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(05/01/03 4:49am)
As the semester comes to a close and we all prepare to pack up and head for home, it seems appropriate to discuss and make predictions for the summer of sports ahead. So here are a few of my predictions, and I'll admit right now that they are my hopeful, yet realistic, opinions of what will happen in the upcoming sports-filled summer.\nNHL Stanley Cup Playoffs \nWith several of the big boys getting upset in the first round, the Stanley Cup is up for grabs. In the East, New Jersey will advance to their third finals in four years. The Devils' solid defense, anchored by goaltender Martin Brodeur will prove too tough for the rest of the weaklings in the East. Dallas, a top-seed in the West, will find a way to blow their opportunity, and I'm riding Anaheim and goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere all the way to the Cup finals. Once there, Brodeur will prove too much and with consistent scoring from Patrik Elias, Jamie Langenbrunner and Scott Gomez, the Devils will prevail in six games.\nNBA Finals\nIt is the NBA, so teams have not even started to play yet. TNT analyst and former player Kenny "The Jet" Smith said it best: "A playoff series does not really start until a team faces elimination." As sad as it is, it seems true. Every team has shown signs of dominance in their first round series, just to come back the next game and get blown out from the start. The West is a three-team race between Sacramento, San Antonio and Los Angeles. Sorry Dallas, but you have to play at least a little defense in the playoffs to win. I'm wishfully picking Sacramento over L.A. in the conference finals as the Kings will finally get by the demons of the Lakers. But as much as I despise the Lakers, my gut tells me they very well may pull the four-peat. The Eastern Conference is a crap-shoot. You could flip a coin to pick a series winner, and you would have as good a shot as actually analyzing the series. So I followed my intuition, and New Jersey ended up back in the finals. It doesn't matter though. The West will prevail again. Kings win in five games.\nIndianapolis 500\nYes, racing is a sport, and it does not get any better than the biggest event at the most heralded speedway in the world. Sure, I'm biased since I lived a mile from "The Track" until I was six, but if you are any sort of sports fan or you like American history and culture, you have to go to the Indy 500 at least once in your life. You do not have to enjoy the racing aspect, but the atmosphere, pre-race festivities and people are absolutely incredible. Back to my predictions, Penske is the easy pick for the 500 in a few weeks, and Helio Castroneves will definitely challenge to become the first ever driver to win three 500s in a row. But I'm gonna take Sam Hornish Jr. to bring home the title this year. Castroneves and others will put up a fight, and I'm hoping Sarah Fisher will be able to compete without mechanical problems to show all the guys what she is made of.\nMajor League Baseball\nI know that baseball season will still have a month left when we get back to school in September, but by that time, things will have sorted out. The Royals will compete, but the Twins will rule the American League Central. The Red Sox will go through their usual August swoon, and the Yankees will easily win the AL East. And as usual, the Cubs will swan dive through the National League Central back into reality once the temperatures warm up, and the Cardinals and Astros will battle to the end for the division title. Sorry, but it is just five more years until the Cubs hit the century mark without a title, and they will go flying by that mark into a second century of depression and hope for next year.\nWimbledon\nCan anybody beat Serena Williams? The simple answer is no. Even sister Venus has been left in the dust by Serena's recent run through the entire women's circuit. On the men's side, Andre Agassi will battle Australian youngster Lleyton Hewitt for the final with Agassi making one last stand and bringing home the championship.
(04/24/03 5:22am)
Even with the NHL and NBA playoffs in full swing, it just feels right to talk football right now, especially with NFL draft taking place this weekend. Sure the Draft is too long, it encompasses nearly two full days, and by the end I can't help but want to pummel self-proclaimed draft guru Mel Kiper Jr., much like Dick Vitale during the NCAA basketball season. \nBut in all reality, the draft is a fun transition for college athletes to the pro ranks and allows NFL junkies the opportunity to hope their new star will lead them to the promised land next season.\nThe Cincinnati Bengals once again have the first pick in the draft and since no one has been willing to trade up, the Bengals will take USC quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer with the top pick. While Palmer is an outstanding player, he is really not what the Bengals need right now. The Bengals have far too many needs to fill in one draft, and although they do need a franchise quarterback, Palmer will be beaten to a pulp with the weak offensive line he will have in front of him.\nSome sort of controversy always seems to stem up around the draft and this year is no exception as wide receiver Charles Rogers had a positive drug test result nearly two weeks ago at a pre-draft workout. Rogers failed the drug test due to diluted urine, which he claims was the result of dehydration and consuming exorbitant amounts of water in preparation for his workouts the following day. The Michigan State standout, who up until the test was a sure lock to get drafted No. 2 overall and stay at home with the Detroit Lions, is now in limbo.\nNot to say that any positive drug test result can put you in good company, the last two high profile picks to enter the draft with drug lingering questions were Minnesota Viking receiver Randy Moss and Tampa Bay Buccaneer lineman Warren Sapp, and I'd say they are doing just fine with their careers. Questions about their off-the-field problems caused Moss and Sapp to drop in the draft, and while Rogers may feel some ill-effects from the test, I'd be surprised to see the Lions pass up on the home-state prodigy.\nMore interesting than where Rogers will go is going to be the tracking of running back Willis McGahee. McGahee rushed for 1,753 yards and 28 TDs last year at Miami (Fla.) before blowing out his left knee in Miami's National Championship loss to Ohio State. Concerns have loomed as to when McGahee will be able to contribute in the NFL, even though he says he will be ready for next season. Early indications were that teams would likely pass on him until at least the second or third round, but with extremely impressive workouts, he may have moved into the low first round or early second round.\nIf I were an NFL general manager, I would take a shot on McGahee in the first round. Don't be surprised to see a team with few needs elsewhere to pick him up, especially if they have another running back which would allow McGahee to ease into playing in the next few years. Also, GMs around the league have been burnt by letting past questionable stars like Sapp and Moss drop below their original slotted positions in the draft. I would be surprised to see it happen again with McGahee.
