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(12/13/02 4:50am)
After a five year relationship, Residential Programs and Services and Dunkin' Donuts are cutting ties. \nStudents will no longer be able to get the doughnuts, coffee, bagels and Coolatas from the familiar national chain currently housed on campus at both The Wright Place in Wright Quad and Gresham Food Court at Foster.\nBeginning next semester, the restaurant will be replaced by an RPS run eatery called "Cream and Crimson Creations" and will serve much of the same food, plus additional treats.\n"The shop will have sweet rolls, brownies, danishes and fruit smoothies," said Sandra Fowler, director of dining services for RPS. "It is not a franchise, but there will be brand name products."\nFowler said the reason for the change has nothing to do with a poor relationship with Dunkin' Donuts. RPS simply wanted to go in a different direction. \nThe prices will be similar to the current ones at Dunkin' Donuts, Fowler said.\n"After five years, it's time that we tried a different concept," she said. "There will be a new look, still with the favorites that students like."\nFowler's optimistic words do not rely solely on hope. The decision for the transition was discussed with a group of students on a meal plan committee. Still, there are those who are not happy about the change.\n"One word -- yuck," said sophomore Hasani Street. "The name (Dunkin' Donuts) has been around for a while. They could replace it with Krispy Kreme, but this is like a step down."\nStreet particularly enjoys the Coolatas sold at Dunkin' Donuts, and other smoothie drinks are not as good, he said.\n"The new place won't have the reputation of Dunkin' Donuts," said junior Natalie Broadus-Beard. "I can't trust the quality as much."\nFor those who do not have a special connection to the national chain, there are some advantages to the new format. Mike Sassman, a sophomore, routinely gets the same breakfast every morning, but because the doughnuts are brought in from an outside source, sometimes he cannot get what he wants.\n"It will be nice," he said, "as they will be made in house. It will be more reliable now, when the weather is bad, deliveries are late. I can't get my routine doughnuts on time, making me late for class."\nThe change was not due to a poor relationship between Dunkin Donuts and RPS, Fowler said. \n"I think it's exciting to do a new concept," Fowler said. "It was time to make a change"
(12/12/02 5:27am)
Since I began writing this column in the winter of 2001, I have been an adamant supporter of higher degrees of competition in professional sports.\nComing off of a decade driven by dynasties in the NFL (Dallas Cowboys), the NBA (Chicago Bulls) and MLB (New York Yankees), being a sports fan in other cities was becoming a useless \nactivity.\nHowever, in the early part of the 21st century, the leagues have all been able to find ways to keep fans all over the country more interested, as their teams have begun to compete with the champs for their respective titles. It has happened more slowly in some sports than others (baseball), but the important thing is that sports are headed in the right direction.\nOther than the Los Angeles Lakers, who are currently trying to defend their third straight title, the last time that a team repeated as champion in any of the four major sports was 2000, when the Yankees beat the Mets in the Subway Series. In 1998, the Denver Broncos and Detroit Red Wings wrapped up their second straight titles, and Chicago Bulls won their third in a row. Since then, not only have there been consecutive championships, but only one team, the Red Wings, has been able to return to the top spot again.\nThis year, the trend appears to be on the verge of continuing down the path of parity. In the NBA, the Lakers are struggling as Shaquille O'Neal tries to return to his typical form. The Patriots, last year's NFL champs, are in the middle of a large pack of Super Bowl contenders, and the Red Wings, although on top of their division, are behind several teams in points in the NHL.\nThe simple point here is that because no team is currently dominating a sport, there is more interest across the country in the games. Watching games becomes more fun because there is a far better chance for an underdog to win a game than in the past.\nI am glad to see that my opinion on league competition has been shared by many others and has reached the top of the leagues. They too saw it as a problem and have been able to find ways to improve it. \nI understand that there are some benefits that come only with dynasties that may be sacrificed with new league setups. Players are forced to switch teams more often, fans cannot be as loyal to teams that are always changing personnel, and thoughts of dominating a sport over time are becoming less credible. Giving these up, however, is necessary when they mean greater all around competition. For too long, players would stay on the same teams, but they would be awful and unable to improve. If having different players every so often is a price for winning, then it is something that must happen.\nDon't get me wrong; I love it when a player stays on a team throughout his entire career. I hope that soon these leagues can find a way to allow for that to happen and keep the games competitive. The NBA has managed relatively well to balance the ability for that to happen with the ability to create equality in the league, but there still is a lot of trading that occurs simply due to salary cap issues.\nAs some negatives may have come from the new league structures, all a fan can really ask for is a chance for his or her team to win every game played. This is becoming more and more possible, and that seems to be the essence of sports in this decade -- the decade of competitive play.\nI would like to thank those of you who have read my column, even once, over the last five semesters. It has truly been a terrific experience for me, as I have been able to express myself, and I have learned quite a bit along the way.
(12/04/02 6:51am)
This season's unprecedented level playing field, coupled with its new division alignment, is proof that the National Football League needs to adjust its playoff structure.\nA quick glance at the current standings shows that, in the AFC, three teams are tied for the top seed, while five are within one game. Since only six teams make the playoffs, this means that two teams within one game of the best record in the entire conference won't even get in.\nWith the league's talent spread so vastly, it has become unfair to give any team any huge advantage in the post-season. That, however, is exactly what a first round bye does.\nThe current format lets six teams advance to the playoffs from each conference. The top two seeds get first round byes, instead of making them defeat the next two best teams that would have gotten into the post-season. Essentially, the league is saying that there is no way the best teams could lose to the seventh or eighth best teams, so there is no point in even playing the game.\nBut that philosophy no longer applies. Again, look at the AFC. If the playoffs were to begin today, the Indianapolis Colts and San Diego Chargers would be honored with the priceless week off. Two of the teams snubbed from action would be Denver, Tennessee or New England. Does anyone actually believe that the Colts and Chargers would just walk over any of these teams? Surely not -- Indianapolis has already lost -- at home -- to Tennessee, and Denver beat San Diego back in October.\nIt is time for the NFL to realize that the first round byes must become a thing of the past, and that two additional teams per conference should make the playoffs.\nIn a league that can no longer say there are teams that proved in the regular season they are far better than any other, the best way to decide a true champion is to make them win several games when everything is on the line. \nIn the NCAA basketball tournaments, in the end, the champion must win six games in a row, no matter how good of a regular season the team had. This helps to make up for the fact that some teams may have had easier schedules than others -- it is an equalizer.\nIn a league where any team can fall victim to another at any time, being a champion has to mean that that team won when it absolutely had to. Giving two teams first round byes in today's NFL means that they only have to win three games, while others have to win four. But even the teams with the best records must prove themselves because they are not much better than those that they would have to beat. The current structure seemed fair when making them play a first round game would have meant five wild card teams, along with three division winners, to make a total of eight. But, now that there will be four division champions, there would only have to be four wild cards. With the obvious equality the league has, picking four non-division winning teams from each conference is certainly acceptable, as any team could go on to be the Super Bowl Champion.\nColts president Bill Polian said that when the NFL decided to realign its divisions, the competition committee voted nearly unanimously to adjust the playoff structure, but the league wanted to wait and see how things played out. As we approach the post-season with our new divisions, it is obvious that the playoff format needed to go out with the old divisions. Hopefully the competition committee will get this point across to the league office, and hopefully it will agree that an eight team playoff is the only fair way to go.
