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UT Student Punches Pregnant Woman on Friend’s Behalf Planned beating was an attempt to make her miscarry
By JOSHUA NAPIER Asst. News Editor
Pasco County Sheriff’s Office
Andres Luis Marrero, 19, was arrested and charged with armed kidnapping and aggravated battery on a pregnant female.
Police arrested a University of Tampa student Thursday after he confessed to abusing a pregnant teen just after midnight on New Year’s Day. The student, Andres Luis Marrero, had been asked by the woman’s boyfriend to beat her until she miscarried. Marrero, 19, received a phone call from Devin Nickels, a high school friend and Florida State University student, after Nickels’ 17-year-old girlfriend was reported pregnant. Nickels, 18, allegedly desperate to ensure the baby was not born, concocted a plan with Marrero to make his girlfriend miscarry, said the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.
Florida Judge Deems Health Care Reform Unconstitutional By MICHEAL ANGELO RUMORE Asst. A+E Editor
Florida became the second state to strike down health care reform. Judge Roger Vinson, an appointee of President Ronald Reagan, ruled the Affordable Care Act unconstitutional on Monday. The ruling follows a similar case from December in which a federal judge in Virginia deemed the portions of the health care bill that require individuals to buy health insurance unconstitutional. However, the Florida ruling differed in that it voided the entire bill and not just the disputed provisions. Opponents of the health care reform bill have argued that the government should not and does not have the power to force citizens to buy private insurance. Disputes also have arisen over the consequences of not buying health insurance. Can Congress impose a tax penalty on those who choose not to buy health insurance? According to Judge Vinson, Congress does not have this power. In his 76-page
ruling, Vinson said, “I must reluctantly conclude that Congress exceeded the bounds of its authority in passing the act with the individual mandate. “That is not to say, of course, that Congress is without power to address the problems and inequities in our health care system. “The health care market is more than one-sixth of the national economy, and without doubt Congress has the power to reform and regulate this market. That has not been disputed in this case. The principal dispute has been about how Congress chose to exercise that power here.” House Republicans embraced the ruling. House Speaker John Boehner said, “Today's decision affirms the view, held by most of the states and a majority of the American people, that the federal government should not be in the business of forcing you to buy health insurance and punishing you if you don't.” The ruling comes on the heels of a repeal of the Affordable Care Act in the [See Judge, 2]
Nickels wanted Marrero to pretend to be an armed robber and eventually punch the woman who was at the beginning of her second trimester in the stomach to end the pregnancy. He offered to pay Marrero $200 for his actions, but Marrero did not accept. Instead, he agreed to carry out the assault for free. At 1:30 a.m. on Jan. 1, Nickels drove his girlfriend to the woods outside an apartment complex in New Port Richey. Marrero got into the backseat of Nickels’ car minutes later.
[
Soon after, he stepped out, then came back wearing a mask, forcing Nickels and his girlfriend out of the car at gunpoint. Nickels’ girlfriend-- whose name has not been released by the sherrif’s office-- had never met Marrero. She begged him not to hurt her because she was pregnant. He did not listen, and instead, according to police, “began to kick and punch her several times in the stomach and back while stating, ‘This is how much I care, b----.’” [See Pregnant, 2]
]
He “began to kick and punch her several times in the stomach and back while stating, ‘This is how much I care, b----,’” said police.
Alumns Discuss Importance of Undergrad Internships By CHANNING HAILEY
News Reporter
According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, a person stays with one job a median of 4.1 years. This means the average American will have around 7-10 jobs in his or her lifetime. There are many cases where a student’s major in college hardly affects what they do after graduation. Doug Heffner, a 2010 graduate of the University of Tampa, got his degree in Business Entrepreneurship.During his senior year, he and some friends from the College of Business decided to put their entrepreneurial skills to work and start their own wing sauce company through Anchor Bar on Davis Island. “I worked over 8 months on this project, but it just wasn’t enough to pay the bills. It did help me introduce myself to the real world and taught me how to interact with adults, though,” Heffner claimed. Currently, Heffner is working in a construction equipment rental business,
but he said, “I’m looking for a way to get out of that job and move on to something new.” Hardly a year out of college and Heffner is seeking out his third career. Heffner’s case is one where a link between college and a career was missing. An internship could play a critical part in helping a student determine what they want to do after graduation. Until recently, internships were merely a nice add-on to a resume. In today’s competitive job market, internships provide an invaluable way for juniors and seniors to get a foot in the door of the careers in which they are interested. According to a 2007 survey conducted by JobWeb, 70 percent of employers extended job offers to their interns. Timothy Kennedy has been the coordinator of internships for the communications department at UT for 23 years. He claimed, “Internships are an integral part of our curriculum. They provide a balance between the theories taught in the classroom and the practical [See Internships, 3]
M
MINARET
2 FEBRUARY 3 2011 | THE MINARET
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NEWS + FEATURES
Student Punches Pregnant Woman [Pregnant, From Front] After he was done, Marrero ordered Nickels and his girlfriend not to move until he had left. He then took off, officials said. The girlfriend was hospitalized. According to a report, she is still pregnant and the fetus was ultimately unharmed. Soon after the attack, investigators showed the girlfriend several photos of possible suspects. Among the photos was one of Marrero. She recognized from when he first entered the car unmasked. Marrero, a Land O’ Lakes resident, was arrested Thursday Jan. 27. Authorities charged him with armed kidnapping and aggravated battery on a pregnant female. He was held at the Pasco jail until being released Saturday on $60,000 bail. According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Marrero and Nickels had no criminal record or previous arrests. “He’s been an outstanding kid all his life,” Marrero’s father told The St. Petersburg Times on Tuesday afternoon. “I have no idea where this is coming from.” Nickels, a Lutz resident, was arrested on campus at FSU, in his room in Salley Hall, Monday morning. He has been charged with solicitation to commit aggravated battery. He is currently being held at the Leon County jail, awaiting transfer to Pasco. Hours after abandoning Nickels and his girlfriend in the woods, Marrero signed on Facebook and posted, “Damn was last nite fun a-- hell. 2011” on his wall. His Facebook account is now inactive. Joshua Napier can be reached at joshua. napier90@gmail.com.
Florida: Second State to Decline Health Care Reform
[Judge, From Front]
House of Representatives, despite the certainty that the Democratic-controlled Senate would not follow suit. The White House described the ruling as an “outlier” and “judicial overreaching.” Justice Department Spokeswoman Tracy Schmaler indicated that the department would appeal the ruling. She said in a statement, “There is clear and well-established legal precedent that Congress acted within its constitutional authority in passing this law and we are confident that we will ultimately prevail on appeal.” The ruling, though significant in its own right, points towards an inevitable Supreme Court showdown on the ultimate constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act. Micheal Angelo Rumore can be reached at michealangelorumore@gmail.com.
Costs and Benefits of Protein Supplements Weighed Out
By JEFFREY PALMER News Reporter
Renowned for its beaches and yearround moderate weather, the sunshine state location of the University of Tampa makes it an ideal exhibition stage for the tanned, toned bodies of college students hailing from all across the nation. The enormous popularity of the university’s outdoor pool and McNiff Fitness Center gives testament to the overwhelming desire of the campus population to look good and to be seen. A widely advocated and often distressingly expensive means to achieve this end, protein powders and other exercising supplements of various makes are being utilized by a large number of students interested in sculpting the perfect body. Such workout aids are marketed by several well respected supplement brands such as Vitamin Shoppe and GNC, and also appear in less expensive, generic varieties. Protein powders in particular can range anywhere from twenty dollars to a decadent ninety dollars a tub in price, yet continue to enjoy tremendous popularity despite the tight budget of many college customers. Michael Pare, a UT freshman who recently began taking GNC brand protein supplements to augment his gym routine, explained why the results outweigh the cost. “I no longer feel nearly as sore the day after a workout,” said Pare, “and I’m able to greatly increase the number of times I lift [weights] in a week.” Senior exercise major Chris Bergman, who follows a regimen of simple whey protein, expressed a similar view. “If used correctly, protein supplements can be extremely effective not only in putting on muscle but decreasing unwanted body fat,” he explained. Bergman qualified his belief, however, by urging caution and thorough research in the selection of specific workout aids. “Just be sure to research supplements not only through the computer but through others you trust,” he said. While many have come to trust and even rely upon such workout aids to achieve their fitness goals, others take just
as much pride in being “natural.” Senior Tyler Faulkner and winner of last year’s UT Iron Man competition in the category of bench press shared his conviction that fitness is as much about effort as it is supplements. “As a college athlete, avid lifter and fitness enthusiast, I try my best to stay in shape and better myself in whatever sport I’m training for. I do not feel that supplements are necessary to achieve results, but rather hard work,” said Faulkner. While he himself does not make use of workout aids, the former UT Iron Man expressed his understanding that some are occasionally helpful in enhancing performance and complimenting certain fitness lifestyles. “Some select supplements are beneficial if someone chooses to take them. Any sort of recovery drink that includes amino acids, or simple whey protein would be the only thing I recommend,” he explained. “They aid in recovery and nutrition you might not get if you’re not eating right but no, they are not necessary in getting results or gaining strength.” Scott Brickett, Head Athletic Trainer at UT, mirrored this view closely and cautioned against unregulated and untested supplements, particularly those labeled as anabolic or pertaining specifically to weight loss goals. “In a perfect world, everyone could get all the nutrition and protein they need just from eating healthfully,” he stated, “but of course very few college students manage to eat as well as they should.” Brickett went on to explain that notable exceptions to the unnecessary nature of protein supplements might include vegetarians or other individuals with unique dietary restrictions. He stated that the average bodybuilder, however, is perfectly capable of achieving fitness goals through the consumption of foods containing lean protein and by attaining adequate rest. “Sleep is the body’s best opportunity for recuperation and repair,” Brickett explained. “Bottom line,” concluded Faulkner, “work out right and eat healthily.” Jeffrey Palmer can be reached at jeffrey.palmer@spartans.ut.edu.
