http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/stories/012409dnspoacademy.4194876.html
They have become the rage of network television. Today, they're scheduled to appear on two early morning national shows, and the gifts are piling up.
"Everybody who hears the story is sympathetic if not empathetic," said Andrew Morse, executive producer of Good Morning America Weekend, explaining the media interest. "Everybody has been on a losing side and felt what it must have been to look at the scoreboard as the other team's point total continued to mount."
It's made for a grueling schedule.
The girls were up late Thursday night to participate in a faux practice taped by ABC's World News. After the report that mentioned the final score, their traditional losing ways and their learning problems was broadcast Friday night, anchor Diane Sawyer, looking straight into the camera, offered a gentle cheer, "And go Bulldogs."
Early this morning, the girls will be back in the Dallas Academy gym for a segment on ABC's Good Morning America Weekend. As soon as ABC is finished with them, CBS' Saturday Early Show will step in to do its interviews.
Presumably, Sunday will be a day of rest. Then everybody will be back in the gym early Monday morning for a scheduled interview with Matt Lauer of NBC's Today show.
And there has been Mark Cuban's invitation to be his guests at a Mavericks game as well as a call from Nike about sponsoring a team trip to the Feb. 15 NBA All-Star Game in Phoenix. There may be some new uniforms thrown in.
The story unfolded on Jan. 13, when The Covenant School's team overwhelmed Dallas Academy, 100-0, keeping the pressure on until it reached 100 points. The game was played in an old North Dallas gym with few fans other than parents as witnesses. No media were present. But the score appeared in The Dallas Morning News the following day. It wasn't until a story about the game appeared in The News that the world took notice.
It was on Thursday, the day the story appeared, that Covenant, a North Dallas Christian School, issued an apology on its Web site, saying its team had achieved "victory without honor" and said it would forfeit the game.
When posted on dallas news.com, the story attracted 665,000 page views, the most since a controversy over who should be the Grapevine High School valedictorian attracted 853,000 in 2008. The season-high story for the Cowboys, perennial Web site favorites, was 300,000 page views in November when Tony Romo took a homeless man to the movies.
E-mails have flooded in from across the country and as far away as China commenting on the story. Most have questioned the motives of Covenant's coach for "running up" the score. But some have defended the coach for allowing his girls to play to their potential. None have blamed the Covenant players.
The attention has stunned Dallas Academy, which told its side of the story only after it was asked.
"It's really silly," said Jim Richardson, the school's headmaster, who has continually emphasized he has no hard feelings and pointed out that Covenant head of school Kyle Queal once spent time working for him as a substitute at Dallas Academy. "I remember once seeing a 1940s Gary Cooper movie in which people made a big deal about nothing. I think we're getting there fast."
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Kay Yow dies
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iv67GKYqLcJik3aGUc6gV0smh8BQD95TJAA01
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina State's Kay Yow, the Hall of Fame women's basketball coach who won more than 700 games while earning fans with her decades-long fight against breast cancer, died on Saturday. She was 66.
Yow, first diagnosed with the disease in 1987, died Saturday morning at WakeMed Cary Hospital after being admitted there last week, university spokeswoman Annabelle Myers said.
"I think she understood that keeping going was inspirational to other people who were in the same boat she was in," Dr. Mark Graham, Yow's longtime oncologist, said Saturday.
Yow won more than 700 games in a career filled with milestones. She coached the U.S. Olympic team to a gold medal in 1988, won four Atlantic Coast Conference tournament championships, earned 20 NCAA tournament bids and reached the Final Four in 1998.
She also was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2002, while the school dedicated "Kay Yow Court" in Reynolds Coliseum in 2007.
But for many fans, Yow was best defined by her unwavering resolve while fighting cancer, from raising awareness and money for research to staying with her team through the debilitating effects of the disease and chemotherapy treatments. In her final months, Yow was on hormonal therapy as the cancer spread to her liver and bone.
She never flinched or complained, relying on her faith as the disease progressed. She commonly noted there were other patients with "harder battles than I'm fighting" and said it was inspiring for her to stay with her team.
"Almost everybody is dealing with something," Yow said in a 2006 interview.
"We're all faced with a lot of tough issues that we're dealing with," she said. "We know we need to just come to the court and let that be our catharsis in a way. You can't bring it on the court with you, but we can all just think of basketball as an escape for a few hours."
