Out o
What will save the NBA?
Only weeks ago, I vowed to turn
my back on the greed and
arrogance of the NBA players.
Many people did. The critics were
more skeptical, the fans felt
betrayed. And even though the
critics continue to run their mouths
about how the NBA will never be
the same, the fans are beginning to
prove that any true lover of
basketball can’t turn their head
away from the new look the NBA
is sporting. The league is changing,
players are moving, and there are
actually teams besides the Bulls
that have a shot at a ring.
This whole NBA makeover
began with the retirement of the
man that for so long was the savior
of the league. With the conclusion
of Michael Jordan’s career, people
began to whisper that it is blessing
in disguise for the NBA. Now of
course that won't help the
television ratings, it won’t help the
attention the NBA will receive, and
it for sure won’t help the Chicago
Bulls. But it will help in leaving
the fans unsure of themselves as to
who is the team to beat.
Now don’t get me wrong. I was
probably the last person that
wanted to see the Bulls dismantled
and the great one leave his
playground. But when people say
"who will win the NBA
championship,” there will begin to
be a question mark behind the
answer as opposed to an emphatic
exclamation point behind the
Chicago Bulls’name. It’s all up in
the air, waiting to see which team
will pick up the ball that the NBA
and its players dropped.
Among the teams to beat are the
Indiana Pacers, the New York
Knicks and the Miami Heat from
the Eastern Conference and the
Houston Rockets, the Los Angeles
Lakers and the Utah Jazz from the
Western Conference.
The Indiana Pacers didn’t waste
any time in making sure that their
Do you think Lawrence
Taylor belongs in the Pro
Football Hall of Fame? Why
or why not?
“Yes, because he doesn’t have to be a priest to be in the Hall of Fame. The NFL only judges on football
credentials and not moral standing. A more serious criminal offense, maybe, should keep him out.”
Craig Hartle, 07, Pol Sci
“I don’t think so. He was in a position to be a role model, and he didn’t live up to his end of the bargain.”
John Flick, 06, MIS
“Yes. The NFL doesn’t have a good faith rule. On the field is how you are perceived, and he was one of the very
“Why not. He was a great player, and his personal life shouldn’t have anything to do with it.”
John Gatto, 08, Ops Mgt
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Bounds
season’s that took the champion Bulls
to a seventh game in the Eastern
Conference Finals. The Pacers didn’t
have much business to do during this ofl
season besides the signing of their big
man Rik Smits. The biggest move they
made was the signing of free-agent Sam
Perkins. Add him to Reggie Miller,
Mark Jackson, Chris Mullin and the
Davis duo (Antonio and Dale), the
Pacers have to be the frontrunners to
begin a new era in the NBA.
Once again the New York Knicks
signed big names in the off-season, and
once again it won’t matter. Every year,
New York goes out of its way to sign
new players and every year, they find
some way to blow their season with
stupid antics in the playoffs. Just looking
at the names, it would seem that they
have half of the NBA All-Star team on
their squad. The only problem is that
their roster could also be the main event
in a professional wrestling pay-per-view.
As if Patrick Ewing, Marcus Camby,
Chris Childs, Allan Houston, Larry
Johnson and Dennis Scott weren’t
enough of a threat to the health of the
league, the Knicks added Latrell
Sprewell to the list. I just pray that he
and Knicks’coach Jeff Van Gundy don’t
tangle. But maybe Van Gundy has added
more than just his infamous leg-grabbing
move to his arsenal. The
"Knickerboxers’’ will live up to their
name.
Well, I go from one team with a bad
attitude, to another. The Miami Heat and
Pat Riley can finally stop running their
mouth about how they will knock off the
Chicago Bulls. I got pretty tired hearing
Alonzo Mourning brag about how good
his team was. But not much has changed
in Miami during the off-season besides
Mourning’s shaved head and his
increasing attitude problem. Still, any
Riley coached team has to be considered
a contender. He wouldn’t have it any
other way. Tim Hardaway, Dan Majerle,
P.J. Brown and Jamal Mashburn will
once again join Mourning in ’99. Newly
acquired Clarence Weatherspoon and
Terry Porter could also play a role in the
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It is a scary thought to imagine what
will happen when the playoffs roll
around and these three teams are all
vying for supremacy in the Eastern
Conference. Reggie Miller is
notorious for sparking tension in big
games and the Knicks and Heat are
notorious for responding violently. If
all my other predictions are wrong,
you can be sure to take this one to the
bank. There will be some fines
handed out when June rolls around.
The Bad Boys from Detroit could
look like angels when this season is
through.
The Western Conference looks to
be playing the role of the good guys
this season. And as usual, it is up in
the air as to which team will reign out
west.
The Houston Rockets made out the
best in the dismantling of the Bulls,
picking up Scottie Pippen and losing
no big names for him. Hakeem
Olajuwan and Charles Barkley will
once again bring their talent and
experience to the floor as Barkley is
still trying to get a ring for his bare
fingers. But besides these stars, the
Rockets are pretty weak. Antoine
Carr, Eddie Johnson, Matt Maloney,
Brent Price and Matt Bullard will
have to step it up if Houston has any
chance at the championship. The
Rockets with a championship this
season would have three in the 1990 s
as opposed to the Bulls’ six. Not bad
considering they are the only other
team besides the Pistons in 1990 to
win a championship this decade.
