Sports Musings

Grusin and Me

2006-12-19T09:49:00.000-08:00

Richard Grusin defines remediation as the “double logic according to which media refashion prior media forms.” He then goes on to say “video and computer games, we argued, remediate film by styling themselves as ‘interactive movies,’ incorporating standard Hollywood cinematic techniques.”

While this is true for the most part, video game programmers are styling game concepts and visuals as a form of movie experience, but more so now is the idea that video games are an expansion of the movie experience. Film studios have linked themselves into the gaming world in an attempt to bring a whole new experience to movie-goers and gamers, a sort of connectedness between the movie and game, not merely a reiteration of the film in game form.

The Wachowski brothers and the entire concept of The Matrix films has expanded into other media forms such as video games. But while most other games simply rehash the same basic storyline as the film, Enter the Matrix, The Matrix: Path of Neo, and The Matrix Online all provide a deeper insight into the world of the matrix. All incorporate cinematic elements from the films, but none rehash the premises of the three films, rather, each game provides an entirely new experience and storyline in relation to the films.

The same can be said for the Evil Dead trilogy of which the cult following has called for a new film to be released since the last of the films Army of Darkness was made some 14 years ago, leaving fans hungry for more. But while the directors and actors of the films have not felt a need to drag on the series through film, they decided to use video games instead. And released three different games, each with its own storyline in relation to the films, providing fans with a new experience altogether.

And now films such as The Godfather and Scarface are being resurrected through video games, which have taken the basic storylines of the film and expanded on them, giving the gamer an entirely new experience. So, while games do tend to remediate film in trying to style themselves through cinematic elements, they also expand on the filmic atmosphere and give studios, actors and directors a chance to further develop their stories into a different medium—that of video games.

McLuhan and Me

2006-12-19T09:18:00.000-08:00

“It is the inclusive mesh of the TV image, in particular, that spells for a while at least, the doom of baseball. For baseball is a game of one-thing-at-a-time, fixed positions and visibly delegated specialist jobs such as belonged to the now passing mechanical age, with its fragmented tasks and its staff and line in management organization. TV, as the very image of the new corporate and participant way of electric living, fosters habits of unified awareness and social interdependence that alienate us from the peculiar style of baseball, with its specialist and positional stress. When cultures change, so do games. Baseball, that had become the elegant abstract image of industrial society living by split-second timing, has in the new TV decade lost its psychic and social relevance for our new way of life. The ball game has been dislodged from the social center and been conveyed to the periphery of American life. In contrast, American football is nonpositional, and any or all of the players can switch to any role during play. It is, therefore, a game that at the present is supplanting baseball in general acceptance. It agrees very well with the new needs of decentralized team play in the electric age.” - Marshall McLuhan

In the 1960s Marshall McLuhan saw the face of sports changing, a dramatic shift from America’s pastime to its future, from a nation wrapped in baseball to that of football. And it isn’t because the quality of the game lacks in one more than the other, rather, because of the shift in media, the inclusion of TV images at the stadiums.

The digital media has taken much of the sport of baseball away from itself, taken the fans out of the experience of attending a baseball game and placing them in the presence of a giant screen, eliminating the aura and as McLuhan puts it, “psychic and social relevance for our new way of life.”

Football, on the other hand, welcomes the inclusion of TV as it adds to the experience through instant replays of a vicious tackle or coach’s challenges. It brings the fans into the playing the role of referee and carries them deeper into the mindset of the gaming experience. The fan experience has expanded and taken a larger role during the game.

The birth of TV screens in stadiums has created a shift in the collective experiences of fans in both baseball and football. Baseball, which was once considered America’s pastime and the quintessential fan experience, is now a fallen commodity to the ever-growing phenomenon of football, professional and college. McLuhan saw it in the 1960s and it is even more so conclusive in present times. Baseball has lost its aura.

Virilio and Me

2006-12-19T09:16:00.000-08:00

The giant push towards technological advancement, especially within the digital media ranks, has its positives while at the same time burdens a great deal of negatives.

As with all inventions or advancements, humans have a tendency to ruin the experience by resorting to idiotic, obscene behaviours. With the advent of the automobile industry came the desire to crash, and in the most extreme cases, to drink and drive one’s self into oblivion, taking down innocent bystanders in the process. And with the upgrades in weaponry came the Cuban Missile Crisis and countless decades of senseless violence and wars.

And now, in the age of digital media, computers consume every aspect of life. As Paul Virilio argues in Open Sky:

Where physical displacement from one point to another once supposed departure, a journey and arrival, the transport revolution of last century had already quietly begun to eliminate delay and change the nature of travel itself, arrival at one’s destination remaining, however, a ‘limited arrival’ due to the very time it took to get there.
Currently, with the instantaneous broadcasting revolution, we are seeing the beginnings of a ‘generalized arrival’ whereby everything arrives without having to leave, the nineteenth century’s elimination of the journey (that is, of the space interval and of time) combining with the abolition of departure at the end of the twentieth, the journey thereby losing its successive components and being overtaken by arrival alone.

As Virilio states, our sense of physical journey is non-existent. We live our lives in front of a computer screen, conducting conversations with friends, playing games, traveling through different spaces all while sitting at our desks, building a whole other life for ourselves. It is possible to never leave the house and still meet an honest, healthy standard living void of any physical contact or companionship.

It’s a scary thought that there are most likely people whose lives have unraveled in front of the computer screen, who no longer know what it’s like to feel the physical presence of an outside world, one that exists outside of the screen. But as with all technologies, humans always find a way to meet an expected level of extreme, to teeter on the brink of an insane justification of such technologies.

And so as long as technologies continue to advance, humans will continue to lose their sense of a presence, of a journey, of an actual life.

Catch Me If You Can

2006-09-27T18:23:00.000-07:00

A man walks into a Hollywood agency, unkempt, brazen smile and says to the agent, “man, do I have a mind-blowing story for you.”

The agent’s bitter expression exhibits deep disinterest.

“I’ve had thousands of people walk through this door with uplifting stories and tales of underdogs overcoming all odds to become winners,” explained the agent. “What could possibly offer that is so different and mind-blowing?”

The man, unnerved, begins his story.

“Well, you’ve just described uplifting stories and tales of overcoming life’s obstacles, which is all touching and causes happiness or excitement, “ the man argued. “Mine is nothing of the sort. It’s the story of a general manager, who has run the team into the ground. My tale is not an uplifting one, though one of promise it may be, but a distant promise.”

With each word, the agent’s expression changes from bitter, to interest, to a deep involvement.

“Please, continue,” said the agent. “For all the years I’ve been involved in the business and all the millions I’ve earned, never have I been introduced to such heart-wrenching horror.”

The man continues.

“Horror indeed. The city demands honor and professionalism from its teams of which each demonstrates with highest regards except that of which is run by our protagonists.”

“In the last four years, the general manager has elected to draft a wide receiver as his first pick in three of them. Of the three receivers, one was hurt the first two seasons and cut this season. The other had weight trouble and his work ethics have been deeply criticized, rendering him unplayable in the coach’s eyes. Only one has demonstrated any type of athletic ability. And, in his first year as general manager, he selected a promising quarterback, whose pessimistic attitude damaged teammates’ psyche and left them unwilling to perform for their leader.”

The agent interrupts: “All this is inconceivable to rationalize its happening in true life, but what is its selling point? All you have described to me is the unfortunate transgressions of a general manager. This character’s intentions have been for good, just haven’t worked out as such.”

Taken aback and with slight irritation, the man tried to further explained his story.

“As I was about to say, he’s formed the team to his liking, drafting and trading players, who he feels are winners, none of which are winning. He’s taken none of the blame for it and has fired three different coaches in five years.”

“Wow,” uttered the agent. “This character is the perfect villain. His motives are so secretly bound, yet, so clear. And no blame comes his way? Remarkable.”

“Yes. An entire city, with hopes of the future, have been led on by the powers that be. Their team of the future and its so-called work ethic is a sham to bring in fans, who otherwise wouldn’t show. The city’s hopes and dreams of a successful football team erased because of greed. He drove out the remaining semblance of a running game during his inaugural season, his draft picks and coaches have been major disappointments, and the roster moves are laughable, yet, he is still in office promising a brighter future and fans keep attending aimlessly hoping.”

The man stands up, hand outstretched, awaiting a response he assuredly knows will come.

“So, are you in,” he said.

“Most certainly,” said the agent. “But, what will we call it?”

After a brief conversational hiatus, the man jolted his head up.

“I feel there can be only one title for this film,” proclaimed the man.

“The Destructionist.”

Benjamin and Me

2006-09-10T16:57:00.000-07:00

In a world of black and white, so to does Walter Benjamin speak of dualities within the world of art. He defines art through a series of oppositions: original versus copy, tradition versus modernity, contemplation versus distraction, cult value versus exhibition value, ritual versus disinterested expertise and optical versus tactile.

Original and Copy

Benjamin describes the difference between original and copy by means of the original being associated with the unique, traditional, aura and reverence. Copy translates into a reproduction, of no value or reverence, ordinary or lesser. For example:

"In photography, process reproduction can bring out those aspects of the original that are unattainable to the naked eye yet accessible to the lens, which is adjustable and chooses its angle at will. And photographic reproduction, with the aid of certain processes, such as enlargement or slow motion, can capture images which escape natural vision. Secondly, technical reproduction can put the copy of the original into situations which would be out of reach for the original itself."

He associates the original as mystifying, a phony reverence and the copy as with our world, democratic, egalitarian, a new social movement.

Tradition and Modernity

Tradition is good, it is society and culture, with fixed roles. It is described as a type of hierarchy of art. Benjamin depicts modernity as free. In discussing the ideas of tradition and modernism within an individualist construct, he labels tradition as fixed, a freedom to be oneself. Modernity is thought to be free, a construct of one’s own identity.

Contemplation and Distraction

The contemplation form of art is valued and cultivated. Distraction, on the other hand, is associated with how we live; it is a stimulation, and a type of constancy. Contemplation, much like the idea of the original, is connected with mystification, or taking yourself out of flux.

Cult Value and Exhibition Value

Cult value is a form of priestly sect, or experts, where commoners and lay people are forbidden. Benjamin compares it as:

"Today the cult value would seem to demand that the work of art remain hidden. Certain statues of gods are accessible only to the priest in the cella; certain Madonnas remain covered nearly all year round; certain sculptures on medieval cathedrals are invisible to the spectator on ground level."

Opposite of cult value is exhibition value, which is a work to be viewed by all people. He exemplifies the exhibition value as being:

"In the same way today, by the absolute emphasis on its exhibition value the work of art becomes a creation with entirely new functions, among which the one we are conscious of, the artistic function, later may be recognized as incidental. This much is certain: today photography and the film are the most serviceable exemplifications of this new function."

He conceives today’s art, film and photography, as being highly attainable and viewable by all people unlike earlier art such as sculptures and statues.

Ritual and Disinterested Expertise

Ritual comes out of rich, historical tradition, whereas, disinterested expertise is the news voice where all are experts.

Optical and Tactile

Optical is traditional and tactic is contemporary and shock-induced. He identifies this as a comparison between the Egyptian “optical” and the Greek “tactile.”

Benjamin portrays a period in which art was more of a tradition historically for a special order of people. Not everyone was able to appreciate art. Until the modernization of photography and film, art had never been a worldwide representation. Once progress was made, this art form became more readily available and more popular among all variations of people.

Boxing War

2006-08-26T19:36:00.000-07:00

Didn’t the Cold War end in 1985 once Rocky heroically out-muscled the Russian machine, Captain Ivan Drago?

If so, how come no one told professional boxing?

With Hasim Rahman’s recent defeat at the gloves of Russian General, Oleg Maskaev, Russia now controls the heavyweight division, owning the four major championships: WBC (Maskaev), WBA (Nikolay Valuev), WBO (Sergei Lyakhovich), and IBF (Wladimir Klitschko).

An iron curtain has descended upon the realm of professional boxing, and the U.S. forges no response. Previous U.S. heavyweight champions Chris Byrd, with his unorthodox southpaw fighting style of which offered no competition in either bout against Klitschko; John Ruiz, who sent opponents into a sleepy haze through his mind-numbing interviews and turtle-like reflexes in the ring; Hasim Rahman, whose only claim to fame is a fluke knockout of then champion Lennox Lewis--who destroyed Rahman in their next fight--and Lamon Brewster, who proved no match for Lyakhovich’s in-ring dominance, each received a hardcore shellacking in his respective title defense against Russian opponents.

Now, behind its hopeful leaders James Toney and Calvin Brock, the U.S. looks to regain respectability among the boxing ranks and to relinquish the Russian stronghold that has plagued U.S. history.

From communism and the red scare to 24 and its nuclear warfare, Russia seemingly finds ways to infiltrate American comfort zones. Its takeover of professional boxing is just another example. But, Americans might not have a solution to this monstrosity of a problem.

Unless…

As it was in the past, the U.S. desperately needs another Soviet collapse internally, a self-destruction among each of Russia’s current titleholders.

Or…

Newly un-retired, 43-year old boxing icon Evander Holyfield climbs the ranks of the heavyweight division and single-handedly takes down each Russian champion. He’s already on his way after defeating Jeremy Bates.

Whatever the case, the U.S. must find an answer before the much-feared domino effect occurs and Russian dominance emanates into other facets of American life.

An iron curtain has descended upon professional boxing.

Who is courageous enough to be our Rocky and defeat Russia’s Drago?

Photo courtesy of www.Mgm.com

Zidane the Conqueror

2006-07-01T17:50:00.000-07:00

Thanks to a Herculean effort by France’s Zinedine Zidane, the Brazilian Hydra was destroyed in a blaze of fury.

It took eleven World Cup opponents to figure out the weakness of this monster. Whenever one of its main heads was cut—whether it was Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Adriano or Kakà—several other heads grew in place, making it physically and mentally impossible to defeat the Hydra.

Until recently, when Zidane, who earlier in France’s World Cup run announced his retirement from both international and club play once the Cup ended, led his team through the depths of a fiery hell into heavenly bliss.

“We needed a great match and we delivered. We knew we would have to be fit physically and we were,” said Zidane. “We fought closely together for a well fought victory.”

Not yet willing to release himself from the soccer world, Zidane worked his magical feet throughout the game. He played an enchanting match, setting up numerous opportunities for teammates, splitting countless double teams, and playing floor general throughout. His desire matched by none. All of his efforts came to a final thrilling moment when, in the 57th minute, his free kick found its way to Thierry Henry, who powered it passed Dida.

An eighteen-year veteran, Zidane is no stranger to these magical moments. In 1998, he led France into the title match against Brazil, scoring two goals en route to a 3-0 victory, Brazil’s last defeat prior to today. He’s also been named FIFA World Player of the Year on three different occasions—1998, 2000 and 2003. Labeled by many, the greatest player of his generation, today’s effort exemplifies just how brilliant he truly is when given the ball.

Having already accomplished such great feats, what else is left for Zidane?

“Now we’ll try and win a place in the final. We don’t want to stop now. This is so beautiful, we want it to carry on.”

Humbled. Determined. Magical. Herculean.

We’re going to hate to see it come to an end.

Picture of Zidane produced by: Simon Bruty/SI

Moving On...

2006-06-23T14:04:00.000-07:00

The round of 16 is set. After 48 games, 117 goals, 256 yellow cards and 18 red cards, the World Cup readily moves into its next stage.

But, before bidding adieu to the group stage of the World Cup, it’s only fitting to acknowledge those teams whose valiant efforts weren’t enough to advance into the next stage.

The smallest nation ever to qualify in the World Cup, Trinidad and Tobago, instantly surprised fans and analysts alike with a 0-0 draw against highly favored Sweden. In its follow-up, T&T battled group favorite England to the brink before Peter Crouch scored off a header in the 83rd minute. They were able to stay in contention within the group until their final match against Paraguay, which quickly ended in a 2-0 loss.

While T&T surprised us in an entertainingly good way, the 5th ranked United States did so in a disappointingly pathetic way. Among the upper echelon of teams in statistical categories such as red and yellow cards and fouls, the U.S. focused more on trying to physically power its way to the next round instead of producing any resemblance of an offense (they recorded only four shots on goal in three games).

Amidst a web of controversy, the U.S. has no one else to blame but itself. The players failed to represent their country from the outset of the tournament, quitting after the Czechs (who also disappointed greatly in not advancing) scored the first goal of the game. Their brief moment of success came against Italy, who resorted to scoring on itself in order to cause a 1-1 draw. The U.S. found itself without a sound strategy, without solid commitment, without pride.

It’s the sense of national pride that catapulted several upset specialists into the round of 16. Ghana, who no one considered would play its way out of Group E, and Australia, World Cup first-timers, both poured their hearts onto the field in each game.

In their first game of World Cup play, the Socceroos overcame a 1-0 deficit against Japan by scoring three goals in the game’s final ten minutes (84, 89, 90). They then played into a tough 2-0 loss against World Cup juggernauts Brasilia. Ending their run in the group stage, they played into a 2-2 draw against Croatia to move into the round of 16.

Ghana began group play with a 2-0 loss to the Azzurri. But, full of heart and not allowing themselves to quit, they stunned the Czech Republic 1-0 and the U.S. 2-1 to lock themselves into the round of 16.

“We did our best today,” said Ghana midfielder Michael Essien after a 2-1 victory over the U.S. “We did it for Ghana and the whole of Africa so they should keep cheering us.”

Both Australia and Ghana will look to carry their intensity over into the next round of which they have insurmountable tasks in Italia and Brasilia respectively.

Brasilia spells doom for all teams in its path. In its final match-up before heading into the round of 16, the sleeping giant was awoken in defeating Japan, who offered a scarce moment of trouble for Brasilia when it took a 1-0 lead, 4-1. Ronaldo counterpointed any criticisms about his being overweight with two goals, tying the record (14) held by Gerd Mueller for most goals scored in World Cup history.

“I have complete knowledge of my possibilities, of my condition,” said Ronaldo after Brasilia’s victory. “I knew I arrived at a level below my teammates, and that I would have to work really hard to reach them.”

With Brasilia finally playing to potential, the competition will face a tough challenge in trying to tame such a prolific attack.

The group stage was a milieu of surprises, upsets, letups and letdowns. It’s time now for the elimination stage, the round of 16. Each of the remaining teams has one last chance to represent its country, to stand in front of tens of thousands of jeering fans, and one last chance to bring home the Cup.

And, until it’s proven otherwise, count on a Brasilia to repeat as World Cup Champions.

Teams advancing: Germany, Ecuador, England, Sweden, Argentina, Netherlands, Portugal, Mexico, Italy, Ghana, Brazil, Australia, Switzerland, France, Spain and Ukraine.

Teams to watch out for: Brazil, Germany, England, Spain, Italy, Argentina and Portugal.

Photo of Ghana coach and player produced by: AP Photo/Jorge Saenz

World's Greatest Athlete

2006-06-20T19:34:00.000-07:00

Have you ever noticed how every sport claims to have the world’s greatest athletes?

It poses a quality question that begs an answer.

Which sport can actually stake claim in having the best athletes?

In order to find out, we must first take the best athlete from each sport:

Soccer – Ronaldinho
Basketball - LeBron James
Football - Michael Vick
Hockey - Sidney Crosby
Tennis - Roger Federer
Golf - Tiger Woods
Baseball - Albert Pujols

With the athletes chosen from each of the major sports, it now must be established which events will be played in determining the true athlete.

But first, it should be determined what qualities a true athlete possesses that define him a true athlete. The main characteristics of a true athlete are agility, endurance, skill, style, physical and mental toughness, so it’s only fitting to run several events specific to each of the categories. Such events include:

Agility - Shuttle run
Endurance – Tri-level aerobic test
Skill – Talent show
Style – Culinary arts
Physicality – Battle Royale
Mental - IQ Test

He who accomplishes each task with highest honours, who soars above the rest displaying the greatest skill, in so doing, will be acknowledged the truest athlete.

And therein stands the sport that can claim the world’s greatest athletes.

Repeating History

2006-06-07T22:24:00.000-07:00

With great power comes great responsibility.

After a disappointing, lackluster end to an otherwise incredible season, Detroit Piston president Joe Dumars has a responsibility to fans to improve upon the team and to prevent history from repeating itself.

As it was during the Bad Boys’ reign and championship years of 1989 and 1990, then coach Chuck Daly relied heavily on his core players—Isaiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, Dennis Rodman, John Salley, Bill Laimbeer and Vinnie Johnson—and allowed little time for developing young talents to experience on-court, game atmosphere.

Each season afterwards the team consistently struggled to stay above, and at times to even reach .500, and traded away talented prospects the likes of Allan Houston, Sean Elliott, Johnny Dawkins, Stacey Augmon, Otis Thorpe, Jerry Stackhouse and Grant Hill, who although is continually marred by ankle injuries, still poses a major threat to opposing defenders.

For ten years, after winning sixty-three games and a second championship, the Bad Boys took their name too literally. Having reached its pinnacle in 2000-2001, an inglorious 30-52, Joe Dumars undertook the task of restoring his team back into respectability.

And he did just that.

Through several blockbuster trades and acquisitions—most notably trading Grant Hill for Ben Wallace and Chucky Atkins—Dumars built the Pistons into a powerhouse. Leading the franchise to a 304-162 record, another championship, four conference final and two finals appearances since becoming president, this year’s playoffs supposes another fallout in the upcoming seasons.

Dumars emphasized his starting five too much, and after building up to sixty-four wins, the starters were left fatigued and inconsistent throughout the playoffs. Neither Larry Brown nor Flip Saunders allowed the Delfinos, Milicics, Johnsons, or Ackers to contribute with substantial minutes. And, as it was in the past, the Pistons’ second overall pick in Darko Milicic was traded away to Orlando, where he averaged 7.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.07 blocks in twenty minutes per game.

For the Pistons to avoid another cycle of underachieving, Dumars must improve upon the bench during the off-season.

And, in what may seem as a crash-course maneuver but will eventually help considerably, he should choose not to re-sign Ben Wallace.

Yes, Ben Wallace won defensive player-of-the-year four of five seasons.

Yes, he and Rasheed pose as insurmountable threats to opposing slashers and cutters.

And, yes, he can be considered the heart and soul of this team; the epitome of everything the Pistons stand for.

But, what must be considered are his age, 32, his most assuredly big-money contract, and whether he really fits the team’s push towards fast-breaking.

Instead of spending huge amounts of salary cap on retaining Wallace, the Pistons should look elsewhere in adding several, quality players such as Al Harrington, Speedy Claxton, Vladimir Radmanovic, Bonzi Wells, or bringing back Mike James.

Harrington is an ideal fit for the Pistons. He’s young, 25, with seven years experience, possesses more of an offensive attack, rebounds, and defends. His contract won’t be nearly as high as Wallace’s, which would allow for the signing of better bench players.

Once all of the key off-season additions are welcomed, the younger players must be better developed. The Pistons need a mixture of youth and veteran leadership, and to allow the youth to consistently compete alongside the veterans in an attempt to gain experience.

There’s no need for another Piston relapse. All the tools are either already in place or ready to be handled. It’s up to Dumars to handle them correctly.

With great power comes great responsibility.

Mr. Dumars, it’s in your power to prevent another decade of disappointments and let downs. And, it’s your responsibility to the fans to make sure it doesn’t happen.

World Cup Predictions

2006-06-06T17:32:00.000-07:00

World Cup Predictions (June 9th – July 9th):

The top two teams in each group advance into the Round of Sixteen.

Group A

Germany and Poland

Group B

England and Sweden

Group C

Argentina and Netherlands

Group D

Mexico and Portugal

Group E

Italy and Czech Republic

Group F

Brazil and Japan

Group G

France and South Korea

Group H

Spain and Saudi Arabia

Following the Round of Sixteen is a Quarterfinal, Semifinal and the Final.

Championship:

Brazil over Italy

World Cup Glory

2006-06-06T17:28:00.000-07:00

Every four years, for one month, the sports world is engulfed in a colossal war of national pride. Spectators, fans and athletes find themselves amidst a major struggle of wits and athleticism in a quest for world supremacy and a chance at national recognition. Thirty-two countries vie for one, common goal: a FIFA World Cup.

It represents a time when the world trades in field goals with golden goals, penalty shots with penalty kicks, open-field tackles with slide tackles, and technical fouls with red and yellow cards.

The World Cup allows for the world’s greatest athletes to compete for the honour of their countries, while, in the process, trying to stay face with and not utterly disappoint fans. Because soccer hooligans, as most know, take fanaticism to a level beyond comprehension.

Nothing is off-limits in regards to hooligan trash-talk. While playing in Europe, U.S. midfielder, DaMarcus Beasley, fell victim to hooligan tactics as soccer extremists began attacking Beasley, who is an African American, by making monkey noises during every corner kick.

“When I got here, people would do the monkey noises and chants and stuff like that," he said. "I just kind of laugh it off."

Another recent incident involving soccer hooligans occurred on April 15, 2005, in Italy during a Champions League quarterfinal game, hooligans shot flares onto the field. Over thirty flares were launched, one hitting AC Milan goalkeeper Dida in the head.

Despite unruly fans, this year’s World Cup in Germany will undoubtedly exceed expectations. Brazil’s three-headed monster—Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, and Adriano—looks to lead Brazil to consecutive World Cup Championships and add to its Cup-best five Championships. But, Brazil faces a tough task in repeating with such formidable challengers as Italy, England, France, Spain and World Cup hosts, Germany.

In the following month, a multitude of questions will be answered:

Will anyone be able to stop Brazil’s star-studded attack?

How will fans come into play and will violence be kept in check?

And, most importantly, can anyone bend it like Beckham?

So, whether you’re looking for heroism or hooliganism, the World Cup has it all.

One month. Thirty-two teams. Sixty-four, ninety-minute games.

Welcome to the sports world’s greatest event.

Photo produced by: AP Photo/Kai-Uwe Knoth

A Piston Collapse

2006-05-17T20:32:00.000-07:00

Losing big in game 3, no problem.