Yow announced earlier this month that she would not return to the team this season after she missed four games because of what was described as an extremely low energy level.
The team visited Yow in the hospital before leaving Wednesday for a game at Miami. Associate head coach Stephanie Glance — who led the team in Yow's absences — met with the team Saturday morning to inform them Yow had died, Myers said.
Graham remembered how Yow always took time to talk to other patients when she came in for treatments in recent years.
"She could have tried to come into the clinic and be completely anonymous," he said. "She just wanted to be another patient. She was very open to sharing her experiences with others and being encouraging to others.
Yow's fight was never more public than when she took a 16-game leave to focus on her treatments during the 2006-07 season. After her return, her inspired Wolfpack won 12 of its final 15 games with wins against highly ranked rivals Duke and North Carolina in a run that attracted plenty of fans wearing pink — the color of breast-cancer awareness.
Her players also wore pink shoelaces for their coach.
"There were so many times I felt like giving up," forward Khadijah Whittington said after the Wolfpack's loss to Connecticut in the 2007 NCAA tournament's round of 16, "and then I see Coach Yow and she never gives up."
Yow always found ways to keep coaching even as she fought the disease. She spent most of games during that emotional 2007 run sitting on the bench while Glance stood to shout instructions at players or to help a weakened Yow to her feet.
"She's the Iron Woman, with the Lord's help," Glance said.
Yow was quick to embrace her role as an example for others battling the disease. She often found herself going about her daily activities in Raleigh only to have someone stop her and say they were praying for her or that she was an inspiration to them.
"When they say that, it really gives me a lift because it's at that time I know for sure that I'm not going through it for nothing," Yow said in 2007. "That means a lot to me. I have to go through it. I accept that, and I'm not panicked about it because the Lord is in control. But it just would be so saddening if I had to go through it and I couldn't help people.
Born March 14, 1942, Sandra Kay Yow originally took up coaching to secure a job teaching high school English at Allen Jay High School in High Point in the 1960s. Her boss, along with the boys' coach, agreed to help her plan practices and to sit on the bench with her during games. Midway through the season, Yow was on her own.
"Really, it was like love at first sight," she said in 2004.
She spent four years there followed by another year in her hometown at Gibsonville High, compiling a 92-27 record. She moved on to Elon, going 57-19 in four seasons before being hired at N.C. State in 1975.
Her original cancer diagnosis came the year before coaching the United States to the gold in the Seoul Olympics. She had a mastectomy as part of her treatment, then discovered a lump in November 2004 close to where cancer was first discovered. She had surgery that December and started on a regimen of radiation and daily hormone therapy. Still, the cancer came back again and again.
She missed two games of the 2004-05 season while attending an eight-day nutritional modification program, which called on her to eat an organic-food diet free of meat, dairy products and sugar. She stayed on the diet for eight months, losing 40 pounds by keeping junk food and Southern favorites like biscuits and gravy off her menu.
Still, she cheated on her organic diet during home recruiting visits because she didn't want to offend anyone by passing on a home-cooked meal.
Over the years, Yow never lost her folksy, easygoing manner and refused to dwell on her health issues, though they colored everything she did almost as much as basketball. Ultimately, her philosophy on both were the same.
"If you start to dwell on the wrong things, it'll take you down fast," Yow said in '07. "Every morning, I wake up and the first thing I think of is I'm thankful. I'm thankful for another day."
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina State's Kay Yow, the Hall of Fame women's basketball coach who won more than 700 games while earning fans with her decades-long fight against breast cancer, died on Saturday. She was 66.
Yow, first diagnosed with the disease in 1987, died Saturday morning at WakeMed Cary Hospital after being admitted there last week, university spokeswoman Annabelle Myers said.
"I think she understood that keeping going was inspirational to other people who were in the same boat she was in," Dr. Mark Graham, Yow's longtime oncologist, said Saturday.
Yow won more than 700 games in a career filled with milestones. She coached the U.S. Olympic team to a gold medal in 1988, won four Atlantic Coast Conference tournament championships, earned 20 NCAA tournament bids and reached the Final Four in 1998.
She also was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2002, while the school dedicated "Kay Yow Court" in Reynolds Coliseum in 2007.
