The Sporting News articles from April 2005

The Sporting News archives from April 2005

To know list: 7 sworn oaths to tell the truth, just not about the past.(Know It All)
April 1, 2005... [1] WAS IT MADNESS? The Demons got him So, will the Wake Forest-West Virginia game stand as an NCAA Tournament classic? Not if you picked Wake Forest to win the national championship. Twice. I picked Wake No. 1 in our season...

Add milk, hold the juice.(Caught On The Fly)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... General Mills and Major League Baseball Properties have struck a deal in which Wheaties will be the official cereal of MLB. As part of the deal, there will be a commemorative line of boxes that feature the likenesses of the great sluggers of...

Bob Hille's starting 5.(Know It All)
April 1, 2005... 1 The NCAA Tournament. My bracket's shot already, but I've got no one to blame but myself. Against my better judgment, I had the Cubs winning it all. 2 Jason Giambi, Congress gave him a pass, but the first question from the New...

The Indians save the season.(City Of Hope)(Cleveland Indians donate money to high school baseball)
April 1, 2005... Antonio Nieves has no doubt where he'd be this March afternoon if he weren't at school preparing for baseball practice. "Juvenile court," says Nieves, a senior right fielder and second baseman at Lincoln West High in Cleveland. When budget...

Playing pickup.(Tricia Garner--Young And Restless)
April 1, 2005... I'm standing in a dimly lit room. In one corner, a guy is serving drinks. In another corner, a DJ is playing Outkast's "Hey Yd." Anxious-looking women, clutching their coats and fussing with their hair, are clustered along one wall. Across the...

Your turn.(Know It All)
April 1, 2005... 'For years, Bud Selig kept his head in the sand and did not address the steroid issue. It is a shame that Congress has to step in and try to clean up his mess.--Frederick Kranz, ,Spring Hill, Fla. * Brian Cashman states that he doesn't know...

2005 college basketball award.(Know It All)
April 1, 2005... PLAYER OF THE YEAR Dee Brown G. ILLINOIS Some things must be seen to be believed, and some must be seen to be understood. There might be no better way to measure Brown's excellence this season than simpy to watch him play. Brown...

A friend in deed: George Young NFL Executive Of The Year: Scott Pioli, Patriots.(Know It All)
April 1, 2005... This is the most private of football operations, these Patriots. But here's one key to how they've become the model for all NFL teams: the friendship between coach Bill Belichick and Scott Pioli, the club's vice president of player personnel....

Athletic supporter.(Exposure)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Chief photographer Albert Dickson tells the story of the A's Avenger (9-year-old Jake Chambers of Valley Springs, Calif.), who prowled the aisles of Phoenix Municipal Stadium during a spring training game: 'As he chanted "Let's go As!" at the...

Still the 1s: during a wild first weekend, the No. 1 seeds avoided upsets--even Washington, the team no one figured deserved a top spot in the first place.(College basketball: NCAA tournament)
April 1, 2005... There was a moment, back when the whole idea still was fresh, that the Washington Huskies saw every reason to be delighted with their No. 1 NCAA Tournament seed. Of course they did. At last, they'd been acknowledged. They'd never been the most...

Clocking in: saying goodbye to college football and hello to the NFL means proving you are big enough, strong enough and fast enough. At Florida State's pro day, 21 hopefuls took some time-honored tests for scouts.(NFL)
April 1, 2005... Nothing brings out a cluster of NFL scouts and their stopwatches like a pro day. At Florida State last week, they lined up seven deep on each side of the finish line--more scouts, coaches and personnel men watched attentively from the...

Wings and a player.
April 1, 2005... Alex Barron spreads his wings. As the distance between his fingertips grows wider, you can imagine him embracing... what? A Mini Cooper? A sequoia? An entire church congregation? Each of his arms is 38 1/4 inches long--fine for warding off...

Damn! It's the Yankees: a return to its late-'90s formula of winning with a first-rate rotation will put New York back on top.(Baseball Season Preview)
April 1, 2005... It's no fun picking the Yankees. When a team outspends its nearest competitor by some $70 million, or whatever the ungodly sum will be this season, that team not only should win the World Series, it also should inspire books, movies and songs....

Predictions have to play out on the field.(The Closer)
April 1, 2005... With opening day near, the prognosticators get to do their thing. All the experts really are going out on a limb this year by picking the Yankees. Wow. You guys have guts. And if you're not picking the Yankees, you're taking the Red Sox....

TSN power poll.(Baseball Season Preview)
April 1, 2005... TSN POWER POLL Comments by Ken Rosenthal 1. Yankees. To honor Rivera, The Boss will buy Panama. 2. Red Sox. The Curse resumes. 3. Angels. Can't win the Series without a legit ace. 4. Giants. Respect the elderly. 5....