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Kurt Thomas Hunt/flickr.com
Protein powders can range from $20 to $90 a tub, yet they continue to enjoy tremendous popularity despite the tight budgets of many college customers.
NEWS + FEATURES
THE MINARET | FEBRUARY 3 2011
3
This Week's Student Government Meeting...
EXTENDED EDITION From the Jan. 17 to 30 reports. These reports were compiled by Cara Fetzer.
The Lost Spartan On Jan. 17, a student reported to security that his Spartan Card was stolen. Dun-Dun-Dun! At 8:50 p.m. on Jan. 18, a student reported to security that they received a threatening message on Facebook from an unknown person. The case is still open... Hump Days Hump Higher On Jan. 19, a RA on duty smelled marijuana in a room on the 2nd floor of McKay Hall. The students were referred to the judicial board for drug and alcohol violations. Signs of Dignity Slipping Away: Security responded to the Martinez Sports Complex in reference to an intoxicated female student on Jan. 19. She was referred to the judicial board. A Day in the Life of a UT Student On Jan. 21, a student was found in Stadium Center in possession of marijuana, drug paraphernalia and a fraudulent driver’s license. Army Strong An unknown person(s) pushed the Post Office golf cart from its normal parking area to Plant Park, on Jan. 21. The case is still open. “Frank the Tank!” On Jan. 22, two underage students were found in Smiley Hall in possession of alcoholic beverages and a beer bong. They were referred to the judicial board.
“Suck It” Around 11:15 p.m. on Jan. 22, a student was uncooperative during an identification check and made an obscene gesture toward a staff member. They were referred to the Judaical board. Laundry Cycle of Crime Unending On Jan. 24, a student reported that their clothes were stolen from a dryer in the Austin Hall laundry room. Derby Days On Jan. 24, a student reported that his vehicle was hit by a UT golf cart. Burnin’ Leaves On Jan. 27, security discovered a fire in a trash can on the 5th floor of the West Parking Garage. Future Rushes of Delta Tau Chi At 12:25 p.m. on Jan. 29, a R/A on duty requested a room search for possible alcohol use in a dorm room on the 6th floor of Vaughn. The students were referred to the judicial board. See Pg 14 for More Info On Jan. 29, a student was arrested for two counts of felony battery on law enforcement and other charges. They were also referred to the judicial board. Standard. On Jan. 29, security responded to a report of an intoxicated student in ResCom. Reverting to Childhood At 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 30, a student reported choking on an object.
*The Spring Leadership Retreat will be held on Feb. 26 from 9 to 4 p.m. on the 9th floor of Vaughn Center. Lunch is provided and a $10 deposit is required, but will be returned once retreat is completed. * The Leadership Awards night will be held on Tuesday, April 12 at 6:45 p.m. on the 9th floor of Vaughn Center. *ELITE Mentor applications are due Feb. 21. *The UT Communication Systems will be tested on Feb. 11 at 10:45 a.m. Don't be alarmed! * Wear red on Friday to support women's health! Have any questions or concerns? Contact Student Government at SG@ ut.edu. Student Government is your voice. Join us at our meeting every Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. in Reeves Theater. All students are welcome.
Internships Provide Greater Success to Undergrads
[Internships, From Front] application of them in the workplace.” Kennedy said that one of the biggest benefits of internships is that they teach students to interact with professional people in work situations. Ali Dunn, Internship Coordinator in the Office of Career Services, said, “Internships are the best way to explore career options, because unlike reading about the career or talking about it, you get to get in there and see it first-hand. It’s really like a test drive.” When it comes to exploring industries outside a student’s major, Dunn said that internships do offer some opportunity, especially to gain experience and to add to the student’s resume. However, when students are doing internship for college credit, they have to make sure that the internship fits within the boundaries of their majors. “It’s amazing how many seniors don’t know what they want to do when they graduate,” said Kennedy. It’s a scary fact facing many students as their graduation date approaches. Kennedy claimed, “The most focused of all UT graduates have been the Advertising
and Public Relations majors.” He said they are the students that have been the most certain of what careers they want to go into and use their internships to network within firms. Kenny Quirk graduated from UT in the spring of 2010. He took part in two internships with the marketing agency ChappellRoberts while getting his degree in Advertising and Public Relations. In his internships, he did both copyrighting and account services. Quirk said, “After graduation, I told them I’d be interested in a position, and I went through the application and interview process.” Quirk started his full-time job with the firm this January. “My internship there was very helpful in making contacts within the company,” he said. Dunn made the point that, though many internships can lead to careers, “There are a fair amount of students that decide while in an internship that it’s not the right fit. Knowing what you don’t want to do is sometimes as important as knowing what you do want to do.” Matt Ludwig, a May 2010 graduate,
took an internship at T. Rowe Price in the spring of his graduating year. According to Ludwig, “All I did was sit at a computer all day long doing nothing.” Ludwig called his experience a “waste of an internship,” but he did say, “The job paid well, so I stuck with it, but it really had no influence at all on what I want to go into.” According to Dunn, if a student in an internship decides that they are somewhere they don’t want to see themselves in the future, “Hopefully they do it soon enough to come to career services to figure out what they do want to do. Usually this doesn’t even mean changing their major, just changing their perspective within their major.” Katie Leonick, who graduated with a degree in sports management in May of 2010, said that her work as a ticket services intern and a promotion intern to clients for the Hudson Valley Renegades, a minorleague affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays, helped her get the job she has today as a box office manager for the Newark Bears. “I absolutely loved working there. It gave me the opportunity to see what we
learned in class in action,” said Leonick. “It 100 percent helped me to get the job that I have now.” Kennedy said that the job of an internship coordinator goes beyond helping a student get an internship. “I help that student put together a professional resume by graduation.” According to Careerbuilder.com, employers spend on average 30 seconds looking at a resume and then make the decision of whether or not they want to look into the candidate further. “When an employer sees you know the difference from what you put on your cover letter and what you put on your professional resume, it immediately sets you apart from other applicants,” Kennedy said. In today’s economy, students can use all the help they can get finding a job. Not every story about internships has a happy ending, but when more than two thirds of internship sponsors are extending full-time positions to their interns, the benefits of that extra work during college seem to far outweigh the risks. Channing Hailey can be reached at channing.hailey@spartans.ut.edu.
4 FEBRUARY 3 2011 | THE MINARET
IRAN
Exploring the Persian Lifestyle By YASAMAN SHERBAF News Reporter
TOP Bagh-e-shazadeh, the Prince’s garden, is located in Mahan, a town outside of Kerman, Iran. CENTER Faravahar is one of the best-known symbols of Zoroastrianism, the state religion of ancient Iran. This religious-cultural symbol was adapted by the Pahlavi dynasty to represent the Iranian nation. BOTTOM Tehran, Iran is best known for its array of flavorful and distinct selection of olives and olive spreads.
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hen I think of Iran, I think of a rich culture with a unique historical background. I think of amazing Persian food, busy streets, pollution, beautiful women, dark colors, bazaars, crazy taxi drivers, and stray cats. I think of fresh flowers, mountains, kebabs, Persian men, and pizza with ketchup. Most people don’t know about Iran, or only know about its government. If they knew more, they would share my ultimate thought: Iran is a beautiful country. I am glad to call myself an Iranian or rather, a Persian like the cat, meow. Although I like to call myself a Persian, I was not born there. My parents were both born in Tehran, the very populous capital of Iran. It was also the destination of my journey last December. I flew from Washington D.C. to Frankfurt, Germany to Tehran. I was so excited to go to Iran after seven years. The last time I went to Iran, I was only 12 years old. This time, it was a very different experience. My trip started on Dec. 20 and ended on Jan. 7. I had little time for family gatherings or other unnecessary things. I went to Iran for one main purpose: to strengthen my Farsi, the language spoken in Iran. I managed to go to Iran knowing a very small amount of Farsi and leave the country speaking almost fluently. The trip was definitely worth it. I wanted to experience the real Iran, even though most people there knew I was an American-Iranian. I definitely stood out, meaning that the people there knew that I was not one of them. I had yellow Nike shocks, which I wore most of the time, unlike what most Persian girls wear on a daily basis. Most Persian girls wear really nice clothes and a whole lot of makeup. They love to dress up no matter where they are going. I also traveled outside Tehran. I saw a dormant volcano called Mt. Damavand in the city of Damavand. It was one of the most beautiful natural landscapes I had ever seen in my life. I was in pure awe when I saw this gigantic mountain. It was breathtaking. It was about an hour and a half from Tehran. In addition to seeing this mountain, I was able to see the city from the top of the mountain, known as baam. I went at night once and it was extremely cold. It was also quite difficult to see most of the city due to the horrible pollution. The pollution is even worse during the day. I remember going with the telecabin to the second to last stop on the mountain and although I could see Tehran, most of it was a blur. The city of Tehran was covered with what Persians call “dood,” rather than pollution.
