Youth will attempt to guide Iowa City West to State

Youth and perimeter shooting are two things Iowa City West’s women’s basketball team will rely on this season.

Last year the Trojans finished 16-6, losing in the sub-state final to the Ankeny Hawks. But the main parts of the team have graduated.

Gone from last years team are the two leading scores, Emma Krieger Kittle and Madison Sadecky. The two graduated last year and took with them over half of the teams’ total points and rebounding.

This year’s team will rely on younger faces in order to replace the production of Krieger Kittle and Sadecky. But perhaps the hardest part to replace is the height.

The height factor is something West head coach B.J. Mayer will have to adapt to. The tallest player is only 5’10”, which creates some problems in the post.

“It’s definitely one of our weaknesses,” said Mayer. “We will probably rely more on the three-point shot this year.”

Not having an inside game would usually worry a coach, but not Mayer. Instead, the Trojans will look to run a more up-tempo style of offense, more conducive to their strengths. Senior Kristin Foman will be one key player the Trojans will look to for the three point shot. Last year, Foman averaged 27% from beyond the arc, but this year coach Mayer will be looking for her to improve her game.

“Kristin is a good shooter, but struggled last year to find her stroke,” said Mayer. “Hopefully she has a more productive season shooting the ball this year.”

Two other seniors looking to make an impact are Courtney Fritz and Mackenzie Reed. Fritz averaged 5.9 points per game and Reed averaged 5.2 last year. Mayer understands the importance of senior leadership, which will be a key part if the Trojans look to make the jump from sub-state to the state playoffs.

To help the seniors will be the addition of key players from last years 20-1 sophomore team. The added players will help establish a consistent rotation. Mayer expects to have a 10 player rotation compared to last year’s seven person rotation.

However, one key factor still remains unaddressed, the defense. In order to battle the height issues, the Trojans will run a zone defense to create more confusion on the floor, and to allow for more double teams in the post. Sophomore Tatum Klein is expected to be the main defender Mayer will look to in tough situations.

“Tatum Klein, who was a freshman last year, played a little with the varsity squad last season,” said Mayer. “Her defensive ability will be a big part of this year’s team.”

The first test for the young Trojans will be on Nov. 24 against non-conference opponent Fairfield. This game is important for the Trojans, because if they want to be able to complete with the elites in the Mississippi Valley Conference, they will need to get off to a solid start.

“Getting off to a good start, and gaining some early momentum is going to be really important, especially with such a young team," said Mayer.

The road to state for the Trojans officially begins with practice on November 9^th.

Response to Vincent Article

John Vincent’s article, Equitable Media Coverage of Female and Male Athletes: Is there a Solution?”, analyzes the many challenges female athletes face when it comes to representation in the media compared to male athletes.

Vincent’s argument is that society has stereotyped women with a certain gender role of being sexual. One example is that of Anna Kournikova. She plays tennis but is not a considerable talent such as Serena or Venus Williams. Kournikova plays into the stereotype of being sexual. Her appearances in Sports Illustrated and other publications show how her role is not of an athlete, but rather a sexual entity.

There are many social constructed ideas about female athletes that Vincent touches upon. One of the ideas is “gender appropriate sports.” Vincent notices female athletes who compete in tennis, swimming, gymnastics and so forth receive more media coverage. The idea is women who compete in more physical sports, such as field hockey, are categorized as being more masculine and thus receive far less attention.

A key aspect for women not receiving as much media coverage is because of revenue. Female athletics doesn’t draw the money men’s athletics do. For that reason, newspapers do not lead with a female story as often as a male story.

Women also don’t receive the same respect when it comes to sports journalism as a career. Sports journalism is a male dominated work place and this is still evident today, most notably on ESPN. There are female anchors on the network but generally, women work as side-line reporters. Not many women have been able to work their way from the side-line to a higher position. A reason for this is could be attributed to the stereotypes of women in society. In some ways this is true. Pam Ward, and ESPN announcer, is criticized for her play calling abilities. She often gets things wrong, and to a big sports fan, this can be seen as unacceptable. It also doesn’t help female analysts when there are blogs about how poorly Ward does.