The old A.L. and N.L. stereotypes don't apply to today's game.(Baseball Season Preview)
April 1, 2005... Vive la difference. Whoops--with the Expos now in D.C., let's keep it in English: Viva the difference. There. Much better. The Expos now are the Nationals, the Anaheim Angels are the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Puff Daddy is P....

Q&A: Randy Johnson: Yankees lefthander Randy Johnson has returned to the American League after 6 1/2 seasons in the N.L. He talked with Insider Ken Rosenthal about his motivation for wanting to play in the Bronx, among other topics, during an interview that will appear Sunday on FOX Sports Net Across America.(Baseball Season Preview)(Interview)
April 1, 2005... TSN: Why was your heart set on the Yankees? JOHNSON: I don't think my heart was ever set on the Yankees. But if you're going to trade me and I have the option of picking where I want to go, I think that--no disrespect to the other 28...

What's the difference? The traditional lines separating the leagues are blurring, but when players swap sides they still need to make adjustments.(Baseball Season Preview)
April 1, 2005... Back in the day, the American and National leagues had different strike zones, separate offices and players who typically stuck in one league long enough to care about winning the All-Star Game. But free-agent movement, interleague play and a...

A.L. East.(Baseball Season Preview)
April 1, 2005... BALTIMORE ORIOLES WHAT WE KNOW Without RF Sammy Sosa last year, the club was third in the A.L. in batting average and broke a team record for doubles. With Sosa, the team will have a formidable lineup (with SS Miguel Tejada, DH Rafael...

A.L. Central.(Baseball Season Preview)
April 1, 2005... CHICAGO WHITE SOX WHAT WE KNOW The rotation is as sound as it has been in Ken Williams' five years as G.M. LHP Mark Buehrle and RHPs Freddy Garcia, Jose Contreras, Orlando Hernandez and Jon Garland all are capable of winning more than 10...

A.L. West.(Baseball Season Preview)
April 1, 2005... LOS ANGLES ANGELES WHAT WE KNOW The middle of the order-RF Vladimir Guerrero, LF Garret Anderson and CF Steve Finley-will be tough for pitchers to get through. It's impossible to pitch around all three of them, and they're especially tough...

Jason Kendall: athletics.(Baseball season preview: A.L. West)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Previously: Every game he played in the first nine years of his career was for the Pirates. Presently: After at least two years during which Kendall "was traded to every team in the league, some of them twice," he finally was moved. The...

N.L. East.(Baseball Season Preview)
April 1, 2005... ATLANTA BRAVES WHAT WE KNOW The acquisition of RHP Tim Hudson and return of RHP John Smoltz to a starting role have the Braves believing they have baseball's strongest rotation. Hudson is a legitimate ace, and LHP Mike Hampton and RHP John...

N.L. Central.(Baseball Season Preview)
April 1, 2005... CHICAGO CUBS WHAT WE KNOW The Cubs believe they are more balanced offensively and will score enough without home run threats Sammy Sosa and Moises Alou. SS Nomar Garciaparra takes over in the third spot, and 3B Aramis Ramirez will bat...

N.L. West.(Baseball Season Preview)
April 1, 2005... ARIZONA DIAMONDDBACKS WHAT WE KNOW The offense will be much improved, thanks to the return of LF Luis Gonzalez (elbow) and the additions of 3B Troy Glaus and RF Shawn Green. Those three give the club a solid middle of the order, something...

Seize the day, Nuggets fans: yeah, yeah--we all know, in the end, that George Karl will talk his way out of Denver. But for now, he's doing one heck of a job with the Nuggets.(NBA)
April 1, 2005... In Denver, they're calling the young small forward the "new and improved" Carmelo Anthony. They're seeing passing and defense. They're seeing small, quick lineups adept at creating easy baskets (actual lineup used last week: Earl Boykins, Greg...

Walker has increased his value by reducing his 3-point attempts.(NBA)
April 1, 2005... It has taken nine years. It required a trade out of town a year and a hall ago. It also required a stint with a terrible team. But when Antoine Walker went back to Boston--where he had spent the first seven years of his career--in a trade last...

Top 5: stretch-drive games to watch.(NBA)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... 1 Pistons at Heat, April 10, The Pistons had a chance to show they were back to championship form with a big trip West, but they went 3-3. Detroit has no chance of catching the Heat for the East's top seed, but the Pistons do have a chance to...

All the comforts of the road.(NBA)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Antonio Daniels can't explain it. The Sonics guard plays for a team that is one of the best in the league away from borne, with road wins at Miami, San Antonio and Phoenix. In Seattle, though, the Sonics merely are good, not great. Entering the...

