212 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(04/11/01 5:38am)
(1) Colorado Avalanche vs. (8) Vancouver Canucks\nThe Avalanche enter the series after winning the President's Trophy, indicative of the league's best regular-season record. But this is nothing to rest their laurels on, as last year's top regular season team, the St. Louis Blues, was eliminated in the first round.\nColorado enters the series with an arsenal of star players including Joe Sakic, Ray Bourque and Patrick Roy. \nIf the Avalanche possess nuclear firepower, the Canucks have the firepower of 18th century muskets -- they are simply outmatched. Because of injury, leading scorer Markus Naslund is lost for the season, and second-leading scorer Andrew Cassels is out until Game 3. \nAvalanche in four.\n(2) Detroit Red Wings vs. (7) Los Angeles Kings\nAs the regular season series indicates (1-1-1), these teams know how to play each other. With both teams playing well in the last month, that trend should continue.\nDetroit coach Scotty Bowman has many of the tools he used to bring the Stanley Cup to the Motor City twice in the 1990s. Forwards Brendan Shanahan, Sergei Fedorov and Steve Yzerman all know how to score in the playoffs. Veterans Steve Duchesne and Nicklas Lidstrom are formidable defenseman. And though goalie Chris Osgood is made fun of in Detroit as often as George W. Bush is in the rest of the nation, Osgood manages to turn his game up a notch during playoffs.\nThe Kings have improved their stock drastically since trading Rob Blake for defensemen Aaron Miller and Adam Deadmarsh. Another trade that worked out well for the Kings was acquiring Felix Potvin. The "Cat" has a 1.91 goals against average since joining LA.\nBut Detroit doesn't lose at home.\nRed Wings in six.\n(3) Dallas Stars vs. (6) Edmonton Oilers\nNo one can accuse these teams of being unfamiliar with each other -- this is their fifth consecutive playoff meeting. Edmonton's only series win in that sequence was in 1997, but this year they are ready for another victory.\nThe defending conference champion Stars feel that they can represent the West once again, but Ed Belfour will have to be clutch in the net for the third consecutive year for the Stars to succeed.\nThe Oilers pack a potent offensive punch with Doug Weight, Ryan Smyth and Anson Carter. Defenseman Janne Niinimaa contributes with some crisp passing. Edmonton is banking on underrated goalie Tommy Salo to get hot and carry the team. \nThis is poised to be the best first round series in the West. For Edmonton to pull the upset, it needs its power play unit -- ranked 21st in the league -- to improve.\nOilers in seven.\n(4) St. Louis Blues vs. (5) San Jose Sharks\nLast year, the Sharks evaporated the heavily favored Blues' dreams of bringing St. Louis its first Stanley Cup. This year, the Blues will be out for blood, but the combatants will be decidedly more even.\nThe Blues already had a solid offense with Pierre Turgeon and Scott Young as leaders, but adding Keith Tkachuk from Phoenix adds another scoring dimension. With Chris Pronger back from injury, he and Al MacInnis make a formidable defensive tandem. Though goalie Roman Turek has been somewhat inconsistent, he is capable of stopping nearly everything when he is hot.\nThe Sharks also improved drastically via trade by adding super-scorer Teemu Selanne from Anaheim. With Vince Damphousse returning from injury, the Sharks have another player who can make solid plays. The key to San Jose's success lies in the hands of rookie goalie Evgeni Nabakov, the best NHL player from Kazakhstan. If he continues his regular season pace, the Blues might be in trouble. But I don't think so.\nBlues in six.
(04/05/01 5:02am)
With a seven-run outburst in the first inning, the men's baseball team took command Wednesday afternoon at Sembower Field and never looked back in a 10-1 shelling of Indiana State. \nBesides the success at the bat, IU also saw a career-tying best performance of five innings pitched and six strikeouts by junior starter Zach Otte.\n"Lately, we've been falling behind early in games," senior second baseman Dan Haegle said. "Coming out strong today gave us the confidence we need. When we get ahead early, it carries over to our pitching -- which it did today."\nThings looked considerably more dismal in the top of the first inning. After striking out senior leftfielder Chad Zaucha, Otte surrendered back-to-back hits to senior shortstop Auggie Casson and junior centerfielder Jason Frome. Designated hitter Greg Wear sacrificed to center to bring Casson home, but it was all the scoring the Sycamores would see as Otte worked out of the inning.\n"(Otte) looked really good," Haegle said. "(ISU's) a pretty good team and he kept them off-balance."\nIn the bottom of the first, the Hoosiers exploded. Haegele led off with a single. He was soon joined on base by redshirt sophomore third baseman Nick Evans, who was hit by a pitch, and junior shortstop Eric Blakely, who was walked on four pitches by freshman Sycamores pitcher J.T. Schultz. \nSenior centerfielder Blake St. Clair drove Haegele in with a groundout to first base. Then Schultz's control woes continued as he issued a walk to sophomore designated hitter Vasili Spanos. A base hit by freshman leftfielder Ryan Donley sent Evans across the plate. After giving up a two-RBI single to redshirt freshman rightfielder Mark Calkins, Schultz was replaced.