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(04/14/05 4:59am)
We all love the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry so much. Even with constant media\ncoverage and over-exposure, we just can't get enough of these two teams.\nLook at the numbers.\nThe opening day match-up between the teams garnered the highest ratings for opening day baseball on ESPN or ESPN2 in 11 years and was the third most-watched sports event ever televised on ESPN2.\nSo with the great ratings and constant coverage, why stop with just having the teams play in the opening series against each other? Why not have them meet up in six out of their first nine games? \nBaseball has already taken care of that for us, as New York and Boston are currently in the midst of their second series in the last eight days.\nBut hey, why stop there? Why don't the Yankees and the Red Sox just play every single game in their 162 game schedules against each other?\nAnd then, instead of four teams meeting in the American League playoffs, let's just have New York and Boston play in a 15-game series, with the winner going to the World Series.\nNope, nope, baseball fans might still be thirsting for more.\nLet's dump whichever team wins that 15-game series into the National League and after a one-game play-off with the National League Championship team, the Yankees and Red Sox will meet in the World Series.\nJust imagine it, a Bronx Bombers versus Bo-Sox World Series! We could have Ben Affleck as a guest coach on the Boston bench and Spike Lee as the Yankees bull-pen catcher. Lee could then direct "Fever Pitch 2," which would be more of a first-person documentary about his and Affleck's experience.\nWith all the coverage, religious groups would finally catch on that Johnny Damon is the second coming of Christ, and a whole new branch of people will fall in love with the Red Sox.\nBoston general manager Theo Epstein will appear on the next installment of "The Bachelor" and only girls claiming to be life long Red Sox fans will be allowed to compete for his affection.\nDuring the off-season, instead of playing winter ball or taking time off, the Red Sox and Yanks will field teams in the NBA. I can picture it now, Jeter throwing a lob to A-Rod as he slams it home over Curt Schilling!\nThe teams can also compete against themselves in a whole host of other competitions such as debate, ice-sculpting and poker. \nA new television channel will surface, entitled Yank-Bo-Sox 24-seven. If the teams don't happen to be competing against each other at the time, you can tune to the channel to catch those match-ups you might have missed in the past week.\nSports Illustrated will decide to substitute its swimsuit issue for a new issue dedicated to pictures of Yankee and Red Sox players and management in provocative poses. Just imagine George Steinbrenner modeling on the beaches of Hawaii. Some might think Sports Illustrated is insane for making such a drastic change, but SI will set a world record for magazine sales, as the publication not only sells out in newsstands across America but in Japan, Canada and Poland.\nAnd if that's not enough? Then we all need some serious help.
(04/11/05 6:34am)
It started as an idea to get IU runners to train together and ended with this year's men's and women's Little Fifty champions.\nThe University Athletics Club, a new running group started this year, grabbed most of the medals at Billy Hayes Track Saturday afternoon, placing teams first and second in the men's race and first and fourth in the women's.\nAlthough Sigma Chi and Undisputed hung around for the first 12 laps of the men's competition, UAC-Cream and UAC-Crimson pulled away from the field during laps 12 through 20 of the men's race.\nCrimson grabbed the lead on lap 17, but Cream snatched the lead back on lap 20.\nDespite several charges by UAC-Crimson in the last 30 laps in which runners on the squad split sub-65 second laps to try and catch up, UAC-Cream never surrendered its lead and held off its University Athletics Club counterparts to take the title in 56 minutes, 40 seconds. UAC-Cream's time was almost two full minutes better than last year's winning time of 58:37, posted by Phi Gamma Delta.\n"We all really, really wanted it today," said senior Brian Kelley.\nCrimson finished second with a time of 56:48.\n"There's a little bit of rivalry between us," said UAC-Cream's junior Ben Bartley. "(Crimson's) in shape, we are more speed. It was just a matter of holding them off."\nThe men's third-place team, One-Eight-Seven, took an interesting approach to the race. Instead of going out with the front-runners, they began in 23rd place, then moved up to 9th after 30 laps and eventually were able to work their way up to finish third.\n"The race unfolded exactly how we were planning on," said senior Adam Depew. "We knew the race would go out real fast, so we stayed back and worked our way up." \nSophomore Blake Roebuck led their come-back, as he rattled off 65-second laps to help One-Eight-Seven get into medal contention.\nIn the women's race, UAC-Cobra Chi took the crown, beating 2nd place Alpha Phi.\nThe women of Alpha Phi took the early lead, but Cobra Chi overtook and eventually lapped them.\n"We're happy with how it went," said Cobra Chi freshman Megan Foreman. "I was mentally breaking down at the beginning because I was going against their best runner. But my teammates yelled 'Keep your head up, they're dying!' They helped me out a lot."\nIn Qualifications, sophomore Jacqui Davis, a marathon runner, ran both the first and last leg of the 4x800 relay to help her team qualify an impressive second. \n"We tried to finish as well as we qualified, but having only three people, we were pleased to finish fourth," said sophomore Kati Bennett.\n-- Contact Staff Writer Ryan Corazza at rcorazza@indiana.edu.
(04/07/05 5:07am)
It wasn't supposed to end this way for the Illini. They had it all. The team-first assist-oriented offense that beat 37 teams, pesky defense, kids with hearts as large as the state they represented, and a coach and fan-base that believed in them. It was all there. \nThe bandwagon grew with each win and eventually turned into a standing-room only double-decker bus with people waiting at each stop to hop on for this magical ride. Their orange-clad fans engulfed every post-season venue in which they played, bringing home-court advantage in Indianapolis, Chicago and St. Louis. \nAnd when tragedy struck in the form of Bruce Weber's mom's death, it inspired and brought a sense of purpose to the players and their remaining season. They would play for her, and when Coach Weber refered to his mother as a reason for the Illini's unfathomable 15-point comeback against Arizona, destiny seemed to be on their side.\nGoing into Monday night's championship game, the average fan wanted Illinois to win. The Illini represented the underdog, the team full of energy, excitement and fun, a team in their first championship game appearance in their 100-year existence. Illinois seemed poised to knock off North Carolina, a university storied in basketball tradition, a team full of future NBA stars. \nAnd, Monday night, it was almost as if they dressed the part. Weber's pumpkin-orange blazer represented the fun and enthusiasm of his team. He looked goofy, almost out of place.\nNorth Carolina stormed out of the tunnel in their hooded warm-ups, seeming more professional, collected and cool, like a prize-fighter itching to throw a knock-out punch in the first round.\nAnd that they did. Climbing out to a half-time lead of 13, they seemed ready to claim their first title since 1993. But those Illini have heart. In sports, it's clichéd to say "never count these guys out," but Dee Brown and the boys brought new meaning to the phrase this year. \nBut just when it looked like Illinois was about to pull off another monumental upset, Luther Head threw away a pass, missed a three, and the Illini didn't convert on their last five shots attempt.\nAnd in the end, they lost 75-70. 'The talent' trumped 'the team' and the powder blue ended the Illini's fairy tale of a season. The orange which once burned so bright faded to rust. \nThere would be no happy ending.\nBut wasn't Carolina the real team of destiny anyway? After all, when the juniors Rashad McCants and Sean May decided to attend North Carolina as freshmen, they made a pact to return North Carolina to national prominence after the program suffered a bit of a tailspin. \nFinishing an embarrassing 8-20 their freshman year, Monday's title brought sweet vindication to the group. They finished what they started three years ago.\nAnd then there's Roy Williams -- always the bridesmaid, never the bride. At Kansas, he lost in his two trips to the national title game. So it was only fitting that he won his first title at North Carolina, his alma mater, the university he loved. No longer could the media dog him as "the greatest college basketball coach never to win it all." He finally put his critics to rest.\nAfter the game, Rashad McCants face said it all. Lying on the floor, with the camera tight on him, his face expressed no emotion. Someone placed a hat on his had, but still, a blank stare on his face. Did we really do it? \nYes, Rashad, smile. You and your Tar Heels' destiny was fulfilled.
