Ninjas, Hawaiians and Gothics. No, it’s not Halloween. This is the different attire worn by a team in my intramural volleyball league from week to week. Since there isn’t a dress code for intramurals, they decided to make their own. Many students, like myself, play intramurals at the U to have fun and stay active during their time at the U.

Since most students at the U can’t compete competitively at the varsity level, like the Gopher Men’s Basketball team, a variety of intramural sports are available. These sports range from broomball, to bowling, to hockey. Many people play intramural sports. U Intermural director, Vinh Chung, said the goal of intramurasl is, “To provide leagues and tournaments to all different skill levels and encourage social interaction.”

The beautiful thing about intramurals is that when some leagues come to a close, others are beginning. Right now, basketball and volleyball leagues are winding down, while indoor soccer and softball are about to begin.

When and Where

Sign-ups for intramurals usually take place during the second week of both fall and spring semester. Signups for summer leagues this year will be June 6 and 7. During the summer there are only two sports offered, outdoor soccer and softball. Both coed and open leagues are offered for these sports. One nice thing about the summer leagues is that students don’t have to be taking summer classes to play..

If you don’t have enough people for a full team, there is the free agent program. This program is where people sign up to be placed on a team that needs extra players. The free agent program is available for every sport, at every skill level and there are usually about three or four free-agent teams per sport. Chung said, “We’ll have some teams that will ask for free agents … we try to save some slots and try to put the free agents together with other free agents.”

Intramural sports are played all around campus. If you’re on the St. Paul campus and looking for intramurals nearby, outdoor soccer and bowling are played on the St. Paul campus. All other sports are offered on the East or West Bank.

While intramural sports seem to be all fun and games, some sports get extremely competitive and physical. Some “tough guys” have been suspended and banned from intramurals for sportsmanship issues such as fighting. Chung says these incidents occur “usually around finals time or midterms … when it’s stressful.”

While the intramural sports program at the U is very successful, Chung says the rec sports program doesn’t plan on adding any new sports in the near future due to a lack of space for leagues to be played at. Right now the goal is to enhance the currently existing programs for the participants.

Intramural Sports Offered:

Ultimate Frisbee
Broomball
5-on-5 Basketball
3-on-3 Basketball
Bowling
Hockey
Indoor Soccer
Outdoor Soccer
Softball
Volleyball
Flag Football

Student-athletes across campus are being punished for their great academic work. Sound confusing? It is. And it’s giving coaches headaches.

The NCAA, which has set the aid standards, split all athletics at the Division-I level into two categories. Sports are either labeled as “headcount” or “equivalency” sports.

Headcount sports on campus include football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, gymnastics, tennis, and volleyball. In headcount sports, athletes are either offered a full scholarship or they must try to make the team as a walk-on, receiving no aid.

The football team has the ability to give out 85 full scholarships. So, 85 players on the team are on campus receiving full rides. Anyone else on the roster must pay their own way through school as a walk-on.

The dilemma of accepting either athletic or academic aid comes into play when dealing with equivalency sports on campus. In equivalency sports, coaches are given a certain amount of scholarships. They have the option to divide the amount of financial aid provided by these scholarships in any way they wish, to any or all athletes on the team. Beside the headcount sports, every other team operates on this basis.

The women’s track team receives 18 scholarships. So, the coach may decide to pay for an athlete’s books, costing $400. This athlete would be receiving 2 percent of a full scholarship, while another athlete may receive a $16,000 full scholarship. This gives coaches a great deal of flexibility.

But problems arise in equivalency sports when academic aid enters the picture. Stipulations in the NCAA Division I Manual state that any aid a student has earned through academic scholarships will limit how much athletic aid can be given or received to teams and individuals.

Gary Wilson, head coach of the women’s track team, said that if he were to give a track athlete a half-scholarship of $8,000, and the University of Minnesota decided to give $8,000 more because of the athlete’s academic achievements, it would count as a full $16,000 scholarship for his track team. The $16,000 would then count against the team’s limit of $128,000 in athletic financial aid.

Many times coaches can not afford to award the equivalent of a full scholarship, so students must decide on whether to accept academic or athletic aid.

“So here’s a smart kid who gets $8,000 that they’ve earned academically through no interference by me and no interference by our athletic department before they even got here,” Wilson said. “And just because the kid’s smart and happens to be an athlete. That money will count as a full scholarship and they must make a decision.”

Lauren Williams, who is currently on a $10,000 nutrition scholarship, has not received any athletic aid throughout the four years she has been with the Gophers, despite her cross country achievements. Because of her academic scholarship, Coach Wilson has not been able to offer her aid because of the financial limits of his 18 scholarships.

“I couldn’t put her on any athletic money,” Wilson said. “The minute that I had given her $1, it’s just like giving $10,001, because you can’t have it both ways.”

Williams, who has been placed in this frustrating situation, said, “Other student athletes have full athletics scholarships and are barely getting by the minimum GPA to stay eligible. Why should we punish the students succeeding in both athletics and academics? Shouldn’t we award the students who perform on the field and in the classroom? The NCAA regulations do just that; punish the hard working over-achievers and award the students who prefer the term ‘athlete student’ over ‘student athlete.’”

Many athletes in equivalency sports confront the same dilemma: either drop all athletic aid and take as much academic aid as possible, or drop the academic aid to collect athletic money.