One of the main problems I see with women breaking the barrier into mainstream sports is history. Men’s sports have saturated history, and women have been competing for a much shorter time then men. The gap between the two almost seems insurmountable. Even though history has changed, and women have gone from the household to the workplace, history has yet to change the dominant role of sports.

Even when there is a terrific female sports story in society, it generally gets overshadowed by a lesser male event. There have been times when female athletes have been able to snag the headlines such as the US Women’s World Cup team, the UCONN basketball program, and Shawn Johnson.

The conclusion Vincent gives is interesting to note. We do live in a society saturated by media and the Internet, but ultimately it is the parent’s responsibility to nudge their daughters into a direction of athletics. The idea of sitting on a couch and gaining weight is not something any parent wants. Vincent says, “it is important that parents perceive that their daughters' athleticism will be valued,” is a good measure of how a child relies on their parents to teach good lessons to them even if they don’t see them on TV or the Internet.

I believe female athletes are just as talented as male athletes. A good example is Danica Patrick. She has won an Indy Car race and continues to beat men every weekend on the track. I believe most people know she is a race car driver, but many would recognize her as the Go Daddy sponsor. She wears tight clothes and is seen with other gorgeous women in the ads. There are many other great athletes out there but still have little recognition with endorsements or by the media.

At the end of his article, Vincent lists ways in which the media can change their approach in order to equally give the same amount of coverage to both sexes. However, like most things, it all comes down to money. The media is a business, and they need followers in order to survive. It is clear to see where the media stands on male vs. female athletics. It would be hard to change something that has worked for the media for such a long time.

Fighter Bonus Awards for UFC 104

Awards

Fight of the Night

• Antoni Hardonk vs. Patrick Barry
  
• This fight was not on the main card and thus did not air on Pay-Per-View. However, it did air live on SpikeTV as part of the preliminary card. This fight was intense and very entertaining for any MMA fan. There was constant action, which was a great lead into the Pay-Per-View. It is a shame that not all UFC fights are like this one.
  
• Result: Barry won via TKO in the second round. Both fighters received a $60,000 bonus for the fight
  

Knockout of the Night

• This bonus was awarded to Patrick Barry for the onslaught of punches that he unloaded on Hardonk.
• Barry was awarded another $60,000 for the knockout.
  

Submission of the Night

• Stefan Struve won the bonus. Unfortunately, this fight was part of the non-televised fights and was only aired after the main event as a replay.
  
• Struve locked in a triangle choke against Chase Gormley. The choke happened in the last minute of the first round.
• Struve earned $60,000 for the submission.
  

UFC 104 Results

Machida vs. Rua

• The fight was back and forth the entire night. It never really looked like each fighter was able to get into a groove to win. The bout went the entire 25 minutes which is impressive.
  
• Result: Machida retains his title via unanimous decision

Cain Velasquez vs. Ben Rothwell

• Rothwell never had a chance in this fight. I know I predicted Rothwell to win, but in retrospect it was a stupid decision. Rothwell looked tired after the first round which ultimately led to his downfall.
  
• Result: Velasquez nailed Rothewell with a sharp punch early in the second round. The strike to Rothwell off of his feet and Velasquez went for the win. It was a superb victory of Velasquez and should be next in line for a heavyweight title shot.
  

Tibau vs. Neer

• I also picked Neer to win. Early in the first round, I thought Neer could pull off the victory with a submission. However, Tibau was able to escape and the fight went all three rounds.
• Result: Tibau won the via unanimous decision.

Stevenson vs. Fisher

• Another missed pick on my part. Going into this game there was some bad blood between the two fighters. To open the fight, neither fighter touches each others gloves. Usually, each fighter will touch gloves to show a sign of respect. There was none between these two.
  
• In round 1, Stevenson catches Fisher with a tight jab to the face. This cuts Fisher's face open and blood starts to pour out of it. None the less, Fisher retains poised and has an angered look on his face. Stevenson is smiley. Round 1 closes and Stevenson looks well conditioned and Fisher looks bewildered. Round 2 opens and Stevenson continues the onslaught. With one minute left in the round, Stevenson gets Fisher to the ground in the crucifix position, and unloads some heavy elbows. Blood continues to pour out of Fisher's head covering the mat in blood. Unable to defend himself, Fisher taps out.
  