\nSchultz's replacement, freshman Jason Helbling, fared little better. Junior first baseman Gibran Hamdan hit a sacrifice fly to center field to bring home Donley, which would be the only out the sporadic Helbing would get. The Hoosiers ninth batter in the inning, freshman catcher Cody Wargo, was walked. \nSo was Haegele in his second at-bat of the opening frame. Helbing's accuracy spiraled even more out of control as he threw a wild pitch, allowing Calkins to score. The flustered Helbling then surrendered a ground-rule double to Evans, who brought, Wargo home for the Hoosiers seventh run.\nOnce again, the coach changed pitchers, this time going with freshman Matt Zaleski, who ended the inning by forcing Blakely to ground out.\nAfter Otte struck out two in the top of the second, the IU offense was back at it. Blake St. Clair led off the inning with a towering home run over the centerfield fence for his fifth of the year. \n"He left a change-up up (in the strike zone), and I just did what I'm supposed to do," said St. Clair of the home run.\n At this point, Zaleski was able to settle down, as he only surrendered two more hits and struck out five over the next four innings.\nThe bullpen picked up where Otte left off after five innings. Freshman Joe Kemp contributed two no-hit innings with two strikeouts. Freshman Chris Behrens fanned two and gave up one hit in his two-inning stint. \n"We just threw strikes," Kemp said.\nThe Hoosiers offense added two more runs in the bottom of the eighth, as St. Clair picked up another RBI on a sacrifice fly. Senior Rob Stastny also knocked a runner across the plate with his first hit of the season.\nWith the Hoosiers 12-game homestand finished, IU travels to Michigan this weekend for a four-game series. Haegle hopes the pleasant weather the Hoosiers experienced Wednesday follows IU to Ann Arbor.\n"Hopefully some of the warm weather will make its way up to Michigan this week," Haegle said. "Offensively, when it's cold out, you just got to stick with it and score as many runs as you can. Sometimes when it's a cold and windy day, you just have to bunt, hit and run and stuff to get one across. You can't go in with a different mentality or that will just mess your up"
(04/04/01 5:29am)
The resin bag sitting next to the pitching rubber, a perfectly placed bunt down the third-base line, a manager trying to play the numbers by making a double switch, a vendor in the bleachers yelling, "Cold beer, here!" \nAll of these are joyous reminders that baseball season is upon us once again.\nSo what lies ahead in 2001? We know that it brings the 100th Anniversary of the American League, and that the Pittsburgh Pirates and Milwaukee Brewers will play in brand new ballparks. Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez will be on new teams that gave them a ridiculous wad of money. Other than that, everything is hazy and unclear. So, I hoped to clear things up a bit by bringing out my crystal ball and making some predictions for the new season. (The glorious thing about predictions? They don't have to be right. In fact, they don't even have to be close to being correct.)\n• Cubs fans will be left crying in their Old Style for the 92nd consecutive year, as the Cubbies will fail to win the World Series. But Wrigley Field will be packed, so management won't care.\n• A-Rod won't be worth the money the Rangers paid for him, unless he bats .500, hits 60 home runs, drives in 200 runs, commits less than five errors and leads them to the World Series.\n• This might be going out on a limb, but Pedro Martinez will win the AL Cy Young Award.\n• The Red Sox will see their Wild Card hopes tumble down on the last day of the season when Rod Beck blows an 8-run lead in the bottom of the ninth in Detroit.\n• No one in baseball will grow a cooler beard than the White Sox David Wells.\n• Sleeper AL MVP contenders: White Sox Magglio Ordonez, Angels' Darin Erstad, Blue Jays Carlos Delgado and Jason Giambi of the Athletics.\n• Mike Hampton will have the best ERA in Colorado Rockies history.\n• Pittsburgh's PNC Park and Milwaukee's Miller Park will account for an attendance increase for both teams. No park will ever be named for anything besides a corporation in the future.\n• With Geoff Jenkins, Richie Sexson and Jeromy Burnitz in the lineup, Bernie the Brewer will frequently take a slide into his giant beer mug after Brewers home runs.\n• The Expos' Vladimir Guerrero should end the season as NL MVP.\n• In an effort to raise fan interest, the Expos will sign their mascot, Youppi, to play first base.\n• People will wonder why the Tampa Bay Devil Rays exist.\n• The Florida Marlins will be the most improved team in baseball, but they will still miss the playoffs.\n• The Cleveland Indians will score about seven runs a game and will give up just as many.\n• Darryl Strawberry will spend the season in jail or rehab.\n• Terminally serious Angels slugger Glenallen Hill will not be caught smiling on camera the entire season.\n• Mark McGwire will hit more home runs than San Diego's Bubba Trammel.\n• Former Cubs outfielder Doug Dascenzo will come out of retirement to work in the bullpen.\n• Former Cubs catcher Hector Villanueva will be found working at a McDonald's in Pocatello, Idaho.\n• In an attempt to force fans to stop watching TV and start attending games, the Minnesota Twins will hire Bill Walton as their play-by-play announcer.\n• Newly retired Albert Belle will be suspended from his shuffleboard league for corking his pole and will be arrested for chasing down senior citizens in his golf cart on Labor Day.\n• The Yankees will end up trying Chuck Knoblauch at every position, including pitcher, before they finally give up on him and trade him for … Cardinals pitcher Rick Ankiel. Ankiel will walk the first seven men he faces in his Yankees debut and then strike out the side.\n• And finally, the Yankees will buy their fourth consecutive World Series title.