The NCAA regulations that have brought these dilemmas are interpreted completely different at many schools across the nation and as such, they affect recruiting for equivalency sports at the University of Minnesota.

Many schools package the athletic and academic money together for student-athletes. So the same exact academic scholarship offered at the University of Minnesota does not count against the athletes at hundreds of other schools around the country, said Wilson, who has written many letters to the administration and the NCAA regarding this issue.

This places schools that have interpreted these regulations in the same way as the University of Minnesota on an unleveled playing field from the rest of the nation and shortchanges their athletes.

“So why does the U of M interpret NCAA rules this way; that a kid who’s smart is going to get the short end of the stick?” said Wilson. “It’s something I’ve been asking for 15 years.”

There is new legislation in the NCAA that would allow an athlete who earns a 3.2 GPA during his/her first year to not have the academic aid count against them or their team’s aid limit. As of now, nothing has been passed.

The mayhem is inevitable. The upsets are shocking. With a simple flick of the wrist, ordinary human beings transform into legends. And a simple mistake, such as an inopportune timeout or turnover, can leave a player’s legacy, no matter the skill level, tainted forever. The Big Dance, or the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, is the climax of college basketball and is one of the most anticipated events in American sports. Fortunately, for Minnesotans, the Midwest Regional portion of the NCAA tournament will be held at the Metrodome for the first time since 2003, which means you can be a part of the drama and chaos of March Madness.

History at the Metrodome

For NCAA basketball purposes, the Metrodome appears to be the “House that Duke Built.” Both times the Final Four has been held at the Dome, Duke has won the National Championship (1992 and 2001). The Blue Devils’ coach Mike Krzyzewski has never lost in the dome, with a record of 6-0.
Three years ago the Dome was host to the Dwayne Wade show. His triple-double performance (29 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists) ended the favored Kentucky Wildcats 26-game winning streak and sent Marquette to its first Final Four since 1977. Even rapper Ice Cube was impressed with Wade’s performance by saying he merely “messed around and got a triple-double.”

Tickets

The best place to purchase tickets is through Gophersports.com. The tickets come in package deals of either $90 or $130. The packages include three games: two sweet 16 and one elite eight. Last minute tickets are available, but the choices will be limited and the majority of seats will be in the far reaches of the upper deck.

Tickets can also be purchased through other sources such as Ticket Triangle and TickCo, but the prices are more expensive than Gophersports.com. Through Ticket Triangle, one ticket in section 226 for a sweet 16 game costs $132 plus tax. At Gophersports.com you can purchase one ticket in section 226 to all three games for $130 plus tax. Still, if you have rich parents or an illegitimate job that produces an absurd amount of cash, and you are desperate for lower level seating, then others sources such as Ticket Triangle and TickCo are your only choices for pristine seating.

Minneapolis Regional Games

Florida Gators (3) vs. Georgetown Hoyas (7)

This is a game of redemption. For the Georgetown Hoyas getting to the NCAA tournament recently has been a struggle. They have qualified for the Big Dance 23 times in school history, winning the National Championship in 1984. But in the last four seasons, since 2001, the Hoyas have failed to qualify for the tournament. Finally, this season, Georgetown has not only qualified for the tournament, but has reached the sweet 16. They defeated Northern Iowa 54-49 in round one, and pounded Ohio State 70-52 in round 2.

Meanwhile, the Florida Gators have had no problems getting into the NCAA tournament, but have had a horrendous time winning games. For the first time since 2000, Florida has finally made it to the sweet 16 after losing in the first round twice and the second round three times.

The Hoyas need their aggressive team defense to stymie the surging Gators who have never trailed in the tournament and have outscored their first two opponents by 48 points.

Prediction: Florida Gators

Villanova Wildcats (1) vs. Boston College Eagles (4)

Boston College has finally reached the sweet 16 for the first time since 1994 after beating Pacific (13) 88-76 and Montana (12) 69-56. But things are about to get much more difficult against Villanova (1). The Wildcats survived a surprising scare against Monmouth (16) in the first round winning 58-45, and used precise free throw shooting to prevail over Arizona (8). Villanova remains the team to beat in the Minneapolis regional and should have too much talent for Boston College.

Prediction: Villanova Wildcats

The winners of the sweet sixteen games will face each other on Sunday, Mar. 19 at the Metrodome for a ticket to the Final Four.

Prediction to win Minneapolis regional: Villanova Wildcats

What’s in a team name anyway? To many fans and alumni at universities around the country, it means tradition and pride. To Native American activists, they see Native American symbols used in sports as offensive and racist.

It’s fairly easy to understand the activists’ point of view when watching a Florida State football game on television. During their famous pre-game ritual, fans cheer loudly as the school’s mascot, Chief Osceola, rides his horse and plants a burning spear into the ground. This tradition was given the approval of Seminole tribes, but still disturbs activists across the country.

Last year, the NCAA made strides to be culturally sensitive towards Native Americans. The NCAA executive committee adopted a new policy in terms of team names in August 2005. According to the NCAA rules, as of Feb. 1, 2006, no school displaying “hostile and abusive racial/ethnic/national origin mascots, nicknames or imagery” may host any of 88 NCAA championships. This means that any school deemed to have “hostile or abusive imagery” must cover their logos if hosting an NCAA championship. For example, The Fighting Sioux of North Dakota would have to cover more than three thousand Indianhead logos if they wanted to host NCAA championship hockey games.

