The News-Star from Monroe, Louisiana • Page 28

6C The News-star Sunday, April 18, 2004 arUKId tH1lf fJUWITCa miw rwn SCORECMD THREEUP THREEDOWN News-Stir staff members weigh in on the topics of the week: the NBA. UConn is losing key figures from both of its title teams Diana Taurasi to graduation and Emeka Okafor to 4 No NBA team plays better in April than the Lakers who gutted out a double-overtime win this I week to move int0 a No-2 seed in the West as the playoffs begin. Is once-slumping Los Angeles now peaking at the right time? I draft. Does that make a new champion on ootn siaes oi me coiiegiaie Dracirei a certainty i UConn doesn't have teams. It has programs.

Teams graduate. Programs reload. Stickney. It's hard to lose the best players In the country and follow with another title. My bet Is A il.i i.m mnttt unnm hitt ma nnntt annnnh Drinra The nba teason minors wnat naonens in its names, uoni ootner waicnma um we nunn quarter because that's all that matters.

Paul J. Letlow. Wat BUM Willi UO yuuu iicai jcai, vui hii yuuu imiuym NUU8. Maybe It took the Lakers this long to forget their distractions. Buster Wolfe.

2 The Yankees and Red Sox resumed their bitter feud this weekend in a series that began exactly six months after New York's Game 7 victory in the AL championship. Is there a bet- Another NFL season is announced this week with another Monday night schedule that j. A. thnf fnr itm thit hoc nnn1 EfW nwnr tOOcSn inCIUUB UIB NSW unedllb OdUlls. mm jusuncu iui a icaiu uiai naa yunc uvci the past three seasons? Do we really want the whole country to get Indigestion along with ter rivalry in all of sport? If so, which one? The only feud that approaches this one In real heat Is the Hatfields and McCoys and both Prince.

QThe New Orleans Hornets, even with a playoff berth, just finished their first non-winning season in battles feature a whole lot of folks getting tipsy, then loud, then violent. Keith Prince. Celtics-Lakers, circa 1960s and 1980s. Both teams could find a way to win. Ken Stickney.

3LeBron James didn't lead the Cavs to the postseason, but helped Cleveland more than double last season's total of 17 wins. Give your season-ending assessment of the 19-year-old high The Hornets may have changed coaches and cities, but the players haven been shooting any better, 14 1 Injuries played a big role Wolfe. y.i rioya uiun i nave me greatest irac recuiu bmiayu, ma uue nuuiu uui uo a iviai CONN school phenom. My assessment of this kid started with doubt and disbelief and now has moved to amazement LBHUW. ff sf; ms questions to answer.

bticKney. rn ai Emeka Okafon Enough of the books, bring on the bucks, UU A ff and a great appreciation for a world-class talent prince. LeBron James: The beginning of something historic? CALENDAR Rice, the defending College World Series champion, will be in Ruston for a three-game series against Louisiana Tech. The Owls have won 12 I FRI I 23 straight WAC games over the Dogs. Bad Blood, Part II: The New York ONEONONEWITH Sarah Dawson Louisiana Tech Softball coach Sarah Dawson is in the middle of her second season leading a Techster program that had become a rebuilding project.

Last year Dawson guided Tech to a 16-42 record. This season her team has already surpassed that win total, standing 20-24 and winning seven of its last nine games. Dawson is a Techster now, but she gained fame in northeastern Louisiana from 1994-97 as one of Louisiana-Monroe's most successful athletes in the school's history. As a pitcher on Rosemary Holloway's team, Dawson amassed a record of 120-56, 151 complete games, 1,242 13 innings pitched, 1,280 strikeouts and 74 shutouts. Her complete games, innings pitched, strikeouts and shutouts all rank in the top five in NCAA Division I history, while her 120 wins rank No.

6. Dawson was twice named as the Southland Conference Player of the Year and in the summer of '97 she was named Most Valuable Player in the inaugural season of the Women's Professional Fast-Pitch League. Dawson, whose next game is Tuesday against her alma mater, took a few minutes to chat with News-Star senior writer Scott Beder on Saturday. FRI I 23 SAT I 24 Yankees will get the Boston Red Sox in their house this time, welcoming their rivals for a three-game series. The New Orleans Hornets play their first home playoff game of the first round, taking on the Miami Meat at noon in Game 3.

The annual two-day NFL Draft gets under way in New York. The San Diego Chargers hold the top pick. GOF1GURE Number of Eastern 4 Conference teams in the NBA playoffs with non-winning seasons. Career assists at 370 Louisiana-Monroe by former point guard Jamie Mayo (who was seeking a second term for Monroe mayor on Saturday). NBA head coaching 3 changes made since last summer.

Straight games the Atlanta 1 2 Braves will play on the road starting Tuesday Record for NFL Europe's 3-0 Frankfurt Galaxy, whose quarterback is Saints backup J.T. Sullivan. Minutes head start for 29 women runners in the Boston Marathon on Monday done for safety and less interference for top runners. Value of new $100,000 motorcycle for 2004 winner of Indianapolis 500. It has a top speed of 200 mph.

SAT 24 Celebrating birthdays this week: Today: Chiefs and former La. Tech tackle Willie Roaf (34). Tuesday: Saints place-kicker John Carney (40). Saturday: Braves outfielder Chipper Jones (32). SPORTSHUMOR Tnn Ten Sinns A Baseball Plaver 1 After starting oft a little sluggish this season, your team has won seven of nine.

Have you turned the corner? We're defnitely playing more consistently lately. Earlier in the season we would pitch well and play good defense and struggle on offense or vice versa, but the biggest difference in the last week and a half or so has been our consistency. 2 (Louisiana Tech Media Relations Director) Malcolm Butler tells me you have a dog that you're pretty attached to. What's the story? I didn't know I was that attached (laughs). It's a black Lab named Sullivan and he's a great dog.

He helps you keep things in perspective. It's a friendly face when I come home and he doesn't care if you win or lose and he's non-judgmental. 3 How often does your connection to ULM come up over in Ruston? Of course twice a year when we play ULM it comes up, but other than that they only rib me if I say something. 4 (Men's basketball coach) Keith Richard Is also a ULM grad. Are there any conspiracy theorists over there that think you guys are plotting something? People know pretty well how irritated I get when we lose, so I don't think they have to worry about any conspiring.

le llEnn Ctnvnirl 19 woiuy wtciuiuo 10. This year he broke the home run record; last year he was a cellist. 9. Only signs autographs in exchange for clean urine samole. AUDIDLES o.

neuueMS sdidiv ue udiu mi oditu um LCI UHOdldS. 7. That guy who looks like the Phillie Phanatic is actually your shortstop. 6. Whenever team wins, dumps tub of Creatine on manager.

5. Exhibits erratic behavior like chewing on foul pole. 4. Can spit sunflower seeds 95 miles per hour. 3.

Rush Limbaugh points at him and says, "That dude's messed up." 2. George Steinbrenner is scared of him. 1. Makes Schwarzenegger look like Carrot Top. "Late Show with David Letterman" 5 It's the bottom of the seventh of a championship game with a full count, two outs and the bases loaded.

You're on the hill. What's your out pitch? A rise ball. That's an easy one. That's definitely the pitch I'm most comfortable throwing. I throw it a couple of different heights.

That's definitely the pitch I have the most confidence in. He put us on his back. At the beginning, people were almost hoping he'd fail. He didn't. Not only that, he did everything with a smile.

Carlos Boozer On teammate LeBron James' impact on the Cavaliers this season. fj I V- i Courtesy photo THISANDTHAT AROUND THE HORN The ball hadn't landed in McCovey Cove yet when the projection was made: Barry Bonds, if he maintains his current pace, will pass Hank Aaron by the 15th game of the 2006 season. AROUND THE TRACK Jeff Gordon could have used NASCAR's al break for Easter to kick back and get refreshed. Instead, it was a whirlwind, including a trip to the Bahamas on his boat for some shark diving, a row seat to Phil Mickelson's winning putt at the Masters and a job as a judge in the Miss USA pag- Ann That a lot of assuming. It's assuming Bonds, who'll be I I 40 in July, averages 33 homers over the next three seasons.

caul. "I had a busy off week. I'd like somebody to come in and try to top my off week. It Only two players in history, was pretty spectacular, Gordon said Saturday, adding that he also Darrell Evans and Carlton Fisk, hit 95 homers after their season in which they turned 39. took home some house money said.

The hardest part was watching players on the 18th green and hearing roars from elsewhere on the course, unaware what prompted the cheers. "The funny thing is, I'd never gotten so excited over watching the scoreboard In my entire life. That's the excitement of it," he said. Associated Press AROUND THE RIM Pacers coach Rick Carlisle had an intern sit down and review game tapes in order to determine scoring averages, shot totals and shooting percentages of the opponents guarded by Ron Artest this season. "It was my version of The Carlisle jokingly said.

"I told the Intern if Ron got defensive player of the year I was going to give him a big chunk of money out of my own pocket. But if he didn't get it, the intern was fired." Cleveland phenom LeBron James had a great rookie season and now wants to be consulted about offseason personnel decisions. "I would hope so," he said. "I'm a big piece of the puzzle. We need the right kind of players on the team." Mike Dougherty, Gannett News Gardenhire liked the analogy and is trying to send Green a Twins cap.