Losing a close-fought battle in game 4 allowing Cleveland to tie the series, a minor problem.

Failing to win game 5 on your home court en route to a 3-2 series lead for Cleveland, BIG problem.

The Detroit Pistons, owners of the NBA’s best regular season record and favorites to win the Eastern Conference Championship, find themselves facing a 3-2 deficit heading into game 6 in Cleveland. Credit the Cavs for imposing their will on an unsuspecting Piston team. Detroit fans are left wondering when their team will awake from its slumber.

The Piston starting five—Billups, Hamilton, Prince, Wallace and Wallace—have contributed among several lackluster performances as of late. Billups is scoring 4 points below his playoff average and shooting a mere .372 from the field. LeBron James has consistently burned Prince, who is known for his defensive tenacity, throughout the series. Ben Wallace, four-time defensive player of the year, has yet to play a major defensive role. Hamilton has been the most reliable as his offensive production continues to improve. And Rasheed Wallace reverted back to his Trail Blazer days, where he focused more on the referees than he did the game. Lately, as it was in Portland, Wallace collects more technical fouls than he does points.

Need for ‘Sheed

Speaking of Rasheed…

Not including game 2, Rasheed Wallace has been non-existent. Scoring 10, 11, 7 and 10 in games 1, 3, 4 and 5 respectively, Wallace lacks the walk to coincide with his talk. After guaranteeing a game 4 victory--Like I said last night, I know we're going to bust their ass tomorrow night. It's the last game in this building for this year. Ya'll can quote me, put it back page, front page, whatever--he followed through with 7 points on 3 of 13 shooting and an ankle injury.

"No way in hell are they going to beat us in this series," said Wallace after game 4’s loss. “They beat us tonight, which is good for them. That is something that they needed to do. They did what they were supposed to do, take care of home. So can't take nothing away from them for that. Even the sun shines on a dog's ass."

The sun is still shining.

Rasheed Wallace was even more invisible in game 5. Scoring only 8 points, Wallace played only 22 minutes due to early foul trouble. Included among his amassed fouls was a technical foul, which results in a one-game suspension.

In game 6, Wallace will truly be invisible.

The pen is mightier than the sword

While Wallace’s verbal antics assisted in pumping up the Cavs, they have another, bigger reason to win: teammate Larry Hughes and his late brother Justin.

An inspired Cavs team won all three games minus its second leading scorer.

The Pistons continually try overpowering and abusing their opponents, beating them into submission. But, they find themselves in an uphill battle against a relentless Cavs squad injected with an extra dosage of heart.

Not worrying about Wallace’s words or referee ridiculing, the Cavs’ main focus is set on beating the NBA’s best in honour of Justin Hughes.

Like David versus Goliath, Rocky defeating Ivan Drago and the Little Giants outsmarting the Dallas Cowboys, the Cleveland Cavaliers look to overcome the daunting task of beating the bigger, stronger Detroit Pistons.

This might just be another example of the underdog taming its predator.

No verbal assaults and mind games.

No physical overpowering or bullying.

Just a lot of determination.

And a lot of heart.

King James enters the Palace

2006-05-07T13:07:00.000-07:00

In an attempt to inch closer to the coveted crown, King James must first storm into the Palace to regain his throne, which has been inhabited recently by a Prince. LeBron “King James” James leads his army of beards, known to most as the Cleveland Cavaliers, into battle against Tayshaun Prince and the Detroit Pistons.

Having vanquished the wizardry, which threatened his city, King James now stands opposite a much stronger foe; an enemy in Prince, who fearlessly spearheaded Bucks in Milwaukee.

Ruthless, belligerent citizens have criticized James’ rule all year. He continues to silence such critics with superior play and astonishing leadership.

Now, James confronts his biggest enemy denying him his crown. The Pistons present a major threat on all fronts. Forceful, powerful and physical, Prince’s Pistons have taken over and tarnished cities nation-wide. They strike fear into their enemies, relying heavily upon induced fear.

King James and the beards enter into a war of epic proportions. But, like many strong kings before him, James united his army into one, solid, cohesive unit. Readied for battle, King James knows he must fight to the end, rest none, and take advantage of every opportunity.

A strong king rises above all circumstance. He invokes his rule and stands down to no one. He leads his nation into battle against opposition and proves his strength in the process.

But, before a King dons a crown he must first claim his throne. Only then can he truly refer to himself as King.

The Questions

2006-05-05T15:21:00.000-07:00

--The NFL and MLB find themselves amidst mass struggle in cleansing the leagues of drug and steroid abuse. Why is the NBA worrying about banning tights?

--After witnessing Kobe’s game 4 heroics, it begs the question: can Phil and Kobe’s Lakers be stopped in playoffs?

--Why is it that sports analysts praised the Pistons throughout the season and into games 1 and 2, but after game 3 they suddenly trash their dedication?

--What were Matt Millen and the Detroit Lions thinking as they passed-up Matt Leinart, who is 37-2 as a starter, with the ninth pick?

--Can Wladimir Klitschko bring boxing to elite status as it was during the Lennox Lewis era? James “Lights out” Toney? Or “The Beast from the East” Nicolay Valuev?

--Conspiracy theories abound with recent attempts to intentionally walk Bonds challenge that managers purposely walk him to prevent him from reaching Hank Aaron’s record. Couldn’t it be that even with his .277 batting average he still presents a home-run threat at every at-bat?

--With the Kentucky Derby upon us, it must be questioned as to why there is day-long coverage (12-3, 3-5, 6:30-7) of an event that takes no more than two minutes to complete?

--Is it necessary for the NFL to give teams fifteen minutes to draft players when they’ve had all season to scout potential draftees?

--How lucky is Tony Stewart to come out unharmed after flipping his car during Saturday’s NASCAR Busch Series' Aaron's 312 auto race?

--How lucky is Chris Kaman to still have genitals after Reggie Evan’s nutcracker delight?

Nash is Supreme Playmate

2006-05-05T15:20:00.000-07:00

Choosing among this year’s MVP candidates is like choosing among Playboy playmates, no one man stands out because they’re all too hot. Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chauncey Billups each acts an invaluable role on his team.

But, among such an elite grouping, it’s almost impossible to crown a new king with last year’s winner Steve Nash improving upon last season’s stats with a new, less-than-stellar supporting cast.

With Joe Johnson and Quentin Richardson playing elsewhere and Amare Stoudemire injured for the year, Nash was forced to carry a 62-20 record into this season minus the stars he complimented so well. Instead, he was given Boris Diaw, James Jones and Raja Bell along with the always-reliable Shawn Marion.

Nash and the Suns continued to blaze through opponents and left nets en fuego. They remained the number one scoring offense with 108.4 points per game (110.4 during 2004-05). Record-wise, the team finished 54-28, only an eight-game drop off from last year. And Nash set career highs in scoring (18.8 ppg), field goal percentage (.512), rebounding (4.2 rpg), minutes (35.4 mpg), and led the league in assists (10.5 apg) for the second straight season.

While the other playmates carry intriguing stats (Kobe, LeBron, and Wade each scored over 30 points per game and Billups captains NBA-best Detroit), the playmate-of-the-year has shown no reason to choose against him.

Bell-Bryant: The Finale

2006-05-05T15:19:00.000-07:00

Kobe Bryant. Raja Bell. Game 7. All bets are off.

The second-seeded Phoenix Suns and seventh-seeded Los Angeles Lakers are the first teams to duel out their differences in a game 7. The first five games featured numerous spats culminating in Raja Bell’s clothesline takedown of Kobe Bryant.

In a war similar to Tyson-Holyfield in its violence and that of Tyson-Lewis with its verbal assault, Bryant-Bell will come to a decisive end Saturday night.

After game 5, Bell spoke to reporters about the incident:

"I don't hate him, but I have no respect for him, because I think he's a pompous, arrogant individual," Bell said. "I think a lot of people let him get away with a lot of things. And he feels like he's supposed to get away with things because of who he is. And I don't agree with that."

Holyfield strikes with a couple head-butts and Tyson retaliates with an ear-bite. Likewise, Bryant drops several elbows to Bell’s face; Bell counters by trying to rip Kobe’s head off.

For Kobe, all is well. He is still winning the fight and although he took a couple big shots, none were big enough to knock him down.

Kobe followed up with the ultimate ego crushing known to man. Upon hearing Bell’s verbal assault, Kobe struck back with derision:

"Does he know me? Do I know this guy? I don't know this guy," said Bryant, who accused Bell of overreacting. "Maybe he wasn't hugged enough as a kid."

Bell won’t be receiving many hugs after unleashing the Kobe monster, which blazed its way to 50 points in game 6.

Game 7 gives rise to superstardom. It allows for few opportunities and even fewer mistakes. In game 7 all bets are off.

Bryant and Bell meet once more in game 7, the finale.

Who will deliver the major knockout punch?

Pistons draw Bucks

2006-04-20T20:58:00.000-07:00

The Detroit Pistons are looking to three-peat their way into the NBA finals, but first drew the ire of the Milwaukee Bucks, a team of which went 1-3 against the Pistons this season. And, while many believe the Pistons will have their way with the Bucks, it is a much different Bucks team competing this year.

The Pistons beat the Bucks by an average of only six points this season with each game dwindling into the waning seconds.

This year’s Bucks match-up better than those of previous years. Michael Redd averages 30.0 points per game while shooting 55% from the field and 73.9% from the three-point line. TJ Ford, Bobby Simmons, Andrew Bogut and Jamaal Magloire each are key additions, who pose a major threat to the Pistons. Key reserves off the bench in Maurice Williams, Joe Smith, Charlie Bell, Dan Gadzuric and Toni Kukoc can provide productive minutes with the starters on the bench.

“I don’t think that playing Milwaukee…is going to be easy,” said Pistons guard Tony Delk, “I think we knew that going in, and especially with Milwaukee because they've got guys that are capable of getting 40 points against us. We just have to be careful with them and take care of home-court."

Although the Bucks ended the season 40-42, they were marred by injuries and were never able to fully develop into true potential…

…Until now.

With a roster at 100% health, a new head coach in Terry Stotts and an offensive tenacity mirrored by few, the Bucks will scare the Pistons in the first round. In what looks to be a very competitive and exciting series full of offensive prowess, don’t look for the Pistons to bulldoze their way through this Bucks team.

“I’m sick to my stomach,” said Michael Redd after a recent loss to Washington of which could have given them the fifth seed, “I know we’re in the playoffs, but I want more than that, man.”

Look for Redd to have a chip on his shoulder coming into this series. He believes his team is better than its seeding and wants to prove it.

What better way to prove your strength than by beating the NBA’s best?

Series Schedule:

Game 1: @ Detroit, Sunday, April 23 (7 pm, TNT)
Game 2: @ Detroit, Wednesday, April 26 (7:30 pm, NBATV)
Game 3: @ Milwaukee, Saturday, April 29 (8 pm, ESPN)
Game 4: @ Milwaukee, Monday, May 1 (TBD)
Game 5, if necessary: @ Detroit, Wednesday, May 3 (TBD)
Game 6, if necessary: @ Milwaukee, Friday, May 5 (TBD)
Game 7, if necessary: @ Detroit, Sunday, May 7 (TBD)

Birdman Cometh

2006-04-10T20:29:00.000-07:00

Brothers and sisters, let us unite in favor of a man who’s been dealt a great injustice. It so happens that during the month of January, the impeccable Chris “Birdman” Andersen was banned from the NBA in adherence to the league’s drug policy. Andersen tested positive for a “drug of abuse,” which include: methamphetamines, cocaine, LSD, and opiates such as heroin, codeine and morphine. As it stands, Birdman must wait two years before applying for reinstatement.

We must ban together to bring Birdman back quicker.

Andersen graced fans of Iola High School in Iola, Texas before bringing the pain to the University of Houston. After dropping out of Houston, Andersen found a home in Blinn Junior College until his graduation in 1999.

Andersen was always a caring man, and when he found that fans overseas weren’t able to witness his heavenly presence, he flew to China to play for the Nangang Dragons of the International Basketball League. Then, he moved back to the United States to play for the New Mexico Slam. During the 2000-01 season, teams Fargo-Morehead Beez of the International Basketball Association and the Sugarland Sharks of the Southwest Basketball League could not bear to be without Andersen and both courted him during the year.

In 2001, the NBA spawned the NBDL, a developmental league from which aspiring semi-professionals compete for a chance at NBA superstardom. Of course, the no.1 draft pick in its inaugural season was none other than Chris Andersen.

This would be the breakthrough necessary for Birdman to fly into homes nationally.

Soon after a brief stint with the Fayetteville Patriots, Birdman became the first ever player to be called up by an NBA team when the Denver Nuggets signed him in December 2001. In his rookie season, Birdman played in 24 games (of which he started once), averaging 10.9 minutes per game, 3.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.17 blocks.

Fans salivated over his “Birdman” celebrations in which he would cross his arms and his hands like the wings of a bird after an emphatic dunk.

With such a vastly-growing fan base, Birdman couldn’t bear to let down fans by taking the summer off. So, he continued playing for the Nuggets in the Rocky Mountain Revue held in Utah. He was named to the Revue’s first team and won MVP honors.