(04/23/03 5:38am)
As you look around Bill Armstrong Stadium on race day and see everything from the advertising banners and infield decorations to the jerseys and pit boards associated with each team, you can thank one specific group of IU students for its contribution in putting it all together: the IU Student Foundation Steering Committee.\nThe IUSF Steering Committee is comprised of 25 seniors who coordinate and sponsor all IUSF events, from IU Sing to the Little 500. Within the 25-person Steering Committee, there are seven smaller committees including the Little 500 Cycling Committee (L5C2) and Pre-Race committees which work specifically with the coordination of activities on race day and other events leading up to the race.\nL5C2 Committee member and senior Rhiannon Rossi said she believes the Steering Committee plays a vital role in bringing the riders and Student Foundation together.\n"We are the riders' link to the Student Foundation," Rossi said. "We are in charge of all the track practices and we hold formal meetings along with Riders Council with all of the riders. Our main duty is maintaining the track and everything to do with the riders."\nIUSF Assistant Director and Little 500 Coordinator Alex Ihnen has been impressed with this year's Steering Committee and their work in helping the Little 500 tradition continue to grow. Ihnen said that things continue to get added to the race and set up every year to make it better without losing any of its current image as 'The Greatest College Weekend.'\nIhnen has experienced the race as a rider and now as an advisor of the Steering Committee. He now knows both the riders and Steering Committee are vital to a successful race.\n"As a rider I did not know the Steering Committee at all," Ihnen said. "Of course you would not have a race without the riders, but the riders have 300 IUSF student volunteers help them to put on a race. Everything anyone sees on race day is done by the Steering Committee; all things are coordinated and run by the students."\nWhile the primary duties of the L5C2 Committee are to deal with the riders, series event coordination and the management of race day, the Pre-Race Committee is notably responsible for all events leading up to the race on race day as well as pit boards, sponsor signs and the gathering of officials and judges.\nSenior Erin McGonigal is a member of the Pre-Race Committee and said their committee has a down to the minute outline of events leading up to the green flag.\n"Our main focus is the race day agenda," she said. "We time everything out and have a play-by-play outline of all the pre-race stuff. We are responsible for the track setup and all decorations."\nThe Marketing Committee of the Steering Committee also plays a vitally important role leading up to the race in organizing sponsors for the race and working with all media outlets to produce coverage of the events.\nSteering Committee members work strictly on a volunteer basis under IUSF and in the mind of Ihnen, that makes their work ethic and dedication all the more evident.\n"One of our main goals is to have students helping other students with putting on events on campus to make the college experience better for all students at IU," Ihnen said. "The amount of work they all put in is crazy, but for them it is a forum to contribute and have an effect on the university"
(04/17/03 5:26am)
It takes an extremely outrageous activity to really appall me, especially when the act involves sports. I will admit that I often give the benefit of the doubt to any athlete, coach and even fan for the most part when they do something in the scope of sports which would be shunned in most other aspects of society. I typically contribute these actions to getting caught up in the heat of the moment and just having a short mental lapse.\nHowever, recently there have been more and more instances where athletes, coaches and especially fans have crossed the line with their actions and even stooped to lows I had never really imagined.\nIn December 2001, it was the Cleveland Browns fans who embarrassed the sporting world by throwing bottles at players and officials leaving the field after Jacksonville beat the Browns in a questionable review of a play late in the game. Last September, a father and son at a Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals game took the idiot stage as they ran onto the field and attacked Royals first base coach Tom Gamboa.\nThese incidents might seem isolated, but they are just a few in a slew of recent disruptions by fans at pro and collegiate events that ruin the sporting experience for the average fan. As bad as the Gamboa situation was, it seems a bit unfathomable that something similar to it would happen again, or at least so soon.\nThe Royals and Gamboa (now a bullpen coach) returned to Chicago on Tuesday to take on the White Sox. Heading into the game, Gamboa commented that he was not worried about the situation as he said, "Lightning doesn't strike twice." Unfortunately not only did lightning strike for a second time Tuesday, it struck a third, fourth and fifth time as well.\nUmpires had to delay the game three times early in the game as drunk and moronic fans ran onto the field before being tackled by security guards. Fortunately they were stopped before they could get to a player or coach. It was the fifth time lightning struck that took us back to that eerie moment last September when we saw the intoxicated father and son (what a bonding moment, huh …) tackle and beat up the 54-year-old Gamboa.\nAs the eighth inning came to a close, another obnoxious Chicagoan sprinted onto the field and tried to tackle first base umpire Laz Diaz. Diaz, a former agent in the U.S. Marines, quickly subdued the crazy fan with help from Royals right fielder Brandon Berger. While the outcome of this situation was not as serious as Gamboa's (the fan actually took more of a beating than Diaz), it is another ridiculous representation of sports fans.\nThese types of acts are what have made athletic figures so wary of coming in close contact with fans. Anytime you know there are jerks like this out there, you have to be careful about where you go and what you do.\nAnalysts argue that security needs to be increased, especially now, and I would agree with this to a certain extent. However, sports organizations and leagues can only employ so many security guards without having a personal guard for every fan entering the stadium or arena.\nIt is time for the fans to take a little responsibility for themselves, their actions and the actions of those around them. These imbeciles are tarnishing the authentic experience a fan should have at a baseball game or any sporting event for that matter. So the next time you are in attendance at a game, take some responsibility for your actions and be on the lookout to prevent more stupidity from those around you as well.
(04/10/03 4:31am)
Despite the end of the college basketball season, the sports world continues to intrigue all as the NHL and NBA seasons wind down and biggest of all, the Masters tee off. Tiger Woods once again is the favorite and will be in search of his third straight Green Jacket.\nIf Woods were to win his third consecutive Masters, he would be the first ever; only Woods, Nick Faldo and Jack Nicklaus ever won it back-to-back. Tiger already has three victories this season. Odds are already favoring Tiger as Mother Nature has dampened the Augusta National course making his long drives even more significant.\nWoods is always dominant in the field and has an aura about him that possibly only Michael Jordan has possessed in the last couple of decades. As long as Tiger is within a few shots of the lead going into Sunday, he will be in contention. But rest assured, if Woods has the lead going into Amen Corner, holes 11, 12 and 13, on Sunday, you might as well have his Green Jacket ready for him again.\nDon't get me wrong, Woods will be pressed this year as several golfers have played very well thus far. But if Tiger shows up with his A game or even his B+ game, he will be very tough to contend with. Especially intriguing will be Phil Mickelson, the likeable lefty who seemingly can never win the "big one." Recent history does not bode well for Phil heading into the weekend as another sporting legend, Kansas' Roy Williams, again failed to win "the big one" in the NCAA final.\nEyes will follow Sergio Garcia throughout the weekend as the Spanish phenom has recently struggled. Garcia's top finish this year is 25th. We will see if Garcia can step up his play in the year's first major and get back on track.\nWhile the attention should primarily be focused on the golfers, you will hear about the protest by the National Council of Women's Organizations, led by Martha Burk, in regards to Augusta National not having a female member. Burk filed but was denied the right to picket at Augusta's front gate. Burk and Augusta Chairman Hootie Johnson have been at odds and trading remarks for nearly a year now.\nWhile Burk is still appealing the right to protest at the gate, groups such as a one-man representation of the Ku Klux Klan have been granted permission to picket at a location away from the front gate. That's right, the KKK will be protesting Burk's protest.\nNow just imagine the irony of Tiger sinking a putt Sunday evening on the 18th hole and making history in collecting his third straight Masters victory as the KKK has a representative outside Augusta National.
(04/04/03 4:51am)
I know it is April now and "America's pastime" has begun, but as we go into Final Four weekend I cannot help but still feel the Madness of March and speculate as to whom will run the table and take home the national title. With a few exceptions, this year's NCAA Tournament had been kind to the higher seeds until the Regional Finals last weekend. All four number one seeds advanced to the Elite Eight for just the fourth time since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1985, but Texas was the only top seed to survive and make it to New Orleans.\nMy bracket this year has been a mess, and last year I was one for three in picking Final Four games, so we will see if I can make up for lackluster performances.