• Result: Stevenson wins via tap out in the second round.

Johnson vs. Yoshida

• This fight was over before it began, or so it seemed. Less than one minute into the fight, Johnson unloads a furry of punches to Yoshida.
  
• Result: Johnson wins via TKO, early in the first round.
  

UFC 104 Predictions

Fights

Light Heavyweight Championship bout:
Lyoto Machida (c) vs Mauricio Rua

• I expect this fight to live up to all the hype. Both fighters are very well rounded with not many flaws to speak of. My pick is for Machida to successfully defend his title. I predict Machida will knock out Rua in the third round.
  

Heavyweight bout

Cain Velasquez vs Ben Rothwell

• Velasquez is undefeated and many look for him to keep his streak alive, for what would be a showdown with champion Brock Lesnar. However, Rothwell is a very large man, and capable of pulling off this upset. I think Rothwell will surprise many with a third round knockout of Velasquez.
  

Lightweight bout:
Gleison Tibau vs. Josh Neer

• Look for an upset as Tibau is supposed to knockout Neer fairly early in the fight. Neer is coming off of a tough loss at UFC 101, and will be out for redemption. Neer is also fights out of Iowa, so I have to get support to him. In all fairness, look for Neer to win via submission and shock a lot in the MMA community.
  

Lightweight bout:
Joe Stevenson vs. Spencer Fisher

• I like Fisher in this fight. He is on a three fight win streak, and looks to make it four. Again, another Iowan so he will do well.
  

Welterweight bout:
Anthony Johnson vs.Yoshiyuki Yoshida

• I will keep this one simple. Johnson will knockout Yoshida in the second round.
  

Packers Column

The loyal cheese heads that pack into the frozen tundra were hoping for a better start to the season than 3-2. Nothing seems to be falling into place for the Green Bay Packers, well except they stink almost as bad as moldy cheese.

The Packers offensive line has given up a league high 20 sacks, which is god awful. But quarterback Aaron Rogers refuses to blame his offensive line. The offense isn’t horrible, in fact they average 26 points per game, which is tops in the NFC North division.

One main reason for the Packers stench is their defense. The Packers decided to revamp the entire defensive system from a year ago. Head coach Mike McCarthy brought in defensive coordinator Dom Capors to run the 3-4.

So far this system has failed. The team has only collected five sacks and in most major statistic they are in the lower third of the league. The 3-4 sounded like a decent system going into the offseason, but the second I heard the coaches wanting to move Aaron Kampman to weak-side linebacker, I was shocked.

Why would you want to teach a new position to your best defensive player? In the last three seasons, Kampman is third in the NFL in total sacks, and this year he has only one. He doesn’t have the speed to cover an Adrian Peterson man-to-man, but what he does have is the explosive speed to rush off of the defensive line, which is where he needs to be.

The only positive to come out of this system is the reemergence of safety Charles Woodson. He has amassed three interceptions and returned one for a touchdown. Oh, not to mention the Packers are second in the NFL in turnover ratio with plus seven. If there is a bright spot in the defense, this would have to be it. Also the stellar play of rookie Clay Matthews is another positive.

But beside the few bleak signs of improvement, every week the defense regresses. Being a fan my whole life, it is hard to watch a team with so much potential struggle. Maybe it is because the system is new? Or maybe it is because certain players aren’t play in the right positions?

Only time will tell if the Packers defense can get back on track. I just hope it is sooner rather than later. And please move Kampman back to defensive end where he belongs. If this system does not pan out this season, expect to see some major changes in the Green Bay coaching staff. Namely head coach Mike McCarthy and new coach Dom Capors.

It is still early in the season with plenty of time to work out the kinks. But if the Packers hope to win the division, they are going to have to play stellar defense especially against the Minnesota Vikings explosive offense.

