Wow. With only about eight hours left in the month, we've already exceeded last month's visit total by more than 1,000. Like a lot of other bloggers, February 2003 has been my best month ever. Thanks to all my readers, who make writing for Off Wing Opinion as much fun as it is.
Archive for February, 2003
February 28th, 2003
Bad News For Hootie
Just across the AP wire: a group associated with the Ku Klux Klan is planning on staging a protest in support of Augusta National Golf Club during the playing of this year's Masters:
"We intend on making speeches and picketing for the right of the Augusta National Club to include only members of their choice regardless of race, religion, sex or creed,'' said J.J. Harper, identified by the newspaper as the imperial wizard of the American White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan.Augusta National spokesman Glenn Greenspan distanced the club from the group that made the permit request Thursday.
"As a result of the controversy created by political activists, a number of organizations, some of them extreme, have sought to voice their political views,'' Greenspan said. "Anyone who knows anything about Augusta National Golf Club or its members knows this is not something the club would welcome or encourage.''
The golf club has been under pressure from Martha Burk, chairwoman of the National Council of Women's Organizations, to admit a woman. Burk has said she will seek a permit to demonstrate during the Masters tournament in April.
"(Augusta National) should not be shocked by the KKK's endorsement,'' Burk told the newspaper. "They have behaved in a manner that attracts this type of support. They are going to have a real circus if this goes on.
This is where things are going to start to get real uncomfortable for Hootie Johnson and the rest of the folks at Augusta. Normally, when the Klan marches, a group of protesters show up to stage a counter-protest, so Burk is right when she says the atmosphere surrounding Augusta this year will resemble a circus -- possibly a violent one. Stay tuned.
UPDATE: Courtesy of the crew over at Sportsfrog we find the following quote from an interview Burk did with the New Yorker (not available online) that tells us all we need to know about her ideas of equality. Here's what she had to say in response to reporter Peter Boyer's question, "Can there exist such a thing as a benign exclusion of one gender or the other in a private social setting?":
"I myself have what I call the 'girls' dinner,'" she said. "Just some of the women in the women's movement, and we get together for dinner. Women in Congress do it, too." The difference, she explained, has to do with the conditioned behavior of men and women. "Here's the difference. And it's interesting that you should ask this, and it
February 28th, 2003
Rink Roundup
News out of Ottawa says that Rod Bryden, the owner that took the Senators into bankruptcy, has apparently failed to bring it through the financial reorganization. The reason: Bryden's financial partner has pulled out of the deal.
Despite that, the Senators played like they have all season -- only like the best team in the NHL. Tonight, they got to host one of the favorites out West -- the Dallas Stars, and took them down in OT, 3-2. All in all, a nice preview of a potential Stanley Cup Final.
On Long Island, the Islanders jumped out to a 2-0 lead over the New Jersey Devils, only to see the Devils come back and take a 3-2 lead into the second intermission. Martin Brodeur gave up a rare third period goal to Shawn Bates to tie the game, leading to a raucous OT period that produced nothing but end to end hockey. The Devils Jamie Langenbrunner appeared to put the puck past Isles goalie Rick DiPietro as time expired, but replays showed he didn't get the shot off until just after time expired.
The Devils simply looked unstoppable for a number of stretches last night, and it was only luck that allowed the Islanders to salvage a point for a tie. Despite being shorthanded for almost the last two minutes of OT, the Devils still managed to dominate play, something that should give the rest of the league some pause.
One interesting item that Islanders play-by-play man Howie Rose shared with his audience: a number of scouts for the Calgary Flames have been following the Islanders for the last four games. Why is that interesting? Only because the teams don't play each other again this season. Stay tuned.
In Detroit, Curtis Joseph played against his old mates in Toronto for the first time since signing as a free agent with the Red Wings in the offseason. The Wings handled the Maple Leafs pretty easily, 7-2, but the highlight of the night had to be Jason Wooley's horrible mistake of dropping the gloves with Maple Leafs bad boy Darcy Tucker. With time running out in the third period, the two tangled along the boards. After some preliminary clutching and grabbing, Tucker dropped the veteran defenseman with just one punch.
And in Vancouver, despite a furious comeback in the third period, the Canucks 14-game unbeaten streak came to end with a 3-2 loss to San Jose. Despite the loss, the Canucks are only two points in back of Dallas for number one in the West, and could very well pass them now that the Stars' number one goalie, Marty Turco, is on the shelf.
And from the poetic justice file, Atlanta Thrashers coach Bob Hartley led his team into Denver to play against the team that had fired him earlier this season, the Colorado Avalanche. The Thrashers left town with a 4-3 OT victory.
One thing to note: it was a few years ago that Mark Crawford resigned as coach in Colorado only to resurface not long thereafter as coach of the woeful Vancouver Canucks. Today, Colorado is looking up at Vancouver in the standings. Watch out for Hartley in Atlanta, especially because he's coaching in the NHL's worst division, the Southeast. Give him two more seasons with Dany Heatly, Ilya Kovalchuck, and Patrik Stefan, and Hartley will be challenging for a division title and a top Eastern Conference playoff seed.
UPDATE: Eugene Melnyk, a Canadian who has made his fortune in the pharmaceutical industry, has emerged as a bidder for the Senators.
CORRECTION: As a reader points out in the Comments box, it's Rod Bryden not Ron. A very basic, but dopey, mistake on my part. It won't happen again.
ANOTHER CORRECTION: I meant Patrik Stefan in Atlanta, not Pavel Brendl, who was just shipped to Vancouver from Philadelphia.
February 28th, 2003
Toni Smith Update
Last night in Purchase, New York, Stevens Tech rallied to defeat Manhattanville College 52-48, knocking Manhattanville out of the Skyline Conference Tournament. Despite this, Manhattanville's and protester Toni Smith's season still may not be over. Manhattanville may qualify for any one of two post-season tournaments. Bids for both the ECAC and the NYSCWAA tournaments will be announced on Monday.
UPDATE: For the first time, I've been able to find Smith's complete statement to the media concerning her protest. I'm posting it here in its entirety. My source is ESPN.com:
For some time now, the inequalities that are embedded into the American system have bothered me. As they are becoming progressively worse and it is clear that the government's priorities are not bettering the quality of life for all of it's people, but rather on expanding it's own power, I can no longer, in good conscience, salute the flag.The war America will soon be entering in has reinforced my beliefs, while further angering me. I am aware that this is a time of fear for many Americans, and the media has done a fine job of maintaining that fear and riling up people's emotions. However, amidst this fear people have lost sight of the fact that Bush's plan for "maintaining our safety" will cause many innocent people, women and children, mothers and babies, to die overseas. Furthermore, going to war will likely provoke more violence in this country.
It does not bother me that so many Americans oppose me. If anyone looked deeper than the headlines they would find that my arguments are true. Besides, whether or not people agree with me is irrelevant. It is my right as an American to stand for my beliefs the way others have done against me. Being patriotic cannot simply be an empty slogan. Patriotrism can be shown in many ways, but those who choose to do so by saluting the flag should recognize that the American flag stands for individuality and freedom. Therefore, any true patriot must acknowledge and respect my right to be different.