(03/28/03 5:56am)
Spring break has now been over for a week, but sports fans will be treated to another break of some sort this weekend. No matter your sport of choice, there is something on the sports platter for you this weekend. Here is a brief rundown of what is on tap:\nNCAA Basketball\nIt is still March for a few days, so it would not be fair to start with anything else. Even though our beloved Hoosiers have been ousted from 'the Dance,' any true sports fan is still in heaven as the Road to New Orleans will be finalized this weekend at the four regional sites. Will one of the Cinderallas from the East Region (10-seeded Auburn or 12-seeded Butler) be able to continue their run to the Bayou? In the South Region we have a marquee match-up of two of the last three national title winners in Michigan State and Maryland. Do the Spartans or Terps have enough juice to make another run at the title? These storylines and others are sure to keep any hoops fan on the edge of their seat thru the weekend.\nAlso, do not forget about the women's tournament which has a few intriguing Sweet 16 match-ups itself. In-state rivals Purdue and Notre Dame square off for the right to battle perennial powerhouse Connecticut, should the Huskies get by Big East foe Boston College. While the men's games provide more hype and get more attention, for basketball savvy fan, the women's tournament brings out the importance of fundamentals and playing a team game.\nMajor League Baseball\nJust an hour after all the Men's NCAA Final Four tickets have been punched for New Orleans, the Major League Baseball season starts as the defending World Series champion Anaheim Angles host the Texas Rangers. Led by superstar Alex Rodriguez (if he is healthy), the Rangers will again have no problem scoring runs; the question is will they be able to ever stop their opponent from crossing the plate. A full slate of games is set for Monday as spring will officially be here for the fans of America's pastime.\nNational Hockey League\nRight behind the NCAA basketball tournament, playoff hockey is my second favorite type of postseason. The intensity and sudden death overtimes bring the raise the level of play and importance of games ten-fold as teams fight for Lord Stanley's Cup. For many teams the playoff chase has already begun or starts this weekend as they fight for playoff positioning and home ice advantage with just one week of the regular season remaining.\nGolf\nThe Players Championship at Sawgrass continues this weekend as Tiger Woods tries to reclaim his title from 2001 after Craig Perks surprised everybody with a win last year. With Ernie Els and Phil Mickelson, the No. 2 and 3 ranked players in the world, pulling out of the tournament, Tiger would appear to be the heavy favorite, especially after his 11-stroke win at last week's Bay Hill Invitational.\nLittle 500\nTo add some local flavor to the sports scene this weekend, tomorrow is qualifications day for the Little 500 and the so-called "greatest weekend on a college campus." Riders have been training for months for a chance to represent their team and an opportunity only available to a miniscule fraction of collegiates in the U.S. So get out and support a team you have an affiliation with and partake in one of the most storied college weekends in the nation.\nNational Basketball Association\nSure there are some games scheduled, but nothing really matters yet. Ask me in a few weeks when the playoffs begin and these mega-millionaires actually start earning their paychecks.
(03/10/03 1:03am)
In recent years the gap between professional and amateur sports and their athletes has diminished considerably. In the age of the Internet and minute-by-minute sports updates on ESPN, we are constantly fed information about the up-and-coming stars in the world of sports.\nTo fully investigate the topic of amateur sports, I decided it would be best to first define the term amateur. In the dictionary, amateur is defined as "one who engages in a pursuit, study, science, or sport as a pastime rather than a profession." \nThis definition indicates an amateur would be a young athlete (from small children to a collegiate) who plays the game for pleasure and not necessarily as a means of promoting themselves.\nOne could argue that even at the youngest of ages we all aspire to be a professional at some point so we are participating in sports at more than an amateur status. But the key is the realization of when one no longer has the opportunity to keep playing sports. But in today's society, with the media frenzies all over young athletes, the games have surpassed amateur status as athletes are being exposed at their own expense.\nMedia outlets such as ESPN (and all of their TV and print\nsubsidiaries, they have too many to list in this entire article),\nSports Illustrated and all of the sport specific mediums have\nincreased publicity of so-called amateur athletes in recent years.\nThis increase in publicity has only provided more water cooler talk for the workplace and often sends rumors running rampant on the Web.\nGone are the days when water-cooler talk consisted of who your\nfavorite team was going to take in the upcoming draft. Present are the days of constantly critiquing and analyzing the recruiting process of a local high school (even junior high and elementary age kids in some instances) athlete and where they may end up playing college or professional ball.\nLebron James, the high school basketball phenom from Akron, Ohio, who will likely be the No. 1 pick in this year's NBA Draft, had his amateur status temporarily taken from him by the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA). James was suspended for the rest of the season before it was appealed and turned into a two-game suspension for accepting two "throwback" jerseys in exchange for pictures of James taken by a storeowner to put on his store wall.\nJames has been plastered on magazine covers, had multiple games televised on ESPN and has been a feature story on ESPN's "SportsCenter" and the OHSAA first investigated James for a Hummer H2 given to him by his mother for his 18th birthday. The fact that I can just mention the name Lebron and instigate a 20-minute conversation with a friend displays the over-publicizing of James' situation. Sure James is a great player (perhaps one of the best high school players ever), but he is just 18-years old and should still be\nan amateur in the pure sense of the term. But with all the media\nattention given to James, he gave up his amateur status long ago.\nAnother not so publicized, but equally intriguing story of an amateur athlete is that of 13-year-old golfer Michelle Wie. Wie, who already stands 5-feet-10-inches, can drive the ball a whopping 300 yards, farther than several men on the PGA Tour. Maybe that is why Wie has already tried to qualify for a PGA Tour event. In a qualifier last November for the 2003 Sony Open while shooting from the men's tees, Wie shot a one-over-par 73 and was just seven shots from qualifying.\nWie would be in junior high school if she was just your average\nteenager, but Wie is far from it. She not only anticipates playing on the PGA Tour, but expects to dominate the men on tour in the near future.\nWith amateurism all but gone from college, high school and even youth club sports, where can we look for good 'ole amateur sports where you shake hands after the game, drive home with family and friends and reminisce while dining at the local cafe?\nIf you are really in search of true amateurs in sports, look no\nfarther than your local pick-up game at the School of Health Physical Education and Recreation. Heck, even I'm available to play for a few throwback jerseys.
