From The Swamp - The World According to Greg | March 10, 2003 (Vol. 2 Iss. 26)

March Madness

College Sports hits a new low, why your new cell phone stinks, and the latest from Alaska

If it's March, it must be college basketball scandal season again. The biggest one this year is at St. Bonaventure, near Buffalo, NY, where the University President was forced to resign over the weekend after charges that he doctored a students transcripts so he could meet NCAA eligibility guidelines. The same President had been accused 3 years ago of firing a professor because he wouldn't give automatic passes to a basketball player. Far cry from the Franciscan's who founded the place, huh? (Btw, the best story today involving a professor is down below, right before the Iditarod stuff).

The most disturbing part of the Bonnie scandal is that after the team had to forfeit the games in which the player, Jamil Terrel played (reducing their record to 1-26) and being banned from post-season play by the Atlantic 10 conference, the team decided to quit rather than play their final 2 games. More than the scandal itself, I think the fact that the team quit shows a bigger scandal. Basically, the school is saying that if the team can't win, then it's not worth playing. The whole point of college sports is to feature good athletes getting educations as well, and a good athletic team should add presence to the school, not take it away. The new interim President of St. Bonaventure is a Franciscan Friar, and a new executive VP is a nun. Hopefully they can bring common sense back to the place. It looks like the entire athletic staff will be fired, which is a good start.

On the other hand, this weekend also saw an example of what college sports should happen, and how sometimes spirit can overcome being an underdog. Villanova University (another Catholic university, outside of Philadelphia) had it's own scandal last week, when 12 members of the Basketball team were suspended for stealing a long-distance pin number from an athletic official and making free phone calls (no athletic employees knew of the scam or were complicit in it). This is a much more minor offense than the one the Bonnies had, but it effected almost the whole team. NCAA rules allow the team to stagger suspensions, but still, when facing #7 Pittsburgh on Sunday, Villanova could only suit up 7 players, and their lead scorers sat in street clothes on what would have been their senior days. But they showed up. They didn't decide that since it didn't matter, they weren't going to win a national title, or even the Big East, heck, they were a .500 team playing the #7 team in the nation with only 7 players. They lost by 2, almost pulling off the miraculous.

I'm sure that both fans of St. Bonnies and of Villanova were disappointed this season, and upset at the infractions. In the end however, the Villanova players showed truly what sports are supposed to teach students, that determination in the face of adversity, even if you fail, is better than giving up and not trying at all. The coaches and staff at Villanova knew this, and used it as a lesson to their team, their students, and the league. At St. Bonnie's though, personal expediency took the place of shared values and good sportsmanship. While it is debatable which model more Division I schools follow currently, it is crystal clear which one they should.

Here's a summary of the St. Bonaventure scandal -
http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20030309/1046381.asp

And the story of the President's firing -
http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20030310/1039205.asp

And about Villanova's near win -
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/5355345.htm

By the way, my old AU Eagles have once again advanced to the Patriot League final against Holy Cross on Friday...will AU go to the big dance finally? We'll see!

On to the insanity...

Countdown Iraq: *cue fancy graphic and music*
Russia may veto, and will definitely vote no -
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2835241.stm

So Bush is panicking, and trying to call leaders to drum up more support -
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-US-Iraq.html

Oh, that evidence that Colin Powell presented at the UN? Yeah, kind of turns out that it was well...faked -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A59403-2003Mar7.html

Did Saddam plan to use chemical weapons in 1991? Will he use them this time?
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf?/base/news-7/104728042176650.xml

Tony Blair may face the resignation of members of his cabinet if he goes to war -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A2362-2003Mar9.html
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-605639,00.html

What will Israel do?
http://www.msnbc.com/news/882793.asp

Cuban diplomat tells of efforts to prevent war in 1991 -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A59731-2003Mar7.html

Anti-War Voices: Jimmy Carter discusses why this is not a just war according to Christian theology -
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/09/opinion/09CART.html

Gary Hart discusses why a war with Iraq would make the US less safe -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A59650-2003Mar7.html

That Other Country: North Korea tested another cruise missile this weekend, to the relief of the US and Japan, who feared it would be a new 3-stage missile capable of hitting the United States -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A3250-2003Mar10.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/10/international/asia/10KORE. html

Were North Korean fighters that intercepted an American plane last week trying to get hostages, a la China in 2001?
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/08/international/asia/08KORE. html

And Then there were Three: Looks like that whole "Axis of Evil" thing was kind of a bad idea, since um, made each nation decide to develop nuclear weapons. Iran starts its plant up this week -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A2677-2003Mar9.html

The Most Dangerous Foreign Policy in the World: Joe Klein suggests an alternative to our current warmongering...why not kill them with kindness? Does anyone think that once North Koreans see what Americans have that they'll stick with their system? Why do we engage China and Vietnam, but not Cuba, Iran, NK? It makes no sense...
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1101030310-428075,00.html