But for many fans, Yow was best defined by her unwavering resolve while fighting cancer, from raising awareness and money for research to staying with her team through the debilitating effects of the disease and chemotherapy treatments. In her final months, Yow was on hormonal therapy as the cancer spread to her liver and bone.
She never flinched or complained, relying on her faith as the disease progressed. She commonly noted there were other patients with "harder battles than I'm fighting" and said it was inspiring for her to stay with her team.
"Almost everybody is dealing with something," Yow said in a 2006 interview.
"We're all faced with a lot of tough issues that we're dealing with," she said. "We know we need to just come to the court and let that be our catharsis in a way. You can't bring it on the court with you, but we can all just think of basketball as an escape for a few hours."
Yow announced earlier this month that she would not return to the team this season after she missed four games because of what was described as an extremely low energy level.
The team visited Yow in the hospital before leaving Wednesday for a game at Miami. Associate head coach Stephanie Glance — who led the team in Yow's absences — met with the team Saturday morning to inform them Yow had died, Myers said.
Graham remembered how Yow always took time to talk to other patients when she came in for treatments in recent years.
"She could have tried to come into the clinic and be completely anonymous," he said. "She just wanted to be another patient. She was very open to sharing her experiences with others and being encouraging to others.
Yow's fight was never more public than when she took a 16-game leave to focus on her treatments during the 2006-07 season. After her return, her inspired Wolfpack won 12 of its final 15 games with wins against highly ranked rivals Duke and North Carolina in a run that attracted plenty of fans wearing pink — the color of breast-cancer awareness.
Her players also wore pink shoelaces for their coach.
"There were so many times I felt like giving up," forward Khadijah Whittington said after the Wolfpack's loss to Connecticut in the 2007 NCAA tournament's round of 16, "and then I see Coach Yow and she never gives up."
Yow always found ways to keep coaching even as she fought the disease. She spent most of games during that emotional 2007 run sitting on the bench while Glance stood to shout instructions at players or to help a weakened Yow to her feet.
"She's the Iron Woman, with the Lord's help," Glance said.
Yow was quick to embrace her role as an example for others battling the disease. She often found herself going about her daily activities in Raleigh only to have someone stop her and say they were praying for her or that she was an inspiration to them.
"When they say that, it really gives me a lift because it's at that time I know for sure that I'm not going through it for nothing," Yow said in 2007. "That means a lot to me. I have to go through it. I accept that, and I'm not panicked about it because the Lord is in control. But it just would be so saddening if I had to go through it and I couldn't help people.
Born March 14, 1942, Sandra Kay Yow originally took up coaching to secure a job teaching high school English at Allen Jay High School in High Point in the 1960s. Her boss, along with the boys' coach, agreed to help her plan practices and to sit on the bench with her during games. Midway through the season, Yow was on her own.
"Really, it was like love at first sight," she said in 2004.
She spent four years there followed by another year in her hometown at Gibsonville High, compiling a 92-27 record. She moved on to Elon, going 57-19 in four seasons before being hired at N.C. State in 1975.
Her original cancer diagnosis came the year before coaching the United States to the gold in the Seoul Olympics. She had a mastectomy as part of her treatment, then discovered a lump in November 2004 close to where cancer was first discovered. She had surgery that December and started on a regimen of radiation and daily hormone therapy. Still, the cancer came back again and again.
She missed two games of the 2004-05 season while attending an eight-day nutritional modification program, which called on her to eat an organic-food diet free of meat, dairy products and sugar. She stayed on the diet for eight months, losing 40 pounds by keeping junk food and Southern favorites like biscuits and gravy off her menu.
Still, she cheated on her organic diet during home recruiting visits because she didn't want to offend anyone by passing on a home-cooked meal.
Over the years, Yow never lost her folksy, easygoing manner and refused to dwell on her health issues, though they colored everything she did almost as much as basketball. Ultimately, her philosophy on both were the same.
"If you start to dwell on the wrong things, it'll take you down fast," Yow said in '07. "Every morning, I wake up and the first thing I think of is I'm thankful. I'm thankful for another day."
Friday, January 23, 2009
Lawsuit against Pac-Man Jones - send him to jail along with Vick
http://nationalpost.pa-sportsticker.com/default.aspx?s=nfl-news-display&nid=A28881261232566489A
A fight with his own bodyguard led to Adam 'Pacman' Jones' second suspension from the NFL.
