Behind the scenes: replacing a legend

SPORTS
W E D N E S D A Y, S E P T E M B E R 1 2 , 2 0 0 7 | P A G E B 4
SPORTS
SCORES
# 20 football
(0-0, 1-1)
September 8 Final:
No. 4 Mary Hardin-Baylor 51,
CNU 19
Rankings
1. Maryville
2. CNU
3. Ferrum
4. Averett
5. Greensboro
6. Methodist
7. N.C. Wesleyan
8. Shenandoah
0-0
0-0
0-0
0-0
0-0
0-0
0-0
0-0
2-0
1-1
1-1
0-1
0-1
0-1
0-2
0-2
Upcoming games:
9/15: CNU vs. Salisbury
women’s soccer
(0-0, 2-0)
September 1 Final:
CNU 3, Guilford 0
September 2 Final:
CNU 4, No. 16 Johns Hopkins 1
Rankings
1. Greensboro
2. Methodist
3. CNU
4. Meredith
5. Mary Baldwin
6. N.C. Wesleyan
7. Ferrum
8. Peace
9. Averett
10. Shenandoah
0-0
0-0
0-0
0-0
0-0
0-0
0-0
0-0
0-0
0-0
4-0
3-0
2-0
2-2
1-1
1-1
1-2
0-2-1
0-2
0-3
Upcoming games:
9/12: CNU vs. Mary Washington
9/16: CNU vs. Lynchburg
men’s soccer
(0-0, 2-2)
JESSE HUTCHESON /THE CAPTAIN’S LOG
September 7 Final:
College of New Jersey 4, CNU 3
September 8 Final:
CNU 8, No. 17 Kean 1
Rankings
1. Greensboro
2. Methodist
3. N.C. Wesleyan
4. CNU
5. Averett
6. Shenandoah
7. Ferrum
0-0
0-0
0-0
0-0
0-0
0-0
0-0
4-0
3-0
3-0
2-2
1-2
1-5
0-3
Upcoming games:
9/15: CNU at York (PA)
9/16: CNU at Villa Julie
Senior Michael Caro speeds past a defender on his way to the goal in the second game of the Joe Pombriant/CNU Classic. After dropping the first game to the
College of New Jersey by a score of 4-3, Christopher Newport dominated the second game against No. 17 Kean, winning 8-1. Caro scored two goals against Kean.
Soccer splits weekend classic
SOCCER | After dropping their first game of the
Joe Pombriant/CNU Classic to the College of
New Jersey, CNU blows out No. 17 Kean.
BY TRAVIS MAPLES
T M M A PL ES @YA HOO.COM
#13 field hockey
(0-0, 1-1)
September 5 Final:
CNU 2, No. 6 Salisbury 1
September 8 Final:
CNU 4, Gettysburg 0
Upcoming games:
9/12: CNU at Randolph-Macon
9/16: CNU vs. Catholic
volleyball
(0-0, 4-5)
September 4 Final:
CNU 3, Randolph-Macon 1
September 7 Finals:
Southwestern (TX) 3, CNU 0
CNU 3, Washington & Lee 0
September 8 Finals:
CNU 3, McDaniel 0
CNU 3, D. II UVA-Wise 1
Rankings
1. Shenandoah
2. N.C. Wesleyan
3. Methodist
4. CNU
5. Greensboro
6. Averett
7. Peace
8. Ferrum
9. Mary Baldwin
10. Meredith
0-0
0-0
0-0
0-0
0-0
0-0
0-0
0-0
0-0
0-0
Upcoming games:
9/12: CNU at Mary Baldwin
9/15: CNU vs. Meredith
CNU vs. Peace
9/18: CNU vs. N.C. Wesleyan
cross country
Upcoming events:
9/15: Salty Sea Dog
Invitational
Christopher Newport
hosted t he Joe Pombriant
Classic this past weekend,
inviting some of the nation’s
best teams to Captain’s Field.
The team entered the weekend 1-1, but had their sights
s et on e a r n i n g t wo mor e
quality victories early in the
season.
With a few more breaks,
the team could have achieved
their goal but instead they
left with the same winning
percentage they had at the
beginning of the weekend
after splitting two games.
The Captains squared off
with the undefeated Lions of
the College of New Jersey in
the first game and found out
early on, why they had yet to
surrender a loss.
The Lions pounced on the
Captains quickly and took the
lead just eight minutes into
the game.
The early goal served to
wake up the napping Captains
as senior Michael Caro took
a pass from senior Matt Page
and lobbed a shot over the
goalkeeper, evening out the
score just over a minute later.
The goal only ignited quick
retaliation from the Lions, as
they added two quick goals
and took a 3-1 lead into halftime.
Junior Brian T weed cut
the Lion’s lead in half with
a long-range free kick that
bent around the wall of Lion
defenders and found the net in
the 57th minute.
After Tweed’s outstanding
boot, both teams struggled to
make any decent runs.
The Captains began showing some frustration after 11
offside calls thwarted several
oppor tunities to score the
equalizer.
The Lions added the dagger
in the 71st minute and hoisted
New Jersey into the second
round of the classic still undefeated.
Tweed responded with his
second goal of the evening,
but it was to no avail. When
time ran out, the scoreboard
read 4-3.
“We came out f lat and we
just weren’t ready to play. We
gave up some soft goals and
were penalized for it,” said
Coach Steve Shaw.
Somewhere bet ween t he
end of Friday’s game and the
kickoff of Saturday’s contest
against No. 17 Kean University, Shaw got his team ready
to play.
From the kickoff it was evident that the previous night’s
post-game chat had sunk in.
Tweed and Caro penetrated
the Cougar defense relentlessly in the opening minutes,
leaving the Cougars backpedaling and frustrated.
After several near misses,
freshman Tyler Clare was
able to get the Captains on the
board in the 10th minute off
a chip pass from sophomore
Kevin Greenberg.
Kean answered with a goal
of its own, but that would be
the extent of the Cougars’
highlights.
Caro broke the tie by finishing off one of his runs deep
into the Kean defense in the
24th minute off another assist
from Greenberg.
B e for e t he s c or eke ep er
could even mark down Caro’s
first goal, he struck again a
minute later to put CNU up
3-1. This time the assist came
from junior midfielder Jimmy
Hash.
T he Captains cont rol led
possession throughout the
f i rst ha l f, as t he Couga rs
experienced all sorts of difficulties holding on to the ball
under the Captains’ defensive
intensity.
Junior Kenny Huttman put
the finishing touches on a
commanding 4-1 lead at intermission with his goal in the
33rd minute.
The second half went much
the same as the first, as the
Captains were able to maintain their lead.
In the opening minutes of
the half, it was obvious that
the Cougars hadn’t devised a
SEE SOCCER, PAGE B4
Behind the scenes: replacing a legend
4-1
6-5
3-3
4-5
4-5
4-6
3-5
2-5
2-6
1-7
PROFILE | Football must replace some of the
best players in program history this year;
thankfully there are several worthy candidates.
BY ELLY MUI
EL LY.M U I.0 4 @ CN U.EDU
When a team loses a few
starters to graduation, usually there will be some growing pains trying to replace
them.
But when a team loses its
all-time leaders in rushing
yards, touchdowns and interceptions, as well as two of
their top three receivers, they
are expected to take a step
back.
However, this is not the
attitude amongst the CN U
football team, which is trying
to replace some of the best
players in school history this
season.
“We keep hearing about
how we’ve lost so many players,” said senior running back
Ramarcus Baylor, “but our
coaches remind us what we
have and what we can build.”
W hat the Captains have
a f t e r we e k o n e i s a w i n
against Rowan, something
even t hei r c a re er le aders
never achieved.
Coach Matt Kelchner
believes it was the team’s
determination and attitude
that made all the difference in
that win.
“This time our players truly
believed that they could beat
Rowan and they accomplished
it. They understand the team
concept that everyone has a
role on the field.”
A star in the Rowan game
was sophomore running back
Tunde Ogun, who ran for 55
yards and two touchdowns in
his CNU debut.
Ogun and Baylor (43 rushi ng ya rds agai nst Rowa n)
for m a duo t h at hop e s to
replace the graduated Roland
Hilliard, the program’s alltime leader in rushing yards,
and also a four year starter.
Og u n a nd Baylor repre sent the two routes coaches
can take in replacing their
departed players.
While Baylor was a Kelchner recruit out of high school,
Ogun transferred from the
Un iver sit y of Ci nci n n at i ,
a Division I school a nd a
member of the Big East Athletic Conference.
It i s not u nc om mon for
Division I players to transfer
to other Division I or I-AA
schools, but it is rare to see a
player transfer to a Division
III team.
B ut O g u n , a R ich mond
native, was sold on the atmosphere that CNU offered.
“Coach Kelchner is better
than my last coach. He’s like
a father figure and a guidance
counselor. He cares about the
well-being of his players and
deals with us individually,”
said Ogun.
K e lc h n e r a nd h i s s t a f f
are happy to serve this roll,
because a recruit’s makeup is
just as important as their performance on the field.
“The main things we look
at with recruits are attitude,
ability to play consistently,
ability to make big plays, ability to have a positive impact
on the community, and performance off of the field,” said
Kelchner.
The recruitment process is
not a simple one either.
“We take in every bit of
information we can get,” said
Kelchner. “Some of the evaluation has been from high
school records. Last season
we went to over one hundred
games.”
Kelchner’s staff has done
a great job recruiting in the
past, especially on defense,
where the team has always
been solid.
For the last four years, the
team has never had to worry
ab out t hei r pa s s defen se,
where players such as Justin
L on g a nd Rob Ro d r i g ue z
could be counted on game in
and game out.
Rodriguez and Long (9 and
8) are first and second on the
school’s all-time interception
list, and Rodriguez was an
All-American for the Captains
as well.
SEE PROFILE, PAGE B4
W E D N E S D A Y, S E P T E M B E R 1 2 , 2 0 0 7
T H E C A P TA I N ’ S LO G | PA G E B 5
Field Hockey upsets Salisbury
SPORTS BRIEFS | Field Hockey defeats No. 6
Salisbury for the second consecutive time;
Football loses to No. 4 Mary Hardin-Baylor.
BY JASON COMO
JASON.COMO.0 4 @ CN U.EDU
Field Hockey
After a scoreless first half,
No. 13 Christopher Newport
f o u n d t h ei r r hy t h m a n d
defeated No. 6 Salisbury 2-1 at
home on Wednesday.
The win was the second
straight against the Sea Gulls.
The first came in the Sweet
16 of the NCAA Tournament
last fall, when Salisbury was
still the three-time defending
National Champions.
Ju nior A sh ley Cybu lski
put the Lady Captains on the
board first with her goal in
the 41st minute only to see
the Sea Gulls tie the game less
than a minute later.
Then in the 55th minute,
junior Haylie Black recorded
her third goal of the season,
which turned out to be the
game winner.
Christopher Newport continued its winning ways with
a 4-0 road victory against Gettysburg on Saturday.
They scored three goals in
the first eight minutes and
never looked back.
Seniors Diana Golden, Rhiannon Thompson, and Ashley
Traylor, and freshman Stephanie Bair each scored a goal,
while sophomore Emma Stout
had five saves in her second
shutout of the year.
The Lady Captains are now
3-1 on the year. They travel
today to take on RandolphMacon.
Football
Christopher Newport made
the longest trip in program
history and lost 51-19 to No. 4
Mary Hardin-Baylor on Saturday.
C om i n g of f a n up s et of
then No. 10 Rowan last week,
the Captains played well for
the first quarter but could
not hold on as the Crusaders
scored 51 points in the next
two quarters.
With two minutes left in
the first, senior Todd Faison
and sophomore Jesse Bradshaw hooked up for a 36-yard
touchdown pass to give the
Captains their only lead of the
game.
Their next score came with
2:50 left in the third quarter
on junior Mike Thomas’ 1yard run.
T he st a r t er s wer e t hen
pulled, and, with 1:33 left in
the game, sophomore A lex
Brown threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to freshman T.J.
Foster. The Captains went for
two points and missed, ending
the scoring for the day.
For the game, Faison was
just 3-for15 for 63 yards. Bradshaw finished with 96 receivi ng ya rd s a nd sophomore
Tunde Ogun rushed 10 times
for 51 yards.
They are now 1-1 on the
year. They return home next
weekend to host Salisbury
with kickoff set for 1 p.m.
Volleyball
In their home opener last
Tuesday, Christopher Newport recorded their first win
of 2007 with a 3-1 victory over
Randolph-Macon.
Junior Liz Bush led the
team in kills with 14 while
senior Brittany Collins led
the team in assists (46) and
digs (16).
T he Lady Captains then
took a big step back towards
.500 with a 3-1 record at the
Washington & Lee Tournament over the weekend.
They dropped their first
match to Southwestern (TX)
3-0, but rallied for consecutive
3-0 victories against Washington & Lee and McDaniel. In
the last match they defeated
Division II UVA-Wise 3-1.
For t hei r per for mances,
Bush and Collins were named
to the All-Tournament Team.
The Lady Captains are now
4-5 on the year. They open
USA South play today as they
travel to take on Mary Baldwin.
Cross Country
Christopher Newport competed in the Lou Onesty Invitational on Saturday, where
the women finished fifth and
the men eighth.
Sophomore Amy Wampler
placed 34th with a time 20:11
to pace the women and junior
David Woodson placed 49th
with a time of 27: 03 to pace
the men.
The team travels to Maryland this weekend to compete
in the Salty Sea Dog Invitational. ■
FROM SOCCER, PAGE B3
successful plan to slow down
the Captains’ penetration.
Pa ge d a z z le d t he crowd
with a high-f lying header off
of a corner kick from junior
Jimmy Hash.
T hen, ju st a s t he n i g ht
would have it, a Captains’
free kick hit off of a Cougar
defender and found its way
into the net to extend the lead
to five.
Tweed and junior Jimmy
Majewski would each score
in the closing minutes to ice
a convincing 8-1 win for the
Captains.
J u n i o r f o r w a r d K e n ny
Huttman was excited by the
Captains significant improvement from the first game.
“We were really motivated
by last night’s loss. We knew
we h ad to c ome out her e
tonight and put it all on the
line, and that’s what we were
able to do,” he said.
The win brought the Captains back to .500 (2-2) for the
year.
They next travel to Pennsylvania to take on York on
Saturday. ■
JESSE HUTCHESON /THE CAPTAIN’S LOG
Senior Matt Page fires
a shot in the first half
against Kean in Saturday’s
game. Page would score
in the second half with a
header off of a cross.
JESSE HUTCHESON /THE CAPTAIN’S LOG
Sophomore wide receiver Jesse Bradshaw squeezes through two defenders in Christopher Newport’s September 1 game against Rowan. Bradshaw had 84 yards
on 5 catches against the Profs, and currently has 179 receiving yards and a touchdown through two games. Bradshaw is one of the players trying to replace the
productivity of graduated seniors George Jones and Curfew Speight, who are second and third on the school’s career receiving yards list.
FROM PROFILE, PAGE B3
Q u i c k ly m ov i n g u p o n
the career interception list
though is sophomore safety
Matt Long, brother of Justin
Long.
Against Rowan, Long intercepted three passes to bring
his career total up to four.
There is not another Rodriguez to assume the role of
shutdown corner, but there
is senior Leroy Harper, who
played alongside Rodriguez
for the last three years.
“ I t ’s h a r d t o f i l l R o b
Rodriquez’s shoes because
he was a great person on and
off of the field. He wasn’t a
big person, like me, but he
was still an amazing player.
I learned how to be a defensive back from him, and how
to always be willing to help
others,” said Harper.
While Harper will try to
replace Rodriguez, he also
lea r ned from Justi n L ong
while they played together in
the secondary.
“I really admired Justin’s
ability to lead by example. I
don’t want to tell people to do
something when I don’t do it,”
he said.
Another departed player
who le d by ex a mple w a s
George Jones, a running back
and punt returner, but whose
presence will be missed most
at wide receiver.
Jones led the team in receiving yards, and tied for the
lead in touchdowns with also
graduated Curfew Speight.
Senior Kazen Burke (129
receiving yards last year)
is one of the receivers being
counted on to replace Jones
and Speight, and he has welcomed that responsibility.
“I appreciate all the hard
work that I put in to get where
I’m at, to be in this place, to be
a starter.”
Sophomore Jessie Bradshaw
established himself as a go
to receiver with 89 receiving
yards on five catches against
Rowan.
“I just try to go out each day
and give 110 percent, whether
it’s practice or a game,” he
said.
Kelchner and his staff have
not on ly done a g reat job
bringing in talented players,
but also coaching them so
that they can succeed on and
off the field.
It is the atmosphere they
have provided that has made
all the difference.
“The most valuable thing
I’ve learned so far is learning what it feels like to be a
football family. At Cincinnati
there was a clashing of the
egos and competition between
players. Everyone was a star.
Here, everyone is modest and
level-headed so we can work
together as a team instead of
individuals,” said Ogun.
Kelchner has an optimistic
outlook for the rest of this
year.
“We have an opportunity to
be pretty good, but we could
flop if we don’t care about our
work.”
“It’s not hard to keep a positive attitude,” said Bradshaw.
“Winning is not everything,
w i n n i n g i s ab out get t i n g
better.”
Even though that attitude
has been present for seven
years under Kelchner, something is different about this
year, even with all the personnel losses.
“We won our opening game,
defeating a team we’ve never
beat before,” said Baylor, “so
I can tell this year is going to
be different.” ■
THE LEGENDS
Roland Hilliard (RB):
638 rushing attempts
3,149 rushing yards
4,447 all purpose yards
28 rushing touchdowns
George Jones (RB/WR):
1,561 receiving yards
2,689 all purpose yards
24 touchdowns
Rob Rodriguez (CB):
9 interceptions
110 interception yards
1 interception return
touchdown
Justin Long (S):
8 interceptions
181 tackles
1 interception return
touchdown
MLB
power
rankings
BY CHRIS INZIRILLO
CH R IS.I NZ I R I L LO.0 5 @ CN U.EDU
As we enter the final three
weeks of the season, we see
t hat a not her ma rat hon of
a summer has ended, and,
as most people thought, the
Boston Red Sox look to be
leading the pack.
In this week’s power rankings, I made sure to include
the movement of each team
from my original preseason
rankings.
S ome t e a m s m ade bi g
jumps, some took big falls
and some were placed in just
about the right spot.
It just goes to show that so
much can change over five
months, and that no matter
how bad, or good something
looks, there’s always time for
that to change.
So, let’s take a look at how
the league has fared after a
five-month evaluation.
1. B oston Re d S ox (+1) :
Despite the Yanks closing the
gap, the Red Sox are still the
team to beat in all of Major
League Baseball. I don’t know
how to justify picking against
them.
2. LA Angels (+5) : They
have the best home record
in baseball, and two 16-game
winners with ER A’s under
3.20 in Lackey and Escobar.
3. Arizona Diamondbacks
(+14): How can you not love
this team? Their youth fu l
energy and fearlessness will
be key assets in October.
4. Cleveland Indians (+9):
Joe Borowski has an ER A
of 5.50. Why is he still the
closer?
5 . D e t r oit T i g er s ( -1) :
They’re getting hot at the
right time. The fact that Magglio is already over 120 RBI’s
and batting .354 doesn’t hurt.
6 . New York Ya n ke e s (1): Yanks fans can’t get too
cocky that they are back in
the race since they should’ve
been there all along. Look for
their pitching luck to diminish come October…if they get
there.
7. C h i c a g o C u b s ( + 1 ) :
They’ve made it this far, proving many doubters wrong. All
they need to do now is start
playing like they were midsummer, and then they can
lock up the three horse race
in the Central.
8.New York Mets (+3): They
still have the Phillies on their
tail, and even if they win that
race, it’s hard to see the Mets
competing with anyone outside of the NL East.
9. San Diego Padres (+17):
Peavy, Maddux and Young
have carried them this far.
With 21 games to go, they need
a little more of a push to get a
chance to showcase that trio
in October.
10. LA Dodgers (-7): They
have stayed “close enough”
al l season and are now in
position to make a move. If
they pick up the right amount
of momentum, it could extend
their season for a few weeks.
11. Seattle Mariners (+14):
If you take out the last month
or so, the M’s have had an
admirable season, especially
for a team with low expectations coming in. They still
have a chance to make a run,
but they can’t be losing nine
out of ten games.
1 2 . M i lwau ke e B r ewer s
(+10): The Brew-Crew are still
hanging on to their share of
the division lead. This is due
in large part to their surprise
phenom, Mr. Ryan Braun.
13. Philadelphia Phillies
(+2): They’re still in reach
of the Mets, but they need to
start playing more consistently if they want to make a
run.
14. Colorado Rockies (+9):
They are a lot better than
most people give them credit
for, and they are still very
much in the race for both
their division and the wild
card.
15. St. Louis Cardinals (-14):
If the champs want a chance
to defend their title, they are
going to have to overcome
bot h t he C ubbies a nd t he
Brewers, because the wild
card is almost undoubtedly
coming out of the West.
16. Atlanta Braves (0): Still
a long shot for the playoffs, but
either way, lots of positives to
take out of this season. Looks
li ke t hey a re bui ldi ng up
for another decade of dominance…coming soon.
17. Toronto Blue Jays (-3):
Playing nicely: over .500 with
an above-average squad. It’s
just going to be hard to ever
break through in that division.
18. Minnesota Twins (-6):
This year may be over, but
they will have a healthy FranSEE POWER RANKINGS, PAGE B5
W E D N E S D A Y, S E P T E M B E R 1 2 , 2 0 0 7
PAGE B6 | T H E C A P T A I N ’ S L O G
Can you “C” what is going on?
THE 13TH MAN | The new Captain’s patches
on jerseys were just one of the interesting
storylines that we saw in the NFL’s first week.
BY BILLY FELLIN
BI L LY.F EL L I N.0 5 @ CN U.EDU
How closely were you watching your favorite in Week 1?
Depending on the team,
you may or may not have
seen a change, but if you were
watching Peyton Manning
and Drew Brees, you may
have seen something new.
I f you didn’t notice anything, let me tell you what you
missed.
There was a patch on both
of their jerseys, in the upperleft hand corner, that had a
“C” and four stars under it.
In hockey there is a similar
patch that identifies which
players are team captains.
Turns out, this is also the
case in the NFL, as part of the
league’s Captaincy Initiative.
Teams can recognize captains on offense, defense and
special teams as par t of a
season-long drive for better
leadership within the team.
Here’s something else that
wi l l per plex a lot of fans,
but only those that pay close
attention.
Did you notice a green dot
on the back of Brees’ helmet?
I had multiple people ask me
what that was and after some
research, I found out that it’s
a new aspect of the radio communications between the head
coach/offensive coordinator
and the QB.
Why it had to be fluorescent
green is still under review.
Speaking of communications I think Motorola just
may be the official communications’ sponsor of the NFL.
Here are some other things
to note about opening night:
Pink was horrible in the
openi ng to N BC’s Su nday
night games last year.
Faith Hill stepped into the
role on Thursday and wasn’t
that bad.
We’ll have to see how she
does when November hits,
since that’s when the pretenders and contenders are recognized.
I have hope for her though.
Everyone knows that the
Colts are the defending Super
Bowl Champions, but we were
reminded why by that trouncing they put on New Orleans.
No tea m has repeated a
Super Bowl title since the
Patriots in 2004 and 2005, and
they were the fi rst team to do
it since the Broncos in 1998
and 1999.
Defending a Championship
is very hard to do but the Colts
are looking to do it again, and
it’s going to be a hard to argue
against them based on Week
1.
John Madden was back at
it with his words of wisdom
as he ra mbled t hat i f you
do something illegal, but it
started out legal, then it’s
legal.
Thanks, John. We’ll look
forward to more of those all
year long!
But Thursday night was
just a tease compared to how
intense and exciting the fi rst
Sunday of NFL competition
was.
The Denver-Buffalo game
came down to a last second
kick by Jason Elam, which
resulted in a Denver victory
15-14.
The Redskins had a heart
stopping final play in their
contest against the Dolphins
AL DIAZ/MCT
Colts quarterback Peyton Manning hoists the Lombardi Trophy. Not only is Manning a Super
Bowl Champion, but he is now a Team Captain, and will wear a letter “C” on his jersey this year.
in which Antwaan Randle El
caught the def lection off of
Dolphin’s Jason Taylor and
almost took it in for a last
second touchdown.
This turned out not to be
such a missed opportunity as
many ‘Skins fans would have
thought as they beat Miami in
overtime, 16-13.
T he Pat riots, with thei r
new and very happy receiver
Randy Moss, rolled all over
the Jets and the Panthers
showed that they are sti l l
a viable contender i n t he
wild and crazy NFC as they
defeated the Rams. ■
FANTASY STUD
For those of you that are of the fantasy football playing persuasion, I’m going to start giving you a player (or two)
that I think will post big numbers in the upcoming week.
This week I’m going with Reggie Wayne and Marvin Harrison, Colts’ wide receivers. They face a Titans’ defense
that is still suspect in terms of how well they can defend against the pass.
Numbers 87 and 88 should be running wild in the secondary come Sunday so watch for both of them to post big
numbers just like they did against New Orleans.
FROM MLB, PAGE B4
cisco Liriano come April of
2008.
19. Oakland Athletics (-11):
We know that Billy Beane
likes to manage indirectly
through the body that he hires
to sit in the dugout, but it
might be time to get someone
with a personality in there.
20. Cincinnati Reds (+7) :
A a r on H a r a n g i s qu ie t ly
establishing himself as a reliable pitcher
21. Texas Rangers (+3) :
Same old story for the Rangers: above average hitting,
complimented by weak pitching.
22. SF Giants (-3) : They
won’t win until they ditch
B ond s, t he s a me way t he
Cards had to ditch McGwire
before they tasted success.
23. Washington Nationals
(+7): They just might finish
the season in 4th place…the
Nats are moving up in the
world.
24. Houston Astros (-3): No
Astro magic left in the tank
for a wild card run this year.
25. Pittsburgh Pirates (-5):
By firing Littlefield they are
sending a message that losing
is no longer acceptable. With
the young talent they have,
the Pirates could surprise us
over the next year or two.
26. KC Royals (+3): Meche
pitched pretty well for his fi rst
season with the squad. Is he
worth all that money though?
I’m not sure I’m ready to buy
that arg ument with a 3.8 3
ERA.
27. Florida Marlins (-17): I
need a seven-letter word for
free-fall. M-A-R-L-I-N-S.
28. Baltimore Orioles (-10):
The Jeffrey Maier curse continues, and I don’t see the O’s
entering back into contention
anytime soon
29. Chicago White Sox (-23):
Dropping 23 spots from my
preseason spot of number six
is probably an all-time record.
30. TB Devil Rays (-2): It’s
t ou g h h av i n g s ome g r e at
young talent to build on, but
not having the resources necessary to go out and get the
extra pieces. ■
DAVID L. POKRESS AND GEORGE BRIDGES/MCT
(Left) New England Patriot defensive lineman Ty Warren sacks New York Jet quarterback Chad Pennington in their week one game. New England won 38-14, and new receiver Randy Moss contributed 178 receiving yards and a touchdown. (Right) Washington Redskin kicker Shaun Suisham is congratulated by punter Derrick Frost after Suisham’s game winning field goal in Week 1.
NFL Picks Week 2: Old School vs. New School
Pittsburgh (-9) vs. Buffalo
The Steelers absolutely
annihilated
the Browns
in Cleveland,
which isn’t saying much, I know, but they should still cover at home. Marshawn Lynch can’t
JASON’S
(NEW SPORTS
EDITOR)
PICKS:
BRIAN’S (OLD SPORTS EDITOR) PICKS:
do everything for the Bills. Well, he can,
4-4 but Dick Jauron just hasn’t figured that out yet.
2-3-1*
PICK: STEELERS
New England (- 4.5) vs.
quarterback,
against Philly, the Packers back in the league, I know.
Pittsburgh (-9) vs. Buf- Jacksonville.
Cincinnati (-6) at Cleveland
Trent Green was rejected by San Diego
But something is telling me
O f cou rse, t hey weren’t would’ve won by 20.
falo
It ’s sti l l a Nor v T u r ner
KANSAS CITY!
takefunny.
New Orleans here.
Still,Pepto
that guy
in front That
of to
facing
Peyton
T he S t e elerwhen
s ab s olut
elyCinco
Remember
Ocho
sent
the Manning
Brown’s last
secondary
Bismol?
was
coached team.
PICK: COWBOYS
Just one of those feelings
him is pretty good too I guess.
annihilated the Browns in week.