The Rabbit Hunter by Frank DeFord: Revised

Original: "Such criticism doesn't necessarily affect Knight in the ways and to the extent that most people imagine. In a sense, he enjoys being misunderstood, so no one can get a fix on him. It's like the effect Indiana's good defense has on the coaches of its opponents. "The average coach wants his team to score points," Knight says. "It's his character, his machismo, whatever you want to call it, that's at stake. So if I make a coach concerned enough about my defense stopping his offense, then he'll forget about my offense.""

Revised: The criticism Knight endures doesn't seem to bother him the way it would someone else. In a way, he likes to be mysterious so no one can fully understand him. Indiana's defense is similar to Knight, both are puzzling and hard to guard. "The average coach wants his team to score points," Knight says. "It's his character, his machismo, whatever you want to call it, that's at stake. So if I make a coach concerned enough about my defense stopping his offense, then he'll forget about my offense."

Original: "Knight is forever putting people back on their heels, testing them, making them uncomfortable in some way. Stop them from scoring points, and they won't be prepared to stop you. Although it's fashionable to say Knight rules by intimidation, he actually rules more by derision. He abuses the people he comes into contact with, taking the license to treat them as he does his players."

Revised: Knight is a coach who will test and punish you in some way. The opposing team will be pushed to the breaking point, often putting them back on their heels, in order to get them off of their game plan. The ideology behind this is simple: if Knight's teams stops them from scoring, then they won't be able to stop you. He makes it uncomfortable to play against and speak with because of the abusing nature that both carry. Knight often treats opposing foes as if he they were a part of his own team; abusive.

Original: "The best thing that ever happened to Knight was that after high school—he's still the greatest star ever to come out of Orrville, Ohio—he didn't amount to a hill of beans as a player. Knight the failed hero has not only served as the challenge for Knight the coach, but also Knight the disappointed hero is the model for the Every player Knight coaches. That boy was limited, self-centered, frustrated, a pouter, then a bitcher, ultimately a back-biter against his coach, Fred Taylor, who once called Knight "the Brat from Orrville."

Revised: After Knight left high school the best that could have happened, did. He amounted to nothing in college, in terms of a basketball player. The failed player from Orville served as motivation for Knight to get into coaching, and his coaching philosophy. Knight, himself, is a perfect model of what he doesn't want from his players. As a player, he was a self-centered, egotistical, a pouter and a back-talker against his coach Fred Taylor. Taylor once called Knight "the brat from Orrville."

Xyience: the Official Energy Drink of the UFC

I have recently discovered this energy drink made by Xyience, called Xenergy. I saw that it is the official energy drink of the UFC. I decided to try it out and was blown away. Most energy drinks are packed with sugar that loads me up for a few hours only to come down needing an extreme sugar rush. On the can it clearly states that it has zero calories and is sugar free.

I had the flavor Mango Guava and it was tasty. I was able to drink it at a good pace, instead of chugging it like so many other energy drinks. It was a delectable choice for studying, plus it didn't have a horrible after taste. Rather it left me wanting more. I would recommend this drink to anyone in need of an energy boost. I believe that if it is good enough for the UFC to endorse, then it is good enough for me to drink.

Chuck Liddell Dancing?

Believe it or not, UFC alum Chuck Liddell can keep his dancing shoes for one more week. Liddell's dancing performance is anything from graceful, but yet the fans still vote for him. It is strange to see a man who can still fight performing delicate dance routines to millions on national TV. He appears to be stiff on the dance, often uptight, but he has yet to falter.

Last years winner was 17 year-old Shawn Johnson who danced her way to the mirror ball trophy. She too lacked grace and elegance in the beginning but was voted back week after week. Some comparisons could be drawn to Johnson and Liddell, but he still has to find his niche in the competition. She was cute, Olympic gold medal winning gymnast from Iowa. While, Liddell's accomplishments are not as world renowned as her's, he still has the athletic advantage that others might not have. I look for Liddell to improve more and more each week through the tutelage of his instructors. Liddell is used to going through five rounds of hell for a living, so dancing should be easier for him to handle. The only way to keep Liddell on the show is to vote. Stay tuned because you never know what might happen on Dancing with the Stars.