Wednesday, January 30, 2013

A Sports Fan's Desperate Plea

Dear Athletes,

In the words of the great Vince Lombardi, "What the hell's goin' on out here?"

I mean, fake girlfriends, dear antler spray, steroids...what's next? For just once in my life, I would like to be able to believe that something in sports is REAL. When a player hits a home run, I don't want to wonder if he did it with or without steroids. When I hear about a guy with a 40% chance of living, who wins the Tour de France seven straight times, I want to be inspired, not to be filled with doubt. When I see a guy playing with passion seeping from his veins, I don't want to hear that it's all fake.

When I first started watching and playing sports, I admired the superstars, particularly the ones in baseball. My first hero was Mark McGwire. Well, we all know how that turned out. My second hero was Albert Pujols. I thought surely a guy that loves the city of St. Louis the way he does and that has a foundation for kids with Down Syndrome won't let me down. Wrong. He jumped at the opportunity to make more money. Seriously, what's the difference between $220 million and $240 million? Where is the loyalty? Stan Musial asked for a pay CUT in 1960 after a subpar season in 1959. His salary was $100,000 (one of the first in the NL), but dropped to $80,000. Yet Pujols ditched the city that loved him for an extra $20 million.

As I got older, I started to have a soft spot for the inspiring stories. Lance Armstrong's story was incredible. Given only a 40% chance to survive cancer, he not only lived, but went on and became an American icon by winning the Tour de France seven times. I was in awe again as I heard about Manti Te'O and how his grandmother and girlfriend died of cancer within six hours, then he went out and performed great for Notre Dame. These are the types of stories that inspired me to become a sports writer, find these stories and report them. You can imagine the anger I (and many other fans) felt when, within a week, both stories were proved to be too good to be true.

The list could go on and on. None of my baseball heroes, McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, were inducted into the Hall of Fame this year, and I'm not sure if they ever will be. Auburn and Alabama are linked to this deer antler spray. Alex Rodriguez, Ray Lewis and several other athletes are linked to another PED scandal. Michael Vick served a two-year jail sentence for dog fighting. Too many players to count are arrested for DWI and DUI. Penn St. went through the worst scandal I have ever seen.

So to the current and future athletes, please, I beg you, get your crap together. You need to realize that you are role models to the youth of America and of the world. Kids will do whatever you do, so make sure you are doing the right thing. My generation has lost its heroes, but there is still time to save the next generation. Just do it.

Sincerely,
A Desperate Sports Fan

TAT: Top 25 Cumulative Pre-Season College Baseball

This originally appeared in the January 30, 2013 issue of The Arkansas Traveler.


Arkansas is No. 1 in three of the five pre-season college baseball polls. I was surprised at just how many pre-season polls there were, so to get a better picture of who was the "real" number one, I compiled this list. I awarded teams points based on their ranking in each poll (No. 1 = 25 pts., No. 2 =24 pts., No. 3 = 23 pts., ... , No. 25 = 1 pt.). Below are the results.

1. Arkansas - 122 pts.
2. North Carolina - 120 pts.
3. Vanderbilt - 110 pts.
4. LSU - 105 pts.
5. UCLA - 100 pts.
T-6. South Carolina - 94 pts.
T-6. Stanford - 94 pts.
8. Oregon - 85 pts.
T-9. North Carolina St. - 82 pts.
T-9. Oregon St. - 82 pts.
11. Kentucky - 71 pts.
T-12. Mississippi st. - 62 pts.
T-12. TCU - 62 pts.
T-14. Florida - 54 pts.
T-14. Florida St. - 54 pts.
16. Louisville - 45 pts.
17. Oklahoma - 44 pts.
18. Georgia Tech - 43 pts.
19. Arizona - 42 pts.
20. San Diego - 37 pts.
21. Rice - 36 pts.
22. Ole Miss - 22 pts.
23. Arizona St. - 21 pts.
24. Cal St.-Fullerton - 17 pts.
25. Texas - 7 pts.

Also Receiving Votes
New Mexico (5), Texas A&M (4), Baylor (3), Southern Miss (3), Virginia (1)

TAT: Hogs Prepare for Tough Travel


This article originally appeared in the January 30, 2013 issue of The Arkansas Traveler.

