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Not a favorable draft position
Saint Louis University senior forward Paul Nondas has been drafted but not for his basketball skills.
Nondas, a 6-foot-9 native of Greece, was drafted by the army when he returned home for a summer visit. The country requires all male citizens to serve in the army after high school unless they enroll in college.
Nondas tried to waive his service when he enrolled in Joliet (Ill.) Junior College in 1993. That request was rejected, and he reapplied when he enrolled in Saint Louis University last year, with no response.
“We all learn at a young age that a person has to live up to his commitments,” coach Charlie Spoonhour said. “It’s unfortunate an apparent misunderstanding couldn’t be worked out.”
Maybe it could have, Paul, had you averaged more than 1.9 points and 1.4 rebounds per game last season.
Have money, need to bond
It isn’t easy, apparently, for superstars to build close friendships.
The San Francisco Giants’ Barry Bonds and Matt Williams were discussing trust with Steve Marantz of The Sporting News.
Bonds: “I don’t trust anybody. I trust God.”
Williams: “You trust me.”
Bonds: “You’re crazy. I like you. I don’t trust you.”
Williams: “You trust me.”
Bonds: “Get out.”
Williams: “Don’t lie.”
Bonds: “I trust you to watch my bat.”
Williams: “Would you trust me to watch your kids?”
Bonds: “Oh yeah. ‘Cause you got money. ‘Cause I know how you are with your own kids. But you wouldn’t trust that man (Marantz) ‘cause you don’t know him.”
Marantz: “Right. You only trust other superstars.”
Bonds: “I only trust other people with millions. ‘Cause I know at least I’m going to get some money if something happens.”
You wanna see our playbook? Come on over
As the saying goes, it’s easy to tell an Aggie - but you can’t tell him much. Michael Kelley, it appears, is willing to listen - or rather look.
Kelley, a 1989 Texas A&M graduate, sent a letter to University of Texas president Robert Berdahl requesting photocopies of offensive plays and playbook of the Longhorns football team.
His request was made under the Texas Public Information Act, the state law that defines what records of state government are open to the public.
“I’m personally a football fan and I’m just interested in the ability to get information,” Kelley, 28, was quoted as saying in the Austin American-Statesman. “I think if all other aspects of a public university are subject to the Texas open records act, and Texas is spending millions of dollars on sports facilities rather than other academic pursuits, then everything in the athletic department should be open to the public.”
Berdahl relied on some Texas lore in his response.
“Most Texans know of the flag that flew at the Battle of Gonzales in 1835. That flag had a picture of a cannon on it, and the words ‘Come and take it,”’ Berdahl said. “If we have to update that flag with a picture of the UT playbook, I’m prepared to.”
The last word …
“We certainly can’t look at ourselves as martyrs anymore. The Colts should have never left. It was grand larceny. It was grand larceny that the Browns left Cleveland.”
- Baltimore Sun columnist John Steadman
, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo