Month: November 2008

Mid-Week Grades for Nov. 26

Posted by dobrien – November 26, 2008

Before we head into the holiday break, we have to break out some grades. As always, these will be revealed on WGEM SportsCenter presented by Hardee's around 8:15 a.m. or so Wednesday. Listen live on ESPN 1440 or online.

QUWBBSmall A — Quincy University women's basketball team. The Lady Hawks have hit for 100 points three times in five games this season to set a school record. Dare I say it, but this team might just have more weapons than the Elite Eight team from 2003-04. Jessica Keller continues to dominate. Lindsey Stellflue, Alex Roznowski and Janette Burgin continue to fill it up. Whintae Irby is one of the fastest point guards I've seen in the women's game. As long as the Lady Hawks continue to get solid post play, the sky is the limit.

Jets 38p c 11-24 B — Brett Favre's return. Yes, I was sick of the saga last summer, but it's been worth all of the ruckus. Favre has been solid this season and has the Jets in first place. He's turned Eric Mangini into the Mangenius again, a year after many wanted him out of the Big Apple after a 4-12 campaign. The Jets have won five straight and should win the AFC East unless they implode or Favre gets hurt (not likely in either case).

QUMBBSmall C — The Quincy University men's basketball team. It's still much too early to tell what the Hawks will be like for 2008-09 — even though I went out on a limb and pegged them at 18-9 overall and 9-8 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. Through three games, we've seen some flashes from players like Mookie Pierre, Andrew Kueker and Tyler Burke. They'll have the better part of a week to figure some more things out before Great Lakes Valley Conference play starts Dec. 4 when the Tritons of Missouri-St. Louis come to Pepsi Arena.

Rams 25p c 11-14 D — St. Louis Rams. Giving the Rams an 'F' would be too easy. (Plus, I'm a bitter Notre Dame fan.) But the Rams are downright awful. In November, the team has been outscored 123-13 in the first half alone. Don't know if they can do it or not, but the Rams should just start over like an expansion team. Seriously, could they be any worse than they have been this season? Maybe you keep Chris Long and a young guy or two, but you dump the rest of them. Especially the big-bucks, non-delivering Steven Jackson and Marc Bulger. The Rams have been cursed by some terrible personnel moves.

Syracuse Notre Dame F_O'Br F — University of Notre Dame football team. The Irish haters are loving life right now. ND (6-5) is in the dumps — again. The loss to Syracuse last week was terrible. It's been 20 years since the Irish won a national championship and 15 years since they've been relevant on the national scene. Charlie Weis looks like he's more fit (well, he's not really fit) for the pro game than the colleges. At this point, the Irish couldn't win the MAC. Good luck with USC this weekend.

QU review — QU 103, Central Christian 57

Posted by dobrien – November 24, 2008

The Hawks proved to be nearly as potent offensively as the women's team on Monday night. The Hawks handled the (take a breath) Central Christian College of the Bible Saints, recording their first 100-point night since a 106-point outing last Dec. 20 in a win over Harris-Stowe.

Here's a look at Monday's stars:

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1. Tyler Burke
He struggled shooting the ball from distance at Truman State last week, going 2 for 8 from behind the 3-point arc, but he was on it Monday. Burke made all five of his 3-point attempts and finished with a career-best 17 points. If he can be a consistent outside threat, Burke will make the Hawks a much tougher matchup once GLVC play hits. 

Obradovic0809
2. Nikola Obradovic
The Penn State transfer had six assists and scored six points. He was disappointed with his shooting, going 0 for 4 from 3-point range, but shouldn't be discouraged. He'll do the little things to help the Hawks win. He won't be flashy, but he'll be effective like he was on Monday night. 

Stafford0809
3. QU's walk-ons
Minutes like these don't come around too often and the guys at the end of the Hawks' bench made sure to enjoy them. Only freshman Marquez Brown failed to score as every other Hawk scored at least one point. Junior Dominic Stafford, shown at left, made his QU debut and scored eight points, including a pair of 3-pointers. Freshman Cedric Collins and senior Joe Starnes scored four points each as the Hawk reserves easily outplayed the Saints' bench.

DOBservations
The game was QU's last for 10 days when the Hawks open Great Lakes Valley Conference play against Missouri St. Louis in the second game of a seven-game homestand. … The team will practice today and Wednesday before taking two days off for Thanksgiving break. … Monday's game concluded an odd round-robin between QU, Central Christian, Truman State and Hannibal-LaGrange. Truman went 3-0, QU 2-1, HLG 1-2 and Central Christian was 0-3. The Hawks can get revenge for their loss to the Bulldogs next month at Pepsi Arena. … The combined stats for the QU women's and men's teams on Monday night — 211 points, 31 3-pointers, 97 rebounds, 50 assists to 27 turnovers, eight blocks and 34 steals. Eight players finished in double figures and 27 of 28 players who saw action for Quincy scored at least one point. Fourteen QU players tied or set new career-highs in points. Women — Alex Roznowski (20), Kassidy Shuman (8), Justeen Koehler (7), Renita Bunte (6), Sam Poppe (4) and Bianca King (3). Men — Burke (17), Courtney Belger (15), Andrew Kueker (10), Steve White (9), Tyler Thompson (9), Stafford (8), Scooter Maye (6), Collins (4).

QU review — QU 108, HLG 47

Posted by dobrien – November 24, 2008

The Lady Hawks prepped for their Thanksgiving holiday trip to Denver by crushing a Hannibal-LaGrange College team that is in transition under former star Delena White.

Roznowski0809
1. Alex Roznowksi
The senior shooting guard from Green Bay, Wis., claimed after the game she wasn't in any big hurry to get out of Pepsi Arena to watch her Packers play New Orleans on Monday Night Football. You'd have thought otherwise with how she picked apart the zone defense HLG tried to play against her. She matched her career best with 20 points for the second straight game, making four treys in the process. Her big night from behind the arc help QU set a pair of school records. For the second time this season, the Lady Hawks established a single-game 3-point mark. They made 18 on Monday night. They also surpassed the 100-point plateau for the third time this season, the most any QU team has done that in a single season … and we're just five games in.

Koehler0809
2. Justeen Koehler
The junior from Goodland, Kan., matched her career-highs with seven points and two blocks. She's near the end of the Lady Hawks' rotation, but she could be a factor at some point this season. If the Lady Hawks go up against a few athletic post players, Koehler could make a difference with her athletic ability and her ability to block shots.

Goldie0809
3. Daryle Goldie
The Clark County product does what every walk-on worth their salt should do — fire away when they get in the game. She leads the Lady Hawks in shots per minute (0. 68 per minute — 17 shots in 25 minutes played this season). To put that in perspective, Jessica Keller, QU's leading scorer, takes just 0.44 shots per minute. Goldie pulled seven times in seven minutes on Monday night. The freshman guard is averaging 2.6 points per game and is the second-highest scoring freshman on the team.

DOBservations
In case you were wondering, the school record for points in a game is 116 vs. Elms during the 1983-84 season. Elms is located in Chicopee, Mass. It was the only matchup ever between the programs. QU won 116-55, the same 61-point margin as Monday's game. … In case you're wondering, part duex — the largest margin of victory in program history is 95 points. QU beat MacMurray 115-20 during the 1982-83 season. No. 2 is a 79-point beatdown the Lady Hawks laid on Iowa Wesleyan, 114-35, during the 1987-88 season. Monday's game tied the Elms game for the third biggest margin of victory. … Can't say you didn't learn anything today. … QU is now 7-0 lifetime vs. HLG. … The Lady Hawks plan on having a team Thanksgiving dinner at head coach JD Gravina's house on Wednesday night before leaving Thursday morning for Denver, where they will play in the Metro State Tournament. … HLG guard Michiko Namba, a sophomore from Tamano, Japan, broke out the first set shot Pepsi Arena has seen since the late 1950s. She had six points, including a 3-pointer. 

It’s turkey time

Posted by dobrien – November 23, 2008

Editor's note: This column originally appeared in the Sunday, Nov. 23 Herald-Whig.

Later this week, we’ll gather around the table, give thanks for what we have and eat a little turkey.
Sports fans could take that carving knife and slice up some turkeys that have taken up too much of the air time and headlines this year.

Here’s one man’s look at the biggest turkeys in the sports world this year:

Roger_clemens_grimace_face
Roger Clemens
The seven-time Cy Young winner ushered in the New Year having to defend himself from the Mitchell Report. He went on CBS’s “60 Minutes” to claim he was clean. He even went before a congressional committee to claim his innocence.

If the allegations of Clemens ’roiding up weren’t bad enough, he was also charged with snuggling up to country music star Mindy McCready when she was a teen star back in the 1990s.

Give thanks that Clemens has been out of the spotlight for a while now. Hopefully, we won’t have to hear from him for a while.

Kimbo
Kimbo Slice
As the great philosopher Flava Flav said, “Don’t believe the hype.”

Slice was going to be the next big thing in mixed martial arts. EliteXC paid him a ton of dough to be the face of their promotion. Yes, Slice can kick some butt on the streets. In the octogon, not so much.
I saw him fight twice on CBS. He barely beat some dude with a terrible cauliflower ear — James “The Colossus” Thompson.