Believe it or not, Pippen could win
his seventh championship in nine
years to move him ahead of Jordan. I
guess that would be enough for
Pippen to leave the great one’s
shadow.
The L.A. Lakers are one signing
away from being the frontrunner in
the Western Conference. With word
spreading around that Dennis
Rodman could either sign with the
Magic or the Lakers, there is hope in
L.A. that their only weak spot in the
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Sports
JASON SNYDER
the Lakers would have the most
physical inside game in the league.
The young Lakers with Shaquille
O’Neal, Eddie Jones, Robert Horry,
Rick Fox and Travis Knight all
provide a bright future for the Lakers.
Throw into the mix “the next Michael
Jordan”, Kobe Bryant who might
actually play in the starting line-up
this season, and L.A. could win their
first championship in 11 years.
The Utah Jazz and Karl Malone
must have the worst timing. For two
years, the Jazz have been favored to
win in the west. They did that. Then
they were forced to face arguably the
best team in history. Well now that
the Bulls are finished winning, the
Jazz would be the favorites to win it
all, right? Nope. The aging Jazz will
now have to go through the younger
teams like the Lakers that had good
off-seasons. The Jazz lost Antoine
Carr and didn’t add anyone else to
their line-up. The biggest news in
Utah was Malone’s impatience with
management. But the Jazz still are
legitimate contenders. John Stockton,
Jeff Hornacek, Howard Eisley, Bryon
Russel and Greg Foster all are
returning. Utah can only be
thinking...’’lf Jordan would have left
one year earlier...”
The NBA has a long road ahead in
getting fans to regain interest. But the
sport of basketball is too important
and exciting to so many people for the
game to be forgotten. I can’t just walk
away from a sport that has given me
so much enjoyment through the years.
And I don’t think other fans will
either. Sure, it will be a nuisance to
give these players the pleasure of
being watched and cheered for, but I
look at it as us using them for our
enjoyment; not them using us for
theirs. When they look around and
see the empty seats in their arenas,
maybe they will begin to appreciate
that without fans, they are nothing.
Snyder is the sports editor for the
Beacon. Out of Bounds appears
weekly on this page.
Housing and Food Service
Athlete of the Week
Position:
Brian Emick, a senior Forward, has been named the Housing and Food Service Athlete of the Week. Emick has
helped lead the Lions atop the AMCC with a 4-1 record and a 14-3 mark overall.
On Wednesday, Emick hit for four points and seven boards in limited action. Behrend romped Hilbert 71-41 on
the road in Hamburg, N Y. Emick clutched up and had a huge game in a key AMCC contest against Laßoche on
Saturday. In front of a packed Erie Hall, Emick led the charge with 19 points on 6-10 from the field, 2-2 from three
point land and 5-8 from the chrity stripe. He also pulled down a game high 15 rebounds which include eight from
the offensive side.
On the year, Emick is averaging 7.3 ppg and leading the team in rebounding at 5.1. He also shoots 48% from the
field and averaged two assists per game.
jfp? Ws dateer, pulled down 458 rebounds which is 13th best all-time and scored 724 points.
‘ Emick is a graduate of Mercyhurst Preparatory High School.
Intramural
Roundup
Intramurals spring 1999
4 vs. 4 Coed Volleyball (-rT\s)t
Registration Deadline: February 19
Play starts on February 22 ■■■■■■■■■
Season will last one week
> mb Mb ma mb mi mi r
Spring semester Intramural schedules are available in the IM office and on the Reed
and Erie Hall IM boards.
BEHREND BRIEFS
Nestor named AMCC
Athlete of the Week
Penn State Behrend women’s basketball player Carrie Nestor was named
the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Athlete of the Week for the
week of January 25 - February 1. Nestor is a graduate of McDowell High
School in Erie, PA. She is the junior point guard for the 12-6 Lady Lions.
Nestor sparked the Lady Lions to a 2-0 w eek with wins over Washington
and Jefferson College and Laßoche College. In the Lions' win over W & J,
Nestor sparked the women with herhustle and all-around play on both ends
of the floor. Nestor scored seven points, six rebounds, six assists and six
steals to help Behrend’s cause.
In the next game against Laßoche, Nestor scored 12 points on 5-8 shooting
including pulling down seven rebounds, dishing off seven assists and
finishing with five steals.
Nestor and the Lady Lions have won six straight and are 5-0 in the AMCC.
Their next home game will be on February 10 at 6:00 p.m. against Pitt-
Bradford.
All Sport Water
Bottle Night holds
big AMCC matchup
On February 4, the Penn State Behrend Lions will host a doubleheader
against Pitt-Bradford. The Athletic Department will be having an All Sport
Water Bottle Night where the first 100 fans in attendance will recieve a free
water bottle.
The last time the Lions faced Pitt-Bradford, the men were defeated for
their lone loss in the AMCC, and the women came away with a victorie.
The men lost 77-61 while the women pulled out a 69-64 win.
Fan participation is needed as the Lions hope to pull away in the AMCC
standings.
Behrend’s Buck
moving up three
point list
Tiffany Buck needs only one three-pointer to tie Becky Swartz for
second on the all-time three-point list at Behrend. She trailed by one entering
last night’s AMCC game against Lake Erie College.
Brian Emick
Men’s basketball
Forward
Senior
January 25 - February 1
February 4,1999 - The Behrend College Beacon - page 9