(04/07/05 4:00am)
It's a word with two meanings. In the first, halcyon defines itself as another name for the kingfisher bird. But it's the second definition junior Derek Kagemann drew inspiration from in naming his pulp-fiction sci-fi magazine.\n"The reason why I chose it is because it also means better days," said Kagemann. "People talk about the 'halcyon days of yore,' which means 'back when things were better.' The gist of the magazine is we're trying to resurrect the styles and sensibilities of the early to mid-20th century."\nWith help from friends and local businesses, Kagemann has created, published and distributed Halcyon, his monthly vintage-style, pulp fiction magazine. Its price tag, illustrations and optimistic stories are reminiscent of the time period during the Great Depression when the hero dominated fiction writing and Americans were still able to purchase these forms of entertainment during an economic downturn because of their cheap price. Kagemann believes similar conditions exist in today's society, and hopes his magazine will fill a void in a fictional world overflowing with the anti-hero and tales of despair.\n"A lot of people are anxious about money, so I put out something that cost a dollar," said Kagemann, who has been writing fiction since he was a child. "I think there has been this fear and anxiety because the world has changed so much. People are anxious about the war or what have you. The problem is, the fiction nowadays reflects that. It's full of characters who are desperate and anxious. What I wanted to do was write a kind of fiction that's really involving but where we go back to the folk-tale hero, that impossible hero."\nKagemann added that with Hollywood's recent successful trend of turning comic books into movies, the entertainment industry is starting to identify society's need for hero-dominated stories.\nInside the cover of Halcyon's first issue, curious creatures and descriptive stories of adventure and intrigue grace the 32-page spread. Titles range from "Space Mariner X: Escape from Necropolis" to "Jupes," a light-hearted tale about aliens on Jupiter being a friendly species despite what their appearances may indicate to a stranger.\nTheir vivid tales and intricate illustrations were mostly created by friends of Kagemann. One of these friends is IU alum, Corwin Campbell.\n"I've known him (Kagemann) for a number of years," said Campbell, who contributed interior artwork to Halcyon's first ever issue in February. "He e-mailed me six months ago and asked if I'd like to do any art work for it. I've never seen anything published locally like this before. The pulp style is interesting."\nHowever, friends aren't the only ones contributing to the magazine. Halcyon's Web site, halcyonmagazine.com, has brought in submissions in from a whole host of locales. The magazine rotates every month between print and online publication.\n"That's the cool part about being on the Internet -- as soon as you have a Web site, people from all over can find you," said Kagemann.\nSubmissions have arrived from out of state and even a writer from as far as Belgium submitted a story to him via e-mail. \nKagemann points to a launch party the Blue Moon threw for Halcyon Feb. 22 as another outlet that got the magazine's name out.\n"We had amazing attendance at that," Kagemann said. "People were coming in buying 10 issues at a time. It got me in touch with a lot of people such as a local sci-fi writers' group and other artists and authors."\nWithout the generosity of the Blue Moon's owners, Kagemann's contacts might never have surfaced.\n"We were sitting in the living room when Derek walked in and asked us if we'd like to buy an ad," said Fagan Baldwin, who owns the Blue Moon with her sister, Kate Burgun. "My sister has a master's degree in marketing and she said 'You don't have a marketing plan. Let's throw a party for you.' It was a spontaneous thing that just sort of happened."\nAlthough Kagemann originally titled his magazine with a sci-fi label, he feels a slight change in genre is needed. \n"Next issue we are switching over to pulp fiction period," said Kagemann. "We found a lot of people who really related to the magazine, but said 'I really like detective stories,' and I want to include that. The more submissions I got, the more I started getting just generic science fiction stories. People honed in on the science fiction and didn't catch the pulp part. So I'm switching over to pulp fiction in general."\nPart of Kagemann's subtle genre switch will help him include a story by local author James Doerr. Doerr writes in a style similar to H.P. Lovecraft's horror fiction and his work can be found in several publications and anthologies. University-wise, Kagemann knows IU is a huge part of the Bloomington community and encourages student involvement with the magazine. He wants to work with student groups and use the magazine for fundraisers and is always open to student fiction and artwork submission. \nKagemann printed 10,000 copies for his first issue in February.\n"We are doing a lot of promotion with it," said Kagemann. "It's not a newspaper that goes stale if it's not sold within a week or a month."\nGen Con, a gaming fair held in Indianapolis this August, is one site he wants to promote the magazine. Kagemann hopes to drop 1,000 to 2,000 magazines into free gift bags given out at the event.\nAccording to its Web site, 13 shops in Bloomington carry the magazine on their shelves. The merchants range from book and comic stores such as the Vintage Phoenix and Boxcar Books, to less conventional retailers such as T.J.'s Gifts and Guitars and New Breed Tattoo.\n"We decided to take it on because it's local creators," said Don Wilds, manager of the Vintage Phoenix. "It stands out because it's a sci-fi magazine in a comic book store."\nOther retailers such as Avalon see Halcyon as an original publication as well.\n"It's the most unique magazine we carry," said Keith Pendley, owner of Avalon. "It's kind of like going back in time with the trendy, old classics."\nPendley told a story about a well-dressed 50-year-old man who came into the shop and picked up a copy of Halcyon. "After reading through it, the man said, 'Wow, this is something to inspire and spark the imagination and brings hope that there is something good again,'" he said. "The man ended up buying one for himself and one for his kid. I think that's a cool little story that really speaks to the uniqueness of the magazine."\nPerhaps Kagemann solidifies that point the best.\n"Why bother making something that's like every other magazine?" he said.
(04/06/05 5:23am)
It's a word with two meanings. In the first, halcyon defines itself as another name for the kingfisher bird. But it's the second definition junior Derek Kagemann drew inspiration from in naming his pulp-fiction sci-fi magazine.\n"The reason why I chose it is because it also means better days," said Kagemann. "People talk about the 'halcyon days of yore,' which means 'back when things were better.' The gist of the magazine is we're trying to resurrect the styles and sensibilities of the early to mid-20th century."\nWith help from friends and local businesses, Kagemann has created, published and distributed Halcyon, his monthly vintage-style, pulp fiction magazine. Its price tag, illustrations and optimistic stories are reminiscent of the time period during the Great Depression when the hero dominated fiction writing and Americans were still able to purchase these forms of entertainment during an economic downturn because of their cheap price. Kagemann believes similar conditions exist in today's society, and hopes his magazine will fill a void in a fictional world overflowing with the anti-hero and tales of despair.\n"A lot of people are anxious about money, so I put out something that cost a dollar," said Kagemann, who has been writing fiction since he was a child. "I think there has been this fear and anxiety because the world has changed so much. People are anxious about the war or what have you. The problem is, the fiction nowadays reflects that. It's full of characters who are desperate and anxious. What I wanted to do was write a kind of fiction that's really involving but where we go back to the folk-tale hero, that impossible hero."\nKagemann added that with Hollywood's recent successful trend of turning comic books into movies, the entertainment industry is starting to identify society's need for hero-dominated stories.\nInside the cover of Halcyon's first issue, curious creatures and descriptive stories of adventure and intrigue grace the 32-page spread. Titles range from "Space Mariner X: Escape from Necropolis" to "Jupes," a light-hearted tale about aliens on Jupiter being a friendly species despite what their appearances may indicate to a stranger.\nTheir vivid tales and intricate illustrations were mostly created by friends of Kagemann. One of these friends is IU alum, Corwin Campbell.\n"I've known him (Kagemann) for a number of years," said Campbell, who contributed interior artwork to Halcyon's first ever issue in February. "He e-mailed me six months ago and asked if I'd like to do any art work for it. I've never seen anything published locally like this before. The pulp style is interesting."\nHowever, friends aren't the only ones contributing to the magazine. Halcyon's Web site, halcyonmagazine.com, has brought in submissions in from a whole host of locales. The magazine rotates every month between print and online publication.\n"That's the cool part about being on the Internet -- as soon as you have a Web site, people from all over can find you," said Kagemann.\nSubmissions have arrived from out of state and even a writer from as far as Belgium submitted a story to him via e-mail. \nKagemann points to a launch party the Blue Moon threw for Halcyon Feb. 22 as another outlet that got the magazine's name out.\n"We had amazing attendance at that," Kagemann said. "People were coming in buying 10 issues at a time. It got me in touch with a lot of people such as a local sci-fi writers' group and other artists and authors."\nWithout the generosity of the Blue Moon's owners, Kagemann's contacts might never have surfaced.\n"We were sitting in the living room when Derek walked in and asked us if we'd like to buy an ad," said Fagan Baldwin, who owns the Blue Moon with her sister, Kate Burgun. "My sister has a master's degree in marketing and she said 'You don't have a marketing plan. Let's throw a party for you.' It was a spontaneous thing that just sort of happened."\nAlthough Kagemann originally titled his magazine with a sci-fi label, he feels a slight change in genre is needed. \n"Next issue we are switching over to pulp fiction period," said Kagemann. "We found a lot of people who really related to the magazine, but said 'I really like detective stories,' and I want to include that. The more submissions I got, the more I started getting just generic science fiction stories. People honed in on the science fiction and didn't catch the pulp part. So I'm switching over to pulp fiction in general."\nPart of Kagemann's subtle genre switch will help him include a story by local author James Doerr. Doerr writes in a style similar to H.P. Lovecraft's horror fiction and his work can be found in several publications and anthologies. University-wise, Kagemann knows IU is a huge part of the Bloomington community and encourages student involvement with the magazine. He wants to work with student groups and use the magazine for fundraisers and is always open to student fiction and artwork submission. \nKagemann printed 10,000 copies for his first issue in February.\n"We are doing a lot of promotion with it," said Kagemann. "It's not a newspaper that goes stale if it's not sold within a week or a month."\nGen Con, a gaming fair held in Indianapolis this August, is one site he wants to promote the magazine. Kagemann hopes to drop 1,000 to 2,000 magazines into free gift bags given out at the event.\nAccording to its Web site, 13 shops in Bloomington carry the magazine on their shelves. The merchants range from book and comic stores such as the Vintage Phoenix and Boxcar Books, to less conventional retailers such as T.J.'s Gifts and Guitars and New Breed Tattoo.\n"We decided to take it on because it's local creators," said Don Wilds, manager of the Vintage Phoenix. "It stands out because it's a sci-fi magazine in a comic book store."\nOther retailers such as Avalon see Halcyon as an original publication as well.\n"It's the most unique magazine we carry," said Keith Pendley, owner of Avalon. "It's kind of like going back in time with the trendy, old classics."\nPendley told a story about a well-dressed 50-year-old man who came into the shop and picked up a copy of Halcyon. "After reading through it, the man said, 'Wow, this is something to inspire and spark the imagination and brings hope that there is something good again,'" he said. "The man ended up buying one for himself and one for his kid. I think that's a cool little story that really speaks to the uniqueness of the magazine."\nPerhaps Kagemann solidifies that point the best.\n"Why bother making something that's like every other magazine?" he said.
(03/31/05 5:02am)
We were almost Pitsnoggled. \nThe Final Four came oh so close to having perhaps the most talented 6-foot-11-inch shooter to ever play in the tourney. The tall, goatee sporting, tattoo-laden Kevin Pittsnogle looks like he's straight out of the trailer park, but his play this tournament was flat out Hollywood -- just like the road that took him there. \nThe script read like the classic underdog story. Looking more like a high school team with the head coach's son on the squad, no flashy players or incredible athletes, the West Virginia Mountaineers barely eked their way into the NCAA Tournament after a solid run in the Big East conference tourney. They beat Creighton in the first round, survived a double-overtime thriller against No. 2-ranked Wake Forest and defeated Texas Tech in the Sweet Sixteen. \nTheir unconventional one-three-one zone stifled and confused teams. Their offense looked eerily familiar to Bill Carmody's Northwestern and Princeton teams. You won't find a Dee Brown, Deron Williams, Sean May or Rashad McCants on this team -- just the coach's son, some guy from Germany named Johannes Herber (rhymes with Care Bear) and yes, Pittsnogle. \nHe's the only home-state kid on the roster. Near the end of the movie, the Martinsburg-native, who didn't even start for his Mountaineers until February, rained three after three against a coach, Rick Pitino, on the verge of getting his third different team to the Final Four. \nPittsnogle's stellar play gave West Virginia a shot at its first Final Four berth since 1959. But just as the audience thought this group of nobodies were about to become somebodys, the dream died, and the screen faded to black.\nNo happy ending, just a lot of disappointment. Somehow even after the team made 18 three-point shots, the Mountaineers lost. Somehow after Louisville's Francisco Garcia fouled out with 4:02 left in regulation, the Cardinals pulled it out in overtime. \nBut what if?\nWhat if West Virginia beat Louisville? Could the Mountaineers have cut down the nets in St. Louis? Probably not -- but watching them try to win it all sure would have been fun.\nPerhaps they call it March Madness not because of all the excitement created in just a few short weeks, but because for 63 teams and their thousands of fans (64 counting the loser of the play-in game), that's how they leave the court -- mad. Mad about the what ifs.\nWith just a minor tweak of one play, a loser can become a winner. What if he would have missed that shot? What if he would have made that free throw? \nBut in college basketball, there's no game seven. It's one and done for everyone -- the players, their fans and the school they represent. \nBut "what ifs" in the tourney come like legos -- in all shapes in sizes. All it takes is a string of wins, and someone's life is forever altered. All it takes is one loss, and people begin to wonder what could have been. What if Bruce Pearl and his University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panthers didn't make it to the Sweet Sixteen? Would he still have been offered and taken the job at Tennessee?\nWhat if Kansas beat Bucknell and met its former coach, Roy Williams, and the Tar Heels in the Elite Eight? What if three Big Ten teams made it to the Final Four after everyone said the league was down?\nWe'll never know. \nBut the answer to at least one more "what if" scenario still looms over this tournament. What if the so-called two best teams, North Carolina and Illinois, played each other in the championship game? Monday night might settle that question for college basketball enthusiasts everywhere.
(03/24/05 4:19am)
My spring break consisted of waking up at 1:30 in the afternoon and watching lots of TV. Not wanting my laziness to end, I've acted in a similar manner my first week back on campus. As I flipped to ESPN between re-runs of "Punk'd" and "Pimp My Ride," I noticed basketball coaches and baseball's steroid scandal have dominated the headlines of the sports world. (Something called March Madness also received a lot of air time.) \nI would comment about Mark McGwire's testimony before Congress, but I'm not here to talk about the past. I would also talk about Barry Bonds' recent downtrodden comments on his knee surgery, future in the game and disdain for the media, but I think I hurt him and made his kids cry enough already with my column Feb. 17. So I guess I'm stuck with the coach angle.\nProps, big ups and much dap to Tennessee women's basketball coach Pat Summitt on her 880th career win Tuesday night in a victory against Purdue. With the win, Summitt passed former North Carolina men's coach Dean Smith as college basketball's all-time winningest coach. Some might try to shrug off this record because of the difference in parity between women's basketball and men's, but 880 wins is an impressive accomplishment no matter where you coach. \nAs perhaps the biggest figure of women's basketball in America, Summitt has led the Lady Vols to six national championships. She began her career at Tennessee at the age of 22 in 1974, and at the time, no players received scholarships from the university. Today, women's basketball national ad campaigns grace the TV screen, and women's sports as a whole garner much more attention. Women's athletics still have strides to make, but Summitt is one of the main reasons for where they are today.\nAs Summitt wraps up her 31st year with the Vols, many NBA coaches have barely lasted 31 games this season. Their jobs have been about as secure as the probability of Michael Jackson showing up on the time for trial. \nThe Cavs just unloaded Paul Silas this week, the fifth coach to be fired this season. Four other coaches have resigned this year. It seems that once a team goes on a five-or-six game losing streak, their coach's job is somehow in jeopardy. \nCan the coach really be blamed for a couple games of sub-par play? In the Nuggets' case, the answer is yes. Their eventual coaching switch to George Karl worked out well. Denver went from sub-.500 ball to winning 12 out of their last 13. \nFrom Denver's 12 wins to the Sweet Sixteen's lone 12-seed left comes an intriguing story about the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee coach Bruce Pearl and his match up with the Fighting Illini tonight. Sixteen years ago as an assistant coach on the Iowa bench, Pearl recorded phone conversations with Illinois recruit Deon Thomas. \nThomas somewhat admitted to Illinois' offering him a Chevy Blazer and $80,000 cash if he signed a letter of intent with the Illini. Pearl's allegations were never cited as the reason, but the NCAA investigated the university and slapped sanctions on it, including a post-season ban in 1991. Although Bruce Weber, Dee Brown and the boys weren't around in the early 1990s and have continually stated they couldn't care less about it, the orange-clad alumni who will engulf most of the stands in All-State Arena just outside Chicago have a different opinion. Expect the boos to rain down from stands as the Panthers enter the arena. And if Pearl was able to pull off the biggest upset of the Sweet Sixteen and become the second 12-seed to ever make the Elite Eight? \nHe'll perhaps create the best head coach story of the year.