(03/04/03 6:31am)
Strength enhancements, dietary supplements and other "herbal" enhancements have long been prominent in locker rooms as athletes fight for every advantage they can get over their opponent. But it is now time to get rid of all of these supplements in the sports world and get back to the basics in terms of strength and conditioning training.\nThe death of Baltimore Orioles pitcher Steve Bechler in spring training Feb. 17, was the third death in three years of athletes in training camps prior to their respective seasons. Northwestern football senior Rashidi Wheeler and Minnesota Vikings lineman Korey Stringer both died in 2001 in pre-season practices. Each death came after the players passed out in practice and eventually died from what doctors determined was heatstroke.\nRelatives of Stringer and Wheeler have both filed wrongful death suits against the Vikings and Northwestern respectively, due to what they considered to be negligent care for Stringer and Wheeler after they collapsed on the fields. But rumors have stirred around both of these stories saying that Stringer and Wheeler may have been taking supplements containing ephedrine, the drug also linked to the death of Bechler.\nEphedrine can be found in several over-the-counter athletic enhancements and even such common drugs as Sudafed. But, it is the amount of ephedrine which enters the system from the athletic supplements which makes the drug dangerous.\nEphedrine has been shown to lead to strokes and heart attacks in users and has been linked to over 800 injuries and 50 deaths by the Food and Drug Administration since 1994. Studies have also revealed that ephedrine can interfere with the body's ability to avoid overheating or heatstroke, which again coincidently were the causes of death for Bechler, Stringer and Wheeler. With these statistics, I question why ephedrine is even allowed in over-the-counter goods.\nThe fierce competition and money involved in sports is a primary cause of the current problems of supplemental use. Athletes often feel compelled or possibly even forced into playing at a certain level or meeting standards and believe the only way to achieve those requirements are through the use of supplements.\nIt is this battle with supplements which has brought such dark clouds over the sports world in recent years. Questions have often been raised about new records being broken (see Mark McGwire breaking Roger Maris' season home run record in 1998). Of all the athletic institutions, the International Olympic Committee and their doping-control efforts are the most stringent. Major League Baseball could take a few hints from the IOC in dealing with its athletes taking supplements with substances such as ephedrine.\nEphedrine is a banned substance in the NFL (which only occurred after Stringer's death) and the NCAA. It is now time for MLB to crack down on the use of enhancements which not only put into question the validity of new records, but can put the lives of players on the line on a daily basis.\nBechler's wife has said she will file a suit against the producer of the dietary supplement Bechler was using which contained the ephedrine substance. How many more lawsuits or deaths do we want to face before we get the real picture of these substances and the consequences they can impose on their users? I'm ready to get rid of the substances now and just allow the players to decide the game based on their own physical abilities.
(02/21/03 6:27am)
After last weekend's rain-shortened Daytona 500, journalists took advantage of their opportunity to take cheap shots at auto racing and specifically NASCAR for not completing the allotted 200 laps. These jabs poked fun at NASCAR for not finishing the race, and many analysts questioned how a sport could cut short their "Super Bowl," to which the Daytona 500 is often compared.\nBut this was the first Daytona 500 to be shortened by inclement weather since 1966, so for Daytona this was an extremely rare occurrence. All of auto racing faces the problem of unpredictable Mother Nature and is frequently criticized when they must shorten a race or even postpone or cancel an event due to bad weather. But this is the nature of the sport, and there is no question that racing is a sport.\nI'll preface this a bit by saying I have been a lifelong racing fan, as I was born in Indianapolis and lived just a mile from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway until I was six. My dad used to pick my brother and me up from the babysitter's and take us to "The Track" for practices and time trials throughout the month of May. I could even hear the magnificent sound of the screaming engines from my house.\nIt just makes me cringe when I hear someone say, "Racing is not a sport, all they do is drive around in circles; even I could do that." I would like to see an average citizen hop in the cockpit of an Indy car or NASCAR and take it for a ride at 200 miles per hour, nearly brushing an outside cement wall that could send you spinning and flipping into oblivion. Not to mention doing that with 30 or 40 other drivers out on the track while avoiding a wreck. Some people would argue that racing is a skill more than a sport, because the car does much of the work, but again I would disagree. Anything is really a skill when it comes down to it: Hitting a home run or shooting a free throw are both just skills too.\nDrivers are some of the most fit athletes in the world. While they may not be the strongest, their physical and mental endurance put them near the top of any athletic cast. The G-Forces received in the cockpit of an Indy car while flying down a straightaway can cause one to become nauseated and even temporarily unconscious. NASCAR and Indy races commonly last 3-4 hours, often in stifling heat and cars without the luxury of air conditioning.\nAt last year's Brickyard 400, temperatures exceeded 105 degrees with the heat index, and I viewed dozens of fans who were extremely dehydrated and some who even fainted due to the heat. However, the 43 NASCAR drivers put on a show for the fans and lasted all 160 laps in the typical hot and muggy weather of August in Indiana.\nUnfortunately for Americans, we rarely get to see the greatest drivers and thus some of the greatest athletes in the world. That is because the Formula 1 series only comes to the United States once a year and is seldom discussed by our sports media. Because of the effect of the high speeds and sudden breaking and turns, there have been multiple Formula 1 drivers who have had to suddenly change their eating and workout habits to get more fit because of excessive nausea and sickness in the car.\nAs much as I love all the traditional sports of basketball, baseball, football and many others, racing is just as intense and often times even more exhilarating. Not to mention that all of those other sports only require just one ball, but to race with the best of them, you need two.
(02/14/03 5:37am)
Don't look now, but the Los Angeles Lakers are again primed to make their second half run to assure them a solid position in the Western Conference Playoffs. Once in the playoffs, the Lakers will contest with all the Western powers as they vie for their fourth straight NBA title.\nSure the Lakers have not been this far back from the Sacramento's, Dallas' and San Antonio's of the world in recent years. But, throughout last season they chased Sacramento and eventually finished three games back of the Kings who claimed the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. Yet come playoff time the Lakers seemingly flipped a switch into overdrive as they outlasted the Kings in a grueling and memorable seven-game series and then tossed away the Eastern Conference pest of the Nets in a four-game sweep to claim their third straight title.\nI'm not making these premonitions as a Lakers fan either, in fact I cannot stand the Lakers. But with the most dominating player in the game in Shaquille O'Neal and one of the best, if not the best all-around player in the game in Kobe Bryant, the Lakers will easily make the playoffs and another run for the NBA Finals.\nAfter starting 3-9 before the return of O'Neal from toe surgery and then sitting at 11-19 30 games into the season, the Lakers went into last weekend's All-Star weekend on a five-game winning streak. The streak included wins on the road over current West No. 7 seed Phoenix, current West No. 2 seed Sacramento and Eastern Conference leader Indiana. Prior to the losses to L.A., the Kings and Pacers had lost a combined total of five games on their home courts.\nThe winning streak put the Lakers over .500 for the first time all season and with two easy victories over Denver earlier this week, L.A. goes into tonight's match-up with San Antonio three games over the .500-mark. More importantly for the Lakers is that 10 of their next 12 games are at home which will allow them to solidify their record above the .500-mark and also get into position for a playoff spot. After their current homestretch, L.A. has a crucial six-game road stint, followed closely by a three-game road trip which will test the team's will.\nCurrently the Lakers are the No. 9 team in the Western Conference and they are just a half game back of Houston. L.A. is just two games back of Phoenix who have already showed signs of cracking as they lost at home to the 18-33 L.A. Clippers on Tuesday night.\nDespite their early struggles, the Lakers have recently shown signs of its previous glory. Bryant has averaged 42 points a game over the Lakers last seven games and O'Neal has averaged over 26 points and 11 rebounds in the Lakers last 11 games. L.A. is also beginning to get boosted contributions from key role players Derek Fisher, Rick Fox and Samaki Walker who will all be essential to the Lakers playoff run.\nBy the end of the season, L.A. will be at worst a No. 5 or 6 seed in the West as they will easily overtake Phoenix and Minnesota or Utah if not both. Heading into the playoffs the Lakers will likely lack home court advantage throughout the playoffs, but they did receive a break earlier this week when the NBA changed first round series to a best-of-seven games format. With the pounding O'Neal gives out combined with the explosiveness of Bryant, there may not be a team that can stop the Lakers.\nThe biggest obstacle L.A. may face is fatigue after overcoming such a deficit and also playing so many playoff games on the road. But come late April and May, the Lakers will again flip the switch into overdrive and make a push for the title once again. And when the switch is flipped, all the pressure will be off L.A. and back on the jittery legs of Sacramento and Dallas who will have to prove they can beat the Lakers before they can steal their title.