For another opposing view on Smith's protest, here's a link to Ralph Wiley's column at ESPN.com's Page 2.:
Toni Smith's statement was brief. To acknowledge those who have died for the country, you have to acknowledge those who died to claim it, then build it up. Agree or disagree with her method of illustration, her point is still lucid, logical, well-taken, and at the end of the day, irrefutable. Life will teach her its lessons. But she was born with the freedom to speak up. To tell her to shut up because she's "wrong," or because she's an athlete, or because this isn't the proper venue or time only increases the hypocrisy.
Sorry, Ralph. Just because Smith has freedom of speech, doesn't exempt her from hearing from others who disagree with her. In fact, when compared to the actions of many other so-called "anti-war" protesters (comparing President Bush to Hitler, for just one example), those who have taken issue with Smith have been relatively tame.
February 27th, 2003
This Afternoon On The Wire
The mayor of Portland, Oregon met with the head of all the state's Native American tribes to discuss a plan that would help the city float bonds to build a new baseball stadium to help bring the Montreal Expos to town. In return, the city would then allow the tribes to build a casino on lands outside their reservation. Under current law, Native American gaming operations can only be located on tribal lands.
The Dallas Cowboys made it official, and released Emmitt Smith. As I said earlier today, expect Smith to find a starting job and an incentive-laden contract somewhere else next season. I'm still betting on Washington.
In a half-measure that's not going to cut it with the public, Major League Baseball has banned the use of Ephedrine in Minor League Baseball. Down in Florida, one of the New York Yankees' more expensive acquisitions, Hideki Matsui, hit his first Spring Training homerun in only his second at-bat. And finally, David Wells, not exactly the poster boy for clean living, has revealed that he was hungover when he threw a perfect game in Yankee Stadium in 1998.
Four-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong told a Spanish newspaper that he is seperating from his wife of nearly five years, Kristin Armstrong. They have three children. At the Match Play Championship in Carlsbad, California, Tiger Woods announced that he might not play in the European Tour event in Dubai next week over concerns about a possible U.S. invasion of Iraq.
UPDATE: The ABC News version of the AP story on Wells' book drop managed to drop a boatload of details. In the original AP wire story, Wells gets down and dirty about steroids:
"Down in the minors, where virtually every flat-broke, baloney-sandwich-eating Double-A prospect is chasing after the same, elusive, multimillion-dollar payday, the use of anabolic homer-helpers is flat-out booming," Wells wrote. "At just about 12 bucks per shot, those steroid vials must be seen as a really solid investment." He writes that amphetamines are so commonplace that "stand in the middle of your clubhouse and walk 10 feet in any direction, chances are you'll find what you need." "As a pitcher, I won't ever object to a sleepy-eyed middle infielder beaning up to help me win," Wells said. "That may not be the politically correct spin on the practice, but I really couldn't care less."
That's not all. Coming just a week after the death of Baltimore Orioles pitcher Steve Bechler, Wells' assertions are a black eye that baseball doesn't need.
February 27th, 2003
Toni Smith Roundup
Here are some more links on the commentary swirling around Division III basketball player Toni Smith and her silent, but hardly unnoticed protest against the American flag:
USA Today's Christine Brennan praises Smith for breaking out of the "cookie-cutter" mold of today's athletes, and singles out former U.S. Women's World Cup team member, Julie Foudy for her work defending Title IX.
Geno Auriemma, head coach of the defending NCAA Champion UConn Huskies women's team, had this to say to the Hartford Courant:
"The flag is a symbol of what we stand for. Anybody who does (what Smith has), they have the right to do it, but to me it's disrespectful and ... I would have that right not to have that person on the team. Then they can sue me and say, 'You're denying me my rights.' "
The twist here: Auriemma's star player, Diana Taurasi, disagrees with her coach, and doesn't have a problem with Smith's protest.
The Kansas City Star is reporting that NCAA officials have discussed the possibility that other atheltes might take the opportunity of a large television audience to air protests of their own similar to Smith's.
Overseas, The Scotsman has done something that few U.S. papers have had the guts to try: fidning someone who opposes a war against Iraq, yet isn't afraid to call out Smith for what she's doing:
"It
February 27th, 2003
Dallas Says ‘Happy Trails’ To Emmitt Smith
The Dallas Cowboys will give NFL all-time leading rusher Emmitt Smith his unconditional release, ESPN has reported on tonight's broadcast of Sports Center. Smith was absent from a "getting to know you" meeting that new Cowboys Head Coach Bill Parcells held on Wednesday.
ESPN also added that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has urged Smith to retire -- a possibility that I can't quite fathom. Certainly, Smith isn't the running back he was 10 years, or even five years ago, but something tells me that at 34, Smith still may have at least 1,000 yards left in him.
As NFL Hall of Fame runningback John Riggins has said, Smith would probably find a perfect home in Washington with the Redskins and head coach Steve Spurrier's pass happy offense. At this point, anything has to beat running behind an offensive line in Dallas that is nowhere near as good as it was while the Cowboys were winning three Super Bowls in the early 90s.
Ironically, it would seem that Stephen Davis, who the Redskins released yesterday, seems like the sort of power running back that Parcells would like to hitch his wagon too. And something tells me Davis would love to be able to stick it to Spurrier and Redskins owner Dan Snyder twice a year.
UPDATE: In other runningback news, Terrell Davis is planning a comeback with the Denver Broncos.
February 26th, 2003
“Buffaloing” The Taxpayers?
In Upstate New York, things are looking bleak for the Buffalo Sabres. The team is in Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman seems determined to hold out for the highest bid for the team possible.
Unfortunately, the only bidder for the team is Rochester multi-billionaire and former New York state gubernatorial candidate Thomas Golisano. And being an actual businessman, Golisano is holding out for a purchase price that will actually allow him to eventually make a profit out of owning the team.
Meanwhile, state officials are still trying to convince everyone that the Sabres deserve some sort of local aid package to keep the team in town:
What is a sports franchise worth to its hometown?New York State Comptroller Alan Hevesi says the bankrupt Buffalo Sabres are worth $65 million a year to the local economy. He said one-third of that comes indirectly from downtown merchants and vendors.
When the team reaches the playoffs, each home game adds another $2 million.
"The Sabres hockey team is a winner for the local economy and for area residents, particularly when they have a good season," he said. "Any enterprise that adds $65 million to the local economy on a regular basis, and as much as $20 million more if they make it to the Stanley Cup championship series, is worth keeping."
Now, you should know that when UPI contacted the Sabres to comment on Hevesi's research, the team refused to comment. After all, as many economists have noted, the financial effects of having a major league sports franchise are often difficult to quantify. And while I don't doubt that $65 million in business transactions in Buffalo are either directly or indirectly tied to the Sabres, I have to wonder out loud just how much of that money would leave Buffalo along with the team were it to fold or leave town.
But the bottom line here is this: do the taxpayers of Western New York want to divert a portion of their state and municipal budgets to keep a team in town that couldn't survive otherwise? Or are there more important priorities for such an economically distressed area?
UPDATE: Jason Scavone has some thoughts on the impending player fire sale in Buffalo.
ANOTHER UPDATE: HOLD ON A SECOND! It's being reported that the NHL has accepted Golisano's bid for the team. Apparently, there are just a few more details to work out.
February 26th, 2003
Manhattanville Wins, Protest Continues
Manhattanville College's Lady Valiants defeated Kings Point last night in the first round of the Skyline Conferemce Tournament, 67-51. More importantly, however, the win keeps Manhattanville's season, and senior forward Toni Smith's protest against the American flag, alive. The New York Times Bill Pennington was on the scene last night.
"I never meant this to be a public statement," said Smith, a 21-year-old sociology major raised on Manhattan's Upper West Side. "I did it for my own self-respect and conscience. My stance is not a personal attack on Vietnam veterans or any war veterans. I know the flag represents people who have died for this country and I support them. But the flag means different things to everyone."A lot of people blindly stand up and salute the flag, but I feel that blindly facing the flag hurts more people. There are a lot of inequities in this country, and these are issues that needed to be acknowledged. The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer, and our priorities are elsewhere."
Manhattanville plays again at home on Thursday is a second round tournament game.
UPDATE: A thank you goes to Off Wing pal Charles Kuffner, who pointed us to this Houston Chronicle piece by John Lopez:
For better and worse, politics and sports always have mixed. Sports heroes always have reflected the political pulse of a generation, or at least used the athletic stage to take a stand.But it wasn't until this 5-10 rebounding specialist, who previously was anything but a strong political voice or sports hero, turned her head away from the flag that the war came home.
Home to national sports pages and sportscasts. Home to a small bedroom community in New York, which just as well could have been one in California, North Dakota or Texas.
Home to center court, where no one in the building has to agree with her protest -- and some of us indeed consider it a disgrace -- but no one should take away her right to do so.
That's what veterans like Jerry Kiley fought for.
And once again, I feel the need to point out that nobody is questioning Smith's right to protest. It's the content and manner of her protest that is both wrongheaded and corrosive -- and that would be the case whether America were at war or not.
I think it's also instructive to note, now that some national attention has been given to Smith, that she has changed her tune ever so slightly. Instead of talking about the impending war against Iraq, she instead talked in terms of social inequality that many others have all dealt with before, but without showing disrespect for our symbols of national unity.
When I look back at the 1960s, I can't help but think about Bobby Kennedy, Gene McCarthy and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Each in their own way, they challenged America to take a look at itself in the mirror, and make a commitment to change the way it did business.
But when they did it, they didn't burn American flags -- unlike many of their compatriots on the Left in the 1960s. They didn't show disrespect for the unifying symbols of the nation either. It's this distiction, and not the fact that she is exercising her constitutional right to protest, that is raising the ire of folks all around the nation.
UPDATE: I should point out, that it was Long Island-based Newsday that first broke this story back on February 12. Here's a link to Eric Boland's story on last night's game.
February 26th, 2003
Oregon Tribes Propose Casino To Fund Stadium
In a story I completely missed, a group of Native American tribes in Oregon are offering a unique arrangement to help the city of Portland build a baseball stadium for the Montreal Expos. From the latest issue of Forbes:
Local media reported the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, representing several coastal tribes, offered to back construction bonds for a proposed $350 million stadium with sweeping city and river views.The city and state would then approve a casino built away from tribal lands, which is currently illegal in Oregon, but is under consideration after another group of tribes proposed building a casino in the Columbia River Gorge.
A Grand Ronde spokesman declined to comment, saying the tribes would issue a statement later Friday.
Primary assist on the empty net goal goes to Baseball Junkie.
In yesterday's Oregonian, reporter John Hunt lays out some more details concerning the plan. And Hunt's got another interesting tidbit -- a group of investors calling themselves Inland Empire Baseball want to lure the Expos to Fontana or Riverside, California. And they've convinced Major League Baseball to give them a hearing -- apparently, the group will meet with Major League Baseball's relocation committee sometime in March.
Meanwhile, there's already some trouble in Portland over some of the proposed stadium sites.
February 25th, 2003
Getting It Wrong On Bobby Riggs
Maybe it was just a coincidence, but on the same day that the New York Times featured a lengthy piece on how women are reportedly catching up to men in athletic ability, a story has hit the AP wire that Serena Williams, the dominant player on the women's tennis tour, isn't interested in playing an exhibition match against a man. But what really caught my attention was just a few ill-chosen words from AP reporter Mel Reisner:
The 21-year-old Williams wasn't around when Billy Jean King beat Bobby Riggs in the "Battle of the Sexes" on Sept. 20, 1973. But Williams is aware that Riggs was never close to the top in men's tennis.
Ok, I know that Bobby Riggs is best known for the stunt matches he pulled in the early 1970s. And time after time, feminists point to Billy Jean King's defeat of Riggs in straight sets in the Astrodome in 1973 as a great blow for women's rights. Of course, what those revisionist historians fail to mention was that while King was in the the prime of her career, Riggs was 55. Then again, Riggs was asking for it, after all. He challenged King after he defeated the number one ranked woman in the world, Margaret Court, 6-2, 6-1.
But what Reisner doesn't know, and the rest of the world has forgotten, was that for a time in the 1940s, Bobby Riggs was the best tennis player in the world. He won his first tournament at the age of 16, beating a former Wimbledon finalist in the process. He helped the U.S. win the Davis Cup in 1938, and in 1939 won Wimbledon and the U.S. singles title. By 1941, he was ranked number one in the world.
And that's when he turned professional. He would win three more U.S. singles titles before retiring as a professional for good in 1951. He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1967. In retirement, he assiduously courted the spotlight, easily slipping into the persona of an aging rake. He became known as a showman and a gambler, something that led him directly to challenging Court and King.
Never near the top of the Men's game? Something tells me the AP needs to hire some better editors.
But why is Riggs so easily dismissed, to the point where a combination of political correctness and sloppy research have conspired to obscure his real achievements on the court? In the end, Riggs probably has nobody to blame but himself, and the gusto with which he poured himself into the silly carnival surrounding those matches in 1973. So, while he was indeed out to make a buck, it came at the cost of trading in his legacy as one of the greatest in the history of the men's game.
In return, he will forever be known as a money-grubbing loudmouth, huckster and showman.
He deserved better.
Riggs died of prostate cancer in 1995 at the age of 77.
February 25th, 2003
Finger Pointing In Bechler Death
The fallout from the death of Baltimore Orioles pitcher Steve Bechler continues, with his widow announcing that she is planning to sue Cytodyne Technologies, the company that manufactures Xenadrine, the dietary supplement that Bechler was reportedly using at the time of his death:
David Meiselman, who was retained late last week by Kiley Bechler, revealed plans to sue Cytodyne Technologies in a telephone interview today from his White Plains, N.Y., office."Our position very clearly is that Steve Bechler is dead, and that ephedra killed him," Meiselman said. "We intend to get this product off the shelves and put the manufacturer out of business. . . . I am all for free enterprise, but a company that knowingly sells a product that kills people is no longer entrepreneurial, but predatory."
