Newspaper Page Text
2B
♦ THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2005
Outside
the
‘Home’
Oakland lands tourney bid
TULSA, Okla. (AP) - All those
impossible road trips and murder
ous nonconference games may
have finally paid off for Oakland.
After starting the season with
seven losses and getting roughed
up at Illinois, Missouri, Xavier,
Texas A&M and Michigan State,
the Golden Grizzlies are going
to the NCAA tournament with a
12-18 record.
Pierre Dukes hit a 3-pointer
with 1.3 seconds left and Oakland
(Mich.) upset top-seeded Oral
Roberts 61-60 to win the Mid-
Continent Conference tourna
ment and an automatic bid to the
NCAAs.
It's the fourth straight season
a team with a losing record has
made the NCAA tournament.
Each of the previous three - Siena
in 2002, North Carolina-Asheville
in 2003 and Ftorida A&M last
year - won the “play-in" game,
then lost to the No. 1 seed in the
first round.
Feety signs with Giants
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.
(AP) - Former Atlanta placekicker
Jay Feely signed a two-year con
tract with the New York Giants.
He hit 18 of 23 field goal
attempts last season with the
Falcons. He was perfect on 40
extra points.
Feely will be the Giants' third
placekicker in as many seasons.
He will replace 37-year-old Steve
Christie. Matt Bryant was the
kicker in 2003.
Smoot, Vikings strike deal
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Fred
Smoot agreed to terms on a six
year contract with the Minnesota
Vikings, sending the top corner
back left on the free agent market
to a team that has had persistent
defensive problems in recent sea
sons.
Smoot had 16 intercep
tions over four years with the
Washington Redskins and was
selected as an alternate to the
Pro Bowl last season.
Beds signs with Chiefs
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)
- Linebacker Kendrell Bell, the
defensive rookie of the year four
years ago, signed a seven-year
contract with the isfensively trou
bled Kansas Cit, Chiefs.
Bell played just three games
last season with Pittsburgh due
to injuries. His best season came
as a rookie in 2001, when made
the Pro Bowl after recording 88
tackles, nine sacks and a pair of
forced fumbles in his first sea
son.
Arizona inks with Arizona
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) - Safety
Robert Griffith agreed to a two
year contract with the Arizona
Cardinals.
Griffith had a strong 2004 sea
son with Cleveland, making a
career-high 157 tackles, including
93 solos, eight tackles-for-loss,
one interception and one sack.
IOC group reaches Paris
PARIS (AP) - IOC inspectors
arrived in Paris for a four-day visit
of the city considered the favor
ite to stage the 2012 Summer
Games.
The French capital is the fourth
stop in a five-city tour that already
has taken the 13-member IOC
evaluation commission to Madrid,
London and New York. The pan
el’s last stop will be in Moscow
next week.
Paris has been the front-run
ner in the race, which will be
decided in a vote by the full IOC
in Singapore on July 6. Paris
previously hosted the Olympics
in 1900 and 1924 but lost bids
for the 1992 and 2008 Summer
Games.
Thompson surrenders
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP)-South
Carolina defensive lineman Moe
Thompson surrendered to police
nearly a week after a warrant was
issued for his arrest.
He turned himself in at the
Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center
and is scheduled for a bond hear
ing Wednesday.
Thompson and teammate
Kevin Mainord broke into at
least one dorm room and took
several items, including a tele
vision and DVD player, police
said. Thompson is charged with
two counts of burglary and three
counts of petty larceny.
Blatter wants pay raise
ZURICH, Switzerland (AP)
- FIFA president Sepp Blatter
wants referees to be paid more
so they would be less susceptible
to bribes, and soccer could avoid
the kind of game-fixing scandal
that has shaken Germany a little
more than a year before it hosts
the World Cup.
FIFA's 24-member execu
tive committee spent much of its
regular two-day meeting discuss
ing the German scandal. Referee
Robert Hoyzer has admitted to
fixing or attempting to fix seven
league games.
Hoyzer, who was arrested last
month, is facing a lifetime ban
and a large fine from the German
soccer federation.
Champions quietly look to nopeat
By SAM AMICK
Sacramento Bee
The phenomenon that
plagues the rest of the NBA
world doesn’t exist in the
greater Detroit area.
