(Originally written on 4/4/08 for FSU's The Bottom Line here)
-- After a tumultuous basketball season, Indiana University seems to have landed on its feet with the recent hiring of Tom Crean. With Crean now on board to lead the Hoosiers, the basketball team and its fans will now try to forget the brief yet embarrassing era of head coach Kelvin Sampson, who was fired earlier in the season for violating telephone recruiting restrictions. In 1999, Crean left his associate head coaching position at Michigan State to assume the head coaching position at Marquette. Taking over an average team in the Conference USA, Crean had his work cut out for him. After two consecutive 15-14 seasons, Crean guided Marquette to a 26-7 record in 2001-2002 and its first NCAA Tournament berth since 1997. The very next season, Crean, with the help of a young superstar-in-the-making named Dwayne Wade, led Marquette to a Conference USA regular season title and its first Final Four appearance in over 25 years. Since that season, Marquette has finished 19-12, 19-12, 20-11, and 24-10, with the latest strong season coming to an end with a heartbreaking second round loss to Stanford on a last-second shot. Crean was a class act at Marquette and a coach who turned an average team into a national power in the Conference USA and eventually the Big East. Hoosier fans could not have asked for a better choice to lead the program.
-- Two very different playoff races are taking place in the NBA’s Eastern and Western Conferences. In the East, three teams are currently tied for fifth at 38-37: Washington, Toronto, and Philadelphia. Atlanta is eighth at 35-40, and two other teams at 31-44, New Jersey and Indiana, are on the outside looking in and are just about eliminated. But in the West, three teams, Dallas (47-28), Denver (46-29), and Golden State (45-30) are all battling for the seventh and eighth playoff spots. During the final stretch of the season, one of those teams will probably not make the playoffs, which may not seem fair considering Atlanta’s sub-.500 record may be enough to get them in. Any of the top nine teams in the West could have a legitimate chance to make noise in the playoffs. For example, the Houston Rockets recently completed a 22-game win streak, the second-longest streak in NBA history, but at this very moment, the Rockets are in sixth place in the West. Such a run has not been enough to even keep them in the top four in the West. Be prepared for a bunch of fans (probably from the team that does not get in) and NBA analysts to start complaining about how the NBA needs a drastic plan to re-seed teams to make sure the best teams get in. Every so often a conference or league gets stacked with talented teams. Very good teams in the MLB and the NFL get left out of the playoffs all the time, but usually, the teams are to blame, not the league or playoff format. Last year, the Browns had the chance to solidify its playoff hopes over the Bengals in Week 16 -- they lost, and the Titans grabbed the sixth and final spot. The Mets also blew a significant lead over the Phillies last year in the NL East by finishing 6-13 in the last 19 games in September. It’s always easy to point to the other league and say that one team is better than another, but if a team folds when the pressure is on, they don’t deserve to be in the playoffs anyway.
-- A few new rules changes have been adopted for the upcoming NFL season: field goals are now reviewable by instant replay, defensive players (one on each team) can wear radios in their helmets, and five-yard facemask penalties no longer exist. Arguably, the biggest rule change is the elimination of the force-out rule, meaning that receivers must now get two feet in bounds for a pass to be ruled a completion. Before, if receivers were pushed out of bounds by defenders and could not get two feet in bounds, referees were supposed to make judgment calls about whether or not the receiver could have gotten two feet in if he was not pushed in the first place. The rule does eliminate a lot of guessing by referees, but it also shrinks the field and may cause scoring to slightly dip next season.
-- Sometimes analysts should really stop overreacting and overanalyzing certain things. Case and point: before the MLB season even started, analysts on ESPN were arguing about whether the Detroit Tigers would have the greatest offense of all time. Now, after that the Tigers had a poor showing by getting swept in a three-game series by the Kansas City Royals, some of the same analysts are already jumping off of the proverbial bandwagon. Maybe they should just stop with all of the crazy projections and at least let a few weeks pass by before making other bold statements. I seriously doubt that the Tigers, let alone anyone else, would seriously consider their season over after just three games.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Friday, April 4, 2008
Trend of Violence by Parents and Adults in Youth Sports
I wrote an article for my a class last year (here). Recently, I edited it and moved some things around, and I think I made it a little bit better. At the very least, it's pretty interesting and disturbing at the same time just to look at the certain incidents that took (and still do take) place.
Here it is:
In July of 2000, Thomas Junta watched his ten-year-old son participate in a pick-up hockey game at an ice rink in Reading, Massachusetts. During the game, Junta grew increasingly infuriated with the rough level of play on the ice, and he yelled for the man monitoring play, Michael Costin, to make the kids tone it down. Costin, who also had a son participating in the game, was confronted by Mr. Junta on the ice before Junta was ordered to leave.
Later that same day, Junta returned to the facility, found Costin, and slammed him down on the concrete floor next to a soda machine. If the severity of that blow was not enough, Junta then proceeded to wedge Costin to the floor using his knee and repeatedly punch him in the head. Costin died soon after the fight ended.
After the incident, Junta was tried and convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to six to ten years in prison.
While this tragic event may seem like an isolated act of violence, it highlights a disturbing growth in the number of incidents of abuse and violence by adults in youth sports. According to Regan McMahon of the San Francisco Chronicle, such incidents “have risen dramatically in the past five years.”
“From road rage to airplane rage to cell phone rage, children in sports aren’t immune to all of this,” said Fred Engh, head of the National Alliance for Youth Sports. “Now we have sideline rage.”
Sporting Kids Magazine recently conducted a survey of 3,300 parents, coaches, and youth, in response to which 84 percent admitted to having “witnessed parents acting violently (shouting, berating, using abusive language).” The National Alliance reported that parent violence in youth sports has “quadrupled between 2000 and 2005,” and the group has seen reports that “documented 100 incidents of parents or fans physically assaulting youth sports coaches or officials in 2005.”
Bob Still, a spokesman for the National Association of Sporting Officials (NASO), said that his organization receives “two or three reports of this kind of behavior a week.” A trend has definitely formed, and the problem is growing.
“The parent of today is much different than the parent of five years ago,” said Engh. “It used to be maybe five percent of the people stepped over the line. It’s grown now to about 15 percent.”
Adults and parents are not just verbally expressing their anger at coaches or sporting officials anymore; they are actually exhibiting violence as a way to show their displeasure. One such incident in South Dakota involved an adult man striking a referee in a soccer match involving 11-year-old girls. The referee happened to be the town’s mayor, and the man was sentenced to one year in jail. Another incident occurred in Pennsylvania when a former police officer offered a Little League baseball pitcher two dollars to hit an opposing player with a fastball. The officer was charged with soliciting assault. Yet another confrontation took place in Wisconsin when a baseball coach of 11 and 12-year-olds followed a 62-year-old volunteer umpire into an equipment room and repeatedly punched the umpire in the face. The coach had been upset over an apparent non-call during the game.
Thousands of incidents of violence have been reported, and as more reports of violence by adults continue to flow in from all over the U.S., the question of why this problem persists arises. Parents and coaches seem to be more aware of the mounting issue because of the attention it receives, yet many still feel the need to react violently during youth sporting events.
Several excuses have been offered to try to partially explain why these occurrences keep happening. One reason is pride or hope, and some parents may believe their child will become the next superstar athlete who achieves immense fame and wealth. A father in San Fernando, California, assaulted his 11-year-old son’s baseball coach for removing the boy in the middle of the game. “How dare you make my son a three-inning player,” the father yelled at the coach. Maybe he figured his son would become the next Derek Jeter or Cal Ripken, Jr.
Some parents also may feel the need to push their child into sports because they were never talented enough themselves to go very far. Because realizing their previous shortcomings in sports is very difficult for some parents, they may treat every moment for their child on the court or field as a win-or-else experience. Some parents even constantly and visibly criticize their own child athletes for apparent failure or mistakes. “[Sometimes] it’s not the kid at bat,” said Engh. “It’s the parent.”
Violent adults also may be reflecting on the nature of sports themselves, which is inherently violent. Big hits, rough plays, and destructive athletic behaviors are glorified on ESPN’s SportsCenter and on the internet at websites such as YouTube. Parents may get the idea that their child can be just as aggressive as professional athletes and, therefore, just as successful. And if their child struggles or doesn’t turn out to be supremely talented, they blame everyone else involved in what transpires during practices and games.