(03/28/01 5:09am)
With the trade deadline passed and little more than a week left in the NHL season, the teams left in the playoff race find themselves jockeying for a superior position in postseason play. Here's an update on how the top contenders stand.\nEastern Conference\nThe Ottawa Senators have the pole position in the East with 100 points at press time. Their offense has been particularly potent throughout the year, as they have scored eight goals in a game three times this year, including twice in the past month. With Alexei Yashin, Marian Hossa and Radek Bonk providing offensive fireworks, Ottawa's primary concern was defense. With the addition of defenseman Curtis Leschyshyn from Minnesota, this concern was addressed. But Bonk broke his thumb Saturday and will be out for three to six weeks. To make a run, the Senators will need another player to step up on offense.\nFew teams have been able to run with the New Jersey Devils this season -- particularly recently -- as they have won 13 of their last 14 games. The defending Stanley Cup champs are right behind Ottawa with 99 points and feature essentially the same cast that brought them the hardware last year. \nThe Washington Capitals own the third spot in the East by holding the Southeast Division lead with 88 points. As always, the Caps will look to goalie Olaf Kolzig to carry the team's playoff aspirations. By adding forwards Dainuis Zubrus and Trevor Linden from Montreal, they also look to shore up their sometimes catatonic offense.\nWith 93 points, the Philadelphia Flyers have the fourth spot in the East and again are a force. Even though Eric Lindros has held out all year, Mark Recchi, Keith Primeau and Simon Gagne have made big offensive contributions. Now they must hope that goalie Roman Cechmanek will be able to continue his successful play in his first NHL playoff appearance.\nThe Buffalo Sabres are breathing down the Flyers necks with 90 points. Dominik Hasek has continued to age like Dick Clark and leads the league with 10 shutouts. The Sabres also carry loaded offensive weapons such as Donald Audette and J.P. Dumont.\nWestern Conference\nSimply put, the Colorado Avalanche are stacked, and it is no mystery that they lead the league with 111 points and have won their division for the seventh consecutive year. Joe Sakic leads the league with 108 points and a mind-blowing 46-plus rating (his line has scored 46 more goals than it has given up). They also have four other 25-plus goal scorers. The Avs defense features two greats in Ray Bourque and Rob Blake, and they also have one of the best playoff goalies of all-time, Patrick Roy.\nCoach Scotty Bowman once again has his Detroit Red Wings in the thick of things, as they now have 103 points. Captain Steve Yzerman and the rest of the Wings have about as much playoff experience as Strom Thurmond has Senate experience, which in simple terms is a lot more than anybody else, and will be a big boost for an already hot team.\nThe always-potent Dallas Stars lead the Pacific Division with 95 points and look to defend their Western Conference title. With Mike Modano and Brett Hull doing the scoring and Derian Hatcher providing the hits, the Stars can skate with anyone. Ultimately, their success hinges on the play of netminder Ed Belfour.\nThe St. Louis Blues went through much of the season as the best team in the league, but they have a 2-6-4 record in their past 12 games, though they still have 98 points. The Blues woes have been a result of injuries to key players like Chris Pronger and Tyson Nash. But with the addition of forward Keith Tkachuk via trade, the Blues can still make a playoff run.\nThe Edmonton Oilers have 87 points and have won seven of their last 11 games. Their attack is led by the dangerous center Doug Weight and capable goaltender Tommy Salo.\nFor the first time since 1995-96, the Vancouver Canucks are back in the playoff hunt. The Canucks sit with 87 points. Markus Naslund leads the Canucks offense with 41 goals, but Vancouver must overcome abominable goaltending by Bob Essensa and Dan Cloutier.
(03/08/01 5:53am)
I find it hard to control my excitement. Selection Sunday is coming. It rings like a bell ushering in one of the most exciting times of the year, the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, and like one of Pavlov's dogs, I am drooling in response. Before the first round pairings are drawn up, a number of experts try to put their fingers on which teams will handed No. 1 and 2 seeds. But, as Sherlock Holmes might say, that is elementary. I find much more fun in trying to find out who will be granted the cyanide capsule known as the No. 16 seed.\nThis year there will be five No. 16 seeds. Anyone like me, whose math knowledge was almost entirely learned from the Count on Sesame Street, can figure out that you cannot fit five No. 16 seeds into four regions. Thus the NCAA has instituted the "play-in" game. Two No. 16 seeds will meet each other the Tuesday before the tournament starts for the right to match the No. 1 seed in the Midwest region in the first round. The question I asked when I saw that the "play-in" game was instituted was the same I asked when I saw the preview for the movie "See Spot Run" -- why?\nAccording to the NCAA, the extra spot was created when the Mountain West Conference was granted an automatic bid for its winner this year, bringing the number of automatic bids up to 31. Rather than taking away one of the 34 at-large bids, they decided to please everybody by simply adding the play-in game. But I have a better suggestion as to why this maneuver was pulled off, and it is -- gasp -- money. \nThe vast majority of teams who garner at-large bids are major schools that can pool gargantuan alumni and monetary support for tournament games. Obviously, taking out a school like Texas in favor of one like Long Beach State will not make financial gains for the NCAA.\nSo who are the front-runners for this year's No. 16 seeds? They are all small schools coming from small conferences that the vast majority of Americans have never actually heard of. These conferences include the Big South, Colonial, MEAC, NEC, Southern, Southland and SWAC.\nBig South: Winthrop has already clinched a spot in the 'Big Dance' by winning the Big South tournament. The Eagles were ranked No. 2 in the conference, and clinched their spot in an overtime win over Radford. This is their third straight appearance in the NCAAs. Winthrop's only game against a top-25 opponent this year was a 66-61 loss to North Carolina, indicating that the Eagles are no pushover.\nColonial: George Mason clinched its tournament spot by beating UNC-Wilmington in a 35-33 shootout that brought back vivid memories of the classic eighth grade games of my past. The Patriots, who are led on the floor by 30-year-old forward George Evans, finished 18-11 on the season and will likely participate in the play-in game.\nMEAC: Hampton enters the MEAC conference tournament with a 21-6 record and the top seed in the conference tournament. None of the Pirates' victories have come against a team in the top 150 in the RPI rankings, and their last regular season game was a 94-82 loss to Norfolk State. South Carolina State is the conference's second seed, and could very well represent the MEAC depending on the tournament results.\nNEC: Monmouth beat St. Francis 67-64 to earn its first trip to the NCAA since 1996. The Hawks best opponent this season was Gonzaga, who beat them 95-69.\nSouthern: UNC-Greensboro won against Chattanooga 67-66 in its conference to punch their ticket to the 'Big Dance.' Although they finished 19-11 on the season, the Spartans were only 10-6 in conference play. But they did beat an NCAA tournament team this year -- Winthrop.\nSouthland: McNeese State enters the Southland Conference as the top seed with a 20-7 record, including 17-3 in conference play. The Cowboys strongest opponent was Mississippi State (16-11), who beat them by nine. Only three other teams in the Southland Conference have winning records.\nSWAC: Alabama State enters the SWAC tournament as the regular-season champ. But its spot in the NCAA is no guarantee, as Mississippi Valley State and Alabama A&M -- who finished right behind the Hornets in the regular season standings -- promise to give them a fight for the right to be called "SWAC Daddies."\nWith all of this fighting for the last positions in the NCAA tournament comes the inevitable question: "Will any No. 16 seed be able to pull off a first-round upset?" This might seem as silly as asking me, "Do you have a supermodel girlfriend?" I can guarantee no team that has to win the play-in game will ever pull off the ultimate upset, because they will be already drained from playing a team at their level. But someday, somewhere and somehow, a No. 16 seed will likely pull off the victory that will make them kings for a day.