Now the oft-troubled cornerback is being sued by his former attorney for failing to pay his legal fees.
Manny Arora filed a lawsuit against Jones in Fulton State Court, claiming the controversial cornerback owes him "in excess of $10,000" from 18 cases in which he represented either family or friends of Jones.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported the lawsuit on Wednesday. The suit, which was filed on December 30, lists several defendants assisted by Arora on charges ranging from speeding, kidnapping and murder.
Arora could not be reached for comment.
Jones currently is not on an NFL roster after a brief but ill-fated tenure with the Dallas Cowboys.
Dallas announced the release of Jones on January 7, ending a disastrous stint that was marred by a suspension, poor play and a neck injury.
In the wake of his release, an ESPN.com report came to light that three men alleged that Jones arranged a shooting outside an Atlanta-area strip club June 2007 - two months after he had already been suspended by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.
Jones, who was acquired by the Cowboys from the Titans in the offseason, was suspended for the entire 2007 season by Goodell for repeated run-ins with the law.
In February 2007, Jones was involved in a melee at a Las Vegas strip club that ended in the shooting of three people and left one man paralyzed.
A fight with his own bodyguard led to Adam 'Pacman' Jones' second suspension from the NFL.
Now the oft-troubled cornerback is being sued by his former attorney for failing to pay his legal fees.
Manny Arora filed a lawsuit against Jones in Fulton State Court, claiming the controversial cornerback owes him "in excess of $10,000" from 18 cases in which he represented either family or friends of Jones.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported the lawsuit on Wednesday. The suit, which was filed on December 30, lists several defendants assisted by Arora on charges ranging from speeding, kidnapping and murder.
Arora could not be reached for comment.
Jones currently is not on an NFL roster after a brief but ill-fated tenure with the Dallas Cowboys.
Dallas announced the release of Jones on January 7, ending a disastrous stint that was marred by a suspension, poor play and a neck injury.
In the wake of his release, an ESPN.com report came to light that three men alleged that Jones arranged a shooting outside an Atlanta-area strip club June 2007 - two months after he had already been suspended by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.
Jones, who was acquired by the Cowboys from the Titans in the offseason, was suspended for the entire 2007 season by Goodell for repeated run-ins with the law.
In February 2007, Jones was involved in a melee at a Las Vegas strip club that ended in the shooting of three people and left one man paralyzed.
McGwire's brother about as bad as it gets
http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=3854411&name=olney_buster&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fespn%2fblog%2findex%3fentryID%3d3854411%26name%3dolney_buster
A candidate for least interesting story of the year so far, for me, is word that Mark McGwire's brother, Jay, has circulated a book proposal in which the brother says the former slugger used steroids.
I think the overwhelmingly one-sided public opinion on whether or not McGwire took steroids was cemented long ago, shaped largely by his refusal to testify about the issue before Congress on March 17, 2005. And now, four years later … NEWSFLASH: BROTHER SAYS MCGWIRE USED STEROIDS.
What's next?
NEWSFLASH, 2009: FORMER TEAMMATE CLAIMS NOLAN RYAN OCCASIONALLY DRILLED HITTERS INTENTIONALLY.
NEWSFLASH, 2009: NEW BOOK REVEALS RIPKEN HAD SERIOUS WORK ETHIC.
NEWSFLASH, 2009: FORMER CLUBHOUSE KID COMES OUT ON EVE OF HALL OF FAME INDUCTION AND SAYS RICKEY HENDERSON OFTEN SPEAKS OF HIMSELF IN THE THIRD PERSON.
This is almost worst than rubber-necking, trying to catch a glimpse of a wreck's aftermath. This is almost like pulling off to the side of the road to hang out and take digital shots of the cleanup.
The McGwire saga is almost entirely played out. He made his choices, including his decision to not testify openly at the Congressional hearing on March 17, 2005. For that, he will never get in the Hall of Fame, because his decisions that day cast him into an inescapable Catch-22.
If he says nothing, he'll probably continue to receive a vote total in the 25-percent range, as he has in his first three years on the Hall of Fame ballot. On the other hand, if he were to come out and admit that he used steroids, then I suspect about 40-50 percent of the writers would never vote for an acknowledged steroid-user.