(11/20/02 4:46am)
As 'Turkey Time' approaches, I thought that it would be a good idea to glance over the sports world and give thanks to those who deserve it.\nThank you Major League Baseball; you actually realized that it might be a bad idea to upset the fans, and avoided a strike. \nThank you, Marc Bulger for going 5-0 as a starter and proving once again that any ol' scrub can successfully quarterback the St. Louis Rams and win. Maybe now, finally, people will realize that Kurt Warner was never anything special, and perhaps the success has to do with a terrific offensive surrounding.\nThank you, Yahoo Sports, for the free fantasy leagues that eat up hours of our days. You let us mindlessly decide issues as important as picking up a running back to replace the useless Jerome Bettis or actually find reason to root for Brent Mayne when the Royals are playing Detroit.\nThank you, Dallas Cowboys and New York Knicks for being miserable. I don't think you realize how many fans are loving every minute of this.\nThank you, Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon, for bantering for 30 minutes every day about every imaginable sports topic on ESPN's "Pardon the Interruption." Most sports talk shows have serious tones and lag on the same issues forever -- but PTI illustrates that sports is just entertainment and a way to enjoy ourselves, and that is relayed on the show beautifully.\nThank you, Charlotte Hornets fans, for not caving in to an unthoughtful, greedy owner. Your perseverance is admired by taxpayers around the country who do not see why cities continue to throw money at millionaires. It may have stung to lose the Hornets (sorry, couldn't resist the pun there), but it paid off, as the NBA has already set you up with another team whose owners will hopefully realize that they cannot push the fans around.\nThank you, Reggie Miller, for being such an outstanding role model for so many people. Over the course of your career, you have stayed with one team, volunteered to play for Team USA three times, and have repeatedly amazed us with clutch performances that are were truly remarkable. Recently, you were recognized by USA Today for your commitment to off the field charitable work. You donated over $200,000 to a New York City fire department that lost eight crew members on September 11th, but the Knicks fans will still boo you every time you play in The Garden. Now, on the injured list, you are a role model to your teammates -- you dress up respectably for every game and are the team's greatest (and tallest) cheerleader, showing just how much you care about the Indiana Pacers. \nThank you, Brett Favre, for being the gutsy, clutch quarterback that fans got used to seeing in the 80s and 90s. Now that Super Bowls are being won based on the coach's ability to manage the entire team, outstanding quarterbacks like you are not as coveted as they once were. Watching you play is exciting, though, because at the times when the playbooks have to be thrown out, and the bottom line is scoring, you're the best there is -- period.\nThank you NCAA basketball, for having the right post-season setup. As obvious as it seems to have a playoff, some people apparently just don't get it. March Madness is both exciting and fair, and without it, our Hoosiers would have been nowhere near the championship game.\nAs often as athletes and sports organizations are scrutinized, these fine folks have made our lives at least a little bit better, in one way or another.
(11/13/02 4:03am)
Now that Charlotte all but has an NBA franchise again (the league has OKed the idea, and the city council has voted in favor of an arena being built), league commissioner David Stern is proposing the idea of realignment for the 2004-05 season.\nStern wants to move to a format that would divide each conference into three divisions of five, rather than the current two divisions of seven (eight in the Central). It's a great idea, but there are some hurdles that the league will have to overcome to get there.\nI like the idea because it can bring back the unbalanced schedule that adds value to winning a division. Currently, teams play every opponent in their conference either three or four times. The only thing that separates the two divisions is the right of the division champion to play the seventh seed come playoff time. Other than that, there is no reason to even have divisions at all.\nUnder the proposed format, winning the division title would mean something again.\nWith 30 teams in the league -- 15 per conference and five per division -- a team could play the other four teams in its own division five times. They could play the other ten teams in the conference three times. They would continue to play the opposite conference two times, totaling 80 games. Since the league operates with an 82-game schedule, the additional two games could be played, as in the NFL, against the two teams in the same conference that finished in the same place the previous year.\nThe unbalanced schedule has gotten mixed reviews since installed recently in Major League Baseball, but I believe that advancing to the playoffs should mean that a team proves it was better than those with which it was in competition. Currently, that is not the way it works.\nAside from the schedule, the league would have to make several tough decisions about which teams go into which conference. Already, Minnesota and Memphis are pleading to be switched into the Eastern Conference, since they have to play so many games on the west coast. But, there is already an imbalance in the league -- 15 teams play in the east and 14 are in the west. So, in order to evenly divide the 30 teams they would have to remain in the west, and another team, would have to join them. The cities where Western Conference teams play are just too spread out to avoid excessive travelling.\nI believe this could work, since the unbalanced schedule would mean playing fewer games the West Coast. The divisions could look something like this:\nWestern Conference\nDivision 1: Dallas, Houston, Memphis, New Orleans, San Antonio\nDivision 2: Denver, Minnesota, Portland, Seattle, Utah\nDivision 3: Golden State, LA Clippers, LA Lakers, Phoenix, Sacramento\nTo help reduce the traveling, teams could play the Clippers and the Lakers on consecutive nights.\nEastern Conference\nDivision 1: Boston, New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Toronto\nDivision 2: Atlanta, Charlotte, Miami, Orlando, Washington\nDivision 3: Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Indiana, Milwaukee
(11/06/02 3:55am)
The newest edition of Instant Replay in the NFL has been intact now for three and a half seasons, and made officiating much better than in its absence. But, there are certain areas where the system needs to be…overturned, if you will.\nLeague officials need to look back to why they reinstated instant replay in the first place -- it was an opportunity to assure that the correct call was being made by the referees on the field. There are instances, however, even in the new system where that is simply impossible.\nTo begin with, the current system dictates that on a possible fumble, should the official feel that a pass was incomplete or that the quarterback indeed was in the process of throwing, then the play is over. This ends the opportunity for the defense to recover the ball, because the players must stop when they hear the whistle. So, even if it can be determined that the referee indeed was wrong, the play is considered un-reviewable, since the alternative to the original call never played itself out.\nInstead of this injustice, the referees should be told to let the play be played out as though it was a fumble. Then, the officiating crew can gather -- before the play is asked to be reviewed -- and decide if they should let the play stand or if they feel the play was dead before the fumble. After the meeting, a team can challenge the call on the field. This way, the replay can indicate the correct call, and it will be possible for play to continue, no matter which way the judgment goes.\nAnother part of the 1999 instant replay system that must be changed is limiting coaches to two challenges per game. It is unfair to punish a coach if he is correct in his challenge. There is already an incentive not to challenge at will -- the loss of a time-out -- and a coach could still be denied the right to challenge if he has already had two unsuccessful challenges in a game. But, the spirit of instant replay is to get the calls right, and if a coach sees that a referee has erred, and he is proven right by replay, he should not lose his right to challenge again. Does anyone really believe that it is fair for a coach, late in a game, to have a bad call go against him, but not be able to challenge because he won a challenge earlier? I certainly don't.\nReferees should be punished for incorrect calls, not coaches or teams. If the league is worried about a high number of reviewed calls, then they should increase the referees' interest in getting the call right in the first place.\nThe main argument against both of these amendments is that they will increase the amount of replays used, which will in turn slow down the game. The problem with that, however, is that it contradicts the league's attempt to get every call right, and is unfair to teams that have been obviously cheated by bad calls.\nIf the league really wanted to avoid slowing the game down, then they could certainly do away with the endless commercials after every score, kickoff, and turnover. These breaks may bring in dollars for the television networks, but if slowing a game down is truly a problem, then people are apparently tuning out anyway.\nWhile the replay system is a huge success, it is not perfect, and these adjustments will help to ensure the integrity of the league and the credibility of its officials.
(10/30/02 4:24am)
With the NBA season now underway, the annual question is again being asked: "Will anyone stop Shaq and the Lakers?" For three years now, the answer, of course, has been no. This year, however, there are some teams that can challenge the league's latest dynasty, and depending on the world's most famous big toe, the end (or at least delay) of an era could be on the horizon.\nDethroning the Champion\nBy now, we all know about the Lakers. Here are the teams that could give them trouble.\nSacramento Kings\nObviously, the Kings are the best of the rest. If it weren't for the dreadful no-call on Kobe Bryant at the end of game 6 of the Western Conference Finals last year, they would have gotten over the hump. This year, expect a more experienced, smarter team to take the floor, this time with more anger and a sense of "now it's our turn."\nNew Jersey Nets\nThis team is better than last year. First, they acquired big man Dikembe Mutombo from Philly to help underneath, which is the only area where they suffered during last year's run to the Finals. Second, Jason Kidd is in his contract year, which should push him beyond his personal accomplishments from last season. Expect a confident, well-balanced team to remain a dominant force.\nDallas Mavericks\nWith an increased emphasis on defense (only Golden State allowed more points per game last season) and a greater sense of team chemistry, Don Nelson's squad can finally belong in the league's top tier. The Mavs are full of young talent, and have the desire to advance. The only obstacle a year ago (other than their poor defense) was their inexperience. After last year's run, they now have that, and are poised to make even more noise on the court than owner Mark Cuban does off it; although we'll see about that.\nNew Orleans Hornets\nDon't forget this team because they left Charlotte. In fact, playing in front of more than 10,000 fans for home games may encourage the team to play even better. They got off to a slow start last season, but finished strong. Baron Davis is as good as it gets at the point, and like Dallas, the past two seasons' postseason losses will only help them at this point. Their success, however, may be curtailed by the status of center Elden Campbell, who will start the season on the injured list as he recovers from knee surgery.\nBest of the Rest\nThe last couple of seasons have seen many teams move up the standings at rapid paces. This has created a plethora of quality teams that can also contend late into May.\nIn the East, Detroit is coming off of a terrific season, but the loss of Jerry Stackhouse is huge. Will Richard Hamilton and Chauncey Billups be able to keep the Pistons at the top of the central? Probably not. Look for contention from Indiana and Milwaukee -- both teams that were disappointed with their finishes last year given their talent, and both teams that are too good to overlook now.\nWashington is a team that is on the verge of breaking through, depending on Stackhouse's ability to distribute the ball to his more than capable teammates.\nIn the West, don't expect much to change. San Antonio and Minnesota will be strong, and the Clippers will finally make the playoffs. There is a lot of hope in Houston, but Yao Ming's impact is still in the future, and the Rockets will not take off for another year or two.\nDisappointment Lurks…\nSorry Orlando, but Grant Hill, healthy or not, will not solve your height problem, and you should have learned not to bring in washed up big men after the Patrick Ewing experiment failed. Shawn Kemp will clog up the lane for Tracy McGrady, but do nothing to stop opponents. Look for the Magic to, at best, make a third straight first round exit.\nIt's put up or shut up time in Toronto, and although they may exceed last year's seven seed, the Raptors should be much better than that. On paper, there is no reason why Vince Carter and Antonio Davis shouldn't be in the Conference Finals, but they have stalled and watched others pass them on the way up. Don't expect them to regain their status of 2001, when they were a game away from the Conference Finals.\nAll this said, the best part of the last two NBA seasons have been their unpredictability. Hopefully that will continue, as the standings could shift in favor of anyone.
(10/23/02 4:55am)
Tiger Woods has found himself a nice mess.\nWell, actually, the nice mess found Tiger.\nThe world's most popular golfer is caught in the middle of a social controversy, even though he has nothing to do with it.\nAugusta National Golf Course is a private club in Augusta, Ga. Like most other private courses in the U.S., it can choose its members based on whatever criteria its directors decide. Unlike most other private courses, though, it is the home of the most prestigious event in the world's biggest professional golf tour.\nAugusta National Golf Course is the home of The Masters, and Augusta National does not allow female members to join. Recently, many people and groups have begun to take action against the club in protest to this obviously sexist policy. These include a call for CBS to boycott The Masters, and for advertisers to pull out of the broadcasts.\nEnter Woods, sort of.\nGroups are now interested in Woods' opinion -- as long as it is the same as theirs. Woods is a minority with a voice. There would be no stronger message to Augusta National if he were to boycott The Masters. But, Woods is not ready to do that, because it is not an issue he wants to take a stance on. So, when asked, he has had to be extremely careful with his answers.\n"Do I want to see a female member? Yes. But it's our right to have any club set up the way we want to," he told reporters last week.\nAnd he's right.\nWoods' opinion on the matter is a valuable one, but he understands that it is not a decision that he should be making. Augusta National is a private club, and they are entitled to run their business however they would like, including excluding people for any reason they want. It is sad that there are still organizations as prominent and prestigious that still feel this way about women or other minority groups, but it is their right to do so.\nWoods went on to add that he would like to see William Johnson, the chairman of Augusta National, and Martha Burk, the chairwoman of the National Council of Women's Organizations meet and work out a compromise themselves -- but this brought only added criticism. Many viewed these comments as elusive, and are upset with Woods for not taking a stance on social issues.\nApparently Woods, being half-black and half-Thai, is supposed to speak out for all minorities, and help to enable them to break barriers that are against them. Apparently, every time a social issue comes up, he has to take the side of the minority and attack those holding them back. Woods has even pointed out that he is not even a member of the club, and those who are, such as Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, are not being brought into the discussion.\nBut I give credit to Mr. Woods. Tiger does do things to help minorities, such as his Tiger Woods Foundation, which is designed to help minority children play and learn golf. But it is not his job to step in the middle of every social argument. Not every successful minority should be forced to be social leaders, and if Woods does not want to address this particular issue, then that is his decision. Woods is a golfer, not a minority leader, and those who criticize him for not representing their beliefs are being just as blind to his rights as Augusta National is to women's rights.