No matter how many other explanations exist, the issue of declining sportsmanship, especially by parents, remains. Obviously, not all parents have difficulty controlling themselves at youth sporting events. Many parents understand how to express their desire for kids to have fun while hoping their child succeeds as well. At the same time, though, youth sports have been littered with many overbearing parental figures that care for winning at all costs instead of hoping that kids make friends, learn important lessons in teamwork, and have an enjoyable time competing.
Oddly enough, many parents still wonder why willing volunteers, coaches, and officials continue to decline annually. According to a survey by NASO, 76 percent of respondents from 60 high school athletic associations believed adult violence in youth sports “is causing many officials to quit.”
“It’s not worth risking your life [to umpire] for $50 a game,” said Still. “What we’re concerned about is the tone and tenor have changed. Now they come at you with a bat in hand a real intent to hurt.”
Though many people like Engh and Still continue to educate adults and parents on the dangers of abuse and violence at youth sporting events, such violent instances still frequently occur. Unfortunately, William Pollack, an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at the Harvard Medical School, noted that these violent episodes may just be “the tip of [the] iceberg.”
Here it is:
In July of 2000, Thomas Junta watched his ten-year-old son participate in a pick-up hockey game at an ice rink in Reading, Massachusetts. During the game, Junta grew increasingly infuriated with the rough level of play on the ice, and he yelled for the man monitoring play, Michael Costin, to make the kids tone it down. Costin, who also had a son participating in the game, was confronted by Mr. Junta on the ice before Junta was ordered to leave.
Later that same day, Junta returned to the facility, found Costin, and slammed him down on the concrete floor next to a soda machine. If the severity of that blow was not enough, Junta then proceeded to wedge Costin to the floor using his knee and repeatedly punch him in the head. Costin died soon after the fight ended.
After the incident, Junta was tried and convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to six to ten years in prison.
While this tragic event may seem like an isolated act of violence, it highlights a disturbing growth in the number of incidents of abuse and violence by adults in youth sports. According to Regan McMahon of the San Francisco Chronicle, such incidents “have risen dramatically in the past five years.”
“From road rage to airplane rage to cell phone rage, children in sports aren’t immune to all of this,” said Fred Engh, head of the National Alliance for Youth Sports. “Now we have sideline rage.”
Sporting Kids Magazine recently conducted a survey of 3,300 parents, coaches, and youth, in response to which 84 percent admitted to having “witnessed parents acting violently (shouting, berating, using abusive language).” The National Alliance reported that parent violence in youth sports has “quadrupled between 2000 and 2005,” and the group has seen reports that “documented 100 incidents of parents or fans physically assaulting youth sports coaches or officials in 2005.”
Bob Still, a spokesman for the National Association of Sporting Officials (NASO), said that his organization receives “two or three reports of this kind of behavior a week.” A trend has definitely formed, and the problem is growing.
“The parent of today is much different than the parent of five years ago,” said Engh. “It used to be maybe five percent of the people stepped over the line. It’s grown now to about 15 percent.”
Adults and parents are not just verbally expressing their anger at coaches or sporting officials anymore; they are actually exhibiting violence as a way to show their displeasure. One such incident in South Dakota involved an adult man striking a referee in a soccer match involving 11-year-old girls. The referee happened to be the town’s mayor, and the man was sentenced to one year in jail. Another incident occurred in Pennsylvania when a former police officer offered a Little League baseball pitcher two dollars to hit an opposing player with a fastball. The officer was charged with soliciting assault. Yet another confrontation took place in Wisconsin when a baseball coach of 11 and 12-year-olds followed a 62-year-old volunteer umpire into an equipment room and repeatedly punched the umpire in the face. The coach had been upset over an apparent non-call during the game.
Thousands of incidents of violence have been reported, and as more reports of violence by adults continue to flow in from all over the U.S., the question of why this problem persists arises. Parents and coaches seem to be more aware of the mounting issue because of the attention it receives, yet many still feel the need to react violently during youth sporting events.
Several excuses have been offered to try to partially explain why these occurrences keep happening. One reason is pride or hope, and some parents may believe their child will become the next superstar athlete who achieves immense fame and wealth. A father in San Fernando, California, assaulted his 11-year-old son’s baseball coach for removing the boy in the middle of the game. “How dare you make my son a three-inning player,” the father yelled at the coach. Maybe he figured his son would become the next Derek Jeter or Cal Ripken, Jr.
Some parents also may feel the need to push their child into sports because they were never talented enough themselves to go very far. Because realizing their previous shortcomings in sports is very difficult for some parents, they may treat every moment for their child on the court or field as a win-or-else experience. Some parents even constantly and visibly criticize their own child athletes for apparent failure or mistakes. “[Sometimes] it’s not the kid at bat,” said Engh. “It’s the parent.”
Violent adults also may be reflecting on the nature of sports themselves, which is inherently violent. Big hits, rough plays, and destructive athletic behaviors are glorified on ESPN’s SportsCenter and on the internet at websites such as YouTube. Parents may get the idea that their child can be just as aggressive as professional athletes and, therefore, just as successful. And if their child struggles or doesn’t turn out to be supremely talented, they blame everyone else involved in what transpires during practices and games.
No matter how many other explanations exist, the issue of declining sportsmanship, especially by parents, remains. Obviously, not all parents have difficulty controlling themselves at youth sporting events. Many parents understand how to express their desire for kids to have fun while hoping their child succeeds as well. At the same time, though, youth sports have been littered with many overbearing parental figures that care for winning at all costs instead of hoping that kids make friends, learn important lessons in teamwork, and have an enjoyable time competing.
Oddly enough, many parents still wonder why willing volunteers, coaches, and officials continue to decline annually. According to a survey by NASO, 76 percent of respondents from 60 high school athletic associations believed adult violence in youth sports “is causing many officials to quit.”
“It’s not worth risking your life [to umpire] for $50 a game,” said Still. “What we’re concerned about is the tone and tenor have changed. Now they come at you with a bat in hand a real intent to hurt.”
Though many people like Engh and Still continue to educate adults and parents on the dangers of abuse and violence at youth sporting events, such violent instances still frequently occur. Unfortunately, William Pollack, an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at the Harvard Medical School, noted that these violent episodes may just be “the tip of [the] iceberg.”
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Feelin good in Philly
(Posted on Frostburg's The Bottom Line here)
The Philadelphia 76ers weren’t supposed to be in the playoff picture this year; they were supposed to go through the motions and end up in the lottery at the end of the season. For a while, they were on pace to do just that.
Led by third-year head coach Maurice Cheeks, the Sixers started off the season in a familiar way -- slowly. At the end of November, December, and January, the Sixers were 5-10, 14-17, and 18-28, respectively. Other than Andre Iguodala (19.9 points), Andre Miller (17.0 points), and Willie Green (12.5 points), the Sixers seemingly had no other reliable scorers on a very young team. Iguodala was not happy, and Miller’s name was thrown around in endless trade rumors that made it seem like he would be shipped out at any minute.
As the season rolled along, though, things began to take shape in Philadelphia. They traded away Kyle Korver, a deadly shooter but a stationary player, and went with a lineup of young, energetic, and athletic swingmen, who happen to all be less than 24 years old -- Louis Williams (21), Thaddeus Young (19), Rodney Carney (23), and Jason Smith (22). They’ve also chipped in to the scoring cause -- Williams (11.3), Young (7.9), Carney (5.9), and Smith (4.7).
Cheeks injected some new life into his team by giving more playing time to this young core and letting Iguodala (also only 24 years old) and Miller (6.8 assists) wreak havoc on opposing defenses by pushing the tempo and playing a faster-paced game. Last season the Sixers scored 94.9 points per game, and this year that average is up to 96.8.
The Sixers are also playing better defense and protecting the rim. They’re currently allowing 95.9 points per game, down from allowing 98.0 per game last season. Philadelphia ranks fourth in the NBA with almost 8.6 steals per game and 12th with 4.9 blocks per game. Center Samuel Dalembert ranks fourth in the league with almost 2.4 blocks per game, and Iguodala ranks sixth in steals with nearly 2.1 per game.
