84 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(07/26/04 12:59am)
For the first time in school history, IU soccer's recruiting class was headed by someone other than Jerry Yeagley.\nIn his first year taking over for former coach Yeagley, Mike Freitag inherited the reigning national champions and completed his first ever recruiting class, which garnered the No. 14 ranking in the nation, according to College Soccer News.\nThe list includes: Ian Clair (Telford, Pa.), Erek Kozlowski (Westerville, Ohio), John Mellencamp (West Chester, Ohio), Kevin Noschang (Cincinnati, Ohio), Doug Reisinger (Lewis Center, Ohio), Kiki Wallace (Bloomington), Billy Weaver (Lake Orion, Mich.) and Brad Yuska (Corte Madera, Calif.).\n"I think our class is a very good one. One that will contribute to IU soccer," Freitag said. "It's a tough task for (the recruits) trying to do it with a veteran squad, but they will be up to fight for playing time. We have a very strong squad from top to bottom, and hopefully we'll meet our challenges and get right back on track."\nNine starters return from the 2003 National Championship team, which welcomes back forward Mike Ambersley, who sat out all of last season for disciplinary reasons. \nWith an established core intact, playing time will be at a premium for the recruits, but having extreme depth at numerous positions is a situation Freitag said he welcomes with open arms. \n"With any kid, I am hoping he can contribute right away. That will be determined when they get here," he said. "Hopefully our older players in the program will be better than our freshmen. It should be difficult for freshmen to play at a top program. At the same time, I know the men we have coming in are very talented and have the potential to play right away."\nThis season, the Hoosiers face six of the nation's top 20 recruiting classes, while UCLA, who IU defeated in last year's quarterfinals, earned College Soccer News No.1 recruiting class. \nLast year's championship certainly helps the recruiting process, but Freitag said last year's run can also sway certain potential recruits to play elsewhere.\n"A lot of it depends on the confidence of the player you are talking to," Freitag said. "We've had some players we have gone after that aren't sure if they can play here with so many good players. With that said, I'd prefer it to be this way then it being the other way." \nIU was the lone Big Ten squad in the top 15 recruiting classes while the Atlantic Coast Conference saw six of its teams fill the top 15.\n"It's (rankings) all in the eyes of the beholder," Freitag said. "I don't know who says what class is better than another, but it's just that person's opinion. There are kids on the national teams I would not recruit, and players on other teams that I would. It's not bad stuff, it's just someone's opinion."\nAs the recruiting class comes in, the Hoosiers will lose Drew Shinabarger, Vjay Dias and Ned Grabavoy from last year's championship team. \nHowever, Grabavoy said he feels confident in the Hoosiers continuing on last year's success.\n"Even though the team lost myself, Vijay and Shiny (Shinabarger), they always seem to find guys that will run up and down the field," Grabavoy said. "They get Ambersely back and a more mature (Jacob) Peterson. This is the kind of year they will be ranked really high going in and will have to prove themselves when everyone is gunning for them."\nBut with an established core of solid players, former IU stars such as New England Revolution forward Pat Noonan said he sees a bright future under the new coach.\n"I'm sure Freitag will continue the success," he said. "Everyone has no doubt he will succeed in taking over the program. It's pride, really."\n-- Contact staff writer Daniel Cohen at djcohen@indiana.edu.
(07/15/04 1:35am)
IU men's soccer continues to dominate within the college ranks, but former IU coach Jerry Yeagley built a program that bred players for success at the professional level as well.\nDuring Major League Soccer's brief nine-year existence, 19 former Hoosiers have passed through the league, including six current MLS players. \nThe most recent Hoosier to join the league is the 2004 second-round draft choice Ned Grabavoy, who was selected by the Los Angeles Galaxy after leading IU to its sixth national championship last year.\nGrabavoy joins forward Pat Noonan of New England, midfielders Brian Maisonneuve of Columbus, Dema Kovalenko of D.C., Chris Klein and defender Nick Garcia of Kansas City.\n"Certainly it starts with Yeagley and his program," Chicago Fire General Manager Peter Wilt said. "He runs a quality program that trains players in a quality way. They develop players that are serious about soccer and that work hard. Yeagley focused on teamwork and has a long track record of developing players that have a good team concept and work hard for each other."\nNoonan and Klein were selected Monday as All-Star reserves for their respective conferences. Both will be making their first All-Star appearances. \nAs of Monday, Noonan is tied for seventh in total points and is one of four players to have recorded a hat-trick this season. \nHeading into Wednesday's match against Chicago, Noonan leads the Revolution with five goals and 13 points with 35 shots. \nRevolution head coach Steve Nicol said he feels former Hoosiers like Noonan possess a certain something that cannot be taught at the professional level.\n"He just had that one extra thing that people don't expect," Nicol said. "They don't whine and moan, but instead stand up to any challenges."\nAnd while six NCAA titles are a strong enough indication of powerful coaching, Yeagley also instills a work ethic and discipline into his players that lasts well beyond college and into any professional realm. \nHis stress on teamwork is evident in Klein, who is tied for second in the league with six assists, including two game-winning helpers. \nKovalenko, who starred at IU from 1996 to 1998, isn't far behind with five assists -- good enough for third in the league.\n"You look at some IU players in the league, and they are guys that work really hard," Grabavoy said. "Like Garcia and Klein, they are hard workers who come from the Jerry Yeagley program. I am proud when I see other guys like Noonan around the league."\nOf the six Hoosiers in the MLS, Garcia is the lone defender but has recorded one assist thus far for the Wizards. \nNoonan said he feels the success of IU players in the MLS goes all the way back to Yeagley's practices and the high level of competitiveness during every practice. \n"Every practice was as intense as the games were, and it definitely helped IU players to get to the next level," Noonan said. "The coaches put winning in the mind of the players, and they go out and prove it."\nLike IU, programs such as UCLA, Virginia and other Atlantic Coast Conference schools have established themselves and set the bar for soccer in their respective regions. The Hoosier soccer reputation around the Midwest has enabled IU to become a recruiting hotbed for top-notch talent.\nThe IU alumni in the MLS are not strictly limited to club success. Currently, Noonan, Klein and Garcia are in the pool of American players U.S. coach Bruce Arena will choose from for 2006 World Cup qualifying. Klein has been capped 16 times for the national team, including a start in 2004. Noonan has been called up to the national team once but has opened some eyes recently with his stellar play for New England. Garcia has made Arena's squad six times -- including a start in 2004 against Denmark -- a game in which Klein saw action as well.\nAfter a few years under the tutelage of Yeagley and the rest of the IU staff, coaches and players have said IU's soccer alumni are more prepared than many others to thrive at the professional level.\n"It's a combination of things," Wilt said. "(Yeagley) got in on the ground floor and has a long tradition of success. He has been able to create an advantage in recruiting throughout the Midwest. He is a very good coach and surrounds himself with good assistants."\nOne of Yeagley's former assistants, current IU coach Mike Freitag, now has the task of continuing the Hoosiers into the future. \nBut with an established core of solid players, Noonan said he sees a bright future under the new coach.\n"I'm sure Freitag will continue the success," he said. "Everyone has no doubt he will succeed in taking over the program. It's pride, really."\nAs the MLS heads into the All-Star break at the end of July, Grabavoy's coach Sigi Schmid will coach the Western All-Stars. He stressed the importance of the tools Yeagley has instilled in each of his former players.\n"Those (sacrifice, competitiveness and preparation) are the things all IU players posses," Schmid said. "As a team drafting in the MLS, those are the ingredients you want to look for. Talent is one thing, but talent alone never makes it. You have to have these other ingredients to make it."\n-- Contact staff writer Daniel Cohen at djcohen@indiana.edu.
(07/01/04 1:20am)
It will be remembered as one of the greatest moments in IU soccer history. \nNed Grabavoy was unsure if he would even arrive in time from his Under-20 National Team flight back from the United Arab Emirates to play in IU's National Championship match in Columbus, Ohio, last December.\nWhile fortunate timing may have brought him to the game, Grabavoy's sheer desire did the rest.\nNot long before a snowstorm blanketed the field and made it difficult to see, let alone score, an exhausted Grabavoy fired a bending missile off a free kick over and around the wall of defenders into the net for the game's first goal, lifting IU to a championship victory. \nThe free kick would be Grabavoy's last goal as a Hoosier, capping the career of one of IU's most electrifying players. \nAfter last year's season, Grabavoy was selected No. 14 in the second round of the Major League Soccer Draft by the Los Angeles Galaxy. Serving as a reserve for most of the season, Grabavoy has now settled in and has been inserted into the starting lineup five times, including Sunday's match against the Chicago Fire. \n"I'm sure most rookies went from being the go-to guy to finding themselves in a little different role," Grabavoy said. "I've been playing different positions all season and trying to stay focused because it's a long season. If you're not playing in a two- or three-game stretch, you can't get down on yourself. You have to keep working hard because there will always be a chance for you to get in there and play."\nGrabavoy left IU after his junior season, but even after limited playing time halfway through his first MLS season, he has no regrets leaving IU one year early. \n"I think it was the right decision, especially after winning the national championship," Grabavoy said. "I accomplished what I needed to there, and I really thought it was my time since it was a situation I was looking at two or three years earlier. It's one of those things where it worked out there and hopefully will work out now."\nAfter leading IU with 11 goals and 11 assists last season, Grabavoy expected to be a first-round pick. After some trades and other various draft-day shakeups, the 2003 National Soccer Coaching Association of America First Team All-American was chosen by the Galaxy in the second round.\nGalaxy Head Coach Sigi Schmid said you can expect three things when getting a player from IU: the player knows what kind of sacrifices are needed to win, knows how to come in and compete and is going to come prepared to work every day. \n"Those are the things all IU players possess, and that gets instilled in them by coach (Jerry)Yeagley, from all the seniors down to the freshmen," Schmid said. "As a team drafting in the MLS, those are the ingredients you look for. Talent is one thing, but talent alone never makes it. You have to have these other ingredients to make it."\nGrabavoy became the 19th Hoosier to be drafted in the MLS since its inception in 1996 and with just a total of 10 teams in the league, slots on each roster are extremely limited and competitive. IU alumni Pat Noonan, Chris Klein and Dema Kovalenko are atop numerous statistical categories. Noonan was eighth in points per game and seventh in goals, while Klein led the league with six assists. \n"You look at some IU players in the league, and they are guys that work really hard," Grabavoy said. "Like (Nick) Garcia and Klein, they are hard workers who come from the Jerry Yeagley program. I am proud when I see other guys like Noonan around the league."\nJust halfway through his rookie campaign, Grabavoy hasn't quite yet earned the same reputation around the league as some of the other Hoosiers. But his teammates say they understand the skills he brings to the Galaxy. \nIn his fifth year with the Galaxy, Sasha Victorine said he is aware of Grabavoy's potential as a player and also sees a man with a good attitude and perspective.\n"He brings good skills, he is quick and he holds the ball well in the middle," Victorine said. "He is good at seeing the game and reading the game, so that helps him take the next step a lot easier. He's a good kid with a good head on his shoulders and will be a good player in a couple years."\nAfter their 1-0 victory over the Fire Sunday, the Galaxy own a 7-5-3 record with a league-leading 23 points. \nDuring the offseason Grabavoy said he hopes to return to Bloomington to see his former Hoosier teammates and catch a home tournament game. \n"When I first left IU, it was like a faze of not having my buddies around and being able to hang out with them all the time," Grabavoy said. "Now I get done with soccer, and you have to rest your body for the next day. But I definitely miss those times down there."\n-- Contact staff writer Daniel Cohen at djcohen@indiana.edu.
(06/15/04 12:37am)
And that, my friends, is why football is the greatest game on earth ...\nBecause two weeks of interviews, workouts, practices and preparation comes down to one snap, one hold and one mighty kick. \nBecause just in case you thought Adam Vinatieri's 2002 Super Bowl-winning kick was a fluke, he did it again.\nBecause a quarterback from Michigan is able to win a big game -- twice! \nBecause the Panthers, who this season were a perfect 7-0 in games decided by three points or less, reached the Super Bowl and lost by three. \nBecause your team could finish 1-15 and still have realistic dreams of being in the Super Bowl in two years. \nBecause at halftime, Justin Timberlake, a man most guys love to hate -- did us our biggest favor to date. Sorry Ms. Jackson. \nBecause the Panthers played like they forgot the Patriots had not lost since Sept. 28.\nBecause you could be quarterback of the Frankfurt Galaxy in the NFL Europe league and five years later play in a game watched nationwide by 140 million people. \nBecause what the commercials lacked in humor and the halftime music in entertainment, the actual game made up for it. \nBecause people who were unaware that Carolina even had a football franchise were rooting for the underdog Panthers.\nBecause Patriot fans didn't have to worry about Grady Little yanking Brady before the final drive. \nBecause two years ago, you were cheering for the Pats for the same reason you were hoping Vinatieri's kick on Sunday sliced right. \nAmerica is a worldwide superpower, but when it comes to sports, America loves the underdog. We love to hear about a once grocery store bagger turned two-time MVP. \nWe love that we can barely name anyone on the NFL's only undefeated team. \nWhile baseball may be America's pastime, football is this country's greatest game. For four hours on Sunday, we gathered with our nearest and dearest and forgot that football is just a game.\nIt's a game that's played on what should be declared a national holiday. \nMemorial Day, Labor Day and Super Bowl Sunday. It just sounds right. \nIn truth, it's a day centered around football, family and food -- and would it not seem right to call a day a national holiday and not have snow on the ground?\nThe Super Bowl is our nation's most prestigious sporting event.\nFor instance, Chicago is home to basketball's greatest player ever and a dynasty that won six NBA championships, but no Chicagoan is prouder of anything than the '86 Bears. \nTell someone from Chi-town Jordan is not the greatest ever, and they won't care, but don't even dare to deny the '86 Bears were not the greatest defense. \nAnd greatness is what Sunday's game delivered. For one day everywhere, regardless of our differences, all of us around the country gathered and shared in hope of seeing greatness.\nThe snap, the hold, the kick ...\nAnd greatness is what we got.