And it's not absolutely clear, by the way, that McGwire really even spends his days fretting about all that. He certainly understands by now that he's been convicted in the court of public opinion, and the fact that his brother is indicating that McGwire used steroids doesn't change any of that; all it does is create a media squall that will go away in a few days, until the next McGwire-related tidbit drifts out from somebody trying to make a few bucks.
A lot of columnists are writing that he should come out and come clean and be open, for the sake of garnering forgiveness, for the sake of his Hall of Fame chances. If McGwire asked for my advice (and he wouldn't), I'd tell him that there would be only two reasons why he might want to speak out.
No. 1: He should open up if he is absolutely devoted to the idea of following up on his words from the March 2005 hearing and is willing to throw his whole heart and soul into the fight against steroid use. If this is something for which he does not have a deep passion, well, any suggestion from him that he wants to help would come off as insincere, a weak effort to win a few public-relations points in a battle he will never win.
Most importantly, No. 2: McGwire should talk about it if he feels it's important for the sake of his own children.
Several years ago, I worked on a piece on Ken Caminiti, and in the midst of a discussion about Caminiti with Wally Joyner, I asked Joyner benignly about whether he had spoken to his late teammate about steroids. And during that conversation, Joyner told me that he had asked Caminiti to get steroids for him, and that he had used them very briefly -- he took two pills before flushing the rest down a toilet.
What Joyner said that day was that he wanted the record straight for the sake of his daughters: He did not want somebody coming out after the fact and making accusations, leaving Joyner to explain himself to his children. Wally wasn't selling a book when he talked to me. He just wanted, above all else, to do the right thing as a parent.
Maybe McGwire doesn't need that. Maybe he's settled the whole issue with his kids. Maybe all the McGwires, except for the brother, have moved on.
Maybe it's time that the rest of us do, too.
Richard Justice feels this family squabble should never have gone public.
McGwire has been working out with Matt Holliday and Bobby Crosby.
A candidate for least interesting story of the year so far, for me, is word that Mark McGwire's brother, Jay, has circulated a book proposal in which the brother says the former slugger used steroids.
I think the overwhelmingly one-sided public opinion on whether or not McGwire took steroids was cemented long ago, shaped largely by his refusal to testify about the issue before Congress on March 17, 2005. And now, four years later … NEWSFLASH: BROTHER SAYS MCGWIRE USED STEROIDS.
What's next?
NEWSFLASH, 2009: FORMER TEAMMATE CLAIMS NOLAN RYAN OCCASIONALLY DRILLED HITTERS INTENTIONALLY.
NEWSFLASH, 2009: NEW BOOK REVEALS RIPKEN HAD SERIOUS WORK ETHIC.
NEWSFLASH, 2009: FORMER CLUBHOUSE KID COMES OUT ON EVE OF HALL OF FAME INDUCTION AND SAYS RICKEY HENDERSON OFTEN SPEAKS OF HIMSELF IN THE THIRD PERSON.
This is almost worst than rubber-necking, trying to catch a glimpse of a wreck's aftermath. This is almost like pulling off to the side of the road to hang out and take digital shots of the cleanup.
The McGwire saga is almost entirely played out. He made his choices, including his decision to not testify openly at the Congressional hearing on March 17, 2005. For that, he will never get in the Hall of Fame, because his decisions that day cast him into an inescapable Catch-22.
If he says nothing, he'll probably continue to receive a vote total in the 25-percent range, as he has in his first three years on the Hall of Fame ballot. On the other hand, if he were to come out and admit that he used steroids, then I suspect about 40-50 percent of the writers would never vote for an acknowledged steroid-user.
And it's not absolutely clear, by the way, that McGwire really even spends his days fretting about all that. He certainly understands by now that he's been convicted in the court of public opinion, and the fact that his brother is indicating that McGwire used steroids doesn't change any of that; all it does is create a media squall that will go away in a few days, until the next McGwire-related tidbit drifts out from somebody trying to make a few bucks.
A lot of columnists are writing that he should come out and come clean and be open, for the sake of garnering forgiveness, for the sake of his Hall of Fame chances. If McGwire asked for my advice (and he wouldn't), I'd tell him that there would be only two reasons why he might want to speak out.