A few months later, Slice hit the mat quickly after pink-haired Seth Petruzelli knocked him out in less time than it took Usain Bolt to win the 200-meter dash in Beijing. It’s no wonder, EliteXC is dead — just like Slice’s career.

Cubs
Chicago Cubs
There’s no denying the Cubs had a great regular season. They won the National League Central on their way to posting the best record in the National League. Maybe, just maybe, this year — the 100th anniversary of the team’s last World Series title would be the time for the franchise to celebrate another championship.

The team came up small again in the postseason. Cubs fans like to point out their team has been to the playoffs each of the last two years, while the Cardinals have sat at home. Both teams have the same number of postseason wins since the Cardinals wrapped up the 2006 World Series title — zero.

Wie
Michelle Wie
Even the biggest Wie fans have to be tired of her act by now.

She struggled playing against the women for much of the year. But she had a chance to actually win an event — The State Farm Classic in nearby Springfield — and was disqualified for failing to sign her scorecard. Then after saying she wasn’t going to play against the men, did so anyway.

She has made it to the final stage of the LPGA Tour’s qualifying school next month. If Wie fails, expect some of those sponsor’s exemptions she’s been living on for the past five years to dry up.

Steven-jackson_nc
Steven Jackson
First, the guy holds out for nearly a month in order to get a new contract from the St. Louis Rams.

With a new deal in hand, he’s proven to be as durable as a screen door in a tornado. He’s missed a month of action now. It’s looking like Jackson is the latest in a growing line of draft busts and personnel decisions made by the Rams.

Larry-johnson
Larry Johnson
It hasn’t been a great year for feature backs on pro football teams in Missouri. He’s been a bigger knucklehead than Jackson. He’s been suspended by his employer, the Kansas City Chiefs, as well as the National Football League for his off-field antics, which include alledged violence against women. His days in K.C. should be numbered.

Have your own turkeys? Email me at dobrien@whig.com or fire away below in the comments section.

Slaps of the Week — Nov. 21

Posted by dobrien – November 21, 2008

Rich-rodriguez
For some reason, a few powers that be in the sports world don't want the fans' voice to be heard.

Earlier this week, Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez and Cleveland Browns general manger Phil Savage told their respective fandoms to take a leap, each doing so in their own special way.

Rodriguez, trying to head off an avalanche of criticism ahead of this weekend's beatdown the Wolverines are sure to absorb from The Ohio State University, had the following to say about the internet naysayers:

"It's amazing some of the things that people would say (on a message board) or yell at you of a personal nature," Rodriguez said Monday. "You almost want to tell them, 'Get a life.'

"There's a whole lot bigger problems. Look at the economy."

Uh, Coach, people use sports as their release from everyday woes like the sagging economy. Those same people Rodriguez wants to 'get a life'  are the same ones who fill up Michigan Stadium and help pay his multi-million dollar contract.

Those people want Rodriguez to beat Toledo, not lecture them on how they should act.

9840.r
Savage was a bit more direct in his response to a disgruntled Browns fan. After one too many bitter e-mails landed in his inbox, Savage fought back.

On Tuesday, Savage fired off an e-mail to a Browns fan that contained a four-letter word.

After some debate whether it was Savage who sent the message, he owned up to it.

Are the fans always right? Not by a long shot. 

Still, these guys should know their roles and shut their mouths. Nothing good comes from when they open them.

Mid-Week Grades for Nov. 19

Posted by dobrien – November 19, 2008

Time for an extra-special edition of the Mid-Week Grades. Break out your favorite college sweater like Cosby used to because we're dealing exclusively with our area college teams now that the fall sports season is (almost) over.

To listen in, tune your AM dial to 1440, home to ESPN 1440, or join us online at wgemradio.com. Josh Houchins and I go over the grades around 8:15 or so. Listen in a few minutes earlier and try to win a Thickburger compliments of our fine sponsor for WGEM SportsCenter presented by Hardee's.

I'm also using a tad bit different scale than usual: 

A — Hannibal-LaGrange College men's soccer. The Trojans are headed to the NAIA Tournament for the first time in school history. The fact the third-ranked Trojans have to go on the road is somewhat baffling, but they still have a great shot to get to Fresno, Calif., for the NAIA finals the week of Dec. 1-6. 

B + — Quincy University women's soccer. The Lady Hawks made the NCAA Tournament for the third straight season and finally won a game in the NCAAs for the first time under coach Dave Musso. Top-ranked Grand Valley State wound up being too much for the Lady Hawks in the Midwest Region semifinals, but it wasn't enough to tarnish another fine season by QU.