After going 4-11 in January, the revitalized Sixers rolled off five consecutive wins in February right before the All-Star break. Since the break, the Sixers went from being 23-30 and out of the playoff picture to 37-35 and in sixth place in the Eastern Conference.
Sure, being in the weaker East has certainly helped, but the Sixers have still managed an outstanding 14-5 record since the break, with wins over solid teams like Orlando, Phoenix, Detroit, San Antonio, Denver, and Boston. So far, the Sixers are 11-2 in March, putting them only one half game behind the Washington Wizards for fifth place.
Only time will tell whether the Sixers, provided they make the playoffs, will improve enough to have a chance to win a postseason series against some of the East’s top teams. But not since the glory days in Philadelphia in 2001 when Allen Iverson was carrying the likes of Jumaine Jones, Matt Geiger, and Todd MacCulloch into the NBA Finals have Sixers fans had as much to be excited about.
The Philadelphia 76ers weren’t supposed to be in the playoff picture this year; they were supposed to go through the motions and end up in the lottery at the end of the season. For a while, they were on pace to do just that.
Led by third-year head coach Maurice Cheeks, the Sixers started off the season in a familiar way -- slowly. At the end of November, December, and January, the Sixers were 5-10, 14-17, and 18-28, respectively. Other than Andre Iguodala (19.9 points), Andre Miller (17.0 points), and Willie Green (12.5 points), the Sixers seemingly had no other reliable scorers on a very young team. Iguodala was not happy, and Miller’s name was thrown around in endless trade rumors that made it seem like he would be shipped out at any minute.
As the season rolled along, though, things began to take shape in Philadelphia. They traded away Kyle Korver, a deadly shooter but a stationary player, and went with a lineup of young, energetic, and athletic swingmen, who happen to all be less than 24 years old -- Louis Williams (21), Thaddeus Young (19), Rodney Carney (23), and Jason Smith (22). They’ve also chipped in to the scoring cause -- Williams (11.3), Young (7.9), Carney (5.9), and Smith (4.7).
Cheeks injected some new life into his team by giving more playing time to this young core and letting Iguodala (also only 24 years old) and Miller (6.8 assists) wreak havoc on opposing defenses by pushing the tempo and playing a faster-paced game. Last season the Sixers scored 94.9 points per game, and this year that average is up to 96.8.
The Sixers are also playing better defense and protecting the rim. They’re currently allowing 95.9 points per game, down from allowing 98.0 per game last season. Philadelphia ranks fourth in the NBA with almost 8.6 steals per game and 12th with 4.9 blocks per game. Center Samuel Dalembert ranks fourth in the league with almost 2.4 blocks per game, and Iguodala ranks sixth in steals with nearly 2.1 per game.
After going 4-11 in January, the revitalized Sixers rolled off five consecutive wins in February right before the All-Star break. Since the break, the Sixers went from being 23-30 and out of the playoff picture to 37-35 and in sixth place in the Eastern Conference.
Sure, being in the weaker East has certainly helped, but the Sixers have still managed an outstanding 14-5 record since the break, with wins over solid teams like Orlando, Phoenix, Detroit, San Antonio, Denver, and Boston. So far, the Sixers are 11-2 in March, putting them only one half game behind the Washington Wizards for fifth place.
Only time will tell whether the Sixers, provided they make the playoffs, will improve enough to have a chance to win a postseason series against some of the East’s top teams. But not since the glory days in Philadelphia in 2001 when Allen Iverson was carrying the likes of Jumaine Jones, Matt Geiger, and Todd MacCulloch into the NBA Finals have Sixers fans had as much to be excited about.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Prepare for madness
(Posted on Frostburg's The Bottom Line here)
By the time you read this article, college basketball’s Championship Week will be well underway as teams try to punch their tickets into the NCAA Tournament to be a part of March Madness. Several top teams have already assured themselves of positions in the tournament with strong regular seasons, but only one team, Cornell (20-5, 12-0), is officially in after winning its first Ivy League conference title since 1988.
While some teams need to win their conference tournaments to get into the NCAA Tournament, others are looking to gain some momentum heading into arguably the most exciting sporting event of the year. As the “Big Dance” eventually begins, don’t be surprised if some pressing issues determine certain teams’ fates in crunch time.
North Carolina (28-2, 13-2) recently returned to the top of the AP rankings, but the Tar Heels will need a healthy Ty Lawson (13.0 points, 5.6 assists) to have a chance to win the title. After Lawson injured his left ankle on Feb. 3rd against Florida State, UNC convincingly lost to Duke, though they have rattled off seven wins in a row since that loss. Lawson returned on March 1st against Boston College, and he has played about 20 minutes in consecutive games. With Tyler Hansbrough leading the way, North Carolina is still able to beat down weaker opponents without Lawson at 100 percent, but they will need his quickness and playmaking abilities to take down other top teams during close games.
After starting out 11-5, Connecticut (23-7, 12-5) won 10 straight games and started to gain some recognition in the tough Big East Conference. A.J. Price and Jeff Adrien lead the Huskies with 15 points per game each, but Hasheem Thabeet is the team’s most intimidating player. At seven foot three and 263 pounds, Thabeet has the ability to dominate the paint and force other teams to change their styles of play. Averaging 10.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and a whopping 4.4 blocks per game, Thabeet, a sophomore, will have to play strongly if the Huskies are to go far in the tournament.
Purdue certainly surprised many people in the Big Ten this year. The Boilermakers (23-7, 14-3) are led by one of the most productive freshmen in the country, Robbie Hummel. Hummel averages 11.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.6 assists, and he shoots over 50 percent from the floor. Third-year head coach Matt Painter has done an outstanding job and has his team playing well heading into the tournament.
When discussing freshmen, leaving out Michael Beasley’s name is tough to do. Beasley has dominated the Big 12 this year by averaging 26.9 points and 12.6 rebounds per game. Beasley probably won’t be returning to college next year as he more than likely will head to the NBA, but he still has the chance to lead Kansas State (19-10, 9-6) to a few wins in the NCAA Tournament. Beasley is having one of the best seasons ever for a freshman, and he may even turn out to be better than Kevin Durant, who last season became the first freshman to ever win the AP Player of the Year award. If Beasley plays like he has all season, Kansas State should be a tough matchup for anyone.
One of the most interesting teams this entire season has been Indiana. The recent dismissal of head coach Kelvin Sampson for violating NCAA regulations has placed a black cloud over the program, but the Hoosiers (25-5, 14-3) remain in second place in the Big Ten and are still ranked in the top 20. Led by freshman sensation Eric Gordon (21.3 points) and power forward D.J. White (17.0 points, 10.2 rebounds), Indiana will be sending a formidable team into the tournament. If the players and coaching staff can stay focused without Sampson running the show, the Hoosiers could definitely advance to the Sweet 16. If they can’t, they may just get bounced in the first or second round. Interim head coach Dan Dakich has his work cut out for him.
Other players to keep an eye on include Memphis’s Joey Dorsey, Derrick Rose, and Chris Douglas-Roberts, Tennessee’s Chris Lofton, Louisville’s David Padgett, Notre Dame’s Luke Harangody, UCLA’s Kevin Love and Darren Collison, Stanford’s Brook Lopez, Vanderbilt’s A.J. Ogilvy, Davidson’s Stephen Curry, VCU’s Eric Maynor, Butler’s A.J. Graves, Saint Mary’s Patrick Mills, Duke’s DeMarcus Nelson, and Texas’s D.J. Augustin.
Then again, someone else that no one thought would step up and have a big moment certainly will. That’s what makes March Madness so great.
By the time you read this article, college basketball’s Championship Week will be well underway as teams try to punch their tickets into the NCAA Tournament to be a part of March Madness. Several top teams have already assured themselves of positions in the tournament with strong regular seasons, but only one team, Cornell (20-5, 12-0), is officially in after winning its first Ivy League conference title since 1988.
While some teams need to win their conference tournaments to get into the NCAA Tournament, others are looking to gain some momentum heading into arguably the most exciting sporting event of the year. As the “Big Dance” eventually begins, don’t be surprised if some pressing issues determine certain teams’ fates in crunch time.
North Carolina (28-2, 13-2) recently returned to the top of the AP rankings, but the Tar Heels will need a healthy Ty Lawson (13.0 points, 5.6 assists) to have a chance to win the title. After Lawson injured his left ankle on Feb. 3rd against Florida State, UNC convincingly lost to Duke, though they have rattled off seven wins in a row since that loss. Lawson returned on March 1st against Boston College, and he has played about 20 minutes in consecutive games. With Tyler Hansbrough leading the way, North Carolina is still able to beat down weaker opponents without Lawson at 100 percent, but they will need his quickness and playmaking abilities to take down other top teams during close games.
After starting out 11-5, Connecticut (23-7, 12-5) won 10 straight games and started to gain some recognition in the tough Big East Conference. A.J. Price and Jeff Adrien lead the Huskies with 15 points per game each, but Hasheem Thabeet is the team’s most intimidating player. At seven foot three and 263 pounds, Thabeet has the ability to dominate the paint and force other teams to change their styles of play. Averaging 10.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and a whopping 4.4 blocks per game, Thabeet, a sophomore, will have to play strongly if the Huskies are to go far in the tournament.
Purdue certainly surprised many people in the Big Ten this year. The Boilermakers (23-7, 14-3) are led by one of the most productive freshmen in the country, Robbie Hummel. Hummel averages 11.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.6 assists, and he shoots over 50 percent from the floor. Third-year head coach Matt Painter has done an outstanding job and has his team playing well heading into the tournament.
When discussing freshmen, leaving out Michael Beasley’s name is tough to do. Beasley has dominated the Big 12 this year by averaging 26.9 points and 12.6 rebounds per game. Beasley probably won’t be returning to college next year as he more than likely will head to the NBA, but he still has the chance to lead Kansas State (19-10, 9-6) to a few wins in the NCAA Tournament. Beasley is having one of the best seasons ever for a freshman, and he may even turn out to be better than Kevin Durant, who last season became the first freshman to ever win the AP Player of the Year award. If Beasley plays like he has all season, Kansas State should be a tough matchup for anyone.
One of the most interesting teams this entire season has been Indiana. The recent dismissal of head coach Kelvin Sampson for violating NCAA regulations has placed a black cloud over the program, but the Hoosiers (25-5, 14-3) remain in second place in the Big Ten and are still ranked in the top 20. Led by freshman sensation Eric Gordon (21.3 points) and power forward D.J. White (17.0 points, 10.2 rebounds), Indiana will be sending a formidable team into the tournament. If the players and coaching staff can stay focused without Sampson running the show, the Hoosiers could definitely advance to the Sweet 16. If they can’t, they may just get bounced in the first or second round. Interim head coach Dan Dakich has his work cut out for him.
Other players to keep an eye on include Memphis’s Joey Dorsey, Derrick Rose, and Chris Douglas-Roberts, Tennessee’s Chris Lofton, Louisville’s David Padgett, Notre Dame’s Luke Harangody, UCLA’s Kevin Love and Darren Collison, Stanford’s Brook Lopez, Vanderbilt’s A.J. Ogilvy, Davidson’s Stephen Curry, VCU’s Eric Maynor, Butler’s A.J. Graves, Saint Mary’s Patrick Mills, Duke’s DeMarcus Nelson, and Texas’s D.J. Augustin.
Then again, someone else that no one thought would step up and have a big moment certainly will. That’s what makes March Madness so great.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Movers and shakers
(Posted on Frostburg's The Bottom Line here)
As the winter sports season continues, many players from every MLB team have been arriving at their various spring training locations to start getting ready for the long season ahead. Pitchers and catchers have reported already, and position players are making their way to camp as well.
During the offseason, all teams worked on improving their rosters. Some teams made relatively small moves and kept much of their core talent together. The Red Sox, coming off of a World Series victory, did not make any notable moves and chose to keep its young talent together. The Yankees, surprisingly, did not choose to make any huge deals. Instead, the team re-signed Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte, and Robinson Cano. The Yankees did sign reliever LaTroy Hawkins, but mainly they are counting on young pitchers like Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes to perform.
Other teams, though, decided to assemble talent from somewhere else. The Angels signed Torii Hunter to a five-year, $90 million dollar contract. The Cubs signed Japanese outfielder Kosuke Fukudome to a four-year contract worth $48 million, and the Giants signed Aaron Rowand to a five-year $60 million dollar contract. Recently, the Mariners traded Adam Jones and George Sherrill and three other prospects to the Orioles for Erik Bedard. The Phillies traded for closer Brad Lidge, and the Brewers signed Eric Gagne.
Many other teams signed players to try and improve their teams, but, in my opinion, these teams made the biggest moves and improved the most:
New York Mets
The Mets made arguably the biggest trade during the offseason when they acquired Johan Santana from the Minnesota Twins for prospects Carlos Gomez, Philip Humber, Kevin Mulvey, and Delois Guerra. After the Mets acquired the star pitcher, they then signed him to a six-year contract worth more than $150 million. The Mets, who already had a formidable lineup with Jose Reyes, David Wright, Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, Luis Castillo, and Moises Alou, significantly upgraded their starting rotation, which was thought to be a little thin. Santana will lead a starting rotation consisting of Pedro Martinez, John Maine, Oliver Perez, and Orlando Hernandez.
The acquisition of Santana may just be enough to make the Mets the favorite in the National League this year. At the very least, his presence should help many Mets’ fans forget the team’s disappointing collapse last season when they lost their grasp of the NL East to the Phillies and missed the playoffs.
Arizona Diamondbacks
Figuring their ace needed some help at the top of the starting rotation, the Diamondbacks acquired Dan Haren from the Oakland A’s in exchange for prospects Brett Anderson, Dana Eveland, Greg Smith, Aaron Cunningham, Carlos Gonzalez, and Chris Carter. Haren, who finished the 2007 season with 15 wins and a 3.07 ERA, will look to improve next year’s rotation that will include Doug Davis, Micah Owings, and, hopefully, Randy Johnson. The possible three-headed monster of Webb, Haren, and Johnson could be scary for the entire National League. Even though the Diamondbacks traded their closer, Jose Valverde, to the Houston Astros in the offseason, the team has many talented relievers to shoulder the load. With Conor Jackson, Stephen Drew, Chris B. Young, and Justin Upton, the D-Backs also have plenty of young and talented hitters to fill out the lineup.
Detroit Tigers
After a disappointing 2007 season in which the Tigers finished second in the AL Central and missed the playoffs altogether, the team decided to pull the trigger on a blockbuster trade that sent talented prospects away. The Tigers parted with Cameron Maybin, Mike Rabelo, Andrew Miller, Burke Badenhop, Eulogio De La Cruz, and Dallas Trahern when they sent them to the Marlins. The Tigers, however, received plenty of talent in return -- starting pitcher Dontrelle Willis and third baseman Miguel Cabrera. In a busy offseason, the Tigers also acquired shortstop Edgar Renteria from the Atlanta Braves for prospects and outfielder Jacque Jones from the Cubs in exchange for infielder Omar Infante.
All four acquisitions should help to bolster a team that already had a talented core of players. Cabrera, Renteria, and Jones join a lineup that includes Ivan Rodriguez, Carlos Guillen, Placido Polanco, Curtis Granderson, Magglio Ordonez, and Gary Sheffield. The Tigers may be assembling the best lineup in the entire league. Meanwhile, Willis joins Justin Verlander, Jeremy Bonderman, Kenny Rogers, and Nate Robertson in the starting rotation. The bullpen, though, may still be a question mark for the Tigers with veteran Todd Jones returning as the team’s closer. If Joel Zumaya can return to form after suffering a serious shoulder injury, the Tigers should compete with the other top teams in the American League.
As the winter sports season continues, many players from every MLB team have been arriving at their various spring training locations to start getting ready for the long season ahead. Pitchers and catchers have reported already, and position players are making their way to camp as well.
During the offseason, all teams worked on improving their rosters. Some teams made relatively small moves and kept much of their core talent together. The Red Sox, coming off of a World Series victory, did not make any notable moves and chose to keep its young talent together. The Yankees, surprisingly, did not choose to make any huge deals. Instead, the team re-signed Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte, and Robinson Cano. The Yankees did sign reliever LaTroy Hawkins, but mainly they are counting on young pitchers like Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes to perform.