(01/31/03 5:49am)
Just when you thought Pete Rose's plea for a return to baseball might be accepted by Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig, the dear Mr. Rose (a.k.a. Charlie Hustle) found a way to foil his opportunity. Rose was reportedly seen last week at some Las Vegas casinos, and now Selig and other baseball heads are questioning whether or not Rose would still be susceptible to betting on baseball again.\nAfter a detailed investigation by baseball investigator John Dowd declared Rose had placed 412 bets on baseball (52 being on his own Cincinnati Reds to win) between April and July of 1987, Rose agreed to a lifetime banishment from the game on Aug. 29, 1989. Rose, who has never admitted to betting on baseball, has been out of the game ever since. But Rose often conspicuously rears his face at baseball's largest events like the World Series, All-Star games and particularly in Cooperstown, N.Y., during MLB's Hall of Fame weekend to sign autographs (for money of course) and make personal appearances.\nRose's biggest problem might not even be getting back into baseball as the Los Angeles County Recorder's Office claims Rose owes $151,689 in federal taxes from 1998. It is not the first time Rose has been in trouble with the law as he was sentenced to five months in prison, three months in a halfway house and 1,000 community service hours in 1990 after admitting to hiding income of $354,968 from 1984-1987.\nI will admit that I grew up despising the Cincinnati Reds and Rose, who managed the Reds from 1985-1988. When Rose was banned from the game in 1989, I believed the ban was completely justified based on the findings of Rose betting on baseball and specifically on the Reds while he was their manager. \nWhile Charlie Hustle is without question one of the greatest hitters of all-time, his banishment from baseball has kept him out of the MLB Hall of Fame. Selig has been under recent pressure to re-instate Rose to gain fan support for the game since it has suffered setbacks with low attendance, contraction mishaps and a befuddled All-Star game last year which ended in a tie.\nRose and Selig met on Nov. 25 to discuss Rose's re-instatement. Selig seemed poised to re-instate Rose and had a meeting planned with the 58 living members of the MLB Hall of Fame to discuss Rose's future with the game. With the recent developments, Selig has postponed the meeting. One of Selig's stipulations for re-instatement was believed to be a confession of Rose that he did bet on baseball, which seems to contradict itself to me -- as long as you admit you bet we will let you back in.\nRose should not be fully re-instated to baseball; however, he should be put into the MLB Hall of Fame. What Rose did in betting on the game diminished his integrity and that of baseball. For that, he does not deserve another opportunity to partake in the game he loves.\nFor a long time I was even against putting Rose in the Hall, but in recent years even I have come to appreciate all Rose did as a player on the field. Charlie Hustle is the MLB's all-time leader in hits, games played, at bats, singles, total bases for a switch hitter and seasons with 200 or more hits. He also is the only player to ever play over 500 games at five different positions in his National League record 24-year career.\nEven the Hall of Fame's mission statement declares it, "Honors, by enshrinement, those individuals who had exceptional careers, and recognizes others for their significant achievements." If Rose's 4,256 career hits are not enough to get him in the Hall, I do not know what is.\nHowever, I'm in favor of former MLB commissioner Fay Vincent's notion that Rose's plaque should explicitly mention his banishment for gambling because you never know if Charlie's hustlin' around the bases or to his nearest bookie.
(01/24/03 5:43am)
Big weekends in the world of sports often bring up captivating story lines and match-ups -- this year's Super Bowl weekend is no different. After a convincing win last weekend, the Oakland Raiders have returned to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1984 and are in search of their fourth Super Bowl victory. \nMeanwhile, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in their first Super Bowl in the 26-year history of the franchise after dominating a Philadelphia Eagles team which had knocked them out of the playoffs the previous two years.\nWe need look no farther than the coaches, Tampa Bay's Jon Gruden (a.k.a. Chucky) and Oakland's Bill Callahan, to let the flood gates open with intrigue. Just last year Gruden roamed the sidelines for the Raiders with Callahan as Oakland's Offensive Coordinator after coming to the Raiders with Gruden in 1998 from Philadelphia.\n On the Bucs sideline you have the tough-nosed Gruden whose scowling facial expressions could put fear in the eyes of Hannibal and whose brash attitude was not appreciated by several current Raider players. Callahan on the other hand, brought a cool yet confident swagger to the Raider sidelines and has pushed all the right buttons in leading the Raiders to the Super Bowl.\nMedia interest does not stop with the team's coaches as cameras and spotlights will be cast on Raiders owner Al Davis who may blind you with his re-known silver and black sweatsuit. Davis, who has long been the nemesis of the NFL front office, has specific interest in this game as he pulled the strings on the 'trade' which allowed Gruden to go to Tampa Bay after last year.\nFor the first time in Super Bowl history, the No.1 regular season offensive and defensive squads will face each other. Loud-mouthed Warren Sapp leads a Tampa Bay defense which will attempt to slow down the Raiders potent offensive airshow led by 37-year-old quarterback and NFL Most Valuable Player Rich Gannon.\nThe Bucs defense prides itself on speed, aggressiveness and its unique cover 2 defense which has stymied some of the best offenses in the NFL. If the Bucs pass rush cannot get to Gannon, we will likely see two wily veterans in 36-year-old Tim Brown and 40-year-old Jerry Rice corralling in passes. Brown will be making his first Super Bowl appearance of an illustrious 15-year career and despite their age, he and Rice have consistently found more holes in inexperienced backfields than in Swiss cheese.\nAlthough the match-up of the Raiders offense and Bucs defense is enticing, the game will likely be decided by what the ever-improving Bucs offense can do against a solid Raiders defense. Bucs quarterback Brad Johnson was snubbed again Wednesday from the Pro Bowl when Philadelphia's Donovan McNabb was named the replacement for Green Bay's Brett Farve. Johnson has completed 54.7 percent of his passes for 455 yards and three touchdowns in the Bucs two playoff victories as he has been playing with a chip on his shoulder since not being considered one of the best three NFC quarterbacks by Pro Bowl voters.\nAfter pondering all the possible breakdowns of Super Bowl XXXVII, I will admit that I am completely unsure what to expect from the game. Several Super Bowl's of recent history have looked to be blowouts on paper, but as New England showed last year, that is why they play the game. Will Gruden be successful in using all he knows about Oakland to shut down the league's number one offense, or will Callahan outsmart and trick his way to a victory over his predecessor?\nIn the end, I think the old cliché, "offense wins games, defense wins championships" will prevail. The Bucs will prevail behind the leg of place kicker Martin "Automatica" Gramatica who will kick a late field goal for a 26-24 victory and Chucky will have the last laugh in this saga. Now lets just hope in the celebration that Gramatica does not tear a knee ligament in honor of younger brother Bill two years ago.