The air is quite filthy; I cannot even count how many people I saw wearing masks on their faces. Besides Tehran being a so-called “dirty” city, it is full of young people. Most people I saw on the streets were between 14 and 30 years old. Kerman, Iran was a bit different. In Kerman, I saw Persians of all ages, not just young people. Even better, the air in Kerman was so clean. It was refreshing. To be honest, I liked Kerman better than Tehran. I went to Kerman for the first time after having been to Iran three times. The crisp air, the enthusiastic attitude of the people, the pistachio spread, the mountains, the quiet streets, the museums, and the freshly baked bread. I also saw a town near Kerman called Mahan. Mahan has a beautiful garden called Bagh-e-shazadeh; it is known as the Prince’s garden. It dates back to the Gajar period and was constructed in the 19th century. It is 75,000 square meters. I saw it twice, once during the day and once at nighttime. The garden, the buildings, the water, and everything that was a part of it was simply beautiful. I was sad though that the water wasn’t flowing down, therefore, it didn’t look like it does in the pictures. Even so, I was glad to have been able to see it because I don’t know when I’ll be able to visit Iran again. I plan to visit again in December of 2011, but we’ll see what happens until then. Going to Iran is quite the journey. The flight from Washington to Frankfurt is about 7.5 hours and the flight from Frankfurt to Tehran is about 5.5 hours. That’s not including the layover, which can be anywhere from 5-10 hours. Oh, and don’t forget about the time difference – 8.5 hours. So, as one can see, just the time difference is the main reason for being tired when one travels to and from Iran. I remember landing in Tehran at about 2:00 a.m. and not getting to my grandparents’ place until 4:30 a.m. I then managed to sleep for about one day and continued to take many naps throughout my trip. And you think that’s bad? When I got back to the States, I slept for multiple days and didn’t leave my house. I merely ate and slept and repeated that schedule/process. I think the main reason for staying in my house was the temperature drop. In Tehran, the temperature never went lower than 30 degrees and in Kerman, it was really warm during the day and cold at night. In the mountains though, the air was very dry, polluted, and cold. Back in Washington, D.C., it was freezing, windy, snowy, and icy. I was still happy to back in the States, although, I still miss my family there and being surrounded by my culture.
There are definitely some things that I do not miss – the pollution, the crazy taxi drivers, and the public toilets. Do you know how the public toilets look? The toilet is basically a whole in the ground so in order to use it, you better have some strong knees. Thankfully, I managed never to use it even though I was out a lot. I either held it in or I just did not have to use the bathroom when I was out and about. Also, most houses have both versions of the toilet, the American and the Iranian. In addition to the unique toilets, Iran has some pretty crazy taxi drivers. I had quite the experience going to the airport one time with my grandfather in a taxi. We finally had made it to the national airport in Iran. I got out of the taxi to get our things out of the car and my grandfather also got out of the car after having paid the driver. The driver then drove off with our stuff still in the vehicle. For a second or two we freaked out and then I decided to run after the car. We had no choice; we were going to Kerman and we needed our things. I finally made it to the taxi. Thankfully, no car was in front of him or else he would have been gone in a jiffy. I hit the passenger window and said a curse word in Farsi. Unfortunately the man did not hear me but even if he did, I would not have cared. I was just so happy to have been able to get our items out of the taxi. So, as one can see, I had many memorable times in Iran.I did not share all of my times in Iran in this article with you. There are too many to count. From the taxis, to the streets, the bazaars, the restaurants, the shops, the jewelry, and the food, I miss it all. The food is to die for: the pomegranates, the kebabs, the chicken, the rice, the stews, the tea, the cakes, the pastries, the fresh juices, the corn, the pizza with ketchup, the fresh fruit, the pistachios, the dates, the ice-cream or “bastani,” the café gilasse (coffee with ice-cream), the burgers, the hookah, the yogurt, the cheese, fresh bread, and the olives. Eating nothing but home cooked meals and fresh foods for over two weeks was amazing. I miss the food. I miss Iran but I am glad that I had the chance to go there. It was definitely worth it. Not only did I leave knowing so much more Farsi, I left with a greater understanding of my culture and its people. I am so thankful for that; it was one of the best travel experiences that I have ever had in my life so far. I cannot wait to go back, but until then, you can find me listening to Persian music, wearing Persian jewelry, and going to the Persian restaurant on Kennedy called The Tangerine. Yasaman Sherbaf can be reached at ysherbaf@spartans.ut.edu.
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THE MINARET | FEBRUARY 3 2011
5
ABOVE This is a landscape view of the Alborz Mountains as seen from a telecabin. LEFT This is the bedroom featured inside the White Palace. It is located in one of the Shah of Iran’s many palaces in Tehran, Iran. BELOW This is the tomb of Astan-e-Shah Nematallah-e-Vali which is located in Kerman, Iran. The body is stored under the monument and there lies a glass casing filled with offerings.
6 FEBRUARY 3 2011 | THE MINARET
Diversions FOR RELEASE FEBRUARY 14, 2011
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
Justin Davis/ The Minaret
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis
ACROSS 1 Hearts, e.g. 5 Soft pats 9 Physicist Enrico 14 Sink cleaner 15 Straddling 16 Hipbone-related 17 It’s quite a story 18 Kind of nut 19 Bridal path 20 Bounty, to the hunted 23 “Cheerio!� 24 2011 Rose Bowl champs: Abbr. 25 From A __ 28 Fox-sighting cry 31 Dallas hoopster, for short 34 “Tosca� or “Pagliacci� 36 Hawaiian neckwear 37 Gradually lose color 38 Examine quickly 42 Strong as __ 43 Wall climber 44 Skating jumps 45 One of a D.C. 100 46 Golfer Craig known as “the Walrus� 49 Once called, in wedding notices 50 Disco __ of “The Simpsons� 51 Followers: Suf. 53 Frolic vigorously 61 Being not from 41-Down 62 Silents actress Negri 63 Appeal 64 Meas. of the cereal without the box 65 Helen of __ 66 Run __: go wild 67 Lock of hair 68 Cuts, as logs 69 With “in,� what can follow the phrase formed by the ends of 20-, 38- and 53Across DOWN 1 [Heavens!] 2 Cracked open 3 Nativity trio 4 Right on the money
Last Friday, Prague performance artist MiĹ™enka ÄŒechova performed miming for UT students.
2/14/11
By Ian Livengood
5 Former territory where Mount Rushmore is 6 Lacking a musical key 7 Western necktie 8 Time period 9 Total flop 10 College benefactor Yale 11 Greet the judge 12 __ fide: in bad faith 13 Topped a cupcake 21 Really bug 22 Set of moral principles 25 Colosseum garments 26 Think aloud 27 “Werewolves of London� singer Warren __ 29 Architect Frank __ Wright 30 Itch 31 Expert 32 Fred’s dancing sister 33 Limericks and such 35 Stout of whodunits 37 Sly critter
Saturday’s Puzzle Solved
(c)2011 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
39 Asked boldly, as for money 40 Actress Longoria 41 Planet nearest Mars, usually 46 Daring feats 47 Stay out of sight 48 Blue book exams 50 Depicts unfairly, as data 52 Flower leaf
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53 “Critique of Pure Reason� writer 54 Robert of “The Sopranos� 55 Refer to 56 Chooses (to) 57 Nick Charles’s wife 58 Sailor’s patron saint 59 Pope before Sergius III 60 “For Pete’s __!�
Week ending Feb. 1, 2011
#1 Album
Top tracks
( ) Last week’s ranking in top five
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Blanco y Negro ‡ 0DOX
Only Girl (In the World) ‡ 5LKDQQD Source: iTunes
THAT MONKEY TUNE by
Michael A. Kandalaft
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Š 2011 MCT
Horoscopes By Linda C Black / Tribune Media Services
Aries (March 21-April 19) It’s funny how confidence can turn so quickly into self-doubt. Accept your thoughts, learn from them and love yourself. Trust your intuition. Taurus (April 20-May 20) You’re yearning for adventure but are afraid of dangers ahead. Don’t let negative thoughts block your imagination. Follow your dreams anyway. Gemini (May 21-June 21) Negative thoughts come into your head. Just thank them for their opinion, and move on with your day. There’s plenty of work to do. Reframe with new language. Cancer (June 22-July 22) You’re right to be suspicious and trust your intuition. Not everybody is who they say they are. Choose your friends by their actions, not who they say they know. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) Negativity looms and threatens your health. Make sure to get plenty of rest, and don’t take yourself too seriously today. Tell those fears you’ll get back to them later. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) When you strive for perfection, you can be too harsh on yourself. Notice your successes, rather than lingering on failures (that gave you lessons to win).