Other teams, though, decided to assemble talent from somewhere else. The Angels signed Torii Hunter to a five-year, $90 million dollar contract. The Cubs signed Japanese outfielder Kosuke Fukudome to a four-year contract worth $48 million, and the Giants signed Aaron Rowand to a five-year $60 million dollar contract. Recently, the Mariners traded Adam Jones and George Sherrill and three other prospects to the Orioles for Erik Bedard. The Phillies traded for closer Brad Lidge, and the Brewers signed Eric Gagne.
Many other teams signed players to try and improve their teams, but, in my opinion, these teams made the biggest moves and improved the most:
New York Mets
The Mets made arguably the biggest trade during the offseason when they acquired Johan Santana from the Minnesota Twins for prospects Carlos Gomez, Philip Humber, Kevin Mulvey, and Delois Guerra. After the Mets acquired the star pitcher, they then signed him to a six-year contract worth more than $150 million. The Mets, who already had a formidable lineup with Jose Reyes, David Wright, Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, Luis Castillo, and Moises Alou, significantly upgraded their starting rotation, which was thought to be a little thin. Santana will lead a starting rotation consisting of Pedro Martinez, John Maine, Oliver Perez, and Orlando Hernandez.
The acquisition of Santana may just be enough to make the Mets the favorite in the National League this year. At the very least, his presence should help many Mets’ fans forget the team’s disappointing collapse last season when they lost their grasp of the NL East to the Phillies and missed the playoffs.
Arizona Diamondbacks
Figuring their ace needed some help at the top of the starting rotation, the Diamondbacks acquired Dan Haren from the Oakland A’s in exchange for prospects Brett Anderson, Dana Eveland, Greg Smith, Aaron Cunningham, Carlos Gonzalez, and Chris Carter. Haren, who finished the 2007 season with 15 wins and a 3.07 ERA, will look to improve next year’s rotation that will include Doug Davis, Micah Owings, and, hopefully, Randy Johnson. The possible three-headed monster of Webb, Haren, and Johnson could be scary for the entire National League. Even though the Diamondbacks traded their closer, Jose Valverde, to the Houston Astros in the offseason, the team has many talented relievers to shoulder the load. With Conor Jackson, Stephen Drew, Chris B. Young, and Justin Upton, the D-Backs also have plenty of young and talented hitters to fill out the lineup.
Detroit Tigers
After a disappointing 2007 season in which the Tigers finished second in the AL Central and missed the playoffs altogether, the team decided to pull the trigger on a blockbuster trade that sent talented prospects away. The Tigers parted with Cameron Maybin, Mike Rabelo, Andrew Miller, Burke Badenhop, Eulogio De La Cruz, and Dallas Trahern when they sent them to the Marlins. The Tigers, however, received plenty of talent in return -- starting pitcher Dontrelle Willis and third baseman Miguel Cabrera. In a busy offseason, the Tigers also acquired shortstop Edgar Renteria from the Atlanta Braves for prospects and outfielder Jacque Jones from the Cubs in exchange for infielder Omar Infante.
All four acquisitions should help to bolster a team that already had a talented core of players. Cabrera, Renteria, and Jones join a lineup that includes Ivan Rodriguez, Carlos Guillen, Placido Polanco, Curtis Granderson, Magglio Ordonez, and Gary Sheffield. The Tigers may be assembling the best lineup in the entire league. Meanwhile, Willis joins Justin Verlander, Jeremy Bonderman, Kenny Rogers, and Nate Robertson in the starting rotation. The bullpen, though, may still be a question mark for the Tigers with veteran Todd Jones returning as the team’s closer. If Joel Zumaya can return to form after suffering a serious shoulder injury, the Tigers should compete with the other top teams in the American League.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
NBA mid-season awards
(Posted on Frostburg's The Bottom Line here)
By the time you read this article, the NBA All-Star Game will be over and the second half of the season will be underway. Many great individual and team performances have been made during the first half, so here are some of the honors I would hand out if the season ended today:
MVP: Chris Paul, PG, Hornets
Many fans figured that the Western Conference would be loaded this season, but not many people thought that the Hornets would be sitting at the top of it with a 36-15 record. Paul continues to carry the Hornets by averaging 20.5 points, 10.9 assists, 2.6 steals, and 4.0 rebounds per game. While playing a fast-paced style, Paul has managed to commit only 2.7 turnovers per game, which has allowed him to rank third in the NBA with a 4.1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Though he is not really a three-point shooter (34%), Paul still manages to shoot 48% from the field because of his quickness and slashing ability.
Similarly to when Steve Nash won back-to-back MVP awards in 2005 and 2006, Paul makes everyone on his team better because he distributes the ball and knows how to run the show. Amazingly, Paul’s first half numbers this season are actually better than Nash’s numbers in ’05 (15.5 points, 11.5 assists) and ’06 (18.8 points, 10.5 assists). While putting up more points and comparable assist numbers, Paul also plays better defense, commits fewer turnovers, and plays with less talent around him than Nash did during his MVP run. If Paul continues his current pace, he might have one of the best seasons for a point guard in NBA history.
Apologies to: LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett
Rookie of the Year: Al Horford, C, Hawks
With the injury to Greg Oden before the season, Kevin Durant has easily been the NBA’s most heralded rookie. He has basically been handed the award by many analysts, but Horford, who was picked right after Durant in the NBA Draft, actually deserves the award -- for now. Horford has had very little trouble fitting into the starting center spot on the Atlanta Hawks, and he is averaging 9.3 points and 10 rebounds per game. He also manages almost one block, one steal, and one assist every game.
Though Durant is more skilled offensively, Horford has managed to make an efficient 47% of his shots. Durant, who is playing shooting guard at six foot eight, has struggled by shooting just 29% from three-point range. Horford is the better defensive player and recently had 15 points and 20 rebounds while playing solid defense in a win against Pau Gasol and the Lakers. If I had to pick who had the higher ceiling, I would pick Durant in a heartbeat. But so far, Horford has just been better.
Apologies to: Durant, Al Thornton, Jamario Moon
Sixth Man of the Year: Manu Ginobili, SG, Spurs
Making the case for Ginobili is fairly easy; he is averaging 19.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.7 steals per game while shooting three-pointers at a 40% clip. With so many injuries, the Spurs have been starting Ginobili recently, but when the team is healthy, he routinely comes off the bench to provide a strong scoring punch. Even with Tony Parker injured for much of the season, Ginobili’s play has helped the Spurs to a 34-17 record, good enough for fifth place in the West.
Apologies to: Leandro Barbosa
Most Disappointing Player: Vince Carter, SG, Nets
Carter is one of the best players in the league and has thrown down some of the greatest dunks of all time. Unfortunately for the Nets, he is not one of the best teammates or winners. Carter has put up pretty good averages in the first half -- 20.7 points, 5.1 assists, 5.6 rebounds -- but New Jersey is just 23-30. Carter’s lack of leadership and inability to help the Nets win more games is probably one of the biggest reasons why Jason Kidd wants to be traded. On the surface, the trio of Kidd, Richard Jefferson, and Carter should be enough to win plenty of games in the Eastern Conference, but Carter has been as unreliable as ever. Carter is still a strong individual talent, but if he’s still such a game-changing player, his name would not be as frequently involved in trade rumors as it is.
Apologies to: Just about anyone on the Heat or the Knicks
Most Disappointing Team (besides the Heat or Knicks): L.A. Clippers
Picking on a team without its best player, Elton Brand, hardly seems fair, right? Well, the Clippers just missed the playoffs last season with a record of 40-42 even while playing a part of the season without Brand. At 17-33 the Clippers would seem to be a team without much talent on its roster, but that is not really the case. Even without Brand, the Clippers still have Chris Kaman, Corey Maggette, Cuttino Mobley, and a very talented rookie in Al Thornton. However, Sam Cassell has not played well and neither has Tim Thomas. Many Clippers fans hoped that the team could stay close in the standings so Brand could come back and lead the team to the playoffs – but that’s not happening. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea after all to sign Tim Thomas, who has career averages of 10.3 points and 4.5 rebounds, to a 4-year, $24 million dollar contract after the 2006 season.