(01/21/03 5:58am)
If you have watched "SportsCenter" or any other sporting highlights show, read the sports section or listened to sports talk radio in the last few days, you might have the impression the National Football League officials are some of the worst people in the world. After game-deciding calls at the end of two playoff games over the last two weekends, referees Ron Blum and Ron Winter, along with their crews, were berated by coaches, fans and sportscasters.\nBlum's running into the kicker call in overtime of the Tennessee Titans 34-31 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers was a questionable call, but most penalties are questionable by one stance or another. Much of refereeing is subjective and leaves the door open for an uncertain call to be debated upon by so-called experts for days.\nAnalysts and fans often gripe the players should decide the game, not the officials, and I'll admit that I am one of those people. However, Steelers cornerback Dewayne Washington should not have even been close to brushing Titans kicker Joe Nedney after a 31-yard field goal which Nedney pulled wide right. Nedney, with an Oscar-like acting performance, plopped to the ground drawing the flag from Blum. As a Steelers fan, I was upset with Blum's call which gave Nedney another chance to kick a game-winning 26-yard field goal. But with Washington lightly brushing Nedney, Blum was able to call the penalty.\nA week prior to Blum's call, fellow referee Winter and his officiating crew missed a pass interference call on San Francisco 49ers defensive end Chike Okeafor. Back judge Scott Green, who at the time was the highest rated back judge of all NFL officials, said he did not call pass interference because he thought Giants guard Rich Seubert was an ineligible receiver down field. However, prior to the game Seubert had reported as an eligible receiver on all field goal attempts. After a botched snap on a game-winning field goal attempt, Seubert ran down field for a pass where he was clobbered by Okeafor well before the ball reached him.\nIn a statement by Mike Pereira, the NFL's director of officiating, Pereira admitted Winter's crew made a mistake by not calling pass interference. Pereira did the right thing in issuing the statement as human error is a part of the game . The Giants even have some experience with human error, just ask quarterback Kerry Collins about his alcohol use -- need I say more? We all make mistakes and in this case an officials' mistake cost the Giants.\nI do think I would prefer an officials' mistake to the ones uncovered in the state of Illinois' judicial system which led to Illinois Gov. George Ryan commuting all 167 death row inmates, most to life-in-prison without parole. Let's see, a missed call in an NFL game or commuting all death row inmates, even those not asking to be commuted; I'll take a missed officials' call any day to a quandary in the judicial system. In the whole scheme of things, a blown or subjective call by an NFL referee really does not mean anything.\nSo the next time you are watching a game and you think an official makes a bad call, cut them some slack and remember he is only human and subject to mistakes -- aren't you?
(01/10/03 7:17pm)
Remember the wonderful days when college football bowl games actually meant a little something. The times when a team had to have an 8-3 or 9-2 record just to go to a bowl game, let alone a high profile New Year's Day game. Now a 6-6 record even with a losing conference record can get you a bid to the Mazda Tangerine Bowl, or my personal favorite, the new Diamond Walnut San Francisco Bowl.\nWith 28 bowl games over a two-and-a-half week stretch, one might think a sports fanatic would be in heaven. It's just too bad that 27 of the 28 games did not mean anything. Of the 117 Division I teams, 56 made bowl appearances and this year only Miami (Fla.) and Ohio State had any significant reason to play. As more bowls seem to be added each year, more mediocre college football teams will have the opportunity to play one more meaningless game to cap their season. Unfortunately, they will not be games to define their season.\nThe 2002 bowl season kicked off in New Orleans on Dec. 17 when North Texas downed Cincinnati 24-19. Little did the average fan know, but North Texas' five-point victory would be one of just seven bowl games (or 25 percent of the entire bowl schedule) which were decided by eight points or less.\nThe best day of games just might have been Dec. 27, which most fans likely did not catch as they were still recovering from a Christmas Day full of eating and dealing with family. A MainStay Independence Bowl match-up of 6-6 Mississippi and 7-6 Nebraska proved to be one of the best bowl games of the year as Ole Miss used a late touchdown and solid second half defense to send the Huskers packing with their first .500 or sub-.500 season since 1961.\nIn the nightcap, the PacificLife Holiday Bowl was yet again a highlight of the bowl season. Kansas State used a 13-point comeback and touchdown pass with 1:15 left to hold off a big underdog Arizona State squad.\nUnfortunately the New Year's Eve and New Year's Day games would not live up to the hype and expectations they often get. Five of the six games on each day were decided by eight points or more and neither Virginia Tech's 20-13 win over Air Force nor Auburn's 13-9 win over Penn State proved to be very exciting games. Even the two Bowl Championship Series games on New Year's were both won by more than 13 points.\nThe highly-anticipated Iowa and Southern California match-up in the FedEx Orange Bowl led to one of the biggest blowouts of the bowl season as Iowa quarterback and Heisman Trophy runner-up Brad Banks forgot to bring his game down from Iowa City. After returning the opening kick-off 100 yards, Iowa allowed Heisman winner and USC quarterback Carson Palmer to pick their defense apart in a 38-17 route of the Hawkeyes.\nLuckily Miami (Fla.) did not run over Ohio State as most analysts thought they would. After battling through two overtimes, the Buckeyes prevailed 31-24 and fans were treated to perhaps the greatest National Championship game in college football history.\nUnfortunately, the disappointing bowl season forces me to say one thing I never thought I would, and hopefully will never have to do again … thank you Ohio State, thank you.