NASCAR is ready to use its big stick: NASCAR's crackdown on cheating will mean harsher penalties, but the effort will be worthwhile in the long run.(NASCAR)
April 1, 2005... If you're going to do the crime, get ready to do the time--that's the message NASCAR boldly sent to teams last week in response to rules infractions at Las Vegas. To send the point home, president Mike Helton followed up with this warning...

The 47 and over over-under.(NASCAR)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Sterling Marlin, 47: "I think I can still win. There's no doubt in my mind. I guess most people think you've got to be 22 to drive a Cup car now. I think that's a crock." Chances of winning again: Zero. The last time someone 47 or older...

Bristol's best.(NASCAR)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Bristol's best The top five drivers at Bristol Motor Speedway the past five seasons: Driver Starts Poles Wins Top 5s Top 10s 1. Jamie McMurray 4 0 0 1 3 2. Kevin...

Why Kurt Busch will win at Bristol.(NASCAR)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Motivation. Sharpie, one of Busch's sponsors, is the title sponsor of the track's August night race. That should light a tire under Busch for the April 3 race. To get better at the track, he continues to test there, including once already this...

296.(NASCAR)(Kyle Petty)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Starts by Kyle Petty since his last Cup win, which was June 4, 1995 at Dover. Petty, 44, is off to his best start since 1997, when he was 13th after four races. After last weekend's Atlanta race, he was 24th, having dropped eight places with a...

Who's doing surprisingly well, and why?(Driver Reports)
April 1, 2005... Kevin Harvick Because he didn't make the Chase, it's easy to forget Harvick was in the top 10 after 22 of the first 24 races last season. To improve, Richard Childress Racing buckled down in the offseason and built a new fleet of cars with...

Draft foresight can lead to a view from the top: the teams that are doing the best at drafting aren't reacting to needs as much as they are anticipating them.(NFL)
April 1, 2005... If the Eagles plan to choose a running back with their first pick in the draft--say, Florida's Ciatrick Fason--the Philadelphia riot squad should be notified several picks in advance. Or at the very least, the team's community relations staff...

Inside the AFC.(NFL)
April 1, 2005... After the departure of Fred Miller, the TITANS' right tackle spot is open, but there's no proven replacement on the roster. Time is running out for third-year RT Todd Williams. Williams still doesn't use good technique and thinks so much that...

The three C's.(NFL)(Rudi Johnson, Chad Johnson, Carson Palmer and T.J. Houshmandzadeh all signed by the Cincinnatti Bengals)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Rewarding RB Rudi Johnson with a five-year, $26 million deal will allow the Bengals' offense to maintain consistency, continuity and chemistry, which should help the team improve on back-to-back 8-8 seasons. WRs Chad Johnson and T.J....

A heavier Light would be ideal.(NFL)(Matt Light of the New England Patriots)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... The Patriots' Matt Light played much of the 2004 season at less than 300 pounds, which made him one of the smallest left tackles in the NFL. Though Light makes up for his lack of size with outstanding footwork and leverage, his goal this...

Please reconsider.(NFL)(Denver Broncos' personnel moves)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... It took a last-minute personal phone call from Broncos coach Mike Shanahan to bring G Cooper Carlisle back to Denver after he had agreed to a deal with Baltimore. Getting Carlisle back is important. The Broncos released starting RG Dan Neil in...

Offensive adjustments.(AFC Focus)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... The Steelers want to help QB Ben Roethlisberger become comfortable against zone defenses. Toward the end of the season, teams stopped blitzing Roethlisberger because he proved to be effective at making throws on the run against man coverage....

Inside the NFC.(NFL)
April 1, 2005... The addition of former Steelers WR Plaxico Burress will create tough matchups for GIANTS opponents, especially in the red zone. The team's starting receivers, Burress and Amani Toomer, are 6-5 and 6-3, respectively, and TE Jeremy Shockey also...

Changing on the run.(NFL)(Larry Beightol of the Green Bay Packers)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... The direction the Packers' running game takes will be determined by how quickly line coach Larry Beightol integrates two new starting guards into the lineup. There's a good possibility he'll have two mammoth former tackles--Adrian Klemm (6-3,...

Offensive adjustments.(NFC Focus)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Look for the Vikings to take better advantage of outside and off-tackle runs in 2005. A season-ending injury to TE Jim Kleinsasser in 2004 forced coaches to go away from those calls; in their preseason playbook, coaches had designed plays for...

Scouting report.(NFL)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... The Buccaneers upgraded the tight end position by signing former Jet Anthony Becht. Though he's limited as a receiver, Becht (6-5, 272) is an excellent blocker who's very strong at the point of attack and has the mobility to pull and deliver in...

Exploring their options.(NFL)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Look for the Cowboys to use more two-tight end, one-back formations in 2005 because Dan Campbell, one of the league's best blocking tight ends, will return from a foot injury that sidelined him for the final 13 games of '04. Julius Jones proved...