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Your family will always have an opinion. Don’t take it personally. They love you and want the best for you, even if it doesn’t seem so. Look from a new angle. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) It’s difficult to believe your creative productivity over the last few days. Take time to acknowledge your accomplishments with a special celebration. Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Don’t worry. Just get busy. Economic distress is temporary, and you still have the juice. Besides, money can’t buy health or love. Enjoy what you have. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Don’t get intimidated by the ideas of others. Get support from someone with more experience to keep you on the right track. Postpone travel until later. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Work schedule is full. Bring your top game as you’re going to need it. Leave aside all complaints and negative thoughts, and narrow your focus to win. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) You have many work and social responsibilities. Figure out how you can combine them both, to save time. Get plenty of rest when you can or you’ll wear down.
THE MINARET | FEBRUARY 3 2011
Arts + Entertainment
7
Dress Like Royalty Without Giving Up The Crown Jewels By LAUREN ROSSI
Kate Middleton’s fashion has caught everyone’s eye
Special to The Minaret
Cinderella and Prince Charming, Beauty and the Beast, Jasmine and Aladdin, Kate Middleton and Prince William; all icons for young ladies. Little girls around the world dream of being a Princess, idolizing and dressing up as their favorite Disney Princess character. As they grow older, these young girls begin to envision the most perfect wedding day with the most perfect man similar to their favorite fairytale. Kate Middleton is the prime example of a young girl’s dream, with her soon to be Prince and her wedding day approaching. For Kate, there are no evil stepsisters, no talking kitchen utensils, no magic carpet. Instead, the media has a
Kate Middleton Fan Page/facebook.com
Kate has a conservative style that looks simply beautiful on her.
24-hour watch and critique on her looks and just about every move she makes. As this fairytale wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton is a mere three months away, the soon-to-be princess has been and will continue to be one of the main paparazzi targets throughout this year. With billions of people around the world’s eyes on her, Kate must not only play the part as Princess, she must coordinate her
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Toss away those nostalgic polyester Disney costumes replicating your favorite fairytale, and slip into a wardrobe piece fit for an actual Princess.
appearance to the title. As her fashion sense has been closely watched, her stylish choices have been heavily compared to fashion icon and her fiancé’s “mum,” the late Princess Dianna. Captured in elegant, timeless, royalty-worthy apparel, Kate’s wardrobe is nothing less than, well, perfect. With critics closely watching her stylistic choices, Kate’s wedding gown selection for the Royal wedding at Westminster Abbey has fashionistas worldwide holding their breath, waiting impatiently for the big day, April 29. However, for now, a small gasp of air can be exhaled because it is certain that the stunning cream colored dress photographed in the couple’s official royal engagement announcement is a Reiss design. Good news ladies; this simply elegant design could be yours, too. Finally girls, the time has come. Toss
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away those nostalgic polyester Disney costumes replicating your favorite fairytale, and slip into a wardrobe piece fit for an actual Princess. The Nannette Zip Frill Dress is now featured on Reissonline. com. The elegant cream colored frock is available to women around the world, for £159 which is approximately $250. Reissonline describes the dress as “the epitome of modern elegance. It has 3/4
kennedy
UT
sleeves, an asymmetric draped neck line, paneled waist band, side pockets and an overlay on the front skirt. Nannette’s most beautiful feature is the cascading frill alongside the exposed zip that fastens the dress at the front”. For us common folk, this dress is perfect for the upcoming spring season. It is stunning yet demure, light and flirty and would be an extraordinary addition to any girl’s closet. Who knows, once you slip into this Reiss ensemble your own fairytale may be in order. Throw on a pair of glass slippers and Prince Charming may be around the corner. Remember when ordering your Nannette Zip Frill Dress, as Reissonline is a British-based website, convert your dress size to UK dress size. Do this by adding two dress sizes to your US dress size. Lauren Rossi can be reached at lrossi@ spartans.ut.edu.
Kate Middleton Fan Page/facebook.com
Photos are constantly taken of this princessto-be, for one, because of her fashion.
Kate’s Issa London Sapphire dress was also an instant hit after the couple announced their engagement. The dress sold out in London and other places in England, like Newcastle Upon Tyne. The dress sold out only the day after William and Kate announced their engagement. This dress is more expensive than the Nannette Zip Frill Dress, selling at £385, or about $620. It is still unclear what designer will be making her wedding dress. The couple wishes for that information to be kept secret.
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8 FEBRUARY 3 2011 | THE MINARET
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
Mad Dogs brings ‘Quintessentially British’ to Tampa By MORIAH PARISH
Arts + Entertainment Columnist
Black and white portraits peer from the walls of Mad Dogs and Englishmen, the “quintessentially British” restaurant on South MacDill. Paul McCartney and John Lennon join the likes of Michael Cain as ambassadors from the United Kingdom in this realm of British nostalgia. Jonathan Lunsford is another familiar face to any regulars of Mad Dogs. He is there nearly every day, serving in some capacity, whether it is behind the bar slinging beverages or waiting the dozen or so tables in the dining room. Tomorrow, he said, he plans to repair one of the outdoor propane heaters for the patio area, a task he has never before attempted, in order to save the restaurant money. When asked if being a handyman is part of his duties, he cheerfully replied, “No, I’m not on the clock. But you know, if I fix that heater, and I take a table that’s able to sit outside because of it, and that happens two or three times, I’ve made my money back.” Lunsford has been in the hospitality business for years, and knows a good place to dine when he sees one. “This is by far the best restaurant I’ve ever worked in,” he said. “It’s not necessarily the fanciest, but it’s the most common sense. There’s not a bad item on the menu.” Judging by the plates sampled, he was not lying. The pecan crusted brie served with toasted naan and granny smith apples
The Dish Hot Tea: $2.50 Pecan Crusted Brie: $10.00 Salmon Special: $20.00 Beer-Battered Brownie: $8.00 Special Ice Cream: $1.00 Average Entrée: $17.00 Service: Genuine and Conversational Variety: British Staples Beverages: Wine and Beer Only, No Liquor Atmosphere: European and Relaxed is out of this world. Sweet and savory all together, the crunch of the pecans was the perfect compliment to the warm, softened brie. The evening’s special, pan-seared wild salmon with goat-cheese polenta and sautéed spinach, was equally palatepleasing. The salmon was cooked just past medium, and the polenta was an excellent vehicle for the dish. The spinach was obviously fresh and not over-cooked. For dessert, Lunsford suggested the beer-battered brownie drizzled in
Moriah Parrish/ The Minaret
The name of the restaurant comes from a quote by Rudyard Kipling that can be read in each menu. “Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen go out in the noonday sun …”
chocolate sauce, served with what the bartender sarcastically called “a side of shame” for all the gratification. When he mentioned they also made their own ice cream, it simply had to be ordered with a scoop of maple pecan on the side. The shame was indeed palpable after sampling what must have been 100 percent of the daily value for saturated fat. The taste of supreme indulgence, however, was entirely worth the calories. Lunsford’s easy chatter continued throughout the meal, and his British accent
made it all that much more authentic. A native of Camberley, a town 35 miles west of London, he was drawn to Mad Dogs. A regular customer for nine years before beginning employment about 18 months ago, he dreams now of establishing roots. “I would love to buy into this place,” he said, “become a junior partner of sorts.” Such dedication could only add to the already impeccable establishment. Moriah Parrish can be reached at mparrish@spartans.ut.edu.