(03/10/05 5:15am)
In the March 6 match up between No. 3 Wake Forest and N.C. State, plenty of shots were taken. Most were aimed at the basket with varying degrees of success. But the story of the game wasn't about a basketball shot. It was Wake's sophomore point guard Chris Paul giving N.C. State forward Julius Hodge a "shot" to the groin during the first half that left Hodge on the hardwood wincing in pain.\nPaul was promptly suspended for one game by the University. But what exactly was Paul's motivation? Hodge never hard-fouled Paul at any point prior to the altercation. \nThe best guess anyone can come up with is Paul simply was fed up with fans razzing him, and he vented his frustration on Hodge's manhood. A story in the Richmond-Times Dispatch earlier this week claims that two reporters overheard N.C. State fans yelling "Chris Paul, I killed your grandpa," during the game. This, of course, is in reference to the 2002 death of Paul's grandfather, who was beaten to death.\nI see no problem with fans hounding opposing team's players. It's one of the best parts of attending a game, and getting inside a player's head can give your team an advantage. But where do we draw the line between good fun and poor taste? \nSometimes fans seem to forget that the athletes they see on ESPN and on the court are actually human beings just like them. They have emotions and feelings. To attack the death of a player's family member is not only uncalled for, it's cowardly. While the replay of Paul's punch will continue to be shown on TV, and hundreds upon hundreds of newspapers have already run stories about it, the fans' antics have been mentioned much more sparingly in the media. You'll never hear or see the names of these student fans, which makes it easier for those in the stands to yell anything and everything, knowing there are no consequences for their actions.\nOther instances of fans crossing the line have popped up around college basketball this season and last. Maryland fans got their hands on No. 5 Duke's J.J. Redick's cell phone number and barraged him with phone calls earlier this season. During a Maryland-Duke match up last year, a Maryland fan held up a sign that read, "I banged Abbey Redick (yeah J.J.'s sister)." Oh, by the way -- she's 12!\nFans have yelled "rapist" at Iowa's Pierre Pierce and held up signs stating "James On Drugs" or "James On Probation" in reference to Oklahoma State's Jameson Curry's drug arrest during his senior year in high school.\nYeah, these fans are just being passionate about their university and the teams and players they worship. But they should use their enthusiasm in a more constructive manner. Chant "air ball," boo or yell "you suck," but keep the attacks on the personal lives to a minimum.\nBut in the end, a good athlete should be able to rise above the hecklers and focus on putting the ball in the hole. And with just a few ticks left on the clock, Paul faded away and swooshed a 12-footer at the buzzer to give the Demon Deacons a two-point win. \nFor a time, the N.C. State fans were silenced.
(03/03/05 4:10am)
I've learned in life that most young men tend to lead goal-oriented lives. Some want to be the next Nick Lachey, become an astronaut or retire at 30 with millions in the bank. But me, I have no such aspirations. I have one small goal in my life that seems to happen every night, but yet I can't seem to attain it. My dream you ask? It's to storm the court of a basketball game (a football field would work too).\nMy only chance at the glory of the hardwood came and went this weekend at the IU-Michigan State game. As I stood in the balcony with my parents, the courtside student sections flooded the court with a sea of cream and crimson. Sure, I could have rushed down the stairs, gotten to the floor seats and hopped onto the court to join in on the fun. But my dad decided we should get to the car quick so we could make it out of the parking lot fast. Thanks a lot, Dad.\nBut anyway, I am going somewhere with this. It's that there are plenty of reasons to storm a court and an unranked team beating a top-10 team in overtime is one of them. So congrats Hoosier fans, you passed the test. But lately fans have been abusing their privilege of rushing the court and have been doing it at unwarranted times. Heck, storming the court this season has become as trendy as quoting lines from "Napoleon Dynamite."\nTake the Feb. 19 game between then then-No. 9 Syracuse Orangemen and No. 6 Boston College Eagles. The game was played at BC and the Eagles came out of the contest victorious in a 65-60 tally. Apparently some members of the BC faithful thought this warranted a trip onto the court because as soon as the buzzer sounded the court was flooded. Hey everyone, look at us! We're on TV! \nApparently these fans missed article 3 in section D of The Official Rulebook of Storming College Basketball Courts. The rule clearly states, "No fan of a team ranked above another team may enter onto a court after a victory. The fans should act as if their team was supposed to win and politely cheer from the stands."\nHow 'bout that Duke-North Carolina match-up Feb. 9. Sure, it was a tight game between two top rival teams, but it ended rather anti-climatically as David Noel dribbled the ball out of bounds in the closing seconds to give Duke the win. Duke fans proceeded to jump out of the stands and onto the court, breaking another rule.\n"Fans are only allowed to rush the court against a rival if they win on a buzzer beater. No exceptions shall be made," states the rulebook.\nDo you think you look cool if you rush the court every time you beat your rival? I don't. I can only image this Sunday's game in Chapel Hill between the two teams. UNC will win by 10, but yet Tar Heel fans will feel the need to out-do the Duke fans and will rush the court as well.\nBut not every team's fans have broken court-crashing etiquette. The crazy Clemson finish against Virgin Tech Tuesday night was worthy of a storming of the court as was Notre Dame's upset of the then-undefeated BC Eagles Feb. 8.\nSo college sports basketball fans, think next time you decide to hop onto your team's court. Keep your dignity and rush the court only when it is deemed necessary by following the rulebook. But you'll probably continue to do whatever you feel like, gosh.
(02/24/05 6:38am)
Arizona basketball head coach Lute Olson has been feeling a little like the late comedian Rodney Dangerfield this season -- he and his team "can't get no respect." \nIt sure is tough for those Wildcats. Pigeon-holed into the western time zone, those east of the Mighty Mississippi have already set their alarm and tucked themselves into bed before the Wildcats even tip-off. It also doesn't help that most Pac-10 games are shown on the junior-varsity channel of sports television, Fox Sports Net. Olson has complained that the East Coast media snubs covering his team and puts too much of an emphasis on the squads up and down the Atlantic and in the Midwest.\nLute, I'm with you on that one. It's never fun working hard in the cubicle of college basketball only to have your jerk boss (the East Coast teams) get all the credit for it. It's just not fair.\nBut being the studious journalism student I am, I've learned that to gauge the news-worthiness of a story, it must pass a few tests. \nFirst off, the story must have proximity -- meaning the closer the event happened to the publication, the more likely the readers will care about it. Last time I checked, Tucson, Ariz., is a bit of a hike from ... hmm ... I don't know ... every East Coast media outlet. \nI also learned that timeliness is another important factor when deciding whether to run a story or not. Considering their games end after the East Coast papers' deadlines have passed, I don't think anybody really cares about day-old news. \nConflict also draws readers into a story. The more rivalry and discord in a game, the better. Wow, that Arizona-Oregon State game Sunday really had my temperature rising!\nSo Lute, you might not like it, but at least acknowledge the reasoning behind it.\nAnother part of Olson's crusade is to try and convince ESPN Analyst Digger Phelps that he is wrong in his assertion that Duke's J.J. Redick is the nation's best shooter. Olson's senior guard Salim Stoudamire currently leads the nation in three-point shooting at 56 percent compared to Redick's 42 percent. (Note to self: legally change last name to Stoudamire and have a son. He will most assuredly be a star in college and the NBA, allowing me to retire early from my low-paying, mediocre journalism career.)\n"I think I heard Digger say: 'Well, we haven't seen him much,'" Olson recently told The Arizona Republic in regard to Stoudamire. "Well, stats are available. You don't have to see them. If one guy is shooting 55 percent, and the other guy is in the low 40s, the 55-percent guy is probably the better shooter."\nI can buy Olson's argument, but numbers aren't everything. Redick is the definition of clutch. He's hit numerous trey balls when the game has been on the line. But maybe with more Arizona games on ESPN, the analysts might be singing a different song. \nPerhaps instead of whining about all this, Olson should use it to motivate his team like Illini head coach Bruce Weber has. The analysts continue to call North Carolina the best team in the country, and Weber has used this to pump up his squad. \nIn Olson's defense, the Wildcats currently sit atop the Pac-10 with a 23-4 overall record, so he has plenty of room to speak his mind about the team. He might not go about it in the best way possible, but at least he's putting up a fight for his kids. And that's the best you can ask for out of your coach.
(02/24/05 5:15am)
It's Friday morning and sophomore Chad Miller has just rolled out of bed for his 11:15 class at the business school. Sluggish and groggy-eyed, Miller hops into his car at Hoosier Courts and drives down 17th Street toward campus. He makes a pit stop at the gas station to fuel up. But it's not for his car; it's for himself.\n"I usually stop at the gas station and pick one (an energy drink) up on my way to class," he said. "I love 'em." \nMiller, who started consuming energy drinks in high school, is part of an increasingly popular trend of individuals opting for the tangy taste of a Red Bull instead of hot coffee to keep them alert for the day. "I definitely think energy drinks could become our generation's coffee," he said.\nHe could very well be right. Since Red Bull's inception to the U.S. market in 1997, a plethora of other drinks have flooded the market due to its popularity. About 300 drinks are available on the shelves today. College students have latched onto energy drinks because not only do they help them stay up to cram for a test or keep them alert during the day, but when mixed with alcohol, can keep them partying long into the night. \nMost are marketed to the younger generation of students, active individuals and athletes in the 21-35 demographic. Red Bull's Web site plays alternative music while images of snowboarders, surfers and motorcyclists can be seen. Rockstar Energy's Web site plays hard rock music and one can file through a picture gallery of celebrities and athletes posing with a can of the drink. \nEven soft drink kings Pepsi and Coca-Cola are trying to get a piece of the energy drink dollar. Pepsi produces SoBE Adrenaline Rush and AMP Energy Drink (one could argue it's Mountain Dew in energy drink form) and Coke owns Full Throttle which can be bought on campus at IU. Neither company's drinks have currently matched the success of Red Bull, which currently holds about two-thirds of the U.S. market.\nSo what exactly is in these drinks and how do they work?\nAccording to Red Bull, there are five primary ingredients in their drink that combine to give its user's more energy. The caffeine in the drink (although some debate its effects) improves one's alertness and reaction speed. Red Bull also contains taurine, which is an amino acid found in the heart, brain, muscles, blood cells and retina. The carbohydrates in the drink give the user increased energy. A special-type of carbohydrate, glucurono lactone, as well as B-complex vitamins found in Red Bull help perform metabolic functions in the body.\nAlthough Red Bull is the most popular drink, it certainly is not the best deal. A skinny 8-ounce can of Red Bull costs $1.79. At 16 ounces and twice the size, Rockstar Energy costs $1.99. \nFollowing instep with America's current health food obsession, some drinks offer a low-carb or sugar-free alternative. Rockstar has implemented Diet Rockstar, Monster has Monster Lo-Carb and Red Bull offers a sugar-free version. \nHealth-conscious students who enjoy the taste of energy drinks are taking advantage of this. One of these students is junior Holly Coleman. \n"I drink the sugar-free kind of Red Bull so it's not as bad for me," said Coleman who works out about 6 times a week. She says she uses Red Bull for the occasional all-nighter or for a mid-day pick-me-up. "My roommates think I'm crazy for drinking it, but I think it's an acquired taste," she said.\nMiller also opts for the healthier drinks of his favorite brands, Rockstar and Monster, because he feels they still provide him with the same amount of energy and are better for him. \nAlthough companies have made an attempt to present a healthier product, energy drinks can still create health problems. Red Bull has been linked to deaths in Ireland, Australia and Sweden. Of the three deaths documented in Sweden, one had consumed Red Bull shortly after exercising and the other two mixed alcohol with Red Bull. Because of these deaths, some restaurants in Sweden have banned the sale of Red Bull in their place of business.\n"They contain stimulants such as caffeine or ephedra which raise your heart rate and blood pressure and that's how people die," said Dr. Charlie Kilo of Anchor Healthcare in Naples, Florida. "People can have abnormal heart rhythms or if they are older they can have strokes." \nMixing energy drinks with alcohol also can be potentially dangerous. According to a 2004 Higher Education Center Study, the stimulating effect of energy drinks can deceive people into believing that they are less intoxicated than they actually are. This can lead to drinking too much and getting alcohol poisoning or perhaps getting behind the wheel of a car.\n"Your heart is racing and you're not in full control of your senses," said Kilo. "This can cause you to do a whole host of things, such as crashing your car."\nAlthough there are some added risks from mixing alcohol and energy drinks, the patrons at local Bloomington bars don't seem to care. Jägerbombs (a combination of Jägermeister and Red Bull) is amongst the most popular mixed drinks at the bars.\n"A Jägerbomb is our No. 1 shot right now," said Maggie Prall, a current night manager of Kilroy's Sports Bar on Walnut Street. "It's a little scary because you're getting more energy to stay up later and drink." Prall, who has worked at Sports for eight years, says that Sports goes through about 20 cases of Red Bull a week and have carried it for a little over 3 years. \n"We saw it in Chicago at the restaurant show," she said. "It was a decent product initially but it has gone huge since then." She added that Sports has one of the top accounts in the entire state for Red Bull. \nSports also recently starting carrying B^E (Bud Energy) which is Budweiser's foray into the energy drink game. Prall describes it as an energy drink beer with a bit of a raspberry flavor to it.\n"I think it's a good product that will pick up here in a while," she said.\nUncle Fester's and the Jungle Room have also seen the popularity of Jägerbombs explode over the past couple of years and junior bartender Jenny Smith says that Jägerbombs are their most popular drink.\n"We have Red Bull on tap and we go through quite a bit," she said.\nNo matter what an individual uses energy drinks for, one thing can be said for certain. "It's definitely the 'in' thing to drink right now," Smith said.