(05/07/04 4:41am)
I actually used to hate IU basketball. \nI despised coach Knight, laughed at the team's bikini shorts and basically just loathed the "Hoosier" style of basketball. I was like everyone else outside of Bloomington; a Hoosier hater.\nAnd then I arrived in Bloomington. \nBefore I had a chance to open a book, I was running down Fee Lane chanting slurs in protest of coach Knight's firing. \nOf course I was delighted on the inside, but I wasn't about to share my true feelings with my new peers. \nTrust me, trees were being set on fire, signs knocked down while Myles Brand was being burned in effigy. Yeah, I'll keep my feelings inside. \nI remember thinking, two weeks at IU and I already was on CNN and ran into a mounted policeman with tear gas. \nI was at the right place. \nBut in truth, I was just learning the magnitude of basketball in Bloomington. \nLittle did I realize, the 3-8 record by the football team my freshman year would be considered a success. \nMy first IU football game reminded me of my pee-wee football squad. Give it to the fast quarterback guy and let him run until he can't anymore. Then let him catch and return the punts too. Oh yeah, let him actually punt the ball too. \nBut this would be the last time I showed the slightest interest in IU football. See, growing up as a Michigan fan, I expected greatness and got, well, two different coaches, 13 total wins but the same old poo box they call Memorial Stadium. I went from watching Michigan games at the Big House to witnessing IU football from my house.\nBut if everyone has one moment they look back on in college, I cannot recall a more unforgettable and extraordinary time than IU's tournament run my sophomore year. \nI've never had a test cancelled because of a basketball victory. And I grew up in Chicago, trust me, I had plenty of chances. \nBut that win over Duke was more than monumental. If IU basketball was already on the map, then it just had another star put over Bloomington. \nAnd for the next couple weeks, IU was only talking hoops. Sure, life-long Hoosiers have always cared, but now out-of-towners were beginning to fall in love.\nDon't shout fair-weather because I don't hate them when they suck, but sometime it takes a winner to trigger a passion for them. \nSo after a crazy introduction into IU basketball, the next year was followed by nothing more than an average team. A tournament appearance and first round win followed by a second round blowout. Like I said nothing to cause a Kirkwood riot. \nBut with the good and the bad comes the ugly, and my senior year at IU was a witness to history. For the first time in 18 years, IU failed to earn an NCAA tournament bid. \nI never dreamed of not being able to sell my basketball tickets for face value. Heck, toward the end of the season, I couldn't pay people to take them from me. \nBut my farewell year wouldn't go without seeing a winner. Not only did I witness another soccer championship, but I had the privilege of covering the team first hand all year. \nFor legendary coach Jerry Yeagley's final season everything in the 2003 season seemed to fall perfectly in place for the most underappreciated, but most dominating sport at IU.\nBut I leave Bloomington no longer doubting Hoosier hysteria. \nWell, I arrived here bleeding Maze and Blue but leave Bloomington sweatin' and lovin' ole IU. \nYeah, I'd call that Hoosier hysteria.
(04/29/04 4:29am)
You know of the Lakers, the Cowboys and the New York Yankees, but I'd like to tell you about another team, a bunch of misfits and nerds who would forever change the landscape of sports.\nTrailing by four runs entering the last half-inning, the Sweaty ABC's softball team needed at least a tie to make the playoffs. Three runs or less and its season would come crashing down.\nWhat happened?\nABC magic, that's what happened.\nIn yet another game that year, the game was dead-locked going into the last half-inning, and once again, a loss would end the dream season. With a runner on second and two outs, the ABC's lightly popped the ball up to the third baseman. \nWhat happened?\nABC magic happened. \nThe same core group, this time in basketball, needed a win in the regular season finale to finish undefeated and capture the division crown. With only one minute remaining and the game tied, the ABC's tallest and go-to player fouled out. \nWhat happened this time?\nAgain, ABC magic.\nAnd wanting one more chance to play together as a team, the same troop of rascals formed a soccer team. Unfortunately, many of the ABC's hadn't played soccer since childhood, including a goalie who used Air Jordans as soccer cleats and was unaware of the rules regarding picking up the ball. \nAgain the same question is asked. What happened?\nIt's simple, nothin' but a bit of ABC magic. \nBut to call this group of fellas just a team would underscore and devalue what it was like to be a Sweaty ABC. \nTo put on that ABC jersey meant you had now become a member of a family. A family that ate together before games, walked together to the games singing the ABC fight song and after a win, would celebrate like Kobe getting room service.\nThe pioneer of the ABC's, a certain clone of Rick Moranis, did more than just reassure in his e-mails that every player knew the time and location of the game. \nIncluded in the press releases were projected lineups, injury reports, recent team news, a schedule, fan appreciation and scouting reports on the next opponent. \nWait, there were actually fans for this team?\nMore than fans, the "Coochie Corner" was a devoted congregation of girls who made signs and would out draw the opponents' fans tenfold. \nBut what made the Sweaty ABC's a family went far beyond the playing field. It went beyond the team dinners, the practices and post game celebrations. There was an undefinable camraderie that made every player proud to don the ABC logo -- not just on gamedays, but everyday of the week.\nIf you weren't playing, positions like coach, equipment manager, music coordinator, quality control coordinator and silent financial partner were created to ensure full inclusion in the ABC franchise.\nNo member of the two-year-old franchise will ever be a part of something as unique and memorable as this team. \nWith Sweet Sixteen appearances in basketball and football and Elite Eight appearances in both soccer and softball, the ABC's star shined brightly\nNever the greatest athletes or biggest guys, the ABC's had something more inspiring and substantial than pure athleticism. \nThe ABC's played like a team, hung out as a team and loved each other like brothers. \nYou probably wonder what planet these kids were from. \nWell, my friends look no further than the ground you're walking on. The Sweaty ABC's intramural franchise was born here at IU, played at IU and will forever live at IU.\nSo what is ABC magic? How did magic have anything to do with the outcome of the aforementioned games? \nWell, in the first softball game, the ABC's scored four runs in the last inning. The game-tying run sat on second when a base hit to left sent a lead-footed ABC scampering home, seemingly in slow motion, only to utilize an evasive manuever to avoid the tag by inches. \nIn the following softball tilt, the game-winning run was on second when a short pop up was hit to third. In a last ditch effort to save the game, the runner on second yelled, "I got it," confusing the third baseman, allowing the ball to drop safely. The ABC's would win the game on a single the very next at bat. \nAnd with the division title on the line for basketball, the same player responsible for the "I got it" miracle drove down the lane, spun to his left and lofted a fade away foul line shot to win the regular season division title.\nAnd that soccer team who couldn't play soccer? It fell one win shy of the Final Four, losing 1-0 in the Elite Eight -- the only goal it allowed all season. \nLike I said, ABC magic.
(04/27/04 4:56am)
I love french fries, but I despise the French.\nI crave french toast, but can't stand the French.\nI hanker for french dressing, but again spurn the French.\nSo how can I demonstrate my true feelings for a country without abandoning my favorite French- name products?\nWell, maybe I can't do anything but root for a man who, every year, scorns the French until they weep. Worst of all -- he does it right in front of their eyes. \nWhile Lance Armstrong was once quoted saying the Little 500 was the coolest event he's ever attended, I'm sure nothing compares to winning the Tour de France five consecutive times. And what can top watching the French cuss and kick like little -- well, Frenchman, as he crosses the finish line first every single time?\nFor the last five years, Lance Armstrong has participated in France's most grand event and brought the trophy back to the last place they want to see it go.\nThe States. \nHe goes to their house with nothing but his own bike, rides their streets, listens to their fans cry steroids and steals their show. \nIt'd be like a Boilermaker winning our Little 500. \nBut he just doesn't do it once every while, instead he's won the event five consecutive years and is predicted to win the sixth.\nAnd oh yeah, while doing so, he overcame testicular cancer. \nIn 1996, Armstrong was diagnosed with testicular cancer which had also spread to his lungs and abdomen. He underwent successful surgery to remove the malignant testicle and began nine weeks of chemotherapy.\nArmstrong was hoping to one day comeback while the doctors were hoping he would survive. \nLance knew he would beat the disease, but could he ever imagine beginning his mind-numbing Tour de France streak just three years after being diagnosed?\nOf course Lance knew.\nThis is a man who has accomplished more as an individual athlete than anyone ever known. He's not the Tiger Woods or the Muhammad Ali of cycling. No, they're the Lance Armstrong of their sport. \nHe's the most underrated and unappreciated athlete by his own people and the most hated by the French.\nIn fact, on the official 2004 Tour de France Web site, Armstrong isn't mentioned until the last sentenced of the main story and is only refereed to as "He."\nHe's the Purim character of Hamen to the French. \nOK, not Jewish? \nThen Lance to the French is the Judas to Jesus. \nWhile Armstrong is seeking his sixth-straight tour win, his long-time sponsor, the United States Postal Service, thought after eight years it's the best time to cut off the sponsorship after this year. \nI agree; in eight years of sponsoring Armstrong, he overcame testicular cancer, and then won five Tour de France races. \nYeah, you don't want to be associated with a quitter and loser like that. \nIt's possible and more sensible for a European company to pick up his sponsorship. But Armstrong, even though he was once again disrespected and shown our lack of care, says he believes his team will still be based out of America and recognized as American. \nIt's a shame the French don't like him and the Americans don't give a damn, but that's never stopped Armstrong from winning. \nNothing ever has.