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
THE MINARET | FEBRUARY 3 2011
9
Game Training is Perfect for Spring Break By MAYA TODD Sports Writer
If your plans for spring break are still up in the air, one great option can be summed up in two words – spring training. One of the benefits of going to a university in Florida is the proximity to countless number of baseball stadiums, minor league teams and, for about two prized months, the major league squads. There are a total of 15 MLB teams in Florida’s spring training Grapefruit League. The New Englanders that attend the University of Tampa should be excited to know that the Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, New York Yankees, the Philadelphia Phillies and more will all be reporting to their respective spring training facilities in the third week of February. Just 15 minutes away from UT is the closest facility, and is that of the New York Yankees. Playing where the Tampa Yankees usually do, Derek Jeter, Joba Chamberlain, A-Rod and CC Sabathia will be on the field instead. Further towards the beach, about 30 minutes away, the Phillies will be taking over the Clearwater Threshers’ stadium, Bright House Networks Field, to begin their training. The Phillies will be opening their spring training in a unique exhibition game versus Florida State University on Feb. 24, followed by a trip to Tampa to face the Yankees two days later. Forty minutes northwest of Tampa, you will find the Toronto Blue Jays playing on the Florida Auto Exchange Stadium, home of Dunedin Blue Jays. They will be playing
their first home spring training game versus the Detroit Tigers on Feb. 26. The Detroit Tigers complex can be found 45 minutes west of UT in Lakeland. Traveling south, the Pittsburgh Pirates play at McKechnie Field in Bradenton. Their first game will be played versus the State College of Florida baseball team on Feb. 25. For those from Maryland, the Baltimore Orioles house their complex south of Tampa in Sarasota. After an hour drive, you can find Ed Smith Stadium and watch Matt Wieters, J.J. Hardy and Derrek Lee compete in America’s favorite pastime. Moving towards the east coast of Florida, Lake Buena Vista is the home to the Atlanta Braves spring training facility at Champion Stadium. Down the road from the Braves complex, in Kissimmee, at Osceola County Stadium is the place of the Houston Astros, who open their spring training up with a game against their neighbors from Lake Buena Vista. The Washington Nationals’ facility is a little further away. A two hour drive can lead you to Viera to see the Nationals play at Space Coast Stadium. If the Tampa Bay locals, or bandwagoners, would like to watch their Rays spring training, they would have to travel about two hours south to Port Charlotte. At Charlotte Sports Park you can watch and see how the Johnny DamonManny Ramirez combination pans out. The Bostonians and Minnesotans can see their respective teams playing at the same field, Hammond Stadium at the Lee County Sports Complex in Fort Myers.
Daniel Feingold/The Minaret
Rays’ fans can take a trip to the team’s spring training facility in Port Charlotte. During the regular season, Charlotte Sports Park is home to the Rays’ minor league affiliates, the Stone Crabs.
The Red Sox and the Twins will be alternating the use of the park and opening their spring training seasons at home against each other. Three hours away, in Port St. Lucie, the other New Yorkers can go see their beloved Mets’ train for the season. The Braves will travel to the Mets at Digital Domain Park on Feb. 26 to play the them in the first game at their facility of 2011. Lastly, and the furthest away from campus, is both the St. Louis Cardinals and the Florida Marlins facility in Jupiter. The two share Roger Dean Stadium and
interchange the use of it. For some of fans, spring training may be the only chance UT students will get to see their favorite squads play during the semester. If you would like to see Jeter and Sabathia, or Longoria and Upton somewhere other than on the strip of South Howard, take a trip to the Grapefruit League games and experience the season before the season – the much treasured weeks of spring training. Maya Todd can be reached at mtodd@ spartans.ut.edu.
10 FEBRUARY 3 2011 | THE MINARET
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
‘No Strings Attached’ is All About Sex and Laughs By RICHARD SOLOMON
Attached was seemingly spot on by making the girl the one who was emotionally closed off while the guy wanted a committed relationship. Seriously, this seems like a great analogy for most of my relationships. Adam is described throughout the film as a good-looking, amazing guy that any girl would want to be with. I don’t know why, but every time they said this I swear the camera would zoom in on his nose, which always looked like a greased square right at that moment. As for being some amazing guy, his character lives in his father’s shadow and works for a TV show highly similar to High School Musical. The only thing that seems impressive about him is what a terrible texter he is, something Ludacris makes fun of him for.Ludacris gets little screen time, but he’s funnier than Kutcher, so it is a relief when he is there. By far though, the second best actress is Lake Bell. She plays a neurotic coworker of Adam’s who he never sees as date material – meaning if she were the main character he’d realize he loves her at the end and they’d end up together. He actually does take her on a date, but she is so nuts compared to Emma’s sexy craziness that he leaves her. Still, Bell has some of the funnier one-liners, including one towards the end that has to number amongst some of the funniest things I have heard. Guys, if your girl is pestering you to take her to a RomCom, there are worse ones out there. A couple of scenes are disturbing. A mixed tape for her period, seriously? But it’s Natalie Portman. Enough said. Ladies, you’ll like this because you are girls and it’s Ashton Kutcher. Keep an eye out this July when Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake do the exact same movie. Richard Solomon can be reached at richard.solomon@spartans.ut.edu.
Arts + Entertainment Columnist
Perhaps it is because I went in with extremely low expectations, convinced this would be a terrible movie, but No Strings Attached was much better than I anticipated. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not an amazing movie. The plot is extremely predictable, as are the minor character arcs – guy’s friend gets with girl’s friend, etc. Natalie Portman is fun to watch, though there are far more shots of Ashton Kutcher’s a-- than hers. Portman’s character (Emma) and Kutcher’s character (Adam) knew each other as teens and then again as adults. They meet up, with Adam clearly seeking a relationship and seeming constantly surprised they are not in one despite Emma telling him over and over again that she doesn’t want to that. Early on in the movie, they decide to be friends with benefits until one of them develops feelings for the other, at which point they would stop. It is obvious during this conversation that Adam is already smitten, but despite Portman playing a doctor, she is apparently too oblivious to notice. They have sex a lot, get jealous over the other, deny their feelings, admit their feelings, deny some more. Blah blah, it is nothing original and you can already guess how it will end. But No Strings Attached is funny, even if the humor stems from shock more than genuine comedy. Both Emma and Adam introduce each other to their parents as, “ ... this is the guy/girl I’m banging,” or some derivative. Portman steals what little shine there is, her presence dominating everyone else’s on screen. Though it is actually the scenes where she is by herself that she is funniest. One thing I will praise is that No Strings
Movie Poster
Portman and Kutcher have a lot of sex during the movie, get jealous over each other and continuously deny their feelings for one another.
New Portable Gaming is on the Way
By Todd Sanborn
Arts + Entertainment Columnist
Your guide to the upcoming flicks hitting theatres this weekend.
“The Roommate Rated: PG-13 Time: 93 mins A horror flick about a college student who becomes dangerously obsessed with her new roommate. Leighton Meester (Gossip Girl) stars as the psychotic freshman roommate.
“The Other Woman” Rated: R Time: 119 mins Natalie Portman stars in this adaptation of the novel “Love and Other Impossible Pursuits.” Emilia marries her boss and tries to deal with the loss of their daughter and his ex-wife.
“Sanctum” Rated: R Time: 1 hr. 43 mins Peter Jackson’s “Santcum”, which was shot in 3-D, follows a team of cave divers that get forced deep within the cave’s depths and the struggle to find a way out before its too late--.
Sony is at the mobile gaming platform again with the recent introduction of the device solely codenamed as “Next Generation Portable” abbreviated as “NGP.” Slated for release during the fourth quarter of 2011, the “NGP” aims to become the latest and greatest device currently on the market featuring a 5” OLED capacitive touchscreen, a front and rear camera, as well as both WiFi and 3G connectivity, all of which are the most demanded for features by consumers at this time. Sticking with the “oval rectangle” of the original PSP, the NGP has a touchscreen on the front of the device for menu selection as well as controlling the game, but also has touch pads on the front and rear to use gesture based motions to control the game rather than always using the two Dpad’s and the all too familiar “PlayStation buttons”: the green triangle, red circle, blue X, and purple square. This seems to be one of the most captivating experiences that the device will offer as not many other items on the market have a touch screen panel in the back to help control the game. This will surely present a learning curve, but has such an ability to change the entire gaming and technology world that the interface and experience with the NGP will have a lasting impression on everything for years to come. Sony has appeared to make a number of significant changes to the device, most notable being the lack of support for the UMD or Universal Media Disc that was proprietary to the first generation PSP of 2005. Instead Sony has chosen an “E-Media card,” very similar in theory to the flash drives used to transfer data from computer to computer. The specifications are still very limited on this aspect of the NGP, but
Sony has stated that they are porting over many favorites to the new card format as well as adding many video game titles to the online store for immediate download. Hopefully, those who have previously owned a Sony mobile gaming device won’t have to purchase the same games they already own to have the title ported over to the NGP. Like many other technology companies, Sony is banking on the world’s reliance for social media and has completely reworked their user interface to accommodate for customer’s needs of being connected with their friends at all times. Having developed a new home screen called “LiveArea,” Sony has developed a touch screen environment for NGP users to feel at one with their social network as never before, allowing someone to flick from Twitter to YouTube, and back to Twitter again without the slightest of issues. Specific carrier information has still not been announced nor has pricing or a time of release other than in time for the holidays 2011, but a 3G data support has been confirmed. The question remains though if Americans will be interested in such a large device, seeing as how almost everyone has such an item in their pocket that can play games, receive and send emails, download the latest and greatest songs and videos, and even make the occasional phone call without ever having to grab another device. Children and teens, which are sure to be the largest audience for this new device, always seem to be captivated by the large touch screen and dual cameras on a device, but the parents, those with the purchasing power, are the real decision makers in whether or not their child will receive an NGP from Sony. Todd Sanborn can be reached at toddalan@me.com.
