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Dereck Whittenburg:
Coaches Wagner to first NCAA bid, but story angles will be dominated by D-Whitt as '83 champ NC State alum.
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The Lead Item
Two Words For You:
RAGING. BULL.
This is one of the most inspiring months in
the sports year, so what's up with all the rage? Got a
new solution for Ron-Ron's rage ... kind of understand
Piazza's rage.
But, first, the Georgia players' rage
inspires some outrage.
Let Them Play?
Here's what Georgia owes its litigious and/or
protesting basketball players: An athletic
scholarship. Not an apology.
Not: Asking permission -- or even providing a
heads-up -- about skipping the postseason.
And certainly not: Offering individual players
a chance to showcase their skills for the pros.
Here's the deal: Georgia's players get to go to
college for free. In exchange, they play basketball,
on the school's terms -- often aribitrary, capricious
and exploitative, to be sure.
Don't like those contract terms? Negotiate them
beforehand or don't sign up. But don't complain about
them after the fact.
Artest's Rage
The NBA's flagrant-foul rules aren't deterring
its biggest offender, Ron Artest, who racked up
another, after all-but-tackling Eric Snow last night.
(Ron called it a "purposeful foul.")
Riiiight.... His seventh flagrant point will
likely bring a two-game suspension, but it's time for
the NBA to change the structure and offer a toothy
punishment that Artest might actually keep in mind:
Five games after the seventh point, six games
on his next one, etc.
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"ANY EXCUSE TO GIVE SHOUT-OUT TO HUBIE" EDITION |
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| CONVERSATION TOPICS THAT ARE IN PLAY: |
1. Hubie for NBA Coach of Year: Griz win 5th in a row
2. "Lakers reeling!" screeching: Lose in Detroit by 23
3. Burk suing City of Augusta: Dislikes protest locale
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| CONVERSATION TOPICS THAT ARE SO OVER: |
1. Dream of "Villanova 7": Lose to G'town, NIT next
2. Lavin at UCLA: Play 'Zona today; miracle unlikely
3. Hello, Laverne: Coles' Jets-to-Skins move official |
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Piazza's Rage
Can't blame a plunked Mike Piazza for charging
L.A.'s Guillermo Mota, who hit him last spring,
too. Piazza, of course, is still living down his
non-confrontational approach with Roger Clemens.
Mota, who defended himself with the pitcher's classic
"limply throwing my glove at this charging dude might
stop him" technique, pulled a Seneca Wallace-like
end-around, untouched, into the dugout.
New NFL Voice
Since we saw how effective informal lobbyists
were with the Lions and Cowboys, is the new, formal
minority-support organization -- named the Fritz
Pollard Alliance -- willing to be more activist?
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Golf's Top Draw
Now that it's confirmed that both Arnold
Palmer and Jack Nicklaus will play Bay Hill
next week, tournament organizers would have to be
crazy not to pair them up. Bigger than Tiger-Els, if
only for the dwindling chances of seeing it again.
73rd HR Ball
After almost two years, those two guys arguing
over Bonds' 73rd home-run ball have decided to sell the ball
and split the money, which might just cover those
now-oh-so-valuable legal costs.
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Cincinnati Bearcats:
Cincy's fizzle on the Bubbizzle yesterday to lightweight Southern Miss in C-USA tournament first-round should earn it exile to NIT.
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| Vlad love: Who wants Guerrero? |
VOTE at SportsNation
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Today on ESPN.com
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| P2: Crime of century |
| IN: NFL rumors |
| Championship Week |
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Alt-Tab: Practice today for next Thursday, toggling between
ESPN.com's scoreboard page and a dummy
spreadsheet ...
SEC school presidents happen to meet today;
think sports might make the agenda? ...
Story to watch today: release of Steve Bechler's toxicology report ...
MJ and Mia named ACC's 50th anniversary all-time
greatest athletes ...
C-Week Picks:
ACC (Maryland);
Big East (Syracuse); Big Ten (Illinois);
Big 12 (Kansas);
C-USA (Marquette);
Pac-10
(Arizona)
Yesterday: Weber St. (Yes); St. Francis? (Oops)
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