(04/21/04 4:55am)
Warning: This column contains extremely biased material aimed purposefully and directly against Cubs Nation.\nSeparated by just eight miles of Chicago roads but worlds of baseball devotion, U.S. Cellular Field and Wrigley Field are two vastly different sanctuaries of baseball haven for two remotely different kinds of fans. \nSo as summer approaches and you begin planning your usual summer trip to the greatest city, let me guide you through Wrigley's vines and my South Side summer home to help the common outsider pick their holy ground to experience summer's finest attraction. \nBy the way, if you have not yet figured out that the Cell is home to the White Sox and that Wrigley is home to the Cubs, please stop reading and buy yourself a sports encyclopedia -- better yet, buy yourself a life. \nWell, since a majority of IU students live south of Chicago then on your way into the city you'll pass by the Cell much before you ever hit Wrigley. A quick exit off the Dan Ryan and you can park so close to the stadium that the players have a longer what back to their cars. \nAnd while parking at Wrigley doesn't exist, you can park in the neighborhood for about the price of admission. \nOh yea, don't forget to leave the guy your keys.\nNo joke, I once returned to the parking lot from a Cubs game to find my car under someone else's garage with all the windows roll down and the key in the ignition. \nAfter an exhausting four steps into Sox Park and a convenient escalator ride up to the seats, the smell of grilled onions hits you quicker then a punch in the face. But wait, not a meat-eater? Then take a stroll to the vegetarian food stand or better yet, enjoy the Cell's famous and finest funnel cakes. \nTrust me, you'll wet your pants and not give a damn. \nAnd while food at Wrigley is no third world quality Gresham Food Court, it doesn't compare to the Cell. Although, I must admit, there's something fascinating about eating ice cream off a wooden spoon. \nThere's just something about that little flimsy, splinter-causing spoon that just magnifies the enjoyment of my ice cream and helps Wrigley's cause.\nBut not helping their cause are half of the fans at Cubs games. And I say half very carefully because while half of Wrigley fans truly come to watch baseball, the other half comes to watch the atmosphere. \n"Sammy hit a home run, the sun was out and I got drunk. Wait, did the Cubs win?"\nNo, I'm sorry, they didn't. But Cubs baseball isn't about winning.\n"Well, it's better then the 10,000 that showed up at the Sox game."\nYea, buying $15 seats and sitting front-row really sucks. I hate watching baseball so close to the field. \nI figure by now I've lost all my Cubs' fans, so perhaps my only compliment to them will fall on deaf ears. \nActually, most people complain about the structure of the Cell and that Wrigley is a far better ballpark. \nI admit, Wrigley is a beautiful ballpark, but the Cell has not only vastly improved, but also is an enormous reason why there are so many other magnificent stadiums today.\nComiskey Park was the first of the 'new-era' ballparks and after it's not-so-wonderful design, every stadium built afterwards used Comiskey as an example to create something better.\nWe were the guinea pigs of modern stadiums and besides, put Wrigley across from the one Robert Taylor Home remaining and see how picturesque it is now.\nRegardless, an exploding scoreboard, the best right fielder in Chicago, half-price Monday and Tuesday not to mention modern technology in general makes for a finer game on the south side. \nEither way, you'll have two choices to watch some summer ball in Chicago this year. So choose wisely -- but I warn you -- don't try and catch a foul ball at Wrigley.\nIt might have been in play.
(04/15/04 4:48pm)
Are you sick of hearing about Bonds?\nGood, because I am too, so stop reading if you're seeking my opinion about it.\nLooking for my predictions for this year's NBA playoffs?\nThen this is where you flip the page, because if I tell you I think the Pacers will win it, are you honestly going to walk to class feeling better about your team's chances?\nWhy would my best guess carry anymore merit than anyone else's? Sure, I watch the NBA, but seriously, the Nuggets made the playoffs this year. \nSo far I've heard NBA "experts" say the Lakers are back and cannot be beaten, the Spurs are proven and will repeat, the Wolves haven't made it out of the first round but will make a run and the Kings at their best can and will beat anyone. \nOh good, I'm glad you cleared that up because for a second, I was hesitant about who to choose.\nWhat's my point? \nTo fill up space and stall some time before I get into something that made me sick. \nSomething so disgusting it even made Howard Stern look tasteful. \nIn case you just crawled out of your hole, Atlanta Hawks guard Bob Sura was one rebound away from becoming the first player since Grant Hill in 1997 to record three consecutive triple-doubles. \nThe Hawks were destroying the Nets with a few seconds remaining when Sura received the inbounds pass, dribbled and intentionally threw the ball off the rim so he could catch it and earn his tenth rebound for the triple-double.\nLike I said. Classless.\nSura forgot he was playing for the name on the front of his jersey -- not the back. \nHe went from a player that's helped lead the Hawks to a respectable late season charge to a player more concerned about reading his name in tomorrow's paper. \nWell, your wish came true. \nBut I bet it's not in the same context you had hoped. \nInstead, the NBA ruled to remove Sura's last rebound because, according to league rules, a field goal is only attempted if it was attempted for a field goal. \nThankfully, the Association realized Sura's mock of a shot was not a field goal attempt and thus, cannot result in a rebound. \nWell, hallelujah. \nKudos to a league that failed to embarrass Ricky Davis when he did just this, but even worse, he shot at his own basket and got the rebound for the triple-double. \nBut what sickens me is that Sura was trying to become the first player to record three consecutive triple-doubles since Grant Hill.\nA classier individual I have not seen. A player that could do anything and had the next big star written all over him until his ankle had other thoughts. \nSo to see Sura, a no-name, worthless trash ball try and put his name next to Hill's would have been nothing but a shame. \nAfterward, Sura told reporters with a smirk the ball slipped out of his hands and happened to land back in them. \nSo, before you were classless, and now you're a sarcastic wise-ass who until your selfish thoughts no one knew anything about. \nHey Bob, what did your opponent, the Nets, think about your antics?\nOh, that's right, while you were laughing and smiling to the six fans at the game in Atlanta, the Nets were walking off the court thinking playoffs. \nA part of the year reserved for teams, not individuals.