John Delcos, Gannett News AROUND THE GRIDIRON Standing at a podium in a party tent six years ago, San Diego Chargers owner Alex Spanos gushed about the team's new quarterback, obtained with the second pick in the draft. Oops! The Chargers had stumbled into merely the worst judgment call in franchise history. That QB, of course, was Ryan Leaf. Perceptions die hard. Just like in 2001, fans are wondering if the Chargers are unnerved about using this pick on a quarterback and paying a huge signing bonus because of the Leaf fiasco.

Team officials practically bristle at the suggestion, insisting they're not. But the fact remains the Chargers passed on taking Michael Vick with the first pick in the 2001 draft. They traded down to No. 5 and ended up with LaDainian Tomlinson, one of the NFL's premier running backs. San Diego, by the way, is 17-31 since getting Tomlinson, who, like all Chargers have for the last eight seasons, has watched the playoffs on TV.

Associated Press I fc-r It also assumes Bonds stays Bonds healthy, keeps going deep at the pace of once every 7.74 at-bats or playing blackjack in the Bahamas. "My goal in my off week was to have a great, wonderful relaxing time and not end up in any gossip paper," he said. "I think I did that." Gordon Gordon spent Sunday at the Today wasn't my fault. I woke up at 8 o'clock. Traffic.

I've got to learn how to drive in the rain. I usually don't have a problem with it. I've just been slacking lately. My fault. Wizards' Gilbert Arenas Who after being punished for missing the team's flight a day earlier, was benched for arriving late for the morning shootaround.

A roughly every 2V6 games. Last week, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire read in the newspapers about American forces fighting insurgents in Afghanistan. One article addressed the differences in equipment given to Delta Force commandos and Green Berets. "It's like playing for the Minnesota Twins, and they (Delta Force) are the Yankees," Green Beret Staff Sgt. Chuck Green was quoted as saying.

"You're all in the big leagues, but they get more money and better equipment." Masters in the front row around the 18th green, his first experience watching professional golf in person. "I kept telling myself I can't believe I'm going to go walk around and watch grown men hit little white balls around in the grass and try to put them in a small hole, and I'm going to do that all day long," he Spears The new GSU coach is taking his team to various community events this week. From page 1C Famers. He'd like to rename rooms in the support facility after other former greats like James "Shack" Harris and Albert Lewis. Those ideas strike a chord with supporters some of whom say that Spears, a graduate of Alcorn State, seems to have a better grasp than most on the importance of GSU's football contributions.

"Maybe the fact that Spears is an outsider is what helps him to appre ciate what hallowed ground he now treads on," said Donavan D. Simmons, a 1997 graduate of Grambling State. "The statue is not only a great idea but long overdue: It seems that the outside world has more reverence for the great Eddie Robinson than we Gramblinites right there on campus." In keeping, Spears visits regularly with Robinson as well as the football program's other chief architect, former sports information director Collie J. Nicholson. Those talks have helped shape Spears' thoughts on how the team can better interact with the local community.

Players will attend church as a unit this morning, visiting Mount Herman Baptist Church in Farmerville. After practice on Monday, they will participate in a fan meet-and-greet session at 7 p.m. in the support facility. "We hope those efforts will bind us closer to the community," Spears said, "and give people more incentive to support us." On Tuesday, the team plays host to a faculty-appreciation event, then participates in a Read-A-Thon ai the Alma J. Brown Middle School on Thursday.

"Our main objective will always be to continue the legacy of what Coach Eddie Robinson and then Doug Williams put in place on the field," Spears said. "But in the midst of that, we need to remind people of our heritage the recruits, the players, the fans and, if we want to make the pro end zone to the next in Dallas or DC," he said. Spears also sent out personal letters to the presidents of each of Grambling State's national alumni chapters inviting them to this Saturday's spring game, detailing this year's signing class and encouraging them to buy season tickets. "Grambling is tradition rich, to say the least, but we as alumni and supporters are notorious for taking that tradition for granted," said Simmons, who plans to attend Saturday's Black and Gold Game on campus. "There's almost an unspoken arrogance.

How easy it is to forget that the new generations aren't being taught about our rich history. It is certainly refreshing to see that Spears has not forgotten." gram more self-sufficient, outside sources of income." Within days of being named interim coach, Spears asked former Grambling State standouts Scotty Anderson of the Detroit Lions and Thyron Anderson of the CFL's Montreal franchise to participate in the first weekend of spring sessions. "We've got to get the people who once played here back into the fold," Spears said. "That will remain a big initiative of mine. A number of outstanding players built this tradition.

We want them involved in our program." As Grambling State travels this season, Spears will invite every former player residing in the host city to be an honorary captain on the field. "I don't care if they line up from one It was me, Phil and the green jacket. We might be sleeping with that green jacket for a while. Amy MIckelson About sleeping arrangements since Phil won the Masters..