Two years later, with his celebrity rising the likes of Michael Jordan, Birdman envisioned bigger and better surroundings and signed with the New Orleans Hornets.

It was during his first year with the Hornets that he was invited into the 2004-05 NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contest. A performance worthy of what ESPN Writer Bill Simmons calls “a pantheon of the Unintentional Comedy Scale by Chris Andersen…Looking back, I think the best part was that he started off the contest by telling the sideline reporter, ‘It’s time for the Birdman to fly.’”

The Birdman did fly…after nine attempts during his first dunk and six more attempts on his second dunk. He was eliminated in the first round with the lowest point total (77) of all competitors.

But, Chris “Birdman” Andersen became a household name more so than ever before.

And now, one year later, he fell victim to a punishment that killed the careers of the five players who came before him: Michael Ray Richardson (1986), Lewis Lloyd and Mitchell Wiggins (1987), Roy Tarpley (1991) and Stanley Roberts (1999). Only Lloyd and Wiggins were allowed back into the league after two years, but they couldn’t recover from such a devastating loss.

A Denver Post journalist calls Andersen “the most disgraced NBA player since the drug-induced haze of the ‘80s.”

Let us come together to bring back the man who’s able to fly. Welcome him back into our homes so that he may continue to cause us to swoon with anticipation and excitement.

Brothers and sisters, the Birdman needs us, and the NBA needs the Birdman.

Photo prodcued by: www.on-hoops.com/images/ andersen_chris-051005.jpg

What about www.firelloydcarr.com?

2006-04-06T16:33:00.000-07:00

By A.J. Hakim Contributing Writer

University of Michigan football coach, Lloyd Carr, is overrated. In the past four years, Michigan conjured up a 2-6 mark against Notre Dame and Ohio State–going 1-3 against both teams--their two top rivals (no one counts Michigan State anymore because of their inevitable mid-season collapses). Now, any college football fan could argue that Notre Dame and Ohio State are ranked 6th and 7th respectively, but this year more than ever proves Carr’s incompetence as his Wolverines started the season pre-ranked 4th. First, let’s take a look at Carr’s past mishaps.

In an online chat from June 28, 2005 on SportsIllustrated.com, fans asked columnist, Stewart Mandel, his opinion of the top ten best coaches as well as the top five worst coaches. He didn’t include Lloyd Carr on either list, but had this to say about him:

“...On the positive side, he has overseen one of the nation's most consistently successful programs of the past 10 years, and he's appeared in the past two Rose Bowls. On the negative side, he annually has, if you believe the recruiting rankings, as much talent on hand as any team in the country, yet hasn't contended for a national title since the one he won in '97 and, without fail, loses at least one early-season game he shouldn't...”

The final statement he makes of Carr’s uncanny ability to lose early-season games holds true through the last three years, but explodes throughout this year.

In 2002, Carr led the Wolverines into South Bend to battle an up-and-coming Notre Dame squad, who were led by new coach Tyrone Willingham. The Irish hadn’t beaten a top 10 team in four years and were coming off a 5-6 season.

No Problem. Michigan’s coach is Lloyd Carr, king of losing big games.

The Irish jumped out to a 16-7 halftime lead. Michigan was able to regain the lead 17-16, but as Carr almost always does, he coached poorly enough to allow Notre Dame a chance. With 10:41 left in the game, Nicholas Setta kicked a 46-yard field goal to give the Irish a 25-17 lead. Navarre attempted another comeback and cut the lead to 25-23 with an 8-yard pass to Bennie Joppru, but the 2-point conversion attempt failed. And Michigan’s ensuing drive ended abruptly with Shane Walton’s interception.

Michigan finished the year 10-3 with losses to Iowa and Ohio State.

The next year the Wolverines found themselves in Eugene, Oregon after exacting revenge on Notre Dame, beating them 38-0. Carr led the no. 3 ranked Wolverines into Oregon with a 3-0 record and an easy road to undefeated university.

But, remember, we are talking about Lloyd Carr, king of losing small games.

In this game, Michigan allowed Oregon a 21-6 halftime lead. The Ducks held Chris Perry, the strength of Michigan’s attack, to 26 yards on 11 carries (he previously averaged 183 yards per game). Navarre was forced into 55 pass attempts of which he completed 28. Oregon won the game 31-27 and sent the unsuspecting Wolverines back home with a loss.

Again, Michigan ended the season at 10-3 with losses to Iowa and Southern California.
In 2004, Notre Dame welcomed Michigan back to South Bend with another loss; this time it wasn’t as close, 28-20.

Michigan finished the year 9-3 with losses to Ohio State and Texas.
Welcome to present year, 2005. Michigan started the year ranked 4. Sophomores Chad Henne and Michael Hart were coming off stellar freshman years in which both supplanted their predecessors convincingly. But, while newer, better athletes joined the starting line-up, Lloyd Carr was still coach.

And we all know Lloyd Carr, king of overrated coaches.

Another year brought yet another early season loss. This time, Michigan invited Notre Dame to Ann Arbor for a Big House beating, right?

Wrong.

New head coach, Charlie Weis, led the Irish to a 17-10 victory over Michigan, Notre Dame’s first win in Ann Arbor since 1993.

But, Michigan’s lost to Notre Dame 3 out of the last 4 years, so why is this year so much more special than the others?

Good question. Let’s take a look at the Wolverine’s other losses.

After beating up on a weak, helpless Eastern Michigan team, Carr’s Wolverines traveled to Camp Randall Stadium to play the Wisconsin Badgers. Of course, Wisconsin won 23-20.

Michigan started the season ranked 4; they are now 2-2 and knocked out of the top 25 for the first time in 114 weeks. But it gets better.

Next, the Wolverines flew back to Michigan to battle in-state rivals Michigan State, where they won 34-31.

What followed? Another loss.

The Minnesota Gophers were planning on sending the game into overtime before Michigan’s defense allowed a 61-yard run by Gary Russell resulting in a 30-yard field goal by Jason Giannini. Minnesota won 23-20.

Now 3-3, and after starting the season ranked 4, Michigan found themselves knocked out of the top 25 for a second time in one season.

This should come as no surprise since we all know Lloyd Carr, king of, well, you know.

After reeling off four straight wins, including one over a 7-0 Penn State team, Carr’s Wolverines were at it again. This time, he coached his team to giving up a 21-12 fourth quarter lead against the Ohio State Buckeyes. With under seven minutes to go, Troy Smith led the Buckeyes on two important drives–5 plays, 67 yards and a Santonio Holmes touchdown, and 12 plays, 88 yards and an Antonio Pittman touchdown–giving Ohio State a 25-21 victory, thus, ending a sad season for Lloyd Carr and the Michigan Wolverines, who were pre-ranked 4th.

Yes, Lloyd Carr has a career record of 95-29 while coaching Michigan, but for as much talent as the team possess each season, to win only one national championship in 10 seasons is mediocre at best. He has only one undefeated season (1997's national championship) and one year with two losses, the rest of his eight years are filled with disappointing 3-4 loss seasons.

It’s about time Michigan looks for a new head coach because Lloyd Carr is overrated and has his team underachieving.

Field of Dedication honors WSU football great Thomas Adams

2006-04-06T16:30:00.000-07:00

By A.J. Hakim Contributing Writer

Since its development within the university’s athletics program in 1918, Wayne State Football has produced numerous substantial figures, but none the likes of the late Thomas Adams, Wayne State’s letterman quarterback/running back between the years 1938-41.

Adams epitomized the essence of a student-athlete through his dedication to both his school and his community. While in school Adams’ perseverance and work ethic led him to numerous awards including the football team’s scoring leader in 1940. When he wasn’t dominating on the football field, he could be seen dominating in track in which he won the Canadian Indoor Sprint Championship in 1939 as well as the 880 relay as a member of the team who won the Notre Dame Relays in 1938.

With the possibility of being a professional football player after being drafted by the Chicago Cardinals lingering, Adams felt he could better serve his country by joining the Navy in an effort to help end World War II. During his four and one-half years stint as a Navy Officer, Adams was awarded several distinguished medals including: the Navy Cross, the Flying Cross, Air Medal, as well as a Presidential Citation.

His continued success in all endeavors promised him the brightest of futures.

And so, upon his return from the Navy to Detroit, Adams would graduate from Wayne State in 1944 with a degree in Psychology. His ability to read people led him to advertising, where he was rewarded with “The Outstanding Young Advertising Man of the Year” in 1955 after ten years service with Campbell-Ewald. Quickly, he rose above the ranks as a writer, account supervisor, president, chairman of the board, and chief executive of Campbell-Ewald.

All-the-while, he never let Wayne State disappear from his mind. He was President of the Wayne State Alumni and in 1961 was voted into the Wayne State Board of Governors, participating on the board until 1969. And, to serve his Detroit area, he became a member of the Board of Trustees of Children’s Hospitals and Director of the Economic Club of Detroit.

Adams’ other awards include being recognized as one of Sports Illustrated’s 25 Year All-American team in 1965, WSU Athletic Hall of Fame Inductee, and a University honoree for leadership.

To pay respects to Adams for all his dedication to the university and the surrounding Detroit area, Wayne State Department of Athletics took previously titled Wayne State Stadium and renamed it Adams Field during a ceremony on October 11, 2003.

A small, yet fitting way of giving back to someone who’s given so much.

Part 1: Detroit Pistons head coach Flip Saunders

2006-04-06T16:29:00.000-07:00

By A.J. Hakim Contributing Writer

On February 12, 2005, to the dismay of Minnesota Timberwolves fans everywhere, Flip Saunders was fired by the Vice President of Basketball Operations, Kevin McHale. Many critics believed the firing to be unjust and that Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell needed to be traded rather than Saunders fired. All that was known was that the team desperately sought change.

Born on February 23, 1955, in Cleveland, Ohio, Phil “Flip” Saunders dedicated himself to greatness. An All-American basketball player at Cuyahoga Heights High School, Saunders led the state in scoring with 32.0 points per game. Such dominance rewarded him with high honors as Ohio’s Class A High School Basketball Player of the Year during his senior year in 1973. His career continued onto Minnesota, where he started 101 of 103 career games, and teamed with Kevin McHale to lead the Gophers to an all-time school best 24-3 record.

Saunders quickly jumped from player to coach as he began coaching Golden Valley Lutheran College from 1977-81. In four seasons he compiled a 92-13 record, including a remarkable 56-0 home record. From Golden Valley to his alma mater–the University of Minnesota–he took up a role as assistant coach for five years, during which he helped guide the Golden Gophers to a Big Ten Championship in 1982. Feeling the need for a new challenge, Saunders joined the assistant coaches at the University of Tulsa for two years.

It wasn’t until 1988 when Flip Saunders received a job at the professional ranks in the CBA, or Continental Basketball Association. In seven seasons with three different teams–Rapid City Thrillers, ‘88-89, La Crosse Catbirds, ‘89-94, and Sioux Falls Skyforce, ‘94-95–Saunders resumè consisted of 30 or more wins in each season, twenty-three player promotions from the CBA to the NBA, two Coach of the Year awards (1990, 1992), two CBA championships (1990, 1992), and he ranks third all-time in victories with 253. His complete record through seven seasons was 253-157, which entails a .617 winning percentage.

The ultimate acknowledgment of his coaching abilities arrived in the form of an offer to coach the Minnesota Timberwolves, a struggling franchise in its sixth year in the league whose best record at that point was 29-53. It didn’t take long for Saunders to succeed at the NBA ranks as he brought the team from the bottom-feeders of the Midwest Division to legitimate playoff contenders after one and one-half seasons. In his first full season as head coach, Saunders led Minnesota to the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. He did so each season for the next nine years.

But the playoffs became a new chapter in Minnesota history. A dark cloud loomed over the franchise for eight years as the team never made it passed the first round. Saunders could find no answer for eight consecutive seasons. Finally, in the 2003-04 season the team acquired Latrell Sprewell from New York and Sam Cassell from Milwaukee, two moves that would change the franchise’s history.

In the 2003-04 season, Saunders mixed the lineup well and Cassell and Sprewell played as anticipated alongside Kevin Garnett, and helped lead the Timberwolves to a franchise best 58-24 (record led them to tops in the Western Conference, too). They also rid the T’Wolves of the dark cloud that hovered over the team for so long as they made it to the conference finals before falling to Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, and the Los Angeles Lakers.
During the off-season, Sprewell and Cassell both argued vehemently about restructuring their contracts, which Vice President of Operations, Kevin McHale, opposed. This resulted in negative attitudes from players in the locker room and a lack of dedication to the team. Saunders could not control the egos of Cassell and Sprewell and the team faltered to a 25-26 midway marking during the 2004-05 season. McHale, unwilling to admit fault within the players, saw no other alternative but to fire Saunders. Without Saunders controlling the reins, the T’Wolves finished 44-38 and missed the playoffs for the first time in nine seasons.

In nine and one-half seasons as Minnesota’s coach, Saunders racked up a 411-326 record–as opposed to the 171-444 record without him–and transformed the team from cellar dwellers into championship contenders, yet, after a slight lapse in performance he was fired.