Most Surprising Moment: The Pau Gasol Trade
Without a doubt, the Gasol trade came out of nowhere. Not only did the Lakers get Gasol for very little, but the trade also sparked the Shaq trade to Phoenix and the near-completion of the Nets-Mavericks trade involving Jason Kidd. The Western Conference was already much better than the East before the trade, but somehow the conference got even better in a matter of weeks.
Apologies to: the Warriors signing of Chris Webber; anything Bill Walton says
Most Bizarre Story: The Downfall of Latrell Sprewell
Before leaving the NBA after the 2005 season, Sprewell had a relatively successful career playing for the Warriors, Knicks, and Timberwolves. His career, though, took a strange turn when he turned down a three-year, $21 million dollar contract after the season. Sprewell’s rationale for turning down the contract was confusing at best; he said, “I’ve got my family to feed.” As it turns out, Sprewell’s home was recently up for foreclosure, and he also had to sell his yacht. No one knows for sure exactly why Sprewell stopped playing in the NBA, but his apparent troubles only prove one thing: athletes can be just as strange as everyone else.
By the time you read this article, the NBA All-Star Game will be over and the second half of the season will be underway. Many great individual and team performances have been made during the first half, so here are some of the honors I would hand out if the season ended today:
MVP: Chris Paul, PG, Hornets
Many fans figured that the Western Conference would be loaded this season, but not many people thought that the Hornets would be sitting at the top of it with a 36-15 record. Paul continues to carry the Hornets by averaging 20.5 points, 10.9 assists, 2.6 steals, and 4.0 rebounds per game. While playing a fast-paced style, Paul has managed to commit only 2.7 turnovers per game, which has allowed him to rank third in the NBA with a 4.1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Though he is not really a three-point shooter (34%), Paul still manages to shoot 48% from the field because of his quickness and slashing ability.
Similarly to when Steve Nash won back-to-back MVP awards in 2005 and 2006, Paul makes everyone on his team better because he distributes the ball and knows how to run the show. Amazingly, Paul’s first half numbers this season are actually better than Nash’s numbers in ’05 (15.5 points, 11.5 assists) and ’06 (18.8 points, 10.5 assists). While putting up more points and comparable assist numbers, Paul also plays better defense, commits fewer turnovers, and plays with less talent around him than Nash did during his MVP run. If Paul continues his current pace, he might have one of the best seasons for a point guard in NBA history.
Apologies to: LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett
Rookie of the Year: Al Horford, C, Hawks
With the injury to Greg Oden before the season, Kevin Durant has easily been the NBA’s most heralded rookie. He has basically been handed the award by many analysts, but Horford, who was picked right after Durant in the NBA Draft, actually deserves the award -- for now. Horford has had very little trouble fitting into the starting center spot on the Atlanta Hawks, and he is averaging 9.3 points and 10 rebounds per game. He also manages almost one block, one steal, and one assist every game.
Though Durant is more skilled offensively, Horford has managed to make an efficient 47% of his shots. Durant, who is playing shooting guard at six foot eight, has struggled by shooting just 29% from three-point range. Horford is the better defensive player and recently had 15 points and 20 rebounds while playing solid defense in a win against Pau Gasol and the Lakers. If I had to pick who had the higher ceiling, I would pick Durant in a heartbeat. But so far, Horford has just been better.
Apologies to: Durant, Al Thornton, Jamario Moon
Sixth Man of the Year: Manu Ginobili, SG, Spurs
Making the case for Ginobili is fairly easy; he is averaging 19.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.7 steals per game while shooting three-pointers at a 40% clip. With so many injuries, the Spurs have been starting Ginobili recently, but when the team is healthy, he routinely comes off the bench to provide a strong scoring punch. Even with Tony Parker injured for much of the season, Ginobili’s play has helped the Spurs to a 34-17 record, good enough for fifth place in the West.
Apologies to: Leandro Barbosa
Most Disappointing Player: Vince Carter, SG, Nets
Carter is one of the best players in the league and has thrown down some of the greatest dunks of all time. Unfortunately for the Nets, he is not one of the best teammates or winners. Carter has put up pretty good averages in the first half -- 20.7 points, 5.1 assists, 5.6 rebounds -- but New Jersey is just 23-30. Carter’s lack of leadership and inability to help the Nets win more games is probably one of the biggest reasons why Jason Kidd wants to be traded. On the surface, the trio of Kidd, Richard Jefferson, and Carter should be enough to win plenty of games in the Eastern Conference, but Carter has been as unreliable as ever. Carter is still a strong individual talent, but if he’s still such a game-changing player, his name would not be as frequently involved in trade rumors as it is.
Apologies to: Just about anyone on the Heat or the Knicks
Most Disappointing Team (besides the Heat or Knicks): L.A. Clippers
Picking on a team without its best player, Elton Brand, hardly seems fair, right? Well, the Clippers just missed the playoffs last season with a record of 40-42 even while playing a part of the season without Brand. At 17-33 the Clippers would seem to be a team without much talent on its roster, but that is not really the case. Even without Brand, the Clippers still have Chris Kaman, Corey Maggette, Cuttino Mobley, and a very talented rookie in Al Thornton. However, Sam Cassell has not played well and neither has Tim Thomas. Many Clippers fans hoped that the team could stay close in the standings so Brand could come back and lead the team to the playoffs – but that’s not happening. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea after all to sign Tim Thomas, who has career averages of 10.3 points and 4.5 rebounds, to a 4-year, $24 million dollar contract after the 2006 season.
Most Surprising Moment: The Pau Gasol Trade
Without a doubt, the Gasol trade came out of nowhere. Not only did the Lakers get Gasol for very little, but the trade also sparked the Shaq trade to Phoenix and the near-completion of the Nets-Mavericks trade involving Jason Kidd. The Western Conference was already much better than the East before the trade, but somehow the conference got even better in a matter of weeks.
Apologies to: the Warriors signing of Chris Webber; anything Bill Walton says
Most Bizarre Story: The Downfall of Latrell Sprewell
Before leaving the NBA after the 2005 season, Sprewell had a relatively successful career playing for the Warriors, Knicks, and Timberwolves. His career, though, took a strange turn when he turned down a three-year, $21 million dollar contract after the season. Sprewell’s rationale for turning down the contract was confusing at best; he said, “I’ve got my family to feed.” As it turns out, Sprewell’s home was recently up for foreclosure, and he also had to sell his yacht. No one knows for sure exactly why Sprewell stopped playing in the NBA, but his apparent troubles only prove one thing: athletes can be just as strange as everyone else.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Meet the Coach: Interview with FSU Women’s Lacrosse Coach Ashley Manion
(Posted on Frostburg's The Bottom Line here)
Frostburg State University’s new head women’s lacrosse coach, Ashley Manion, was hired in August to lead the program. After being a four-year starter at Lehigh University and graduating in 2004, Manion was hired by Binghamton University’s athletic department to become the first full-time women’s lacrosse assistant coach in the program’s three-year history. I had the chance to ask Coach Manion a few questions about her experience in Frostburg so far and on the upcoming season that begins in March.
MK: You held a variety of duties during your time at Binghamton University, including being the recruiting coordinator, helping with fundraising activities, and obviously helping with practices. How has your performance on the field and experience on the sidelines as an assistant coach helped you prepare for your first head coaching opportunity with Frostburg State?
AM: I think that my experience at Lehigh, where I had three different head coaches in four years, helped prepare me for my first year as a head coach. By seeing three different styles of coaching, I was able to really see what I liked, what I felt worked best, and what meshed best with my vision and personality as a coach. At Lehigh my junior year, we were the number one turn-around team in all of Division I, going from 4-10 in 2002 to 10-4 in 2003. During that turn-around year, I was a starter and team captain. My leadership skills grew tremendously that season because the coach asked a lot of the players and of the captains. That season showed that if you work hard at your goals and believe you can win, you tend to accomplish more than you ever set out to.
At Binghamton, the former head coach, Emily Edmonston, did a great job of mentoring me and giving me a lot of responsibilities which allowed me to grow as a coach. I worked with the goalies, training them in proper technique and trying to increase save percentages. During my third year at Binghamton, I handled a large portion of the attack side of the ball. I was designing some of the plays and calling all the plays during games. I think being recruiting coordinator just made the transition to head coach easier in terms of being able to recruit prospective student-athletes, as I had experience in all aspect of the recruiting process.