(12/02/02 4:10am)
Heading into last Wednesday's second round NCAA Tournament match against Notre Dame, the IU men's soccer team was looking to avenge their last loss on their home turf at Bill Armstrong Stadium. While it was not a pretty game and in the words of Hoosier coach Jerry Yeagley it was not a good performance for IU offensively, the Hoosiers did advance with a 1-0 win over the Irish.\nNo. 5 ranked, but unseeded IU (15-3-2) managed just 10 shots in the game and a meager three in the second half, but one of those three netted the lone goal of the game. Sophomore midfielder Ned Grabavoy found freshman midfielder Brian Plotkin in the middle of IU's offensive box, and Plotkin found the back of the net for his first career Hoosier goal. Plotkin beat Notre Dame sophomore keeper Chris Sawyer as he chipped the ball over a sliding Sawyer and into the left side of the goal. The assist put Grabavoy over the 20-point plateau and was Plotkin's eighth point on the year.\n"It was great to get the goal to break the game open and get the lead," Plotkin said. "After that we were just trying to find a way to win the game, whether it be score another goal or just find a way to keep a one goal difference. To come through in the tournament and help the team, it was a great feeling."\nThe Hoosiers found a way to hold on and preserve the 1-0 victory as sophomore keeper Jay Nolly made two saves on Notre Dame's six shots. The shutout was Nolly's eighth of the season and lowered his goals against average to .77.\nYeagley said the defense he saw in the Hoosiers was the type of play he has seen in IU's other successful teams.\n"The one thread over the years that has won championships for us has been our defense," Yeagley said. "We have not had as many shutouts as we felt we should have this year and that was certainly a pleasing thing. I thought Notre Dame put up a terrific fight; they are a very good team. It was a defensive struggle tonight and we won it on a beautiful goal."\nThe Irish were forced to play a man down after their senior midfielder Justin Ratcliffe was given a red card for a hard sliding tackle on IU junior midfielder Vijay Dias. Despite playing a man down, Notre Dame (12-6-3) created multiple chances to tie the game but were unsuccessful. The Hoosiers were content to play defense and clear the ball throughout the final 27 minutes, allowing the Irish to keep up their attack.\nNotre Dame coach Bobby Clark said his team's task became much harder after Ratcliffe's red card.\n"It was a very competitive game. We are obviously very disappointed because we felt we could have gone farther in the tournament, but we knew this would be a very tough hurdle," Clark said. "The hard thing for us was obviously the ejection; to play Indiana is a fairly tough task when you play 11-on-11."\nThe Hoosiers did not get a shot off until nearly 27 minutes had passed in the first half, as Notre Dame controlled the ball for much of the first half. Yeagley said the first games in tournament play have often given his Hoosier squads some early jitters.\n"Historically the first games in tournament play have been some of the toughest for us," Yeagley said. "I think there were some nerves, even though this team has nothing to prove. "They have been to three Final Fours in a row, and nobody in the country is more tournament tested. We still came out and did not consistently play with the offensive ability we have"
(11/26/02 5:15am)
In recent years, November and December is when the IU men's soccer team puts it all together and begins another march to the College Cup. After being ousted from the Big Ten Championships by Penn State on penalty kicks, the Hoosiers were forced to wait and see where they would be placed in the NCAA Tournament. No. 5 IU (14-3-2) still received a first round bye and will host No. 21 Notre Dame (12-5-3) 7 p.m. Wednesday in second round action, but the Hoosiers were snubbed of a top eight seed which would offer more home field opportunities.\nIU coach Jerry Yeagley said the Hoosiers will look to use the seeding disappointment as motivation as they seek their sixth consecutive College Cup appearance.\n"We were down and in a funk, feeling sorry for ourselves for a few hours the first day," Yeagley said. "To really being upset and committed to prove that we are a team that deserves to be seeded higher in our opinion."\nIU's first tournament test in Notre Dame will not be an easy one as the Fighting Irish are the last team to beat the Hoosiers at IU's Bill Armstrong Stadium. Notre Dame downed IU 1-0 Oct. 17, 2001; it was the Hoosiers last loss until the National Championship game.\nThe Hoosiers will have the services of sophomore midfielder Ned Grabavoy, who is back for the NCAA Tournament after missing IU's final two regular season games with an ankle injury. Grabavoy missed the Big Ten Championships as he was playing with the U.S. Under-20 National Team in a FIFA World Youth Championship Qualifier competition. He finished regular season Big Ten play as the conference leading scorer with 15 points and will look to return where he left off.\nWhile Grabavoy said the ankle still bothers him at times, he will play through the injury and said he knows Notre Dame will present the Hoosiers with a tough test.\n"(My ankle) is still sore and it is going to be sore for a while, but I have to try and put it out of my mind," Grabavoy said. "We are in a win or lose situation right now and every game is basically like a championship game. Notre Dame is going to be tough, they are coached to be very tough and organized so we will have to be patient and finish our chances."\nNotre Dame defeated Akron 3-1 in first round NCAA action to advance to face the Hoosiers. Senior forward Rafael Garcia carried the Irish as he matched his two goals on the year with two goals against Akron. Senior forward Erich Braun leads Notre Dame with 23 points on the season including a goal in their first round NCAA match. Junior midfielder Chad Riley has also eclipsed the 20-point plateau for the Fighting Irish as he has 20 points on four goals and 12 assists.\nThe Hoosiers will look to their defensive core and sophomore goalkeeper Jay Nolly to shut down the Irish's offensive attack. Nolly said IU's experienced upperclassmen have helped him and others to prepare heading into tournament action.\n"The seniors and juniors have really taught us a lot about finding a way to win during a game," Nolly said. "We are going all out, it is tourney time for us now. IU has had a good tradition about being top notch during tourney time. Everyone looks good right now and we are healthy; we are going to go out all fired up."\nIU owns a 39-3 record all-time at Bill Armstrong Stadium in NCAA Tournament play and have not lost in Bloomington in NCAA action since 1995 when another in-state rival, Butler, upset the Hoosiers 1-0. If the Hoosiers get past the Fighting Irish they will play the winner of No. 7 seed Connecticut and Pennsylvania. Should UCONN defeat Penn, IU would likely be on the road for their match with the Huskies which would take place on Saturday, Nov. 30 or Sunday, Dec. 1.\nYeagley still remains optimistic about his tourney tested team and expects the Hoosiers to bring the best game throughout the tournament.\n"On our best day we are as good as anyone out there I feel," Yeagley said. "We have a tough road to hoe and we need to stay focused defensively and we have to execute better on our final touch to goal. I have a feeling this team will be focused, this team realizes we have performed well and have not achieved to our potential and hopefully that will come through in the tournament"
(11/18/02 4:22am)
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Heading into the Big Ten Championships, the IU men's soccer team had played 236 games on the road at a total of 73 different facilities. The Hoosiers owned a winning record at all of those road facilities they had played more than four games at except for Penn State's Jeffrey Field, the host for the Big Ten Championships.\nFriday, Penn State showed why as they downed IU 4-2 on penalty kicks after tying 1-1 in regulation and two overtime periods.\nAfter Penn State defeated Wisconsin in first round action on Thursday, No. 1 seed IU knew it would face a tough challenge in conquering the Nittany Lions again. No. 4 seed Penn State did not disappoint in providing a challenge in Friday night's match, particularly after the first half.\nThe Hoosiers came out firing as they posted eight shots on goal compared to Penn State's two during the first half. Sophomore forward Mike Ambersley put IU on top 1-0 when he drilled the ball out of the air just outside Penn State's defensive box and put it in the back of the net. The Hoosiers had multiple other chances throughout the match, but were unable to capitalize on any after Ambersley's goal.\n"I thought the goal was a big lift for our team," Ambersley said. "We had more chances but were not able to put any away. The match was very physical, but that is the nature of Big Ten play, and I think we were ready for that."\nPenn State came out firing on all cylinders in the second half and knotted the game at 1-1 on sophomore Chad Severs' goal with 15:36 remaining in the match. The Hoosiers had several opportunities to regain the lead in regulation and in each overtime, but Nittany Lion senior keeper Ryan Sickman made big save after big save to keep the game tied. Sickman made consecutive diving saves on Hoosier senior Pat Noonan with 5:41 and 5:11 remaining in the first overtime when it appeared the senior Player of the Year candidate was going to help the Hoosiers advance.\nAfter two scoreless overtime periods, the match was decided by penalty kicks on a best-of-five basis. The first four shooters for the Nittany Lions were able to beat IU sophomore goalie Jay Nolly, while Sickman made a save on the Hoosiers first shot by senior back John Swann.\nAmbersley, the Hoosiers' second shooter, put his shot over the goalpost. Junior Vijay Dias and freshman Brian Plotkin both converted on their attempts for IU, but it wasn't enough as Penn State advanced to the Big Ten Championship with a 4-2 win in penalty kicks.\nSickman said he was not going to let the Nittany Lions fall after getting back into the game.\n"When we were down 1-0 we thought we could get the chances to get us back in the game," Sickman said. "Most people dread taking penalty kicks, but I love them, what a thrilling way to win."\nThe loss dropped IU to 14-3-2 on the year and 4-5-2 all-time at Jeffrey Field. Penn State moved to 13-7 this season and marked the first victory for the Nittany Lion seniors over IU.\nIn the championship game Sunday, Penn State defeated Michigan 2-1 on goals by Severs and sophomore forward Joe Zewe.\nDespite the loss, Hoosier coach Jerry Yeagley said he believed IU played the best they had ever played against Penn State at Jeffrey Field and remains optimistic about IU's chances in the upcoming NCAA Tournament.\n"We created good opportunities, but our finishing was not as sharp as it should have been," Yeagley said. "We needed to get a break. You let a team hang around like Penn State, and they will probably find a way. I am proud of this IU team, and it is better that it happened in this match than an NCAA match."