Enter the Detroit Pistons...

Joakim Noah: King of Kings

2006-04-06T16:26:00.000-07:00

By A.J. Hakim Contributing Writer

Given the opportunity to choose from among any of the following players to lead your team to a National Championship, which would be the most likely:

A. JJ Redick (26.8 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 2.6 apg)
B. Adam Morrison (28.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 1.8 apg)
C. Rudy Gay (15.2 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 2.1 apg)
D. Joakim Noah (14.1 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 2.0 apg)

The most likely would be either Redick or Morrison. Of the four players, Noah is easily the least known, least likely choice. Alas, Morrison and Redick couldn’t make it past the Sweet Sixteen. Gay led the Huskies into the Elite Eight before falling to eleventh-seeded George Mason.

It was Noah’s lengthy 6-11 frame that dominated much of the tournament and resulted in a Florida Gator National Championship.

He set an NCAA record, originally held by Arizona center A.J. Bramlett, for most blocks in a championship game with seven, five by halftime. Also, Noah, who finished with 30 blocks, broke Arizona’s Loren Woods’ previous record for most blocks in the tournament.

No team could solve the puzzle of how to keep Noah from dominating the paint; a puzzle left unsolved until next year-unless Noah, a sophomore, opts to enter the NBA Draft. Offensively or defensively, the paradoxical Joakim Noah owned the paint-area without any opposition.

Fallen under the Morrison-Redick radar, Noah quietly had a stellar sophomore season leading Florida to an early 17-0 start and finishing the year on an 11-game winning streak.

During the tournament, he upped his intensity ten-fold scoring 15.6 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 4.8 blocks per game. In each category, his numbers improved dramatically.

As many champions before him, Noah gained superhuman strength during the tournament and unleashed a fury of his own “Noah Powers” on defenseless opponents.

Never acknowledged in the national spotlight throughout the season, Noah finally shined when it counted most. He guided his Gators into the Finals against UCLA, helped dominate the Bruins 73-57 and finished with a Most Valuable Player award.

Now, I’ll ask you again: who would you pick to lead your team to a National Championship?

Crazed Fans taking it too far?

2006-04-06T16:24:00.000-07:00

By A.J. Hakim Contributing Writer

In 1948, Sporting News Magazine published a list of rules created by Pete “The Iron Lung of Shibe Park” Adelis as a way for extreme sports fans to enjoy themselves while attending a game. He called it the “Rules of Scientific Heckling” and it contained seven rules specifically for hecklers:

1. No profanity
2. Nothing purely personal
3. Keep pouring it on
4. Know your players
5. Don’t be shouted down
6. Take it as well as give it
7. Give the old-timer a chance - he was a rookie once

Somewhere, somehow, between 1948 and present day, a major metamorphosis occurred that completely wiped out Adelis’ intentions. Fans began breaking all but two rules: don’t be shouted down and take it as well as give it. The result, numerous incidents of violence between fans and athletes of all major sports.

From basketball and baseball to cycling and marathon running (yes, you heard right), hecklers look to terrorize athletes at every corner. In honor of this age old tradition, I will like to establish a top ten list for the most heinous attacks on athletes. Here it goes.

10. Raining beer on Cleveland - December 16, 2001

Having been dubbed a portrayal equal to that of a scene in Saving Private Ryan, Cleveland Brown fans substituted bullets for beer bottles.

In the waning seconds of a high stakes game between the Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars, officials overturned a would-be go ahead touchdown by Browns’ receiver, Quincy Morgan. With 1:08 remaining in the game, Browns fans “hulked up” and insisted upon hurling plastic beer bottles onto the field.

After several crazed minutes, officials called the game and returned players to the locker rooms. But, league commissioner, Paul Tagliabue, wasn’t having none of that. He forced both teams to return and finish the game, which they did, on a field of beer.

9. Lance Armstrong, meet heckler - July 17, 2005

Yes, cycling has hecklers, too. During stage 15 of the Tour de France, tour leader and six-time champion, Lance Armstrong, was verbally attacked by a screaming heckler. The unknown individual followed Armstrong and fellow cyclists for several miles before finally giving up his psychotic antics, which may have caused Armstrong to lose the day’s event.

8. Bruin up some shoefly pie - December 23, 1979

What do you do when a crazy fan is screaming and kicking at you? According to Boston Bruin, Mike Milbury, take his shoe and beat him with it.

Milbury found himself amidst a lonely celebration inside an empty locker room after a 4-3 victory over the New York Rangers.

When he walked back onto the ice, he witnessed his teammates rumbling among the seats with raucous fans. Apparently, someone swung a stick at Stan Jonathon.

Chaos ensued. Milbury joined his mates in their battle only to find himself caught on camera beating an entrapped fan with his own shoe, which happened to fly into Milbury’s hand while the fan was trying to kick free. Milbury was suspended for two games for his involvement in the melee.

7. Gary Sheffield gets rocked in the mouth - April 14, 2005

The rivalry between the Yankees and Red Sox spread into the crowd when Yankee outfield, Gary Sheffield tried fielding Jason Varitek’s two-run triple in the eighth inning only to get uppercut by a fan. A frustrated Sheffield pushed back at the fan before throwing the ball to the infield.

As he turned to reconcentrate on the game, another fan sprayed him with beer. An enraged Sheffield whirled around with his fists cocked. But, as he later stated during a postgame interview, “it could’ve been worse if I didn’t hold my composure. I almost snapped, but I thought about the consequences.”

6. Francisco practices chair launching - September 13, 2004

Unlike Sheffield, Texas Ranger relief pitcher, Frank Francisco, couldn’t maintain a sense of composure. Known for his use of throwing high heat, Francisco soon added plastic chairs into his arsenal.

While sitting along the right field bullpen, Francisco and several teammates were being heckled by Oakland A’s fans. Heated words were exchanged before Francisco tossed a plastic chair into the crowd. The chair made its way to the face of an innocent bystander, a woman whose nose was now broke.

Major League suspended Francisco for the rest of the season (15 games), and he also faced misdemeanor assault charges months later.

5. Purple Nurple of Doom - August 29, 2004

In what looks to be the most vicious titty twister in human history, Irish priest, Cornelius Horan, attacked marathon runner, Vanderlei de Lima during the final event at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.

With less than five kilometers to go, Lima looked to be pulling ahead for an easy gold medal victory.

Or so he thought.

Leaping from the crowd was Horan, who immediately ran towards the leader to tackle him into the crowd. Horan was restrained by onlookers and security to allow Lima back onto the track. Lima finished the race with a bum right leg, but still managed third and a bronze medal.

Lima was also awarded the Pierre de Coubertin Medal, which awards an individual for demonstrating Olympic values and fair play. Horan’s reward, a fine and suspended sentence.

4. Baseball’s version of a hat trick - May 16, 2000

Chicago Cubs fans are cheap. They have a stadium collapsing, debris falling onto unsuspecting fans, yet, they won’t pay the money for a new stadium. To further demonstrate the cheapness of Cubs fans, listen to this.

One fan, who was too cheap to buy his own hat at the souvenir stand, punched Los Angeles Dodger, Chad Kreuter, in the back of the head while he was walking along the bullpen. The fan then proceeded to steal the hat off Kreuter’s head (how cheap).

The result?

Kreuter and teammates leapt into the crowd and started a mortal combat with the fans. It took security several minutes to restore order and throw down a couple of handcuffs.

A total of 76 games of suspensions were dished out between sixteen players and three coaches.

3. Kung Fu Hustle - January 25, 1995

Soccer hooligans are the craziest fans in the world. And so, you’d expect soccer athletes to mirror their counterpart, right?

Yeah, they do.

In a match between Manchester United and Crystal Palace, ManU’s, Eric “the king of kung fu” Cantona, was awarded a red card for his efforts of kicking Richard Shaw. As he made his way to the lockers, a hooligan ran to the front of the stands and bombarded Cantona with obscenities and verbal abusing.

Cantona thought nothing of it. He Bruce Lee’d the fan like crazy by launching himself over an advertisement board with a two-footed leap and dropped the fan square in the chest.

Bruce Lee is a kung fu legend.

Cantona, not so much.

He was slapped with a nine month worldwide soccer ban and 120 hours of community service.

2. Malice in the Palace - November 19, 2004

They don’t have much to be proud of at the moment, but Detroiters can stake claim to being involved in one of the worst incidents in sports history.

With 40 seconds remaining in the game and the Pacers clearly heading towards a victory, Indiana Pacer, Ron Artest, committed a hard foul on Detroit Piston, Ben Wallace. Artest walked over to the scorers’ table to lie down. Hecklers were ready with beer in hand as one chucked a plastic cup into Artest’s face. Mayhem ensued.

A mass melee of epic proportions featured the Super Smash Brothers: Ron Artest, Stephen Jackson, and Jermaine O’Neal trucking and knocking out any fan in their path. No one was safe. Not waterboys, ballboys, commentators, news reporters, not even Automotion.

Suspensions abound as league commissioner, David Stern, handed out a season-ending ban on Ron Artest (73 games), 25 games for Jermaine O’Neal, 30 for Stephen Jackson, Ben Wallace was tagged with 6, Anthony Johnson had 5 games, and Chauncey Billups, Elden Campbell, and Derrick Coleman each received one game suspensions.

And the number one fan-athlete riot is...

1. Welcome to Flareville - April 12, 2005

This wouldn’t be an accurate top ten list if soccer hooligans weren’t somehow involved with the number one attack. So, I won’t disappoint with my top pick: AC Milan’s goalkeeper, Dida, being struck in the head by flares.

After 73 minutes of play during the Champions League quarter-final, soccer hooligans grew restless when referees disallowed a goal by Esteban Cambiasso. At first, they began hurling plastic bottles, then, flares. Over 30 flares shot onto the field, including one that knocked out Dida, who received treatment for his head and shoulder.

The field disappeared into a cloud of smoke as hooligans continuously shot flares onto the field.

After 25 minutes and a new goalie for AC Milan, the game started up again for 30 seconds.

More flares.

German referee, Markus Merk, decided to end the match before anyone else got injured.

This represents the second incident during the season where a Champions League match was cancelled from fan misconduct.

The first time: they used missiles.

Madness turns to Sadness

2006-04-06T16:22:00.000-07:00

By A.J. Hakim Contributing Writer

65 teams. Buzzer-beaters. Cinderella stories. All representing the greatest, most heart-wrenching month of sports; all culminating in April 2nd’s finale between college basketball’s two most privileged teams. Lest we forget amidst all the excitement, there, too, lies monumental anguish. And the agony of defeat, the immediate realization of false hope and empty promises seemed all too evident in the faces of college basketball’s two biggest superstars: Gonzaga’s Adam Morrison and Duke’s J.J. Redick.

Both Morrison and Redick were cast into national fame at season’s beginning. National Player of the Year running mates and scoring champion rivals, it was only fitting that they became close friends throughout the course of the year. Whether it be through cellphones, text-messaging or slaughtering aliens together in Halo 2 on XBOX Live, Morrison and Redick make time to keep in touch with each other.

And, last Thursday, they saw their dreams collapse together.

Redick’s career is teeming with broken records and national recognitions. His prolific resumé includes: ACC all-time scoring leader (2,758), ACC all-time three-points made (454), ACC all-time free-throw percentage (.912), ACC player of the year, 2nd in voting for ACC freshman of the year in 2003 and 2004-05 Rupp National Player of the Year. But, with such outstanding credentials and personal achievements, Redick was determined to add one more award to his already inconceivable list of achievements: a National Championship.

Likewise, his trans-continental friend Adam Morrison, though not posting as dynamic a resumé as Redick, has accomplished insurmountable feats except the most important being a National Championship.

It seemed the two friends were on a collision course to meet in the Final Four (it would only be the second time the two actually met face-to-face); a possible storybook ending to such a tightly-knit, highly-touted National Player of the Year race.

Redick and the Duke Blue Devils were first on the day’s schedule and looking to erase memories of previous Sweet 16 blunders as they faced Glen “Big Baby” Davis and a formidable LSU Tigers team. LSU proved too strong, holding Redick to an abysmal 11 points on 3-18 shooting, en route to a 62-54 victory.

As time expired, Redick stumbled to the Duke bench rosy-cheeked and crying looking for Coach Krzyzewski’s consolation. His dreams shattered, his emotions broken, his career left unfulfilled.

After witnessing his friend struggle, Morrison was determined not to follow the same fate. It appeared he was doing everything right as Gonzaga jumped out to a 20-point halftime lead. But, with 3:26 remaining in the game, his team leading 71-62, UCLA sparked a remarkable comeback and took the lead 72-71 with 18.0 seconds left. At this moment, Morrison felt his dreams crumbling. Fans observed a tear-stricken Morrison forcing himself to maintain his composure in the waning seconds. A Gonzaga turnover ensued, followed by ULCA’s Arron Afflalo hitting one of two free-throws, and ending with JP Batista’s misfire.

The camera instantly found Morrison, who broke down at mid-court. His head buried under his jersey, writhing back-and-forth in total agony.

Just as Morrison and Redick headed together the competition for National Player of the Year, just as they competed together in the closest scoring race in history, together their hopes and dreams collapsed.