Panic Alert: Not all federal offices are created equal when it comes to being ready for an attack. Like mine. The plan: Attack? You die. Maybe I should go work for HHS, after all, when they sent out our "emergency plan" it was just a web link to theirs! -
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/08/politics/08PREP.html

The fancy new emergency telephone in ND Governor John Hoven's office was a milestone in preparation for an attack. Until the telemarketers started calling -
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/200303 09/ap_wo_en_ge/na_odd_us_governor_s_phone_1

Look Who's Running for President: In Iowa, the "ballclub" is running into some fierce anti-war sentiment -
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/10/politics/campaigns/10DEMS. html

Look Who's Running for President 2: Clark is in the news again -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A62699-2003Mar8.html

Look Who's Voting for President: The DC Primary debate continues -
http://www.washtimes.com/metro/20030307-69255266.htm

Even Congressmen have trouble getting good apartments: A story of two Congressmen, and their apartments in the city. I'm glad that they have trouble finding places too! -
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/09/magazine/09DOMAINS.html

Space Shuttle Columbia: A new version of the timeline shows that the spacecraft was out of control much earlier than first believed, and that the crew may have taken it off of autopilot to try and save the ship -
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/10/national/nationalspecial/1 0SHUT.html

One of the Astronauts was laid to rest at Arlington last week -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A59320-2003Mar7.html

Bad days for the Big Apple: A strike has shut almost all the musicals on Broadway down. Musicians are striking because shows are phasing them out for recorded or synthesized music. -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A59509-2003Mar7.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/08/arts/08STRI.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A62699-2003Mar8.html

The NYC economy could be badly hurt by the strike -
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/08/arts/08IMPA.html
As if the Broadway strike wasn't enough to hurt New York's image to tourists, 8 people were shot in Times Square yesterday -
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/10/nyregion/10ARCA.html

And, lest you think New York has all the trouble, in DC, hope you never have to call 911 -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A59544-2003Mar7.html

But hey, he was doing a good job, so... A New Jersey school board member apparently continued serving on the board well after his term expired...and no one noticed -
http://www.nj.com/news/sunbeam/index.ssf?/base/news-0/104728030776640.xml

What the Hell? Um...Chelsea Clinton just got a job with a research firm, doing basically the same thing I do...but she's going to get a 6-figure salary. Yeah, there's no separation between the rich and the rest of us -
http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/Northeast/03/08/chelsea.clinton.a p/index.html

Cute Cellphone...shame it doesn't work: They're smaller, cuter, and flashier. But they also are poorly made, have short battery lives, and crappy reception. Welcome to the new generation of cell phones, except for Verizon, which is the only carrier to have standards of their manufacturers -
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/10/technology/10PHON.html?8hp ib

Sleepy? The military and scientists trying to help us deal with our lack of sleep have a new drug that may work. Of course, God knows what the side effects are -
http://slate.msn.com/id/2079113/

Talk about Friendly Skies: Hooters has started an airline. The best part is that the "Hooters girls" on the airline won't actually be flight attendants, just there for show -
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2003/03/07/financial1313EST0123.DTL

Book today! http://www.hootersair.com

Conflict "resolution": Two New Zealand firms didn't want to take their dispute to court...so the CEO's settled it by arm wrestling -
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/2835853.stm

Stressed? Mary Ann Swissler, an adjunct professor at Seton Hall University in New Jersey, viewed a website to see how her students in her Freshman composition class had ranked her. Displeased, she sent them an e-mail, which included this passage:
"[Your comments]confirmed to me what I had to keep to myself all semester: that most of you mental midgets are the most immature, sheltered, homophobic, sexist, racist, lying sacks of shit I have ever met in my life. Seton Hall may be kissing you're [sic] asses now, but out here in the real world, brats like you will be eaten for breakfast."

Needless to say, she won't be teaching again next semester.

Wait for it...that's right, it's time for Iditarod 31 Action!

This weekend the course had to be rerouted again because of lack of snow! Leader Robert Sorlie is out of the Yukon loop, and on the final section of the race northward towards Nome. The section of the course he and the front pack have started is the only section of the course that is the same from previous years, which may help many of these veteran mushers. Ramy Brooks is in 2nd, but with only 9 dogs remaining may not get adequate speed to threaten. Jeff King, a 3-time champion, is in 3rd, and had a particularly fast leg recently, which may mean he's trying to catch the Norwegian leader. The field is down to 53, with more mushers scratching over the weekend for dog illnesses or other problems.

One of the more interesting recent developments has been a rookie, 20 year old Jessica Hendricks, who is currently in 15th place. The nearest rookie is 2 checkpoints back in 31st. Hendricks has run smaller races before, but this is her first Iditarod. If she keeps up her tremendous speed, she may even beat last year's Rookie of the Year mark...set by none other than Robert Sorlie, who finished 9th.

News accounts of Sorlie's lead -
http://www.adn.com/iditarod/news/story/2747142p-2796063c.html

Apparently this Eagle Island checkpoint is a fun time -
http://www.adn.com/iditarod/news/story/2747145p-2796069c.html

And, your Iditarod Photos of the Day:

Get away from the food now, Mister.