Bright Hall

Japan, Without Steroids, Is Baseball's Best

Matt Negrin — 2009-03-24T09:14:00+00:00

Filed under: Culture, International News, Sports, Boston University

TOKYO -- At 6 feet 3 inches, and only 169 pounds, right-hander Hisashu Iwakuma kept the Koreans at the plate for most of the game.

On the offensive side of Japan's lineup and earning his spot as the championship's hero was Ichiro, who at 5 feet 9 inches and 160 pounds drove in two runs with an up-the-middle line drive after a patient, samurai-like at-bat.

There is no denying that Japan is likely the skinniest baseball team not only to win the World Baseball Classic (twice in a row), but probably to even play in it. Coming from a country whose main foods are noodles and fish, most of these players would probably scoff at the notion that injecting their bodies with steroids would make them better athletes.

As if somewhat proving this point, Japan firmly manhandled the United States in the semifinals, 9-4, like a horde of miniature players overtaking a country that boasts baseball as its national pastime. But in truth, there is no country that loves baseball more than Japan.

At the crack of Ichiro's swinging bat as it drove the ball into center field, bringing two runs home in the top of the 10th inning yesterday, the room full of some 40-odd Japanese students I was in erupted in riotous cheers. "Pressure's on, Korea!" one student yelled.

That scene was being repeated all across Japan, in ramen shops, bars, offices and even train stations with televisions tuned to the most important baseball game of the next four years. For the same reason that Japanese (and Korean) fans constantly chant and cheer during games despite the score, these citizens -- young and old, employed and retired -- were glued to the screen itching for a win for Japan. Call it a form of conformist nationalism if you want, but it sure sells ThunderStix.

The final score was 5-3, but it might as well have been 55-0.

Japan's history with Korea stems back much further than baseball, and emotions still broil from Japan's occupation of its Asian neighbor during World War II, when it forced thousands of Korean women into sexual slavery. A win for Japan in the WBC championship game means more than a trophy and an after party in the locker room, and more than bragging rights until 2013. It means asserting dominance over a country that may never get a true, genuine apology from the Japanese government for what happened more than 60 years ago.

But that history doesn't show on the surface. Yesterday, it was all about Yu Darvish's blown save and salvaged win, Ichiro's game-winning shot and the tears and champagne that flowed in both San Diego and Tokyo.

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A-Rotten A-Roid Drops A-Bomb: 'I'm Guilty'

Matt Negrin — 2009-02-10T07:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Sports, Boston University, Media

Baseball came even closer to dying this week as Alex Rodriguez, the sport's highest-paid player, admitted that he took steroids for three years. The shocking news came after Sports Illustrated sourced anonymous people in baseball who exposed the scoop.

A-Rod's admission was enough to prompt a related question at President Barack Obama's first press conference. He said it "tarnishes an entire era" of baseball and worried what kids will think.

Normally, the standard thing to do here would be to write about what Rodriguez should do next, or what baseball should do next, or ask why the 103 other players who tested positive on that same steroids test a few years back are still unknown. But I'll leave that to the baseball insiders.

We here at Bright Hall like the lighter side of things. So here's the best part about baseball scandals: a run-down of the best tabloid newspaper headlines in the country!

Obviously, we'll start with A-Rod's hometown papers, the New York Post and Daily News. The Post cleverly blares, "A-Roid finally tells ugly truth" above "LIAR. CHEAT." in pink, block letters. Playing off a shirtless photo of Rodriguez sunbathing in Central Park, the Daily News proclaims, "BODY OF LIES!"

On their websites, the Post fronts, "ALEX DROPS A-BOMB: I LIED," while the Daily News asks, "The Yankee Fibber?"

Meanwhile, Long Island's Newsday splashes the quote, "I'm Guilty," next to the same somber Alex that the Post (and many other pubs) used from his ESPN interview.

Lots of tabs liked the "A-Roid" pun, and were probably hoping that the slugger would eventually admit he took the drugs for years just so they could use the nickname. The rival tab in Massachusetts, the Boston Herald, sidebars the story with, "A-ROID COMES CLEAN." In Chicago, the Sun-Times fronts Obama (its own hometown hero) but puts Rodriguez's face in the corner with the slug, "A-Rod's roid admission: 'I was stupid.' "

Even across the Atlantic, The Sun, a delightful U.K. tab, boasts, "A-Roid fesses up live on TV."

Something original: Check out the Philadelphia Daily News teaser at the top of its page that labels the Yankee "A-ROTTEN."

Finally, all the way on the West Coast, the San Francisco Examiner provides perhaps the most sobering, bold-lettered headline: "TRUTH AND CONSEQUENCES."

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Phelps Given Fake Punishment For Photo

Adam Kirchner — 2009-02-06T23:28:00+00:00

Filed under: International News, Sports, Towson University

USA Swimming banned Michael Phelps from participating in competition for three months, beginning February 5. The punishment was in response to the controversy over a photograph of Phelps holding a marijuana pipe to his mouth.

If only somebody had a photograph of Bernie Madoff holding a piece of paper and a pen we could just skip the entire trial and move straight to sentencing!

At any rate, how consequential is USA Swimming's decree? If one refers to the calendar of events scheduled for the next three months by FINA, the International Swimming Federation, Phelps will be prevented from participating in a bunch of diving and water polo events, which he would have sat out of, anyway, but the next event he would actually enter isn't scheduled to be held until July 19, two and a half months after his ban will be lifted.

Translation: Michael Phelps has not been punished, at all, for having been photographed with a device that he has not been proven to have even used for any illicit purpose.

Remember, kids: don't not do the crime if you can't not do the time!

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Arizona Sees Porn During Super Bowl

Emily Lasky — 2009-02-02T22:27:00+00:00

Filed under: University of Pennsylvania, Sports, Weird News

Touch-what now?

Late in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XLIII, right after Arizona Cardinals' receiver Larry Fitzgerald scored to give his team the lead, viewers in Tucson, Arizona, were treated to a touchdown celebration of a different sort: porn.

Comcast customers in the area accidentally received a feed from adult channel Club Jenna, which, despite only lasting for a few seconds, still managed to include full frontal male nudity. The feed started with local NBC affiliate KVOA before reaching Comcast customers. However, only customers with standard broadcast or analog service experienced the interruption in regular programming. Yet another reason to upgrade to digital, folks.

As of yet, Comcast has not discovered the cause of the disruption. All signs point to the only Pittsburgh Steelers fan in Arizona, though his prank was witnessed in vain given the final score.

Thanks to Comcastus Interruptus and Bruce Springsteen's suggestive slide toward the camera during the halftime show (see below), this was the sultriest Super Bowl since Nipplegate. And I'm not even counting Conan O'Brien's Bud Light commercial.

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Here's to 2009: End the BCS

Joshua Sharp — 2009-01-07T20:04:00+00:00

Filed under: Small Campus, Big Story, Sports, USC

This season could be the boiling point for opponents of the much-maligned Bowl Championship Series, despite similar pressure seen in previous years to no avail.

Irrespective of the outcome of the BCS championship game tomorrow night, a handful of teams are insisting their squad is the best in the country. Similar disputes have marred the vast majority of the BCS system's 11-year history, with no consensus method to resolve these perennial contentions.

No other major sport faces the endless uncertainty of college football, which is why all college football fans should hold our collective breath for Utah attorney general Mark Shurtleff's potential anti-trust lawsuit against the BCS alleging a conspired monopoly.

Utah finished an undefeated season this year with a 31-17 upset of fourth-ranked Alabama, yet is unlikely to garner a share of the national championship ahead of Florida or Oklahoma -- two one-loss teams with an arguably tougher schedule who won the coveted opportunity to play in the BCS title game.

My USC Trojans trounced eighth-ranked Penn State in a record-setting Rose Bowl performance, but an early-season loss to Oregon State overshadows the Trojans' late-season dominance. No. 3 Texas edged out No. 10 Ohio State in the final seconds of the Fiesta Bowl, leading some to say the Longhorns should have a shot at the national title.

That's not to mention previous BCS controversies in 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, and 2008, most of which had national title implications.

I won't stir the pot by arguing for the team I feel is best in the country, though you can probably guess which team that is. The point is, none of us can speak with certainty until the top teams play head-to-head.

The need for a playoff system is obvious, but with millions of dollars on the line, a powerful few is unwilling to change the current system voluntarily. President-elect Barack Obama has expressed support for an eight-team playoff, but he's a little preoccupied with the economy, Gaza and lunch.

So here's for a national playoff system brought about by an anti-trade lawsuit or any other catalyst. Have USC play Utah. Let Texas take on the Florida-Oklahoma winner. Give this football-obsessed nation something to agree on, because while a playoff system wouldn't squash all debate, it sure would come several first downs closer.

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O.J. Pushes Luck, Finally Loses

Emily Lasky — 2008-12-06T09:24:00+00:00

Filed under: University of Pennsylvania, Sports, News

O.J. Simpson was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Friday for robbery, kidnapping, and assault. He was arrested in September of 2007 for leading a group of armed men in an attempt to steal sports memorabilia from two dealers in Las Vegas. Simpson said the items were actually his. Clearly the court did not agree.

Simpson was convicted October 3, 2007, 13 years to the day after he was found innocent in the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. Despite the lingering skepticism surrounding the acquittal, the court maintains that the 15 year sentence this time around is not an attempt to right a wrong, but is a typical sentence for these kinds of charges. He will be eligible for parole after nine years.

Below is a clip of Simpson from the classic cop movie spoof The Naked Gun. This clip is ironic for two reasons. One: it features Simpson's character failing to stealthily break into someplace. Two: he's playing a cop.

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Did This Newspaper Cross the Line?

Megan Baker — 2008-11-20T18:45:00+00:00

Filed under: Small Campus, Big Story, Featured Stories, Sports, St. John Fisher College

Megan Baker, the news editor of the Cardinal Courier, is not writing this to attack or defend the motives of herself or the staff of the Cardinal Courier, but to pose the question of whether the story involved was fair game for a college newspaper.

One of the most prominent players on the St. John Fisher College men's basketball team decided to quit. The Fisher newspaper, the Cardinal Courier, decided to cover the story, getting exclusive reports from the head coach and the player that decided to quit.

Was this good journalism or was it taking advantage of a situation? That's the question a lot of Fisher students have been discussing today, the day after the story broke on cardinalcourieronline.com.

St. John Fisher is a Division III school with a successful basketball program, but over the past couple years, the seasons have not been going as well as usual. And with one of the team's leading scorers deciding to quit after just one game, the state of the team has been on the minds of many Fisher students.

When the Courier learned that junior Chris Baltz would be leaving the team, sports editor Mike Spier approached Baltz, who consented to an interview. Coach Rob Kornaker also contacted Spier to offer his thoughts on the situation.

Once the story hit the web, students had mixed feelings on whether or not they felt the story was appropriate or even ethical for the Courier to pursue. Being a Division III school, some felt that this was unimportant and that Baltz should have been left alone. Others felt that the Courier was writing to its audience, the students of St. John Fisher.What many students felt was that it was something the Courier should not have covered, with many asking why it was not covered when other athletes had quit in the past. (Many times athletes quit because of a lack of playing time, but with this situation, that was clearly not the case).

Students flocked to Cardinal Courier Online to comment on the coverage.

One user who went by the alias Fisher Athlete commented, "This is an internal issue between the coach, Baltz, and his teammates... all of whom I imagine are hurt and confused. I don't think we need to involve the entire campus or outsiders on these types of issues, it ruins our rep with the community and prospective athletes. How about a feature on something more positive. Leave the negative for the athletic department to deal with in an enclosed manner."

On the flip side, a user named Fisher Honors Student said, "I don't think that people on this campus understand the business of reporting sports. This is a big story, and it has been carefully crafted. This is how it's done on bigger campuses where my family and friends go to. We can't just go to the games and not see one of our best players there and try and figure out what is wrong... If this story was not put up, everyone would be complaining that the sports page did not do their job."

So, here is the question posed to you student journalists (and journalism enthusiasts) out there: was this story fair game, or should it have been left alone?