Commentary
THE MINARET | FEBRUARY 3 2011
11
Military Service Preys On Fragile Minds Of The Youth By CAMILLA CHEBET
Columnist
There is a Swahili proverb that goes, “Bend a fish while it is still wet.” It is usually used when referring to children, meaning the best way to teach them is when they are young. The military seems to have understood this very well. Although military drafts were banned back in 1973, it is not hard to see instances where military service is heavily persuading and aiming for young people. The army openly stated that it was looking to attract and recruit more young people. The military in any country has a function and purpose and it is vital for a country’s stability and security. However, the people who work in the military should do so out of free will and choice. For the service to be out of free will and voluntary, a person has to be old enough physically and mentally to make such a decision and to understand exactly what they are getting into. I was perturbed that the minimum education requirement for a person to be recruited into the U.S Army was a high school diploma, while the minimum
age requirement was set at 18. Even this join the army is the allure of adventure and requirement has been over looked at times being exposed to guns and actually being by allowing 17-year-olds to be deployed. able to use them. A young man is willing At the age of 18, and even with a high to lose his life for a cause that he may not school diploma, a person is too young to be even fully understand. They are told the stories of glory recruited into military service. They are young and still fresh. They are without realizing that dying for a cause is yet to be exposed to the real world, or even not always good, especially if the cause of college, which is a diluted form of the real the conflict was simply a desire for power. Dying in war is indeed something, but world. It is during the 18-25 age bracket that a person develops and tests their what difference does it make if others will beliefs, it is at this time that they explore die in the same way and the purpose for the war is simply to invade a sovereign nation who they are and what they are about. It is in college that these beliefs are or steal its resources? Does it really make a difference if after formed, fully developed and make up a your death nothing changes about the war, person’s character and personality. People get to see a greater extent of what and it continues in the way that it has been? they hear about, they get to experiment Or has your death simply become a statistic with the process of making a decision by in a person’s search for more power and themselves and dealing with the implication of the decisions they make. This is clear when observing the choices made by a freshman at college, compared to those of a junior or senior. As a person is exposed to more, they learn the difference between good and bad and right wrong; it is these that form the basis of what a person chooses to believe in and the path of life they choose to take later in life. The main problem with trying to recruit people who are young and mostly fresh out of high school is that they are not fully Beverly & Pack/flickr.com aware of what they are going to do. Some It is unjust to recruit those who don’t fully people’s main motivation for wanting to comprehend what it means to die for any cause.
resources? The argument for military service is that it is a service to one’s own country, and if they love their country then they ought to do it. To a young man or woman who is yet to know and experience the evils of the world, this sounds like a good reason to join the army. That’s the problem. With young people, it is easy to influence their way of thinking, to convince and persuade them that military service is good. Even when drafted, it is much easier to persuade a young 18-year-old that they ought to kill someone because it is okay than to convince a 25-year-old that the same act is okay. Young people are quicker and more aggressive at defending their decision to join the army as opposed to veterans who will tell you the thick of what it really is, without all the puffed up promises of glory. There is a certain vulnerability that comes with young age, and a fragility that allows them to easily submit to authority even when they are asked to do things that they know by instinct to be wrong. It is easy to shape young minds to certain ideologies about war, conflict and how it can be dealt with. This is the concept of bending the fish when it is still fresh. Camilla Chebet can be reached at cchebet@spartans.ut.edu.
Guys Juice Up for Vanity On Supplements, Not Function By HANNAH WEBSTER Love and Sex Columnist
I must have looked quite out of place amongst the aisles of protein powder in GNC. I wandered through in my leggings, over-sized tee, and Ugg boots, trying not to get clotheslined by over-developed arms extending out from sleeveless tees. I felt like Jack when he climbed up the beanstalk. The variety was endless. Products were classified into different groups. There was whey, creatine, glutamine, testosterone enhancers, even… anti-estrogen? Huh. There’s something I’ll never have to worry about as long as I wish to remain testiclefree. Most of the words were unfamiliar to me, and any I had heard before came from the end of an ingredient list on nutrition labels. Before the look of utter confusion could be completely plastered to my face, an employee, with an equally inquisitive look at noticing my presence, headed over to find out why the hell I was there. As soon as I assured him I wasn’t planning on bulking up, I told him it was mere curiosity that brought me over. I wanted to know what the big deal was with all this “stuff.” Apparently calling it “stuff” is frowned upon, by the way. “This one is for pre-workout, this one is post-workout. This one is for while you’re working out, and this one is for before bed. This one absorbs quickly, this one takes more time…” and so on and so on. The price of the most popular product was $99.99 for 4.6 lbs of powder. Yep.
The massive jars were almost overwhelming, and at the same time, mildly ridiculous. Was this all really necessary? Anyone who has ever been to McNiff Fitness Center on campus can attest to the fact that half of the cubby holes turn into personal protein mixing areas. The “body builders” gather up their massive jars and specialty shake bottles and chug that stuff like its water from the fountain of youth. Or fountain of abs, as I’m sure they would prefer. The obsession that many of these men have with building muscle and increasing mass can only be compared to the need of a woman to have perfect make-up. She’ll
spend whatever is necessary to prevent smudging and shine. Some even go to great lengths and prices to find that exact shade of red lipstick. They want to look good, just like the men who guzzle down protein by the bucket and go to the gym like it’s their job. Most of these guys don’t have any other purpose beside the vanity of it. They don’t play sports, they aren’t in the military, they aren’t training for anything. They just want biceps that are bigger than their head and capable of lifting heavy loads, if that ever even happens outside the weight room. Plus, they want to pick up chicks.
Hannah Webster/The Minaret
Men feel the need to conform to the belief that women lust after men with large muscles. However, they do not take into account what women truly find attractive in a partner.
But just like men who find women that wear too much make-up unattractive, women are often turned off by the excessive time men spend to achieve unnatural results. “I think it’s a turn off. They get too obsessed with it,” said freshman Flora Schulte Nordholt. “I don’t like guys who are in the gym 24/7. I like guys who are in shape from actually doing something, like playing sports.” I won’t pretend that I don’t like a guy with a nice body. I’m a total sucker for sculpted abs, toned arms, and those line things – you know what I’m talking about. But who isn’t? Lust is human nature and it isn’t going anywhere. But it also doesn’t last forever. And neither will a perfect body. Nothing is worse than showing up to the gym in sweat-ready clothes only to have the men of the gym look at me like I’m not hot enough to be there. That is the b----- girl’s job, thank you very much. And if my iPod isn’t turned up loud enough, half of what I hear is “I paid this much for this powder,” and “I take this, this, and this six times a day so that my arms look like this.” For goodness sake, I do not care and neither do the people to whom you are talking. Please go play basketball or lift logs like a real man. I agree with Flora in that I would rather see my guy be a part of a team or have a real passion instead of chugging down powderbased drinks. If it gets him in awesome shape, it’s a plus. But it’s not everything. But the standard set here isn’t so different from the rest of the world. Juice heads pay big bucks for their protein powder and girls with too much money buy fake boobs. Maybe it’s just time for a dose of reality all around. No protein please. Hannah Webster can be reached at hannahkarine31@gmail.com.