MK: How has your personal experience at Frostburg been since you were hired in August?
AM: Since I was hired here at Frostburg, I have felt nothing but welcomed in by my team and the athletic department as a whole. The team has been extremely responsive to what I have asked them to do in practice and with putting structure into our program to build it up. The athletic department, and athletic director Mr. Troy Dell, have supported me and given me added confidence with rebuilding our Bobcat women's lacrosse program.
MK: In 2006, you helped to lead Binghamton to an upset over American. What did you take from that win or any other notable wins during your coaching career?
AM: The upset against American was the number one upset in Division I in 2006. American was ranked in the 30s, I believe, and Binghamton was in the 80s. From that win I learned how important a good scouting report is on another team and that on any given day a team can raise up and win if they want it.
MK: Over the past three seasons, the women's lacrosse team at Frostburg has finished with records of 7-10, 6-11, and 5-8 respectively. What goals do you have for this season?
AM: I think the most obvious goal would be to have a winning season. I think we have an excellent chance at accomplishing this looking at our game schedule and how the team is developing in practices. We will focus on specific stats this season to track our team’s successes in more than just the win/loss column. These stats include shot percentage, ground balls, draw controls, and some of the critical stats in games that tend to be the deciding factors.
MK: Three team leaders in points and goals from last season, Carly Rihard, Elisabeth Hildebrand, and Lindsay Lamont all return this season. Besides strong performances from them, which other players do you think will step in to make an impact?
AM: I am looking for Erin Morrell to step up in goal and have some huge games for us. I think we have a strong midfield, which will be our strength this season. I will look for our two senior captains, Lindsay Lamont and Carly Rihard, to lead us on the field and in the midfield. I think all of our midfielders that will be starting will have huge contributions this year, whether or not that means in goals. They each play an integral part in accomplishing success this season. On the defensive side of the ball, two sophomores will help Erin direct the defense, and they are Davia Procida and Marissa Henderson.
Frostburg State University’s new head women’s lacrosse coach, Ashley Manion, was hired in August to lead the program. After being a four-year starter at Lehigh University and graduating in 2004, Manion was hired by Binghamton University’s athletic department to become the first full-time women’s lacrosse assistant coach in the program’s three-year history. I had the chance to ask Coach Manion a few questions about her experience in Frostburg so far and on the upcoming season that begins in March.
MK: You held a variety of duties during your time at Binghamton University, including being the recruiting coordinator, helping with fundraising activities, and obviously helping with practices. How has your performance on the field and experience on the sidelines as an assistant coach helped you prepare for your first head coaching opportunity with Frostburg State?
AM: I think that my experience at Lehigh, where I had three different head coaches in four years, helped prepare me for my first year as a head coach. By seeing three different styles of coaching, I was able to really see what I liked, what I felt worked best, and what meshed best with my vision and personality as a coach. At Lehigh my junior year, we were the number one turn-around team in all of Division I, going from 4-10 in 2002 to 10-4 in 2003. During that turn-around year, I was a starter and team captain. My leadership skills grew tremendously that season because the coach asked a lot of the players and of the captains. That season showed that if you work hard at your goals and believe you can win, you tend to accomplish more than you ever set out to.
At Binghamton, the former head coach, Emily Edmonston, did a great job of mentoring me and giving me a lot of responsibilities which allowed me to grow as a coach. I worked with the goalies, training them in proper technique and trying to increase save percentages. During my third year at Binghamton, I handled a large portion of the attack side of the ball. I was designing some of the plays and calling all the plays during games. I think being recruiting coordinator just made the transition to head coach easier in terms of being able to recruit prospective student-athletes, as I had experience in all aspect of the recruiting process.
MK: How has your personal experience at Frostburg been since you were hired in August?
AM: Since I was hired here at Frostburg, I have felt nothing but welcomed in by my team and the athletic department as a whole. The team has been extremely responsive to what I have asked them to do in practice and with putting structure into our program to build it up. The athletic department, and athletic director Mr. Troy Dell, have supported me and given me added confidence with rebuilding our Bobcat women's lacrosse program.
MK: In 2006, you helped to lead Binghamton to an upset over American. What did you take from that win or any other notable wins during your coaching career?
AM: The upset against American was the number one upset in Division I in 2006. American was ranked in the 30s, I believe, and Binghamton was in the 80s. From that win I learned how important a good scouting report is on another team and that on any given day a team can raise up and win if they want it.
MK: Over the past three seasons, the women's lacrosse team at Frostburg has finished with records of 7-10, 6-11, and 5-8 respectively. What goals do you have for this season?
AM: I think the most obvious goal would be to have a winning season. I think we have an excellent chance at accomplishing this looking at our game schedule and how the team is developing in practices. We will focus on specific stats this season to track our team’s successes in more than just the win/loss column. These stats include shot percentage, ground balls, draw controls, and some of the critical stats in games that tend to be the deciding factors.
MK: Three team leaders in points and goals from last season, Carly Rihard, Elisabeth Hildebrand, and Lindsay Lamont all return this season. Besides strong performances from them, which other players do you think will step in to make an impact?
AM: I am looking for Erin Morrell to step up in goal and have some huge games for us. I think we have a strong midfield, which will be our strength this season. I will look for our two senior captains, Lindsay Lamont and Carly Rihard, to lead us on the field and in the midfield. I think all of our midfielders that will be starting will have huge contributions this year, whether or not that means in goals. They each play an integral part in accomplishing success this season. On the defensive side of the ball, two sophomores will help Erin direct the defense, and they are Davia Procida and Marissa Henderson.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Renting an inactive All-Star
(Posted on Frostburg's The Bottom Line here)
After contemplating a return with different teams such as the Detroit Pistons and the L.A. Lakers, Chris Webber officially signed with the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday. The Warriors hope that he will be ready to play in early February or after the All-Star break in the middle of the month.
Although his role on the team will not officially be determined until he gets back on the court, Webber will probably land a starting role at center in the second half of the season as the Warriors push for a playoff spot. In the crowded Western Conference, the Warriors are currently 28-19, which is good enough for eighth place.
Webber faced an interesting choice last season when he was waived by the Philadelphia 76ers after only 18 games. Webber sat back and went through his options, and he eventually chose to join a very strong Pistons team right around the second half of the season.
Starting at center for 42 out of 43 games, Webber averaged 11.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3 assists during the regular season for the Pistons. The Pistons, the number one seed, advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals to face the Cleveland Cavaliers, who eventually prevailed in six games due to the outstanding play of LeBron James. Webber contributed 9.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.5 assists during the playoffs.
Webber, at the time of his signing by the Pistons, seemed like an ideal fit for the team. He had the ability to play solid defense and hit mid-range jump shots. He was also still one of the best passing big men of all-time. He played well at times and gave the Pistons another talented frontcourt player.
But with his recent decision to join the Warriors, an up-tempo team that always looks to run and push the ball, Webber’s contributions may be limited.
Webber turns 35 in March, and his most athletic years are behind him. In his recent stints with the 76ers and the Pistons, Webber played in slow-tempo offenses. Only time will tell how well he can adjust to Don Nelson’s style with the Warriors.
In most cases, when athletes get older, they usually start to break down and are not able to do the same things they could do when they were younger. Webber has lost some of his athleticism, which is something that the Warriors thrive on.
The top eight players on the Warriors, in no particular order, are as follows: Baron Davis, Monta Ellis, Stephen Jackson, Al Harrington, Andris Biedrins, Kelenna Azubuike, Matt Barnes, and Mickael Pietrus. Each of these eight can play a large amount of minutes if needed, and with the exception of Biedrins, all of them are interchangeable at different positions. They can all run the floor and are excellent in an up-tempo game. Webber’s addition will take away minutes from some of these eight players, which could possibly alter how the Warriors play when he is in the game.
Obviously, though, Don Nelson and the Warriors’ front office are simply making a move that they feel is right for the team. They think that a talented player like Webber can help push them over the top. Usually, though, teams do not bring an inactive player into their organization in the middle of the season, especially when they are already doing so well.