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Around the Corner, Olympics Go Nearly Unnoticed

Sam Guzik — 2008-08-05T11:22:00+00:00

Filed under: Sports, Washington University, News

What with the constant stream of news about the tanking US economy, a six year old criminal investigation and a presidential campaign in limbo between the primary and general elections, it's understandable why the 2008 Olympics in Beijing haven't made bigger headlines. Well...not really.

Between stories of athletes suspended for doping and the on-again off-again rumors of internet censorship, the fact that the opening ceremonies are two days away seems to have gotten lost.

The Olympics are more than just a gigantic sporting event. The games are a reminder of sports bringing together nations when diplomacy couldn't; the games are a reminder of political victories won by athletic prowess, not military might; in short, the games are a call to put international issues in perspective and to dream for a time when nations compete athletically, not diplomatically or militarily.

That message has mostly been glossed over this year, but it's something to look forward to and a reason to watch the games when they start later this week.
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It's true that there are serious environmental concerns about the pollution in Beijing - both in terms of how it will affect athletes and in terms of the larger picture of global climate change.

And it's true that China's regular internet censorship is only one part of a portfolio of less-than-stellar human rights issues.

But, as The New York Times pointed out yesterday, these issues are just one in a long history of controversial policies that surround the hosting of the Olympics dating back to 1968. In the long run, focusing only on those details runs counter to the spirit of the games whose aim is to transcend those political issues.

When the games are over, there will be plenty of time for us to judge the Chinese government and play out our moral superiority - given the United States's flawless record on the environment and its history of equal right for citizens, indigenous populations and prisoners we are entitled to that opportunity.

Until then, it should be enough to concentrate on the Games themselves and the healthy competition they can induce. Like in Olympics past there will be political rivalries that play out on the field of play (think along the lines of the 1980 match-up between the United States and the Soviet Union). Watching Iraqi athletes compete in track-and-field is sure to evoke images of the war that draws on in their home country. For American athletes competing against significant teams from India and China, the metaphor of globalization will be close at hand.

But, at the end of the day, the Olympic events are just athletic rivalries and sporting events, not wars and trade agreements. There's plenty of time for those contentious issues for the rest of the year and until the next Olympics; now is a time to step back and pretend, for a few days, that it's possible to have competition without hate and war.

As the games start, hopefully that message gets out and draws attention around the world.

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The All-Star Game Could Call the Election

Matt Negrin — 2008-07-15T13:39:00+00:00

Filed under: US Elections, Sports, Boston University

Here's a cliche theme we've heard before: change versus experience. But did you ever think you would chalk that phrase up to a baseball match with the game's best players?

Only four of the nine stars in the American League's starting line-up for tonight's All-Star Game are younger than 30. The National League has six such players, and three of them are 25 or under.

I'm not saying the bicentennial John McCain and the Republicans are rooting for the AL while newborn Barack Obama and the Democrats are cheering the NL. But could the game bring about any foreshadowing for the Nov. 4 presidential election?

Consider this: The last time the National League won the match was in 1996, the same year Bill Clinton won reelection, and the last time a Democrat earned his spot in the White House. But since then, the American League has won every game except for a 7-7 tie in 2002.

And since that tie, five out of the six games have been unbearably close, decided by two runs or fewer. The GOP -- I mean AL -- has rightfully earned bragging rights over the weeping, liberal National League.

Many, however, predict that this year is the year that the teams whose pitchers actually have to know how to hit the ball can reclaim the home-field advantage at the World Series. The National League is stacked with more young stars than Obama's communications team:

The speedy Hanley Ramirez, 24, one of the hottest hitters in baseball. Milwaukee's Ryan Braun, also 24, nicknamed The Hebrew Hammer for his power numbers. And Geovany Soto, 25, a dark-horse catcher whose April batting average was higher than the number of times Cubs fans have said they will win the World Series this year.

Meanwhile, their AL opponents are boasting a deep knowledge of the game and the readiness to take that 3 a.m. drug test for steroids.

Leading off is Ichiro Suzuki, the 34-year-old mild-tempered import from Japan who can steal a base like the United States swiped him from the Orix Blue Wave. Shortstop Derek Jeter, also 34, will follow him with his veteran batting stance and signature cologne. Red Sox slugger Manny Ramirez is 36 -- although he's from the Dominican Republic, so he could be as old as 38.