(10/16/02 4:59am)
As the Anaheim Angels smacked hit after hit in the seventh inning of the ALCS's game five, I watched in awe and excitement. Every time Barry Bonds has been up to bat in the postseason, the intensity grows exponentially, as so often he has either come through himself or seen those behind him get the big hit.\nI have giddily watched this postseason, realizing that, finally, the bats are back. Sure, for years people have complained that hitting has gotten too easy, and that baseball is trying to increase scoring. But for too long, pitching has dominated the postseason. With the likes of Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson, Curt Schilling and others, powerful hitters have only starred in the regular season spotlight. Too often in the last dozen years, postseason baseball has provided us with low scoring pitchers' duels that eliminated an exciting element of the game.\nIt's not that I don't appreciate solid pitching and the importance of dominant hurlers, but the change of pace is what I will enjoy. This year, the strategy won't be so much of "should the reliever come in now, or wait until the next inning," as it will be "should they pitch to Bonds here, considering how well Benito Santiago has hit behind him in the lineup."\nNow, the reemergence of hitting to the postseason has brought a forgotten pleasure. Finally, the dominant pitcher is out of sight. Those pitchers who defined October baseball have all passed their peaks, and no one has risen to replace them. Hitters have taken advantage of this, and are swinging the bats with the confidence and ability that they need to take the crown. The two remaining teams, Anaheim and San Francisco, have reached the promised land with hitting, not pitching.\nThe Angels are hitting .328 through the first two rounds. In each of their series-clinging games, they managed to bat around the entire order in one inning. In nine games, they have hit seventeen home runs.\nThe Giants scored 23 runs in each of their first two series, both of which went five games -- that's over four runs per game against St. Louis and Atlanta, both teams with strong pitching staffs. The lowest postseason ERA in either remaining teams' starting rotation is 2.84, belonging to Jarrod Washburn of Anaheim. In fact, only one pitcher on either of the remaining teams, reliever Rob Nen of the Giants, was an All-Star this year.\nFor the first time since "Bash Brothers," Jose Canseco and Mark McGuire, appeared in three straight World Series from 1988-1990, the hitters are the focus of the World Series, and that is a welcome change.\nSo bring on the long innings, and the back-to-back homers. Make centerfielders throw out runners at the plate, rather than pitchers forcing double plays. The style of play this year has not necessarily been better, but different, and baseball fans can finally gain a fresh World Series experience.
(10/09/02 4:36am)
In the closing weeks of the season and with his team out of contention, Chicago Cubs manager Don Baylor downplayed the importance of motivating players.\n"I get sick and tired of people saying you have to motivate," Baylor told the Houston Chronicle. "Motivation, everyone talks about it, but that's a bunch of (bull) if I ever heard it. Sometimes people get carried away with that term. I don't think I ever had to be motivated by a manager."\nDays later, Baylor was fired. Now, he has company. Man, does he have company. Since the start of the regular season in April, twelve out of thirty teams have parted ways with their managers. Head coaches are falling left and right, and many of them come from teams that were supposed to contend.\nBaylor's Cubs were coming off of a solid 2001 season, and after acquiring talented hitters like Moises Alou, the team was supposed to be one of the best in the National League. Bobby Valentine was fired by the Mets after he took a team that made several big off-season moves to the NL East cellar.\nThese managers had the players to win, but could not. So now the question must be answered: Is Baylor right? Is it only the players' responsibility to do the motivating?\nNo.\nBeing a manager in professional sports is a lot more than managing a specific game. A manager must manage the team both on and off the field. He must keep players focused -- especially when it comes to baseball.\nBaseball is probably the easiest sport in which to lose focus. First of all, during the game, there is so much down time when players are alone in the field, simply waiting for the next pitch, or waiting in the dugout for their turn to hit. Some pitchers sit and wait for four days before they are involved in the game.\nSecond, the season is incredibly long. Very few people can stay completely focused for 162 games, especially when they are struggling (which is the inevitable case when these managers get fired).\nA good manager must understand these challenges, and make sure that his players are ready to take the field every day. He must motivate. Sure, in a perfect world, every player would be as good as Baylor and be able to motivate themselves for every game. But, that's not possible for most of these players.\nFootball coaches know this. Football coaches are great motivators. They know that for the team to perform at its best, the players have to be full of adrenaline and all psyched-up. These are players who play once a week, and only sixteen times a year. If anyone should be able to stay focused, it is football players.\nBaseball managers must realize that for their teams to win, they too have to make sure that the players enter every game with a mentality similar to that of football players.\nBaseball managers must stay in control of the team, because when the coach allows the players too much freedom, their thoughts stray from the task at hand. This is what happened to the Mets, and that is why Valentine was fired.\nInspiring players is a skill that has obviously been lost, and is also obviously at a premium in Major League Baseball. As these coaching vacancies begin to fill, the new managers must find ways to focus their players -- or else they too will be out the door.