(02/28/01 5:14am)
After the "Black Sox" scandal following the 1919 World Series, major league baseball moved along without a hitch until a players strike forced the cancellation of the postseason in 1994. Then it appeared that the national pastime was indeed past its time, but the home run race of 1998 brought fans back to the game. Now, just three years after regaining the interest of many fans, major league baseball is teetering on the brink of its gravest financial crisis.\nThe hottest word around baseball this year promises to be "contraction." But it has nothing to do with the process of giving birth. Baseball is proud of the fact that it has not seen a team move since the Seattle Pilots flew to Milwaukee and became the Brewers in 1970. So instead of dealing with the embarrassment of seeing teams move, Commissioner Bud Selig and his cohorts have tossed around the idea of contraction, the elimination of two teams from the league. \nNow you see them, now you don't. The two teams most discussed for elimination at this point are the Montreal Expos and the Minnesota Twins. So the question is: how did baseball reach such a dire point?\nIt is obvious Selig is part of the problem and not the answer. After all, it was Selig who ingeniously had the league expanded to 30 teams in 1998, and now wants to take two teams back. This makes me think that there probably are some folks more qualified for the position, such as Elton John, George W. Bush, a chimpanzee and the small toe on my left foot. As a result of expansion, players who would have been in Triple-A ball 20 years ago are now considered big leaguers. If you don't believe me, check out the Cubs roster.\nAnother sin Selig committed as commissioner was the introduction of interleague play. By having teams from the American and National Leagues face each other in the regular season, more than 90 years of tradition was thrown out the window. With interleague play, we have been able to see all of the classic rivalries we have been clamoring to see for years: Devil Rays vs. Expos, Padres vs. Mariners and the always nail-biting Royals vs. Pirates matchup.\nBut it is unfair to blame Selig for all of baseball's woes. He can only be blamed for his inability to fix them. The true perpetrators of the crimes against America's pastime are the owners and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA).\nThe owners' love of their own money has now gone too far. The situation in baseball is akin to the situation in pre-revolutionary France. There is the ultra-rich First Estate, which consists of teams such as the Braves and Yankees. These teams have payrolls around $100 million a year. Since they can essentially buy their championship rings, it is no coincidence that both of these teams have been to the playoffs every year since 1996. \nThe Second Estate consists of teams that have considerably smaller payrolls, such as the White Sox and Giants. But these teams have just enough big name players (Frank Thomas, Barry Bonds, Jeff Kent) to push them over the hump. \nAnd then there are the bottom of the pile teams of the Third Estate. These are squads such as the Pirates, Expos and Twins. They have no chance of winning anything. And they never will, because once their young prospects are good, they will jump to a higher-paying team in free agency. Want proof? The top three teams in terms of payroll (Yankees, Braves and Dodgers) had a combined .552 winning percentage last season. The bottom three (Twins, Expos and Marlins) had a combined .443 winning percentage.\nThe reason the payrolls are so high, of course, is the ridiculous amount of money being given to the players. Alex Rodriguez was signed to an absurd 10-year, $252 million deal. He will make more money by himself this year than the entire 25-man Twins roster will make for the season. He could probably also buy an entire country, such as Trinidad & Tobago. The Red Sox also played the game by hooking up with Manny Ramirez for an eight-year, $160 million deal.\nTo draw fans, owners have struck upon the idea of building new stadiums. Then the naming rights can be sold to a corporation so the stadiums have names that flow off the tongue, like Bank One Ballpark, PacBell Park or Comerica Park. To raise fan interest and sell out games, the stadiums are designed like Little League fields so the runs won't stop, as is the case with Houston's Enron Field. It is only a matter of time before one of the holiest of baseball shrines, Fenway Park, suffers this fate.\nSo how can these problems be solved? The answer, as they say, is painfully obvious. The major leagues need to borrow a page from the NFL. These solutions are a salary cap and revenue sharing. Revenue sharing involves the splitting of TV revenue and ticket sales so teams get more equal slices of the pie. A salary cap puts a limit on the money that can be spent on players so a few ultra-rich teams do not devour all the top-notch players. This process creates competitive balance and a more interesting league. For instance, in the past five years, only five different teams have gone to the World Series. On the other hand, the Super Bowl has seen eight different teams play for the title in the same span, one of them being the small-market Green Bay Packers, who made it two years in a row.\nSo to strike a competitive balance in the major leagues, both the owners and MLBPA will have to concede a point, with the owners losing on revenue sharing and the players losing from a salary cap. With baseball's labor agreement up after this season, the issue promises to come to a head faster than some might think.
