Around the horn By CRAIG DEWALT Columnist CAD 2 8 1 OPSU.EDU AROUND THE HORN With Craig Dewalt Hello and welcome back for the third edition of Around the Horn with Craig Dewalt. This week Professor Kupfer, Penn State Harrisburg sports buff, stops by in a guest appearance to put his crown of knowledge on the line. In case you don't know the rules; I prepare a series of questions and ask four contestants for their responses. The four contestants will give their answers and be scored with pluses and minuses. If a comment is really good they can receive up to three pluses. If their comment is downright awful they can receive up to three minuses. If their answer is so terrible I will shut them up by putting them on mute. After each question one person will be eliminated. The winner will then get their time to shine in the "Moment of Fame" section. Here is this weeks round of questions: With the entire buzz about a potential Kobe Bryant trade, what do you think of this possibility? Will it happen before the season? During the season? Or not at all? Buy or Sell, Tom Brady and the Patriots will beat Peyton Manning and the Colts on November 4". Using steroids and stealing signals with the use of electronic equipment are both considered cheating, and are illegal in the NFL, but is their a difference between the severities? How and why? QUESTION 1 Sarver: "All the hype about Kobe Bryant and getting traded from L.A one of the reasons I can't stand basketball. However that is not the question. I truly don't believe that he is going to get traded at all this year. In Bryant's contract it states that he has the power to accept wherever he goes. (+) Obviously since he hasn't won anything since Shaq has been gone, he needs to go to a team with a chance of winning. (+) The teams that are rumored to be interested in Kobe are Chicago, Dallas, and Phoenix. Mark Cuban, the Mavericks owner, already stated he won't trade Dirk Nowitzki to get the disgruntled Bryant. I don't see Los Angeles wanting any other players worth mentioning. Phoenix has a great lineup if they can stay healthy. Bryant would just come in and ruin their chances at reaching the Finals. (+) The last team that is interested is Chicago. This could be an option maybe at the beginning of next year. (+) The Bulls are the team on the rising. They have great young talent and maybe if they can't perform together then maybe Bryant coming to Chicago would be an option. But let's give the "Baby Bulls" one more year to see what they can do in the weak Eastern Conference." (4 points) Me: "Surprisingly good answer here Sarver. Good, solid answer. I think Chicago or the Knicks would be your contenders, but not this year." Kupfer: "Well, the two teams I follow are the Sonics and Spurs, and I have a soft spot for the Clippers, so if those squads got him, I'd suddenly become a fan of his. . . Having said that, I don't much like Kobe or the Lakers, but hard experience teaches me to enjoy it when they' re bad, because those times never last. My prediction is that Kobe remains a Laker, and that the team makes smart moves to improve his supporting cast. (++) What I'd love to see would be Kobe toiling for some perennial loser like the Hawks. (+) On the other hand, the NBA would never let that happen. If he goes, it's to NY to buck up the pathetic Knicks. (+) But don't hold your breath: Kobe stays, Lakers get better. Ugh."( +) (5 points) Me: "Nice answer, I don't like Kobe, but he's good. I thought the Knicks were a good choice or the fact that the Lakers build around Kobe." Carroll: "I'm not an authority on basketball but if I were ownership I would keep Kobe even if it's just to ruffle his feathers.(+) What I'm really an authority on is Wii tennis and how much the Matt "talk the talk but stumble when I walk" Sarver needs a big burly partner to carry him.(+) (2 points) Me: "Carroll, you're obviously still upset that you got muted and tossed for being a Phillies fan last time. I love you bashing Sarver, but you have also been bashing my skills lately. For that, I cannot let you go ~a= d4^~e~lT 7Sry any further. See yah" McComas: "I think Kobe getting traded is a definite "possibility"; however I feel it is unlikely. The Lakers will never be able to get enough value in return for Bryant. (+) Kobe is arguably the best player in the NBA today and still has at least a few more years of being able to maintain that reputation. Bryant is a solid defender and the best scorer in the game. (+) For the Lakers to even try and trade him is foolish. Kobe was just tired of losing and wasn't satisfied with the way L.A. was drafting and pursuing free agents or lack there of. (+) This mess has been pretty calm as of late, but every now and then a reporter will come along and suggest a trade is near. Nothing has been done yet and to me if it was going to be it would have by now. The last draft class was full of potential and other key names were on the trading block (Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Jermaine O'neal, Amare Stoudamire). If they couldn't land one of those guys or some draft picks this past summer then it makes no sense for the Lakers or Kobe to try and get a trade accomplished now. (+) Bryant should stick with L.A. where he has built his fame and the Lakers should really try and get him some more help. Let's remember, the team isn't bad at all, they just were hit hard with injuries (+) (5 points) Me: "McComas, nice answer, ridiculously long." QUESTION 2 Sarver: "This is probably the two greatest quarterbacks to play the game at one time. Manning and Brady are incredible quarterbacks who know how to win the big game. They both know how to take control of the game and are probably two of the best in managing the game. With Tom Brady having such a dominating year and already five touchdowns ahead of Peyton's TD recording season you would think to give Brady the advantage on November 41h. However I am not. The Colts are going to win a very close game and here is why; (+) Tom Brady and the Patriots do not have a solid running game. (+) Yes the Patriots are ranked 3rd in the NFL in rushing while the Colts are at 17th however Patriots have not had their bye week yet. The Colts have. The Patriots have two solid running backs in Sammy Morris and Lawrence Maroney however neither of them has been able to stay healthy. (+) The second reason is that the game is being played in the RCA Dome. We all know what happen the last time these two teams met in the ith Craig Dewa t Dome. (+) The Patriots blew a 20 point halftime lead and eventually sent the Colts to their first Super Bowl win in Indianapolis. I do believe that the game is going to be close however I do not see Peyton losing at home to the Patriots Tom Brady will not be able to throw three touchdowns on the Indianapolis secondary, which did I mention ranks #1 in the NFL. (+) (5 points) Me: "Another solid answer from Sarver. I think the Colts will win because of their running game, and solid defense." Kupfer: "Man, it hurts me to say this as a guy who liked the Colts in Baltimore and hates them in Indy, but here it is: I'm NEVER picking against Peyton at home in the Dome. (++) Colts win, big. (-) Belichek blows off the post-game press conference."