Spring is no time for a walk in the park: hear the sounds of pads cracking and hype smacking? We must be five months from the start of the season.(College Football)
April 1, 2005... Ah, the joys of spring practice. A few lazy weeks of tossing the ball and getting reacquainted. You can almost smell the jasmine floating in the air. Yeah, not quite. I'm here to tell you spring practice is more important than any...

The MAC: the missing in action conference: there's a reason the MAC hasn't received multiple NCAA bids in years. And somewhere, you'll also find the lost ark, the Holy Grail and the excuse for Paris Hilton's fame.(College Basketball)
April 1, 2005... This is the league of Ron Harper, Dan Majerle and Antonio Daniels. It is the league of Theron Smith, Bonzi Wells and Wally Szczerbiak. It is the league of Eastern Michigan 1991, Miami 1999 and, once a mere 40 minutes away from the Final Four,...

Draft cram session: fantasy source.
April 1, 2005... SQUEEZE PLAY By ROGER KUZNIA A look at the A.L. and N.L. Central in Part 2 of our divisional previews: On the rise: Jeremy Bonderman, Tigers; Carlos Zambrano, Cubs. Bonderman won five of his final eight starts in 2004 and could...

Baseball will survive this scourge: McGwire goes to bat against the truth--and whiffs.
April 1, 2005... If only someone had fallen on the grenade... Given himself up for dead... Taken one for the team... If only one guy had the guts to say, "Yeah, I took steroids. Didn't everybody?" It would have been great if Mark McGwire...

Got your attention now? Teammates Dee Brown and Luther Head won the awards, but Deron Williams willed Illinois to the final four.(Final 4)
April 8, 2005... The campaign began after the election was conducted. That's a tough way to win it, folks. As a candidate, Deron Williams needed every endorsement he could get, every expert testimonial. His appeal was too subtle to expect that voters would rush...

The road best travelled: how do you groom a top pick into a franchise quarterback? Ask David Carr, whose journey--though still in progress--provides answers.(NFL)
April 8, 2005... David Carr has 140 reminders of what it is like to be a franchise quarterback in development. That's how many times he has been dumped, whacked and run over in his first three NFL seasons--and we are talking only sacks here, not all the other...

Three redshirt freshmen who are off and running.(Brief Article)
April 8, 2005... QB Robbie Reid, Oklahoma State. There's a reason he was anointed starter/savior last year before r sustaining a season-ending knee injury in fall camp. WR Demiko Goodman, Georgia. A track star, he must refine his route-running skills; both...

To know list: 8 early contenders for the home run crown.(Know It All)(includes multiple articles )
April 15, 2005... [1] THE RANKING FILE It's a whole new world By now you've heard that this week's Masters could be a celestial battle of the golf stars, a titanic tilt of a tournament you later will be able to look back upon and say, "Was that some...

Finding a higher purpose.(Good Guys--David Carr, Texans)(Brief Article)
April 15, 2005... After his third child was born in January, Texans quarterback David Carr had a strange feeling. "Here was a healthy baby, and 1 always thought I would need to do something in my life to help a family member, just like Boomer Esiason and Doug...

Cub for a day: taking part in spring training was a dream come true for Nextel Cup champion Kurt Busch.(Know It All)
April 15, 2005... Michael Barrett, a catcher for the Cubs, steps through the netting into the batting cage. Pitcher Ryan Dempster sets a ball on a tee for the new guy wearing No. 97, a classic beanpole. There's no name on the jersey, so Barrett has no idea who...

'I'm going to be an original': forget comparisons to Randy or T.O. or Keyshawn. Mike Williams plays only one way--his way--and he's proving he's still on after a year off.(NFL)
April 15, 2005... This is the time of year when we search for ways to describe NFL prospects. We wrack our mental highlight reels and try to define these football immigrants in terms all can understand, usually ending up with a Frankenstein's monster of a...

Ponson and trouble go hand in glove: if Ponson weren't being paid $7.5 million per year to win baseball games, you'd love to have him as a drinking buddy.(Baseball)(Sidney Ponson)
April 15, 2005... There's trouble on the beach in Aruba. There's trouble at the bottom of a bottle. There's trouble in the heart of that drunken patron staring wild-eyed from the other side of the restaurant. Trouble, trouble, trouble. And lo and behold,...

A.L. East.(BASEBALL)(American League)
April 22, 2005... BALTIMORE ORIOLES Club officials are concerned about the season debut of RHP Daniel Cabrera, who reverted to old ways after an impressive showing in spring training. Cabrera lost his release point, began firing the ball and threw at A's 1B...

N.L. West.(BASEBALL)(National League)
April 22, 2005... ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS C Chris Snyder has impressed the pitchers with his game-calling ability and skills. After watching him block several balls in the dirt in a tight game against the Cubs, the staff is confident it can throw any pitch in...