(02/21/01 5:27am)
People turn to sports to escape the trappings of everyday life. They tune in for drama that is not contrived or scripted. They tune in to see, as the old ABC Sports catch-line says, "the joy of victory and the agony of defeat." \nSunday we were reminded of the agony as Dale Earnhardt was killed on the final lap of the Daytona 500. Even someone who is not familiar with the world of NASCAR has heard of the "Intimidator" and his black Chevrolet with the No. 3 emblazoned on the roof. He made a living by doing things with his car that everyone else wanted to, but could only do with a go-cart or in an empty parking lot.\nAuto racing is dangerous. It is more or less inevitable that each year racing will see a fatality. But it is not supposed to happen to the man that tied the all-time record by winning seven Winston Cup titles. And certainly it is not supposed to happen on the final lap of NASCAR's premiere event. \nThough losses like this are always shocking, death is not relegated to the fast-paced and dangerous world of auto racing. Last month, we were reminded something as simple as transportation to and from sporting events cannot be taken for granted. A plane carrying 10 people associated with the Oklahoma State basketball program, including two players, Nate Fleming and Daniel Lawson, crashed on the way home from a game at Colorado, killing everyone on board. Not only was the crash a shock, but it reminded universities around the nation that they might need to reevaluate the safety of their teams' transportation.\nThe Oklahoma State plane crash is not unique. In 2000, Payne Stewart was supposed to defend his 1999 U.S. Open title. But the golfer, who became a fan favorite through his affable nature and unique wardrobe, never made it, as he perished in a bizarre plane crash en route to a tournament in Texas. \nIn 1970, the grief now expressed by the Oklahoma State campus was felt by Marshall University. On the way back from a game at East Carolina, the plane carrying the Thundering Herd football team, the coaching staff and some supporters crashed into the mountains of West Virginia. All 75 people on board died.\nThe sporting world has also seen its share of on-field fatalities. In the history of the NHL, two deaths have been attributed to action on the ice. The first death occurred in 1937. The 1920s and 1930s were considered the golden age of sports, and one of the first great hockey stars was Montreal Canadien Howie Morenz, who had earned the nickname "The Babe Ruth of Hockey." Skating on Jan. 28, 1937, he was 34 and his better days were behind him, but Morenz was still a star. Both his career and life were cut short in an accident. Morenz was checked into the boards by Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Earl Siebert. But Morenz's leg caught a crack in the board and snapped. He died six weeks later in his hospital bed.\nIn 1968, Minnesota North Star Bill Masterton collided into two players from the California Seals, and his head crashed to the ice. Though he tried to get up, Masterton collapsed and soon lapsed into a coma. He died two years later, and the NHL saw that it would soon be mandatory for all of its players to wear helmets.\nEven a sport as seemingly docile as baseball has seen a player die on-field. In 1920, baseball was trying to overcome the taint left on the game after the Chicago "Black Sox" scandal of the season before, in which eight White Sox players had been banned from the games for fixing the World Series. What happened next did not help at all.\nIn a game against the Yankees Aug. 16, popular Indians shortstop Ray Chapman, whose team record for stolen bases stood until 1980, came to the plate. He was struck in the temple by a pitch from submarine-baller Carl Mays. Chapman had to be carried off of the field, and died 12 hours later of a skull fracture. Though the Indians would go on to win the World Series for Chapman, his loss was a blow to the game. \nYet it would be four decades until batting helmets gained widespread use. And while batters are protected from accidents now, how safe are pitchers? It seems to be only a matter of time, in an era where players keep getting bigger and stronger, before a line drive comes back to the mound and causes something much worse than a season-ending injury.\nWhile the sporting world might seem like a fantasyland of fun and games, we are often served a reminder that sports cannot avoid the ultimate agony -- the death of an athlete.