(10/02/02 4:42am)
The year was 1998. One of the loudest names in the draft was a lanky receiver out of Marshall named Randy Moss. Moss's skills should have placed him in the top ten, but that "off-field distraction" title was worrisome -- too big of a chance to take for 20 teams. The Minnesota Vikings decided, though, that Moss was too good to pass up, and they took their chances.\nMoss's personality was too much for Bobby Bowden and the Florida State Seminoles. Much of Moss's collegiate career was played in the darkness of West Virginia because of his problematic reputation drove him away from the public spotlight.\nIf Bobby Bowden, king of accepting less-than-perfect people, didn't want to mess with Moss, then you had to know this kid was trouble.\nTurns out, Bowden made the right decision. And all those teams that passed on the talented receiver did too.\nMoss got out of the gate with a roaring start in 1998, helping the Vikings achieve the NFL's best regular-season record, and a near Super Bowl appearance. All around the country, experts called the Vikings' decision wise, and thought of Moss as the steal of the draft. But since then, Moss has been nothing more than a distraction for Minnesota. His fiery attitude did not mix with the rest of his teammates well. When times were tough, fans could count on seeing Moss jawing with somebody on the sidelines; picking fights with ex-coach Dennis Green, former teammate and receiver Cris Carter, and quarterback Daunte Culpepper.\nThe turmoil made its way up to the front office, which again decided to side with Moss as they fired Green. Carter and running back Robert Smith decided to retire, and the dominant Vikings offense was left searching for answers.\nIn a last ditch effort to make something out of the remaining scraps, they decided to create what current coach Mike Tice has dubbed "The Randy Ratio," hoping to get Moss at least 40 percent of the receptions. This cute alliteration is being played as a winning strategy, but in truth it is the only option the team has, and even it is not working as the team struggled to an 0-3 record to open the season.\nNow, Randy Moss is back in the public spotlight -- in two very negative ways. First, he spent last Sunday roaming the sidelines finding people to blast for the loss to Carolina, again showing his talent for helping team chemistry.\nSecond, he spent some time in jail for traffic misdemeanor, and was tested for marijuana for the second time in two years. At the time of arrest marijuana was found in Moss' Lexus and he was formalycharged with possesion on Tuesday.\nWith the team losing, and the Moss headache pounding harder, it is time for Minnesota to put an end to this philanthropic experiment. Their offense needs help, even with him, and they may as well start over completely, and remove the chaos and tension that Moss brings. Even when Culpepper is throwing the ball to Moss, he is unhappy. He wants it more, he wants the passes to be more accurate so that he does not need to work as hard to catch the ball.\nThe problem in Minnesota right now is that there is no sense of team success -- only individual. Coach Tice must try to find players who want to win at any cost -- even if they have to (gasp!) jump for a catch.\nWhether Moss can still be an effective receiver is still up in the air, but it's not something the Vikings can worry about. He is a deterrent to the team, a bad role model for their fans, and he isn't getting the job done on the field.\nIt was a nice try by Minnesota, but it doesn't always work out. It's time for the "Randy Ratio" to drop down to zero if the Vikings want to win.
(09/26/02 6:20am)
Owning a company is a difficult thing to do. There are so many facets that go into running an organization well that it is a wonder how CEOs of these businesses do not lose their heads due to the high stress.\nTake Jim Irsay, for example. The owner and CEO of the Indianapolis Colts has had it real tough. The man is the real life version of the American success story. He started out with an idea, stuck with it through the hard times, and eventually, he managed to break through the blood and sweat.\nBut now, after several years of complete devotion to a community, they are rejecting him by -- of all the lowdown, dirty ways to treat a multi-millionaire -- not giving him money to build a new stadium.\nOf course, I'm being sarcastic. For those of you unfamiliar with the situation, Irsay did not do anything to earn his wealth. He inherited the team from his father, Robert Irsay (for an indication on the community values the elder passed down to his son, ask anyone from Baltimore who remembers the team leaving in 1984).\nThe Colts are Jim Irsay's only asset. In other words, he was given a pro football team, and he has done nothing else. Nice, feel-good story, huh? But wait, it gets better.\nApparently, Irsay feels he is being cheated and that he deserves more money from the city of Indianapolis because otherwise he cannot compete with other NFL teams. He is upset that there are only, roughly 30,000 season ticket holders, as opposed to much larger numbers across the country. And, most recently, he is threatening to "take his ball and leave" to Los Angeles if he does not get his money.\nWith all of his financial woes, it's no wonder why he is having trouble deciding exactly where to move his personal helipad -- a problem all of us can surely empathize with.\nNow, I understand that Mr. Irsay is a business man (although I must admit that I use the term loosely), and that if moving to Los Angeles is the right business decision, then he has every right to pack up the van and sneak, I mean move, out. But if we are going to talk business here, then let's be fair. Let's evaluate what Mr. Irsay has done with his organization. I will try to be as fair as possible.\nSince moving to Indianapolis in 1984 (this is its 19th season), the team has had a winning record seven times. The Colts have won two division titles (1987 and 1999), and have advanced in the playoffs zero times. The team has won four games or less six times, each year being the laughingstock of the NFL.\nHow many corporations are profitable when they put out a product that is less than average most of the time, and its occasional brilliance is short lived and too sporadic to develop any kind of massive loyalty? Oops, sorry, that was a personal tangent -- didn't mean to do that.\nBack to the point: Irsay wants a new stadium in Indianapolis, and he wants the city to pay for it. He feels that the RCA Dome is too old and hurts him in his attempt to compete with other NFL teams.\nThe only problem is, the city and its taxpayers have no problem with the 20 year old facility. In most of their opinions, it is a wonderful place to watch a football game, as well as host other events such as the NCAA Final Four, FIBA World Basketball Championships and other large events. Even the relatively small seating capacity (under 60,000 ranks near, if not at the bottom of NFL stadiums) is rarely a problem, since the Colts barely sell out games when they are winning. What reason is there to spend hundreds of millions of tax dollars on something that only one person wants -- sorry, tangent again -- I've got to stop doing that. \nA person or organization that owns a professional sports team, in my opinion, should establish a positive image in its community. Not only because the people deserve it, but because it helps business. Irsay does not have to go out and help people bag groceries, but he should at least respect his clientele by providing them something for their money. If he wants them to spend more money, then he should provide them with a better product. By continually threatening to move, Irsay is simply alienating more fans, and preventing them from getting attached to the Colts -- the exact thing that he wants from them.\nInsulting the community is a practice that won't work in Indianapolis, and it won't work in Los Angeles, or anywhere else either. Irsay should instead focus on embracing the city, and becoming a key element of the community. This does not happen through blackmail, but through honest, respectful business practices.
(09/09/02 6:04am)
I was as excited as anybody to see that kickoff at noon on Sunday. Having football on Sundays just makes everything seem normal again, and I'll have the pizza and beverages ready when John Madden makes his debut on "Monday Night Football."\nBut as the sports scene changes with the leaves over the next couple of months, let's not stray too far from what has been fascinating us throughout the entire summer.\nWith a collective bargaining agreement reached, Major League Baseball fans can concentrate whole-heartedly on what could be a better post-season than last year.\nYou do remember last year, right? A Divisional Series appetizer of the Yankees overcoming a 2-0 deficit to Oakland, capped by Derek Jeter's unbelievable defense, and the main course -- a World Series that saw three games decided in the last at bat, including game seven when the Diamondbacks dethroned the Yankees.\nWell, this year has the storyline to top that drama. First, as the case seems to be in every sport these days, look to the west. An unprecedented two team race (unfortunately, I think it's time to say sayonara to Ichiro and the Mariners) has brought out the best played baseball in years. Oakland wins twenty games in a row, only to see Anaheim breathing down their throats with a ten game streak of their own. Only time will tell which team will take the division, and if one can take out the Yankees, which is where Seattle failed last year.\nAnd how about those Twins? First avoiding contraction, and now with a double-digit lead in the American League Central. They are the small guys this year that everybody wants to see make it through. Before this season, nobody had heard of Torii Hunter or Jaque Jones, but the Twins now will head into the postseason with the backing of most of America.\nAnd as hard as fans will root for Minnesota you can bet that they will be rooting even harder against the giant -- the team who again carries the bad guy reputation into October -- those dreaded Yankees. Last season they drove past that 2-0 series deficit to Oakland, and slammed through Seattle's 116 win regular season en route to the World Series. This year their competition will bring more grit and determination than they have seen in a while, and that is what it will take to beat them because nobody in the AL has the talent the Yankees have.\nThe National League? While the drama is long gone, the talent is abundant. The Braves are the most solid team all around in baseball -- even better than the Yankees. But to return to the promised land where they roamed throughout the '90s, they will have to get by the two best pitchers in baseball, Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling of Arizona. The sentimental favorite should be St. Louis; with the deaths of Darryl Kile and Jack Buck, it is remarkable that they have been able to focus so well on baseball.\nThe end of baseball's season has all the aspects a fan in search of entertainment could ask for. Every team brings a different angle to the picture, and through it all the level of play this season is higher than ever.\nI'm not saying to put the pigskin aside until November, just do yourself a favor and stay tuned to the baseball scene just a little longer. You won't be disappointed.