C – — Quincy University men's soccer. Count me among those who severely overestimated the Hawks this season. Jack Mackenzie thought so much of this squad that he took them overseas before the season for some extra training and exhibitions. Unfortunately, it never carried over to the regular season and the Hawks wound up missing the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament

D – — Culver-Stockton College soccer — men's and women's. The teams combined for just three wins — two by the men and one from the women. At least the men were competitive in most of their games. The women's team, which finished the season with barely enough players to field a team, lost its final 17 matches and was outscored 164-12 on the season. 

F — Culver-Stockton College football. The Wildcats finished 0-11 for the first time in school history and had the program's first winless season since 1982. They showed some signs of life midway through the season, but couldn't find a way to win. 

Disclaimer: I'm sure most of these student-athletes are great kids and will be fine citizens. That's why I didn't call any of them out by name. They don't deserve that. However, as a unit, they're free game. If you have a beef with the grades, email me at dobrien@whig.com or leave a comment here.

QU review — Truman State 66, QU 64

Posted by dobrien – November 18, 2008

The Hawks hit the road for one of the few times during the 2008 portion of their schedule and left Pershing Arena with their first loss of the season on Tuesday night.

Tuesday’s stars:

Pierre0809
1. Mookie Pierre
Hawks fans saw out of Pierre what QU coach Marty Bell has talked about with the Gaithersburg, Md., product being the same type of player as the guy who used to wear the No. 1 before him — Andre Muse. Pierre showed Tuesday the ability to abuse smaller guards in the low post . He took the ball to the hoop as easily as he did hitting 3-pointers. He might not have the ball-handing skills ro power that Muse did around the hoop, but he’s not a bad fill-in. He finished with 24 points as the only Hawk in double figures.

Estridge
2. Banks Estridge
The senior from Eureka, Mo., has been a thorn in the Hawks’ side during his career. He came into the game averaging 18 points per game against the Hawks and boosted that average with a 20-point night. His two free throws with 4.7 seconds left finally put the nail in the coffin. Keep an eye out for No. 12 in purple when the Bulldogs come to Pepsi Arena next month.

Obradovic0809
3. Nikola Obradovic
The Penn State transfer gave the Hawks a spark offensively in the first half when they badly needed it. He scored all six of his points in the first half by taking the ball to the rim. That same aggressive play cost him in the second half as he picked up three fouls in a 90-second span and eventually fouled out. He’ll be the guy that does the blue-collar work for the Hawks when he’s in there.

DOBservations
QU played without junior Steve White, who  did not make the trip after violating team rules. Hawks coach Marty Bell said White was serving a one-game suspension.  QU could have used the rangy 6-foot-7 White against the taller Bulldog post players. … Neither Austin Chapital (hamstring) nor Justin Brock (wrist) played again on Tuesday night because of their injuries. While Chapital is improving, Brock has yet to be cleared to practice and won’t be until he has full range of motion in his right wrist, Bell said. They are both questionable for Monday’s home game with Central Christian. “I have to be very careful not to put those kids in harm’s way,” Bell said. … As is usually the case when QU makes the short trip to Kirksville, Mo.,, the Hawks had a small, but vocal  fan base. … Truman has a new court after a summer flood ruined a floor that was put in just last year. … The officials scorer table has been moved to the opposite of side of Pershing, which caused many QU fans to do a double-take. … Gas in the Kirkisville is just $1.81 a gallon. … The meeting was the 104th between the schools. QU leads the all-time series 53-51.

QU review — QU 89, Lincoln Memorial 53

Posted by dobrien – November 16, 2008

So much for the Lady Hawks' Tip-Off Tournament title drought. After a rough first half Sunday afternoon at Pepsi Arena, QU crushed the Railsplitters in the second half, opening the half by scoring the first 29 (yes, 29) points of the half.

Here's a look at Sunday's stars:

Keller0809
1. Jessica Keller
When she got busted in the nose on a drive late in the first half, the Lady Hawks woke up a bit according to coach JD Gravina. He said they got angry and took it out on the Railsplitters. What did Keller do the next time she had the ball after tending to her bloody nose? Take it right into traffic, of course. She finished with 22 points, eight rebounds and six steals. The senior forward was the only unanimous pick on the all-tournament team after her 45-point weekend.

Irby0809
2. Whintae Irby
With so much offensive firepower around her, Irby won't be asked to score much from the point guard spot. She'll have a chance to lead the Great Lakes Valley Conference in assists though. Her Sunday stat sheet is one point guards die for — 10 assists against no turnovers. Meanwhile, Lincoln Memorial's point guard had one assist against 10 turnovers. Through two games, Irby has 18 assists to just one turnover.