Cytodyne Technologies responded to Meiselman's accusations with a statement, that read in part:
"The death of Steve Bechler is tragic and our condolences go out to his family. However, the position of the attorney making this accusation is based on neither fact nor science. Xenadrine has been used safely and effectively by over 20 million people in the U.S. alone. . . .There is not a single clinical study that has shown ephedra to be unsafe. In view of this, it's reckless for anyone to point blame for Mr. Bechler's tragic death at this product.
"Moreover, it is even more irresponsible to make those accusations considering they have no evidence at this time that Mr. Bechler even used this product."
From there, the piece in the Washington Post by reporter Dave Shenin breaks down into finger pointing. The lawyer for Bechler's widow is claiming that much of the information that is coming from the local medical examiner in Florida is false. In turn, the medical examiner says that they are only reporting the facts concerning Bechler's medical history that they received from the Orioles. And finally, Cytodyne is attempting to blame the Orioles for Bechler's death:
"It's unfortunate that the Orioles' organization has chosen to ignore the fact that Mr. Bechler had a history of hypertension, liver disease and heat illness episodes and that he was allowed to exercise without proper hydration and nutrition. . . .The media should be asking the Orioles organization why this was allowed to happen instead of blaming [Xenadrine]."
During a quick trip to Cytodyne's Web site, you can find a page dedicated to the "Xenadrine Hall of Fame" -- a place where current Heavyweight Champion of the World Lenox Lewis is honored.
UPDATE: Coincidentally, a story was filed today in the St. Paul Pioneer Press concerning the ongoing litigation resulting from the death of late Minnesota Vikings offensive lineman, Korey Stringer:
Attorneys for the Minnesota Vikings filed documents Friday claiming that Korey Stringer's body never was tested for ephedra and that his use of the controversial supplement can be linked to the heatstroke that killed him during training camp in 2000.The Vikings filed the papers in a response to a motion by the lawyers of Stringer's widow, Kelci, who has filed a $100 million wrongful death suit against the team. Her attorneys have requested dismissal of a defense argument that Stringer took a supplement that contained ephedra and therefore contributed to his own death.
"Stringer's use of ephedra can be causally linked to the onset of heatstroke," the papers said.
The attorneys referred to testimony from Kelci Stringer in which she said her husband took four capsules of a supplement called Ripped Fuel, which contains ephedra, before every football game. Right guard David Dixon, Stringer's training camp roommate, said in a signed affidavit that Stringer told him he used Ripped Fuel the morning of July 31, 2001 - the day Stringer collapsed. He died early on the morning of Aug. 1.
Toxicology reports revealed no traces of ephedra in Stringer's system. But the Vikings contend that the toxicology reports did not test for ephedra.
"Plaintiffs have long suggested that no evidence of Stringer's ephedra use exists because blood tests after his death didn't reveal the presence of ephedra," Vikings lawyers said. "However, the truth as revealed in discovery in this case is that Stringer's blood was never actually tested for the presence of ephedra."
February 25th, 2003
Protecting The Crown Jewels
One of the hallmarks of the selfless ice hockey player is reckless physical abandon. Going hard into the corner and mucking it up, finishing checks, and standing ground in front of the opponent's net are all attributes that coaches look in for in an NHL prospect. But the most selfless act of all might be throwing one's body into the path of a slap shot that could be travelling somewhere in the neighorhood of 100 miles per hour or more.
Brendan Shanahan was not amused."See what my teammates did," he said, pointing to his locker. On his stool lay a goaltender's protective cup.
His Red Wings teammates put it there after the puck hit Shanahan in the groin area during the second period of Monday night's 5-4 victory over the Los Angeles Kings.
Shanahan was positioned down by the goal line when the puck ended up in the high slot. He stepped behind goaltender Manny Legace just in time to absorb a blast from defenseman Mathieu Schneider. "I thought maybe it would hit me in the shin pads," Shanahan said. "Or the pants. Or the stomach."
Shanahan left the ice midway through the period and "applied the ice packs for a little while," he said, before coming back out with 4:28 left in the period. He got a nice round of applause from the fans and a little pep talk from Steve Yzerman. Shanahan wouldn't reveal what Yzerman said. "I don't think I can repeat it," he said.
Even after the game, Shanahan walked around gingerly. "I'm a little sore," he said. "Next time I'm standing behind the goalie to block a shot, I will do it like a soccer player."
Shanahan's wife gave birth to the couple's first children, a set of twins, last Fall.
Talk about fortunate timing.
February 25th, 2003
Terror Threat Puts Nerves On Edge In Auckland
Down in New Zealand, the America's Cup competition has been in dry dock for better than a week due to less than ideal conditions for sailing. First, there wasn't enough wind, now, there's too much, leaving the crews for both Swiss team Alinghi and Team New Zealand wondering if they're ever going to get back to racing in Hauraki Gulf.
But now, there's another concern entirely, as letters threatening attacks on the event have been sent to the U.S., British, and Australian embassies:
"A small quantity of cyanide (was) in one of the letters," White said. He said the cyanide can act quickly if swallowed and can be absorbed through the skin.The powder in the three letters was tested for anthrax, but none was found, White said. A fourth letter containing white powder was sent to the New Zealand Herald newspaper in Auckland.
"It's quite a serious situation, and we wouldn't want to take it lightly," White said.
Enough cyanide to kill up to 20 people was sent in a threatening letter to the U.S. Embassy shortly before the New Zealand golf open in January 2002. White said police could not yet rule out the possibility that the latest letters were sent by the same person, as "there are enough similarities to raise in our minds a link."
He declined to release details of the threats in the letters, but said they related to "actions" that could occur if Iraq was attacked, and during the sailing of the final races of the America's Cup in Auckland.
Alinghi leads Team New Zealand 3-0 in the best of 9 series.
UPDATE: Now it looks as if the threat was directed at food that might be purchased in and around the Cup venues in Auckland:
The discoveries sparked a national security alert with the deputy director-general of public health, Don Matheson, warning people yesterday to be vigilant about the food they ate."There's no particular thing that we're concerned about but the issue to do with food is just to make sure that when you're eating food, say in a restaurant or a public place, that it hasn't been contaminated, so in other words that the package isn't ripped, that it hasn't been sitting out for somebody to add something to it."
February 24th, 2003
Toni Smith Story Breaks National
Better than a week after Off Wing Opinion first shed the spotlight on Division III basketball player Toni Smith's protest against American foreign policy, the rest of the nation is starting to notice -- courtesy of an AP story that included a statement from the Manhattanville College senior explaining why she refuses to face the American flag before games as the National Anthem is being played:
"For some time now, the inequalities that are embedded into the American system have bothered me. As they are becoming progressively worse and it is clear that the government's priorities are not on bettering the quality of life for all of its people, but rather on expanding its own power, I cannot, in good conscience, salute the flag,"
As I wrote in an email to a Manhattanville student earlier tonight, I wouldn't have much of a problem if Smith expressed her disdain for American foreign policy by wearing a head band that said, "Bush Is Wrong," or scrawled, "Stop The War Against Iraq," across the soles of her Nikes. What bothers me is conflating a protest against the Bush Administration with a protest against the nation of her birth -- one of the few nations in the world that guarantees her right to protest.
When I stand to honor the American flag before a sporting event, I stand to honor the nation, and those who sacrficed to create it and preserve it and our freedoms -- and that's the case no matter who might happen to be in charge of the government at the time.