(02/14/01 5:50am)
Something occurred to me the other day as I turned off the NBA All-Star Game in favor of watching "The Iron Chef": The NBA has come to stand for the National Boredom Association. But there are several questions as to how a league that was so prestigious and exciting from the mid-1980s to the mid-90s could fall to such depths of udder disinterest. \nAs it turns out, I am not the only one who is completely devoid of interest in the NBA. According to The Associated Press, the average number of homes tuning in to watch regular season games on NBC has dropped from 4.5 million in 1997-98 to 3.1 million this season. In that same time period, the average attendance at games has fallen from 17,135 to 16,294. Arenas can draw more than that for "Pocahontas on Ice." One possible theory for this decline in interest can be linked to the retirement of Chicago Bulls superstar Bill Wennington (I came up with that one myself, actually). But the argument tying it to the retirement of Michael Jordan probably holds a bit more water.\nThe biggest problem nagging at the NBA is the lack of quality play on the court. League offenses have screeched to a halt, causing the games to have about the same pace as a curling match. An excellent example is a recent game between the Mavericks and the Knicks that went to double overtime -- yet neither team managed to score 100 points.\nThe league itself has grown incredibly watered down with 29 teams. The best example of this is the Eastern Conference playoff race. The Celtics are not even mediocre, with a 22-27 record. Yet this mark would still get them the No. 8 seed in the playoffs if the season ended today. But the title of most pathetic must be bestowed upon the Bulls. With a 6-42 record, it is impossible for them to finish .500 if they won the rest of their games. \nAnother problem besieging the NBA is the bad public relations produced by many of its star players off the court. League-leading scorer Allen Iverson seems to revel in controversy, and he added to that image by releasing a controversial rap album earlier this year. Renowned thug Anthony Mason averages a double-double each game, although if you threw the number of times he gets arrested each year into the equation, he would probably average a triple-double. Jason Kidd was arrested for beating his wife. Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant have allegedly been bickering like a pair of young kids over a Tonka truck. Shaq also regrettably showed us his acting chops in the movie "Kazaam." \nWhole teams get into the mix. Every time the Knicks and Heat play, they turn basketball into a carnival sideshow and find some reason to brawl. Even Jimmy Buffett was ejected from the crowd the last time they met. \nThe league must find a way to deal with the influx of young players. More and more players are coming out of college early, or just skipping it altogether. Considering that the NCAA is infinitely more exciting to watch, it is often a curious decision. While there will always be a few Kevin Garnetts and Kobe Bryants who can excel in the NBA at the age of 19, too many players trick themselves into believing they can go pro. Remember God Shammgod? He left Providence early a few years back, and his current location is more unknown than Jimmy Hoffa's.\nEssentially, the NBA has gotten to the point where the CBA might actually be more interesting to watch. But that isn't a possibility either, as the 55-year-old league declared bankruptcy last week. Unless there is a minor miracle that saves the league, this means we will be forced to say goodbye to the teams that fans have grown to love, such as the Fort Wayne Fury, Gary Steelheads, Idaho Stampede, Quad City Thunder, LaCrosse Bobcats, Rockford Lightning, Sioux Falls SkyForce and the Yakima Sun Kings.\nSo what can be done by the NBA to improve its quality? Commissioner David Stern is no fool, and has already begun to investigate the root of several of the problems that have caused league interest to sag. One way to start would be to publicize classy stars of the game, such as Ray Allen or Elton Brand. Even promoting Erik Piatkowski for nothing more than the reason that his nickname is "The Polish Rifle" would be an upgrade on its current image. \nFrom there, the rest of the improvement will have to be done on the floor.
(02/07/01 5:18am)
Sunday's NHL All-Star Game bore more resemblance to a game of NHL '93 for the Sega Genesis than a real game, as the North American team dropped the World squad by a 14-12 tally. Fun and games aside, though, the players are ready to get back on the ice for the real action as they push to make it to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in April.\nAnd while things will shape up as the season moves on, it must be noted that the first half provided a number of surprises, and also allowed us to see who the top contenders for the Cup will be.\nThree biggest surprises\n1. The return of Mario Lemieux. The return of "Super Mario" is probably the most surprising occurrence in all of sports in the past year. After retiring in 1997, and buying the Pittsburgh Penguins last year, the number of people who thought he would play again could probably be counted on one hand after a farming accident. But not only has Lemieux returned, he has not lost a step. Lemieux had 16 goals and 16 assists in 16 games. He has also boosted the Penguins spirits to get them playing like Cup contenders.\n2. The Canadiens owned by an American. The Montreal Canadiens, winner of 24 Stanley Cups, the most of any team, are the pride of Quebec and sacred to the NHL. An event occurred Jan. 31 that could be seen as sacrilegious as changing the name of Assembly Hall to the Aver's Pizzadome. Molson, Inc. sold an 80 percent share of the Canadiens to American businessman George N. Gillett Jr. But Gillett promises to return the struggling Habs to their previous stature, and emphasized that there is no threat of the team moving.\n3. The disappointing Panthers. While Pavel Bure still leads the league with 31 goals, this year he was supposed to be supported by a strong cast, and the Florida Panthers were to have little or no trouble in winning the Southeast Division title. Instead, Florida has the third-worst record in the NHL, and it has already canned coach Terry Murray.\nThe top 10 Cup contenders\n1. Colorado Avalanche -- Joe Sakic leads the league in points and has the benefit of playing with a healthy Peter Forsberg. Patrick Roy is at the top of his game in the net, and with Ray Bourque looking for his first Stanley Cup in his 21st season, they have what it takes.\n2. St. Louis Blues -- They started the season 25-3-4, but have slowed down to a 9-8-1 record in their past 18 games. This is because of the injury of Chris Pronger, who is the best defenseman in the game. Blues goalie Roman Turek has also been banged up recently. If everyone returns to health, the Blues can shut anyone in the league down.\n3. New Jersey Devils -- The defending champs have the potential to repeat with goalie Martin Brodeur leading the way, as well as one of the deepest rosters in the NHL. They are also rumored to be in trade talks with the Kings for talented defenseman Rob Blake.\n4. Detroit Red Wings -- With Scotty Bowman behind the bench, the Wings can never be expected to go away. Even though their roster reads like a AARP mailing list, experienced vets like Brendan Shanahan, Steve Yzerman, Sergei Federov and Chris Chelios can still get it done in the playoffs.\n5. Ottawa Senators -- After holding out last season, Alexei Yashin has returned and the Senators offense has been rejuvenated. Forwards Marian Hossa, Daniel Alfredsson and Radek Bonk also add an offensive touch. Provided that goalie Patrick Lalime holds up as well as he did in the first half of the season, they can make a run.\n6. Philadelphia Flyers -- Though Eric Lindros is still sitting out for contract negotiations, Philly has excelled. The new stars for the Flyers are forward Simon Gagne and goalie Roman Cechmanek, who have brought the Flyers surprising success. But these two players' lack of experience will be tested down the stretch.\n7. Dallas Stars -- With guys like Brett Hull and Mike Modano, they have the same talented cast that has brought them to the past two Stanley Cup Finals. Goalie Ed Belfour has to get his head on straight if they want to make another run this year.
(12/09/00 4:40pm)
Not too long ago, I was watching an IU football game when the announcers began to banter about the possibility of junior quarterback Antwaan Randle El suiting up again to play basketball for the Hoosiers this winter. \nWhile Randle El is a spectacular athlete, I do not believe he is the man the team needs to fill its 12th roster spot. The fact of the matter is, the man they should really be looking for to fill that 12th jersey is, me.\nSome folks might be rather quizzical about my odds of making an impact on the squad. After all, if you look up the term "uncoordinated, gangly, slow, goofy, awkward guy" in the dictionary, you would probably find my picture. \nBut a quick look at my career, uh, highlights, should be enough to convince the coaching staff to put me on the roster without even having to try out.\nTo truly analyze my career, you must first go back to my eighth grade season. It was a record-breaking one, as I scored a mind-numbing total of zero points for the entire season. As far as I know, I was the only person in our entire eight-team conference not to score a single point all year. \nNaturally, the fact that I was the third-string center and averaged 41 seconds per game did not help my record. But, I have always believed my coach saw my true talent, and wanted to save my career from being cut short by a devastating injury.\nIn the eyes of many experts, eighth grade was the pinnacle of my career. And while my statistics may have been a bit weak, I did bring innovation to the game that year in the form of the sky-hook three. I would stand at the top of the key and unleash a hook shot from three-point range. \nMy coach had faith in the shot. With 21 seconds left in our final game, our team trailing by 18 points, he called time-out and drew up a play that had me grab the ball and take the sky-hook three in my final attempt for points on the season. \nThe ball was inbounded to me at the top of the key. I dribbled twice, and then released the sky-hook. My defender's jaw dropped further down than if he had seen Elvis driving an ice cream truck. The crowd watched silently as the ball flew majestically through the air. \nBut the magic moment was ruined when the ball hit the top of the backboard, careened through the wires behind the backboard, and fell to the ground out of bounds. At this, the entire crowd burst into laughter, including everyone on the bench for my team.\nAn incident like this surely would have broken the will of a lesser man. But it did not faze me, and I declared my eligibility for the NBA Draft after graduating eighth grade. Unfortunately, I did not receive the phone call I anticipated from the Denver Nuggets, so I decided to continue my education and move on to high school.\nOf course, I sought to continue my successful playing career at the high school level. But much to my chagrin, I was unable to see eye to eye with the coaching staff. According to them, I was "cut" from the team because of lack of talent. \nThe truth of the matter is that the coach did not like the controversial image I brought to the team by wearing goggles and a Barq's Root Beer rub-on tattoo, and I was run out of training camp.\nAt this point, I became disenfranchised with the organized game. I remained dedicated, though, and I eventually became king of the area playgrounds, dominating the vast majority of my fifth-grade opponents. \nThis experience gave me the confidence necessary to try out for the 1998-99 Chicago Bulls. While I did not make the team, or even gain entrance onto the practice floor, I did pick up a wealth of invaluable basketball knowledge that can only come from watching true legends such as Dickey Simpkins, Rusty LaRue, Priest Lauderdale, and Bubba Wells play the game.\nThis past summer also proved to be very beneficial for me as I played several one-on-one games against Kobe, and I even managed to beat him a couple of times. (The editors would like me to point out that in this case "Kobe" is the nickname for my friend, foreign exchange student Yuomuri Tanaka, who hails from Kobe, Japan.)\nThough these highlights are admittedly quite impressive, they do not represent the only reasons that I should be a Hoosier basketball player. I am also willing to sacrifice my body for the team. I would be willing to hit the floor to grab a loose ball. (Even if it were only a result of me tripping over my own feet.) \nAnd if the team is on the bubble for receiving a NCAA Tournament bid, I would be willing to do something outlandish like grow a mullet and a handlebar mustache, just because I can't see the Tournament committee turning away from the instant publicity that a player with a mullet and a handlebar mustache would garner.\nOne thing is clear: you will probably be seeing me at the end of the bench at Assembly Hall this year. Right after you see Elvis drive by in an ice cream truck.