(11/15/02 5:29am)
For the ninth time in the 12-year history of the Big Ten Men's Soccer Championships, IU enters the tournament as the top seed having won the regular season Big Ten title with a 6-0 record in conference play. The Hoosiers are the reigning Big Ten Tournament Champions and hold an 18-2 all-time record in tournament play, but just two seasons ago No. 5 seed Ohio State upset the No. 1 seeded Hoosiers in the semifinals.\nIU's top seed gives the Hoosiers a bye in the first round as the other six teams compete to advance to the semifinals. IU (14-2-2) is slated to get started in tournament play 5 p.m. today at University Park, Penn., against No. 4 Penn State after the Nittany Lions beat Wisconsin 1-0 in Thursday's opening round. The last time Penn State hosted the Big Ten Championships was in 1996 and IU defeated Penn State on penalty kicks in the semifinals and Michigan State in the final to win the title.\nIU coach Jerry Yeagley said he believes the Hoosiers got a rough draw despite having the top seed.\n"We got the worst possible draw I feel," Yeagley said. "We could play Penn State on their field, a team that was bitterly disappointed when we beat them on a penalty kick in overtime. I thought they had the better of it and they had a man advantage for much of the game, we did not play well and it is tough to play them at home."\nPrior to knowing the outcome of Thursday's matches, sophomore midfielder Danny O'Rourke said the Hoosiers would be challenged by either the Badgers or the Nittany Lions.\n"If we play Wisconsin, they are a tough team and always have been," O'Rourke said. "Playing Penn State would be even harder because it is at home for them and the style they play is aggressive along with us. I think it will definitely be a hard fought match no matter who we play."\nHeading into this year's tournament, IU owns a 25-5-2 all-time record against Penn State including an 8-1 mark in Big Ten Championship play. In games played at University Park, the Hoosiers and Nittany Lions have split ten games with a record of 4-4-2; however, IU has a 4-0-2 record in the last six contests at Penn State. In the eleven previous Big Ten Championships the Nittany Lions have made the semifinal round each year.\nThe Nittany Lions have won four of their last five games while allowing just two goals over that span. IU downed Penn State 1-0 in double overtime on Sept. 27 at Penn State on sophomore Ned Grabavoy's penalty kick in the 105th minute of play. Sophomore forward Chad Severs leads Penn State (12-7) with 28 points on 13 goals and two assists; Severs trails only Hoosier senior Pat Noonan in Big Ten rankings for scoring in all games.\nIU finished the Big Ten regular season undefeated and No. 7 seed Northwestern completed conference play winless. The other five teams finished Big Ten play with 3-3 records so goal differential in conference games was used to seed the remaining teams. Michigan was awarded the No. 2 seed, Ohio State was given the No. 3 seed and host Penn State was seeded No. 4. Wisconsin received the No. 5 seed, while the No. 6 seed went to Michigan State.\nWith the parity within the conference, senior midfielder Ryan Mack said he thinks the tournament is anyone's to grab.\n"Any day, any team can win," Mack said. "They have all been real even and I think we have to go in there knowing all these teams have up and down games and we definitely need to be at the top of our game."\nThe Hoosiers will be without their scoring leader in conference games, Grabavoy, who is playing with the U.S. Under-20 National Team at a FIFA World Youth Championship Qualifier in South Carolina. Grabavoy had sat out the last two Hoosier games with a high ankle sprain so IU is accustomed to playing without one of their primary playmakers.\nYeagley said he expects freshman Brian Plotkin and others to step up in Grabavoy's absence.\n"Plotkin has been playing better all year," Yeagley said. "He has not had the points, maybe it is his time and he will be our Mr. November. We will use (sophomore Vijay Dias) and Plotkin in that spot and they both could be in there if we move Mack to forward and we likely will at times. We have developed some good depth with some players having been out"
(11/14/02 6:01am)
When sophomore midfielder Danny O'Rourke went down in warm-ups prior to the IU men's soccer game with Northwestern on Oct. 13 it was the first serious injury a Hoosier had suffered this season. IU responded by winning five of their six games without O'Rourke, a starting defensive-minded midfielder, and went on to clinch the regular season Big Ten Championship.\nHeading into this weekend's Big Ten Championships at University Park, Penn., O'Rourke is slated to be back in the Hoosiers lineup and will be playing with a face mask to protect him from further injuring the four bones he fractured in his face. O'Rourke broke the bones when he collided with senior teammate Phil Presser as both players went after a ball in warm-ups.\nAfter the Northwestern match, IU coach Jerry Yeagley was worried about O'Rourke's injury and the effect it would have on the Hoosiers.\n"(Danny) might be one of the players we really can't lose," Yeagley said. "He covers so much ground and is absolutely crucial to our team. We build around his play on the field and run so much through him."\nSitting out may have hurt O'Rourke more personally than the pressure the Hoosiers had playing without him. IU used junior Drew Shinabarger and freshman Jordan Chirico in O'Rourke's absence. O'Rourke, a native of Columbus, Ohio, started all 22 games he played in as a freshman, as he only missed IU's regular season match with Rutgers. He also started all 12 games prior to the injury this season.\nO'Rourke said watching his teammates play from the sidelines while recovering from injury was often hard to watch as he could not help out.\n"It was painful to watch my teammates out there playing without me, I just want to be out there 100 percent," O'Rourke said. "(Shinabarger) and Jordan did a very nice job filling in. With me back we don't have to make as many subs and we can keep the game going. I kind of play where I don't have to be subbed and I have a little extra aggressiveness."\nO'Rourke started practicing with the Hoosiers again after their match with IUPUI on Nov. 3; since he has been working his way back into game form and becoming accustomed with his teammates again.\nSenior midfielder Ryan Mack said O'Rourke is important as the Hoosiers prepare to make their post-season run.\n"It is really big for him to be back," Mack said. "We played the whole beginning of the season with him and learned how he played, we all had a good feeling in the midfield. When he was out of there it was a little bit different. Now that he is back I think we will be back to normal, it is an added bonus for us."\nAs O'Rourke returns to the Hoosier midfield, both his and Yeagley's primary concern with the use of his facemask is the impairment it creates on his vision.\n"I'll be happy when the mask is off," Yeagley said. "When he looks down or peripherally sometimes there are vision problems, it effects him slightly in his touch. He does better every day adjusting to it. (Tuesday) he was back to his old dynamic and explosive play"