.

But it's probably no coincidence that of the 13 scholarship players currently on Gillispie's roster, 11 list their major as either "agricultural development," "agricultural life sciences" or "undecided."

It doesn't sound like much, but Lee — a Marshall graduate who is working on a master's degree in sports management after earning his bachelor's in ag development — said it's more difficult than Wright made it seem.

"If he said it was easy," Lee said, "I wish I could have done what he did."

That's where he had it backward. When it comes to athletes and academics, the Wrights of the world should have wanted to do it Lee's way.

[jtstang]

Follow up establishing 11 out of 13 players on the Aggie BB team major in agriculture life science, agricultural development or have no major.

That's the entire A&M catalog. The other two must be taking correspondence courses from some Florida bible college.

[EastStang]

You know when I see articles like this, I just want to be sick. At SMU we try and get kids to learn something, so that they can compete in the world. But, then on the field we play teams that can admit anyone with a GED and who let them play with turkeys and flowers to get a grade. So if you're Coaches Bennett and Doherty, how do you use this information? Obviously, the tactic of "come to SMU and get a great education" doesn't seem to work. And the tactic of going after kids with good grades leaves you uncompetitive on the field. Quite a problem.

[BUS]

SMU needs to be logical and do the best we can on the field. Still recruit players that can graduate but also understand that a 60% graduation rate is really good. If we were winning championships and 60% of players graduated I think all would be happy.

Then we could work on making 60% 70%. It's time to win - Not a wholesale change for thugs but realistic.