(02/24/05 5:00am)
It's Friday morning and sophomore Chad Miller has just rolled out of bed for his 11:15 class at the business school. Sluggish and groggy-eyed, Miller hops into his car at Hoosier Courts and drives down 17th Street toward campus. He makes a pit stop at the gas station to fuel up. But it's not for his car; it's for himself.\n"I usually stop at the gas station and pick one (an energy drink) up on my way to class," he said. "I love 'em." \nMiller, who started consuming energy drinks in high school, is part of an increasingly popular trend of individuals opting for the tangy taste of a Red Bull instead of hot coffee to keep them alert for the day. "I definitely think energy drinks could become our generation's coffee," he said.\nHe could very well be right. Since Red Bull's inception to the U.S. market in 1997, a plethora of other drinks have flooded the market due to its popularity. About 300 drinks are available on the shelves today. College students have latched onto energy drinks because not only do they help them stay up to cram for a test or keep them alert during the day, but when mixed with alcohol, can keep them partying long into the night. \nMost are marketed to the younger generation of students, active individuals and athletes in the 21-35 demographic. Red Bull's Web site plays alternative music while images of snowboarders, surfers and motorcyclists can be seen. Rockstar Energy's Web site plays hard rock music and one can file through a picture gallery of celebrities and athletes posing with a can of the drink. \nEven soft drink kings Pepsi and Coca-Cola are trying to get a piece of the energy drink dollar. Pepsi produces SoBE Adrenaline Rush and AMP Energy Drink (one could argue it's Mountain Dew in energy drink form) and Coke owns Full Throttle which can be bought on campus at IU. Neither company's drinks have currently matched the success of Red Bull, which currently holds about two-thirds of the U.S. market.\nSo what exactly is in these drinks and how do they work?\nAccording to Red Bull, there are five primary ingredients in their drink that combine to give its user's more energy. The caffeine in the drink (although some debate its effects) improves one's alertness and reaction speed. Red Bull also contains taurine, which is an amino acid found in the heart, brain, muscles, blood cells and retina. The carbohydrates in the drink give the user increased energy. A special-type of carbohydrate, glucurono lactone, as well as B-complex vitamins found in Red Bull help perform metabolic functions in the body.\nAlthough Red Bull is the most popular drink, it certainly is not the best deal. A skinny 8-ounce can of Red Bull costs $1.79. At 16 ounces and twice the size, Rockstar Energy costs $1.99. \nFollowing instep with America's current health food obsession, some drinks offer a low-carb or sugar-free alternative. Rockstar has implemented Diet Rockstar, Monster has Monster Lo-Carb and Red Bull offers a sugar-free version. \nHealth-conscious students who enjoy the taste of energy drinks are taking advantage of this. One of these students is junior Holly Coleman. \n"I drink the sugar-free kind of Red Bull so it's not as bad for me," said Coleman who works out about 6 times a week. She says she uses Red Bull for the occasional all-nighter or for a mid-day pick-me-up. "My roommates think I'm crazy for drinking it, but I think it's an acquired taste," she said.\nMiller also opts for the healthier drinks of his favorite brands, Rockstar and Monster, because he feels they still provide him with the same amount of energy and are better for him. \nAlthough companies have made an attempt to present a healthier product, energy drinks can still create health problems. Red Bull has been linked to deaths in Ireland, Australia and Sweden. Of the three deaths documented in Sweden, one had consumed Red Bull shortly after exercising and the other two mixed alcohol with Red Bull. Because of these deaths, some restaurants in Sweden have banned the sale of Red Bull in their place of business.\n"They contain stimulants such as caffeine or ephedra which raise your heart rate and blood pressure and that's how people die," said Dr. Charlie Kilo of Anchor Healthcare in Naples, Florida. "People can have abnormal heart rhythms or if they are older they can have strokes." \nMixing energy drinks with alcohol also can be potentially dangerous. According to a 2004 Higher Education Center Study, the stimulating effect of energy drinks can deceive people into believing that they are less intoxicated than they actually are. This can lead to drinking too much and getting alcohol poisoning or perhaps getting behind the wheel of a car.\n"Your heart is racing and you're not in full control of your senses," said Kilo. "This can cause you to do a whole host of things, such as crashing your car."\nAlthough there are some added risks from mixing alcohol and energy drinks, the patrons at local Bloomington bars don't seem to care. Jägerbombs (a combination of Jägermeister and Red Bull) is amongst the most popular mixed drinks at the bars.\n"A Jägerbomb is our No. 1 shot right now," said Maggie Prall, a current night manager of Kilroy's Sports Bar on Walnut Street. "It's a little scary because you're getting more energy to stay up later and drink." Prall, who has worked at Sports for eight years, says that Sports goes through about 20 cases of Red Bull a week and have carried it for a little over 3 years. \n"We saw it in Chicago at the restaurant show," she said. "It was a decent product initially but it has gone huge since then." She added that Sports has one of the top accounts in the entire state for Red Bull. \nSports also recently starting carrying B^E (Bud Energy) which is Budweiser's foray into the energy drink game. Prall describes it as an energy drink beer with a bit of a raspberry flavor to it.\n"I think it's a good product that will pick up here in a while," she said.\nUncle Fester's and the Jungle Room have also seen the popularity of Jägerbombs explode over the past couple of years and junior bartender Jenny Smith says that Jägerbombs are their most popular drink.\n"We have Red Bull on tap and we go through quite a bit," she said.\nNo matter what an individual uses energy drinks for, one thing can be said for certain. "It's definitely the 'in' thing to drink right now," Smith said.
(02/17/05 5:19am)
Keep trying, baseball. Keep denying and lying about steroid use in the league. It's your best disguise and will continue to make some fans believe that players weren't on the juice. Had you asked me a few months ago, I would have still given the game the benefit of the doubt. But now, I just can't buy into that anymore.\nThere's too much evidence for me to believe that in the last 15 years of baseball just Ken Caminiti, Jason Giambi and Jose Canseco, who admitted to using steroids, were the only ones actually sticking the needle into their bloodstream.\nWhen Barry Bonds went before a federal grand jury during the BALCO case in December of 2003, he told them that he "unknowingly" took steroids. The now famous and undetectable "cream" (a testosterone balm that can be rubbed into the skin) and the "clear" (a liquid that is dropped under the tongue) were both taken by Giambi and Bonds. But while Giambi admitted to using the steroids, Bonds took another approach. He claimed he was under the impression that the substances were flaxseed oil and arthritis balm. Give me a break, Barry. I'll believe that bull malarkey when ... well, never. I won't ever believe it. \nTo further Bonds' troubles, his former mistress, Kimberly Bell, told Fox News Saturday that he took steroids during the 1999 and 2000 seasons to help recover from injury. Hmm, interesting how Bonds home run production went from 34 in 1999 to 49 in 2000 and then to 73 in 2001, the current major league record. Must have been that flaxseed oil. Once disciplinary actions were placed on steroid use in 2002, Bonds' homers decreased back down to a modest 46.\nPerhaps the most controversial story to come out of the steroid scandal is Canseco's new tell-all book. Canseco claims to have introduced steroids to Ranger teammates Rafael Palmeiro, Ivan Rodriguez and Juan Gonzalez and believes steroid use is a positive thing that can bring excitement to the game.\nMany are quick to discredit Canseco's claims because he hasn't exactly had the best criminal record and seems to always be looking to make a quick buck. \nSo do I believe Canseco's accusations? While I think some of his accounts have been embellished, I actually believe most of the players he named were users. \nNeed proof?\nCanseco joined the Rangers during the 1992 season. The same year Gonzales' home runs spiked from 19 in 1991 all the way up to 43. He then went on to hit 46 home runs in 1993 to lead the majors. George W's leadership from the owner's box must have been the inspiration for Gonzales' increased productivity. Palmeiro's statistics are similarly striking. From 1992 to 1993 Palmeiro increased his home-run production by 15.\nThe thing that troubles me the most is that a new report has surfa ced in the New York Daily News. The paper claims that the FBI warned baseball 10 years ago that players were using steroids, but the league decided not to act on it.\nPerhaps it was because after baseball's strike shortened the season of 1994, the game knew the only way to win back fans was with the long ball. It seems to have worked. But as the allegations continue to roll in, I can't help but believe when in 20 years or so when people look back to the late '80s, '90s and early oughts in baseball history this period will be referred to as the 'Steroid Era.' \nCanseco wouldn't have it any other way.
(02/10/05 4:51am)
Every NFL team has one. The player who runs his mouth more than George Costanza loses his job. He finds it necessary to call out members of the other team or guarantee victory. These players are loud-mouthed, arrogant, brash and cocky end zone dancers who most of the time can't back up their talk with their walk on the playing field. And if they can back up their antics, then by all means they should continue with them.\nBut alas, there is the occasional player who finds himself talking smack in the deep-end when he should be keeping his mouth shut in the kiddie pool. These guys have no right to act in such a manner. Philadelphia Eagles wide receivers Terrell Owens and Freddie Mitchell are a perfect case study for running your mouth do's and don'ts. \nSay what you want about Owens and his flamboyance but I love the guy. When T.O. crosses the pylons, whether it is the sharpie, the pom-poms or the Eagle wing flap, you know you're in for a treat. But there is a reason you see T.O.'s end-zone celebrations so much, because he finds himself there a lot. He scored 14 times in 14 games during the regular season. \nOn the flip side, Mitchell didn't see the end zone until the second to last game of the regular season. In fact, I'd never even heard of Mitchell until the playoffs. The guy isn't even a starter on the Eagles wide receiver core when Owens is healthy. Mitchell scored two touchdowns in the playoffs, and one of them literally fell into his lap. So of course that gives him plenty of room to run his mouth. \nOn ESPN, Mitchell ripped the former players who are the station's NFL analysts. He told them they were too far removed from the game to remember its speed and they should lay off with their comments about the game. \nHe's right; I mean what do Michael Irvin and Steve Young know about football? They've never won multiple Super Bowls or been candidates for the Hall of Fame. \nIn an interview with Dan Patrick before the Super Bowl, Mitchell said he had something coming for Patriots' safety Rodney Harrison. And oh boy was he right! He caught one pass from Donovan McNabb late in the fourth quarter for 11 yards. One catch! Let's celebrate, everybody! \nHarrison went on to one-up the Eagles third string receiver by catching two of his own -- for picks. \nT.O.'s Super Bowl wasn't much better. He only came back from ankle surgery much earlier than anyone expected and posted a remarkable nine-catch 122-yard performance. Nothing to brag about really. If there's anything I'll take away from the Super Bowl, it won't be the Patriots' dynasty, that godaddy.com commercial or Bill Belichick and his pops getting dosed with the Gatorade cooler. It will be Owens telling everyone he would be on the field for Super Bowl XXXIX doing everything he could to bring the title back to Philadelphia and actually following through on it. \nOnce in the media room after the game, Owens spoke his mind to the reporters. \n"Nobody in this room knew I was going to play this game," he said to ESPN. "A lot of people in the world didn't believe I could play. It goes to show you. The power of prayer and the power of faith will take you all the way. Nothing is impossible if you got God on your side."\nPerhaps Mitchell should turn to God as well. Because as the Inspector Gadget to Owens's James Bond, he needs all the help he can get. So Mitchell, keep your comments to yourself. The world is a better place without them.