While we enrapture ourselves in the appeal of March Madness, let us not forget the drama of its counterpart March Sadness, which was devastatingly realized by college basketball’s two juggernauts.

Morrison and Redick, for all the memories and broken records each has contributed, their lasting impression will forever be the tear-stricken anguish they felt during March Sadness.

Lions in Need of Change

2006-04-06T16:21:00.000-07:00

By A.J. Hakim Contributing Writer

On Monday, Detroit Lions president, Matt Millen, announced the firing of head coach, Steve “Mooch” Mariucci. While this may come as a surprise to many, it shouldn’t be because the Lions are in desperate need of change.

And that includes Matt Millen.

In a franchise who’s had 23 coaches since its development in 1934, and whose longest tenured coach is Wayne Fontes–he lasted eight years with Detroit before being replaced by Bobby Ross in 1997–change is inevitable.

This whole season has been about change: signing wide receiver Mike Williams was supposed to change the tone of the offense, turning them into a powerhouse; Jeff Garcia’s purpose of joining the team was to apply pressure on Joey Harrington, to change his previously relaxed mind set to fear; the plan in hiring Dick Jauron as defensive coordinator was to change the defense and make them better; and the Lions as a whole were supposed to change from 6-10 to 10-6.

None of this happened. There’s a need for change.

As the organization continues its path towards change, team owner, William Clay Ford, also needs to look at Matt Millen, who has been the only unchanging aspect of the organization.

For the past three seasons, Millen has drafted three wide receivers–Charles Rogers, Roy Williams, and Mike Williams--as his first pick. In case you’ve been living under a rock for three years: Charles Rogers suffered a collarbone fracture in his first two seasons, and was suspended four games this year after being caught with drugs. Roy Williams has been consistent in his efforts, Harrington or Garcia’s only solid receiver, but has been marred by ankle injuries all season. As for the savior, Mike Williams, he’s been nothing but inconsistent all year, showing flashes of superstardom at times while showing signs of retardation at others.

To continue his unchanging habits, Matt Millen has consistently made the wrong decisions leading to more woeful seasons from the Lions, who have yet to having a winning season (16-48 in four seasons) under the Matt Millen era. We all remember Millen hiring Marty Mornhinweg as head coach for his first presidential decision. Mornhinweg finished 5-27 and will forever be remembered for choosing which goal to defend after winning an overtime coin toss against the Chicago Bears.

Yeah, good choice hiring Marty, Millen.

As Millen continues to make wrong choices for the organization, he’s also consistent in blaming others for his mistakes.

Countless times quarterback, Joey Harrington, has been ridiculed for not living up to his potential. Or, the entire offense has been abysmal since Barry Sanders left in 1999 (maybe he had foresight and saw Millen in his future and decided to avoid him). And if the offense is in sync, and the Lions still lose, it’s the defense’s fault or the coach’s fault for making the wrong decisions during certain crucial moments.

So, Steve Mariucci falls victim to another of Matt Millen’s mistakes. This shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. The Lions are a team of change; they crave change and welcome it at every possible moment. Only, they’re continually making the wrong changes.

This all comes from the only man in the organization who hasn’t changed in the past four years: Matt Millen.

The only question left to ask as the Lions continue to crumble is: Mr. Millen, what’s your next mistake, and who will get the blame next time?

Crowning Ozzie Guillen

2006-04-06T16:19:00.000-07:00

By A.J. Hakim Contributing Writer

Chicago White Sox vs. Houston Astros
(White Sox win series 4-0)

Game 1 @ Chicago: White Sox 5, Astros 3
Game 2 @ Chicago: White Sox 7, Astros 6
Game 3 @ Houston: Houston 5, White Sox 7
Game 4 @ Houston: Houston 0, White Sox 1

For the past 88 years, Chicago fans have awaited a savior. He arrived in the form of White Sox manager, Ozzie Guillen. On November 13, 2003, White Sox general manager, Ken Williams, called upon Guillen to lead his team to the promised land, which he did Wednesday night after a 1-0 victory and a sweep of the Houston Astros.

His unconventional coaching style and over-the-top antics led many critics to believe the White Sox were going nowhere. Also, at age 41 he’s the second youngest coach in baseball. With all odds against him, Ozzie took his twenty-five disciples on an eight-month long journey, testing each of their abilities along the way.

During August, Guillen started questioning his the team’s desire to win, forcing them to look within themselves to find the answer. Amidst the Sox’s only losing month (12-16 including a stint of seven straight losses), Guillen took it upon himself to bring the team together, help them to realize that each has the same goal of winning the world series.

From that point on, the players felt his true power, his miracle touch.

“They trust me and I trust them. We're here together. We do this for one reason, that's to win or lose together. We want to win together or lose together,” said Guillen of his team’s seasonal journey during game four’s post-game press conference.

Well, Ozzie, the city of Chicago is forever in your debt. On Wednesday, you brought the entire city to the top and showed them what heaven feels like. And, now, they never want to come back down.

Photo produced by: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/sport/photo/2005/10/28/2005044271

MLB Playoff Preview

2006-04-06T16:15:00.000-07:00

By A.J. Hakim Contributing Writer

Tuesday, October 4th, begins Major League Baseball’s postseason. Eight teams duel out, at first, in a best-of-five series, followed by two best-of-seven series all for a chance at national fame as World Series Champions. Of the eight teams, two are perennial contenders for the championship...until now.

Chicago White Sox (99-63) vs. Boston Red Sox (95-67)

Game 1 @ Chicago: Boston (Matt Clement 13-6) at Chicago (Jose Contreras 15-7)
Game 2 @ Chicago: Boston (David Wells 15-7) at Chicago (Mark Buehrle 16-8)
Game 3 @ Boston: Chicago (Freddy Garcia 14-8) at Boston (Tim Wakefield 16-12)
Game 4 @ Boston: Chicago (Jon Garland 18-10) at Boston (Curt Schilling 8-8), if necessary
Game 5 @ Chicago, if necessary

Boston, defending World Series Champions, represents one of the perennial powerhouses, but has lacked a solid pitching corp throughout the season. Curt Schilling, the usually reliable ace, continues to be marred by injuries to his left ankle. We all recall Schilling’s infamous bloody sock that became the symbol of Boston’s undeniable determination during last year’s title run. But, the Red Sox lack the mound stability from last year. The Sox find themselves at number 24 of 30 in team ERA with an abysmal 4.74.

What the Red Sox lack in pitching they more than make up for with hitting. Behind David “Big Papi” Ortiz and Manny Ramirez, Boston ranks among tops in the league in batting average (.281, 1st), home runs (199, 6th), and runs batted in (863, 1st).

On the other side of the field are the Chicago White Sox in what many critics believe to be their championship year. Jon Garland wowed fans and critics alike early in the season pushing his record to 15-4 at the end of July before falling drastically to 3-6 over the final two months. Buehrle, Garcia, and Contreras each display a dominance on the mound. The White Sox rank 4th in ERA at 3.61 and 11th in strikeouts with 1040. While Boston struggles in one aspect of their game, Chicago seems balanced in their attack as their offense posted 200 home runs (5th in the MLB) during the season.

Critics and experts appear to have things right on for Chicago during the first round. Look for the ChiSox pitching to shut down the seemingly dominant BoSox hitters. Winner: Chicago White Sox

Los Angeles Angels (95-67) vs. New York Yankees (95-67)

Game 1 @ Los Angeles: New York (Mike Mussina 13-8) at Los Angeles (Bartolo Colon 21-8)
Game 2 @ Los Angeles: New York (Steve Chacon 7-3) at Los Angeles (John Lackey 14-5)
Game 3 @ New York: Los Angeles (Jarrod Washburn 8-8) at New York (Randy Johnson 17-8)
Game 4 @ New York, if necessary
Game 5 @ Los Angeles, if necessary

The second of the perennial powers, the New York Yankees, failed to reach the 100 win mark for the first time in three years. That didn’t stop them from being ranked 2nd in the league for all major batting statistics (.276 average, 229 home runs, and 847 runs batted in). Jason Giambi, after a minor lapse with the steroid issue and suffering from a benign tumor, demonstrated signs of power during the latter part of the season. And, of course, Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez don’t hurt the offense too much. Like their arch rival BoSox, the Yankees’ Achilles heel is pitching. Preseason talks circled around Randy Johnson’s arrival to New York, and although he didn’t disappoint (3.79 ERA, 3.11 career), coach Joe Torre and company forgot to give him and Mussina any help.

Los Angeles stakes claim to possibly the league’s hottest young star, Vladimir Guerrero. He’s the heart and soul of the team, which will go only as far as Guerrero can take them. His .317 batting average and 32 home runs aren’t quite up to par with his career averages, but injuries sidelined him for 21 games. The Angels have the pitching squad to back up Guerrero’s superb hitting. Colon and Lackey each came into their own this season. And closer, Francisco Rodriguez, is cool as ice as he dons the shades when pitching.

New York will find themselves searching for answers as they did at the season’s beginning. Los Angeles has too many weapons and will unload the entire arsenal to beat the Yankees. Winner: Los Angeles Angels

St. Louis Cardinals (100-62) vs. San Diego Padres (82-80)

Game 1 @ St. Louis: San Diego (Jake Peavy 13-7) at St. Louis (Chris Carpenter 21-5)
Game 2 @ St. Louis: San Diego (Pedro Astacio 4-2) at St. Louis (Mark Mulder 16-8)
Game 3 @ San Diego: St. Louis (Matt Morris 14-10) at San Diego (Adam Eaton 11-5)
Game 4 @ San Diego, if necessary
Game 5 @ St. Louis, if necessary

How did San Diego even make the playoffs? The only answer is they were lucky enough to take part in the league’s worst division, where they were the only team remotely close to .500.

The St. Louis Cardinals will have their way with the Padres. Consider this a first-round bye for the team with the league’s best record. Winner: St. Louis Cardinals

Atlanta Braves (90-72) vs. Houston Astros (89-73)

Game 1 @ Atlanta: Houston (Andy Pettitte 17-9) at Atlanta (Tim Hudson 14-9)
Game 2 @ Atlanta: Houston (Roger Clemens 13-8) at Atlanta (John Smoltz 14-7)
Game 3 @ Houston: Atlanta (Jorge Sosa 13-3) at Houston (Roy Oswalt 20-12)
Game 4 @ Houston, if necessary
Game 5 @ Atlanta, if necessary
Houston’s pitching is too strong for Atlanta to contend. Their three projected starters: Pettitte, Clemens, and Oswalt are all established stars in the league and to have Brad Lidge as a closer will be punishing for Andruw Jones and the Atlanta offense. Don’t expect too much of a series out of these two either. Although, it should be more exciting than the Padres and Cardinals. Winner: Houston Astros

Men's Basketball: Warriors whoop lowly Lakers

2006-04-06T16:12:00.000-07:00

By A.J. Hakim Staff Writer

The Warriors (8-10, 3-7 GLIAC) ended a four-game skid on Saturday by dominating the Lake Superior State University Lakers (3-17, 1-11) 68-50 at the Matthaei Physical Education Complex.

Forward Herb Goliday talked afterward about how such a lopsided win can boost team morale after a four-game losing streak.

“It looks good,” Goliday said. “ We still got life for the postseason.”

He continued to talk about how the team needs to play tougher in the upcoming road games in order to solidify their status in the tournament.

The Warriors leaped out of the gates, jumping to an 18-5 lead and never looking back. Led by guard Kris Krzyminski (8 points, 5 assists), the Warriors’ first half featured a balanced attack in which everyone contributed. They controlled the paint area throughout the first half, scoring 14 points compared to the Lakers’ two.

In the second half, Goliday and center Jeffrey Ferguson took over. Goliday led the attack with 14 second-half points and eight rebounds. Ferguson contributed 10 points and six rebounds. Ferguson said how he wanted to be more of an inside presence and did just that. He marshaled the post area through rebounding, blocking shots, forcing steals from his ability to front his man and scoring.

Of his performance, Ferguson said, “I came with the right mind set, trying to get the team ready.”

Although the Warriors seemed to dominate the game, they still shot a mediocre 36.4 % from the field and 28.6 % from the three-point line. Also, they allowed for 22 offensive rebounds by the Lakers.

Coach David Greer was still demanding after the team’s performance, saying: “We were just as bad as we were the other night. Only difference is we were playing a bunch of freshman tonight.”

Game Notes: WSU senior Herb Goliday posted his fourth double-double of the season with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Goliday also has scored double figures in 17 of 18 games. The Warriors were never down throughout the game, leading 4-0 and never looking back. Kris Krzyminski played all 40 minutes.

Women's Basketball: Warriors sunk by Lakers

2006-04-06T16:07:00.000-07:00

By A.J. Hakim Staff Writer

The Warriors (7-11, 4-6) were overwhelmed by the No. 19 Lake Superior State University Lakers (16-4, 8-4), 100-73 on Saturday at the Matthaei Physical Education Complex. The Warriors slipped from the start and weren’t able to recover; their deficit remained in double digits for the remainder of the game.