(09/06/02 6:01am)
There was one moment last February where everything was silent in the NFL. There was one relaxed split-second, where the speculation stopped, the predictions ceased and the experts just sat and watched. That instant came after the New England Patriots took the ball downfield in Super Bowl XXXVI. Adam Vinatieri's kick had sailed through the goal posts -- giving New England their first ever championship. Across the country, fans and general managers alike stopped, took a deep breath and waited for the ball to drop.\nAnd then -- Boom! -- it landed on the Superdome carpet, and the chaos began again. Since that moment, the NFL landscape has been a whirlwind of activity. Divisions were realigned, coaches were hired and fired and even traded, jerseys were changed, stadiums were opened, a team was added and, of course, players were cut, signed and moved. Even today -- after the season has already begun (and what says NFL better than a Bon Jovi concert), the dust has not settled. Who would have guessed that running back Ricky Watters would be without a team for Week 1?\nBut, as with every season, the chaos leads to surprises, and we have become used to shocking results and turn-arounds that come with no other sport. Here is my take on what to look for in the upcoming season.\nBiggest surprise\nSure, the Redskins are always predicted to be good -- but this year, believe it. Steve Spurrier may or may not be a successful NFL coach, but he does have one thing going for him -- his opponents do not know him. Spurrier is new to the league, but not to the game. And his style will sneak up on some teams. He has a great defense, and with a terrific running back in Stephen Davis, his offense will be able to produce. At the University of Florida, Spurrier was known for being a "quarterback's coach." He'll have to keep that up in Washington with less than average talents under center.\nBiggest bust\nI see a letdown coming from Chicago -- err -- Champaign, where the Bears have a tough act to follow. Not many teams can go 13-3 two seasons in a row, and the Bears won't do it, either. Their offense is just too weak, and many of last season's victories came in miracle--form. The Bears may make the playoffs, but only as a wildcard.\nLast year's winner\nAs the Rams and Ravens have already figured out, defending a Super Bowl title is rather difficult. New England will not repeat as champions because they have lost their top weapon: the element of surprise. Last year's title run included trick plays week after week, and, as the Raiders fans will surely tell you, a little bit of luck. That season took a top notch team effort that brought out the best in everyone, which was just enough to eek out an upset over St. Louis.\nThis season, the P-men will realize that Tom Brady is not the quarterback of the future, and that when defenses take away the running game, the trick plays may not be as effective, now that everyone sees them coming.\nBreakout seasons\nThere are several question marks here, mostly coming from the running back position. Last year was a breakout season for 49ers running back Garrison Hearst, but can he do it again? \nDon't expect Eddie George and the Tennessee Titans to stay down for long. After a dismal season in 2001, they should be mad and ready to prove that they still belong at the top. We will also find out if Ricky Williams will finally take the Dolphins to the next level, whether Warrick Dunn can succeed without an all-pro fullback in Atlanta, and if Deuce McAllister can lead the Saints.\nWhile predicting the NFL post-season is about as easy as winning the lottery, I guess I'll give it a shot anyway. There is no way that the Indianapolis Colts will miss the playoffs again, but if Edgerrin James does not fully recover from the ACL injury he suffered last year, that is as far as they will get. Look out for the Chargers as well because quarterback Drew Brees may be the final piece to the puzzle in San Diego. St. Louis and Pittsburgh are the two strongest teams in the league, but it's a long season. And anything can happen -- it will surely be a fun ride.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
"What's your team?" \nThe NCAA's slogan for the Final Four is a relevant question here in Bloomington. Because the easy choice was eliminated by Kent State on the tournament's opening day, the decision has become complicated. With just four teams remaining, the choice might appear to be simpler, but it is still very difficult. \nIs my team Maryland? The Terrapins are the lowest seed left, so they become the ever-sentimental underdog. \nIs my team Michigan State? Well, the Spartans are from the Big Ten, and it is always nice to see members of the same conference as IU do well.\nIs my team Duke? No, the Blue Devils are the favorite -- nobody wants to see them win. But wait; I do have them winning in my pool, and I must say that coach Mike Krzyzewski has again put together a team that certainly deserves the title.\nIs my team Arizona? The Wildcats have overcome numerous non-basketball issues and are a fun team to watch.\nSo which one is it? Ah, the stress-filled life of a sports fan come March. \nFor me, it's Arizona. I like Lute Olson's team because it proved that it has been able to reestablish itself as a powerhouse after dealing with so many hardships. \nCenter Loren Woods' trivial suspension by the NCAA left the team without its most important player for several games -- and the Wildcats suffered. Olson's wife, Bobbi, lost her battle with cancer and died. Not only did the coach miss two weeks to gather himself, but the team felt a loss as well. She attended games and practices, and had a relationship with the players. Arizona suffered again during these two weeks, but once all the pieces of the puzzle were finally in place, the Wildcats began to play the way America knew they could.\nArizona is also a great team to watch, because it brings every element a fan likes to see, and combines it with strong, honest effort. The Cats have the quick point guard -- Jason Gardner, who at any moment can dart through an entire defense and find himself with an easy lay-up. They have the dangerous scorer -- Gilbert Arenas. He can slash, post up and shoot the three-pointer and is also an excellent defender.\nThe strong backcourt perfectly complements a frontcourt that is likewise formidable. Woods is the center of the offense and dominates the defensive lane, as he has blocked 17 shots in the first four tournament games. Richard Jefferson can shoot lights out, and supports Arenas well as a second scorer.\nThe Wildcats effort is seen in the way they have adjusted to and eliminated their previous opponents. Their game has changed each round just enough to combat the strength of the other team. This especially stuck out against Illinois, when the tough, physical Fighting Illini still could not stop the Wildcats, who shot over them, ran through them and even out-rebounded them.\nThe final aspect that pulled me to the Cats is their team character. From reserve Eugene Edgerson's knee and elbow pads to the Dancing Bears tattooed on Luke Walton's arm, this team is full of glowing personalities and a variety of backgrounds that have come together for a common cause.\nMy team is Arizona. It was a tough decision that required thought and insight. While looking this deeply into it might seem a bit much, I do it because I cannot watch without rooting. \nSo when the games resume Saturday night, I encourage you to do the same -- pick a team to root for. You don't have to pick Arizona; but pick somebody. It is the reason we watch, and the only way to get the total enjoyment out of a tournament that has been otherwise disappointing to those of us from the Hoosier state.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Last summer, the Portland Trailblazers acquired musclemen Dale Davis and Shawn Kemp with one thing in mind -- a postseason matchup with Shaquille O'Neal and the Lakers.\nNow, these teams seem destined to meet. But nobody would have guessed it would be in the first round.