The American League is enjoying a comfortable reign as All-Star champs. But if history can teach us anything other than "stay out of Vietnam," it's that this country is ready for change.

Either that or a contested match that will result in a recount, bringing clout to the national pastime for the next four years.

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In Advance of the Olympics, China Polishes its Looks

Sam Guzik — 2008-07-07T21:24:00+00:00

Filed under: International News, Sports, Washington University, News

For months, we've heard about plans to ready China for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

And, with only a month to go before the opening ceremony, we'll likely hear more about those plans. The government still needs to meet its pledge to deliver clean air in one of the world's most polluted cities, and it must finish two new subway lines and a railway line.

Even with such major capital projects left to be completed, China is focusing on other improvements: most recently, stripping Mao Zedong from the currency and attempting to ready the environment in and around Beijing.

The BBC reports that this is the first time in almost a decade that China is issuing a banknote without the iconic image of Former Chairman Mao Zedong.

Mao was first added to the currency in 1999 as an anti-counterfeiting device. His image also represents a significant swath of Chinese history, a period that was controversial and extremely political. The current regime is more than happy to forget this in advance of the Olympics and the international press that it brings.

Also today, The New York Times reported that factories in the port city of Tianjin have been ordered to close so that pollution can dissipate before athletes start to arrive; Tianjin will host the Olympic soccer competition.

Many are worried that the pollution throughout the rapidly developing nation will affect the performance of the world's top athletes when the games begin in August.

Shuttering factories is one part of a $20 billion campaign on the part of the government to clean up the areas where the games will take place.

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Cinderella Story Brings Hope for Local Youth

Joshua Sharp — 2008-06-27T22:35:00+00:00

Filed under: Featured Stories, Sports, USC, News, Local

You may have heard about the Fresno State Bulldogs' stunning run to the top of the 2008 NCAA College World Series. For a team which barely qualified for the CWS' 64-school bracket, the Bulldogs' victory - only the second national championship, in any sport, in school history - has been called one of the greatest Cinderella stories ever.

Whether that's fact or hyperbole doesn't matter. I can't overstate how much this means for Fresno and the Central San Joaquin Valley, my home of 18 years. No team in the Valley, in any sport, drives such passion and pride as the Fresno State Bulldogs. This area doesn't see the national spotlight often, and when it does, it's usually because of a scandal or other embarrassment.

As Fresno Bee columnist Bill McEwen pointed out, "Finally comes a moment when the athletes -- not coaches or administrators -- are making national news. ...

"Victories like this not only inspire us -- they divert our attention from life's grim realities: the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the soaring cost of gas and the sputtering economy, to name a few."

But while this victory did inspire and distract Valley residents of all ages (demonstrated by the huge homecoming celebration afterwards), perhaps its biggest impact will be on Valley youth, both athletes and non-athletes alike.

The students of this area needed proof to know that they, too, can achieve improbable victories.

Too often, junior high and high school students here limit themselves to what they think they can accomplish, based on what they see around them, or what they've observed from previous generations. Too many students too often think they can't go to college, or attend a technical school, or do anything more than a minimum-wage job requiring little education.

Too often, drugs, gangs, teen pregnancies, or other damaging social trends derail life plans and limit individuals' aspirations. Caught up in crime, depression, or a dead-end job, too many young men and women get stuck on the fast track to a scripted life. Their individuality, their talents, their dreams rot away over time.

It wasn't until I left the Valley a few years ago for college that I realized the stark differences between the sunny suburbs of Southern California and the flat, open fields of Fresno and beyond.

The truth is, the Central Valley does have great qualities: a friendly, close-knit spirit; a rich agricultural heritage; and an unshakable feeling of authenticity and sincerity.

But the children of the Valley needed to see this win. They needed to see what a group of scrappy, hard-working kids -- from a place like Fresno State -- could do on the national stage.

They needed to know that there is space in this big, competitive world for them, and with the right guts, determination, and a little bit of luck, they can win, too.

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