That is, forgetting the
Detroit Pistons are the
reigning champions.
At The Palace at Auburn
Hills, the public address
announcer embodies the
lovefest born out of the
Pistons’ NBA Finals vic
tory over the Los Angeles
Lakers. “Yoouurr Woorrldd
Chaamppion Detroooiiitt
Pisstonsss,” he screams dur
ing the Pistons’ entry, exit
and endless spots between.
On the local sports radio
station, it seems they, too,
will be running minute-by
minute reminders of the
title won. On billboards,
license plates and bumper
stickers, “world champion”
has been unofficially added
to the team name.
Yet outside of Michigan,
the Pistons are again fly
ing under the radar, just as
the irony of The Year After
has flown over the heads of
many.
Behold a familiar sto
ryline: The Pistons are
underestimated, the cast of
castoffs cast aside while a
Shaquille O’Neal-led team
becomes the popular bet to
coast to glory.
Didn’t we learn this lesson
last year?
Nine months after unrav
eling the Lakers’ dynas
ty with what was dubbed
“a five-game sweep,” the
Pistons are again among the
overlooked.
Underestimated.
Undervalued. Underrated.
Behold the buzz. It’s the
Miami Heat - with O’Neal
as its new center and guard
Kobe Bryant Jr. (alias:
Dwyane Wade) - that’s the
true Beast of the East.
It’s the San Antonio
Spurs, with two-time MVP
Tim Duncan and two titles
in the last six seasons, who
should win the West and
have the best Vegas odds to
take it all.
MONCRIEF
From page 1B
talking about the number
“1,” - the TIE.
“I hate that. I wish we
could have played them
again and settled it.”
Oh that it were possible.
He was ready. Further, he
said the team was ready. He
said they had even gone to
the coaching staff some time
ago and pleaded and begged
for a rematch with Houston
County.
He added even the Bears
were ready, which I’m sure
they were.
“Bring it on,” I would imag
ine would be the response
and the Demons wouldn’t
hesitate to give it a try - even
if it meant, and not that it
would, their rings had to be
changed to: “14-1.”
Anything, to settle the dif
ference between “minutely
close to perfection” and
“perfection” itself.
How would you like to be
a Warner Robins player, all
grown up, working in the
International City and telling
your tale of heroism around
the office water cooler?
“Oh yeah, we were the
greatest. We did this. We did
that. We ...”
“Uh excuse me,” you’re
interrupted. “Didn’t you
guys tie Houston County?”
Later, “Give me a quarter
pounder with cheese ...”
“Zzzzzht. Yes, thaat’s a
zzzht-der wzzzth cheezzzt
... And didn’t you guys tie
Houston County?”
At the bank: “I’d like to
withdraw SIOO from check
ing.”
“OK, that’s SIOO and
will there be anything else
... like a tie with Houston
County?”
Can you imagine?
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It’s the Phoenix Suns,
who ran their way to a sea
son split with the Pistons
with a 100-97 home victory
Thursday night, who are
striking the most fear in
opponents.
And it’s the Pistons - a
working-class crew that
has added even more model
employees this season - who
don’t mind the disrespect.
“We thrive on that, abso
lutely thrive on it,” Detroit
guard Richard Hamilton
said. “It’s all about Miami,
Phoenix, San Antonio, other
than the team that won the
championship. We enjoy it.
That’s when we sneak up on
people again. Nobody’s talk
ing about us.”
Let the talking begin.
After a 12-12 start that
bred widespread doubt,
the Pistons have won 14
of their last 18 games. In
the Eastern Conference’s
Central Division, Detroit
is five games ahead of the
Cleveland Cavaliers and the
much-talked-about Leßron
James, a fact not often
included in the nightly high
light reels.
The winning has returned
alongside that notorious
chip on their shoulder, the
Pistons proving there’s
more to their squad than a
season’s worth of negative
headlines.
There’s more than a
team involved in the ugly
November brawl between
fans and players in a game
against the Indiana Pacers,
or a team whose seemingly
never-satisfied coach, Larry
Brown, became the hot talk
for a short time when he
told a New York reporter
that coaching the Knicks
was his “dream job.”
Mostly, there’s more here
than a team worthy of just
one All-Star selection (Ben
Wallace), the latest snub
only fueling a team driven
by disrespect.