(04/13/04 4:28am)
I can't shoot under 100. I can't drive the ball straight. I can't putt on level greens. I can't differentiate my irons -- heck, I can't even be a member at some golf clubs.\nI don't wear golf shoes. I don't own my own clubs. I don't even know how to comprehend a handicap, let alone read a green -- heck, I couldn't find the next tee with a map and a compass.\nI once got a birdie, followed it with a 13, then smashed my iron before launching the ball into the forest. Heck, I usually play a hole from the one running parallel to it. Not to mention I once got so tired I almost passed out in the sand.\nI was only on hole 5. \nBut watching the Masters this weekend, I admired Arnold Palmer, sympathized with Tom Watson, respected every par, applauded every birdie, cheered for every eagle and at last, stood in my own room and gave a standing ovation for a most-deserving Phil Mickelson.\nFor once, I watched golf in complete awe of the shots without hearing about Tiger. For a man always playing second fiddle to Woods, Phil finally -- and not a day too late -- earned his stripes. \nBut this weekend all began with a man I never saw play. \nMy knowledge of golf history is limited to a Shark, a Golden Bear and now Arnie's Army. \nI wondered how much Arnold Palmer really meant to the game of golf.\nI then watched him play his final Masters ever. Golf is traditionalized for its standing ovations walking up the 18th fairway. How much is Palmer respected?\nFriday, he got one at every fairway. \nPlaying in his 50th consecutive Masters, Palmer walked up to the 18th green and received a standing ovation from the gallery, the tournament officials, the broadcasters and his peers. \nCBS announcers removed their headsets, stood up and for a minute, showed their love and appreciation for Arnie. \nThat's respect. \nHe wouldn't just sign your hat, he'd do it with care. He wouldn't just wave to the gallery and his fans but, instead, make them feel a part of the game. He was one with his fans and to them, there was only one leader of the army. \nPalmer is a legendary face for golf. With his grandson as his caddy, Palmer walked up the historic 18th fairway at Augusta, pulled out an iron and stuck the shot shot square on the green. He then called it a day. His last at the Masters. \nBut the magic of Augusta did not stop Friday.\nOn the last day of the Masters, the final nine holes were nothing short of brilliant. \nA hole that's seen seven holes in one in 67 years had two in back-to-back groups, one of which belonged to Kirk Triplett who, after sinking his shot, fell on the ground laughing, kicking his legs and celebrating on his back. \nThat's love. That's golf.\nBut this day belonged to none other than Phil, who could never talk to the media without hearing about the zero major titles. \nHis approach on 18 left him 20 feet from ending the most talked about drought in recent golf history. He's always been known for being good, but just not good enough. \nWith golf fans everywhere wanting one of the sport's most popular players to win, Phil drained the putt and earned his green jacket. \nAfter a jubilus celebration on the green, he picked up his little girl and said, "Daddy won, can you believe it?" \nProbably not at that age.\nWho knows, but thanks to you Phil, every golfer believes now. \nEven me.
(04/12/04 1:44pm)
Two years ago, Hoosier running back Yamar Washington completed one of the better seasons for a Hoosier freshman back, earning Big Ten All-Freshman honors from The Sporting News. \nHe led the team with nine touchdowns, convincing the coaches they could count on him. \nThe following spring, just one day prior to the spring football game, Washington made a cut in practice and has not played since.\nWashington tore his anterior cruciate ligament, sidelining him for all of last season, and he now must convince the coaches once again. \nThe Houston native underwent reconstructive surgery and is back on the field for the 2004 campaign. \n"When it happened, I just couldn't believe it. I was very frustrated," Washington said. "But in the back of my mind, I knew I could recover from it and come back."\nAgainst border-rival Kentucky, Washington rushed for a season-best 163 yards and followed that performance with a 129-yard game against Central Michigan, becoming the first freshman since Alex Smith in 1994 to rush for 100 yards in back-to-back games. \nWashington and his coaches are hoping to use this year's spring practices as an opportunity to rediscover his freshman year form and shake off the rust of a year away. \n"Right now, in the spring, we are just trying to see where he is," IU running back's coach Gerald Brown said. "Before his injury, I thought he established himself as a complete back. We want to just see where he has come to now."\nBut now, Washington joins a crowded Hoosier backfield that saw three backs with at least 90 carries last season, including sophomore BenJarvus Green-Ellis, who rushed for 985 yards and seven touchdowns during his freshman year.\n"It's great that we have depth at the running back position," Green-Ellis said. "Competition will make players play well, and I know that I will go out and play my hardest everyday."\nJunior Chris Taylor also saw significant action last fall, carrying the ball 116 times for 464 yards and three touchdowns. \nWhile Washington attempts to regain his old form, Brown is using the spring football practices to determine which back will be the feature back in the Hoosiers offense come the fall. \n"It's the same thing with all of them. They have to come to practice and know their assignments," Brown said. "The bottom line is, while they're out there they have to produce. We'll just see who steps up and wants it the most."\nWashington firmly believes he can recover from his knee injury.\nHoosiers wide receiver junior Tywan Freeney and Baltimore Ravens Running Back Jamal Lewis are two people Washington uses as examples of successful recovery from knee injuries.\nLewis recovered from his injuries and last year finished second all-time in the NFL for most rushing yards in a single season. \n"I think Yamar has an extraordinary work ethic and has tremendous pride," IU coach Gerry DiNardo said. "He'll push himself enough. When he's ready to go, we'll know he's ready to go. He's always does the right thing on and off the field. He's terrific."\nBefore coming to IU, Washington was named Offensive Player of the Year by the Greater Houston Touchdown Club in 2000. He rushed for 52 touchdowns during his freshman and sophomore years at St. Pius High School.\nThis spring, the coaching staff has held Washington to only two days of practice per week, and even though IU has numerous running backs worthy of playing time, the coaches feel Washington can regain his freshman form.\n"You never want to see a kid go down, and I know how frustrated he was because we had seen his progress and knew he was somebody we could count on," Brown said. "But Yamar is a hard worker and such a competitor that once he gets going, his instinct will come back."\n-- Contact staff writer Daniel Cohen at djcohen@indiana.edu.
(04/07/04 5:11am)
How am I expected to write about a national championship game during which I fell asleep ... twice!\nAlright, it may have been the tryptophan the Helene G. Simon Hillel Center loaded in my turkey last night, but come on, for a tournament that saw both Final Four games come down to the end, the finale was nothing more then a dominating lull in which Georgia Tech never had a chance.\nAm I upset? \nNot in the least. \nI was upset when my White Sox gave me reason to believe by blowing a four-run lead in the ninth on opening day, just ask my wall, but I love when dominating teams do nothing else than dominate.\nI want the NCAA regular season to mean something more. Let's face it, beat the cupcakes early, survive in conference play, get a nice draw and welcome to the Final Four. \nOr if you're a powerhouse, it's sometimes an easier road as a higher seed. \nWait a minute. What the hell am I talking about?\nAm I criticizing the most intense, most exciting and most entertaining three weeks of the year? \nShame on me. \nBut instead of deleting what I wrote because, well, it's called a deadline, give me a second chance. \nI want another shot at it. Another shot at glory, just like Stanford was beggin' for about three weeks ago. And they wondered where the respect was all season. I'd show them where it was, but this is a G-rated column.\nAnyone can swim the creek -- otherwise known as the Pac-10 -- but the gauntlet isn't for soft West Coast ballers, evident by Nevada being the only team from out west in the Sweet 16. \nIt's for players like Georgia Tech's Will Bynum, who's about as tall as your sister, but at crunch time, he wants the ball.\nIt brings father and son closer together, reunites old players with new, not to mention makes you aware of a point guard named Squeaky and a Final Four M.O.P who graduated in three years with a grade point average higher then my vertical leap.\nThe point isn't that I can't dunk, but that we learned Washington's Nate Robinson, at 5-foot-9, can and first dunked a ball when he was 4-foot-9. \nOK, I couldn't reach the cookie cabinet when I was 4-foot-9.\nBut even at 5-foot-11 and 22 years old, I still cry when CBS (Commercials By the Second) plays "One Shining Moment" as it recaps the highlights from the entire tournament. \nEvery year, like Dick Vermeil at just another press conference, I cry. Whether it's the smooth sound of David Barrett's voice, or highlights from a tournament I can't watch for another year, I seem to lose control of my emotions. \nI even sang the song to my ex-girlfriend as a parting gift before she went away to school.\nI know the combination of my voice and a song related to basketball is a gift that just keeps on giving. \nBut the turkey at Hillel? \nI don't think so.