I stand to honor patriots like John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin who risked their lives and their sacred honor to bring our nation into being. I stand and remember the hundreds of thousands of my fellow citizens who sacrificed their lives in service to their country in wartime -- people like Nathan Hale, Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, and Louis E. Willet.
And finally, I also stand to honor those who gave their lives in the cause of demanding that America live up to its founding principles -- men like Andrew Goodman, James Cheney and Mickey Schwerner.
So, when Toni Smith stands and turns her back on the flag, she turns her back on more than just a piece of cloth, she turns her back on the one thing that symbolizes the effort and sacrifice of the untold millions who contributed to the making of the American nation. And for that, and that alone, she deserves all the peaceful, but raucous, protest that she can handle.
UPDATE: Drudge has linked to the AP story. Look for it on a national newscast near you soon.
ANOTHER UPDATE: Here's another AP story, one that reports on the latest protest against Smith, where she was confronted on the court by a Vietnam veteran:
''She disgraced herself and she disgraced the flag,'' said Jerry Kiley, 56, of Rockland County, N.Y., who was ejected from the arena after he walked onto the court during the first break in play.Kiley approached Smith as she lined up while another player prepared to shoot free throws. He was escorted out of the gym by school security and local police. There were no further protests in Smith's final home game of the regular season, a 63-53 victory over Stevens Tech.
With the victory, Manhattanville clinched the third seed in the Skyline Conference tournament -- setting up a return engagement with the Merchant Marine Academy tomorrow night on Manhattanville's home court.
Expect a New York Times story sometime in the next 24 hours.
Of course, the Skyline Conference gets its name from the proximity of the schools in the conference to the New York City skyline -- something that was scarred forever after 9-11.
Ironic, isn't it?
ANOTHER UPDATE: Welcome to everyone who has stumbled over my site via San Antonio radio talk show host Brad Messer. Here's hoping you stick around a little while and check things out. And, as always, please be aware that Off Wing Opinion does accept tips.
YET ANOTHER UPDATE: Filip Bondy of the New York Daily News finds something admirable in all of this:
Smith's protest is a big thing, mostly, because nobody else out there is doing it. It is astounding, a shame, so few athletes have publicly expressed their opinion on the issue of an impending war, pro or con.While they may not be foreign policy experts, these players are being asked on a nightly basis to stand for the anthem of a nation on the brink of war. If sports events are inappropriate forums for political statements, then what exactly is "The Star-Spangled Banner"?
Link courtesy of The Daily Fix.
AGAIN, AN UPDATE: Here's an account that originally ran in the The Journal News in White Plains, New York. It describes student reaction to Smith's protest at Mt. St. Mary College in Newbergh, New York.
FINAL UPDATE: For all of you who have come here from various search engines, I thought it would be good to provide links to all of my other posts on Smith and her protest. You can find further discussion on these issues at the following links:
February 23rd, 2003
Pac-10
Finally, some order to the Pac-10 race. Arizona moved two games up in conference following an impressive 92-72 win over intra-state rival A.S.U. in Tempe. Channing Frye made his case for conference Player of the Year with 23 points and 10 rebounds for the No. 1 ranked Wildcats, and helped end the Sun Devils hopes of winning the Pac-10.
Next up for Arizona is the always difficult trip to the Bay Area, featuring the two second place teams in the conference, Stanford and California. The 21st ranked Cardinal used a late run to hold off UCLA, 93-84, for it's sixth consecutive win at Pauley Pavillion, a record for a visiting team; an irony, considering Stanford did not win at Pauley until the '90's. Cal saved its spot in the top-25 with a come-from-behind, 84-82 win at the Sports Arena over USC. The Bears' mediocre play of late against the four worst teams in the Pac-10, including a loss to UCLA on Thursday, foretells a likely struggle (and possible upset) in the first round of the N.C.A.A. Tournament. [For more on the game Thursday, check out my more personal account here.]
In other games, Washington State won its annual conference game, 75-71 over Oregon State in Pullman, and Washington imperiled Oregon's NCAA hopes with a convincing 78-66 win in Seattle. The Ducks, who returned the nucleus of the squad that came within one game of making the Final Four last year, now have fallen to fifth place in conference, and may have to beat Arizona State in Tempe to qualify as an at-large team.
February 23rd, 2003
The Steve Phillips Fan Club
Now, I'm no fan of New York Mets General Manager Steve Phillips. I've been bashing him since the quarter pole of the 2002 season, essentially blaming him for the disaster of a season the Mets suffered through last year. Despite last year's failure, Phillips managed to survive while Bobby Valentine was fired. Just last week, I bashed Phillips for not bringing back Edgardo Alfonzo. And now, it looks like I'm not alone in my assessment of his skills:
A fan who heckled Phillips was escorted from the grounds Saturday morning. Phillips was on a practice field when the fan displayed a poster that said Phillips should be fired. The fan kept trying to get the GM's attention to show him that and the other side that said to bring back Edgardo Alfonzo. After being asked several times to stop harassing Phillips, the fan was removed from the field by security and police.
Now, the free market sports fan, while it agrees with the general sentiment of the ejected fan, cannot endorse his methods. Silent protest while proudly displaying his placard would have been fine.
February 23rd, 2003
Harding Drops Pro Boxing Debut
Looks like Tonya Harding isn't having any more luck in pro boxing than in figure skating:
At the end of four rounds that featured more stumbling than punching, Browning won a split decision. Her face crimson and soaked with sweat, Harding still wore a smile as she posed for photos after the fight with Browning, who landed the few true punches in the bout."It's not like I expected at all," Harding said. "This was much, much harder than I ever figured. But it only makes me want to work that much harder."
An outcast from figure skating because of her role in the 1994 attack on rival Nancy Kerrigan, Harding has survived on the periphery of the sports spotlight ever since. The 1991 national skating champion, she made most of her headlines for run-ins with boyfriends until she beat Paula Jones in a celebrity fight last year.
That set her on a course to become a pro boxer, and she has a four-year contract with a Nashville promoter. She intends to continue boxing, even though she looked befuddled and inept throughout most of the eight minutes with Browning.
"I didn't know who won," Harding said. "I just know it was a really hard fight. She never hurt me, I just had problems getting to her with my punches.
"But it was my first fight and it was very exciting. I look forward to fighting again."
Funny, I can't remember a time since the 1994 Winter Olympics when harding wasn't throwing punches.
February 22nd, 2003
Tyson-Etienne Commentary
PRE-FIGHT: After an interminable concert by rapper Jay-Z, we're about to start the main event down in Memphis. Though I've never done this before, I'll try my best to follow the fight round by round. I'll admit something right up front: I'm watching this fight out of morbid curiosity more than anything else. Lord knows what Tyson is actually going to do, and the fact that he could snap at anytime is what has me in front of the television tonight.
Stick with me.
ROUND 1: Looks like Tyson is going for the quick kill. Etienne is down, and this fight is over. So much for detailed commentary. So much for Tyson having to worry about taking a shot to his tatoo. In a round reminiscent of his best fights from the late 80s, Tyson gets to take down a man with a classic glass jaw.