There are fourteen other schools, including the University of Illinois, that fall into this category. One school that didn’t land on the list of unacceptable names, to the dismay of schools whose names were on the list, was San Diego State, whose team name is the Aztecs.

Four schools, originally on the list of schools affected by the new policy, have won appeals with the NCAA, including: the Utah Utes, Central Michigan Chippewas, Florida State Seminoles and Mississippi College Choctaws due to the close relationships the schools have with the tribes they represent. Mississippi College is the most recent school to win an appeal with the NCAA to keep its name after the Choctaw Indian tribe approved the use of the name.

In addition to this new practice, the NCAA ruled last year that “institutions displaying or promoting hostile or abusive references on their mascots, cheerleaders, dance teams and band uniforms or paraphernalia are prohibited from wearing the material at NCAA championships.” This new rule comes into effect Aug. 1, 2008.

Before the NCAA made these new rules, some universities had already changed their team names to be culturally sensitive towards Native Americans. Some notable schools that changed their team names are Marquette University, which changed from the Warriors to the Golden Eagles, St. John’s University which changed from the Redmen to the Red Storm and Stanford University which changed from the Indians to the Cardinal.

Other schools have decided to change their names in response to the policy enacted by the NCAA. Carthage College changed from, and this is not a typo, Redmen to Red Men. Carthage was allowed to do this since a high school team in the same area of Illinois was named the Blueboys and Redmen was originally meant to differentiate the two area teams. Midwestern State University Indians dropped all Native American imagery and changed their team name to the Mustangs. Southeastern Oklahoma State University, whose teams are known as the Savages, plans to change its’ team name to “Savage Storm” in May of this year. Chowan College and the University of Louisiana-Monroe also plan to make changes to their team names to remove “hostile or abusive imagery”.

Two steps forward, one giant step back

While some universities around the country have been making strides toward cultural sensitivity in the last fifteen years, a prime example of regression is with the University of North Dakota.

Ralph Engelstad, a graduate from Thief River Falls high school in Minnesota, donated $104 million to build a hockey arena for the University of North Dakota in 1998. Engelstad had attended UND and played goalie for their hockey team. Engelstad, who died in 2002, built the Imperial Palace hotel and casino in Las Vegas during the 1970s. He later built another casino under the same name in Biloxi, Miss. The controversy around Engelstad began primarily in the late 1980s when he was fined $1.5 million by the Nevada Gaming Commission for his Nazi-glorifying actions. These actions included having birthday parties for Hitler, producing bumper stickers saying “Hitler was right” and collecting Nazi memorabilia.

Ralph Engelstad, during his talks with the University of North Dakota, said he would withdraw his donation for the arena if the team’s name, The Fighting Sioux, was changed. Engelstad was passionate about this and to secure to the team name, the arena is owned by an Engelstad company and leased to the university, reportedly, for a dollar per year. This extreme action to preserve a tradition disappoints many American Indian activists.

The issue of Native American mascots isn’t limited to college athletics. High schools across the country use names like the Red Raiders, the Indians and the Warriors. Professional sports also use similar names; in Major League Baseball, there’s the Atlanta Braves and Cleveland Indians. Atlanta Braves fans have the ritual of the “tomahawk chop,” which can be seen at home games. The National Football League has two teams with Native American connotations, the Washington Redskins and the Kansas City Chiefs. Lastly, the NBA has the Golden State Warriors using a name with Native American connotations.

Did you know the Fighting Sioux logo that UND currently uses was drawn by a Native American artist who holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from UND. His name is Bennett Brien.

Fightin’ Whites – The name of an Intramural basketball team at the University of Northern Colorado in 2002. The name was meant to mock the use of Native American team names. Their original logo includes a white man with the slogan “Every thang’s gonna be all white.”

Pam Borton, Dan Monson and I were playing five-card stud in the Barn locker room. Like all poker games involving collegiate head coaches, there were ample amounts of alcohol. Don’t be naive; everybody knows college head coaches take five shots of bourbon before breakfast. In between body shots, beer bongs and awkward moments, the two would discuss basketball while I gazed in pure amazement at two transcendent coaching minds. I was watching a Bobby Knight and Joe Pa interview on a TV in the corner.

I had two jacks and was hoping for a third to match my pair when I asked a simple question: who would win, the women Gophers or the men Gophers?

Monson, with only hazy memories of Iowa and Michigan State deep in his drunken mind, said the women would win. He rambled on and on about Jamie Broback this and Jamie Broback that, and begged Borton to borrow Schonrock for the “Big Eleven” tourney. Dan praised the women’s role players for not making many mistakes, while saying the men’s role players make mistakes whenever the ball is within a five-foot radius of their bodies. Then—while double fisting shots of Cuervo—he claimed that Borton would out-think, out-coach and out-dress him. Pam, laughing and rebuking every word Dan said, fell out of her chair like a blast of buckshot had just hit her in the face and neck region. Where have I heard that before?

Now usually Pam’s a princess; fair-skinned and precious as a child. Tonight though, she was the antithesis of sobriety and began screaming, ranting and generally freaking the shit out of me. She heaped praises upon praises at the feet of Vincent Grier and Rico Tucker; claiming that, if there ever was a game, they would simply take whatever they wanted and lay the game to waste. She then added, “… while Adam Boone may be, what, 73 years old? Well, he’s a young 73.”