The men’s basketball team is winless outside the state of Arkansas, but head coach Mike Anderson said he thinks his team can get their first road win tomorrow night in his home state.
Anderson, a graduate of Jackson Olin High in Alabama, will lead Arkansas against the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa for a rare Thursday night game.
The Crimson Tide have the same overall record as the Razorbacks, 12-7, but are one game ahead in SEC play, with a 4-2 record.
“Alabama is a team that’s playing pretty good basketball right now,” Anderson said. “It’s going to be a big challenge for our basketball team.”
They are led by a pair of guards, junior Trevor Releford and sophomore Trevor Lacey. Releford is averaging 16.1 points per game and Lacey is averaging 12.1 points per game.
“(Releford) is a real key to their basketball team, as well as a guy like Lacey, who has really hit some incredible shots for them,” Anderson said.
In order to have success against them, Arkansas must keep Releford out of the lane, Anderson said.
“He’s a real clever basketball player and he’s like a little coach out on the floor,” Anderson said. “It seems like when he’s playing well, they play well.”
Despite early struggles, Alabama has started to “find their niche” offensively, Anderson said. In SEC play, they are shooting 40.2 percent from three-point range.
Last season, senior guard Andrew Steele accumulated 26 points, 12 rebounds, and nine assists in two games against Arkansas, proving to be an “x-factor,” Anderson said.
For the Razorbacks, junior forward Marshawn Powell is averaging 16.7 points per game and 6.3 rebounds per game, but Anderson said the rest of the team needs to step up.
“Powell has been a one-man wrecking force for us,” Anderson said. “He’s had career highs in scoring and in rebounds, so he’s showing that leadership we talk about. Now it’s important for other guys to help him. He can’t do it by himself.”
Junior Coty Clarke and freshman Jacorey Williams will also be returning to their home state. Both forwards played high school basketball in Birmingham.
“They’re going to be excited,” Anderson said. “The key is to make sure we funnel that energy in the right way.”
Anderson said he thinks Williams will play a lot more during this six-day stretch in which the Razorbacks travel to Alabama and play at home against Tennessee and No. 4 Florida.
“I think he’s a tough matchup,” Anderson said. “His versatility can cause problems for people.”
Arkansas must be prepared to face Alabama’s “mid-tempo” style of play, as well as their pressure defense, Anderson said.
“We have to make plays and make shots,” Anderson said. “If we do that and play for 40 minutes, we’ll be in a good position.”
The game is set to tip-off at 8 p.m. and will air on ESPN2.

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

TAT: Bielema Aims for Two 4-Star Running Backs


This article originally appeared in the January 29, 2013 issue of The Arkansas Traveler.

With National Signing Day quickly approaching, Arkansas is beginning to finalize its 2013 recruiting class, but several recruits’ decisions remain up in the air.
Much of the buzz amongst Razorback fans has been about a pair of four-star running backs. North Little Rock’s Altee Tenpenny is committed to Alabama and South Plantation, Fla.’s Alex Collins is still undecided, but coaches and fans are optimistic that they could end up in Fayetteville.
Tenpenny, rated the No. 8 running back in the country by Rivals.com, took an official visit to Arkansas Jan. 18. While eating at the Catfish Hole with 11 other recruits on their official visits to Arkansas, he apparently got “on a chair to lead the Hog call,” tweeted Danny West, recruiting analyst for Rivals.com.
Many fans, Razorback and Crimson Tide alike, saw this as a sign that he could flip his commitment to Arkansas. However, the following day, Tenpenny announced that he was still committed to Alabama and that he would make his final decision on National Signing Day.
Collins, rated the No. 7 running back in the country by ESPN.com, took an official visit to Arkansas on Jan. 25. This visit came one week after his official visit to Miami, Fla., which is considered his other top choice. He will announce his decision Feb. 4.
Co-Defensive Coordinator Charlie Partridge is seen as the key to the Collins recruitment. He had developed a relationship with Collins while he was a coach at Wisconsin and fans think that now Partridge is at Arkansas, that bodes well for the Razorbacks.
Along with Tenpenny, four other players that took official visits on Jan. 18 were not committed to Arkansas. Australian punter Sam Irwin Hill and Hawaiian offensive lineman Reeve Koehler committed the following day.
Koehler, who played at Saint Louis School in Honolulu, was greeted with Hog Calls and yells of “Go Hogs” in Hawaiian at the Catfish Hole. He is a four-star offensive lineman according to Rivals.com.
Offensive lineman Dan Skipper was committed to Tennessee, but flipped his commitment to the Razorbacks yesterday. He is a three-star recruit and the No. 32 offensive tackle according to Scout.com. Ohio State, Michigan, Oklahoma and Ole Miss were among the 21 schools to offer him.
Athlete Dominique Alexander is the only other player that visited on Jan. 18 and is not committed to Arkansas. Alexander is committed to Oklahoma, but still has some interest in the Razorbacks.
Several other recruits took official visits with Collins on Jan. 25. Among them were offensive linemen Denver Kirkland, Kenny Lacy and Dwayne Johnson.
Kirkland is a four-star recruit, while Lacy and Johnson are three-star recruits. They are the No. 12, No. 38 and No. 42 offensive tackles in the country, respectively, by ESPN.com. Kirkland and Johnson are undecided and have Arkansas in their top five choices. Lacy is committed to UCLA, but has some interest in the Razorbacks.
All three were impressed with Arkansas’ facilities on their visits and will factor them into their decisions. Kirkland will announce his decision on ESPN on National Signing Day.
Safety De’Andre Coley, cornerback D.J. Dean and defensive lineman Ke’Tyrus Marks also committed following their visit Jan. 25.
Dean is a three-star recruit according to Rivals.com and had offers from Illinois, Utah and Washington State, among others. Marks is a two-star recruit according to Rivals.com and had nine offers, including one from Wake Forest.
With only 17 commits thus far, Arkansas’ recruiting class is consistently ranked in the middle of the FBS. Scout.com and Rivals.com have them ranked No. 60 and No. 54, respectively, and both have them ranked last in the SEC.
The 17 commits are fewest in the SEC and one fewer than Tennessee, who has the next fewest recruits. Six of Arkansas’ recruits are junior college players, which is tied with Auburn for most in the SEC.
Arkansas’ ranking in the FBS and SEC will likely rise if they land Tenpenny, Collins or any of the linemen that visited on Jan. 25.