WSU was again without guards Shatona Clark and Joy Nash, the team’s second and sixth leading scorers at 8.9 and 7.4 points per game respectively. Also inactive were Ralphanee Peyton, Helen Pettway and Monique George. This led to several problematic factors that contributed to the Warriors’ demise, including: players having to play out of position, fatigue due to lack of bench relief and an inability to be aggressive because of early foul trouble (six of nine players finished the first half with two fouls).

In the first half, guard Brittany White and swingman Chastidy Miller were forced off the bench early and provided a major spark, each scoring 11 points. But the half was marred by 29 total turnovers (16 WSU, 13 LSSU). Wayne State was outrebounded 24-16, allowing for nine offensive rebounds and 12 second chance points, and a lopsided free throw statistic (LSSU 16-19, WSU 4-7). White and Miller led the Warriors at the half, and Becky Marquardt-King led Lake Superior with 11.

The second half didn’t prove any better. The Warriors continued to struggle with rebounding, finishing the game with a 50-30 rebounding disadvantage. Of the 50 given up, 16 were offensive and led to 22 second chance points for the Lakers. The Warriors struggled defensively as well, allowing the Lakers to shoot 64.5 % from the field in the second half and 54.7% for the game.

Warriors coach Gloria Bradley was not impressed and was adamant afterwards about the team’s lack of intensity: “We were just not doing what the game plan required today,” Bradley said. “This game wasn’t about turnovers. It was about putting them on the free throw line and not rebounding...That’s a lot of points to give a team when their not in their offense.”

Game Notes: Chastidy Miller reprised her role as superstar in the absence of several players by setting a career-high in points with 21...Warriors’ bench scored 40 of 73 points and outscored Lake Superior’s bench 40-36.

Wayne State women travel to Findlay on Thursday. The Warriors won the last meeting 81-77 in overtime.

Super showdown in Motown

2006-04-06T16:01:00.000-07:00

By A.J. Hakim Staff Writer

The Super Bowl has become a showcase for heroes like Joe Montana and John Elway. It represents the highest stage, a pedestal for little known talents to stand tall and make themselves unforgettable.

This year will be no different.

Both teams are filled with names unknown to the public. Seattle is making its first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history. Pittsburgh has made two appearances under Bill Cowher (1-1), but none since 1996. In a game full of hero-quality prospects, who is most likely to save his team from the evil clutches of defeat?

Quarterbacks: Matt Hasselbeck (Seattle) and Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh).

Seahawks’ quarterback Hasselbeck has fully redeemed himself after last year’s playoff debacle against Green Bay in which he announced over the PA system: “We want the ball. We’re gonna win.” He superceded that with an interception throw to Al Harris, who ran for a game-winning touchdown. Since that fateful night, Hasselbeck has transformed himself from jester to king. As one piece of the Seahawks puzzle, Hasselbeck helped lead the team to a 13-3 record and to Detroit for Super Bowl XL. For the season, he completed 66% of his passes for 3,459 yards, 24 touchdowns and only nine interceptions en route to a 98.2 passer efficiency rating. Hasselbeck must be flawless against Troy Polamalu and the Steelers’ defense. If he is able do so, Hasselbeck might just make a complete transformation from joker to hero.

On the other side of the field is a born leader, Ben Roethlisberger. In only his second season, Big Ben is the first player to lead his team to AFC Championship Game in his first two seasons. He proved last season’s surprise success was no fluke by throwing for 2,385 yards, 17 touchdowns and 9 interceptions this year. The Seahawks will look to contain Willie Parker, Jerome Bettis and the Steelers’ running attack with its 4-3 defensive scheme, which will provide Roethlisberger with an opportunity to shine. Already labeled a savior, Roethlisberger can use the Super Bowl to catapult himself to hero status.

Running Backs: Shaun Alexander (Seattle) / Willie Parker and Jerome Bettis (Pittsburgh)

Shaun Alexander could not have been on a higher pedestal than when he won the NFL’s MVP award after rushing for 1,880 yards and 27 touchdowns, leading the league in both categories. He has shown all season that he is able to carry a major load for his team. With Hasselbeck possibly struggling against Pittsburgh’s dominant secondary, Alexander might have to prove why he was MVP.

No man has a better chance at being considered a hero than Detroit native Jerome “The Bus” Bettis. In what is said to be the final game of his career, Bettis can “park” himself happily in Detroit with a victory. After more than a decade of trucking over defenses, Bettis will look for one last opportunity to wreak carnage on the line, his last chance to become a hero. And where better a place than in front of his family and friends.Bettis’ counterpart, Willie Parker, the second of Pittsburgh’s two-headed running monster, will also have a chance at superstardom. Starting the season third on the depth chart behind Bettis and Duce Staley, Parker received an early call from Cowher and created instant impact, rushing for 327 yards in his first three games. He finished the season with 1,202 yards and looks to continue his fairy tale ride on through the Super Bowl.

Wide Receivers: Seattle’s receivers have established a reputation over the years as a group of inconsistent players unable to hold onto the ball. But Hasselbeck said he believes in this year’s corps as he should. Bobby Engram (778 yards, 3 touchdowns), Joe Jurevicius (694 yards, 10 touchdowns), Darrell Jackson (482 yards, 3 touchdowns) and tight end Jerramy Stevens (554 yards, 5 touchdowns) have played major roles in Seattle’s success and have been consistent all season in guiding Hasselbeck to a 66% completion rating. Any one of these players has the potential to make big plays.The question remains: who will make them on the biggest stage?

Pittsburgh’s receiving crew contains several breakout players in the always reliable Hines Ward (975 yards, 11 touchdowns), speed receiver Antwaan Randle El (558 yards, 1 touchdown) and rookie tight end Heath Miller (459 yards, 6 touchdowns). These guys are so dangerous because they have the potential to be used in any aspect of the offense. Randle El will be used in running the end around. And, having been a quarterback throughout college, the Steelers create trick plays like the one in Cincinnati in which Randle El took the snap and pitched back to Roethlisberger, who found a wide-open Cedrick Wilson for a touchdown. The Steelers have a talented set of receivers ready to step up any time during the game and who will cause problems for Seattle’s defense.

Whether it be a stellar defensive or offensive performance, it is up to one man to rise above the rest.

The Super Bowl is a venue for heroes.

Who will be heroic enough to take the step toward immortality?

Women's Basketball: Win puts Warriors in GLIAC tournament

2006-04-06T15:56:00.000-07:00

By A.J. Hakim Staff Writer

Seniors Casey Banks and Kristen Rogers had one last opportunity to showcase their talents in front of a home crowd at the Matthaei Building—and they did just that, defeating the Hillsdale College Chargers 70-44 Saturday to clinch a berth in the conference tournament.

The Warriors improved 10-16 overall and 7-10 in conference play, while the Chargers fell to 17-10 overall and 10-7 in the conference.

The Warriors entered the game in need of a win, or a University of Findlay loss, in order to make the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship Tournament. For both Banks and Rogers, there was no other option than to win.On being able to satisfy the crowd with a win, Rogers said, “It felt real good because in the past few years we’ve kind of been on opposing courts on senior day and kind of been on the opposite end of it. It felt good knowing that the people who came out to watch us had the opportunity to watch us get the win.”

From the start, an emotional Warriors team, led by its seniors, exhibited enormous amounts of energy, creating an electric feeling throughout the game. The excitement caused the Warriors to falter in the beginning, but once they harnessed their emotions, they never looked back. Through rugged defense (Hillsdale shot 18.2 percent from the field) and solid rebounding, the Warriors were able to shutdown all Hillsdale's efforts. Rogers' six points and four assists guided the Warriors to a 29-17 lead at the half. Speaking of her team’s performance, head coach Gloria Bradley said, “We literally took the air out of the ball. It was a little difficult in the first half for them to get it, to rein it in and slow it down, but I thought we had the advantage inside and in the post, and I felt that they would get frustrated having to sit back and wait for us to do something.”

The second half wasn’t much different. Rogers continued getting her teammates involved, and they didn’t disappoint. Another sharp defensive effort in the second half created more scoring chances for Wayne State en route to 59.3 percent shooting and 41 second-half points.

Marred by foul trouble early, Banks wasn’t able to demonstrate her abilities until late in the game, when she scored four quick points and grabbed two rebounds.

With 2:43 left to the game, Bradley substituted Rogers out of the game. She left to mass applause from fans, coaches, and teammates alike. Moments later, Banks was given the same opportunity to leave the court to a standing ovation and embraces from her teammates.

Describing the emotions of the game and the applause, Banks was ecstatic in saying, “It felt great. It felt great just to know that people in the stands who love you and have been supporting you even through the tough times, the 30-point losses. They stood by you and their here today to still support you, win or lose. It felt good to hear that applause and to go out with a win.”

Rogers and Banks now have another opportunity to extend their careers. Although they won’t have another chance to play in the Matthaei, their performances left the fans remembering just how special the two truly are.

The Warriors will look to build off their successful performance as they head to the GLIAC Tournament on Feb. 28 to face the Ashland University Eagles in Ashland, Ohio.

Game Notes: Bethany Mesko and Nicole Rogers led the Warriors with 13 points. Mesko scored 11 points on 5-5 shooting in the first half. Hillsdale was held to 22.4 percent shooting for the game, well below its 44.7 percent for the season. Warriors continued its dominance on the boards with a 49-31 edge in rebounding. Charger freshman Claire Aubrey played 14 minutes, her longest time in conference play this season.

And so the story ends...

2005-06-24T07:49:00.000-07:00

The parade was scheduled for Thursday. Two days earlier San Antonio was infected by a red and blue disease. The kind where the only cure available is in the form of a game 7. So, they rescheduled for Saturday, giving the Spurs enough time to recuperate. The disease worsened by way of a media frenzy speaking of the historical storybook ending if the Pistons were to win; about how the Pistons were written off since the beginning of the year after the November 19 malice in the palace led them to a slow 17-14 start. But they persevered and ended up at 54-28. And how the Pistons consistently found themselves facing elimination, down 2-1 to Indiana, 3-2 to Miami, and 3-2 to the Spurs yet always find the light at the end of the tunnel. Still, about Larry Brown’s Cleveland distraction and whether game 7 would be his last with Detroit. Very little was said about San Antonio. All the attention surrounded Detroit, the disease eating away at the city of San Antonio. The Spurs found the ingredients to the cure in Ginobili, Duncan, Horry, and Bowen. Popovich mixed a little of Ginobili’s offense with Duncan’s veteran leadership, Bowen’s tenacious defense, and Horry’s clutch quality to find the perfect blend to rid the city of the disease. And they did just that by winning 81-74 and earning a third championship in seven years.

What’s this talk about a tainted legacy?

“He’s the reason things go. If he scores, that’s great. If he doesn’t score, he’s spacing the floor, getting the ball to other people who do score, and he’s always rebounding and playing D. So his complete game is so sound, so fundamental, so unnoticed at times, because if he doesn’t score, people think, well, he didn’t do anything,” said Greg Popovich of Duncan after game 7.

Before the game, critics questioned Tim Duncan’s legacy and asked whether it meant anything if he couldn’t win a championship without David Robinson. Well, as if his two championship rings, two NBA final MVP trophies, his eight consecutive defensive player of the year honors, two league MVP trophies, and gold medal in the Olympics aren’t legacy enough, he just added another NBA final MVP trophy and a third championship ring without David Robinson. How can a man, who is already considered the best power forward to play the game, be defined by one game? Are we that desperate for storylines that we attack a man’s career, dispute his accomplishments, deny his abilities because he might fail to win one game? Here’s a storyline: he made 6-7 free throws when in the previous six games he was 9-21, 25 points, 12 rebounds, and led the third quarter surge when the Spurs gained momentum and tied it up after being down nine. He cannot be defined by one game and proved it in last night’s game.

Ben Wallace said it best during his press conference, “he put his team on his shoulders and carried them to a championship. You know, that’s what the great players do.”

Life is beautiful

Forget about all the hype about the Pistons and their storybook ending. The real story tells the emotional pedestal Manu Ginobili’s been on the entire year.

First, he joined fellow Argentineans in last summer’s Olympic Games. Falling nothing short of spectacular, Ginobili led his team to a pounding of the USA’s squad. Brimming with confidence after destroying the Olympic elite, he carried his dominance over the rest of the summer as Argentina won the gold medal. In doing so, he helped in showing Americans how competitive and dominant foreign players can be over American players.

His year began with a gold medal around his neck, and followed with a gold band around his finger as Ginobili found himself getting married.

Winning a gold medal for your country is incredible. Getting married to the woman you love is special. Receiving a phone call saying a contract offer for six years that will make you the third highest paid player in Spurs’ history while on your honeymoon is blissful. And that is just how it happened for Manu.

And all this happened during the summer.

Now, eleven months later, he can add winning an NBA Championship to his arsenal of emotions. And he can accept his ring with his head held high, because the Spurs would never have won another championship without his masterful maneuvers throughout the season and more so in the playoffs. But, how can one man handle in one year what most can only dream of accomplishing in their lifetime?