No. 1: He should open up if he is absolutely devoted to the idea of following up on his words from the March 2005 hearing and is willing to throw his whole heart and soul into the fight against steroid use. If this is something for which he does not have a deep passion, well, any suggestion from him that he wants to help would come off as insincere, a weak effort to win a few public-relations points in a battle he will never win.
Most importantly, No. 2: McGwire should talk about it if he feels it's important for the sake of his own children.
Several years ago, I worked on a piece on Ken Caminiti, and in the midst of a discussion about Caminiti with Wally Joyner, I asked Joyner benignly about whether he had spoken to his late teammate about steroids. And during that conversation, Joyner told me that he had asked Caminiti to get steroids for him, and that he had used them very briefly -- he took two pills before flushing the rest down a toilet.
What Joyner said that day was that he wanted the record straight for the sake of his daughters: He did not want somebody coming out after the fact and making accusations, leaving Joyner to explain himself to his children. Wally wasn't selling a book when he talked to me. He just wanted, above all else, to do the right thing as a parent.
Maybe McGwire doesn't need that. Maybe he's settled the whole issue with his kids. Maybe all the McGwires, except for the brother, have moved on.
Maybe it's time that the rest of us do, too.
Richard Justice feels this family squabble should never have gone public.
McGwire has been working out with Matt Holliday and Bobby Crosby.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
UK game tonight
I will be at the UK game tonight watching them take on Auburn. I believe the outcome will be UK 74, Auburn 66.
Heel injury forces Steele to end career at Alabama
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/mensbasketball/sec/2009-01-21-alabama-steele_N.htm
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Alabama point guard Ronald Steele has decided to forego the rest of his senior season.
Crimson Tide coach Mark Gottfried announced the decision Tuesday evening after Steele had missed the past two games with a heel injury. The Tide lost both games.
He returned after missing all of last season following three knee operations. Steele was averaging nearly 13 points and four assists a game.
He is one of only two players in Tide history with 1,000 points and 400 assists in his career and was a preseason All-American as a sophomore. Then injuries took their toll.
Steele received a degree in financial planning in December of 2007.
FIND MORE STORIES IN: Alabama | Tide | Mark Gottfried | Ronald Steele
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
My NBA All-Star Votes
West
Guard - Chris Paul
Guard - Kobe Bryant
Forward - Dirk Nowitzki
Forward - A. Stoudemire
Center - A. Bynum
East
Guard - R. Rondo
Guard - D. Wade
Forward - Lebron James
Forward - Chris Bosh
Center - Dwight Howard
Guard - Chris Paul
Guard - Kobe Bryant
Forward - Dirk Nowitzki
Forward - A. Stoudemire
Center - A. Bynum
East
Guard - R. Rondo
Guard - D. Wade
Forward - Lebron James
Forward - Chris Bosh
Center - Dwight Howard
U of L beats the Fighting Irish and Pitt - who's next?
http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20090120/SPORTS02/901200485/1028
Teammate Edgar Sosa labeled University of Louisville guards Andre McGee and Preston Knowles the "Microwave Twins" for their special brand of defensive pressure.
"They come out there and just heat the ball up," Sosa said. "I wish I could play defense like those guys. They can guard you 94 feet and just be on you."
McGee and Knowles no longer are starters, but they have latched on to their defensive roles during the Cardinals' five-game winning streak. They played a big part in disrupting the offensive flow in victories over nationally ranked Villanova, Notre Dame and Pittsburgh, which was No. 1 going into Saturday's game.
"That's what we try to hang our hats on, especially in crucial situations," said Knowles, a 6-foot-1, 190-pound sophomore. "We try to be reliable when Coach brings us in to stop their best player. If we can do that every single night, we're going to be a wonderful team."
The No. 9 Cards (13-3, 4-0 Big East) travel to Rutgers tomorrow night before heading to No. 8 Syracuse on Sunday. The Orange will present another challenge with a top-notch backcourt led by Johnny Flynn.
McGee and Knowles will be ready. McGee said the two feed off each other on defense, and some of their effectiveness comes from their preparation.
"We all have to really focus on how they are going to attack us and know what position we have to be in to make certain rotations," said McGee, a 5-foot-10 senior co-captain.
U of L coach Rick Pitino said the two do a great job of moving their feet and applying pressure without having to use their hands. It keeps both out of foul trouble.