POSTFIGHT: Tyson just revealed that he has a fracture in his spine that he suffered as the result of a motorcycle accident. He's offering few details as to what exactly happened, other than he discovered the injury when he couldn't perform any situps anymore.
POSTFIGHT CONTINUED: It's pretty clear that the folks at Showtime didn't expect this fight to get out of the first round. Looking at the program guide on my TiVo, boxing coverage was scheduled to begin at 10:00 p.m. EST. Jay-Z's concert concluded at about 10:20 p.m. And my TiVo program guide has the new Showtime reality series, Family Business, to begin promptly at 11:00 p.m.
Tyson is saying he doesn't want to fight Lenox Lewis right away -- he wants to get 2-3 other fights before taking on Lewis again.
Quote of the night from Tyson to Jim Gray:
"I just want to get my shit together. I'm so messed up, man, I just need to get my life together, brother."
CLOSING IT OUT: Showtime's Steve Albert says that this win sets Tyson up for another megabucks rematch against Lewis. Nick Charles says that Tyson has saved his career with the win -- a notion that I have to dispute, as it seems as if every time Tyson steps into the ring, he's fighting to save his career.
Potentinal date for next Tyson-Lewis match: June 21, 2003. If it happens, I hope it lasts longer than tonight's fight.
February 22nd, 2003
A rebuttal
First, some old business, Charles Kuffner took me to task for my argument last week that the current Michigan basketball team did not deserve the self-imposed sanctions against them:
The problem that I have with this line of argument is that it basically means you have to catch and punish offenders the same year that they sin, otherwise you are perforce punishing at least some kids who weren't there when the infractions occurred. In my opinion, NCAA sanctions for violations are designed to punish the school and its fans. It's regrettable that innocent players are also affected, but that can't be helped. Perhaps in cases like that the NCAA should allow players to transfer and play immediately, without having to sit out a year. That would not only give them an option, it would be an extra incentive to not cheat. Heck, let 'em transfer to any school that has been free of NCAA violations for at least five years, even if that puts the new school over the scholarship limit for that year. If that means Michigan has to scrounge for walkons or forfeit games because they don't have enough players, so be it. That would be an incentive to keep your nose clean. ...The best thing to happen would be for an Ed Martin's fellow fatcat alums to forever shun him for having cost their team an unacceptable loss of scholarships, money, players, postseason appearances, and prestige.
Where we disagree, I believe, is on the notion of whether there should be a statute of limitations on NCAA sanctions. It is perfectly reasonable for the NCAA to punish a program for violations that occurred before anyone on the current team was at the university; since the regulations in question are geared towards maintaining competitive balance for the schools, a program that cheats will develop advantages in the area of recruiting, which affects the decisions of student-athletes to attend their chosen schools. In the Ed Martin investigation, it should be relevant that Robert Traylor and Louis Bullock were receiving "gratuities", since the school's success during their careers at Michigan directly impacts whether subsequent players, such as Lavelle Blanchard, would decide to go there.
The problem, though, is that Michigan has already been punished for those crimes; the school was on probation several years ago, and Steve Fisher, the coach at the time, was let go. The current investigation, as well as the criminal prosecution of Chris Webber, concerns events that took place going back to 1988. Webber himself left the school in 1993. While it may be appropriate to discredit the accomplishments of the Fab Five teams for what Webber allegedly received from Martin (and the school did forfeit the wins of that team, as well as striking their accomplishments from the record books), it is unfair to punish an individual today for the crimes of someone else a decade ago, when that person has received no advantage from those acts.
Whether athletes should be given an out if their school is placed on probation is a good question. If the player in question is himself a party to the misdeeds, than I don't believe he should be treated as a victim. For example, several years ago, Jelani Gardner attempted to blackmail California into allowing him to immediately transfer to another school, where he could presumably start. When the school refused, his father released an audiotape he had made of the coach at that time, Todd Bozeman, acceding to certain financial demands for his son, then the school went on probation. Obviously, this is an exception, and I believe that most athletes should be given an immediate release.
As Mr. Kuffner correctly pointed out, the real villain in all this was Ed Martin. Unfortunately, his friends and colleagues can't ostracize him anymore, since he's dead; it would be like UCLA fans giving the silent treatment today to Sam Gilbert.
February 21st, 2003
Jerry Jones Wants You!
At least that's the message the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders are sending to prospective cheerleaders around the country, as the NFL's most famous sideline squad prepares to begin a first-ever nationwide search for members of the 2003 squad:
"Every year, we have young ladies from all across the country travel to Dallas in April for the annual auditions," said Kelli Finglass, who's in charge of the Texas temptresses."But we've always felt there were hundreds of other talented and athletic singers and dancers who weren't able to do so."
So the sizzling stunners will try out hopefuls at 76 talent offices and fitness centers in the United States on March 9.
Candidates must be at least 18 years old, and will be required to perform a short dance routine and kick line learned from a video available at Trans Continental Talent offices.
Local hopefuls will vie to become one of five regional finalists per city, moving on to compete in New Jersey, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Oklahoma City, Grand Rapids, Mich., Birmingham, Ala., Orlando, Fla., Raleigh, N.C., and Austin, Texas, on April 6. Regional finalists will then fly to Dallas to advance to the final round April 26.
For the record, the Off Wing editorial position is that the Dallas squad has been coasting on its reputation for far too long. Other squads that deserve equal attention include Washington, Miami, San Diego, and last, but certainly not least, Philadelphia.
To find a tryout location near you, click here.
February 21st, 2003
At The Deadline. . .
Make sure to check out Tim Kraus' End Of The Bench for his take on last night's Bucks-Sonics deadline deal that had Gary Payton and Ray Allen exchanging addresses.
February 21st, 2003
Rink Roundup
I was in attendance last night as the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs swatted aside the Washington Capitals 6-2. If you read the boxscore this morning, you'd see that attendance was reported as 13,500. But if you where there like me, you'd know that it appeared as if fewer than half of those seats were filled as the game began last night. This, for a first place team playing a home game against one of the premier franchises in the league. It got so bad last night, that a group of Canadian schoolkids were able to start up a chant of "Kolzig Sucks" (aimed at Caps goalie Olaf Kolzig), without being shouted down by the hometown fans.
From the fans, it was a pathetic effort from start to finish -- one that the Caps made sure to emulate on the ice. But while the team's lackluster play this season isn't anything different, there is one disturbing trend that Caps beat writer Jason LaConfora of the Washington Post has picked up on:
The Capitals have dropped three of their past four games, scoring just six goals in that span, and have 20 games to play. Their division lead over Tampa Bay is down to two points, while the Lightning has played two fewer games, and this loss dropped Washington's record to 2-14-1-1 against teams ahead of them in the standings.
Essentially, inside the NHL universe, the Caps sit atop the teams in the league's second tier. Sure, they can take out Atlanta, Florida and the rest of the league's also-rans. But when it comes to competing against the best the NHL has to offer, the Caps simply don't show up. That's not exactly a teriffic pre-cursor when it comes to predicting success in the playoffs. If the team can't turn things around soon, they may be on the outside looking in again this year come playoff time.
