Shammond’s New World Covers Lots of Space

By Chip Alexander
The Raleigh News & Observer
Monday, December 11, 1995

 

CHAPEL HILL - Welcome, folks, to “Shammond’s World.”

No, it’s not the latest sitcom on Fox. Not to be confused with “Wayne’s World.” Fact is, if you don’t have access to a PC and the Internet, you may never see it.

Get on the Net. Check out this World Wide Web site: “http://www.unc.edu/~swillia2/.”

It’s billed as the web page devot­ed to “everyone’s favorite UNC basketball player” this season. It says he’s the guy who wears No. 3 for the Tar Heels. Shammond Williams, of course. The sophomore guard from Greenville, S.C.

Now, Jerry Stackhouse never had a page on the Net. Still doesn’t. Ditto for Rasheed Wallace. Serge Klimenkov, Serge Stinck­wich and Serge Goossens all have web pages, but not UNC’s Serge Zwikker. Not even the Heels’ Dante Calabria, who’s hip to most things mod­ern.

Dean Smith? The coach has an e-mail address at UNC (ds007808@Uflcvxi.oit.uflC.CdU) but hasn’t made it to the web yet. “I don’t even know what the Internet is,” Smith said. “I refuse to even use a fax, so you’re talking to the wrong guy.” Wait a sec. There is a Dean Smith page, after all. Wrong guy, though. This Dean Smith is a computing resources manager, a former National Security Agency employ­ee now at Antioch University.

So Williams is running solo for the Heels for now. He was approached before the season by Seth Fleishman, a UNC student and friend, and agreed to go on­line. He’s also thought to be the only college player with a web page -- for now.

“I felt it would be a great thing to do and it has been a success,” Williams said. “We get about 25 questions a day, and I try to answer most of them. It’s fun.” Williams said the coaching staff is aware of his roving into cyber­space. While Smith isn’t computer friendly, assistant coach Bill Guthridge checks in with Williams. “Coach Smith hasn’t said any­thing about it but Coach Guthridge has said a few things,” Williams said. “But not negative things. They have been compliments.”

What can you learn on the page? Nice leadoff quote from Sham­mond: “When I have him guessing what I’m going to do, I’m lethal.” Williams doesn’t really say who’s doing the guessing -- whether friend, foe or coach. Shammond has scored 98 points in his college career and is shooting about 36 percent, so it could be any of the three.

Plenty of photos, too. Shammond posing. Shammond hustling. Sham­mond shooting with “Perfect Form.” Even lets a couple of fresh­men, Vince Carter and Ademola Okulaja, in for a couple of shots (Okulaja may have his own page soon, Williams said).

Then there are the “Shammond Stories.” A trilogy, if you will. One about Shammond busting up a robbery in Greenville, throwing candy bars at the two crooks. One about Shammond fighting off enraged kangaroos in the Aus­tralian Outback (“using his street­hardened boxing skills he danced around the kangaroos and boxed them senseless). One about saving a poor young boy from being crushed by a train. The lead-in reads “Fact or Fic­tion, You Decide.” A wild guess -- fiction, maybe? “Seth’s imagination,” Williams said with a laugh.

Don’t miss Shammond’s “exclu­sive interview.” You’ll learn he started playing ball at age 6 at the local YMCA, that he had scholar­ship offers from 14 colleges, that he likes playing the drums in his spare time … hmmm, the usual stuff. But, hey look at this. A question about Duke. Shammond says the Heels and Blue Devils are “best of friends” off the court. But on the court, “We hate each other more than anyone else imaginable.” With comments like that, more than a few Dookies are probably already powering up and ready to invade Shammond’s World.

Used to, college hoops fans had to hit the news stands to get their info. Scoop up those magazines, maybe subscribe to such things as The Wolfpacker or Carolina Blue. No longer. These days, you can just go on-line and find that nearly every major college in the country has some kind of web site that includes sports info. It’s almost mind-boggling. Close to sensory overload.

“Shammond’s World” isn’t just for computer nerd and hoops junkies. But be forewarned: It could be wave of the future.

It is, as Williams might say, a whole new world and he’s one of the first onshore. Uh, on-line.