Pam also explained how—and Dan and I hadn’t looked at it from this light—the men’s team has three players measuring six-foot-nine, while the women’s team has three players topping out at just six-foot-three and that would probably be a factor, because this is basketball and height is a factor in basketball.

Dan tossed his half-full glass of gin across the room. He began to stomp his feet and the Barn’s lights grew dim. He was disgusted with Pam. Basketball’s not just about size, strength and speed … it’s about heart, Dan said with tears in his voice and hopes in his eyes. Pam was selling herself short, he argued; the women’s team doesn’t quit and doesn’t take a night off, except in Purdue and Wisconsin. That’s when Pam punched Dan right square in the nose. Just a love punch, but Dan had to be taken to the hospital immediately.

“Your luck ran out,” Pam laughed at him. Monson kept mumbling “Podominick … Tollackson’s worst nightmare … Podominick,” as he was wheeled into the ambulance. Borton joined him on the ride to the hospital, held his hand, talked to him like he was a newborn pup. “Who’s gonna win the 2006 NIT Championship? Who’s gonna win the 2006 NIT Championship? You are. Yes, you are.” I just sat there, flipped over my last card, and drew up the jack of hearts. Where have I heard that before?

February was a cold month. The weather, sure, but that’s expected in

Minnesota. What’s not expected? The Gophers women’s basketball team losing four straight games as they near post-season.

“We’ve hit a bump right now,” says junior guard Kelly Roysland during a Feb. 21 interview. “But we’ve felt we’ve played some pretty good basketball overall and we’ve got a pretty good record right now.”

Fortunately, for Roysland and her team, two weeks without a win ended when they defeated Indiana on Feb. 23 and rolled over Northwestern on Feb. 26.

“I think the win over Indiana was a good start, I think it was the best defense we’ve played as a team all year,” says head coach Pam Borton of her team’s elusive 65-58 defeat of the Hoosiers. “It feels good to get back heading in the right direction … our players deserve all the credit, they’ve been working hard handling all the pressure the last couple of weeks. I felt it was a good start, but we’ve got to be consistent.”

Minnesota’s first four-game losing streak since the 2000-01 season was not pretty. It included blowout losses to Michigan State and Purdue (by 23 and 32 points, respectively) and a disappointing 67-61 loss at rival Wisconsin.

Despite the perils of such a losing skid, Borton remains optimistic her team can be in position to make another NCAA tournament run this March. “I think no matter who we play in these games (in the Big Ten tournament) get us ready for the NCAAs” says Borton. “Because these games, these teams, the attitude, Purdue, Michigan State, these are teams that will get us ready for the NCAA tournament.”

Getting there is a given. Minnesota’s win over the Hoosiers put them at 18-8 (10-5 in Big Ten play). There will be no Big Ten Championship, but the lady Gophers have been able to punch another pass to the NCAA Division-I tournament – Minnesota’s fifth-straight NCAA championship quest begins when the tournament starts March 18.

Borton, who has coached NCAA basketball for 17 years, will bring Minnesota to March Madness for her fourth time. As head coach here, Borton has orchestrated the tournament runs with the benefits of having All-American and eventual WNBA number one pick, Janel McCarville, as well as All-everything Minnesota women’s basketball, Lindsey Whalen.

This season Minnesota lacks these two superstars, but they do have a rising star in the pre-season All-Big Ten pick, forward Jamie Broback. The team also has some other highly talented seniors (including defensive specialist—senior Shannon Bolden) and a team (as a whole) Borton claims is “the deepest” and “most talented” team she’s ever coached.

Roysland, a third year Kinesiology student, is not yet Broback’s caliber on the basketball court, but she’s shown signs of being yet another rising star for Minnesota.

A native of Fosston, Minn., Roysland arrived at the U in 2003. In her freshman season, Roysland was teammates with Whalen. Having similar styles in terms of lane penetration and passing, Roysland says Whalen often helped Kelly with her game when the two played together.

“Yeah, I definitely try to emulate her sometimes, I think any player would,” says Roysland, “just the way she can get into the lane and create great space for herself and to get a shot off, stuff like that … She was great for me, always helpful and always encouraging to me.”

“Kelly, yea, we were roomies on the road trips that year,” says Whalen, in a phone interview from Connecticut—where she plays for the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun.

Whalen says the two roomed together on the road during the 2003-04 season, the year of Minnesota’s Final Four.

“She definitely does a bit, she’s got a good ability to take it in the lane, drive and penetrate, dish it out,” says Whalen. “I think she’s a great creator, as well as a great penetrator.”

Borton says she can see some similarities between her ex and current pupils as well; but also says she finds Roysland to be a better fit at the two-guard, noting that her ball handling abilities (right now) are not fit to run the point. Roysland admits she can be a bit overaggressive and has committed 43 turnovers on the season. However, she has recently been one of the few Gophers who have provided consistent play throughout the losing streak.

Over the two winless weeks, Roysland’s play earned her increased playing time and has done well. Over the team’s four losses, she averaged 15 minutes per game, scoring 5.5 points, also contributing six assists and five rebounds.

