A new dose of Mularkey in Buffalo
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Mike Mularkey was hired as coach of the Buffalo Bills Wednesday, his first head coaching job after 10 years as an assistant.
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Mike Mularkey was hired as coach of the Buffalo Bills Wednesday, his first head coaching job after 10 years as an assistant.
The swimming world lost one of its greatest men last week when James "Doc" Counsilman died in his sleep early Jan. 4 because of complications after his 25 year battle with Parkinson's disease. For the last six and a half years, Counsilman spent his time at Meadowood Retirement Community, where Marjorie, his wife of 60 years, said he became a prisoner in his own body because of the disease. "He had a wonderful career," Marjorie said. "I got to share all of that. I don't know how anyone could have been more fulfilled (with their life). He was obsessed with competitive swimming."
Innovators. James Naismith and Abner Doubleday were some of the few. A pair listed on a short list of sports' inventors and innovators. But for what the well-known Naismith and Doubleday meant to basketball and baseball, respectively, former IU swim coach James "Doc" Counsilman meant just as much to the world of swimming and IU, said athletic director Terry Clapacs. That innovator died Jan. 4, 2004, at the age of 83.
It's a Sunday afternoon and freshman Jacob Moylan's favorite team, the Seattle Seahawks, is losing to the Minnesota Vikings, 35-7. Seattle has no chance of a comeback; nonetheless, Moylan is stuck to the online gamecast, yelling, hoping for another touchdown from Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper. Wrong team, right? Guess again. For the time being, Moylan's favorite squad is the fantasy team he manages, owns and operates online. Made up of players from different teams in the NFL, Moylan no longer roots for specific teams, but rather for specific players with hopes of carrying his fantasy team to a league title.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Bill Elliott wants to leave NASCAR on his terms. Whether he will is pretty much out of his hands. Partly by choice, partly by necessity, one of the most popular stock car drivers will race an abbreviated schedule in 2004 before he decides whether to say "Goodbye" for good. How many races? The business side of the sport will dictate that.
During the first half of the season, the men's swimming and diving team was looking for answers following a dismal 1-5 start, which included tough losses to fellow Big Ten schools Wisconsin and Northwestern. With 16 freshmen being put into the fray and all but one diver red shirting, the 2003-2004 season has begun to show signs of a rebuilding year.
It's a good thing Peyton Manning can't win the big game, Donovan McNabb is overrated as a quarterback and the Rams are unbeatable at home, because this weekend's conference championship slate of Kansas City-New England and Green Bay-St. Louis looks pretty good. In college, Peyton Manning couldn't pull off a win during the big game. His alma mater, Tennessee, won the national championship the year after he graduated. The same was said about the Colts' quarterback after putting up stellar numbers year after year as that first playoff win still eluded him. After last year's 41-0 drubbing by the New York Jets in the first round of the playoffs, the grumbles in Indianapolis began again, and questions arose about whether Manning had the necessary tools to make the jump to elite status. So what's the best way to silence the critics?
Against a backdrop of college bowl games sponsored by everything from cell phones to auto parts stores, NCAA President Myles Brand sent out a warning that the collegiate model of athletics as we know it will continue to see itself challenged by commercialism. Brand told delegates at the 98th annual NCAA Convention in Nashville, Tenn., on Sunday, he wanted to reassert the integrity and value of college sports. He warned that Division I schools, as well as those in Divisions II and III, are vulnerable to being too much like pro franchises by allowing athletics to become separate from the rest of the university. "Intercollegiate athletics is not a freestanding, wholly autonomous enterprise. We have seen the type of drift to the professional model that will diminish, and in the long run will eliminate the value of the program to its university," Brand said. Though Brand believes that professional sports has an important role in soceity, he warned that "college sports must not be allowed to be drawn to the professional model like a moth drawn to a flame."
Junior forward Ned Grabavoy will forgo his senior season of eligibility at IU and enter the 2004 MLS SuperDraft on Jan. 16 in Charlotte, N.C. The All-American has signed a contract with the MLS and is one of eight players signed as part of Major League Soccer's Nike Project-40 class that was recently unveiled by the league. In 2003, Grabavoy carried the Hoosiers to their sixth national championship, leading the team with 33 points on 11 goals and 11 assists in 21 games. As co-captain, Grabavoy was one of 15 finalists for the Missouri Athletic Club Herman Trophy handed out to the nation's top player.
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Outfielder Vladimir Guerrero passed his physical Monday and finalized his $70 million, five-year contract with the Anaheim Angels.
LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Russ Grimm described himself Monday as a "blue collar guy, meat and potatoes" who would welcome the chance to coach the Chicago Bears.
HOUSTON -- Roger Clemens is pushing back his retirement, agreeing Monday to a $5 million, one-year contract with the Houston Astros.
CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs and most owners of rooftop bleachers that overlook Wrigley Field have reached an agreement that would require the owners to pay the team millions of dollars a year, officials said.
INDIANAPOLIS -- As well as the Indianapolis Colts have looked on offense through the first two rounds of playoffs, there's still a big concern about their inconsistent defense heading into the AFC championship game at New England.
Panthers take 2 OT's for win over Rams ST. LOUIS -- Nothing comes easy for the Carolina Panthers -- not even their biggest victory. After blowing an 11-point lead in the final 2:39, the Panthers beat the St. Louis Rams 29-23 in double overtime Saturday on Steve Smith's 69-yard touchdown reception. In one of the wildest, most thrilling finishes in NFL history, Carolina advanced to the NFC championship game against Philadelphia.
Hoosiers face top competition on road The Hoosier Hockey squad returned from winter break after a tough road trip against Division I foe Arizona. IU dropped its first meeting against the Wildcats 4-2 and tied the second 1-1. In the first game, IU was down 3-2 in the waning seconds when Arizona scored an empty-netter, putting the Hoosiers in a hole with not enough time to catch up.
Soccer keeps netting awards The awards keep on piling up for the Hoosiers. Three weeks after winning their sixth national championship, four IU soccer players were honored by the College Soccer News for their efforts during the 2003 season. Seasoned veteran junior Ned Grabavoy was named to the publication's All-American second team, and freshman teammates Jed Zayner, Julian Dieterle and Jacob Peterson were all named to the CSN All-Freshman first, second and third teams respectively.
IU lost a hard-fought game against Michigan 65-59 Saturday, falling to 8-6 overall and 1-2 in conference action. The Hoosiers could not keep the momentum from their 60-39 rout of Wisconsin just two days before the Michigan contest.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The Hoosiers have senior George Leach back. The senior center made his return to the basketball court after injuring his knee in the Nov. 29 game against Xavier. Leach has spent the past month sitting out and rehabbing his knee in hopes of being able to play again this season. The return was needed, as he helped lead the Hoosiers to a 59-57 win over Michigan in Crisler Arena.
Not since 1996 have Indianapolis Colts fans had this much to cheer about in January. A crowd of boisterous Colts fans looked for the team's biggest win since it was led by "Captain Comeback" Jim Harbaugh to the 1996 AFC Championship game. Colts fans made a lively appearance at Yogi's Bar & Grill Sunday and cheered the Colts to a 38-31 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. Junior Kyle Hollon, a fan since he "could watch TV," was one of those on hand to witness the event and revel in the long road the Colts have traveled since the days of players like Jeff George and Don Majikowski.