(04/05/04 5:25am)
For the first time ever, the Hoosier soccer team will take the field next year without coach Jerry Yeagley, but beginning next season, the Hoosiers will play on newly-named Yeagley Field, in honor of the team's former coach.\nAthletics Director Terry Clapacs made the announcement at the IU board of trustees meeting Friday.\n"This comes from the All-University Committee on Names, which unanimously approved a request from the athletic department," Clapacs said. "This honors an outstanding man's career as a coach and teacher. What more can you say?"\nAfter a career that began with a club team scrapping for practice jerseys and ended with Yeagley retiring as college soccer's all-time winningest coach, the announcement came as a surprise to Yeagley. \n"That blew me away. I had no idea. I thought maybe some day (they would rename the field Yeagley Field)," Yeagley said. "In the back of my mind, some day. Without question, this (announcement) is a complete surprise and knocked me off my feet. This is one of my most cherished honors. I have been fortunate to have a lot of good things come my way, and this ranks near the top."\nAfter 544 victories under Yeagley, the Hoosiers are now under the regime of IU coach Mike Freitag.\nFreitag is excited to begin the new era and is pleased with the decision to name the field after the former coach.\n"This is a fitting tribute to Jerry Yeagley and the tradition of excellence he built in Indiana Soccer," Freitag said. "To have his legacy live on at Indiana by attaching his name to the field at Armstrong Stadium will hopefully instill his sense of pride in IU in every player that comes through the program." \nBill Armstrong Stadium, which was financed entirely by private contributions. has been home to the Hoosiers since 1981. Yeagley feels honored to share the name of Hoosiers' home with a man without whom the program would not exist at the same level it does today. \n"Without Bill Armstrong, we wouldn't have the soccer program we have today," Yeagley said. "Bill made it all possible to not only be a varsity sport, but to also be a championship-caliber program. To share this naming with him makes it special. Bill was like my big brother. Whenever I was having a bad day, I would go see Bill, and he would always point out the silver lining." \n-- Contact staff writer Daniel Cohen at djcohen@indiana.edu.
(04/02/04 6:20am)
Before I begin, I need to take a TV timeout. \nCan you imagine if after every four sentences I took a break? \nOK, fine, sometimes the columns read like that anyway, but stick with me on this one.\nIn the three hours of a CBS-broadcast NCAA basketball game, one only watches 40 minutes of actual game coverage. \nAnd heaven forbid CBS stays on the game during a timeout. A player asking for a second to tie his shoe does not warrant another commercial. \nAlright. I know CBS must pay its bills for the gazillion dollars it spent to cover the tournament, but with two seconds left in a tied ball game, I don't want to hear why Team "Idontgiveapoo" is having internal problems on "Survivor."\nUnless it's the commercial of the women basketball players dancing to the song, "I am extraordinary," I don't need to hear about it.\nBut like every year, this March Madness has been nothing but extraordinary. Oklahoma State, Georgia Tech, Duke or UConn -- take your pick, but please, whatever you do, don't listen to fellow columnist Cakes' picks. \nFor a columnist that got as many Sweet 16 picks correct and then bragged about it, he followed that performance going 5-for-10. \nBut at least he got more then Dick Vitale, who got one pick right for each strand of hair on his head. \nIn this tournament, your luck can change just like that -- well, except for me. Nope, I've been Mr. Consistency by always being wrong. My picks have been so off I actually had more Sweet 16 remaining teams in my flip-a-coin bracket. \nBut that's what I love about tourney time and this time of the year in general. The tournament is in full swing, baseball's beginning and the best part of hockey is starting. It's every guy's dream and every girlfriend's nightmare, unless you're like my brother, who seems to lose each year to his girlfriend in tourney picks. \nSorry bro. \nRegardless, I still have a few complaints about NCAA basketball. I may be nitpicky, but it's my column. \nI'm just a little afraid one of these Final Four games will come down to a jump ball. And the possession arrow goes to? Are you kidding? If the NCAA should take one lesson from the NBA, it should be, jump it up! \nAnd why do some teams huddle during timeouts on the actual floor with folding studio chairs? Sweat's dripping, water's falling, non-basketball shoes are walking on the court, yet no one seems to care. I know some of the timeouts are called "a timeout on the floor," but I didn't think they'd take that literally. \nEither way, that's all my beef for a sport whose tournament is so amazing that, between rounds of the men's bracket, I've occupied myself with some exciting women's tournament games. Seriously, most every game I've watched has been close, hard fought and well-played. \nBut as far as this weekend's men's Final Four, who do I like?\nI don't know. Got change for a dollar?
(03/31/04 4:20am)
New coaches and a senior-laden roster highlight the Hoosiers' upcoming 2004 football season as IU coach Gerry DiNardo opens his third spring practice at IU. While there is a large number of returning players, this spring is the first time IU has the maximum number of scholarships. \n"Our roster is balanced. We are in a position where we can continue to build the program, and this is a significant step," DiNardo said. "We are better than we have been in the previous two years, especially when it comes to depth. That's something we're excited about."\nDiNardo welcomes three new faces to the coaching staff, in addition to promoting offensive line coach Steve Addazio to offensive coordinator and former defensive line coach Joe Cullen to defensive coordinator. \nDiNardo also will bring several familiar faces from his past to join the Hoosier team. The new director of football operations, Don Wnek, worked for DiNardo in the XFL as a defensive line coach. Troy Douglas enters his first season at IU as cornerback's coach, while former Bloomington South High School head coach Bob McConnell, who served on DiNardo's coaching staff at both Vanderbilt and LSU, reunites with DiNardo on the IU sidelines. \n"Guys fitting into a staff and a system are important. The average assistant stays on campus 3.1 years, so this is going to happen again," DiNardo said. "We have a little bit more contact with the players during the offseason than we used to by rule. We're allowed to meet with them in the offseason, so we're probably a little further along in that regard than we used to be."\nUnlike last year's squad, which started eight true freshmen, the 2004 Hoosiers boast 21 upperclassmen, including senior quarterback Matt LoVecchio. \n"I would say to you the fact we have a big senior group, the fact we have finally balanced our roster by class," DiNardo said, "the fact we have experience at every position going into spring practice makes the makeup of this team drastically different than the previous two."\nDiNardo wasn't the only Hoosier praising the team's strength in numbers. Senior defensive lineman Jodie Clemons said the greater number of players lowers the physical strain of playing snap after snap during practices and scrimmages. \n"It's nice to not have to rely on our starters to do everything," Clemons said. "On special teams, especially, we now have guys who can step up and fill in whenever we need it. It is also nice for me because playing defensive line, you have to have depth at that position because it is so physical."\nThe Hoosiers are also optimistic about the conditioning work they have done since the end of last season. Senior wide receiver Courtney Roby said the added football conditioning and his decision to participate on the IU track team as a sprinter have benefitted his game greatly. \n"I think it was more difficult for me because I had to go straight from track practice to football conditioning. I was running four hours a day, non-stop," Roby said. "It's definitely going to benefit the team. One thing Coach has emphasized is we're going to be the best-conditioned team out there. If guys just buy into it and do what they have to do, we'll definitely be alright."\nWhile strength and conditioning are quite useful on the football field, senior safety Herana-Daze Jones said one of the team's goals is to play with more intelligence on the field. \n"Other than being healthy, my goal is that we will be a smarter football team," Jones said. "Everybody gets stronger, everybody gets faster, but where we can improve the most is knowing what we are supposed to do and where we are supposed to be. I hope we will play smarter and be better students of the game, and if we do so, we will be a much better team."\n-- Contact staff writer Daniel Cohen at djcohen@indiana.edu and senior writer Dan Patrick at djpatric@indiana.edu.