(02/04/05 5:30am)
Forget the numbers, the stats and the fact that Tom Brady has never lost in the postseason. Forget that Corey Dillon has made the best team in the NFL better. Forget that Bill Belichick is perhaps the best schemer of a coach to ever grace the NFL. Forget that Terrell Owens won't be 100 percent on Sunday. Heck, forget that the Patriots are a better team than the Eagles. \nPhiladelphia will win the Super Bowl because this is the year of the underdog. The year of the dynasty killers.\nNeed some proof? The Pistons took out the storied Lakers in the NBA finals this summer. Some guys named Chauncey and Rip stole the title that already had the names Shaq, Kobe, Gary and Karl on it. Detroit's win ended the zen master Phil Jackson's quest for a 10th NBA title and at this moment, his coaching career. The win also catalyzed the divorce of Shaq and Kobe's rocky marriage and the Los Angeles Lakers as we knew them. \nHow about those BoSox? Down three games to nothing, they mounted the greatest comeback in sports history to take out the evil empire in the New York Yankees. A bunch of unshaven scrubs took out the pretty boys from the Bronx. They continued on their magic trip by sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series.\nDonovan F. McNabb and his teammates are hungry for more than chunky soup. They want a Super Bowl title. Coming so close the last three years only not to make it to the big dance, they are ready to tango their way to the Vince Lombardi trophy. If they can control the clock, something the AFC teams couldn't do against the Pats, the game is theirs for the taking. \nSo how will the game end? I see a missed kick by Adam Vinatieri in the closing seconds that would have tied the game. It's only fitting in a sports year filled with the unexpected.
(02/03/05 5:01am)
The last time an NCAA men's basketball team had a perfect season (our own Indiana Hoosiers of 1975-76), "Afternoon Delight" was the No. 1 song of the year, the United States was wrapping up a war overseas and "Three's Company" was a popular TV show. With the University of Illinois more than halfway to the Hoosiers' feat, it's time to look at how much things have -- um -- changed in 30 years. "Anchorman" just made "Afternoon Delight" popular again, we're at war and threes are certainly the Fighting Illini's best company right now. Bunches of them.\nSo does Illinois actually have a legitimate chance of running the table and staying undefeated through the entire season? Well, the odds are certainly not in their favor. Thirteen teams have gone undefeated during the season only to have their streak and season end in the tournament since the Hoosiers 1975-76 run. \nBut a record like this isn't impossible to attain, and the Illini have passed their biggest tests of the season rather easily so far. When Wake Forest was No. 1, Illinois smashed it by 18 points. The Illini also ran over a ranked Cincinnati team 67-45 in Las Vegas in December.\nThey were supposed to lose Jan. 25 against a Wisconsin team who had the nation's longest home winning streak at 38 games. They didn't. When they went into East Lansing Tuesday to play the No. 10 ranked MSU team, it was supposed to be a game. It wasn't. At one point in the second half, Illinois made 12 straight shots that spanned more than 10 minutes. I repeat, 12 straight shots. That's like a "Full House" episode ending sans a life lesson from Danny Tanner -- it just doesn't happen.\nThe thing that makes the Illini so good is that they are unselfish players who share the ball. The Illini don't have one player to look to in the clutch, they have a whole slew of them. Dee Brown, Deron Williams and Luther Head are all major scoring threats that can create plays for themselves and each other. They look to pick up the assist to the open man and not hog the ball for themselves. Four of Illinois' five starters have been named Big Ten players of the week. The Illini currently rank first in the Big Ten in field-goal percentage (50.1) and three-point shooting percentage (40.7). \nAfter being called underdogs for both the Wisconsin and MSU games, the Illini are looking for the respect they deserve. "I don't know what else we have to do to be favored," Deron Williams told the Daily Illini after the MSU game. "We are No. 1."\nWilliams is right, but most analysts still aren't giving the nod to the Illini for their champ this year. The Tar Heels of North Carolina are the favorite choice, and it's easy to see why. They have arguably the most talented squad in the nation with their stellar backcourt duo of Rashad McCants and Raymond Felton and Bloomington's own big man Sean May up-front. They will face a tougher schedule in the ACC than the Illini will in the Big Ten, which should help them once the tournament starts in March. They also lead the nation in points per game with 92.7.\nStill, as of now, I just can't pick against this U of I team. But March is a strange month. Favorites fall, underdogs ruin team's seasons and just when you think you filled out the winning bracket and are going to win your pool, there go two of your final four teams in one night. So the Illini better keep shooting lights out or they'll be No. 14 on the list of failures.
(01/27/05 5:45am)
Tiger Woods is back. Well, at least the suit-and-tie administrators of the PGA tour are hoping so. \nAmid all the hoopla that surrounded the AFC and NFC championship games last weekend in Pennsylvania, Tiger quietly won his first official stroke play tournament since October 2003 on the other side of the country in San Diego. Sure, it was only the Buick Invitational, but for Tiger, wins on the tour in the past two years have come as often as successful Ben Affleck flicks.\nEver since his impressive 2002 season when he won two majors, Tiger's ferocious growl has turned into more of meek meow. Some have blamed his marriage to Swedish model Elin Nordegren as a deterrent to his performance. Another answer to the "What happened to Tiger?" question perhaps can be provided with his decision to alter his swing during the 2003 and 2004 season. Tiger's new swing has been anything but consistent. At the end of the 2004 season, Tiger's driving accuracy ranked 182nd on the tour.\nAdding to his miserable 2004 season, Vijay Singh swiped Woods' No. 1 world ranking in September, a title Woods held for a remarkable 264 weeks. \nSome contend that Woods isn't slumping because he is still the No. 2 ranked golfer in the world. But let's face it, folks, if Tiger isn't winning majors, he's slumping.\nI am hoping this Sunday's win is Woods' first step in returning to his former self. The PGA Tour just isn't the same without him. Ratings have sunk during his slump, which hurts the TV stations, advertisers and sponsors. The average sports fan (including the guy writing this column) is not as likely to tune in if Tiger isn't in the hunt. \nMeanwhile, Singh has stepped up to be the tour's premiere golfer. Wow. He sure is one exciting player to watch. I guess Phil Mickelson winning the Masters for his first Major title in 46 tries sure was a nice story, but that's only if you like fat white guys in green jackets.\nSo will 2005 be the year for Woods' comeback? Well, if this weekend's win is any indication, he is going to need to play a little better. He started out the round at the foggy Torrey Pines course with three straight bogeys. Tiger also got a visit from good ol' lady luck over the weekend. On the 18th hole Sunday, Woods badly miss hit a 2-iron, and his ball luckily landed on a strip of fairway next to a pond. Tom Lehman, who was in contention to win on the back nine, faltered at a crucial moment with 2 bogeys on 17 and 18 to give Woods a three-shot win. After the round Lehman said of Woods, "He whipped the field playing lousy. I give him a lot of credit."\nEither way you want to look at it, a win is a win. And that's what champions do; they find a way to win no matter what the circumstances are. My prediction is Woods will get a win at one of the four majors this year and reclaim his spot as the world's top golfer. \nLike Ashley needs Mary-Kate, golf needs Tiger. So please, Tiger, we're counting on you.