“A lot of guys made the
All-Star team, but not a lot
of guys won rings,” Brown
said. “It’s unusual that we
only got one guy. But when
First their nightly dreams
will be filled with images
of shutouts and trouncing
opponents and then they’ll
turn into nightmares ...
pink elephants and ties with
Houston County.
Yes, I’m exaggerating, hav
ing a little fun with it, but I
don’t want to do so to the
point it comes across I’m
tarnishing the 14 wins and
the state championship.
In truth, I grumbled way
back when upon first hear
ing news of the now infa
mous “tie,” but I soon got
over it, as I imagine most in
the county did.
What they accomplished,
and in the manner they
went about doing, said it all,
I thought.
Houston County fans can
“oh boo hoo” the situation
but the shoe could have just
as easily been on the other
foot. (Right now a Demon
fan is covering his mouth
and doing the fake sneeze
where you actually utter
“bulls(a*.”)
The point is, the Demons
didn’t set their bar on
earth.
They want another shot.
They deserve another shot.
In a perfect world they
would get one but you know
the saying, “It’s not a per
fect world.” (Even if it was,
it’s not a perfect Georgia
High School Association.
It’s the entity which who
allowed the rule - for good
reason they would argue
- to sneak into publication:
“Schools from DIFFERING
classifications may use the
overtime procedure if agree
ment is reached and com
municated to the referee
BEFORE the beginning of
the game.”)
People Pleasing!
(We will delight you!)
green derby
175 Exit 1J« • 987-8877
SPORTS
people talk about us win
ning a championship, they
talk about us winning as a
team. I hope they take pride
in that.”
Nearly all of the winners
are back, the time-card
punching bunch led by
Hamilton, Chauncey Billups,
Tayshaun Prince and the
other Wallace (Rasheed).
And there’s more help
this time: Veteran forward
Antonio McDyess was signed
as a free agent last July,
and the Pistons acquired
guard Carlos Arroyo from
the Utah Jazz in January
for a draft pick and backup
center Elden Campbell, who
returned to Detroit as a free
agent last week.
The new have meshed
with the old. The theme,
however cliche, is a sincere
mission to prove the world
wrong. Again.
Detroit - which had
allowed 100-plus points just
four times last season - gave
up the century mark or more
four times in the first nine
games, including 116 to the
expansion Charlotte Bobcats
and 117 to the Denver
Nuggets. There were holes
everywhere - in the once
vaunted defense mostly, and
quite possibly in the argu
ment for a Pistons repeat.
Since late January, how
ever, the mix has again been
potent.
As if the history lesson
of a year ago isn’t enough,
the larger scope of time
favors another Hoedown
in Motown. Since 1986,
only the Spurs of 1999 and
2003 won the title without
repeating, with back-to
back or three-peat efforts by
the Lakers, Chicago Bulls,
Houston Rockets and Bad
Boy Pistons of old.
Titletown, for the time
being, remains in Detroit,
with no plans of relocation.
“It’s ours, man, and any
body who wants it has got
to come and get it,” Billups
said. “We’re under the radar,
and we like it that way. I love
it. We love it. That works
right up our alley.”