Over at ESPN.com, I hadn't noticed that the folks in Bristol seemed to have made a deal to syndicate content from the pages of The Hockey News -- a source that yields two important pieces for folks who follow the fortunes of ice hockey. The first is a piece by THN's Adam Proteau that lays the blame for the lack of reform in the game at the feet of the league's conservative general managers:
Leading the charge was Vancouver GM Brian Burke, who drew a line in the sand regarding the notion of shootouts deciding regular season games:"No, no, for God's sake, no," he said. "To me, it's no different than the NFL deciding games by throwing footballs through a tire. As long as I'm in charge of Vancouver we won't vote for it."
Quite the macho, open-minded assertion from Mr. Burke, and one that perfectly captures the one-legged tortoise mentality GMs have when it comes to modifying the game. For years, GMs -- who, it should be noted, only have the power to recommend changes to the league's Board of Governors for approval -- have weighed the pros and cons of, among other things, removing the red line, larger ice surfaces, mandatory visors, and adopting the no-touch icing rule. Each one has some real benefits; each one was rejected in favor of the status quo.
Burke's protests are particularly interesting. Forget that his analogy is apples-and-oranges -- last time we checked, tires didn't have oversized pads and a blocker and catcher. Forget the promise of fans sticking around for a shootout means more concession sales for owners. Instead, consider that Burke has been openly campaigning for a Canadian national lottery that would include gambling on NHL games (the proceeds of which would go to assist Canada's struggling franchises.) The man has no trouble getting past the unseemly social ramifications attached to betting, but suggesting a way to avoid tie games? It's like you took off your white glove and slapped him across the face with it.
Then again, there are other forces that stand in the way of reform -- namely the players. Recently, THN asked 30 players what they thought about adding an extra five minutes to the five minute regular season overtime period. 26 players answered no. (For the record, the Off Wing editorial position favors scrapping regular season OT altogether in favor of a shootout.)
But what was really distressing about this poll, was that 12 of the players that voted against the proposal answered anonymously. Seems to me like the NHLPA might want to ask Brett Hull to do some media training.
February 21st, 2003
Koufax Tells Murdoch To Stuff It
Sandy Koufax, one of the greatest pitchers ever to play the game of baseball, has cut his ties with the Los Angeles Dodgers, according to a report in today's Los Angeles Times (registration required):
Koufax, a very private man who established a standard for pitching excellence in four of the most dominant seasons in the game's history from 1963-66, recently informed the Dodgers he would no longer attend spring training here at Dodgertown, visit Dodger Stadium or participate in activities while they are owned by the media conglomerate, because of a report in the New York Post that apparently intimated that he is homosexual. The Post is owned by News Corp.Through friend Derrick Hall, a Dodger senior vice president, Koufax declined comment Thursday night, but officials familiar with the situation said the legendary left-hander, and Vero Beach resident, broke off ties after 48 years in response to a two-sentence gossip item published in the Post on Dec. 19. The Post reported that a "Hall of Fame baseball hero" had "cooperated with a best-selling biography only because the author promised to keep it secret that he is gay. The author kept her word, but big mouths at the publishing house can't keep from flapping." Koufax, who was not specifically named by the paper, is the subject of Jane Leavy's acclaimed biography, "Sandy Koufax: A Lefty's Legacy," published last September.
If you don't want to register with the Times to read the story, you can view the AP version here.
Needless to say, folks inside the Dodger organization are saddened and stunned by this decision. Leavy, who participated in an online chat about her book at USA Today just yesterday, angrily denied the charge (in her book, she writes that Koufax is involved in a long-term relationship with a woman), telling the Times she stuck by Koufax's decision to cut ties with the team as long as they were owned by News Corp.
Despite Koufax's decision, which the Off Wing editorial board endorses ("outing" isn't in our editorial playbook), don't expect it to last long. News Corp. is looking to unload the Dodgers, as well as a number of other properties, in order to help finance the purchase of DirectTV, America's largest satellite television provider.
UPDATE: David Pinto weighs in with some common sense:
[I] think Koufax is punishing the wrong people. My experience with the Murdoch empire, of which I was briefly an employee, was that they let their pieces pretty much manage themselves, which is the way it should be. Sandy should ask for an apology, but I don't think he should punish the Dodgers. Besides, who really cares?
Well, Koufax, for that matter. Seems to me that he's chagined that his personal life, of which he's been a pretty stout guardian, has become "newsworthy," and this may be the only avenue he has available to make his point, whether it hurts Murdoch or not.
UPDATE: Looks like the New York Post is planning to apologize to Koufax. Something tells me they felt a lot of deserved heat over this. Glad to see them doing the right thing.
WEEKEND UPDATE: Keith Olberman, ex-Fox sportscaster, among others, has returned the advance he received from Harper Collins, a News Corp. company, to write a sports book. Link courtesy of our friends at Sportsfilter.
February 20th, 2003
Punk Ass White Boys?
One blogger who broke in around the same time I did was Justin Sodano, President and CEO of The Weigh In. It's a nice combo of politics and pop culture, and well worth your time. Justin went away for awhile -- LSATs, got married -- but now he's back and as good as ever.
Today was a good day for Justin, as he points out a disturbing trend he's discovered in the otherwise flawless Duke Men's Basketball program:
But something is amiss. For all its success over the past 20+ years, Duke has turned out more punk ass white boys than any other college program. Hands down. Several Duke players who were superstars in college have simply underachieved in the pros, all growing into arrogant, second-rate journeymen. No one knows why.In tribute to their petulance, I have put together what I consider the All-Punk Ass White Boys Duke basketball team, along with a suitable coach. See if you agree with my picks. I consider this a phenomenon on par with the SI cover jinx.
Now, just who are these "punk-asses?" Read it and find out.
February 20th, 2003
On Steve Bechler’s Death
Note that this entry comes from a "guest" blogger. I am Robert Centor, the db of db's Medical Rants. In my real world, I am an academic general internist. I teach residents, interns and medical students internal medicine. Most of our teaching is not classroom based, rather we teach based on patients - either admitted to the hospital or seen in the clinic. We use the Socratic method, and explore differential diagnoses, the physiologic basis of abnormalities, and discuss treatment options. Differential diagnoses refers to considering all the diagnostic possibilities for a patient's complaints.
For many years, I have taken advantage of athletes' deaths to make teaching points. For example, Flo Hyman (the world class volleyball player) died of Marfan's Syndrome and subsequent dissecting aortic aneurysm. Hank Gaithers died from an arrythmia secondary to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Walter Payton died of cholangiocarcinoma secondary to primary sclerosing cholangitis. Each of these athletes' deaths raise important teaching points. By understanding why someone died, we can often learn lessons which might prevent future deaths or injuries.
When I first heard that Bechler had died, I started wondering what had happened. I saw the same news reports that you had. He did not die suddenly, this "rules out" most cardiac causes. Cardiac deaths occur in young athletes, but they die almost immediately. He on the other hand made it to the ICU.
The next information that I heard was that he had had a heatstroke. This information came along with information that the ambient temperature was only 81 degrees. Heatstroke is well recognized as a cause of death in athletes, but I generally associate that cause with August football in Texas (temperatures in the 100s). But then I remembered the Korey Stringer story. At that point I wondered what Bechler had taken.