COMMENTARY 12 FEBRUARY 3 2011 | THE MINARET Stayin’ Out the Slammer: Dealing with Cops and Campus Security
By JOHN JACOBS
Asst. Commentary Editor
As we all know, UT has one of the most well-behaved student bodies in the country, but in the off-chance you find yourself in a situation where you need to deal with one of Tampa’s police officers, I have some tips and advice you can follow to ensure you make the best of the situation. When someone sees those police lights come on in the rear-view, the most common mistake people tend to do is pull over. Once you realize a cop is trying to pull you over, just take off as fast as you can. Think about it. Cops spend countless hours pulling people over and giving them tickets. By speeding off as fast as you can, you’ve created a fun and exciting way to “mix things up” in an officer’s normal, boring day. About 15 minutes into the chase is usually a good time to slow down and finally let the officer (or officers, at this point) catch up to you and finally pull you over. Once he does, he’ll thank you for the exciting journey you’ve just taken him on and you’ll both share a good laugh as he lets you off with a warning and congratulations for being so cool. (Or you’ll get a couple
years in jail depending on how well you execute this technique.) If you choose to pull-over immediately, there are still other tricks to help get yourself out of receiving a ticket. When the cop asks you where you were going, tell them something like “I was just headed to church/my sick grandmother’s house/the police station to donate money to the hard working cops of Tampa.” At this point he or she will realize you are a great person and that there is no reason to give you a hard time. Ask as many questions about his gun as you can think of. “What kind of gun is that? How fast does it shoot? Can I hold your gun? Why can’t I hold your gun? Seriously, why can’t I just hold your gun, bro?” Show a sincere interest in his or her job (specifically the gun). The officer will appreciate the attention. You should feel like good friends at this point. If the cop is still persistent about giving divemasterking2000/photobucket.com you a ticket, even though you were only “driving at three times the speed limit,” It can be hard to keep out of trouble, but evading you’ll need to act smart. Start shouting, “I it can be simpler than you think! know my rights!” louder and louder in the officer’s face and eventually he or she will guards at some point. Although they are become frightened and go back to the car not technically “real” police, that does not without writing you a ticket. Personally I mean their jobs are any less significant or have not tried it, but I heard from a friend serious. of a friend that this works (sometimes). If we did not have people constantly Besides Tampa’s finest, it is more than giving out parking tickets, who knows likely that you will find yourself involved what kind of madness would overtake the in a situation with one of UT’s security school? Our security force does not take
ear
Eric
Hazards Of Shower Lovin’ Dear Eric, As much as I love Gasparilla, I like cleaning up even more. Showering off all the dirt, grime and sweat I imagine clinging to me feels similar to being reborn from a pirate themed cocoon. The guy that I’ve been sleeping with had a different idea in mind when it came time to wash off; he wanted to do it in the shower. I’m not normally opposed to shower sex – however, when I am trying to shower, the last thing I have on my mind is doing the nasty. Actually, I hate shower sex. I pretend to like it because it makes my partner happy. It is wet, awkward, and potentially hazardous. Often this uncomfortable situation occurs the morning after. How can he be ready to go so early? The worst is when my partner tries to wash my hair, or assist at all in my actual showering, and gets soap in my eye. Am I being mean to him for ignoring his advances in the shower? What should I tell him? Do I refuse? Please advise. Sincerely, Wet and Bothered Dear Wet and Bothered, There is nothing I dislike more than sex in the shower. After a night of being up, and cramming two into dorm beds, a tandem shower is the worst idea ever. The light of day is often unsettling enough; the halogen yellow of the windowless bathrooms is an added bonus. The fascinating thing is, he may not like it as much as you think he
does. Since you are feeling awkward and uncomfortable during his shower advances, your body is probably already telling him what you are not. He wants you to be hot and heavy, but if you are slipping and sliding he won’t be very turned on. My best advice is to not let him stay over; it’s always best for everyone to go their separate ways. Personal opinion. You wake up refreshed, ready for your day, and nobody is poking you. You may shower happily, and in solitude. The problem is, sometimes they can’t leave, especially when alcohol is involved. Plan on your intoxicated other to be sleeping happily in your bed all night. When this happens and he meets you in the shower, simply tell him that you have class or some obligation very soon. Ten minutes is a goto time for a quick escape. Of course, if you decide to shower together, just let him know that this isn’t a time to get freaky. You will do your thing and go on with your day. If you choose to accept his advances once in awhile, try not to hurt yourselves in there. Have Questions? Send your sex, love and relationship questions to Eric Zorn at ezornUT@gmail.com. Make sure your subject box contains the word, “UTampa.” Make sure that you are always practicing safe sex. For even more information about staying safer between the sheets visit the Planned Parenthood website of FAQ’s about safer sex.
any chances when it comes to drinking/ drug use in the dorms. In fact, if you live in a dorm, around a dorm, or are looking at a dorm in which they find drugs or alcohol, you will probably be cited and forced to pay a fine and attend a course on alcohol abuse. (Because, you won’t realize it at the time, but you DO have a substance abuse problem, and the school is going to help you learn how to deal with it and get clean. Thank you, UT!) Also, in case you were worried, UT’s security jurisdiction is not limited to oncampus incidents. In fact, if the school hears you were involved in any legal trouble, they won’t hesitate to fine you and refer you to the judicial board for the exact thing you have already been accused of by the police. (Kind of like a twisted legal “double jeopardy.”) So the state, and our school, can get some money out of your misery. My advice for anyone who has to deal with our UT security force is, simply, do not get involved with them. You are not going to talk yourself out of a charge and they are not going to show sympathy towards you. The one positive thing is that they will provide you with is pleasant conversation about sports, life in New York, campus gossip and a personal story of how they ended up at UT, all while they are writing up your citation. John Jacobs can be reached at jjacobs@ spartans.ut.edu.
Black History Tidbits To Help You Start The Month! By NICOLE ROBINSON Columnist
It’s that time of year again. The time many who are out of the loop dread, Black History Month. The time of the year people must convincingly pretend to care about Black Americans’ legacy in the United States. Been naughty this year and haven’t been keeping yourself up to speed on black history facts? Never fear, I’ll write about it all month! This week: a quick guide to help you sound smart when black history is brought up in conversation at the water cooler or before class. Hey, even African Americans learn new things during this month so this is not directed at any particular group. If you think the “I have been to the Mountain Top” speech was the one President Obama gave on his inauguration, this is for you. If you think bell hooks was Captain Hook’s sailing mate, a quick scan below might do you some good. This week: Garrett Morgan. This man had inventions for those who love their vanity, traffic regulations, and something that saved thousands of lives in World War I. To Garrett Morgan, the Chilean miner situation would be “so last year,” or rather, so 95 years ago. He developed a breathing apparatus called a “breathing hood,” and in 1912, a crisis in his town where a group of 62 miners got stuck underground after an explosion allowed him to use them. If CNN had been around, Wolf Blitzer would be manipulating a digitized diagram of the mine while retelling every detail of the crisis. The miners were trapped in a dangerous underground tunnel in toxic air. Morgan and his brother were called from his house and brought the breathing hoods.
After what felt like forever, Morgan and his brother emerged out of the fallen mine with survivors. The people cheered them on as they searched for more survivors. They weren’t able to get them all, but word got around about the miraculous rescue and the man who had invented the device that helped accomplish such a feat. He later became an honorary member of the International Association of Fire Engineers. Many fire departments around the country after the mining ordeal ordered the breathing hood but when they found out Morgan was black, they did away with the devices that later saved thousands during the first World War. This was the early 1900’s after all. Ignorant racism is a part of our history. While the color of his skin prevented the sales of his device, it couldn’t take away from his genius and the long term impact it made. We may now celebrate him as, among other things, the inventor of the gas mask. Garrett Morgan was also the inventor of the first hair straightening hair serum, torturing a neighborhood dog in the process. He happened upon a substance that made cloth stand on end as he was trying to alleviate friction on his sewing machine. In his initial tests, he applied some of the mysterious substance to the coat of the poor dog where it allegedly gave many a fright when they saw the animal running around with its hair on end. Today, if you spray anything on your hair to aid your flattening iron or relax your hair, thank Morgan. Oh, yeah, and he invented the stop light, but I didn’t want to put people off of Morgan before they got to know the more interesting parts of his life. Black history can be fun but if it’s not, it will be of great use eventually. If not now, then perhaps in Double Jeopardy someday. It also might help someone someday feel that you appreciate and won’t overlook the contributions made by Black Americans. Nicole Robinson can be reached at nrobinson@spartans.ut.edu
THE MINARET | FEBRUARY 3 2011
COMMENTARY
Editorial: Inside the Criminal Mind Last week, a University of Tampa student was arrested for aggravated battery after he reportedly took another man and woman into the woods, holding them at gunpoint. Andres Marrero, of Poppy Fields Lane in Land O’ Lakes, was arrested on Jan. 27 for one count of inflicting bodily pain on a victim and another count of aggravated battery on a pregnant female. The UT student was not alone in the crime though. Devin Nickels, a Florida State University freshman and high school friend of Marrero,19, approached him with the plan for Marrero to pretend to be an armed robber and injure Nickel’s girlfriend in the process. The UT student was released on a $60,000 bond. Why was the student released after committing such a life-threatening crime? And more importantly, what does this say about our legal system? How can the government justify this type of crime as something less than attempt of a firstdegree murder? Nickels and Marrero planned the murder attempt, with the victim being the unborn fetus and mother. Though neither the mother nor fetus was killed, there still lurks the possibility of developmental disabilities after the
baby is born and lasting emotional scars for the mother. Marrero did not get what he deserved. Nickels offered Marrero $200 to carry out the plan. Marrero refused the money saying that “he wanted to do it for free,” according to The St. Petersburg Times. What kind of mind thinks this way? Only the criminal mind would take part in such a heinous act and in addition, post, “Damn was last nite fun a-- hell. 2011,” on his Facebook wall after the event occurred. Although Marrero was released on bail after his crime, Nickels, the 18year-old FSU student and boyfriend of the pregnant woman, was arrested by FSU Police and taken to Leon County jail on Jan. 21, where he will remain there until he is transferred to Pasco County Sheriff’s Office. How do we apprehend criminals who find loopholes in the system but are perfectly aware of their actions and show no remorse? Marrero was let off with lenient charges, but they are subject to change in front of a judge and hopefully for the best. The Editorial Board can be reached at editor@theminaretonline.com or you may submit a Letter to the Editor form online at www.theminaretonline.com.