Pitino singled out the Notre Dame game, when McGee helped fluster point guard Tory Jackson into seven turnovers.
"That's as fine a defensive performance as I've seen… just totally taking the point guard out of running the other team's offense," Pitino said. "He just did a wonderful job of that, and down the stretch it helped our other players get over screens. He buys time for players to get over screens. That's what both players do."
Pitino began the season alternating Sosa and McGee as starting point guard. Following the Minnesota loss, Pitino started Knowles and Smith in the backcourt for two games. When Sosa's performance against Kentucky solidified his starting role, Pitino felt most comfortable bringing McGee and Knowles off the bench for their defense.
It's been working since. Opposing guards have struggled thanks in part to McGee and Knowles.
South Florida's leading scorer Dominique Jones, who had averaged 17.1 points, was held to 11 on 1-of-10 shooting and four turnovers.
Villanova's Scottie Reynolds, after torching Seton Hall for 40 points, had just 11 against U of L to go with two assists and four turnovers.
Pitt point guard Levance Fields had a stellar 4.7-1 assist-to-turnover ratio until McGee and Knowles helped bait him into a season-high six turnovers. Fields had gone six of his previous seven games with one or zero turnovers.
"There are so many great scorers and great athletes, but there are few Bruce Bowen guys who really just strap down defenders," said McGee of the San Antonio Spurs' defensive stopper. "That's one thing I try to pride myself on."
In late-game situations, Pitino has gone with McGee and Knowles when he needed a defensive stop.
Against Villanova, McGee's tip of an in-bounds pass with four seconds left prevented the Wildcats from scoring the winning basket off the lob.
On Notre Dame's final possession in regulation, McGee hounded Jackson into making an errant pass to an empty space and Knowles deflected it into the backcourt. They helped prevent the Irish from getting a shot up despite having 24 seconds to do so.
Teammate Edgar Sosa labeled University of Louisville guards Andre McGee and Preston Knowles the "Microwave Twins" for their special brand of defensive pressure.
"They come out there and just heat the ball up," Sosa said. "I wish I could play defense like those guys. They can guard you 94 feet and just be on you."
McGee and Knowles no longer are starters, but they have latched on to their defensive roles during the Cardinals' five-game winning streak. They played a big part in disrupting the offensive flow in victories over nationally ranked Villanova, Notre Dame and Pittsburgh, which was No. 1 going into Saturday's game.
"That's what we try to hang our hats on, especially in crucial situations," said Knowles, a 6-foot-1, 190-pound sophomore. "We try to be reliable when Coach brings us in to stop their best player. If we can do that every single night, we're going to be a wonderful team."
The No. 9 Cards (13-3, 4-0 Big East) travel to Rutgers tomorrow night before heading to No. 8 Syracuse on Sunday. The Orange will present another challenge with a top-notch backcourt led by Johnny Flynn.
McGee and Knowles will be ready. McGee said the two feed off each other on defense, and some of their effectiveness comes from their preparation.
"We all have to really focus on how they are going to attack us and know what position we have to be in to make certain rotations," said McGee, a 5-foot-10 senior co-captain.
U of L coach Rick Pitino said the two do a great job of moving their feet and applying pressure without having to use their hands. It keeps both out of foul trouble.
Pitino singled out the Notre Dame game, when McGee helped fluster point guard Tory Jackson into seven turnovers.
"That's as fine a defensive performance as I've seen… just totally taking the point guard out of running the other team's offense," Pitino said. "He just did a wonderful job of that, and down the stretch it helped our other players get over screens. He buys time for players to get over screens. That's what both players do."
Pitino began the season alternating Sosa and McGee as starting point guard. Following the Minnesota loss, Pitino started Knowles and Smith in the backcourt for two games. When Sosa's performance against Kentucky solidified his starting role, Pitino felt most comfortable bringing McGee and Knowles off the bench for their defense.
It's been working since. Opposing guards have struggled thanks in part to McGee and Knowles.
South Florida's leading scorer Dominique Jones, who had averaged 17.1 points, was held to 11 on 1-of-10 shooting and four turnovers.
Villanova's Scottie Reynolds, after torching Seton Hall for 40 points, had just 11 against U of L to go with two assists and four turnovers.