(++) (4 points) Me: "Great answer, short and sweet I don't think the Colts will win big, but I do think Belicheat will blow off the post-game press conference. Plus, he will not be able to run the score, and Brady's stats, up either. I had to subtract a point partially because I don't think the Colts will win big, but mostly because of the recent hair cut. Kupfer, there are men in your classes that would have done anything for that hair, it's the type of hair that will single handedly win you the hottest girl around. The fact that you cut it off, well, it destroyed all of our hopes and dreams. I propose that you grow it back!" McComas: "This is an easy buy. (--) The Patriots have been unstoppable so far this season. The Colts have looked impressive as well, but have not dominated their opponents the way New THE CAPITAL TIMES England has. (-) More importantly Indy's staple has been the play of Peyton Manning. Well what happens when the other teams quarterback, Tom Brady is making Manning's numbers look like a joke? I'll tell you what happens, the other team, the Patriots, beat the Colts and I don't care if it is in the RCA Dome. (-) Also, the Colts' Marvin Harrison has been struggling with a bruised knee most of the year. Their top running back, Joseph Addai, hasn't played in every game either. (-) Yes the Colts won their games with those problems, but they weren't playing the Pats. You need to be at full strength to have a shot at winning and even then it's unlikely. (++) (-3 points)" Me: "McComas, I would like to apologize for criticizing your Brady choice week one, but with this answer, you're going to have to take a walk. It's neither an easy buy, or sell for that matter. Also, there is a thin line between dominating your opponent, and humiliating them. Belicheat runs up the score each and every week to increase Brady's stats. Also, yes Harrison and Addai have been hurt, but they should be 100% come game time. Addai is the X-factor in this game. Patriots may win this, but it will not be a landslide, or an easy buy. Get out of here. Sarver and Kupfer advance with a tie score of 9-9. QUESTION 3 Sarver: "The famous quote is "If you ain't cheating, you ain't trying!" Unfortunately in the NFL that is illegal, if you get caught. The Patriots got caught by the Jets from stealing their signs however their punishment was what I believe minimal. (+) Several NFL players have been October 29, 2007 suspended for using steroids, so obviously to the NFL steroids are more of a penalty then stealing signs. (+) Both are methods to gain an edge against your opponent. In one case it means you are bigger and in the other means you know what they are going to do. I truly don't see a difference in severities. If you were to use either one of these methods you still need to perform to gain the complete edge against your opponent. (+) However the NFL I feel believes that steroids are a bigger deal. I disagree, I feel that they are the same and the punishment should be the same, you are "Cheating" either way. (+) (4 points)" Me: "Good answer, Belicheat should have got suspended just like Shawn Merriman, or a coach for Dallas who used steroids as medicine. The NFL rules are a joke, they live to protect their image. Low profile players like Pacman jones and Chris Henry get the books thrown at them for off the field matters, and you got coaches who were torn up hoodies on the sideline, steal other team's signs via a method which is simply illegal. People love Belicheck, people hate Pacman and Chris Henry. That right there explains the severities in punishment. Good job NFL." Kupfer: "I think they're both equally bad, but face it, both are endemic and the NFL has no interest in broadcasting the fact that the league is full of cheaters. (+) Nor do most suck-up sports reporters, who polish that leagues apples every day. (+) As long as there are 340 pounders w/4.8 forty yard times, you're not gonna convince me that they're getting big and strong by eating steak and drinking milkshakes. (+). Same deal w/ the coaches stealing signals. To me, the worst part of the scandal is Commissioner Goodell destroying the tapes so that the topic goes away. (+) Which it already has almost everywhere but here. No tapes, no memories, no scandals. Collective amnesia, that's the NFL way. (+) So congrats to the Cap Times, for having the guts to stay w/the story!! (+) (6 points) Me: "Couldn't agree with you more Dr. Kupfer. We're not idiots; we know these players are juiced. Make a policy that works, throw the book at Belicheat, and show the videos on TV so the world can see what actually happened. Thanks for the shout out and congrats on your victory. MOMENT OF FAME Whoa! Just call me "champ," folks. Giving a professor free rein to pontificate is dangerous, especially since I've noticed that the "Around the Horn" winner usually brags... Well, that's just what I intend to do here, so buckle up. I'm bragging about three awesome students, Dewalt, Sarv, and Aumiller, who bring it all, every issue, with the best in sports commentary. Even though Aumiller wimped out this time and stayed in his corner, instead of taking his licks, he's still got credibility because of prior accomplishments. Unlike most of your readers, who only see you three playas here in the paper or out there in the social swirl, I've had y'all in class and I'm here to break a little secret wiiiide open: each of you gents is a bona fide, grade-A, top-shelf college student. Don't go denyin'. Yah, sure, you know your sports. But when it comes to the books, you got the A-game, too. I'm bragging, but not about myself. Instead, about three cool dudes who rock the joint in the Cap Times, in class, and wherever else fate takes 'em. Keep it up. Oh, and Aumiller, don't sit out again or I revoke the aforementioned praise, young man!
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers