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(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Spring break began in nightmarish fashion for the men's golf team, and its problems had nothing to do with sketchy travel agents or missed flights. The team had one of its poorest showings of the year, limping to a 14th place finish in the 16-team Big Red Classic, an event of which the Hoosiers were co-host. \n"We lost our patience and never were able to regroup," Coach Mike Mayer said.\nBut less than a week later, the Hoosiers bounced back at the El Diablo Intercollegiate in Citrus Springs, Fla., finishing the tournament tied for seventh place.\n"We almost got back to what we are capable of (at El Diablo)," freshman Jeff Overton said.\nThe Hoosiers got to that level by spending the four days in between the tournaments with intensive practices -- working on their short games and getting themselves accustomed to Bermuda grass greens and other nuances of golf courses in Florida.\n"We grew up a lot," Mayer said. "We learned to bond as a team."\nIU's three-round total of 891 (292-296-303) placed the team in a seventh-place tie with Xavier. IU entered the final round in fifth place, just one shot behind William & Mary, which won the tournament with an 883 that edged West Florida and Louisville by one stroke.\n"We started the (third) round in contention to win the tournament or place very high. The last couple holes were played pretty poorly on our part, and that is where it cost us," Mayer said.\nThough the team improved vastly from its performance at the Big Red Invitational, the biggest story of the tournament for IU was the play of freshman Heath Peters. Peters placed in the top 10 for the second time in three tournaments with a three-round total of 220 (73-73-74), a career best.\n"We feel he's come a long, long way," Mayer said. "We didn't know he would mature quickly enough to do this."\nThough he is only a freshman, the native of Garrett, Ind., has quickly developed into a viable contender for the Hoosiers.\n"I was feeling real good about my golf game coming into this season," Peters said. "The coaches have worked with me; they have my swing down real good."\nPeters was named the Indiana Golf Association Junior Masters Player of the Year in 2000 and finished fifth in the state finals his senior year of high school.\nPeters, who tied for 10th place at El Diablo, said he will need to make a few changes if he wants to win a tournament.\n"I need to have better course management and shot selection," Peters said. "The people that beat me just had better shot selection."\nIn addition to Peters, two other Hoosiers placed in the Top 40 at El Diablo. Overton tied for 16th with a score of 222 (74-72-76). Junior Ben Davidson shot a 225 (72-77-76) to finish tied for 39th.\nNo Hoosiers placed in the Top 40 at the Big Red Invitational.\nThe Hoosiers will have two weeks of practice before heading to West Virginia for the Marshall Invitational April 5-6.\nMayer said he hopes the Hoosiers will be able to learn how to play better as a team over the course of those practices. He said IU's lack of team awareness was what cost the team down the stretch at El Diablo.\n"In golf, you don't always know what your teammates are doing," Mayer said. "Hopefully, we can realize that it is very much a team situation"
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
As a fifth-year senior, Rich Thomas has seen a lot of twists and turns in his golf career. So it probably should have come as no surprise that he ended up becoming golfing buddies with none other than Principal Belding of "Saved by the Bell" this summer. But you better not call him Screech.\n"I'd rather be called Zack or Slater," Thomas joked.\nFor Thomas, the cart path to this experience and others he would encounter as an IU golfer began when he was senior at Walsh Jesuit High School in Akron, Ohio. Upon visiting IU, Thomas was immediately impressed by then-head coach Sam Carmichael.\n"Coach Carmichael made me believe that I would make an impact right away," Thomas said. \nThomas, who was highly touted as a prep player (he was named Player of the Year by the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Akron Beacon Journal), also wanted a chance to leave his native Ohio. So, he chose IU over schools closer to home, such as Akron, Kent State and Ohio State.\n"I wanted to make my name more known nationally, not just at home," Thomas said.\nHe would have to wait a year before competing, though. Thomas was redshirted his freshman year, 1997-98. The Hoosiers won the Big Ten Championship that year.\nAfter that season, Carmichael stepped down so he could solely focus on his role as women's head coach. Mike Mayer took the reigns from Carmichael and introduced Thomas to a new system.\n"Coach Carmichael instilled work ethic. If you bothered to put time into practice, he made it worth it," Thomas said.\nThomas also said Carmichael was quite intense.\n"Coach Mayer is more laid back," Thomas said. "He doesn't get down on you as much."\nThomas has played every year since Mayer has coached. His best finish was a tie for 26th at the Xavier Invitational in 1998. He is the captain of this year's squad.\n"As a fifth-year senior, Rich has been around the block," Mayer said. "He knows the ropes and brings a lot of experience to this program."\nHaving a group of freshmen as talented as this year's crop has made Thomas' job as captain an easy one. But he still knows that he is looked up to as a leader.\n"They came in with so much experience and talent," Thomas said. "But sometimes they still need a kick in the butt."\nBut Thomas' accomplishments go far beyond the fairways. He has been named Academic All-Big Ten every year of his career.\n"That's the proudest memory I have from IU," Thomas said. "I'll remember that longer than my scoring average or how many tournaments I played in."\nLike Thomas, IU Assistant coach Mike Kemper was Academic All-Big Ten in his playing days, winning the award in 1993, '95 and '96. Kemper said the task of balancing quality on the course and in the classroom is difficult to attain.\n"Let me be the first to tell you…that it is not as easy as some people think," Kemper said. "Everyone should be really impressed with what Rich has done."\nThomas has also received accolades for his work in the community. He is an active member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee. The organization is made up of IU athletes who volunteer their time to work with kids at Bloomington Hospital and charitable organizations such as Boys and Girls Club.\n"I love working with kids," Thomas said. "It's rewarding seeing the looks on their faces when they meet an athlete. It gives them hope when they see someone who wants to make a difference in their lives."\nThomas' efforts earned recognition as he was presented with the 2001 Balfour Award. The award is given to an athlete in each sport that displays a combination of academic and athletic prowess with work in the community.\nAfter he graduates, Thomas would like to become involved with the PGA Tour -- not as a player, but helping in the organization of one or two Tour events each summer. \nThomas would be following in his father's footsteps. His dad already fills a role of that description for the LPGA Tour every year.\nIn fact, it was while interning for the NEC Invitational at Firestone Country Club in Akron that Thomas had his golf outing with the man better known to the world as Mr. Belding -- Dennis Haskins.\nThe pairing came about one Monday when one of Thomas' bosses asked him if he wanted to play the next Wednesday. Naturally, Thomas obliged. When he showed up to the tee box, he was surprised to see who his playing partner was.\n"He was a real nice guy," Thomas said. "You would never guess he was a semi-celebrity."\nThomas has talked to Haskins a few times since their round. Thomas said he is trying to lobby Haskins to make an appearance at this year's Little 500. He had been in Akron as a guest for the National Soapbox Derby race.\nThough he has accomplished much during his career, Thomas hungers for a few more helpings before the buffet closes. He would like to see the team repeat the success it had his redshirt freshman year by bringing home a Big Ten Championship. \nIn addition, Thomas would like the see the team succeed in regionals and advance to the NCAA Finals in Columbus, Ohio.\n"There wouldn't be a finer way for me to end it as a college golfer," Thomas said. "This is a great group of golfers, and I'd love to share it with them"
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
The '80s were perhaps the funniest decade ever, and I'm not even going to mention Devo in this article. This list contains 10 comedic films that defined a decade of laughter. The unfortunate part of the list is that many high quality films had to be left on the proverbial cutting room floor. Perhaps they will be included in the director's cut of "10 greatest comedies of the eighties." Without further ado, here they are:\n1.) The Blues Brothers (1980) \nThis movie follows the exploits of "Joliet" Jake (John Belushi) and Elwood (Dan Aykroyd) Blues on their "mission from God" to get the band back together. Along the way, they manage to infuriate everyone from state troopers (lead by John Candy) to Jake's psycho ex-girlfriend (Carrie Fisher) to the Illinois Nazis to a country band called The Good Ole Boys. It also features such classic lines as "Are you men policemen?" "No ma'am, we're musicians." And "It's 106 miles to Chicago, we've got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark and we're wearing sunglasses. Hit it, Elwood." The movie also features great car chases (one in a mall, and one where about half of the Chicago police force crashes) and musical performances from stars like James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles and John Lee Hooker.\n2.) Airplane! (1980)\nAnother titan from 1980 is "Airplane!" One of the funniest movies ever made, it is a brilliant spoof of disaster movies. A scared ex-combat pilot (Robert Hays) must take control of a plane after the whole crew comes down with food poisoning. Among the other stars providing humorous roles are Lloyd Bridges as control-tower worker Steve McCroskey, and Leslie Nielsen as Dr. Rumack. There is a visual gag in practically every scene in the movie, so it is key to keep an eye out for anything funny. Memorable lines include "Can you fly this plane and land it?" "Surely you can't be serious." "I am serious. And don't call me Shirley." And the landing sequence sets up the line "Flight 209 now arriving at gate eight. Gate nine. Gate 10."\n3.) Trading Places (1983)\nThe movie that shows just how funny Eddie Murphy is. The premise of the film is based on a one-dollar bet made by the Duke brothers (Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche), who are wealthy stockbrokers in New York. They bet that they can put one of their own men, Louis Winthorpe III (Dan Aykroyd) onto the streets and replace him with homeless Billy Ray Valentine (Murphy). After the deal has been in place, Billy Ray and Louis learn of it and team up to take down the Dukes. The New Year's Eve train scene is one of the funniest ever filmed. It features lines such as "It's beef jerky time! Does anyone want some beef jerky? We've got plenty of it!"\n4.) Caddyshack (1980)\nPossibly the greatest comedy of all time. Or maybe just the greatest movie of all time. And you don't even have to be a looper (you know, a caddy, a pro jock) to figure that out. Bill Murray steals the show as assistant groundskeeper Carl Spackler, whose goal in life is to rid Bushwood Country Club of gophers. Also giving a strong performance is Rodney Dangerfield as Al Czervik, who intends to buy Bushwood and turn it into a condo development, while offending club president Judge Smails (Ted Knight) throughout the film. Almost lost amid these performances is the storyline of caddy Danny Noonan's (Michael O'Keefe) quest to win the caddy scholarship. The most memorable scene may be Bill Murray eating the Baby Ruth bar that he cleaned out of the Bushwood swimming pool. Memorable lines include Dangerfield's "Hey Wang, don't tell them your Jewish," and Murray's "And I says, 'Hey Lama, how about a little something, you know, for the effort?' And he says to me 'On your deathbed, you will receive total consciousness.' So I got that going for me, which is nice."\n5.) National Lampoon's Vacation (1983)\nThe original and best. We are introduced to the Griswold's and the Family Truckster in this staple of the 80s. Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) plans a family vacation to Wally World in California from their suburban Chicago home. Everything goes wrong from there, including the death of the family dog and Aunt Etna, visiting cousin Eddie, as well as a wrong turn in East St. Louis, Ill. Once they finally arrive at Wally World, it is closed -- requiring a hijacking of security guard John Candy. Eighties staple Anthony Michael Hall appears as son Rusty Griswold. Memorable quote: "The Wagon Queen Family Truckster. You think you hate it now, but wait till you drive it."\n6.) Ghostbusters (1984)\nOften overlooked, though it did make the American Film Institute's list of the Top 100 comedies of all time. And with its synthesizer-driven theme song, it may define the '80s better than any other comedy. The movie follows the exploits of parapsychologists Ray Stantz (Aykroyd), Peter Venkman (Murray), and Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis), who are kicked out of their jobs at Columbia University and form their own ghostbusting outfit. They are joined by Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson) once their workload becomes too heavy in their fight against Ghozer the Gozerian. Rick Moranis is hilarious as nerdy accountant Louis Tully/keymaster Vince Clortho. And what ending scene could be better than the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man plodding through New York? Memorable quote: "What are you supposed to be?" "We're the exterminators. Somebody saw a cockroach on 12." "That must be some cockroach." "Yeah, it'll bite your head off." \n7.) Revenge of the Nerds (1984)\n"What are you looking at, nerd?" The answer, of course, is the best college movie made behind "Animal House." After getting kicked out of their dorm by the Alpha Betas, who burned down their fraternity, a group of outcasts bands together to form their own fraternity. What follows is a brilliantly underrated satire of status in greek and college life. Curtis Armstrong gives an inspired performance as Booger, and is supported by a pre-ER Anthony Edwards, who plays Gilbert. Quote: "You college guys are all alike, all you really care about is getting laid. I wish I was going with you."\n8.) Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (1987)\nThe quintessential movie for any business traveler. Steve Martin plays slick advertising executive Neal, and John Candy plays Del, a traveling shower-curtain ring salesman. After a taxi cab mix-up, the two are tied together in their attempts to get home to Chicago for Thanksgiving, via any mean of transportation necessary. Memorable line: "Where's your other hand?" "Between two pillows." "Those aren't pillows!" "So… how bout those Bears?"\n9.) The Naked Gun (1987)\nFrom the directors of "Airplane!" comes this farce of cop movies starring Leslie Nielsen as Lt. Frank Drebin of Police Squad. The movie also features O.J. Simpson before he began his search for "the real killers" in the role of Nordberg. The plot revolves around Drebin's attempts to foil an assassination plot of Queen Elizabeth II. The opening scene where Drebin rubs off Gorbachev's birthmark is an '80s fixture, and the climactic scene filmed at Anaheim Stadium provides the funniest baseball scene outside of "Major League," complete with Drebin forgetting the words to the "Star-Spangled Banner." Memorable quote: "Well would you look at that. It's the missing evidence in the Kellner case. He really was innocent!" "He went to the chair five years ago, Frank."\n10.) Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)\nOne of the most excellent comedies ever filmed. The action follows the lives of William S. Preston, Esquire (Alex Winter) and Ted "Theodore" Logan (Keanu Reeves), two high school slackers who front the band Wyld Stallions. Unfortunately, if they don't pass their history presentation, Ted will be sent to military school. Bogus! Fortunately, the boys run into Rufus (George Carlin) and his time traveling phone booth. They are able to go back into time and bring history's greatest characters back for the presentation. Between Bill and Ted's lack of historical knowledge and the adjustments that characters like Napoleon and Genghis Khan must make to live in the '80s, there are numerous fun moments in this epic. Memorable quote: "Strange things are afoot at the Circle K"
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
He did not wear a red sweater or give an inspirational speech. But he didn't need to. Throngs of fans clad in the red of IU and Texas Tech eagerly waited in line at Barnes and Noble, 2813 E. 3rd St., hoping to catch a glimpse of the man known as The General, Bob Knight, upon his return to Bloomington.\nKnight was in town to sign copies of his new biography, "Knight: My Story" with co-author Bob Hammel, the former sports editor of the Bloomington Herald-Times.\nThe mass of people standing in line formed a labyrinth that snaked between the bookshelves and out the door. Even more fans waited outside on the sidewalk. Others simply sat on curbs or milled around in the parking lot. \nThose latecomers (late meaning less than 30 minutes before Knight's arrival) hoping to find parking spaces were out of luck -- every space in the shopping center housing Barnes and Noble, Staples, Chili's and various other establishments was filled. \nIn order to have their book signed by Knight, patrons had to get a raffle ticket from a Barnes and Noble employee. Over 1,000 tickets were given away before Knight arrived at 6 p.m.\n"We've had people here before we opened at 10 a.m.," said store manager Julie Drake. "People have been in the store all day."\nThe book, which sells for $25.95, sold out of copies around 4 p.m., Drake said. After that, customers had to request an order for a copy of Knight's biography.\nThe mass influx of fans was too much for the entire staff of Barnes and Noble to handle. A support staff of employees came in from Barnes and Noble locations statewide to help handle the crowds. About 3,000 people came out for an Indianapolis signing, 1,500 people lined up at an Avon, Ind. signing and 1,200 turned out for the Bloomington signing, according to Associated Press reports. \nEmployees were not the only ones to make a road trip in order to make it to the signing. Dave Burke, an alumnus from the class of 1973, drove from his home in Kokomo to be at the event.\nBurke follows Texas Tech basketball and hopes current coach Mike Davis will be able to produce the same brand of excellence.\n"The test for coach Davis will be when he plays with his players in the future. Hopefully he can keep up the good work," Burke said.\nBurke, like hundreds of others, waited in line for two hours before Knight arrived.\nWhen Knight finally did step up to the table to begin signing, fans broke into ear-piercing applause, complete with chants of "Bobby! Bobby!"\nEntering the room with a police escort and a large Burger King cup in his hand, Knight vigorously shook the hand of the first man in line.\nHe then began a non-stop flurry of book signing for nearly three hours.\nBarnes and Noble employees wrote the names of customers on a post-it note that was placed in each book so Knight could personalize the autographs. Other than reprimanding one employee for sloppy penmanship, Knight was in a jovial mood throughout the event.\nWhile hordes of people came to Barnes and Noble to see Knight, sophomore Cortney Elliott was not one of them. Elliott said she was doing homework.\nElliott found it strange that so many people came out to support Knight after the basketball team made it to the national championship without him.\n"Everyone was cheering for Mike Davis two days ago," Elliott said. \nElliott was also surprised that so many people showed up donning Texas Tech apparel.\n"If they want to cheer for a team because of a coach, then that's their thing," Elliott said.\nKnight's visit to Barnes and Noble was a part of a national tour to promote his book.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
This is it -- the 82nd annual Big Ten Men's Golf Championship has arrived. For the Hoosiers, it represents the end of a season-long quest to forget last season's dismal 11th place finish in the Big Ten. And if enough rolls their way, it could also represent IU's first Big Ten title and NCAA Tournament appearance since 1998.\n"If the weather conditions are good, we can see a lot of low numbers," coach Mike Mayer said. "We can handle low."\nThe IU lineup will consist of juniors Ben Davidson and Aldo Jordan, and freshmen Jeff Overton, Heath Peters and Rob Ockenfuss.\nMayer stuck with the lineup that has been hot as of late, though they showed signs of cooling off with a 10th place finish at last week's Bruce Fossum/Taylor Made Intercollegiate.\n"The tournament at Michigan State (last week), we had a poor finish to our opening round," Mayer said. "It's very important for us to get off to a good start."\nGetting off to a good start has been a problem for the Hoosiers all year. IU has a first-round scoring average of 301.9 for the season -- a stark contrast to their third-round average of 296.3.\nFortunately for the Hoosiers, the Big Ten tournament is a four-round, 72-hole event, giving them an extra chance to make amends for any poor scores that might pop up during the first round.\n"I like the concept of a 72-hole event," Mayer said. "If we start well and improve each round, we can surprise a lot of teams."\nThis year's Big Ten tournament will be played at Iowa's Finkbine Golf Course. Iowa last hosted the tournament in 1993.\nUnlike in past years, where teams like Ohio State and Northwestern had stand-out PGA Tour talent on their squads and could run to the title, Mayer thinks that this year's Big Ten Championship will be much more wide open.\n"There is more parity," Mayer said. "Any one of 11 teams could win this event."\nThere is also parity on the IU roster. Mayer said he believes any one of his players could step up and lead the team in the tournament. \n"I look for Jeff and Heath to have an outstanding tournament," Mayer said. "Ben and Aldo are the two leaders of this team in experience."\nJordan is the only player on the roster who has played in the Big Ten Championship, firing a 303 (75-75-79-74) in 2000 and 298 (77-77-72-72) in 2001.\nDavidson is relishing his first opportunity to play for the Big Ten title after a two-year wait.\n"I'm really excited," Davidson said. "I like the golf course we're playing and having a chance to compete this year. It will be a lot of fun."\nOverton is also pleased with the fact that his freshman year has culminated in a chance to play in the Big Ten Tournament.\n"You try to approach it like any tournament, but it's pretty sweet," Overton said.\nOverton also noted it is vital that IU's three freshmen not be intimidated by an event with a list of tournament champions including Jack Nicklaus.\n"Whether you're playing in the U.S. Open or a junior golf tournament, you're still playing a golf course," Overton said.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
CHICAGO -- What happens when you accomplish a childhood dream when you're only 20 years old? I'm not sure myself. But I've been put in that situation after witnessing last Sunday's game between the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers from the Wrigley Field press box.\nOK, so maybe I'm letting my flair for the dramatic show through on that description. My childhood dream was to be actually playing for the Cubs when I was 20 years old. But about the time that I reached the "coach pitch" level of Little League, it became painfully obvious that my golden bat would not be bringing home the bacon.\nThough I had been to Wrigley many times in the past, I had never seen the innards of the stadium, the behind-the-scenes nooks and crannies where all the action is. That would change.\nRight now, you are probably wondering, "who does this guy know?" I don't know anybody -- it's all a part of my summer internship, which I earned due to my stellar reporting skills. (You can stop laughing now).\nWhen I got to the ballpark, I signed in at the front gate and got a press pass that gave me access to pretty much anywhere I wanted to go -- the home and visiting clubhouses, the field, the press box and most importantly, the media dining room.\nThe first stop on my tour was the Cubs clubhouse. Since it was two hours before the game was scheduled to start, most of the players were just lounging around watching ESPN. Starting pitcher Jon Lieber paced around in gym shorts and a t-shirt looking pretty similar to something I would wear on any given Sunday morning.\nAs I headed down the hall towards the dugout with a couple of my superiors, Sammy Sosa walked past and gave us a "Hey." (I don't think that is enough to qualify myself as a name-dropper, yet).\nWe then checked out the Brewers clubhouse, which is located about as far away from their dugout as humanly possible. (The visitors' clubhouse is actually located above the main concourse, so fans can hear the cleats of the visiting team clink on the cement as they head down the stairs toward the dugout). \nI couldn't help but notice that Milwaukee had an interesting selection of post-game beverages in their cooler: two shelves of beer, and one shelf of bottled water. They aren't called the Brewers for nothing.\nDue to non-stop rain, the game itself was delayed by nearly two hours. Fortunately, this gave me plenty of down-time to eat and meet the likes of Ron Santo and Mr. Baseball himself, Bob Uecker. \nIn addition, Joe Carter and Chip Caray ate brunch at the table next to mine. You have no idea how strange it is to hear voices that you associate with being on radio or TV, and then turn around and actually see the person talking. (Or using language that probably wouldn't be heard on a broadcast).\nUnfortunately for the Cubs, the game was only rain delayed rather than rained out. In fact, it was appropriate Uecker was in the house, as the Cubs quality of play looked like something out of Major League. \n"Highlights" included Cubs centerfielder Corey Patterson pulling a Willy "Mays" Hayes move, overrunning third base and getting tagged out to kill a rally in the bottom of the first. Or the fact that the Cubs surrendered not one, but two grand slams to the Brew Crew -- the first time Milwaukee has accomplished that feat since 1980.\nOne of the grand slams was hit by none other than Raul Cassanova. No, not the legendary lover, but a utility catcher for the Brewers who was batting a Uecker-esque .190 heading into the game.\nStill, the funniest play of the game occurred when Cubs reliever Ron Mahay tried to throw a ball to first and air-mailed it into the Milwaukee bullpen. This established the precedent that while there is no cheering in the press box, laughter is perfectly acceptable.\nAfter the game, it was down to the interview room for manager Don Baylor's press conference. Interestingly enough, the interview room is located directly across the hall from where they store the fertilizer, and is about the size of my bedroom. \nI can only anticipate the pungent odor that promises to coincide with the arrival of summer.\nAfter that, I got to stick a microphone in the faces of the likes of Joe Girardi, Lieber, and Sosa -- none of which was very happy.\nAnd while it promises to be a long summer, even for the team that invented the long summer, I am pretty confident that my job will be better than any involving a cubicle.
(06/27/02 2:53am)
CHICAGO -- Sunday night's game at Wrigley Field was supposed to be another typical tilt between the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs. A packed crowd would house a nearly even mixture of supporters of either club, with plenty of good-natured harassment ready for the opposition. The match-up on the mound would pit the Cubs' Jason Bere against the Cardinals' Darryl Kile. \nBut in life, nothing is set in stone. And Sunday proved to be no exception. And while Wrigley Field filled up, it was not filled by fans eager for a continuation of the National League's greatest rivalry. Instead, it was for a wake, with 37,647 mourners arriving to pay their respects to Kile, who passed away Saturday morning at the age of 33.\nEven before they arrived, the field had a different look and feeling. Kile's name and number, and nothing else, appeared on the marquee. The centerfield scoreboard simply read "57." \nThe right- and leftfield foul poles, which normally house the retired jerseys of Billy Williams and Ernie Banks, instead flew pennants of the Cubs and Cardinals at half-mast. The colorful pennants of the National League teams that normally fly over the centerfield scoreboard were also down, with only the American flag waving in the breeze at half-mast.\nThen, at 7:01 p.m., a moment of silence was held for Kile. It is hard to imagine how long and lonely a minute can be until you see nearly 40,000 people stand through it without muttering as much as a cough. The only sounds that could be heard were the faint whirring of ceiling fans in the press box, which in turn rustled loose papers that reporters paid no heed to. \nNormally, such a sound would be sublimely ignored. In this case, I could easily imagine the soundwaves carrying themselves all the way to the bleachers.\nFinally, at 7:09 p.m., Kerry Wood got the game underway by firing a strike to Cardinals leadoff man Fernando Vina. Vina held on for a single, and pointed to the sky as he reached first base. Wood was able to retire the next three St. Louis batters to end the inning, though.\n In baseball, when a pitcher cannot make his start, an "emergency starter" has to take his spot in the rotation. As Kile's death proved, nothing in something as inane as a baseball game could qualify as an emergency. But here Cardinal rookie Jason Simontacchi was indeed making an emergency start, the kind of which that no one ever wants.\nWith no music playing, the fans were also subdued throughout much of the first three innings. When the Cubs put three runs on the board in the bottom of the third, the game finally came to life and remained fairly normal until the seventh-inning stretch. Rather than having the regular "guest conductor" lead the crowd, organist Gary Pressy played a melancholy, haunting version of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," if anyone can imagine such a version even existing.\nI agreed with Commissioner Bud Selig's decision (something I don't do very often) to play the game on Sunday. It was a form of therapy that suited the Cardinals much better than sitting in their hotel rooms for another day after Saturday's game was cancelled.\nHowever, it was clear that their minds were not in the game. Two errors leading to four unearned runs for the Cubs in the sixth inning was proof enough of that fact.\nFor St. Louis, the question becomes whether or not the team can rebound and hold on to first place in the NL Central. They had already lost longtime announcer Jack Buck to cancer last Tuesday, and were in mourning. But Buck had been battling sickness for quite a while, and his loss was almost seen as imminent.\nKile, on the other hand, was a vital team member who was in seemingly pristine physical shape at the age of 33. The fact that he died of natural causes only made his death have a more stunning impact on the team.\nHistory shows that there is precedent for a team to rebound from a devastating loss. In 1920, Cleveland Indians shortstop Ray Chapman was beaned by pitcher Carl Mays of the Yankees. He died a day later in the hospital from head trauma. But the Indians devoted their season to Chapman's memory and won the World Series.\nPerhaps a good place for the Cardinals to start would be by retiring Kile's number, but it remains to be seen whether they will want to let this season pass before they do so. \nAt any rate, the Cardinals will have to move on. As manager Tony LaRussa said, "It's very possible to have your place for Darryl and still concentrate on competing and trying to win."\nAnd so they will.
(04/26/02 5:27am)
This weekend marks the culmination of a season that began in early September. The men's golf team travels to East Lansing, Mich., to participate in the Bruce Fossum/Taylor Made Invitational played host to by Michigan State. \nThe Fossum/Taylor Made Invitational is the last chance for the Hoosiers to tune up for next weekend's Big Ten Tournament. The event should give IU a chance to become familiar with next week's opponents; the 15-team field includes every Big Ten team except Penn State and Purdue.\n"It's a very competitive tournament," coach Mike Mayer said. "It will tell us how we stack up right now."\nGoing into the fray for IU will be juniors Ben Davidson and Aldo Jordan and freshmen Jeff Overton, Heath Peters and Rob Ockenfuss.\n"We're going with these five the rest of the year," Mayer said.\nThe leader of the five-man squad is Overton. He is coming off of his career-best finish in last week's FirstEnergy Intercollegiate in Akron, Ohio. A three-round total of 212 (76-70-66) was good enough to put Overton in a tie for second place in the event. It also earned him distinction as the Big Ten co-Golfer of the Week.\n"I didn't even know there was such an honor for golf," Overton admitted. "It's kind of cool."\nEven though it was his best performance to this point, both Mayer and Overton feel he can play better -- something that opponents don't want to hear.\n"Jeff started 6-over par after eight holes and finished the rest at 10-under," Mayer said. "That wasn't Jeff at his best."\nOverton will be looking to further improve upon his career-best marks this weekend.\n"I'm just looking to play as well as I can," Overton said. "I feel more motivated, and that's a big key." \nOverton and the rest of the squad will need to play near the top of their game if they want to improve IU's hopes of earning an NCAA Tournament spot. Mayer has said it will take a top-two finish this week and a top-three finish at the Big Ten Tournament for the team to accomplish that goal.\nThe first obstacle will be taming MSU's Forest Akers Golf Course. The Arthur Hills-designed course is a par-72 that plays at 7,003 yards.\n"It fits in right with the courses we've played the past two weeks (OSU's Scarlet course and Firestone Country Club)," Mayer said. "This is a championship-caliber field and a championship-caliber course."\nWhile the next two tournaments will determine IU's postseason fate, the team is playing as loose and confident as ever.\n"We're playing very loose," Davidson said. "We have nothing to lose and everything to gain."\nEven if the Hoosiers don't end up getting an NCAA spot, Mayer will be pleased if the team continues to demonstrate the improvement it has shown throughout the spring schedule.\n"We've gotten better each week," Mayer said. "If we keep seeing improvement, that will make me happy"
(04/24/02 5:35am)
The men's golf team's season has been a long roller-coaster ride. Now, with just one tournament left to play before the Big Ten tournament tees off, there is little space left on the track before the Hoosiers learn their postseason fate. \nThe team is beginning to hit its peak at the right time, but will it be enough to bring IU to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1998?\nThe season began last fall with a new group of freshmen looking to elevate the team from its 11th-place finish in the Big Ten Tournament last season -- a season that marked the first time since 1957 IU ended the year in the Big Ten cellar.\nCoach Mike Mayer knew his new class of recruits would make an impact on the program, but he didn't realize the freshmen would become such a vital part of the program so fast.\n"I never dreamed this year that we'd have three freshmen (in the lineup)," Mayer said. "Its been a learning experience for them and for me."\nFreshmen Jeff Overton, Rob Ockenfuss and Heath Peters have contributed to IU's improvement this season.\nOverton leads the team with a 74.5 scoring average. IU's last All-American, Randy Leen, finished his freshman year with a 76.3 average in 1994. \n"Jeff has the potential to be one of the best golfers to ever play at Indiana University," Mayer said. "It's hard to sit and say that he will be better than or as good as (Leen and previous All-American Shaun Micheel), but statistically he has that potential."\nOverton set a personal record by shooting a 68 in the Kepler Intercollegiate and then shattered it again by firing a 66 in the final round of the FirstEnergy Intercollegiate. Overton's 66 tied for the second-best round in IU golf history. It also made him co-winner of the Big Ten Golfer of the Week award with Penn State's Andy Latowski.\nHeath Peters has joined Overton in putting together a spectacular rookie season. After a top-10 finish at last week's FirstEnergy Intercollegiate, Peters has lowered his average to 74.92.\nOckenfuss has also put in solid play with a 77.31 average in 22 rounds.\nThe three freshmen and the rest of the team have gelled to bring the Hoosiers sixth-place finishes in their past two tournaments. The top six teams in each district are invited to the NCAA Regionals. \nIt is the weight of some shaky tournaments during the fall campaign and the beginning of the spring schedule that has put IU on thin ice if it hopes to reach Regionals.\n"Since we're such a young team, we lost our patience a bit," Mayer said.\nThe injuries of juniors Mike Miller and Aldo Jordan, IU's top two players at the beginning of the season, haven't helped. Both players missed fall tournaments because they were hurt. \n"Having the injuries was a Catch-22," Mayer said. "We had no choice but to go to our freshmen. We got Heath and Rob into the lineup, gave them an opportunity to come in and produce. We tried to make a positive situation out of what could have been a very negative situation."\nBoth Jordan and Miller have come back to play in the spring season, but both have been snake-bitten upon their return. Miller has re-aggravated his wrist injury, and Jordan has self-admittedly not played up to par since his return to the lineup.\n"I'm struggling with my putting stroke," Jordan said before the FirstEnergy Intercolle-giate. "Hopefully I can start making some putts and get myself some opportunities to get some good scores for the team." \nFortunately for IU, the team was able to find leadership from junior Ben Davidson when Jordan and Miller went down. Davidson has put together an average of 75.1 this season, the best of his career. Now Mayer will look for this mix of veterans and rookies to meld together and make one final push for a tournament bid.\nMayer said he believes it will take a top-two finish at the Fossum Intercollegiate this weekend and a top-three finish at the Big Ten Tournament for the team to get invited to play in the tournament.\n"Our backs are against the wall," Mayer said. "In fact, we may be tied up to the wall, but who knows? The five and six spot are up for grabs"
(04/19/02 5:02am)
Akron, Ohio, is known as the "Rubber Capital of the World." It is also home of the well-respected Firestone Country Club, host of the FirstEnergy Intercollegiate. IU will play in the 54-hole tourney Saturday and Sunday.\nThe Hoosiers will play in Ohio at a course with a championship pedigree for the second-straight week. Last week, it was the Ohio State Scarlet course, where IU finished in sixth place at the site of the 2002 NCAA Championships. This week, the Hoosiers will try to tame the Robert Trent Jones-designed Firestone South course. The Firestone North course annually holds the PGA TOUR's World Golf Championships NEC Invitational. \nIU men's golf coach Mike Mayer said the lengthy course, which is a 7,060-yard, par-72 setup, will play to the Hoosiers' strengths.\n"The ability to hit the ball off the tee is one of our strengths," Mayer said. "We're going to need to hit the ball a long a long way (on this course)."\nThe 18-team field features an abundance of teams from the Mid-American Conference, including tournament host Akron and No. 13 Toledo. Other Big Ten teams in the field are Iowa, Penn State and Wisconsin. With Toledo among the ranks of the teams that IU beat at the Kepler Intercollegiate last week, Mayer is confident the Hoosiers can take home the top prize.\n"This is the first time in a while where we're with the attitude that we can win this tournament," Mayer said.\nFor Mayer, the winning lineup consists of juniors Ben Davidson and Aldo Jordan and freshmen Jeff Overton, Heath Peters and Rob Ockenfuss. Junior Brett Hardin will compete in the event as an individual. His scores won't count toward the team total. \nDavidson, Overton and Peters have been swinging the hottest clubs in the lineup as of late. Overton posted a 3-under-par 68 in the final round of the Kepler Intercollegiate, and his average of 75 leads the team. However, Davidson (75.1 avg.) and Peters (75.2 avg.) have played well enough this spring to keep on Overton's tail.\nBut Mayer will be looking for the other two golfers in the lineup, Jordan and Ockenfuss, to produce this weekend.\n"This is an important tournament for Aldo and Rob," Mayer said.\nIn Mayer's mind, Jordan has not been 100 percent since an automobile accident that cut his fall season short. Ockenfuss shot an 86 in the first round last week before recovering for a 75 in the final round. \nJordan said that the team's performance last week has motivated the Hoosiers.\n"It's awesome when someone shoots a 68 like that," Jordan said. "But you feel bad that you aren't contributing as much to the team."\nIt will help IU to have someone leading the tournament, which is vital to the team's chances of being invited to the NCAA Tournament. Mayer doesn't think a win would solidify a tournament bid for the Hoosiers but knows they must have a good finish to have a chance.\n"We've really put our backs up to the wall," Mayer said. "We got some attention for what we did last week, and a good performance this week sets us up for the Fossum Spartan (Invitational) next week"
(04/18/02 9:26pm)
For years, Andy Richter was known as the funny man on Conan O'Brien's couch. Now, Richter is a star in his own right. He has his own sitcom, "Andy Richter Controls the Universe," appearing at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday nights on Fox. In addition to his show, Richter is featured in the new movie "Big Trouble." Here's what he has to say about stardom, parenthood and Michael Jackson jokes.\nQ: Did you find anything surprising about switching to a sitcom from a talk show?\nA: I thought that money would come in wheelbarrows, but it just comes in paper bags.\nQ: How proud are you of the work you did while working at "Late Night with Conan O'Brien"?\nA: I'm extremely proud of the work I did on the "Conan" show. I didn't just sit on the couch; I was a big contributor. I helped produce the show and went through the first read-throughs of the script.\nQ: How sick are you of hearing yourself referred to as "Conan's sidekick"?\nA: I don't have any problem with it. It's something that I'm proud of. That's what you call it (Richter's role with Conan). Now that I'm doing other things, it's annoying that people just talk about the ("Conan") show.\nQ: Why did you take to the new show?\nA: I liked the gimmick. I liked (producer and writer) Victor Fresco. When I first met him, all he had was the concept… the show is more about what this guy thinks could happen than what actually happens. This is more of an office comedy than a sitcom, and that allows us to do a lot of sketch comedy. I had read some of the stuff Vic did previously; he's a really talented writer. And I try to make decisions based on things that I think are going to last.\nQ: Would you like to make more movies?\nA: That's my ultimate goal. But if I don't get a burgeoning film deal, I'll be fine. Television is where I'm the most suited and fit the best.\nQ: How is Fox different from NBC?\nA: I didn't have to deal much with NBC executives. But I think that Fox takes more chances. They know what people want to see. I thought NBC would want to keep the relationship up (with me). They had an idea to do a new "Laugh-In," but that's all they wanted me to do. So I looked elsewhere. I'm not sad about it; I'm really glad to be working with Fox. Other networks try to make it more boring, something your elderly aunt would enjoy. \nQ: Where did the show's title come from?\nA: It was originally called "Anything Can Happen." That's not the best title… Fox pushed to get my name in the title. I was like, "Do that many people know who I am?" I was one of the ones who came up with it ("Andy Richter Controls the Universe"). I wanted it to be kind of snotty. It's an ironic inside joke with myself.\nQ: Do you enjoy working with the cast?\nA: I was a little leery with working with capital "A" actors -- people who have had serious training. Most of the people I work with are improv people. I don't have training; I'm just a good bullshitter. A lot of those people have no sense of humor. Fortunately, our cast is really fun and has a good sense of performance. There are no prima donnas. They're just fun people to hang out with.\nQ: How long has the show been in production?\nA: We talked in January 2001 and shot the pilot in March. I moved to California in August. We shot the rest of the episodes in December.\nQ: You're from the Chicago area originally. Is that why it is the setting of the show?\nA: We mulled over where it would be. We sort of based the company on GE, because of the gamut of things they made from light bulbs to nuclear submarine engines. But Fox said that New York was "too NBC." They didn't want L.A.; that was too show biz. Chicago was a natural. I'm from there, so I can provide research notes about what Chicago was actually like. But I didn't want it to be "Ra, Ra hometown." They tried to put a lot of that (pennants, posters) on the set, and I got rid of it.\nQ: Will you watch the show after it premieres?\nA: I'll watch it until I get the sense that it will last a while.\nQ: Would you host a talk show?\nA: Possibly. But I've gone back on so many things I've said. It's a lot of work doing a daily show, so it's not likely. The immediacy is really great; you really work to turn out stuff. I don't miss topical humor and working in front of a studio audience. (Topical humor) is not to my taste, and not really to Conan's taste. We didn't want to do topical humor, but realized it was our best friend. It was like, "Please, Michael Jackson, do something."\nQ: Do you think you will be going for a different demographic now that you are primetime?\nA: Anybody that says they want a specific demographic audience to watch is full of shit. What we do is an art -- not highbrow, but an art.\nQ: How did your background in improv prepare you for the sketch-type comedy on this show?\nA: You work seven shows five nights a week. I had no idea what I was going to say before going on stage. People paid us to entertain them, and we didn't know what we were going to do. If you can do that you can handle anything. By osmosis you learn the basic rules of comedy.\nQ: Do you have a lot of artistic freedom on this show?\nA: Anytime you provide entertainment, the larger the audience number, the less personal it gets. If your doing it for millions, you have to cast a wide net. When I did "Late Night," it was a lot more intimate than the earlier show. Jay and Dave make America happy. We were making insomniacs, students and prison convicts happy.\nQ: You recently had a baby boy. Has he shown any comic tendencies?\nA: Babies are like little drunks. They fall down, make funny faces and have inappropriate responses. My wife is also very funny, so hopefully those genes will pass down.\nQ: You once said you were tired of talking to college students?\nA: I was going around to schools and talking about myself. It can be a real drag talking about yourself. In a way, I like to talk at colleges, that's where they like me the most. To college kids, something either rocks or it sucks. I wasn't against colleges, it's just misfortune (that I was quoted that way).\nQ: Do you have any advice for aspiring comedians?\nA: Try and have a little integrity. Even if you're doing fart jokes, you can do them with integrity. If your goal in getting on stage is to show those bastards you're actually funny, reevaluate.\nQ: Which medium would you prefer to work in?\nA: Movies. I want the show to be a real success, but I would want to do movies. It's like joining the circus. You see things blown up, and animals. I can't get over the excitement of a movie set. It's a whole little world of its own.\nQ: Now that you are on Fox, do you have any ideas for creating a new reality show?\nA: I can't think of anything better than "The Osbournes" (on MTV). Or just "Cops," which will continue to be great. You just turn on the camera and watch people get arrested.
(04/18/02 4:00am)
For years, Andy Richter was known as the funny man on Conan O'Brien's couch. Now, Richter is a star in his own right. He has his own sitcom, "Andy Richter Controls the Universe," appearing at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday nights on Fox. In addition to his show, Richter is featured in the new movie "Big Trouble." Here's what he has to say about stardom, parenthood and Michael Jackson jokes.\nQ: Did you find anything surprising about switching to a sitcom from a talk show?\nA: I thought that money would come in wheelbarrows, but it just comes in paper bags.\nQ: How proud are you of the work you did while working at "Late Night with Conan O'Brien"?\nA: I'm extremely proud of the work I did on the "Conan" show. I didn't just sit on the couch; I was a big contributor. I helped produce the show and went through the first read-throughs of the script.\nQ: How sick are you of hearing yourself referred to as "Conan's sidekick"?\nA: I don't have any problem with it. It's something that I'm proud of. That's what you call it (Richter's role with Conan). Now that I'm doing other things, it's annoying that people just talk about the ("Conan") show.\nQ: Why did you take to the new show?\nA: I liked the gimmick. I liked (producer and writer) Victor Fresco. When I first met him, all he had was the concept… the show is more about what this guy thinks could happen than what actually happens. This is more of an office comedy than a sitcom, and that allows us to do a lot of sketch comedy. I had read some of the stuff Vic did previously; he's a really talented writer. And I try to make decisions based on things that I think are going to last.\nQ: Would you like to make more movies?\nA: That's my ultimate goal. But if I don't get a burgeoning film deal, I'll be fine. Television is where I'm the most suited and fit the best.\nQ: How is Fox different from NBC?\nA: I didn't have to deal much with NBC executives. But I think that Fox takes more chances. They know what people want to see. I thought NBC would want to keep the relationship up (with me). They had an idea to do a new "Laugh-In," but that's all they wanted me to do. So I looked elsewhere. I'm not sad about it; I'm really glad to be working with Fox. Other networks try to make it more boring, something your elderly aunt would enjoy. \nQ: Where did the show's title come from?\nA: It was originally called "Anything Can Happen." That's not the best title… Fox pushed to get my name in the title. I was like, "Do that many people know who I am?" I was one of the ones who came up with it ("Andy Richter Controls the Universe"). I wanted it to be kind of snotty. It's an ironic inside joke with myself.\nQ: Do you enjoy working with the cast?\nA: I was a little leery with working with capital "A" actors -- people who have had serious training. Most of the people I work with are improv people. I don't have training; I'm just a good bullshitter. A lot of those people have no sense of humor. Fortunately, our cast is really fun and has a good sense of performance. There are no prima donnas. They're just fun people to hang out with.\nQ: How long has the show been in production?\nA: We talked in January 2001 and shot the pilot in March. I moved to California in August. We shot the rest of the episodes in December.\nQ: You're from the Chicago area originally. Is that why it is the setting of the show?\nA: We mulled over where it would be. We sort of based the company on GE, because of the gamut of things they made from light bulbs to nuclear submarine engines. But Fox said that New York was "too NBC." They didn't want L.A.; that was too show biz. Chicago was a natural. I'm from there, so I can provide research notes about what Chicago was actually like. But I didn't want it to be "Ra, Ra hometown." They tried to put a lot of that (pennants, posters) on the set, and I got rid of it.\nQ: Will you watch the show after it premieres?\nA: I'll watch it until I get the sense that it will last a while.\nQ: Would you host a talk show?\nA: Possibly. But I've gone back on so many things I've said. It's a lot of work doing a daily show, so it's not likely. The immediacy is really great; you really work to turn out stuff. I don't miss topical humor and working in front of a studio audience. (Topical humor) is not to my taste, and not really to Conan's taste. We didn't want to do topical humor, but realized it was our best friend. It was like, "Please, Michael Jackson, do something."\nQ: Do you think you will be going for a different demographic now that you are primetime?\nA: Anybody that says they want a specific demographic audience to watch is full of shit. What we do is an art -- not highbrow, but an art.\nQ: How did your background in improv prepare you for the sketch-type comedy on this show?\nA: You work seven shows five nights a week. I had no idea what I was going to say before going on stage. People paid us to entertain them, and we didn't know what we were going to do. If you can do that you can handle anything. By osmosis you learn the basic rules of comedy.\nQ: Do you have a lot of artistic freedom on this show?\nA: Anytime you provide entertainment, the larger the audience number, the less personal it gets. If your doing it for millions, you have to cast a wide net. When I did "Late Night," it was a lot more intimate than the earlier show. Jay and Dave make America happy. We were making insomniacs, students and prison convicts happy.\nQ: You recently had a baby boy. Has he shown any comic tendencies?\nA: Babies are like little drunks. They fall down, make funny faces and have inappropriate responses. My wife is also very funny, so hopefully those genes will pass down.\nQ: You once said you were tired of talking to college students?\nA: I was going around to schools and talking about myself. It can be a real drag talking about yourself. In a way, I like to talk at colleges, that's where they like me the most. To college kids, something either rocks or it sucks. I wasn't against colleges, it's just misfortune (that I was quoted that way).\nQ: Do you have any advice for aspiring comedians?\nA: Try and have a little integrity. Even if you're doing fart jokes, you can do them with integrity. If your goal in getting on stage is to show those bastards you're actually funny, reevaluate.\nQ: Which medium would you prefer to work in?\nA: Movies. I want the show to be a real success, but I would want to do movies. It's like joining the circus. You see things blown up, and animals. I can't get over the excitement of a movie set. It's a whole little world of its own.\nQ: Now that you are on Fox, do you have any ideas for creating a new reality show?\nA: I can't think of anything better than "The Osbournes" (on MTV). Or just "Cops," which will continue to be great. You just turn on the camera and watch people get arrested.
(04/17/02 4:58am)
Junior Ben Davidson was the first player that IU men's golf coach Mike Mayer ever recruited.\n"When I first recruited Ben, I thought I had the all-time coup," Mayer said.\nWith the prep credentials of Davidson, a graduate of Southport High School in Indianapolis, it would have been hard to second-guess Mayer's exuberance over bringing him to IU. Davidson was named all-state all four years of high school and held school records for lowest single-round (67) and lowest single-season average (73).\nIn his first two seasons at IU, Davidson played in a total of 18 rounds for a 76.7 average. This year, Davidson has played more than he did in the rest of his career combined with a total of 23 rounds. He has lowered his average down to 75.1. So what gives?\n Mayer attributes Davidson's emergence as the second-best scorer on the team to a change in attitude.\n"He's always had a sound game," Mayer said. "His swing isn't any different; his attitude is different. He's been having a lot of fun playing golf, and that's the difference."\nMayer said that poor practice habits hampered Davidson's ability to live up to his potential during his freshman and sophomore years. Davidson is the first to admit that his coach's criticism hits the mark.\n"I have lacked practice skills in the past," Davidson said.\nThe turning point of Davidson's career occurred when Mayer suspended him from the team for disciplinary reasons last spring. \n"I dislike having to take disciplinary action, but I needed to send a wake up call to him," Mayer said.\nDavidson received the call loud and clear, and realized what he needed to do to better fulfill his role as a team member.\n"I didn't want the last two years (of my career) to go by without making an impact," Davidson said.\nSo Davidson set to work by playing in several tournaments across Indiana over the summer. While he did not play up to the level that he wanted to over the summer, Davidson received further inspiration when a bumper crop of freshman golfers greeted him upon his return to Bloomington this fall.\n"With three freshmen coming in (Jeff Overton, Heath Peters, Rob Ockenfuss), I wanted to prove myself and not lose my spot in the lineup," Davidson said. "I had more of a will to want to be the best."\nDavidson also hoped to help fill in the void left by the graduation of his friend and mentor Steve Wheatcroft, who led the Hoosiers with a 72.8 average in the 2000-01 season.\nDavidson has tried to fulfill the leadership skills passed on to him by Wheatcroft.\n"When I played bad, he helped me get my confidence back and told me what to do when I am struggling," Davidson said.\nAs a junior in a lineup that often features three freshmen, Davidson knows that his teammates and coaches look upon him to function as a leader on the course. \n"I haven't played a lot the past two years, but I've been through enough to know what to do," Davidson said.\nWheatcroft, who still talks to Davidson regularly, is impressed by the maturity that the junior has developed.\n"It's a lot to ask of a junior to step up and fill a role left by a (graduated) senior," Wheatcroft said. "He leads by putting up good scores."\nMayer sees flashes of Wheatcroft's competitive spirit embodied in Davidson, and hopes that Davidson will move even closer to the work ethic of Wheatcroft.\n"No one (I've coached) has worked harder than Steve," Mayer said.\nDavidson is excited about the way that the team is playing right now, and believes that the future will be bright for the Hoosiers. He thinks the team can compete for a Big Ten title this season if it continues their current pace. Davidson is also optimistic about what next year will hold for IU.\n"If I practice a lot over the summer, we have a darn good chance to win the Big Ten next year…we can be a Top 25 or 30 team in the nation," Davidson said.
(04/16/02 5:43am)
It has been dubbed "The World's Greatest College Weekend." However, students caught drinking during Little 500 weekend could face different penalties than they would during a normal week.\nDifferences in how alcohol violations will be combated will be occurring both on and off campus. Students who are arrested by the Bloomington Police Department this weekend will have their names referred to the University. This procedure is not in effect during the rest of the school year.\n"On a regular weekend, citations that involve arrests with alcohol do not come to the attention of the dean's office," Richard McKaig, dean of students said. \nMcKaig said the procedure has been in effect for several years. The procedures were adopted to allow the University to send a message that they are aware of the fact that off-campus activities during Little 500 week revolve around an on-campus event. \nAn increased number of visitors to Bloomington is another reason for the policy changes.\n"There is a heightened sense of concern due to the number of visitors in town," McKaig said. \nThe Monroe County Prosecutor's Office will also enact a special policy for Little 500 weekend. The Saturday alcohol class, which is normally eight hours long, will be cut to four hours in length. Violators will also have to work road crew for four hours on Sunday.\nAccording to a press release from the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, persons arrested before 4 a.m. Sunday will have a court appearance at 8:30 a.m. Sunday. Anyone arrested after that time will appear in front of the court at 2:30 p.m. on Monday, April 22.\nOffenders charged with alcohol-related misdemeanors will have to pay a fee of $305 at their hearing. \nIn addition to being criminally prosecuted, students whose names are referred to the dean's office will have to face the campus judicial board. Penalties doled out by the judicial board for off-campus violations during Little 500 week will be judged by the same standards as on-campus violations during the rest of the school year. \nDepending on the seriousness of a violation, penalties can range anywhere from probation to suspension. In extreme cases such as assault, McKaig said expulsion is possible. \nIndiana Excise officers will be increasing their presence off-campus this week. Meanwhile, IUPD will beef up its numbers on-campus.\n"(The increased presence) will be mainly because of specific events such as concerts, dances, the trike race (Mini-500) and the men's and women's races," said IUPD Lt. Jerry Minger. "We need to keep vehicular and pedestrian traffic moving as smoothly as possible."\nMinger said IUPD does not see an increase in the number of on-campus arrests that it makes during Little 500 week.\n"People are less likely to become inebriated and underage drink when there are a lot of uniformed police around," Minger said.\nThe Student Activities Office will be visiting sponsored events throughout the greek system to make sure there is no alcohol present. \nIUSA President Bill Gray is concerned that members of greek houses are at a disadvantage because they could be held responsible for the actions of non-members who are visiting a chapter.\n"If someone who is not in a fraternity sneaks in a beer, then that fraternity could be held responsible," Gray, a sophomore, said. "Even if greeks follow rules, there's a lot of ways for them to get in trouble, and that's not right."\nJunior John Schurger, who is on the Campus-Community Commission on Alcohol, said he is upset that the policy changes for Little 500 have not been more publicized.\n"They need to let students know that there will be different sanctions," Schurger said. "It's going to make me think twice about going out on Little Five weekend"
(04/15/02 5:17am)
Torrential rain Saturday night and Sunday morning led officials to cancel the third round of the Kepler Intercollegiate in Columbus, Ohio. With the results from the first two rounds standing up as the final results, the Hoosiers ended the tournament tied for sixth place with Auburn with a two round score of 592. UNLV won the tournament with a score of 576 (288-288).\nIU's charge was lead by the efforts of freshman Jeff Overton in the second round. Overton shot a career-low three-under-par 68. Overton's 68 was also the lowest score posted by an IU golfer this season and tied Ohio State's Scott Miller and Purdue's Lee Williamson for the lowest round of the tournament. Overton played bogey-free golf, recording three birdies alongside 15 pars.\n"That was an outstanding round for a freshman in that kind of a competition," coach Mike Mayer said. "It was a pleasure to watch."\nOverton's second round marked an 11-shot recovery from his first round score of 79. He attributes his success to an adjustment made in his putting game between rounds. Overton changed the grip on his putter and the angle of his wrist on putts after talking to Mayer between rounds.\n"It (the new grip) gave me more confidence," Overton said. "Putting's all mental."\nFor Mayer, Overton's performance in soggy conditions on Ohio State's famed Scarlet course was something that he had been hoping to see all year.\n"That's what we expect of Jeff," Mayer said. "In the first round he had that potential, but couldn't quite come through. This performance bodes well for his future and the future of this program."\nOverton ended up the tournament tied for 17th place after his torrid second round. However, he did not even finish as the lowest scoring player in the tournament for IU. That distinction belonged to junior Ben Davidson. Davidson shot 146 (72-74) to end tied for 14th place.\n"My short game was serving me well," Davidson said. "I was making birdie putts when I really needed them."\nMayer was impressed with the overall team effort put in by the Hoosiers. IU was able to beat out several highly ranked teams en route to their sixth-place finish. Auburn, which tied the Hoosiers for sixth place, is ranked 12th in the nation by Golfweek magazine. IU also beat 13th ranked Toledo by three strokes.\n"This is the kind of team effort we've been looking for," Mayer said. "We didn't finish it in the first round, but we got the confidence to play better."\nIn particular, he praised the efforts of freshman Rob Ockenfuss, who recovered from an opening round score of 86 to shoot 75 in the second round.\n"I have to give him a pat on the back for going from what was an embarrassing 86 to a solid 75," Mayer said. "We needed him, and Rob did his job."\nThough the team had a solid finish, both Mayer and the players were disappointed that they were unable to get the third round underway.\n"Everybody felt we could come back and finish in the top four or five," Overton said.\nThe Hoosiers will have to wait until next week to pick up the ground on their rivals and get closer to a bid to the NCAA Tournament. IU goes up the road from Columbus to Akron, Ohio to play in the Firestone Intercollegiate on April 20-21.\n"We've made positive strides every tournament," Mayer said. "We can be a very competitive team"
(04/11/02 5:35am)
Alcohol use on college campuses is under national scrutiny again since the Tuesday release of a study that reports 1,400 alcohol-related deaths on college campuses each year. The report issued by the Harvard School of Public Health recommends campuses and communities collaborate to curb underage drinking -- something IU is already working to achieve. \nThe Campus-Community Commission on Alcohol will meet at 1:30 p.m. Friday at the Virgil DeVault Alumni Center. The committee, consisting of IU staff and faculty, students and members of the Bloomington community, will discuss the committee's current set of proposals aimed at deterring alcohol abuse by IU students. \n"The group is working to come up with an 'environmental' strategy to quell the problem," said Dee Owens, director of the IU Alcohol and Drug Information Center.\nAmong the statistics cited by the Harvard study are that two in every five college students engage in binge drinking. For men, binge drinking is defined as five or more drinks in a row. For women, it is defined as four or more drinks in a row. \nOwens is not certain that the statistics are entirely accurate, however. She thinks binge drinking is a bigger problem than the study indicates.\n"Researchers tend to err on the side of being more conservative," Owens said. "I think we've got a problem on our hands here. This is not why we send students to college."\nThe Campus-Community Commission was established three years ago and its original set of proposals was drafted in May 2000. After the commission's subcommittees provided feedback, the proposals were revised and re-released in May 2001. Dean of Students Richard McKaig said Friday's meeting will be used for updating and refining the current set of proposals.\n"They're supposed to have reports from subcommittees. (The committee) will make recommendations for implementation and suggestions for how those recommendations ought to be implemented," McKaig said.\nInterfraternity Council President Colin Godecke is pleased with the progress that his organization has made in meeting many of the proposals.\n"I think that we're ahead of some other organizations in terms of meeting the recommendations," Godecke said.\nChapters of the IFC have made progress in several areas, such as moving events to third-party vendors and incorporating alcohol training into new member education programs. Godecke said the IFC will also be listening to further suggestions from the committee.\n"We have still been talking about changes that may need to be made to change the alcohol culture on campus," Godecke said.\nGodecke said he is also aware of the spotlight on fraternities with Little 500 coming up next week. As is the normal weekend routine, an IU employee will be patrolling to look for alcohol at parties. \nIn addition, the IFC will attempt to police itself by having teams of IFC officials patrolling before and after the men's and women's races. \nAccording to the Harvard study, decreasing attendance at fraternity parties has been a national trend. However, that has led to other concerns on campuses across the country.\n"At the same time that attendance at fraternity or sorority parties is decreasing, we noted an increasing trend toward attendance and heavy drinking at off-campus parties," the report stated.\nMcKaig said the commission has primarily focused on campus issues up to this point. However, he believes that the City of Bloomington has helped by creating rules like the Quiet Nights initiative, in which fines are levied for noise pollution violations in Bloomington neighborhoods.\n"Quiet nights helps reduce some of the most loud party scenes," McKaig said.\nMcKaig also said the city will be starting a new program that notifies landlords when their tenants have been cited with a Quiet Nights violation.\nGodecke said the committee has been very open-minded in listening to student concerns.\n"They have been great about listening to us," Godecke said. "We have the same goals as they do, and we look forward to working with them in the future to achieve those goals."\nOwens pointed out that the commission is not trying to prevent students from having a good time.\n"I don't know anyone who is trying to stop the drinking," Owens said. "Most adults have a few beers now and then. Instead, what we want to do is not have people get hurt and learn to do this drinking thing responsibly, like adults"
(04/10/02 5:11am)
It's a question on the minds of many Hoosier fans: "Where will we find a big man?"\nPerhaps they should try looking on the IU golf course. That's where they will find 6-foot-7 freshman Rob Ockenfuss, a two-sport star in high school who has come into his own on the links for IU.\nBecause of his height, Ockenfuss uses clubs with longer-than-normal shafts. And while he knows that his clubs work just fine, their length has not saved Ockenfuss from some verbal jabbing by his teammates.\n"It differs from day to day," said freshman Heath Peters of the team's good-natured jokes. "There are different nicknames and things. It's just something to loosen up the atmosphere."\nOckenfuss, a native of Perkasie, Penn., played golf and basketball in high school. He finished in the top 15 in the state golf finals each of his last three seasons. Ockenfuss was also an all-league basketball selection.\nWhile he enjoyed playing both sports, Ockenfuss found the individual nature of golf to be more to his liking.\n"I liked the fact that I could control my own destiny," Ockenfuss said.\nIU coach Mike Mayer had heard noise about the lanky Pennsylvanian in golf circles.\n"It's hard for a 6-7 golfer to hide on the golf course," Mayer said.\nMayer did not get to see Ockenfuss play until he entered the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) Indiana tournament at Heartland Crossing. \nPrior to seeing him play, Mayer had been impressed by Ockenfuss' academic resume in high school. After seeing Ockenfuss play, Mayer was more than pleased to invite him for an official visit to IU.\nBecause he was interested in playing golf and majoring in business, Ockenfuss was obliged to take up the offer.\n"It was one of the most impressive official visits I've ever had," Mayer said. "We established a very good relationship right off hand."\nThough he looked at Penn State and Miami (Ohio), Ockenfuss felt he would fit in better at IU.\nMayer was able to cash in a bet that other coaches were not willing to take.\n"Truthfully, Rob's height scared a lot of people away," Mayer said. "He's a diamond in the rough. He was overlooked because of his size, but we believe he has tremendous potential."\nOckenfuss has shown flashes of that potential throughout the 2001-02 campaign. He is tied for second on the team with 17 rounds played and has an average of 77.1. His best round was a 70 in the Xavier Invitational.\nIn fact, Ockenfuss did not play in a tournament for the first time since October when he sat out the Marshall Invitational last weekend. Mayer chose not to play Ockenfuss because of the layout of the course. \nOckenfuss will be back in the lineup this weekend when the team heads to Ohio State to play in the Kepler Intercollegiate. The OSU Scarlet course promises to be one of the toughest challenges the Hoosiers face this season, but Mayer is confident Ockenfuss will be prepared.\n"He doesn't shy away from difficult things," Mayer said. "The course and him should fit together very nicely."\nOckenfuss admitted there is room for progress in his game. Mayer and assistant coach Mike Kemper have been working to improve Ockenfuss' swing throughout the year.\n"As is the case with most people who are tall, he tends to get longer with his swing," Mayer said. "He's more of a wristy swinger, so we've worked on tightening it up."\nEven though there is still work to be done, Mayer has been pleasantly surprised with how fast he has seen Ockenfuss develop this year.\n"I did not anticipate him coming in and doing what he's doing," Mayer said. "At the beginning of the year, I would have thought he was a year away."\nMayer attributes the rapid development to Ockenfuss' maturity.\n"He brings maturity beyond his age," Mayer said. "Sometimes, we lose the team aspect of golf, and Rob helps hold that together"
(04/05/02 4:24am)
The men's golf team will go to Huntington, W.Va., to play in the Marshall Invitational this Friday and Saturday. The tournament will be held at the Guyan Golf and Country Club and will feature 20 teams. The meet will be the first time IU has played outside of the state of Florida since the spring season began in March.\n"This is not only a return to Midwestern golf, but it's a big swing in our (NCAA) district," Coach Mike Mayer said.\nMayer described the course as a mixture of the styles that were seen in Florida and the northern courses that the team will be playing for the rest of the season.\nThe Hoosier lineup will consist of juniors Ben Davidson, Aldo Jordan and Mike Miller, as well as freshmen Heath Peters and Jeff Overton. This will be the first time that Mayer will have less than three freshmen in the lineup since the Tillinghast in late October.\n"With three juniors, hopefully we'll find more maturity and leadership," Mayer said.\nMayer also said the fast greens at Guyan made it vital to have his best putters in the lineup.\nWith five other Big Ten teams in the field, the results of the tournament should give the Hoosiers a good feel as to where they stand in the conference with a month left before the Big Ten Tournament.\n"This tournament starts our most important phase of the season," Mayer said. "It's what happens from now to the end of the season that determines if we get an NCAA bid."\nIowa coach Terry Anderson believes his team will also be able to turn it up a notch to compete at the Marshall Invitational.\n"Last week we had a great week of practice, and the guys are all very motivated to go to Marshall and put together a solid tournament," Anderson said.\nAll participating teams will have to deal with the menace that is Ohio State. The Buckeyes are the defending champions and have won the event 16 times in its 32-year history.\nIU finished 14th in the tournament last season.
(04/04/02 6:09am)
The crowd that gathered after IU's loss in the NCAA championships has long been dispersed, but many people who were there are still fuming. In response to the melee that ensued, police fired tear gas and pepper powder to disperse the crowd. Some are accusing the police of being overzealous in their reaction, and others are wondering if there are legal ramifications. \n"I can understand why the police were angry, but I think that they did too much," sophomore Justin Strefling said.\nDean of Students Richard McKaig said two students visited him Tuesday to voice concerns about police actions after Monday night's game. He referred them to city and state law enforcement agencies.\n"It's my hunch that any challenges to police actions have to go through some kind of mechanism the city has for police review," McKaig said. "Those kinds of decisions are typically subject to review through law enforcement procedures."\nThe IU Police Department was not involved in the riot police or its decision to use crowd control mechanisms.\nMcKaig said no substantial damage was done to structures on campus. A few lamp posts and parking signs were destroyed, and a fire was reported in an on-campus dumpster. In addition, 55 students were identified and referred to McKaig's office for disciplinary referrals regarding misconduct Monday night.\nThe Bloomington Police Department has defended its actions, stating that steps taken were necessary due to the nature of the crowds. BPD Capt. Joe Qualters said a combination of factors led to the decision to disperse the crowd.\n"The general demeanor of the crowd, the fires, officers being struck by projectiles (were all actors),"Qualters said. He also said the high number of people calling for ambulances played into the decision.\n"We observed that the crowd was out of control and we needed to take some action," Qualters said.\nThe police were not the only ones to notice the crowd was getting unruly. Strefling was in the middle of the crowd when things began to take a turn for the worse.\n"People were throwing firecrackers into the fire, and things started exploding," he said. "It started taking a turn for the worse. Officers were getting mad, and people were cussing at them, which didn't help."\nIn addition to being yelled at, officers had bottles pelted at them by unruly crowd members. Two state troopers were treated at Bloomington Hospital for cuts.\nAfter getting pushed down by the crowd, Strefling got up and noticed the riot police drumming on their shields with their batons, forcing their way through the crowd.\nStrefling, who had somehow lost his T-shirt in the commotion, went to ask an officer if he could go back into the area being cleared to retrieve it.\n"He told me to clear out if I saw him put his gas mask on," Strefling said.\nMoments later, Strefling heard an explosion and watched smoke pour out of the canister that had landed next to him. This was one of the nine tear gas canisters that were fired into the crowd by Indiana State Troopers. \nBPD officers also worked to clear the streets by dispensing pepper powder-filled pellets into the crowd. Qualters said individual officers disposed the pellets as needed at various points up and down Kirkwood.\nThe result was a potent cocktail of smoke that was too much for the both the rioters and revelers on Kirkwood Avenue to handle. \n"I could taste it in my mouth," Strefling said. "I had to spit right away -- my eyes were burning bad."\nEven those who were merely observing the action on Kirkwood or sitting inside of the bars were caught up in the gas.\n"Unfortunately, there's a price to be paid for hanging around," Qualters said. "Hopefully, we've all been taught by our parents 'If you see an ugly situation, get away from it.'"\nAmy Reynolds, an assistant professor of journalism who teaches mass communication law, said it was highly unlikely that a bystander would be able to legally challenge the actions of the police on the grounds of the First Amendment right to peaceably assemble. \nShe said since the police had opened the streets up for people to assemble, they could also close them off so normal traffic could resume.\nReynolds did say it would be possible for someone to file a grievance against the actions taken by the police. However, they would have to prove the actions caused permanent damage, and that the police were acting outside of their area of discretion. \n"They'd be hard-pressed to find a court that would take that (a grievance) seriously," Reynolds said. "Police videotapes of the event would bear that out"
(04/03/02 5:14am)
The Big Ten Tournament is only one month away. With that in mind, men's golf teams around the Big Ten will be aiming to gain momentum as they head down the stretch. Here's a look at how teams have fared thus far:\nIU -- Best finish: third, Wolverine Invitational, Ann Arbor, Mich.\nTop player: freshman Jeff Overton, 75.3 average in 16 rounds.\nThe Hoosiers have had an up-and-down season to this point. While finishing third at Michigan, they dropped to 14th in the Big Red Classic. The team has finished in seventh place in its other four tournaments since the Wolverine Invitational. The Hoosiers next tournament is this weekend at the Marshall Invitational in Huntington, W. Va.\nIllinois -- Best finish: first place at the Tillinghast, Scarsdale, N.Y.\nTop player: freshman James Lepp, 71.7 average in 20 rounds.\nThe Fighting Illini have finished in the top 10 of every tournament in which they've played this year. They will compete against the Hoosiers in the Marshall Invitational this weekend. Illinois is ranked 38th by Golfweek.\nIowa -- Best finish: tied for sixth, Falcon-Antigua Invitational, Colorado Springs, Colo.\nTop player: junior Aaron Kruegger, 73.8 average in 16 rounds.\nThe Hawkeyes play host to this year's Big Ten Tournament at Finkbine Golf Course. The Hawkeyes play in four tournaments before hosting the Big Tens. Iowa will compete against IU at the Marshall Invitational this weekend.\n"Last week we had a good week of practice, and the guys are all very motivated to go to the Marshall Invite and have a good tournament," Iowa coach Terry Anderson said.\nMichigan -- Best finish: fourth at Badger Invitational, Madison, Wis.\nTop player: senior Andy Matthews, 73.55 average in 18 rounds.\nThe Wolverines' top finish this season was in the opening tournament of the year. Matthews has been consistent, finishing every round in 78 or under. Michigan will compete against IU at the Marshall Invitational.\nMichigan State -- Best finish: first, Pepsi-Cola Invitational, Dallas.\nTop player: junior Eric Jorgensen, 72.4 average in 20 rounds.\nThe Spartans are ranked No. 32 in the nation by Golfweek. While Jorgensen has had a strong year, he has been assisted by fellow junior John Koskien. Koskien and Jorgensen have placed in the top-five twice.\nMinnesota -- Best finish: first, Conrad Spehrling Invitational, Tuscaloosa, Ala.\nTop player: junior Wilhelm Schauman, average N/A\nThe frigid conditions of the Twin Cities can't stop the Gophers from hitting the links in style. Schauman returns as a reigning third-team Ping all-American. Ranked 20th in the nation by Golfweek, Minnesota is a favorite to contend for the Big Ten championship.\nNorthwestern -- Best finish: fourth, The Prestige at Palm Desert, Palm Desert, Calif.\nTop player: sophomore Tom Johnson, 72.67 average in 18 rounds.\nThe Wildcats have won the past three Big Ten titles but are recovering from the graduation of Big Ten Player of the Year Luke Donald. Northwestern was ranked in the top 50 earlier this year but will have to prevent mental lapses if it wants to win the Big Ten again. Johnson was disqualified from the Puerto Rico Classic Feb. 26 for incorrectly signing his scorecard.\nOhio State -- Best finish: first place, Aztec Invitational, San Diego.\nTop player: junior Justin Collins, 72.1 average in 21 rounds.\nThe Buckeyes know what it takes to win the Big Ten title. They have taken the conference 16 times in the 28-year tenure of Head coach Jim Brown. At the beginning of the season, Brown said Collins would have to improve his 75.9 stroke average from last season for the team to succeed.\n"He is the key to our team because if he can get it going, it's only going to improve our team," Brown said in a press release.\nPenn State -- Best finish: first, Hoya Invitational, Leesburg, Va.\nTop player: senior Jeff Turton, 72.56 average in 18 rounds.\nThe Nittany Lions have played well this year, but golf is the furthest thing from their minds. Sophomore Michael Carter was killed in an automobile accident in February.\n"This is an extremely huge loss for our tight team," Head coach Greg Nye said in a press release. "Michael was one of our very brightest lights."\nPurdue -- Best finish: first, Johnny Owens Invitational, Lexington, Ky.\nTop player: senior Lee Williamson, 71.10 average in 20 rounds\nThe Boilermakers are another force to be reckoned with. Williamson is ranked 10th in the nation by Golfweek. As a team, Purdue is just behind Minnesota, ranking 24th.\nWisconsin -- Best finish: eighth, The Tillinghast, Scarsdale, N.Y.\nTop player: junior Jon Turcott, 72.54 average in 13 rounds\nThe Badgers have only played in four tournaments throughout the fall and spring. They finished seventh in the Big Ten last year and will be among the teams at this weekend's Marshall Invitational.