Monday, January 28, 2013

TAT: Hogs Defeat Panthers, Fall to No. 1 Cavaliers


This article originally appeared in the January 28, 2013 issue of The Arkansas Traveler.

The Arkansas men’s tennis team went 1-1 Friday and Saturday at the ITA Kickoff Weekend in Charlottesville, Va. They defeated No. 62 Georgia State 4-2 before falling to No. 1 Virginia 6-1.
After dropping the doubles point, the Razorbacks won four of the five singles matches to move to the second round of the ITA Indoor Team Championship.
“I was very proud of our guys and how they rebounded after doubles,” head coach Robert Cox said. “All six of our guys came out in singles with the winning mindset and got the job done.”
Sophomore Jovan Parlic defeated Georgia State senior Lucas Santa Ana with back-to-back 7-6, 7-6 sets to clinch the victory for Arkansas.
Before the match was called, senior Gregoire Lehmann was tied 5-5 in the deciding third set with Georgia State senior Victor Valente, the No. 55 singles player in the country. He lost the first set 4-6, but came back with a 6-4 victory in the second set.
Arkansas lost the doubles point by dropping two of the three doubles matches. Lehmann and fellow senior Mike Ward picked up the lone doubles victory.
The next day, the Razorbacks faced No. 1 Virginia in the second round. The Cavaliers dominated No. 55 Arkansas, winning 6-1.
In doubles play, Arkansas continued to struggle. Virginia won two of the three matches and was leading the third when it was stopped, led by three duos ranked in the top 10 in the country, to pick up the doubles point.
They then won five of the six doubles matches.
Arkansas’ lone point of the day came when junior Mike Nott defeated Virginia senior Julen Uriguen. Nott dropped the first set 1-6, then won the next two sets 6-4, 6-4 to pick up the win.
“The highlight of the day was Mike’s great three-setter,” Cox said. “He played a quality opponent and came out with a huge win.”
Despite the loss, Cox is pleased with his team’s performance against very tough competition. As well as the three top-10 duos, Virginia also had the No. 2, No. 4, No. 7 and No. 55 singles players in the country.
“We will come away from this with a lot of lessons learned and will become a better team,” Cox said. “We now have to look to the future and focus our energy on getting better every day and prepare for UAB.”
Arkansas returns home to face No. 75 UAB Wednesday.

Thursday, January 24, 2013

TAT: Razorbacks face Wildcats in ITA Indoor Regional


This article originally appeared online on January 24, 2013 on The Arkansas Traveler website (uatrav.com).

After three shutout victories last weekend, UA head coach Michael Hegarty moved into a first-place tie with Kevin Platt for most victories by a women’s tennis head coach in UA history.
“I’ve been fortunate to be at a great place where I can be successful,” Hegarty said. “This is the best job for me in the country.”
The Razorbacks defeated Prairie View A&M, UT-Pan American and Lamar in Houston, Texas, with a score of 7-0 in each match.
With seven of the nine players on Arkansas’ roster being freshmen, Hegarty felt that his team gained valuable confidence heading into this weekend’s ITA Kickoff Weekend in Evanston, Ill.
“The thing I liked was that we pretty much won across the board, which was exciting for a lot of our inexperienced players,” Hegarty said. “Everything we wanted to accomplish, we did.”
While the Razorbacks dominated in singles matches, winning all 18 of them, they struggled in the doubles matches. They dropped two out of the nine doubles matches last weekend, an area they need to improve for this weekend.
“We’re a notch behind our singles with our doubles,” Hegarty said.
“We’ll be focusing more heavily on the doubles these next few weeks.”
Arkansas will face No. 13 Northwestern at Northwestern in the first round of the ITA Indoor Team Championships.
Hegarty sees this weekend as similar to the ITA Kickoff Weekend two years ago, when his team had to go through No. 4 Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., to move on in the Indoor Championships.
“We’re playing on the road and not as a favorite,” Hegarty said. “Our experience in this event should really help us.”
The Razorbacks also travelled to Evanston last season, but lost to Nebraska in the opening match.
“We didn’t get through the regional last year, and we’d really like to take one more step this year than we did last year,” Hegarty said.
The Wildcats are led by seniors Linda Abu Mushrefova, Kate Turvy and Brittany Wowchuk. Mushrefova was a doubles All-American two seasons ago and Turvy is a reigning First-Team All-Big Ten selection.
Depending on the result of their first match, the Razorbacks will either face No. 27 Purdue or No. 32 Washington State Saturday.
Regardless of who Arkansas plays, their “competition heats up” this weekend compared to previous matches, Hegarty said.
The Razorbacks play Northwestern at 11 a.m. Friday in Evanston, Ill.