“It’s just unbelievable. It’s not easy to win any of them, and I was able to be part of those two teams in one year, so being a part of the Argentinean team was an unbelievable feeling…in a month I’m going to feel the same way about this championship. So it’s been an unbelievable year, but, you know, this continues and we’re going to try to repeat it,” said Ginobili of his fantastical year.

Ginobili, having won a championship in Italy in 2002, with the Spurs in 2003, and with Argentina and the Spurs in 2005, is more of a story than anything the Pistons had to offer. And his book continues to have chapters added, and with two NBA Championships in three years, his book doesn’t look like it will end anytime soon.

He helped the Spurs find the cure that chased the red and blue disease out of town. Now, the city is enraptured in a silver and black euphoria.

Game 7 Blues

2005-06-22T20:52:00.000-07:00

The Pistons continually dig themselves gaping holes and consistently claw their way back out. Rasheed Wallace helped shovel a hole with his disappearing act that allowed Robert Horry to drain the game-winning three pointer. The hole widened with the fact that road teams down 3-2 have yet to win since the finals format changed to 2-3-2. As if the odds weren't bad enough, the Pistons hadn't won in San Antonio since the Joe Dumars era. Wallace and the rest of the Piston squad proved themselves again as their perseverence led them to a 95-86 victory. As it stands now, both Detroit and San Antonio have a bad case of the game 7 blues. But just how significant is the number 7?

-There are 7 deadly sins.
-God was said to have created the world in 7 days
-There have been 15 previous game 7's in the finals with the east leading 8-7. The last game 7 was during the 1993-94 season. Add the 3 and 4 to equal 7.
-There are 7 days of the week.
-In the magical process of lustration, 7 is the number of Venus Netzach, or the number of mystery.
-Muslims believed in 7 heavens and 7 earths.
-Some consider the movie se7en to be the turning point in Brad Pitt's career as his celebrity skyrocketed afterwards, and also launched the career of director David Fincher.
-While we're talking Brad Pitt, he also acted in the movie Seven Years in Tibet.
-Christians find the number 7 to symbolize perfection or completion.

In the NBA Finals, game 7 continues to be a mystery. The only certainty is that the Pistons aren't able to drill any more holes for themselves, and need nothing short of perfection to complete another back-to-back championship.

Sneak peek into Hollywood's next big hit

2005-06-21T11:57:00.000-07:00

A comic book and superhero craze continues to sweep the nation. With the success of Spider-Man and Hulk, Hollywood seems fixated on turning every comic hero or anti-hero into a movie star. Constantine, Sin City, Batman Begins, and Superman are a few. Detroit Piston fans were lucky enough to receive a sneak peek into Hollywood’s next superhero film, Fantastic Four, as the four heroes participated in last night’s game under different aliases: Robert Horry, Bruce Bowen, Rasheed Wallace, and Tim Duncan.

The Human Torch, known to most as Robert Horry, stole the show in the fourth quarter and overtime. He lit the unsuspecting Pistons for 21 points, 18 coming in the final period and a half. His biggest superhero moment was not teaming with the other fantastic members to destroy Dr. Doom, rather, it was his burning desire to hit clutch shots in the most crucial times, i.e. firing a three-pointer with five seconds to play and the team down two and to see it flame through the net. How is it possible for someone who turns himself into a human flame to have so much ice in his veins?

Another of the four helped guide the Spurs to victory. Bruce Bowen, soon to be known as Mr. Fantastic, used his stretching abilities to perfection while guarding Rip Hamilton and Chauncey Billups. His uncanny power to stretch his limbs frustrated Hamilton throughout the game, and caused him to stumble into five turnovers and score six points below his season average. In the waning seconds of the fourth quarter and overtime, his powers shifted from Hamilton to “Mr. Big Shot” Chauncey Billups, who could make no big shots with Mr. Fantastic on guard.

The powers of the Human Torch and Mr. Fantastic alone could not compete with the Pistons, so they called upon a third member, Tim Duncan, or The Thing. A terror in the post, The Thing dominated the entire game. The immovable beast in the middle was unstoppable on offense and too powerful on defense for any Piston to penetrate. He was the driving force, the power behind the Spurs victory Sunday night. Much like you’ll see in the movie, his power is too great for any foe and he proved it in game 5.

Still, even with the addition of The Thing, the victory puzzle was missing its final piece. Enter Invisible Woman, who in this case was a man named Rasheed Wallace. Now, why would the final of the Fantastic Four be on the other team? Well, if it weren’t for the Invisible Woman, the Human Torch would never have burned out the Pistons’ spirit. Wallace used his special power of invisibility for it to appear Horry had a wide open shot. He was supposed to guard Horry and was on him before the ball was inbound. But, he suddenly disappeared once Horry caught it in rhythm to fire through the game winning shot. And with his disappearing act vanished any hopes of a Piston repeat in winning the NBA Championship.

Heapin' helpin' of home cookin'

2005-06-17T10:47:00.000-07:00

So, after watching the Pistons annihilate the Spurs last night, I walked upstairs to my room to fall asleep, but heard the chants of "follow the yellow brick road" from the television as I passed my brother's room. This led me to dream of a Wizard of Oz remake featuring the San Antonio Spurs. It went as follows:

Bowen awoke from a disturbing dream to find himself alone in strange surroundings. A light was shining in the distance. Bowen started towards it when he felt a sudden jolt through his body. Out from the bushes appeared Duncan, a man in desperate need of a brain.

"Hi, I'm Duncan. I've been in this strange place for about a week now and have yet to find any friendly faces. But you look somewhat familiar. Do I know you?"
"I'm not sure I know anyone right now. I just woke up to find myself in this strange area. Can you help me?"
"Only if you help me. I need to find my way to the wizard. He's helping me find my brain. Ever since I woke up here, I haven't been able to think straight. I keep hearing this voice in my head yelling at me to work harder, defend harder, move quicker. I don't know what it means. It's driving me crazy."
"I'm not sure, but, I think what you're looking for lies beyond where that light is shining. I was just headed there if you want to follow."

The two lost boys were off to find the wizard. Duncan needed his mind back and Bowen wanted to feel the relaxing environment of his home. A third of the way there another figure jumped from a tree. The man was Ginobili, a 6-6 creature with a limp.

"Finally, some people I recognize," said Ginobili.
"Who are you," asked Bowen.
"I am Ginobili. I found myself lost here for about a week and can't seem to find my way home. To make matters worse, I've lost any courage I once had when I hurt my leg by banging into someone. So, I have to find the wizard to regain my courage."
"Well, you're in luck. Me and Duncan are on our way to see the wizard right now. Join us."

The light came into view, revealing towering, round palace. Before the three boys could walk any further, another lost soul came before them. The final lost boy went by the name of Parker.

"I am Parker. I have followed this road until recently. I found myself attacked by nefarious nuggets, swooshing sonics, and sweltering suns. I've been able to battle through them all, but grew weary when my heart left me. I need the wizard to give me a new heart."
"I am Bowen, this is Duncan, and Ginobili. We, too, are in search of the wizard and appear to be close. I believe the wizard resides just beyond this lot in that palace. Follow us."

As they approached the palace doors, a collection of screams bolted through their bodies causing them to quiver and quake. They took one last look into each other's faces, and entered through the doors. The scream grew louder, more intense with each step. They entered through a dark corridor, where the wizard was said to be. Suddenly.

"Halt! Who goes there," belted a thunderous voice.
"It is I, Bowen, with a couple friends I've encountered on the way, Duncan, Ginobili, and Parker. We are desperate need of your guidance. Please, can you help us?"
"What is it that I can help you with?"

Duncan stepped forward.

"Sir, since arriving here I haven't been able to think straight. I keep hearing this voice in my head that's driving me crazy. I need my brain back."
"Duncan, that voice you hear is Popovich, the leader of your group and a man of knowledge. Listen to that voice, stop ignoring it. You need not worry so much about the referees as your time with lopsided calls has passed, but will come back soon. So, it is in my power that I give you back your brain so that you may perform to the best of your abilities against all foes."
"Thank you, sir. I will go and focus more on mine and my team's composure than on the refs. And I will start listening more to the voice in my head."

Ginobili steps forward.

"And what is it you need, Ginobili?"
"Ever since I hurt my thigh in a battle against a prince, I have lost all courage of driving to the basket. Now, I'm only looking to shoot three pointers or dribble out the shot clock. Can you give me back my courage?"
"Your thigh isn't the problem. The problem is that you are trying too hard to do everything by yourself. You've had two good games at home, but lost faith in your teammates while on the road. I give you back your courage so you can believe more in yourself and your teammates. Go now, and help defend your team's honor."
"Thank you, almighty wizard. I will do as you say."

Parker steps forward.

"Sir, I've made it through three rounds of intense battles. But, now there are reports of my girlfriend connected to someone else. She's stolen my heart when I need it most. Now, I can't compete at the level I need. What do I do?"
"Parker, Eva will not leave you if you win the championship. So, worry about winning for her and quit reading the Enquirer. I'll give you your heart and may you use it wisely and not throw it in the hands of a desperate housewife."

Bowen walks forward.

"You've helped all them. I can only hope you can help me find my way back home."
"Your team has seemed to lost their identity while here in Detroit. You will get your wish as I will be sending you home. But first, you have one final test here at the palace. Succeed, and all your worries will fade into happiness as you return home. Fail, and home won't be as you remebered. You will return feeling desperate, rushed, empty. Go now and complete this final task for I have given each of you the necessary tools to win."

And with that, I woke from my dream.

Can you hear what Brown can do for you?

2005-06-15T21:15:00.000-07:00

Every year big corporations create slogans that penetrate the minds of unsuspecting consumers. Last year, Verizon Wireless asked, "can you hear me now," as an illustration of how wide a range the service reaches. This year, the battle for top slogan rages on between Verizon and UPS with its "what can brown do for you?" In a way both participants of the NBA Finals represent each of these catchphrases in that the Spurs have blasted onto the scene making the most noise, yet, they continue finding themselves asking fans and critics alike, "can you hear us now?" Meanwhile, contending with the Spurs are the Detroit Pistons, whose fans finally tasted a smidget of "what Brown can do for you" with Larry Brown coaching his way to a 96-79 game 3 victory in Detroit. In order to declare a winner in the battle for best slogan, let's first take a look at what each has to offer:

1. Verizon Wireless encompasses a wide range of service comprable to the Spurs, who feature five foreign players in their twelve-man roster.

2. UPS offers quick deliveries to and from any destination much like Rip's picture perfect alley-oop delivery to Ben Wallace in last nights victory.

3. Verizon offers quality customer service and cares only about keeping customers happy. The Spurs keep fans basking in the glory of home court where the Spurs are an incredible 45-6 during the year.

4. UPS guarantees perfect timing with their deliveries leaving customers unexpectedly surprised with the service. Larry Brown surprised Spurs's fans as he coached his team to a much needed win. And Rasheed Wallace has been known for his guarantees.

As it goes right now, the Spurs with their "can you hear me now" are making more noise than ever and find themselves holding a slight 2-1 advantage. But, Larry Brown is quietly letting people know "what Brown can do for you." The race is tight and may get tighter as the days go by. Only until the vote reaches to four will the race end, and only then will we know which slogan will dominate our lives for the year.

Pistons Feeling the Force

2005-06-10T07:59:00.000-07:00

In a galaxy far, far away...

An NBA nation is being infiltrated by a one-man army in Obi Wan Ginobili, better known to others as San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili. News just arrived that Ginobili ripped through another NBA army showing no remorse as the Spurs sniped the Pistons to easily take game 1, 84-69.

"Unbelievable. He was great. We got a little stagnant there because he was amazing. We just stood around and kind of looked at him and he made big shots," explained Tim Duncan of Ginobili's masterful performance.

The Pistons aren't the first team to battle the Jedi Master's untameable powers. In round 1, he unleashed his fury for 22.8 points 6 rebounds, and 4 assists. Round 2, another army in the Seattle Supersonics bowed at the graces of Ginobili’s 20.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game. What was thought to be the anticipated Anakin Skywalker and Obi Wan Kenobi battle as the Spurs took on the Phoenix Suns, resulted in another level of dominance by the Jedi Master. Against the high-powered Suns Ginobili averaged 22.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game.

As the playoffs progess, Ginobili's powers seem to become more potent. His sudden upgrade from a regular season Padawan (averaging only 16 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.9 assists) to the most powerful of Jedi Masters during the playoffs has guided the Spurs and left their competitors asking the question that bears no answer: How do you stop the Jedi Master, Obi Wan Ginobili?

In game 1 of the NBA Finals, against the second best defensive team in the league, Ginobili improved his numbers even more with 26 points and 9 rebounds. His acrobatics have left the Spurs laughing and the Pistons laboring, and with game 2 in just two days, the Pistons need Tayshaun Prince to turn to the darkside in order to battle with Obi Wan Ginobili.

"When I started feeling that everything was going so good for me and I was being able to finish or hit a three - the one I got in the fourth quarter - I just felt I was great, couldn't feel better," said Obi Wan Ginobili of his production.

The Spurs need you to keep using your Jedi Mind Powers, Obi Wan Ginobili...And may the force be with you.

Photo produced by: i9.photobucket.com/ albums/a71/rawb2/obiwan.jpg