PICK: BENGALS
PICK: PATRIOTS
Baltimore (-7.5) vs. BaltiPICK: SAINTS
PICK: PACKERS
PICK: COLTS
Cleveland, which isn’t saying
Indianapolis
Tennessee
Ph i l adelph i a ( -7 ) vs.
more
Ja c k s o nv i l le ( -10 ) v s .
Carolina (-6.5) vs. Housmuch,
I know, but(-7)
theyat
should
Washington
WillJacksonville.
someone please explain
(-3)itatlast
Arizona
ton
still
cover
at home.
Vince
Young
and the Titans
have a knack for hangingAtlanta
around and stealing wins. Seattle
They did
week against
Of course,
they weren’t facing
The only thing a dolphin
Archie Manning’s touch- to me what Leon WashingSure it’s the Falcons, but
The Matt Schaub Era is off
Marshawn Lynch can’t do
Peyton manning
lastWell,
week.to a good start, and his team Jacksonville couldn’t even ing adoption of Matt Leinart ton is doing as a backup to and an eagle have in common
everything
for the Bills.
is that really annoying highis full proof that he’s given Thomas Jones?
move the ball on the Titans.
has potential.
he
can,
but
Dick
Jauron
just
PICK: COLTS
pitched squeak.
PICK: RAVENS
And one more thing, Joey up any hope of Eli Manning
Of course, they were facing
hasn’t figured that out yet.
Carolina
(-6.5) vs. Houston
PICK: EAGLES
Chicago (-12.5) vs. Kansas
Harrington is the most under- being a successful son.
the Chiefs last week.
PICK: STEELERS
City last week. Steve Smith will tear the Texan
PICK:
ratedhas
player
in the league.
Steve
Smith
will and
tear his
the team
Cincinnati
(-6) at Era
CleveThe
Matt Schaub
is off to
a good
start,
potential.
Of course,
theyCARDINALS
were facing the Chiefs
Were the Texans that good *Because The Captain’s Log
Detroit (-3) vs. Minnesota
On paper.
Texan secondary a new one.
land
secondary
new
now prints on Monday mornSacking Joey Harrington or were the Chiefs that bad?
Ok, not even on paper.
PICK: PANTHERS
R e m e m b e ra w
h e none.
Ocho
Hey, let ’s not li mit ou r- ings, our deadline has been
is like robbing the blind: it’s
Still, he’s not that bad…
S t . L ou i s ( - 3 ) vs . S a n
Cinco
the Brown’s secPICK:sent
PANTHERS
fun for a while but there’s no selves, why c a n’t bot h be moved up to Sunday nights.
PICK: FALCONS
Francisco
ondary Pepto Bismol?
St.
Louis (-3) vs. San Francisco
Therefore, we cannot include
true?
N e w O r l e a n s ( - 3 ) a t sport in it.
S t even Jack s on i s s t i l l
That was funny.
Steven
Jackson is still nasty,
no no
matter
what
happens.
Monday night’s games in the
PICK: BEARS
PICK: LIONS
nasty,
matter
what
hap- Tampa Bay
PICK: BENGALS
records for our performances.
Denver
(-9)
vs.
Oakland
Dallas
(-3.5)
at
Miami
Ye
a
h
,
ye
a
h
,
ye
a
h
,
I
ndy
pens.
Indianapolis
(-7)
at
TenPICK: RAMS
A team that can win ugly Rest assured, we haven’t forKansas City didn’t want
torched the Saints’ defense
PICK: RAMS
nessee
NY
Giants
Green Bay
NY Giants (-4) vs. Green and also held their offense in Mia mi’s st a r ti ng qua r ter- is better than a team that gotten this.
Vince
Young(-4)
and vs.
the Titans
can’t
wininatfront
all, theoretically
back.
check. Philly the Packers would’ve
BayRodgers had started against
have
a
knack
for
hangi
Just to make it clear, ifngAaron
won by 20. Still, that
guy
of him is pretty good too I guess.
Picks are for entertainment
Let me rephrase that for speaking.
And yeah, Jef f Garcia is
Just to make it clear, i f
around and stealing wins.
PICK:
PACKERS
purposes only.
PICK: BRONCOS
They did
it last week against Aaron Rodgers had started like the second best quarter- emphasis. Miami’s starting
score high. write for sports.
The Captain’s Log is looking for sports writers
for the Fall ’07 semester. Contact us at: desk@thecaptainslog.org