AFTER THE DEATH PENALTY

ON CAMPUS SMU basketball player ROD HAMPTON has endured more distractions than the tests, parties, and full-court presses he thought would comprise his senior year. Because he’s an athlete at that school, he has also had to undergo two in-vestigations concerning his cars.

Following post-death penalty regulations, all athletes were required to register their cars with SMU’s athletic depart- 1 merit. When Hampton signed in his 1984 gold BMW in September 1989, the university was curious enough to investi- gate. But deniseHampton, Rod’s mother, told SMU’s lawyer, Leon Bennett, that she bought the car. End of investigation.

Then D, acting on a tip from a likely Ponyhater, asked SMU officials why county tax records and state registration records showed that Mrs. Hampton never had clear title to the car. The BMW’s title listed only the dealership. Galaxy Auto Sales in Arlington, until Galaxy sold the car to a Fort Worth woman in August 1990.

So Hampton was again questioned, this time about the white BMW that the gold BMW was traded in for at Galaxy, and the Jeep Cherokee he is now driving. SMU found that Galaxy’s NASSER REZAEE, was responsible for the failure to transfer the title, a fact he admitted to D.

Whew. Whatever hap- pened to just going out and shooting some hoops? After the death penalty, it seems, everyone has to tread a little more carefully.