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September 21, 2004

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Asking All the Tough Questions

By | September 21, 2004

I heard the other day that someone paid a few hundred dollars at an auction for a 10-minute phone call with Reggie Jackson. I found this to be kind of strange, sort of vain — and did I mention very strange?

But it got me thinking. What would I ask Mr. October, or for that matter, what would I ask any famous athlete, if I was given a few minutes of their time?

I consider myself qualified to ask this question because, many years ago, I spoke with Dennis Scott for a little while at the All-Star Caf

2029 Sports Lesson

By September 22, 2004

“Ok, class. Open your history textbooks to Chapter 16: Sports Stories of the Past Century and turn to page 274. Since today is the 25th anniversary of the 2004 NHL lockout, we’re going to read about how this labor dispute affected the players and the game of hockey itself.” … and it was clearly shown on the replay that Terrell Owens did not have possession of the ball as he fell out of bounds. Vikings coach Mike Tice then became the first NFL coach of the instant replay era to throw the challenge flag just so he could yell at the refs for messing up a game-altering call. The Lockout: Hockey Gets Put on Ice With hockey writers predicting a lockout almost two years in advance, the NHL work stoppage became official on Sept. 16 at 12:00 a.m. The two sides met several times in the weeks leading up to the lockout, but could not work out a deal. The players’ union proposed a new plan in the 11th hour, which included a luxury tax, revenue sharing, a five percent rollback in player salaries, and changes to the entry-level salary structure. This plan was rejected by the owners, who wanted a salary cap instituted to limit player salaries. In the 2003-04 season, the 30 NHL owners reported a loss of $224 million, of which 75 percent came from just six teams. Out of the four major sports, hockey was the only one without a salary cap or luxury tax in place. With 75 percent of the league’s total revenue going towards player salaries, the owners needed a cap on salaries to turn a profit. A last-minute deal might have been reached had the owners and league executives not been watching the World Cup of Hockey, which took place the first two weeks of September in 2004. Players Move On With the league’s operations halted, many players signed on with teams in Europe and fledgling leagues in North America. Unfortunately for players like Peter Forsberg and Markus Naslund, who had hoped to play in the Swedish Elite League, that league’s collective bargaining agreement also had expired, meaning they would have to wait out another lockout if they wanted to play in their home country. Leagues in the Czech Republic and Russia were in similar straights, and for the multitude of players who jouneyed over to Europe, the only option to play hockey was way back in North America. The Original Stars Hockey League, which formed only a month before the lockout, capitalized on the labor situation in Europe. With its new brand of hockey and a multitude of former NHL players, the OSHL completed eight 20-game seasons in the span of one year, awarding the Assante Wealth Management Trophy to three different teams. The league enjoyed wide success thanks to its free admission and free alcohol at every game. However, hockey fans were irked at the $100 parking fees instituted at every arena. The World Hockey Association did not enjoy similar success. Thanks to a substandard website and the loss of the AVCO Trophy, the league floundered in the first months of its season. Commissioner and former WHA great, Bobby Hull, resigned in mid-2005 to go play for the Detroit franchise of the OSHL. Isiah Thomas, having failed to get the New York Knicks to the playoffs, took the reins, and the league folded soon after. The Next One And The Next Next One Eric Lindros, whose career was plagued by numerous concussions and sour dealings with the Philadelphia Flyers, found himself short on money after investing a substantial amount of his savings in the WHA. Taking a page from Jose Canseco, Lindros started a service where people could pay him $10,000 to hang out with him for a day. Unfortunately for Lindros, a group of about 100 Flyers fans signed up for the first slot. Needless to say, by the end of the day, Lindros had sustained his seventh and eighth concussions. Sidney Crosby, the young hockey prot
Freshman Siegel Making Immediate Impact for Booters

By September 22, 2004

The life of a freshman athlete is far from glamorous. As freshmen midfielder Jarid Siegel knows all to well, when the time comes to carry equipment, fill water bottles, or clean up after team dinners the freshmen are called to duty. Yet those chores are insignificant in comparison to the rush Siegel feels each time he has stepped onto a soccer field with a Cornell jersey on. Siegel has played in all five of Cornell’s matches this season. Coming on as a substitute in the Lehigh and Syracuse matches, his tenacity off the bench earned him a starting spot against Colgate. His ability to create chances and put the ball on net has helped him keep that spot each of the following two games. “I didn’t expect to be starting or playing,” said Siegel. “I didn’t feel any pressure [starting against Colgate]. I was just hoping to get out there and make things happen.” Siegel has been one of the sparks for a Red offense that has struggled to score early in this season. He is among the team leaders in shots, with five so far on the season. “Jarid plays the game the right way. He keeps it simple and he plays quick,” said head coach Bryan Scales. “He’s a guy that’s very competitive, he’s got good instincts, he’s got good feet, and he’s comfortable winning the ball back.” While Siegel may seem to fit in naturally on the field, the adjustment to college soccer has not always been easy. Besides getting through a preseason of 6 a.m. practices and grueling runs, Siegel had to adjust to the speed and intensity of college play. “The guys are strong, they go hard, and they go fast,” Siegel said. “If you’re not ready and you don’t know what you’re going to do before you get the ball then you’re going to get hammered.” Sophomore teammate Dan Marks remembered some of the struggles Siegel had adjusting to collegiate soccer. “His mixing Gatorade in the preseason was awful, but he’s done well and really stepped up the Gatorade aspect of his game.” Marks said. Marks’ twin brother and teammate Tom, commented on the non-sports drink aspect of Siegel’s play. “It’s great when we have freshmen like that who can step in and play hard every game and practice,” he said. “His tenacity and his aggressiveness boosts our midfield and our whole team.” Siegel is one of nine freshmen on this year’s squad, most of whom live together in the same dorm. The inevitable result of such a living situation is a fierce ongoing tournament of hallway soccer. “Evan Smith is pretty nasty; probably the hallway champ” Siegel said. Surprisingly there have been no broken windows or JA’s, yet, in the quest for hall bragging rights. “No, No, that’s why were on varsity,” Siegel said. “We don’t break windows.” Archived article by Paul TestaSun Staff Writer