Pitt point guard Levance Fields had a stellar 4.7-1 assist-to-turnover ratio until McGee and Knowles helped bait him into a season-high six turnovers. Fields had gone six of his previous seven games with one or zero turnovers.
"There are so many great scorers and great athletes, but there are few Bruce Bowen guys who really just strap down defenders," said McGee of the San Antonio Spurs' defensive stopper. "That's one thing I try to pride myself on."
In late-game situations, Pitino has gone with McGee and Knowles when he needed a defensive stop.
Against Villanova, McGee's tip of an in-bounds pass with four seconds left prevented the Wildcats from scoring the winning basket off the lob.
On Notre Dame's final possession in regulation, McGee hounded Jackson into making an errant pass to an empty space and Knowles deflected it into the backcourt. They helped prevent the Irish from getting a shot up despite having 24 seconds to do so.
Churchill broadens focus with new subsidiary
http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2009/01/19/daily16.html
Churchill Downs Inc. is restructuring its operations to broaden its focus from horse racing tracks to casino gambling, online betting and concerts.
Louisville-based Churchill Downs (NASDAQ: CHDN) announced Monday that it has created a subsidiary that will be led by current Churchill Downs racetrack president Steven Sexton, who will serve as president and CEO.
Churchill has begun a search to find someone to replace Sexton as president of the Louisville track, Churchill Downs said in a news release.
Sexton joined Churchill Downs Inc. in 2001 as president of Arlington Park Racecourse. He has been president of Churchill Downs racetrack since 2002 and has been a vice president of the parent company since 2006.
Churchill Downs officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
“The racing, gaming and entertainment we provide customers are very interdependent, regardless of whether they are delivered on-site at our tracks, casinos and OTBs, or online via TwinSpires.com or other online sites,” Churchill Downs Inc. president and CEO Robert Evans said in the release. “In the currently tough economic environment, many companies are announcing reorganizations and layoffs intended to reduce costs. Our changes here, however, are about aligning the right leaders at CDI with the strategic growth opportunities we believe exist.”
Churchill also has promoted William Carstanjen to chief operating officer, responsible for on-site operations, including racing and gambling, at Arlington Park, Calder Race Course, Churchill Downs and Fair Grounds Race Course and Slots. He also will oversee operations at all of the company’s off-track betting sites.
Carstanjen joined Churchill Downs Inc. in 2005 as executive vice president and chief development officer. In early 2008, he assumed operations responsibility for Fair Grounds and Calder.
James “Ted” Gay will replace Carstanjen as senior vice president overseeing business development. He has been with Churchill Downs Inc. since 2003.
Churchill Downs Inc. is restructuring its operations to broaden its focus from horse racing tracks to casino gambling, online betting and concerts.
Louisville-based Churchill Downs (NASDAQ: CHDN) announced Monday that it has created a subsidiary that will be led by current Churchill Downs racetrack president Steven Sexton, who will serve as president and CEO.
Churchill has begun a search to find someone to replace Sexton as president of the Louisville track, Churchill Downs said in a news release.
Sexton joined Churchill Downs Inc. in 2001 as president of Arlington Park Racecourse. He has been president of Churchill Downs racetrack since 2002 and has been a vice president of the parent company since 2006.
Churchill Downs officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
“The racing, gaming and entertainment we provide customers are very interdependent, regardless of whether they are delivered on-site at our tracks, casinos and OTBs, or online via TwinSpires.com or other online sites,” Churchill Downs Inc. president and CEO Robert Evans said in the release. “In the currently tough economic environment, many companies are announcing reorganizations and layoffs intended to reduce costs. Our changes here, however, are about aligning the right leaders at CDI with the strategic growth opportunities we believe exist.”
Churchill also has promoted William Carstanjen to chief operating officer, responsible for on-site operations, including racing and gambling, at Arlington Park, Calder Race Course, Churchill Downs and Fair Grounds Race Course and Slots. He also will oversee operations at all of the company’s off-track betting sites.
Carstanjen joined Churchill Downs Inc. in 2005 as executive vice president and chief development officer. In early 2008, he assumed operations responsibility for Fair Grounds and Calder.
James “Ted” Gay will replace Carstanjen as senior vice president overseeing business development. He has been with Churchill Downs Inc. since 2003.
Monday, January 19, 2009
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