(03/30/04 4:26am)
My vote for NCAA basketball coach of the year?\nIt goes to man who did not coach one game this year. To a man, who until last week, didn't even have a job.\nI vote for Larry Eustachy. Why? Because I'm voting for a man who loves the game so much he cleaned up to get a second chance in life and in coaching. Last year, pictures surfaced of Eustachy hugging and kissing college girls at a party after a road game. Eustachy was fired. \nLast week, Eustachy accepted the job at Southern Mississippi. He was given a second chance. \nBut second chances aren't just handed to you. Eustachy admitted to being an alcoholic, sought treatment, entered rehab and cleaned up his life. \nDon't think that's hard?\nYou try taking not just something you love, but something that controls your life, something you can't function or live without and try completely giving it up.\nI sat in disbelief listening to best-selling author Mitch Albom preach to parents on SportsCenter to not to send their kids to Southern Miss. I wanted to smash the television upon having to hear this moron talk about trust and the risks involved in sending your loved one to play ball for an alcoholic.\nAlcoholism is a disease. It's not a hobby for men like Eustachy. It's a sickness that controls your body and your mind. \nBut fortunately, unlike so many diseases out there, alcoholism is treatable. It's not curable, but rehab and the desire to improve your life can turn it in the right direction.\nPlease, disagree if you'd like, but understand where I'm coming from. \nMe: Are you sure it's okay that I talk about this?\nFamily member: Of course it is. \nMe: I just want to show people what it means to be given a second chance.\nMany painful memories are resurfaced by bringing this up -- I love this person to death and his story is all I have for second chance stories.\nBecause it's an Alcohol Anonymous policy to keep names out of the press, I will address this family member of mine as Love. \nOver 300 pounds, Love wasn't just addicted to alcohol but food, as well. He was carefree but unfortunately also free of any cares. He loved his family but struggled to understand the true meaning of a family.\nLove was struggling with life. If he wasn't sleeping, he was eating. During this time, my family continued to love Love, but still, Love could not turn his life around. \nLove's numerous addictions weren't just affecting himself but were also causing his family grief. I didn't understand how Love could love the family so much and still drop all his responsibilities upon other family members. Love needed to turn his life around, not just for himself but for his friends and family, as well.\nLove did just that. He spent a brief time away from his family so he could spend more time with them later. \nLife has never been better. \nIt's been seven years and eight months since Love has had a drink. Even at religious events traditionalized with a cup of wine, Love will not take a sip. \nI love Love, but more importantly, I love the new Love a whole lot more.\nI love my family, and thanks to Love's miraculous turnaround, we feel like a family again. \nI'm not writing this hoping for sympathy comments, instead I want to emphasize the importance of second chances. I want people to understand alcoholism is a disease. But when treated, it can create a new and better person. \nSure, people have their setbacks, but everyone deserves a second chance. Southern Miss did not hire the man kissing and drinking in the pictures. Instead they hired a man with a new outlook on life -- a man who will teach his players about the importance of wise decisions -- advice college athletes need more than anything.\nSo with empty glasses, let's make a toast.\nHere's to second chances. Here's to Southern Miss -- and here's to you, Love.
(03/25/04 5:56am)
After 41 years of leading IU to six national championships, retired men's soccer coach Jerry Yeagley lead his Hoosiers for the first time to Washington, D.C., for a championship reception with President Bush.\nThe visit to Washington, D.C., included a tour of the Capitol, and an alumni reception at the National Press Club. A tour of the White House followed a speech from the president on the south lawn. \n"Coach Yeagley, we're proud of you, we're proud of the team you've brought here, we're proud of your dedication to athletics," Bush said during the White House reception. "I want to thank you for working so hard to teach the young men of your teams the difference between right and wrong and how to play as a team. Today we honor your coaching career at the same time we honor the great Indiana Hoosier soccer team."\nPrior to the reception on the south lawn, the Hoosiers were initially greeted by the president in the blue room where Yeagley expressed his upmost gratitude and respect for President Bush.\n"I told him I was so honored and appreciative of him having our team here," Yeagley said. "He shook my hand, offered his congratulation on six championships and just said a lot of positive things. He made me feel very proud."\nThe presentation on the south lawn concluded with the Hoosiers presenting Bush with the first six-star soccer jersey, each star representing a national championship. \nThe trip to Washington was part of champions day and included other collegiate national champions from this year including footballs' co-champions Louisiana State and Southern California and women soccer's North Carolina among others. \n"He pronounced my name perfectly, like he knew who I was," Yeagley said. "Because of my retirement and breaking the coaching wins record he gave us some special attention along those lines. The team was honored to be there."\nEven after six titles, this was Yeagley's first visit to champions day and left Washington, D.C., with even more respect and admiration for a man he believed to be a bit shorter in person.\n"He always has so much on his plate, but he was so well prepared," Yeagley said. "It speaks volumes for not only him but for the people who prepare him." \nIn addition to the White House, the Hoosiers received a tour of the Capitol and were welcomed by Indiana senators Evan Bayh and Richard Lugar. \nFor some players, like senior Vijay Dias, the trip to Washington, D.C., was a first and felt the tour of the White House and hearing the president speak so highly of the team was by far the highlight of the trip. \n"Obviously, we all have huge respect for coach and obviously a lot of respect for the man who leads our country," Dias said. "When you hear someone that powerful saying things we've heard all along about our coach, it just shows again that coach is a great coach and a great man."\nRep. Baron Hill, D-Bloomington, along with some other government associates also spoke to the Hoosiers before they returned home the same day. \n"Everything was perfect. I was so proud of our team because they looked so sharp," Yeagley said. "They have a great representation for our University and I was very proud of that. You can tell they were honored"
(03/24/04 4:25am)
True story.\nThree beautiful girls were on my bed in my Carnival Cruise room last week. \nOK, now that I have your attention, listen up.\nHey, how else am I supposed to open up a column during one of the worst stretches of days in sports? (The couple days surrounding baseball's All-Star game wins the crown each year).\nYou've heard every heroic and heart-warming story about each and every school in the Sweet 16. \nYou already know the state of Alabama has more teams remaining than the entire western half of the United States. \nYou know Alabama-Birmingham has a point guard named Squeaky.\nAnd you know Bob Ryan called Vanderbilt's squad too white to win and is now sitting back thinking, "Daniel, please don't drop your rare but infamous douche-bag one on me."\nSorry Bob, you sunk too low to win that. \nSo I thought maybe I'd let my fellow columnist steal all the NCAA shine for this week. \nAlright.\nWhat do I have to say about Patriot cornerback Ty Law during his emotional interview with ESPN wondering why his teammates thought he was selfish for wanting a larger contract? \nHmmm. \nOr what about Steve Francis, who used national television to humiliate the referees mainly about one call in which he was barely touched and instead, blew an open lay up. \nAlright, as much as I don't believe players should be interviewed during a game, Steve, you went to Maryland -- don't you have a bit more common sense and integrity then that?\nWhoops. Never mind. \nWait, I could talk about Terrell Owens finally getting his pacifier -- I mean, traded to the Eagles so he can stop crying. \nI can't wait for their date with the Ravens when Ray Lewis goes Terry Tate on his ass across the middle. \nStill wish you were a Raven?\nI got two words for all three of you -- Shut up.\nYour obnoxious actions hide stories like Marquette's assistant coach Trey Schwab leaving the hospital after three weeks of doctors keeping the double-lung transplant recipient alive through open-heart surgery. \nOr what about Avalanche forward Dave Moore leaving the hospital two weeks after having his neck broken by Canucks' goon Todd Bertuzzi?\nSure, I have some sympathy for Bertuzzi, but the day Moore walks through the tunnel onto the ice is the day I stand and give my first Avalanche ovation. \nWell, I give up. I apologize to my fellow columnist, but I can't avoid talking about the greatness of the Madness. \nI just can't do this anymore. \nHow can one not love a tournament that turns season-gloaters into tournament heroes or with one win, made Manhattan the biggest story in New York.\nSo far, this tournament has made an analyst fight with a coach, Dick Vitale admit he is wrong and taken Stanford from a team of destiny to a team watching the Sweet 16. \nAnd, oh yeah -- What were the three girls, Casey, Taryn and Alyssa, all doing on my bed at one time?\nGet your mind out of the gutter.\nThey were watching the tourney.