If we’re to learn anything
let it be two things. First,
please please help me lobby
to change the rules. Let us
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Tuition and fees paid by the HOPE Grant
Career training in exciting programs including Aviation Maintenance
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Day, evening and online classes available
Job placement assistance
ASSOCIATE DEGREES
DIPLOMA PROGRAMS
CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS
www.middlegatech.edu
80 COHEN WALKER DRIVE • WARNER ROBINS • (478) 988-6850
Comer room
R ASEBALL
STRATFORD 14, CENTRAL
FELLOWSHIP 6
CF: 000 140 1- 6 6 4
SF: 311 351 X-14 12 3
WP: (SF) Mitchell Westbery (1-0). LP:
(CF) Logan Dunaway Top hitters: (CF)
Dunaway 2-3, Josh Gladm 2-3; (SF) Cam
Fulcher 2-3, Carson Schilling 2-2, Rob
Forrester 2-2. 2B: (SF) Forrester; 3B; (SF)
Tyler Brown
WESTFIELD 4, FULLINGTON 2
WF: 1 0 0 030 0-450
FN: 000 010 1-251
WP: (WF) Connor Lester (1-1). LP: (FN)
Carston Langston. Top hitters: (WF) Tony
Albritton 2-3, Carston Franklin 2-4. HR:
(WF) Albritton, (FN) Mark Cumbus, Justin
Wagnon
HOUSTON COUNTY 11, WARNER
ROBINS 1
WR: 0100000-1 43
HC; 531 101 X-11 101
WP: (HC) Brian Wilkerson LP: (WR)Joseph
Herman. Top hitters: (HC) Wilkerson 3-4,
Ben Brighton 2-4. HR: Bo Fernandez. 2B:
(HC) Brighton
Results of the first regular season
GaSports.com baseball coaches poll
for the week beginning Monday
Class AAA
1 Columbus
2 LaGrange
3 Shaw
4 Cartersville
5 Gainesville
6 Oconee County
7 Westminster
8 Washington County
9 Johnson-Gainesville
10 Blessed Trinity
Class AAAA
1 Evans
2 Lee County
3 Hardaway
4 St Pius X
5 Greenbrier
6 Effingham County
7 Wayne County
8 Heritage
9 Chapel Hill
10 Jonesboro
Class AAAAA
1 Milton
2 East Coweta
3 Walton
4 Redan
5 Parkview
6 Roswell
7 Lassiter
HALL
From page 1B
Geometry and SAT Prep.
She also assists with the
seventh and eighth grade
basketball teams. That’s the
level she prefers because she
said she likes teaching play
ers the basics.
“I really enjoy working
on skills, finesse and inside
play,” Ciccarelli said. “I loved
never ever settle for a tie, be
it football or soccer or fast
pitch or whatever.
And two: If you simply
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9 Newnan
10 McEachem
|ENNIS
Warner Robins versus Westside,
Tuesday in Macon
Westside boys 4, Warner Robins 1
No. 1 singles
Drew Belk, Westside defeated Vann Jarrell,
Warner Robins, 10-4
No. 2 singles
Arlon Williams, Westside, defeated Kyle
Yawn, Warner Robins, 10-2
No. 3 singles
Dan McCullers, Warner Robins, won by
forfeit
No. 1 doubles
Zack Dannani/Brian Waugh, Westside,
defeated Brannon Poole/Josh Milteer,
Warner Robins, 10-2
No. 2 doubles
Chris Gates/Cale Rule, Westside, defeated
Joseph Allen/Dan Grace, Warner Robins,
10-6
Perry versus Northeast, Tuesday in
Perry
Perry boys 4, Northeast 1
No. 1 singles
Ishan Patel, Perry, defeated Tavares Ware,
Northeast, 8-0
No. 2 singles
Drew Woodward, Perry, defeated Javaris
Ware, Northeast, 8-2
No. 3 singles
Michael Delbert. Perry, defeated anduah
Simpson, Northeast, 8-1
No. 1 doubles
Mitchell Peterson/Frank White, Perry,
defeated Charlton Brown/Garriel Hill,
Northeast, 8-0
No. 2 doubles
Marcel Smith/Terrance Bonevillain,
Northeast, won by default
Perry girls 5, Northeast 0
No. 1 singles
Sara Jansen, Perry, defeated Dehvanie
Dillard, Northeast, 8-0
No. 2 singles
Caylee Bales, Perry, defeated Clarena
Hoskins, Northeast, 8-1
No. 3 singles
Amy Davidson, Perry, won by default
No. 1 doubles
Kaitland Ellis/Heather Winchester, Perry,
defeated Lindexia Mullen/Nichelle's
Carington, Northeast, 8-3
No. 2 doubles
Ashton Jones/Monica Patel, Perry,
defeated Lacey Stubs/Kimberly Johnson,
Northeast, 8-5
the team aspect of having to
work together to get the job
done. I’m hoping to continue
teaching basketball.”
Ciccarelli and her husband
Chris live in Perry with her
two sons Nathan, 8, and
Graeme, 6.
She also has a stepdaugh
ter, Kristen, 18, who is away
at college.
have just got to go that route,
I would speculate the “mint
flavored” Polident water will
taste better than “original.”
SPRING
QUARTER
2005-
CALL NOW!
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