\nThe way things stand, the Lakers are the fourth seed out West, and the Trailblazers are struggling for the fifth spot. The teams were supposed to march to the NBA Western Conference Finals. It was supposed to be easy. But no one told the rest of the conference.\nWhile everyone was trying to decide which of last year's West finalists had the edge, the other teams were improving. San Antonio and Utah have mastered their games. They have shown they are not frightened by the Lakers' and Blazers' size and strength and are not going to concede anything. \nSacramento sits atop the Pacific Division. The team has earned the position with hard work and hustle. While Chris Webber and Vlade Divac might lack the ferociousness their opponents boast, they have gotten solid play from point guard Jason Williams and a career season from small forward Predrag Stojakovic.\nThese teams, along with Dallas, which has stayed afloat with the rest of the conference, have performed wonderfully much to everyone's surprise.\nAfter last year's NBA Finals, the sports world was ready for its newest dynasty. The Lakers were supposed to dominate the decade. Kobe Bryant and Shaq had finally "matured," and no team could stop them.\nFunny how things pan out.\nThe team that was supposed to show the world how easy winning a title can be has instead shown the world that defending a crown is harder than earning the first one. Somewhere along the line, with all that has occurred between O'Neal and Bryant, the team reverted to childish whining.\nThe whining and lack of chemistry have caused bad losses as blame gets thrown around the locker room. The Lakers only need to look at the teams ahead of them for advice. The Spurs, Kings and Jazz do not have childish ball-hog disputes or disrespectful players. They have a team goal and will win by any means, even if it hurts individual statistics.\nThey could have conceded the season. Players could have complained their ways into bigger markets so they could at least showcase skills. But instead they came together to show the world that if the Lakers want to repeat their championship, they will have to work hard.\nThe "surprise" teams have proven they can overcome tough odds during a long season, but teams tend to put on a different show once the playoff curtain rises. The Lakers and Blazers still have the most talented teams, and it is not too late to turn things around and control the conference. \nAlthough the Lakers and Blazers have struggled, beating them will be even more difficult in the playoffs. The teams that have played so well all season will have to prove again that they can out-duel the beasts when it really matters.\nIf that happens, we will see one of the greatest accomplishments in sports -- not because it is so hard to conceive these teams winning, but because their effort and determination would overcome the lifeless talent that was supposed to run away with the conference.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
As the dog days of August come to an end, the excitement of the baseball season has grown exponentially. Five of the six division races are still up for grabs, the wild card race is anybody's guess, and, of course, there is the ever present home run race. \nWhile no race can match the excitement brought in 1998's record breaking season, this year's race is special for one reason: All of the frontrunners also find themselves in a pennant race.\nThat means Barry Bonds of San Francisco, Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs and Luis Gonzalez of Arizona will be racing each other for the home run title while trying to help their respective teams win games.\nIn 1998, Mark McGwire had the luxury of being on a team that was removed from any playoff hopes. \nIn 1999, McGwire and Sosa were far from the playoffs. Last season, Sosa won his first home run crown, but again for a team with no everyday urgency.\nThis year, things are different. Bonds and the Giants are in second place in the NL West, right behind Gonzalez's Diamondbacks. In fact, the two teams are in the middle of a three game series right now. Sosa has had his Cubs in the middle of a playoff race all summer. \nBeing in a playoff race makes things harder for a home run leader. Instead of focusing on individual goals, all three sluggers must put the team first. This means hitting singles, going to opposite fields when necessary, and making any sacrifice the coach deems worthy.\nEven the mere intensity of the game adds pressure, making it harder to hit the long ball. This added drama, though, means more excitement for the fans.\nThe one who wins the home run race will have done so under much more difficult circumstances than in 1998. This is why I give the edge to Sosa. While he undoubtedly will cool from his current scorching pace (17 in August so far) his style of hitting along with his situation will place him in the winner's circle at season's end.\nSosa now has Fred McGriff batting behind him. This means, of course, that pitchers will no longer be able to pitch around him when in a jam. McGriff is a proven slugger as well as a strong placement hitter. In close games, there is almost no advantage to facing McGriff over Sammy.\nBonds has Jeff Kent hitting behind him. While Kent is an excellent player, he is not quite as intimidating as the Crime Dog.\nSosa does not swing for the fences, as Bonds does. Bonds is a stereotypical home run hitter in that he swings for power every at-bat. Sosa does not, but his average swing is enough to take it out of the yard.\nSammy Sosa can take a low and outside pitch and send it into the stands in right field. Bonds and Gonzalez do not do this enough, making it easier for pitchers to avoid giving up a home run.\nThe winner of the home run race will also challenge McGwire's single season record of 70. Unlike 1998, there is obviously a different attitude among the media and even the fans about the excitement. \nLike most people, I am rooting for the current record to stand. In 1998, we witnessed what we thought was an extraordinary performance. We thought we were seeing history. If that record is smashed just three years later, how special was it? \nEvery time a record is broken, its meaning becomes diluted. If Sosa or Bonds hits more than 70 home runs, then what was arguably considered the most celebrated record in professional sports will seem trivial as the ease of breaking it grows. \nAs fans, we want what we saw in 1998 to remain magical. For that to happen, it must stand for more than just three years, or else what we thought was a memorable summer will pummel to just another baseball season.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Picked to finish dead last in their division -- so what?\nOpened season with two losses -- no problem.\nLost $100 million quarterback -- big deal.\nNo matter what happens in Sunday's game against the St. Louis Rams, the New England Patriots can stand tall. They are the image of persistence. No matter what the "experts" thought of them, no matter what happened to them, they have not stopped believing.\nThe coaches kept faith in their system. The players kept faith in the coaches, and most importantly, they continued to fight. In sports, we constantly see teams lower their heads when they are down. We see players grow frustrated and pursue personal success because team success seems impossible.\nBut not in New England.\nThe Patriots had a path, and they stuck to it. Credit goes to head coach Bill Belichick.\nInstead of wavering and second guessing himself, he made decisions quickly. His dedication to these difficult decisions led to confidence from his players. When Belichick declared backup quarterback Tom Brady the starter when Drew Bledsoe returned from his injury, that was it. There was no discussion, there was no wondering. That was left to the media.\nCredit goes to the players, too. Not often do professional athletes simply accept being benched, especially when they have been starting for years. Bledsoe understood that if the team wanted to win, they had to stay focused on what was working. He knew that his return would confuse teammates and upset a pattern that had put the Patriots onto a winning trend.