(10/17/00 6:56am)
Four score and several years ago, our forefathers did a bunch of stuff that created a more perfect union, or something like that. But, albeit unbeknownst to them, they also set the wheels in motion for what could be our nation's greatest crisis since the XYZ Affair: the 2000 presidential election. (Sorry, I promise not to make anymore obscure historical references.) \nYes, this year's slate of candidates, including George W. Bush, Al Gore, Ralph Nader and Pat Buchanan must have even Millard Fillmore rolling in his grave. (I swear, that will be the last obscure historical reference.)\nFor the Republican Party, the road to the 2000 election began after the 1996 election, when GOP candidate Bob Dole received a drubbing normally associated with the Cincinnati Bengals. The GOP's first action after this shock was to immediately blame Newt Gingrich. Their next move was to find a suitable candidate for 2000. Among the early favorites was former vice president Dan Quayle, who was to run under the campaign motto "Why think before you speak?" Unfortunately, Quayle bowed out early on, which left the Republicans reeling. Obviously, they were left with only one option -- they had to select the only person more vapid than Quayle: George W. Bush.\n"W," as Bush is called (it's the only name he can remember how to spell), has had a distinguished policy-making career. Among his most famous deals involved trading Sammy Sosa for two players who were last seen on a milk carton when he owned the Texas Rangers. Therefore, it would seem to be a logical conclusion that, if president, he could trade General Motors to Tuvalu for all of their strategic guano deposits. But, before Bush says this column is a "subliminable" endorsement of the Democrats, I will proceed to bash Gore.\nGore, who seeks to become the first cyborg ever elected president, is best known as being the self-proclaimed inventor of the Internet. It should also be noted that he has spent the past eight years as vice president of our country. This means that he has successfully been able to double the reign of his legendary predecessor, James Danforth Quayle. Gore was trailing early this election year, but his fortunes shot up when his wife, Tipper (also the name of my aunt's cocker spaniel), slipped him the tongue at the Democratic National Convention. Apparently, this moment will be saved in his "lockbox," along with Social Security, Medicare and his dog's prescription medicine. Once elected, Gore promises that only a few hundred state secrets will be slipped to shady Chinese businessmen in exchange for campaign funding.\nSo maybe you are looking for a suitable third-party candidate. I can't help you there either, with the choices of Green Party candidate Ralph Nader and Reform Party candidate Pat Buchanan. Of course, they are probably more qualified than Bush and Gore, which is why they are not allowed in the presidential debates. Unfortunately, they have their flaws, too.\nFew people know that the "Green Party" was actually started by Oscar the Grouch on the 1988 episode of Sesame Street, sponsored by the letters C and E, as well as the number 8. Fewer people know that their candidate, consumer advocate Ralph Nader, was cryogenically frozen in 1980 after revealing that the Ford Pinto exploded upon impact and was successfully preserved to make a presidential run in 2000. Nader is not such a bad guy, except that his party's platform would likely make cars illegal and ban the use of meat, thus furthering the popularity of the veggieburger.\nThe other third, the Reform Party is just that, a "party." Party guests get plastered, and then draw their nominee's name out of a hat. This year the lucky winner was Pat Buchanan. Buchanan does have some good ideas to clean up politics, except for the fact he might make a move to deport all non-Protestant, non-Anglo citizens.\nSo what is it that I am trying to get at? Do I want you to not vote? Absolutely not, that would make this whole article pointless. Do I want you to move to Canada? No, that won't be necessary until Hillary Clinton is elected president. But I do beseech you to use the power of the write-in vote. It's a glorious thing -- you could write in whomever you want to, from Bob Saget to Mr. T.\nBut I would like to take this time to recommend voting for Bob Knight for president. Hey, he's got nothing else to do these days. And he wouldn't be the first general in the Oval Office. Problems with peace negotiations? No big deal; one can almost hear him saying: "Yasser, you will sit down until these negotiations are OVER!" Congress not passing a bill? He'll have them doing two-a-day sessions during recess.\nOf course, people might see him as being a little too rough. That's why I'd like to recommend Richard Simmons for vice president. He's also without a job since his quality TV program, "Richard Simmons' Dream Maker," went off the air. Not only would he provide a perfect counter for Knight, but he could have the whole crowd "sweatin' to the oldies" at the inauguration ball.\nAt any rate, no matter what happens in this election, instead of playing "Hail to the Chief" at inauguration, they should try R.E.M.'s "It's the End of the World As We Know It (and I Feel Fine)"
(09/28/00 5:32am)
Although their collegiate season is still about five months away, the members of the men's and women's Ultimate Frisbee clubs are already back to work, focused on honing their skills in the 'Club Ultimate' circuit and picking up new recruits.\nThe women's club is led by coach Jason Flock, who has been involved with the game for more than a decade. This year, Flock will take about 30 women under his wing. About half of them are new additions to the squad. While Flock is drawing up new offensive schemes and defensive sets, the team will be led by seniors Sarah Lima and Kim Wysong and junior Megan Sulok.\nLast season, the team struggled to a 10-20 record. But with a ripe crop of new players, team veterans said they believe this will be the year for that mark to turn around. \n"We are hoping to do better than the past couple years ... and be a competitive squad to try to make nationals," said Wysong, also team co-captain. \nWith weekly practices running Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Sunday afternoons, the team hopes hard work will take them to that goal.\nBesides practices, the team will participate in several club tournaments during the fall. Unlike the collegiate season, in which players must be students pursuing a degree, the club season is open to teams that could potentially have players from high school students to senior citizens. The next tournament for the women will be Oct. 14 and 15 at Columbia College in Chicago. \nAfter the fall tournaments end, the women will continue to work on their games during the winter in an indoor setting. The focus will switch to winning the Great Plains Sectional, composed of IU, the University of Chicago, Bradley, Illinois, Purdue, Notre Dame and defending champion Northwestern.\nLike the women, the men's club is trying to put a positive spin on struggles during the recent past and bring the squad back into national prominence. This year's team includes 35 men and will be led into battle by tri-captains Thor Martin, a senior, Damon Todd, a doctoral student and Mark Chun, a senior.\n"Three years ago, we were faced with the daunting task of rebuilding this team from scratch," Martin said. \nLast year's team, which finished the season tied for fifth in the regional with a record of 19-22, appeared to be creeping closer to that goal. Now the team is looking to break through the door and compete for the regional title.\nThe men's Ultimate Frisbee club will visit several tournaments as it takes on clubs from around the Midwest. The team's primary focus this fall is to gather new recruits. \nNew recruits and veterans will be put to the test this spring, as they are scheduled to travel to several tournaments. The club is slated to play in tourneys at Michigan, Louisiana State, Tennessee and North Carolina. At these tournaments, the team anticipates running into some of their top rivals, which include Illinois, Notre Dame, Ball State and Purdue.\nUltimate Frisbee players are quick to point out that their game is not a leisurely stroll in the park, but is in fact a game that can be as grueling as any soccer match. \nLima, a senior, summed up the Ultimate Frisbee player's point of view.\n"Ultimate is a tough, gritty, painful struggle over something that flies with the utmost grace and finesse," she said. "The contrast is gorgeous"