Roysland was able to start in two games as well. In the team’s win over Indiana, she started her second straight game, scoring 11 points and picking up 3 assists. The other start came against Wisconsin, where she played a crucial role. In that game, despite Minnesota losing 67-61, Roysland scored 13 points, hitting eight of nine free throws—including 2-2 with less than two minutes remaining that cut Minnesota’s margin to 61-59. Although her play might merit her more minutes of court time, having senior captains like Schonrock and Calhoun have made it tough.

“You know, we have nine guards on the team,” says Roysland, who proceeded to mention the names of practically all of them. “It’s a tough job for the coach when she’s drawing up plays … it’s all about personnel and how the team’s jelling, and I’m happy with whatever role she gives me.”

As for the team as a whole this season, Minnesota’s accomplished a lot; turnovers, however, have been plentiful. Throughout Minnesota’s regular season, they averaged 16.5 turnovers per game – ranking just sixth among its Big Ten competitors. Minnesota has done well, however, to overcome its many mistakes.

Strong inside play from sophomore Natasha Williams (8.3 points per game and a 3.8 rebound average) and junior forward Liz Podominick (8.3 ppg, 5.2 rpg) has led Minnesota’s McCarville-less inside game. Senior guards Shannon Schonrock and April Calhoun have had solid seasons as well.

In her fourth season at guard with the Gophers, Schonrock has led Minnesota’s Big Ten leading three-point shooting attack (52 made attempts and 42.6 percent success rate). While Calhoun, a fourth-year transfer from Iowa, has not been a huge scoring factor, she has shown a calm sense of court control. The native of New Hope, Minn. leads the team with 92 assists, and committing few turnovers (55) in comparison.

Whalen and Borton both say the most important thing for this team, heading into the tournament, is feeling comfortable with each other.

The selection committee will have a tough choice when seeding Minnesota this year. The Gophers had key victories over Michigan State, ranked 14th at the time, and a win over Stanford, ranked 11th at the time, for the Subway Classic championship. However, the February skid will be fresh in the minds of the NCAA committee, which will likely deal out a fifth or sixth seed to the Gophers.

Boxing is for bone-headed lunatics. It is a barbaric sport for numb-minded imbeciles who release their aggression by fighting instead of doing something normal like playing Halo, football or beer pong. Even Rocky says, “You would be a moron to want to box.” So why do people subject themselves to torture in an imprisoned square where each person wallops the other for three minute intervals? “It is a way of conquering fear,” says Josh Murphy, sophomore sociology and criminal deviance major at the U. He has boxed for four months. “Once you get in that ring, it is pretty much two guys beating the shit out of each other. What in life can scare you after that?”

Murphy is so fearless in a recent job interview he had a puffy eye and cut lip from sparring the night before. “They probably thought I was in a street brawl,” Murphy says. He never explained why his face was beaten. One reason is the stigma people generally have about boxers and the misconceptions many people have about a sport they know little about.

Misconception #1: Boxing is Dangerous

OK, boxing is slightly more dangerous than wearing a $100 Polo Shirt and hitting a 9-iron. But compared to other contact sports is it really that dangerous? “You do get cut and bruised boxing, but it is like any other sport,” Murphy says. “You are going to get banged up in hockey, football or just about anything you do.” In boxing you must wear headgear until you become a professional. You must also wear a mouthpiece and a shirt to absorb sweat and dirt. Women must wear breast protectors. According to the National Safety Council’s 1996 report, amateur boxing had fewer injuries than hockey, soccer, gymnastics and in-line skating.

Misconception #2: Boxing is unhealthy.

Boxing provides a magnificent workout and is an effective way of losing weight. Murphy played football and basketball in high school and says “training for boxing has put me in the best shape of my life.” Since Murphy started boxing he has lost 28 pounds and is down to 165 pounds, the ideal weight for him to box.

Boxing also promotes a person to shy away from cigarettes and alcohol. “You can either smoke and get your ass-handed to you in the third round, or not smoke. It’s up to you,” Murphy says.

Misconception #3: Boxing takes no strategy

Boxing is more than swinging as hard as you can at your opponent. Murphy’s coach compares boxing to a chess match. Every punch and every block a boxer makes is orchestrated strategically to exploit his or her opponent, to put a boxer in the best position to win.

Places to Box:

I had always been interested in boxing, but too lazy and afraid to actually try it. Here is what my experience was like at two boxing gyms in the Twin Cities.

Uppercut Boxing, Minneapolis

Introductory Class: free

I went to Uppercut Boxing Gym to find out more about myself. I was a fighting virgin, and it was time I saw the light. When I first walked into Uppercut there was an overwhelming sound of smacking boxing gloves, random yelling and foul body odor. After I was shown where to wait for my introductory class I underwent a terrifying epiphany: Every single man and woman in this building could kick my ass. While receiving my revelation, a robust young lady covered in boxing attire walked up to me. Was she going to welcome me to her boxing gym? “Hey you,” she said sternly, her mean tough boxing eyes staring at me. “Next time don’t drag dirt in front of my locker.” I said sorry like a little wuss. I wanted to tell her to chill out, get off the roids and leave me alone. But once again I remembered—she could kick my ass.

Once the class started I felt comfortable. My group had nine people ranging from college students to middle-aged women. The first thing we learned was the basic boxing stance and how to hold your hands. Then we were taught the four typical punches in boxing: the jab, cross, hook and uppercut. The instructor of the class, Lisa Bauch, was also the founder and owner of the gym. She was blonde, about 5’7” and I was confident she could kick my ass in less than five seconds. After learning the basic moves, we were given boxing gloves and punch mitts. I was paired up with a 6-foot man who, for some reason, felt like his manhood was being challenged on every punch. He grunted loudly after every swing and a waterfall of sweat poured down his face after about 20 seconds. Of course, I couldn’t tell him to stop hitting me so hard. That would reveal the truth: that I am a weakling and a wuss. When it was my turn to punch, Bauch came over and readjusted my punching position. In a nice, subtle way she told me I was doing everything wrong and that I sucked at boxing. Overall, I had a good time and would recommend anyone interested to try. Most people in the introduction class suck so you don’t have to feel self-conscious about being bad.

Analysis: Serious atmosphere. Ideal for someone who wants to competitively box. Can also be used as a workout place, but it is expensive.

Gym Rates:

Single class after introduction class: $20
Six Classes $75 auto withdrawal $70
One Month Unlimited $128 auto withdrawal $117
Three Months Unlimited $320
Six Months Unlimited $585
One Year Unlimited $1070

West Side Boxing, Eden Prairie

Introductory Class: free

West Side boxing is nestled in the middle of suburbia, meaning the clientele is different than at Uppercut. Most boxers are high school age boys and girls, some college students, and some older persons. When I first arrived at West Side, I immediately received one-on-one assistance in the proper boxing stance and the four basic punches. After, I participated in drills with the regular boxers. I was matched up with a short, blonde girl about 17 years old and we continuously boxed at three-minute intervals for an entire hour. After doing drills everyone united in a circle and did pushups and sit-ups for ten minutes and then practice was over.

Analysis: West Side Boxing has a relaxed atmosphere and is a great place for someone who may be intimidated by more serious gyms. Many of its members are looking for a good workout, not necessarily to box competitively.

Gym Rates:

Single Class: $15
Monthly one class per week $49 Autopay $44
Monthly Unlimited $90 Autopay $75
Registration fee of $39 includes: Hand wraps, mouth guard and a white West Side boxing shirt.

After dominating the Western Collegiate Hockey Association for six seasons, the University of Minnesota’s Women’s Hockey team is adjusting to life in the middle. The Gophers put up their worst regular season record since the inception of Women’s Hockey in the WCHA, but when “worst ever” is third place is it really that bad?

The Gophers opened the season with a bang. An impressive five-game winning streak in October left fans saying “Natalie who?” But after their streak-ending loss to Duluth they struggled; often failing to win back-to-back games. Most notably the weekend of Feb. 10, when Minnesota reached 20 wins against rival Wisconsin, marking the seventh consecutive year with 20 or more wins. The next day Wisconsin downed the Gophers 3-1 to clinch the No. 1 spot in the WCHA. It’s the first time a team other than Minnesota or Duluth has won the league regular season championship.

“We’re not playing consistent. It shows in our record. Friday to Saturday we’re not playing consistently,” says senior defenseman Allie Sanchez, the team’s +/- leader.

Minnesota lost or tied at least one of two games in weekend tournaments against Duluth, Minnesota State, Bemidji State, Ohio, and Wisconsin. More importantly, Minnesota doesn’t have a winning record against its biggest rivals, Wisconsin and Duluth.

“We’re a tough team when we’re on our game,” notes Sanchez. “I don’t think we’ll make any adjustments to systems, we just need to focus.”

The team is headed to the WCHA championship first round with confidence, but they aren’t as heavily favored as in years past. With the loss of high-scoring veterans like Krissy Wendell and Natalie Darwitz, who combined for 228 points in the 2004-05 regular season, and the least-winning regular season ever, many doubt that they’ve got enough to win a third consecutive national championship. But the Gophers have talent and the team is optimistic.

“We need to stay confident. We’re getting scoring from lots of players now,” says sophomore forward Erica McKenzie, point leader for Minnesota with 19 goals and 17 assists. McKenzie is a 2004 graduate of Hastings High School and recipient of the Let’s Play Hockey Ms. Hockey Award, given to the top senior girl’s hockey player in the state of Minnesota. The team will look to McKenzie to lead the offense during the tournament but expect to see production from other young players like sophomore Bobbi Ross and freshman Gigi Marvin.

The team boasts a good overall game. There’s enough offensive power to give them an 82-52 scoring advantage over opponents on the season. And they have a strong defense that can put up the points — five of their top eleven point getters are defensemen. With a decrease in scoring from last year, the defense has had to step up their efforts. Senior defensemen Sanchez and Ashley Albrecht have proven that even without 100-plus point scorers, the Gophers are a force to be reckoned with. McKenzie and Sanchez attribute the team’s success this season to the unity of the players.

“Team play and chemistry between the new players. We have a lot of young players but the team camaraderie is important,” says McKenzie.

“The team gets along well off ice and on ice. It translates well onto the ice. We click,” adds Sanchez, who is playing her final year.

What will it take to propel the Gophers to a third national title? “We need to play Minnesota hockey. When we play Minnesota hockey, we’re tough to beat,” says McKenzie.

Minnesota will compete in the WCHA Championship first round. The first round is the best two-of-three games. The winners of each series will advance to the WCHA Championship, March 11-12 at Ridder Arena.

The University of Minnesota will host the 2006 NCAA Women’s Frozen Four at Mariucci Arena in Minneapolis on March 24-26. This is the second time that the Golden Gophers have hosted the Frozen Four. Minnesota also hosted in 2001.

The World Series of baseball, an annual October tradition that brings to mind the pinstripes of New York, the jokers from Beantown and most recently the overachieving lads from the Windy City.

But why are the victors considered the World Champions? Granted there are players from around the world participating in the event, but aside from a Toronto surge in the mid-’90s, all teams were based in the good-old United States.

Perhaps it’s time for the ultimate baseball showdown to prove which country is the true World Champion. Players lured to the United States by big contracts could return to their homelands to play for national pride. And the question of whether U.S. players are truly the cream of the crop could be answered.

Luckily for baseball fans around the world, the chance to witness such a historic event will turn from pipe dream to reality in just a few days.

The 2006 World Baseball Classic, the first of its kind, will kick off March 3 and will see 16 teams face-off for the World Baseball Classic crown. When it is all said and done, 39 games will be played in an 18-day period.

The United States’ pool includes Mexico, South Africa, and Canada. Games will be played in Arizona at Chase Field and Scottsdale Stadium.

In anticipation of the event, it’s time to take a look at the U.S. roster and pool to try to determine just what the tournament holds for our players in the red, white and blue.

United States

This is our national pastime, so it is only natural the United States will take the crown, right? Not necessarily. Let’s not forget how many great foreign players make up Major League Baseball and that our own Olympic team failed to qualify for Athens in 2004.

That said, the star-laden U.S. squad is still the clear-cut favorite for the tournament. This international event will be the first to feature Major League players, which separates it from the lower-level pro ranks of Olympic baseball.

Projected starters: 1B Derek Lee, 2B Chase Utley, SS Derek Jeter, 3B Alex Rodriguez, CF Johnny Damon, LF Ken Griffey Jr., RF Vernon Wells, C Jason Varitek.

With batting statistic averages of .303 AVG 26 HR and 83 RBI in the 2005 season, this is perhaps the most talented lineup ever assembled in the history of baseball. A truly daunting task for opposing pitchers.

Projected rotation: Roger Clemens, Dontrelle Willis, Jake Peavy, C.C. Sabathia.

These starters posted an average of a 2.85 ERA with 183 SO in the 2005 season. With this rotation, hitters throughout the tournament must be prepared to be blown away.

Featured relievers: Billy Wagner, Huston Street, Mike Timlin, Scot Shields.

These relievers posted an approximate average of a 2.05 ERA and should have no problem eating up middle innings until the closers can shut the door on the opposition.

Closers: Chad Cordero, Brad Lidge, Joe Nathan.

All three closers for the United States were lights-out in 2005, posting an average 2.27 ERA and 44 SV, and should have no pressure closing blow out victories.

Prediction: There is no one to pitch around on this team, nor is there a pitcher anyone can sit back and tee off on. I envision the United States bringing home the World Baseball Classic crown, unless the egos of these superstars collide.

Mexico

A tough road lies ahead for the Mexican squad. Mexico’s chances to advance will hinge on whether they can get strong pitching from their deep staff and pick up a few key hits along the way. After aging, Nomar Garciaparra declined to be part of the Mexican roster, no household names will be found here.

Outfielders: Extremely thin, with not one player currently on a Major League roster. Sadly, Karim Garcia, a former Major Leaguer now playing in Japan, will lead this crew.

Infielders: Fast-rising star Jorge Cantu will be the main feature of the infield after hitting .286 AVG with 28 homers and 117 RBI with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2005. The infield will also feature Major Leaguers: Vinny Castilla, Erubiel Durazo, Adrian Gonzalez, Oscar Robles and Juan Castro.

Pitchers: This is perhaps the strongest point for the Mexican team. It features Oakland’s Esteban Loaiza who posted a 3.17 ERA with 173 Ks in 2005. Also included are Pittsburgh’s Oliver Perez, Baltimore’s Rodrigo Lopez, Washington’s Luis Ayala and St. Louis’ Ricardo Rincon.

Prediction: Starting pitching may keep games close for a few innings, but this squad will lose out to the United States and Canada for advancing to the second round.

Canada

Canada will definitely be an underdog in the Classic, but its mix of young talent and grizzled veterans may come together in tournament-style play to surprise a few teams.

Outfield: Features Pittsburgh’s young slugger Jason Bay, who hit .306 AVG with 32 HR and 101 RBI in 2005 and Royals’ veteran Matt Stairs, who still has some pop left in his bat.

Infielders: Up-and-coming Twins’ first baseman Justin Morneau will lead the infield, batting .239 AVG with 22 HR and 79 RBI in 2005. The infield also features former-Twin and current Brewer’s third baseman Corey Koskie.

Pitchers: The pitching squad features Twins’ relief pitcher Jesse Crain who posted a 2.71 ERA in 2005 and Orioles’ starter Erik Bedard who started 24 games and posted a 4.00 ERA with 125 K in 2005. Also included are the Rockies’ Jeff Francis, Marlins’ Paul Quantril, Braves’ Chris Reitsma and Phillies’ Rheal Cormier.

Prediction: This team, talent-wise, is in the top third of the teams in the tournament. They will join the United States in advancing to the second round, but will have trouble getting beyond that.