(01/20/05 5:03am)
If you can believe it, there actually was one NFL player this weekend whose head hung lower after his team's loss than Peyton Manning's and the Colts'. I'm talking so low that he could see between his legs when he walked, so low that he constantly ran into things, so low that ... well, you get the picture.\nHis name you ask? Doug Brien. \nWait, Doug who?\nYou know, he's that kicker for the Jets who blew the game by missing two field goals in the final 2:20 of their contest against the Steelers Saturday. Brien's first attempt to split the uprights looked as if it was bound to go in. Brien held both hands high in the air as the ball sailed toward its target, but the wind picked up and the kick fell just short, bouncing off the left end of the crossbar. An interception by Jets cornerback David Barrett gave Brien his second chance to be the team's savior. But Brien doinked this attempt from 43 yards out as well -- wide left. \nReportedly, Brien hustled out of the Jets' locker room well before any other player. Can you blame him? He was ashamed, embarrassed and distraught. I feel terrible for the guy. But alas, that is the life the NFL kicker leads. Unless you have Adam Vinatieri, most fans keep a tight leash on their kicker's foot. They are quick to praise but equally as quick to scorn. With one swift game-winning boot, a kicker can achieve glory and acclaim from fans, coaches and fellow teammates. And with one shank wide left, they can turn on you just as quickly.\nBrien knows this formula well. It was a measly eleven days ago that he held his head high after he punched a game-winning field goal through the posts in overtime to eliminate the Chargers from the playoffs. But this week's two missed kicks will forever overshadow Brien's accomplishment last weekend. \nIt's a tough job being an NFL place kicker. In fact, I'd argue that a kicker's job could quite possibly be the most difficult and pressure packed position in all of sports, especially when they are called upon to win the game. He sits on the bench most of the game and only gets in for a handful of plays. And when he does get in, he is expected to make the field goal every time. That's like expecting the quarterback to throw a perfect pass each time he release the ball or the referee making the right call every play. \nEvery time a pigskin-booter comes in at that make-or-brake point of the game, I cringe. Because I know within the next thirty seconds he will either be on the shoulders of his teammates or left alone to quietly ponder what went wrong. \nIt's easy to blame the kicker. He just doesn't fit in with the monstrous, muscle bound linebackers and linemen on the team. He's like the small dorky-looking kid that always got picked last on the playground. He looks more like your high school math teacher than a professional athlete. \nIn a couple years, no one will remember that Jets coach Herman Edwards decided to be conservative and have Chad Pennington quarterback draw to the middle of the field instead of trying to gain more yards for his kicker to have an easier go at it. They'll remember that stupid kicker blowing two chances to put his team in the lead.\nAfter his game-winning kick against the Chargers, Brien explained to reporters how he meditates daily to help him clear his mind for pressure-filled game situations. Perhaps he should use his meditation powers for something else as well, like erasing Saturday's debacle from his memory.
(01/13/05 4:21am)
Oh, if only Mr. Sammy Sosa could live in his dream season of 1998 forever. \nI'm sure you all remember those magical 162 games where Slammin' Sammy and Mark McGuire duked it out like a couple of heavyweight boxers for the home run title. Sosa went on to hit 66 homers that year, win the National League MVP, and lead his team to the playoffs.\nFans fell in love with his happy-go-lucky smile and his tradition of sprinting out to right field and putting his mitt to his ear to hear the crowd's roar before each game at Wrigley Field. But just like anyone believing Ashlee Simpson can actually sing, those days are over. The ovations and home runs have been replaced with strikeouts and cork.\nSome fans began to turn on their beloved Dominican superstar after his corked bat incident in the 2003 season. Sosa found himself in the middle of a large offensive drought at the time but most fans bought his claim that he accidentally grabbed his batting practice bat on that fateful June day. It was Sammy after all, their Sammy. I never bought it for a second. In fact, I've never bought Sammy's 'baseball been berry berry good to me' image.\nSosa didn't do anything to help his image in the 2004 season. Sosa had more strikeouts than games played and walked out on his team during the second inning of the Cubs last game of the season against Atlanta and lied about it. Surveillance video proved otherwise. He spent a significant part of the year on the bench due to a back injury from well, eh, sneezing. Sosa's sneeze injury is more pathetic than that of my little-league catcher, who when I was 12, didn't play in one of our games because he "slept wrong" and was unable to move his neck.\nIt was all starting to make sense to Cubs fans. They finally were beginning to see what it was like for those living beyond the "Cubbie blue bubble." (As a lifelong White Sox fan, I know what it is like to be the target of Cub fan hatred.) \nSammy showed up late to spring training many years and even though fellow Cub players asked him to stop blasting his boombox in the clubhouse, he didn't. Fans and the organization overlooked these acts from the man with the ego as large as his homeland. As long as he was hitting home runs and appeared in Pepsi commercials, it didn't seem to matter to them.\nNot anymore.\nEnter Carlos Beltran. The Royals traded him to the Astros to help them during their push for the playoffs this past season. Beltran shined with his exceptional performance in the playoffs. He became a modern day Mr. October hitting .435 with eight home runs and playing a gold glove-worthy center field. \nAfter the Cubs lost Mosies Alou to San Fransisco this off-season, they are looking for a player to fill the hole left by their top RBI and home run man from 2004. With more than 3 million fans attending games at the friendly confines this summer, the Cubs should have had more than enough money to offer Beltran. Right? Wrong. And that Sosa guy can be blamed for it.\nSosa's contract calls for $16 million this season and $17 million in 2006. Because of their inability to trade Sosa, their offer to Beltran was embarassingly low. Beltran singed with the Mets Sunday for a whopping $119 million over seven years.\nAny hope of unloading Sosa to another team declined with the signing of Beltran. The Mets were the team most interested in him, but after they acquired Beltran they have lost interest in the Cubs right fielder. The Orioles are another team that might take Sosa away from Chicago. The Cubs are still looking to possibly acquire ex-White Sox star Magglio Ordonez to fill Alou's void. \nWithout Beltran, the Cubs should still be able to contend for the NL Central title this season. They did lose starter Matt Clement to the Red Sox, but holding onto the foursome of Prior, Wood, Zambrano and Maddux and securing Nomar Garciaparra for another season should keep them in contention. But they'll probably blow it, because, well -- they're the Cubs.\nIf Sosa sticks around for the Cubs' 2005 campaign, what will happen when he runs out to right field glove to ear during the Cubs home opener against Milwaukee? \nI can hear the boos already.
(11/29/04 4:09am)
The LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course in Terre Haute was a sloppy, wet and muddy mess Monday. As the IU women's cross country team ran the course's two three-kilometer loops in the NCAA Championship meet, mud caked their spikes and legs. Rain from the preceding weekend riddled the course with slippery spots.\n"We all showered after the meet and some of us still have mud on us," sophomore Jessica Gall said.\nDespite the less than desirable course conditions, Gall finished in 18th place in a time of 20 minutes and 52.7 seconds to become IU's eighth ever All-American runner.\n"It was Jessica Gall day today. She is a tough, smart racer," IU coach Judy Wilson said.\nThe Hoosiers set their sights on a top-15 through 20 place finish but settled with a No. 30 finish with 700 points.\n"We are still in the top 10 percent of the country -- but we're certainly not satisfied," Wilson said.\nThe Hoosiers started the race in box No. 5, an inside spot on the starting line. Indiana State University's course's first turn happens early in the race at about 400 to 500 meters into the contest. Traditionally, runners sprint out faster and longer at nationals than they do at other races during the season, making it hard for a team pinned to the inside to get a good start.\n"We didn't find out what box we were in until the morning of and we were at a slight disadvantage to go out than some of the other teams," sophomore Lindsay Hattendorf said.\nHattendorf, who did not start contributing to the Hoosiers scoring efforts until about a month ago at the Pre-NCAAs meet because of lost training time from a stress fracture injury, finished third for the Hoosiers and 213th overall. Sophomore Kristin Whitezell took second for the Hoosiers and 173rd overall. Senior Mindy Peterson and junior Kelly Siefker rounded out the women's scoring attack finishing 219th and 229th respectively. Also competing for the Hoosiers were junior Larra Overton and senior Julie Shields.\nThis year marks the third straight year the Hoosiers qualified for the national meet. The IU women's cross country team accomplished this feat only one other time in the team's history -- during the 1988-90 seasons.\nThe University of Colorado won the meet with 69 points and Duke University and Providence University followed in second and third. Colorado men's team also placed first. The University of Michigan finished the highest out of the Big Ten schools with a sixth place showing. \n"It's been an amazing group of girls and we accomplished a lot this season," Gall said. "Today might not have been our best but qualifying for nationals for the third straight year maintained IU tradition." \n-- Contact staff writer Ryan Corazza at rcorazza@indiana.edu.