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3. Alex Roznowski
They should call her "The Microwave," a la former Detroit Pistons Bad Boy Vinnie Johnson of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Roznowski is instant offense. She's shooting the ball with a ton of confidence after coming on strong at the end of last season. She made three triples on Sunday, including back-to-back treys late in the 29-0 run.

DOBservations
QU is now 12-6 lifetime in QU/Subway Tip-Off Tournament history with four titles — 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2008. … The Lady Hawks have won 15 straight at home — the last loss coming in their season-opener to Ferris State at last year's Tip-Off tourney. … Every Lady Hawk saw action in both games this weekend and all but two — Megan Gavlick and Bianca King — scored points. … Courtney Shuman suffered an ankle injury late in the game and is questionable for the team's game Wednesday at Truman State and Saturday's home date with Southwest Baptist. … Former Lady Hawk Jenny Wisser was one of several former QU players in attendance at Sunday's game. She has intimate knowledge of both programs though. Last year, she was a graduate assistant for ex-QU coach Larry Just at Lincoln Memorial after graduating from QU in 2006. … Gravina has not flung his suit coat to the bench yet this season, a big a sign as any that the Lady Hawks are playing well right now.

QU review — QU 67, HLG 50

Posted by dobrien – November 15, 2008

The Quincy University men's basketball team opened its season Saturday night with a 67-50 victory over Hannibal-LaGrange at Pepsi Arena.

Saturday's stars:

Kuecker0809
1. Andrew Kueker
The sophomore from Sweet Springs, Mo., looked like he's lived in the low post his whole life against the smallish Trojans. He drew double and triple teams at times and was able to kick the ball to open teammates without problem. He had 10 points, seven rebounds, two assists and three steals, filling up a stats sheet more than he ever did in limited time as a freshman. Kueker, who struggled from behind the arc last season, calmly drilled one of his two 3-point attempts, too.

Edmonds0809
2. Josh Edmonds
The bad back thing worked pretty nicely for a guy named Larry Bird. Edmonds, who missed the Missouri State exhibition with a bad back, looked fine on Saturday, scoring a team-high 17 points on 7-for-8 shooting. He was a perfect 3 for 3 from behind the 3-point line, too. Junior Mookie Pierre said Edmonds'  return to the offense was a calming influence.

Pierre0809
3. Mookie Pierre
Pierre looked much more comfortable in his Hawks skin than he did at Missouri State, where he shot 1 for 11 from the field. He made an early 3-pointer and added three more triples in the second half as part of a 14-point night in his first official game as a Hawk. He also had six steals to spearhead the QU defense.

DOBservations
The Hawks are now 6-0 in season-openers under Marty Bell. … QU stretched its career record against the Trojans to 18-0. … QU played without senior Austin Chapital (hamstring) and sophomore center Justin Brock (wrist). … HLG's interior took a hit in the preseason when North Shelby product Cody Stoneburner, a transfer from QU, and Hannibal's Kyle Pickett, a transfer from Taylor University, were ruled ineligible, forcing both to take a redshirt season. Both were in attendance Saturday. … Best dressed award goes to QU graduate assistant Excell Hardy, who was sporting a sweet purple shirt-and-tie combination.. … Check back here Sunday night for an update from the QU/Subway Tip-Off Tournament title game. QU will play Lincoln Memorial for the crown. The Lady Hawks, who took apart Saginaw Valley 102-64, are trying to win their first Tip-Off title since 2005.

Slaps of the Week — Nov. 14

Posted by dobrien – November 14, 2008

WIU logo WEb
It's not like Western Illinois University football coach Don Patterson doesn't already have enough on his plate to deal with.

The Leathernecks' boss has courageously come back to coach the ’Necks this season after undergoing surgery and rehab for tonsilar cancer. On Friday, he had to deal with something not even Pop Warner coaches should have to worry about.

Seems that a dozen WIU football players liked the pillows from their hotel rooms last weekend in Carbondale so much that they decided to take them home with them. When the hotel came asking for its pillows back, Patterson laid down the law on the offenders. He even went so far as to kick wide receiver Carl Sims, who had already been suspended once this season, off the team for good. The rest of the pillow pilferers each received a one-game suspension, which will be served Saturday when Illinois State comes to Hanson Field for a Missouri Valley Conference game.

Credit WIU for not protecting these knuckleheads and saying they were suspended for "violating team rules." They deserve to be embarrassed by their actions.

It's too bad Saturday's game and next week's season finale against Youngstown State are home games. I could just see a smart student body littering the field with pillows after kickoff as a subtle reminder of the dumb dozen's ignorant move.