South Africa

If you’re the type of baseball fan that loves Cinderella stories, then this is your team. South Africa will perhaps be the biggest underdog in the history of baseball when they face-off against the United States on March 10.

Team: Not one player on the South African team has played at the Major League level, and the roster even includes some high school players.

Prediction: If you’ve ever dreamt of a high school or college team facing off against the best baseball players in the world, this is your chance to witness just that. Miracles do happen, but unfortunately not in 2006 for this South African team.

So to all the flag-waving baseball fans around the world, get out or tune in, as the globe crowns the true World Champions of baseball.

For baseball fans, this is the time of year you get that “itch”—you know the season is just a few weeks away, yet you wish it began tomorrow. As for baseball in Minnesota, one of its most revered athletes can’t wait to get back to playing the sport he so cherishes.

“It was the worst pain I’ve ever experienced,” Twins centerfielder Torii Hunter says of the ankle injury he suffered last season. “I had a slight crank in my ankle and my talus (a.k.a. anklebone, which bears the weight of the entire body), and I had some ligaments that were stretched … that was the worst pain ever.”

The event occurred July 27 at Boston’s Fenway Park, since then, much to the delight of Hunter, he has fully healed. The Major League Baseball veteran entering his 10th season shared his appreciation for modern medicine.

“Surgery’s so easy these days, 20 years ago if I had a knee problem they’d have to cut your leg open and you’d have to wait a year before you’d come back,” says Hunter.

Known for his death-defying, wall-climbing, homerun-robbing catches, the Gold Glove centerfielder also says there’s no chance he’ll change his style because of the injury. “All I want to do is go out there and play hard and if [injury] happens, it happens,” says Hunter, “but I’m still gonna run into that wall, you can believe that.”

After his incident with the Fenway wall occurred, making things tougher for Torii, the injury rendered him unable to play the final two months last season. It frustrated him, he could only watch as his Twins fell from playoff contention and finished in third. Then, to add insult to his injury, Hunter also had to witness Minnesota’s arch-nemesis (the Chicago White Sox) waltz through the playoffs and win a World Championship. “It was tough man, sitting at home,” says Hunter about watching the 2005 MLB playoffs from his home in The Colony, Texas. “I felt (as a team) we should’ve been there because we made in three years in a row and we failed every time. And now Chicago, after three years of us winning (the AL Central), they win it on the first try,” adds Hunter, with dismay.

Although Torii is grateful to be a Twin, he does admit to being a tad bit jealous of Chicago. Over the off-season, he caught up with former teammate and current White Sox catcher, A.J. Piersynski. The two appeared on FSN’s Best Damn Sports Show together, where AJ was able to give Torii an up-close look of his shiny, new ring.

When asked his relationship with Piersynski, Hunter smiles and talks of spending many good times with his “buddy.” He says the two enjoy sharing off-season ventures such as getting together for golf or a trip to Vegas together in the off-season. So then, what happens when Torii’s coming in to score and there’s a play with A.J. standing at the plate?

“What I always tell him is when I’m rounding third and your there standing with the ball, I’m going to have to take you out,” says Hunter, “then he’s like ‘well Torii, I’m ready for you.’”

Hunter (who stands 6-foot-2, weighs 220 pounds) takes pride in the fact he played football and confidently claims he’s stronger than the 6-foot-3-inch, 240-pound Piersynski. Despite his no-fear attitude, he does recognize an advantage for A.J.—his catcher’s gear.

“He’s the one who’s got a chance to survive and I don’t,” says Hunter with thoughts of a collision with Piersynski, “so we’ll see who survives.”

Putting last season to rest, Torii is excitedly preparing for 2006. And with him, he’ll take his fifth Gold Glove—a prestigious award that sometimes slips under the radar, especially when it’s given in the off-season and the team is no longer hot news.

Torii’s Gold Glove collection now adds up just one short of his childhood idol, Twins Hall of Fame centerfielder, two-time World Champ and owner of six Gold Gloves, Kirby Puckett. With all due respect to Puckett, thinking of Torii’s Twins of today—with Hunter playing in his prime, and as Twins fans of today adoringly cheer “Torii, Torii” just as the team’s fans of the late ’80s and early ’90s affectionately screamed “Kirby, Kirby,”—has then the centerfielding baton been passed?

“When I first signed with the Twins, I knew about Kirby Puckett and that he was the guy who made all the plays here,” says Hunter recalling his younger years. “Kirby Puckett was one of the players I definitely admired and respected.”

When asked about the thought of passing Puckett in Gold Gloves Torii recognizes Kirby’s greatness and humbly responding, “Oh man, how ‘bout one more.”

Hunter went on to speak about this coming season, about the White Sox acquisition of Jim Thome, Chicago’s improved pitching staff and all the challenges he’s excited to face, but for now, he’ll get set for training and bonding with new teammates—such as ex-Marlins Gold Glove second baseman Luis Castillo, power-hitting third baseman Tony Batista and new hitting coach, Joe Vavra.

Although Hunter suffered disappointment this past off-season: his injury, the White Sox, as well as the departure of long-time teammate (and close friend) Jacque Jones. Hunter says he’s confident in what players like Batista, Castillo and ex-Tigers slugger Rondell White can do.

So, as another calendar page turns and spring training begins, another exciting season of watching Torii Hunter and his Twins will soon begin.