(03/10/04 4:55am)
I wonder if Pampers is looking for a new spokesman?\nBecause I found one.\nSay hi to Terrell Owens, who, after eight years of crying in San Francisco, the big baby -- also known as T.O. -- finally cried loud enough that the 49ers gave him a new toy in a trade to Baltimore. But like a toddler opening up a gift and finding tube socks, Terrell is crying again. \nHe wants to be a Philadelphia Eagle. He wants a new toy.\nBut what he needs is a T.O. in Cohen's Corner. \nSo for the next few minutes, shut your yap, stop crying and listen up.\nI struggle to tolerate many things in sports. And added to the list of cheerleaders, NASCAR and sideline reporters, I cannot tolerate athletes crying due to their own stupidity. \nOwens, who failed to file the necessary paperwork on time for free-agent status, was traded from San Francisco -- where he was unhappy -- to Baltimore. \nWhere, again, he is unhappy. \nThe Ravens acquired Owens for a second-round draft pick after the 49ers declined the Eagles' offer of a fifth-round pick and wideout James Thrash.\nOwens is refusing to show up in Baltimore for the physical needed to complete the trade.\nOK. Daniel, deep breathe. Relax. Now, let it loose.\nT.O., what the hell is wrong with you?\nWhat is it? Why not Baltimore? Why are you madly in love with the Eagles?\nLet me try and take a stab at it. \nLet's see. It can't be location because Baltimore is just a short down I-90 from Philadelphia. It can't be about getting the ball because you'd be the No. 1 receiver in Baltimore. Granted, Donovan McNabb is a better quarterback then Kyle Boller, but with Boller, you'd get an up-and-coming quarterback throwing to you every time, while in Philly you're getting a quarterback running as much as he throws.\nIt can't be about going to a better team because both teams made the play offs. And although Philly made it to the conference championship game, well, they've been doing that for the last three years.\nIt can't be about a better offense because with your addition to Baltimore, the Ravens -- pending the courts decision (I've said that way too much this year) -- own the best running game in the NFL. \nSo what is it? Why Philly over Baltimore?\nCheesecake over crab cakes?\nAh. Wait a minute. I got it! \nHad you signed as a free agent with the Eagles, you would have received a $10 million signing bonus in addition to a new contract. But because your stupidity spoke louder then your hands, as you forgot to fill out the paper work, you had to be traded under your current contract.\nDamn I'm good!\nCurrently, you make a poor $17.7 million over the next three years. But in the NFL, only a signing bonus is guaranteed money. Oh, Poor T.O.\nNone of this would have happened if you got your homework done in time. Or, at least the person who does your homework -- I mean, your agent could have done it in time.\nSo stop crying. Crying will not excuse you from missing your deadline. Trust me, I've tried. \nAnd now you are upset 49ers' General Manager Terry Donahue did not trade you to Philly. Hmm. Let's see -- should we get a second-round pick or a fifth-round pick? Yea T.O., I'm sorry the general manager of the team is not looking out for your best interests before the teams.\nWhat was I thinking?\nYour time is up. Your timeout is over, get out of my corner.\nGoodbye Terrell.\nOh, P.S. T.O....\nShut up!
(03/04/04 5:17am)
Once invisible, Colorado is now the center of the sports world. \nTwelve years ago, a baseball and hockey team were non-existent, while the brightly-colored rainbow basketball jerseys were the only thing notable about the Nuggets. \nBut my, have times changed.\nA two-time Super Bowl Champion, a two-time Stanley Cup Champion, a half-decent baseball team, not to mention the biggest rape trial since Mike Tyson's, the biggest recruiting scandal and oh yeah, the biggest surprise in the NBA are all happening in Colorado. \nIn spite of being a place where the total snow fall is usually the day's biggest news, the square state has been the bull's-eye in the circle of sports. \nUnfortunately, so much of the news in Colorado will be decided in court rooms and other off-field-venues that Court TV will have as much air-time as ESPN. \nKobe Bryant has turned a once quiet and reserved Eagle County into the largest circus in the country, while numerous sexual assault allegations have a prestigious Colorado football program on the brink of disaster. \nBut not all news has been bad. As of Wednesday night, the Avalanche own the second best record in the Western Conference, and the Nuggets are in serious playoff contention and have been all year. \nEvery win for the Rich N' Creamies sets a new franchise record -- not to mention it makes people forget about the days of Robert Pack, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf and Johnny Newman. \nEven though the Nuggets own the eighth and final playoff spot in the West, with the exception of Indiana, Detroit and New Jersey, I would not hesitate to take Denver over the rest of the Eastern Conference. \nAnd if acquitted outside of Denver, Kobe could wind up in Denver making the Nuggets a more serious contender. \nPlease, LeBron might steal the hype, but Carmelo Anthony runs the show. He wins a national championship in one year at college and then leads the usual laughingstock of the NBA to its finest season to date. \nKobe's rape trial and the Buffaloes' mess would tear up any other city that size, but thanks to the Avalanche and Nuggets, Denver is taking care of business not just in the court but on the court. \nAnd how 'bout the Rockies?\nWell, it's a nice ballpark. \nBut the thin air at Coors Field makes Rockies' games look more like 12-inch softball contests where double-digit scores are as common as peaks and cliffs. \nThe thin air and whoever-bats-last-will-win type of games won't produce a champion anytime soon, but, well, MVP Baseball home run derbies on the PlayStation 2 will always be fun at Coors. \nRegardless, the Avalanche continue to win, the Nuggets are beginning to win, the Broncos usually win, the Rockies are fun to watch and while Buffalo football is digging a grave, the hoops squad seems poised for an NCAA tournament appearance. \nSo while the Kobe trial and the Colorado football scandal will be decided by guilty or not, sports on the field in Colorado have already reached a verdict:\nWinners.