By November 29, 2005
The rebirth of Lynah Rink took a step forward a week ago, as Cornell’s plans for renovations of the ice hockey facility were granted preliminary approval by the City of Ithaca Planning and Development Board at a Nov. 22 meeting. “Everything’s on track,” said Cornell associate athletic director Stephen Erber. “This meeting was specifically for preliminary site plan approval. – At some time in December there’s another meeting [for final approval].” The current agenda for the Lynah Rink expansion calls for roughly 19,500 square feet of new construction to be added to the facility, as well as renovations to 9,850 square feet of the existing building, all beginning in the spring of 2006 and wrapping up in the winter of 2006. The new additions will consist of locker rooms for the men’s and women’s teams, as well as visitor locker rooms, training rooms, coaches’ offices, and about 464 new seats for spectators. The preliminary approval came on Cornell’s second visit before the board. Bob Blakeney, an architect for Cornell Planning, Development, and Construction, gave a site plan review and sketch plan presentation at the Oct. 24 meeting. The central part of the proposal before the board was an addition on the south side of the rink at the concourse level, which would replace a parking lot currently used for handicapped parking, visitor parking, and Cornell Outdoor Education vehicles. This would consist mostly of new offices for coaching staff, as well as study and training rooms for players. Furthermore, Cornell is planning new construction under the west end of the south addition at rink level. Despite the unanimous vote for preliminary approval and the absence of any public opposition at the meeting, the board did have several concerns it felt needed to be addressed before the final approval could be given. A letter to the board from Ithaca Fire Commissioner Tom Parsons raised the issue of accessibility and safety for the fire department in the event of an emergency. In his letter, Parsons asked that the board withhold final approval until the Ithaca Fire Department and Cornell could address several procedural issues. Due to the fact that the IFD and Cornell had only been in contact for the first time four days before the board meeting, Parsons felt that more time to consider all the information and plans available was necessary. “The objection is nothing significant, it’s a basic procedural issue,” Parsons said. “The project is still progressing, I don’t anticipate anything holding up final approval.” Parsons contacted the board concerning the fire support system and fire detection in the one-story addition on the west end of the facility. Although every aspect of the proposed construction and renovation is in compliance with building and fire safety codes, Parsons felt that more time for communication between the University and the IFD would be essential to developing a final plan that would serve both parties best. “What we’re proposing is in fact in compliance and does improve life safety,” Blakeney said at the meeting. Blakeney pointed out that the new plans included a full sprinkler system and actually increased fire detection capabilities within the facility. Furthermore, all of the walkways leading to the building will be wide enough to accommodate fire vehicles, and the rink will have more exits than is required by code. The board also felt that the issue of parking needed to be given careful and thorough consideration before final approval. With the loss of the 25-space lot due to the new construction on the south side of the rink, the board was concerned about the cumulative impact on campus-wide parking and asked to be provided with further details from the University’s transportation office concerning how the distribution of parking around the rink fit into the overall campus plan. The board will meet again in December with final approval for the Lynah Rink expansion on the agenda. The ultimate go-ahead will rest on review and approval of the drainage system for the rink, details about sidewalks, bike racks and other landscaping features, and review and resolution of fire safety issues. “It seems like all of these politics take the same route and same path and everybody’s concerns need to be addressed, but everything’s moving along,” Erber said. Archived article by Olivia Dwyer Sun Assistant Sports Editor
By November 29, 2005
T.O., T.O., T.O. – the sporting news has been overflowing with the name. But this time the situation surrounding unemployed receiver Terrell Owens is deserving of the media circus it has attracted. This isn’t just another T.O. story. This is huge. HUGE. Clear your head. Find your happy place. This is the biggest thing to happen in sports in a long while. Sporting pillars are being shaken. On the heels of arbitrator Richard Bloch’s decision to uphold the Eagles’ original suspension of Terrell Owens, a single question is ringing in sports fans’ ears everywhere: how can it be that the best receiver in football is out of a job? By all measures, this is wrong, insane, pathetic, impossible – take your pick. Over the past year, Owens has proven himself to be the filthiest of rats, the lowest of the low and the best receiver in football. His story is simple: he does – and says – whatever he wants, whenever he wants to. And in his spare time, he catches touchdowns. You can accuse him of being selfish, obnoxious and cocky, but one thing you can’t accuse him of is being a phony. His behavior has been consistent, and the Eagles and Andy Reid got exactly what they asked for when they stole him away from the Ravens last offseason. No one cried over T.O.’s 20 touchdowns. Not a single tear was shed while the team watched Owens collect 124 receptions for a combined 1,963 yards over the past season and a half. But once the cordial Dr. Jekyll transformed into Mr. Hyde, the Eagles started finger-pointing and playing the blame game. But why? They got precisely what they asked for. Any culpability should be placed directly on Philly’s shoulders. But now that the curtain has come down on T.O. Part II, I cannot help but wonder what the next act in this saga will bring. Where will he go? What team, or coach, can handle him? And the $64,000 question: will he ever play in the NFL again? I know it sounds absurd. I know. Many believe there’s no way a guy with that much athletic talent and on-field upside can be turned away because he doesn’t know the meaning of the word “tact.” But if we slow this avalanche of drama down, there are a few good reasons that T.O.’s next job interview could result in a resounding “NO.” Owens is 31 and not getting any younger. So he has little motivation to play for a team in the process of rebuilding. The man is looking to win now. But, as enamored as he is with himself, by position, T.O. is a complementary player. Without a talented and smart quarterback, T.O.’s ability means squat. There is no way he is going to sign on to play for a team, regardless of its record, if somebody like Kyle Orton is calling the plays and taking the snaps. Given these prerequisites – a team with realistic Super Bowl aspirations and a receiver-friendly, pass-first quarterback and offensive system – No. 81’s options are somewhat limited. Now, I will agree his ability is indisputable. He is the best receiver in football. But as every NFL owner will agree, statistics may be dazzling, but mean nothing if they don’t translate into rings and trophies. And so far, although T.O. has collected 101 touchdowns and appeared in five Pro-Bowls, he has never won a championship – a credential sorely lacking on his resume. And how many head coaches and GMs look at T.O. right now and think they can control him? Take Bill Parcells, the archetype of a strong-armed coach who has complete power over his team. He preaches teamwork and discipline. He knows how to measure statistics versus the intangible baggage that comes with many players (spotlight Keyshawn Johnson). That being said, if Parcells’ calculations leave T.O. out on the street, I can’t foresee any other coach feeling man enough to step up to the challenge. The most restraint Owens has shown in the past 18 months is refraining from outright calling Andy Reid a “girly man.” He doesn’t know the meaning of teamwork and has no idea what it means to be a supportive teammate (spotlight Donovan McNabb, Hugh Douglas, Jeff Garcia, and probably every pee-wee athlete ever to play on his team). A coach cannot rationalize introducing a player onto a cohesive, playoff-contending team with all this in mind. Can you imagine a quarterback with any pride accepting T.O. onto his team after T.O.’s public denouncements of the last two QBs he’s teamed with? He’d be like Adam Banks joining the Mighty Ducks, except this isn’t a Disney movie, and there isn’t much chance of a happy ending. The situation is complicated. Owens’ desire is to play for a winning team. But will a winning team want him? There are some playoff-contending teams right now who are a big-play receiver away from realistically making a run at landing a spot in Detroit (Cowboys, Broncos, Falcons, and Bucs to name a few) but will they take the risk that the Eagles took? They might see T.O. as that critical missing spark, but those same teams could just as easily view him as a cancer. It’s hard to imagine that after the Eagles experience, a coach would ever again place the ticking time bomb that is Terrell Eldorad (Eldorad??) Owens in the middle of his locker room, and risk jeopardizing team chemistry and morale (which have been shown to be as vital as having a receiver who can make the big play). If his on-the-field actions are a secondary consideration to his off-the-field antics, then the chance of him being signed to a team in the near future seems improbable. In early 2005, Philadelphia Magazine ran an article in which the author wrote: “Terrell Owens rescued Philadelphia. He brought glamour and glitz and an electrifying jolt of good vibrations to the city.” Hmmmm. Just talk to Andy Reid and Jeffrey Lurie now and see what they have to say about the matter. Good luck on finals. Ben Kopelman is a Sun Staff Writer. 2 Legit 2 Quit will appear every other Tuesday this semester.Archived article by Ben Kopelman