I also wondered about his underlying health. Did he have any unknown diseases? His autopsy gave some clues. Varied Factors Caused Pitcher's Death
The autopsy performed yesterday on the Baltimore pitcher who died of heatstroke produced a portrait of a young man with an assortment of potentially dangerous medical problems who was also desperately trying to lose weight. An accompanying investigation revealed that the pitcher, Steve Bechler, was using an over-the-counter weight-loss supplement containing an ingredient that has been linked to heatstroke.
Now I understood. He was not in good shape, was trying desperately to lose weight, and probably had underlying disease.
The use of Xenadrine added to the risk factors that were present, Perper said, explaining that heatstroke was "brought about by the convergence of a number of factors."
He listed those factors as an enlarged heart, abnormal liver functions, borderline hypertension, an overweight condition, use of Xenadrine and dieting.
I blogged earlier today on my site about the idiocy of Ephedra - Ephedra - PLEASE DO NOT TAKE!!! . Let's look at what he was taking. SUPPLEMENT FACTS: XENADRINE
February 20th, 2003
Grooving On Koufax
Don't waste any time ordering the latest addition to the Off Wing bookshelf: Sandy Koufax: A Lefty's Legacy is the sports book of the year. Over at USA Today, they're hosting an online chat with the book's author, Jane Leavy.
She ought to have some interesting stories to tell, as Koufax refused to cooperate with the writing of the book, though he did nothing to interfere with Leavy's work, and even introduced her to more than a few interview subjects.
February 20th, 2003
Mike Piazza, National Security Advisor In Training
Like most New York Mets fans, I'm an unabashed of the way the team's catcher, Mike Piazza, swings the bat. And like many of his fellow Americans, Piazza is tiring of the way nominal allies like Germany and France are attempting to thwart our campaign to isolate and topple the regime of Saddam Hussein. As Piazza told the New York Post:
Mike Piazza came up with an idea how to get the French and Germans behind the United States' position on Iraq: Boycott all products from the two countries until they capitulate.Yes, that would include Lowenbrau beer and Renault cars.
"Call The Post editor. Let's get it going," Piazza said.
First of all, it seems as if American consumers have already conducted a very effective boycott of Renault, having driven them out of the U.S. marketplace many years ago. Be that as it may, the free market sports fan heartily endorses any and all efforts to diplomatically isolate these two countries, and make their feckless leaders pay a dear price for their perfidy.
As for a boycott, that is an individual choice, and I'm thinking many Americans have already factored current events into their purchasing plans.
February 19th, 2003
Golf Roundup
With Tiger Woods winning his first tournament since returning from arthroscopic knee surgery, talk about the PGA Tour is heating up. Plenty of people are looking forward to the Match Play Championship in a few weeks, the first tournament where Ernie Els (already the winner of 4 PGA events this season) and Woods will meet for the first time since last year. Though, because they're seeded one and two, Els and Woods wouldn't be able to meet before the finals.
Down in Augusta, Georgia, city officials passed a new law designed more or less specifically to sabotage any protest that Martha Burk of the National Council Of Women's Organizations might mount in anticipation of this year's Masters. The new law stipulates that demonstrators give the city sheriff 20 days notice of any protest plans.
The Georgia chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union has already said they have doubts about the law, and so do I. Standing up for the constitutional rights of the membership of Augusta to determine their own membership policies is one thing, working to stifle simple protest is quite another -- no matter how distasteful I might find the protest.
Back on the PGA Tour, everyone knows that Annika Sorenstam is about to make history by becoming the first woman in almost six decades to play in an event on the men's tour -- something that one LPGA rival of Sorenstam's isn't anxious to emulate:
Australia's former world number one Karrie Webb says she is unlikely to join Sweden's Annika Sorenstam on the men's U.S. PGA Tour.World number one Sorenstam accepted an invitation last week to play in the Colonial in Fort Worth, Texas in May. The winner of 13 LPGA Tour events last season will become the first woman in 58 years to compete in a U.S. PGA Tour event.
"It's not something that's really crossed my mind (playing against men)," Webb told reporters in Melbourne on Monday.
"I find the pressures of playing on the LPGA Tour and getting my game to the standard that I accept is pressure enough.
But while Webb is content with not crossing over to the PGA, Brian Kontak, a regular on the Nationwide Tour, said it was time for him to cross over to the LPGA Tour and play in the U.S. Women's Open this July:
Kontak told the Golf Channel: "I'm exploring the possibility. That's all I can say. But I'm dead serious about it."After Annika Sorenstam accepted a sponsor's exemption to become the first woman to play in a PGA Tour event in 58 years, Kontak is the first to seriously step forward with an intention to break the gender barrier going to other way.
However, the USGA -- which runs the U.S. Women's Open -- requires any entrant be a female professional or female amateur with a USGA handicap index not exceeding 4.4.
"We're going to try and work our way around it," Kontak said.
Kontak fell short of his PGA Tour card this year in the final stage of Q-school last fall, gaining conditional status on the Nationwide Tour.
PGA Tour rookie Chris Anderson, a friend of Kontak's, told the Golf Channel: "I think he wants the publicity. He's doing what a lot of guys talk about, but don't have the (guts) to do. He could look like a complete (fool), but what if he wins by 30?"
But I think Kontak is trying to make another point altogether. Sure, Sorenstam is using a sponsor's exemption to get into a PGA Tour event -- but it wouldn't surprise me if that got under the skin of someone who has spent time in Q-school trying to get a place on the PGA Tour.
Then again, Kontak may inadvertently be making another point altogether. As far as I'm concerned, he has no place on the LPGA Tour, and it has nothing to do with gender equity. Why? Because the LPGA, like any other private membership organization, has a constitutional right to determine their membership rules without interference from anyone else. That goes for the LPGA, the Girl Scouts, the Boy Scouts, or even. . . Augusta National.
I'm going to love to see how this plays out.
February 19th, 2003
Webber Prosecution To Proceed
Ed Martin, the University of Michigan basketball booster that has landed the program in so much trouble may be dead, but the other prosecutions the case against him spawned are a different story.
Chris Webber, white courtesy phone:
Chris Webber will still face trial in July despite the death of a Michigan booster who was to have been a star witness for federal authorities.The prosecution of the NBA star will go forward, U.S. attorney's office spokeswoman Gina Balaya said Wednesday.
"The government will be prepared," Balaya said.
I bet they will be. To refresh everyone's memory, Webber, his father and his aunt were all indicted for perjury and obstruction of justice last September in connection with their testimony to a Detroit grand jury in 2000. Before he died, Martin admitted he gave Webber $280,000 in high school and college -- money that he said came from an illegal lottery. Meanwhile, Webber and his relatives have steadfastly maintained that they never took any money from Martin.
You never, ever, lie to a Federal grand jury. Not if you don't want a U.S. Attorney to remember for the rest of their lives.
As someone who thinks that college athletes ought to be paid, I really don't have a problem with Webber, or any members of his family for that matter, accepting payments from anyone. Unfortunately, when the U.S. Government comes calling, and mentions that you might have gotten some profits from an illegal gambling operation, coming clean is probably a good idea.