While Webber’s return may not seem like such a big deal, the same can not be said for the last few years of Roger Clemens’s career. Choosing to retire in 2003 after playing with the New York Yankees for several seasons, Clemens instead decided to play for the Houston Astros in his native state of Texas. The Astros paid Clemens enormous amounts of money, and he rewarded them by putting up excellent numbers in 2004 (18-4, 2.98 ERA, 218 Ks, Cy Young winner) and 2005 (13-8, 1.87 ERA, 185 Ks).
Led by timely hitting and the excellent pitching of Clemens, Roy Oswalt, and Brad Lidge, the Astros reached their first World Series. Unfortunately for Clemens and the team, the Chicago White Sox swept the series.
After the season Clemens again said that he would retire and that he was done pitching in the MLB. Not many people were surprised when they found out that Clemens was interested in returning in the middle of the 2006 season.
Because the Astros had declined arbitration on Clemens, he could not be signed until May. After either deciding which team he would rather play with or wrestling with the idea of actually retiring, Clemens came back to the Astros in June and stayed for the rest of the season. Clemens, as usual, posted a solid 2.30 ERA, but the team won only seven of his 19 starts. The Astros finished 82-80 in 2006 and missed the postseason.
Shockingly enough, Clemens retired again -- but not really. Amid another dose of annual speculation that he would return to the league, he eventually did. At a Yankees game on May 6, Clemens, then 44 years old, announced to the Yankees’ home crowd that he would be coming back to play in New York.
What Clemens did not tell the fans that day was that the Yankees would be paying him around $18.5 million dollars for the rest of the 2007 season -- almost $4.5 million per month and over one million per start.
ESPN and other sports channels found themselves unable to stop talking about Clemens’s return to New York. They repeatedly pondered how well he would perform, and they speculated just how great the team would be with him. They even televised his first start back in the minor leagues with the Class-A Tampa Yankees, and they broke down his performances against minor league hitters. John Kruk could hardly contain his excitement.
Unfortunately for the Yankees, Clemens finally hit a bump in the road and did not pitch that well when he returned to the majors. He compiled a 4.18 ERA, but he finished 6-6 and the Yankees won just six of his 17 starts. For the whole circus he caused, his performance did not live up to the hype or the huge salary.
When bringing in an extremely talented player in the middle of the season or after retirement, teams need to make sure the move actually makes sense. Chris Webber’s return to Golden State does not make sense on the surface, especially since his various skills, besides his passing, do not seem like they will mesh well with the other players on the floor. But they could -- no one saw Don Nelson leading his eight-seeded Warriors over the Mavericks last year in the first round.
Similarly, many baseball analysts figured that Clemens’s return to New York would help push the Yankees over the top. It did not, and they lost in the first round to the Cleveland Indians.
Sometimes teams should think a little bit more instead of just trying to make a bold move. Sure, these are just two examples of many in sports over the years, especially since athletes in many sports often can not cope with leaving the competition and glory behind.
But in the end, unless Michael Jordan is coming back from retirement wearing number 45, who knows exactly what a team is going to get?
After contemplating a return with different teams such as the Detroit Pistons and the L.A. Lakers, Chris Webber officially signed with the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday. The Warriors hope that he will be ready to play in early February or after the All-Star break in the middle of the month.
Although his role on the team will not officially be determined until he gets back on the court, Webber will probably land a starting role at center in the second half of the season as the Warriors push for a playoff spot. In the crowded Western Conference, the Warriors are currently 28-19, which is good enough for eighth place.
Webber faced an interesting choice last season when he was waived by the Philadelphia 76ers after only 18 games. Webber sat back and went through his options, and he eventually chose to join a very strong Pistons team right around the second half of the season.
Starting at center for 42 out of 43 games, Webber averaged 11.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3 assists during the regular season for the Pistons. The Pistons, the number one seed, advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals to face the Cleveland Cavaliers, who eventually prevailed in six games due to the outstanding play of LeBron James. Webber contributed 9.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.5 assists during the playoffs.
Webber, at the time of his signing by the Pistons, seemed like an ideal fit for the team. He had the ability to play solid defense and hit mid-range jump shots. He was also still one of the best passing big men of all-time. He played well at times and gave the Pistons another talented frontcourt player.
But with his recent decision to join the Warriors, an up-tempo team that always looks to run and push the ball, Webber’s contributions may be limited.
Webber turns 35 in March, and his most athletic years are behind him. In his recent stints with the 76ers and the Pistons, Webber played in slow-tempo offenses. Only time will tell how well he can adjust to Don Nelson’s style with the Warriors.
In most cases, when athletes get older, they usually start to break down and are not able to do the same things they could do when they were younger. Webber has lost some of his athleticism, which is something that the Warriors thrive on.
The top eight players on the Warriors, in no particular order, are as follows: Baron Davis, Monta Ellis, Stephen Jackson, Al Harrington, Andris Biedrins, Kelenna Azubuike, Matt Barnes, and Mickael Pietrus. Each of these eight can play a large amount of minutes if needed, and with the exception of Biedrins, all of them are interchangeable at different positions. They can all run the floor and are excellent in an up-tempo game. Webber’s addition will take away minutes from some of these eight players, which could possibly alter how the Warriors play when he is in the game.
Obviously, though, Don Nelson and the Warriors’ front office are simply making a move that they feel is right for the team. They think that a talented player like Webber can help push them over the top. Usually, though, teams do not bring an inactive player into their organization in the middle of the season, especially when they are already doing so well.
While Webber’s return may not seem like such a big deal, the same can not be said for the last few years of Roger Clemens’s career. Choosing to retire in 2003 after playing with the New York Yankees for several seasons, Clemens instead decided to play for the Houston Astros in his native state of Texas. The Astros paid Clemens enormous amounts of money, and he rewarded them by putting up excellent numbers in 2004 (18-4, 2.98 ERA, 218 Ks, Cy Young winner) and 2005 (13-8, 1.87 ERA, 185 Ks).
Led by timely hitting and the excellent pitching of Clemens, Roy Oswalt, and Brad Lidge, the Astros reached their first World Series. Unfortunately for Clemens and the team, the Chicago White Sox swept the series.
After the season Clemens again said that he would retire and that he was done pitching in the MLB. Not many people were surprised when they found out that Clemens was interested in returning in the middle of the 2006 season.
Because the Astros had declined arbitration on Clemens, he could not be signed until May. After either deciding which team he would rather play with or wrestling with the idea of actually retiring, Clemens came back to the Astros in June and stayed for the rest of the season. Clemens, as usual, posted a solid 2.30 ERA, but the team won only seven of his 19 starts. The Astros finished 82-80 in 2006 and missed the postseason.
Shockingly enough, Clemens retired again -- but not really. Amid another dose of annual speculation that he would return to the league, he eventually did. At a Yankees game on May 6, Clemens, then 44 years old, announced to the Yankees’ home crowd that he would be coming back to play in New York.
What Clemens did not tell the fans that day was that the Yankees would be paying him around $18.5 million dollars for the rest of the 2007 season -- almost $4.5 million per month and over one million per start.
ESPN and other sports channels found themselves unable to stop talking about Clemens’s return to New York. They repeatedly pondered how well he would perform, and they speculated just how great the team would be with him. They even televised his first start back in the minor leagues with the Class-A Tampa Yankees, and they broke down his performances against minor league hitters. John Kruk could hardly contain his excitement.
Unfortunately for the Yankees, Clemens finally hit a bump in the road and did not pitch that well when he returned to the majors. He compiled a 4.18 ERA, but he finished 6-6 and the Yankees won just six of his 17 starts. For the whole circus he caused, his performance did not live up to the hype or the huge salary.
When bringing in an extremely talented player in the middle of the season or after retirement, teams need to make sure the move actually makes sense. Chris Webber’s return to Golden State does not make sense on the surface, especially since his various skills, besides his passing, do not seem like they will mesh well with the other players on the floor. But they could -- no one saw Don Nelson leading his eight-seeded Warriors over the Mavericks last year in the first round.
Similarly, many baseball analysts figured that Clemens’s return to New York would help push the Yankees over the top. It did not, and they lost in the first round to the Cleveland Indians.
Sometimes teams should think a little bit more instead of just trying to make a bold move. Sure, these are just two examples of many in sports over the years, especially since athletes in many sports often can not cope with leaving the competition and glory behind.
But in the end, unless Michael Jordan is coming back from retirement wearing number 45, who knows exactly what a team is going to get?
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