\nBut Bledsoe did not stop with simply accepting his backup role. He embraced it. He has become the best backup quarterback in the National Football League. He encouraged his replacement and stayed focused on the playbook, rather than moping his way along the sidelines.\nAnd it paid off. When Tom Brady injured his left leg during a rushed drive at the end of the first half Sunday, Bledsoe calmly re-entered the offense, completed the drive and went on to lead his team to victory.\nBledsoe did not need to panic. He did not need to prove to the world that he is a great quarterback. He was able to walk in the huddle already having the respect of his teammates because he put the team ahead of himself throughout the season.\nThis commitment, this confidence is why the Patriots are in the Super Bowl -- not their execution. Sure, there have been exceptional plays that have led to victories for the Patriots, but they have all come in stride.\nThe Patriots did not get to this point on the talent of their offense, like St. Louis. Nor have they gotten here with the grit of their defense, like Baltimore last year. Instead, they beautifully combined their resources, knowing that together with offense, defense and special teams they will outperform their opponents.\nThis confidence has gotten them to the Super Bowl, and it has come from the top of the organization all the way down.\nIf they pull off an upset in New Orleans and defeat the heavily favored Rams, New England will surprise millions of people. But there will be one group of people who won't be surprised -- the one group of people who knew from the very beginning that they could end the season as champions -- themselves.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
The magical part of March Madness is that no matter what the NCAA does, the tournament will always be the most exciting sporting event of the year.\nThat being said, there are a few things the NCAA should consider that would make the tournament a bit more fair and even a bit more exciting.\nFirst, something has to be done about this "play-in" game. The formation of the Mountain West Conference two years ago added an automatic bid into the tournament, and the NCAA does not want to take away an at-large bid to keep the number of teams at 64. Fine. But there is a better way to make this work.\nIt is not fair to make teams like Siena and Alcorn State, who earned a bid by winning their conferences, have to earn it again by winning one more game. Basically, the NCAA is saying "You two are the worst teams we have. One will lose and go home, and the winner gets to play in a game that they will not win anyway." Let these schools at least leave the scene with dignity, not embarrassment.\nKeep the play-in game, but the two teams participating in it should be at-large, or "bubble" teams. Make the teams that are right on the edge earn their ways into the tournament. This year, that would mean that Utah would have been playing against Tulsa -- two teams that had average seasons that ended up with bids. \nNot only would this make for a fairer situation, but it would also create a much more exciting game. There would be a better chance that these schools could be recognized by the entire country and, more importantly, there is even a chance that the winner could succeed in the tournament. Twelve-seeds won three out of four games this year, and one (Missouri) is still alive. The way it is now, the play-in game is meaningless as far as the big picture is concerned, but with this adjustment, it will have a value that will impact the tournament.\nSecond, I must agree with Dick Vitale's idea to limit each conference to five representatives. This addresses two issues, one of which is the often-heard story about mid-major schools (Butler, Creighton and Ball State, for example) not receiving invitations. \nThe reason that they do not get into the tournament usually has to do with the fact that they play relatively easy schedules, and teams that play in major conferences have a tougher time -- even though they lose more games they are indeed more deserving of a chance to play for the national title. Vitale argues, however, that smaller schools cannot play many hard games, because the best teams simply will not play against them -- this is not something that they should be punished for.\nThe other issue this would address involves the regular season. Too often these days, teams use the conference tournament as a vehicle to ride into the NCAA tourney. By limiting each conference to five teams, each game for the bigger schools becomes more important.\nSuddenly a school like Mississippi (the SEC's sixth representative) needs to be able to win a conference road game, and be sure not to lose to teams like Auburn. This would add more excitement to the regular season -- each game would be more important.\nWith these changes, not only would the games all year be more exciting, but there would be a sense of fairness among schools both large and small. Part of the tournament is the amazing talent that smaller schools display, if only they are given the chance.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
With Final Four fever sweeping campus, it is easy to let the start of the Major League Baseball season slide by, but ignoring the start would be a bad way to kick off one of the most anticipated seasons in recent memory. This year, there are many intriguing questions that will be answered, with collective-bargaining topping the slate.\nTo be, or not to be?\nThat is the question that will be answered more than once this summer. This year's all-star game -- set to be played in Milwaukee, Wis., (home of the Brewers, the team formerly owned by commissioner Bud Selig) -- is in jeopardy. The players are considering a boycott because they are worried that they will not get their way at the bargaining table.\nIf no progress is made by the end of the season, baseball may, once again, not have a World Series. The players went on strike in 1994 and will do it again if they are unhappy.\nAnd finally, nobody knows the fate of the Montreal Expos and the Minnesota Twins, as the contraction issue will have to be addressed again at the end of the season. Nobody wants to see them go, but at the same time, it is obvious that teams like the Expos are worthless to the league under current conditions.\nWill the Mets get anyone out?\nSure, the NY Mets have Armando Benitez, one of the best closers in the game, but how often will they be ahead in the ninth inning? With quality pitching so rare in baseball, this team took a huge risk in trading a proven starter (Kevin Appier) to Anaheim for first baseman Mo Vaughn. While Vaughn, along with outfielder Jeromy Burnitz, will certainly add power to a potent offense, their low batting averages and high strikeout totals will mean fewer scoring chances -- something the Mets cannot afford.\nHow will the Cubs screw up this year?\nLast year, the "Lovable losers" finally had a strong pitching staff -- and it carried them until mid-August. The hitting was the problem, something they hope to have solved this year. Now, Sammy Sosa has both Fred McGriff and Moises Alou hitting behind him. If Bill Mueller can recover from his knee surgery, this could be an amazing offense. If the pitchers can repeat their performance from last year, then the Cubs could have one of the top three or four teams in the National League. But we all know the Cubs. Some way, some how, they always find a way…\nHow can last year's World Series be topped?\nC'mon -- Two game-ending home runs, a game-seven bottom-of-the-ninth comeback win? It just doesn't get any better than that. This year, baseball fans should hope there is a World Series period. But with teams that have such good pitching always playing in November, the times when runs do cross the plate will be exciting, hopefully making for another thrilling finale.\nMajor League Baseball is always a saga, but it is just a matter of time until the season will reveal its answers.