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Black coache up et
over Laettener ruling
,
,
.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- The
nation's Black coaches are troubled
by the NCAA's handling of the
Christian Laettner incident.
They want to know why a Black
player was suspended from an
NCAA tournament game for an in­
fraction last year while no further
action was taken against Duke's
Laettner, who stepped on a Kentucky
player in the East Regional finals last
Saturday.
Drake's Rudy Washington, direc­
tor of the Black Coaches As ocia­
tion, said Wednesday he hopes to
meet with the chairman of the
NCAA Division I Men's Basketball
Committee during the Final Four this
weekend.
The committee ruled Monday
that the technical foul assessed Laet­
tner was sufficient punishment and
no other action was necessary.
. �
S.
Washington told USA Today that:
he has received at least 50 letters:
from Black coaches on the Laettner- -.
Sellers situation.
"I think they're saying. 'Hey.]
wait a minute. What is the dif-�
ference? Why are you treating this�
Black ballplayer a lot more harshly:
than you're treating this white �
ballplayer?' " Washington said.
Kentucky' Aminu Timberlake
was lying on the floor when Laettner,
who is white, stepped lightly on his
chest in the econd half of Duke's
104-103 overtime victory.
CONNECTICUT'S ROD
Sellers was suspended from the first
game of this year's NCAA tourna­
ment for pushing Laettner's .head to
the floor in the regional semifinals
last year.
Sellers is African American, but
Washington said his group wasn't
trying to make a racial issue out of its
concerns.
"People want to make the situa­
tion racial," he said: "It has nothing
to do with Christian Laettner or Rod
Sellers. Our concern is the consisten­
cy in the way the committee handles
punitive problems."
'.
WASHINGTON SAID his;:
group -isn't trying to get Laettnerf
suspended from Saturday's game ..
with Indiana but does want to ques-,
lion Roy Kramer, the basketball:
committee's chairman. :.
Kramer has said the case is:'
closed, although he indicated he:'
might meet with the BCA. .".
Legal expert say
Tyson stands
good chance of
appeal
The appeal, which is being handled by Harvard
law Professor Alan M. Dershowitz, likely will cen­
ter on Judge Patricia J. Gifford's refusal during the
trial to allow testimony by the three Indianapoli
women.
Defense attorney aid the excluded witnesses
would have corroborated Tyson's account of what
happened between him and De iree Washington, an
18-year-old conte tant in the Mis Black America
Pageant.
Her deci ion to deny testimony by the three
defen e witnes es wa "a very questionable
ruling," said Thomas Schornhurst, an IndiaI_Ul
Univetsity School of Law profe sor 10
Bloomington. .
"The excl ion of the testimony of witnesse
who purported to ee Ty on nd W sbington
embracing in the limo ine would eem to be a
pretty ignificant point," he said.
INDIANAPOUS (AP) _ Boxer Mike Tyson's best
chance at an appeal of his rape conviction may rest
with three people who never made it to tbe' witnes
stand in Marion Superior Court, ay some legal
experts not associated with his case.
., I think appellate lawyers throughout the state
would aUv Ie for the opportunity to rep nt
Ty on on ppeal," said Indil.lnapolis attorney
Monica Foster, who handles criminal appeUa
cases.