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Egypt And Tunisia; The Revolutionary Cries Of Freedom By ALEX CARABALLO Special to The Minaret
The events in Egypt and Tunisia are a stunning testament to the roles individuals and social media play in setting off events that can potentially topple governments. What began as an act of protest through self immolation by a college educated, jobless man has sparked a series of protests that have toppled the Tunisian government and now threatens the Mubarak regime in Egypt. The involvement of Wikileaks has been downplayed in the media; Leaked diplomatic cables between the U.S. and Tunisia detailing the extent of the corruption of the Tunisian government sparked protests there. These cables had a profound impact on the Tunisian people. They added gasoline to a smoldering fire, the final catalyst was the selfless act of self immolation by Mohammed Bouazizi. This act inspired greater calls for open democracy and government across the Middle East and North Africa. Egypt and Tunisia have been dominated by pro-western dictators that have ruled with impunity for decades. These same countries have received billions in aid from the United States in return for favoring western policies and keeping a good relationship with Israel. Egypt receives over $1.5 billion in aid from the United States annually, much of which goes towards the military. Thus the tear gas canisters used
on the protesters have been stamped “Made in the USA.” The United States is in a very precarious situation. The current regime in Egypt is friendly to the West and Israel, but if protesters topple the government and the U.S. is seen as being pro-Mubarak, the relations between the two countries can deteriorate. Adversely, if the United States is seen as encouraging the protesters, many other countries such as Jordan and Saudi Arabia will become anxious due to the protests starting in their respective countries. These could also threaten to topple their governments. This has become foreign policy tightrope in which leaning too far in any direction could have dire consequences. Needless to say, it is definitely not fun being Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at this moment in time. What happens next in Egypt and the rest of the Middle East is yet to be seen, but the future implications are enormous. They will shape the geo-politics of the region for decades to come. The United States should end the appearance of hypocrisy in foreign policy and encourage and support democracy in the Middle East even when it is not in our best interest. If, as a country, America does not support the liberation of all oppressed people, then it does not deserve them. Liberty and freedom are all universal rights that every human has a right to and should demand. Alex Caraballo can be reached at acaraballo21@gmail.com.
Rapist On Facebook; We Must Rethink Online Friendships
By RICHARD SOLOMON Columnist
It seems like Facebook appears in every other headline nowadays. The latest one has to due with David Bradt, a 24-yearold from upstate New York who was using Facebook to meet and rape underage girls. Bradt would add a teen girl, go through her friend list and request her friends, then request theirs. So a 15-year-old girl might log on one to day to find an unfamiliar man friending her on Facebook. But if a dozen of her besties are already Facebook friends with him, then it must be fine, right? After that it was easy for Bradt. He’d message the girls, invite them to his place with offers of drugs and alcohol and then sexually assault them. Bradt was caught when a mom snooped through her daughter’s cell phone and saw some inappropriate text messages. Now, nine times out of ten a teen girl would shriek in righteous indignation to have her cell phone checked by her mom. But this time, it was a good call. Bradt will spend roughly a dozen years in prison on four counts of rape of underage girls, in addition to having to register as a sex offender. I myself haven’t been a teen girl since, well, ever. But I do remember being 15 and having a MySpace; getting friend requests from people I didn’t know and refusing. Even now I get Facebook adds from names I don’t recognize. Sometime we have mutual friends. I’ll send them a message asking how we know each other. Even if the response is reasonable I don’t necessarily confirm them. I do not add that person, and then I do not go to their house, take drugs and get molested – I never put
myself in a position where I am likely to be at the person’s mercy and at risk of getting molested. It works well for me. I’m sure some of you feel I’m being harsh. They’re teens, they’re the victims, it’s ridiculous to act like I didn’t make stupid decisions at that age. And you’re right. But like I said, even by the age of 15, we should make sure our children have understood how not to get into that sort of situation. As children, it’s drilled into our heads not to talk to strangers. For the most part, there are more perils to young women than men. So, how could these girls so readily accept this guy online, and then be willing to meet him in real life? Perhaps I just don’t understand. All of these girls should have been a little more wary. This whole scenario seems off to me. Bradt deserves far more than a dozen years in prison. Four counts of rape of a minor should net him far more than that, unless the one Criminology class I took taught me nothing. Did these girls go alone to this guy’s house? None of them thought of bringing friends along just in case you were about to get into a dangerous situation. When I say friends, I mean the kind you actually know. There’s a lot of information not provided in the articles I read about it, and we may never know exactly how these terrible encounters took place. I think that while parents who police their kids help in this situation, it’s not enough. How many of us have little sisters and brothers – yes, brothers, it happens – that are of that age? My parents can’t even figure out how to use Skype, let alone keep my emails under tabs. It would be easy for me to hide my texts from them with the password my phone requires. But then again, I’m not going to go to a stranger’s house for drugs either. Parents should be educating their
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Teenagers should be taught to be as weary of adding Facebook friends as they are of online predators. You never really know a person’s intentions, especially if you have never met them.
kids. Stranger Danger needs to apply to the Internet just as much as the real world. It seems ridiculous to say, but it would go a long way to eliminating guys like this or the CraigsList Killer from finding their prey. How about we teach the teens a little? When I was 14, misusing something got me smacked on the head and the object would be taken away. It wasn’t that long ago; let’s bring that rule back. I have a relative who is 13 and his folks won’t let him have a Facebook. He’s a bright kid, but he’s also pretty naïve. In this case, I approve of his parents’ decision. And it’s not like this is something unbearable I’m asking for either, where the teens roll their eyes and wish I’d shut up. I’m guessing they don’t want to be raped, so how about you only friend people you know? That’s why it’s called
“friending” and not “allow pictures of you in a bikini to be viewed by a stranger two states away.” In real life, being friends means something. Why does it have to be different online? Why do we value it less? What could possibly prompt us to “Confirm” someone we don’t know? Great, you know my cousin, and you think I’m “relly cute an hott” but you’re in Texas and this whole message screams desperate. I don’t care if you have drugs or alcohol, I don’t care that you’re complimenting me, I’m not going to give you my phone number. Everyone, not just teens, needs to stop treating Facebook friendships like they’re nothing. Because I guarantee, there’s some guy right now looking at your bikini pictures. Richard Solomon can be reached at richard.solomon@spartans.ut.edu.
COMMENTARY 14 FEBRUARY 3 2011 | THE MINARET Benefits of Breathing Through Meditation Around Our Campus By ALYSIA SAWCHYN Commentary Contributor
Several years ago, the word “meditation” called to mind Buddhist monks seated in the lotus position, levitating five inches off the ground and chanting; or emaciated, New-Age women wearing all white and surrounded by candles. Meditation seemed completely impractical and somewhat ridiculous. The idea of sitting still, in silence, for fifteen minutes, much less an hour, horrified me. “How boring,” I thought, “How absolutely wasteful and useless.” Like many college students, I am, as a general rule, overbooked and overworked. Most of the time I have to-do lists running through my head, mental notes, etc. Call them what you will, I’ve got a busy mind. What then would be the point of taking out time that I already don’t have and spending it doing nothing? As it turns out, meditation relaxes me. It’s similar to the feeling of coming home after a long day of life, flopping down on something hopefully soft, and just trying to unwind. It’s like that, but doing it consciously and without the world-fallingapart bit. About two years ago, I was asked for a ride to the Buddhist temple in Safety Harbor, Florida. My friend was going to one of their weekly meditations. On a whim, I decided not to just drop him off, but to wander inside and see “just what this is all about.” “Just seeing” turned into me staying for the hour-and-a-half long meditation session, led by one of the monks who lived at the temple. At first it was agonizing. And worst of all, I thought, there was no
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The usual beliefs associated with meditation are that it is a boring, pointless waste of time. On the contrary, if we took time to really understand the importance of it, meditation could help us.
way of telling how much longer I had to sit still for. I use my phone to tell time, and there was no way of pulling it out of my pants pocket without making an unseemly amount of noise. There were also no clocks in the room – believe me, I checked. During this immeasurable amount of time, my friend was sitting next to me, perfectly still and, seemingly, at peace. Infuriating. So I shut my eyes and started to do that, sigh, “focus on your breathing thing.” What seemed like 15 minutes after I did this, the meditation class was over. This is not an uncommon experience in meditation. In fact, when that happens, it usually means that the mind has reached a point of relaxation: the thoughts stop
racing, or at least, slow down. I would love to pretend that since that day, two years ago, when I went to the temple, I’ve meditated every day and that I’m supremely calm and well on my way to enlightenment. Most people that know me are fully aware that this is untrue. An attempt at meditation does not have to be a daily commitment. It can be a weekly thing, a monthly thing, or it can be tried once and discarded. It also does not involve head-shaving or celibacy vows. There are no set rules or requirements for meditation. Go to a temple, stay at home, sit for two hours, sit for five minutes, wear a ceremonial robe, stay in your underwear, light some candles and incense, sit under fluorescent lights, play Enya, play nothing;
it doesn’t matter. The point is to relax, to calm down. Whatever works! The most basic meditations involve paying attention to breath. Sometimes there is the addition of counting to ten on each breath, and then starting over. Oh, and relax the belly. Yes, I said, “belly.” It’s not serious, remember? Sometimes, setting a timer helps. Knowing that a shrill alarm will go off answers the, “Is this over yet?” questions with a firm, “No.” If you’d rather try to meditate with a group of people, there are several meditation classes offered each week around UT. There is one class on Mondays from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. at the Tampa Museum of Art. Another is located on Howard Avenue at Angel Heart New Age Gifts on Tuesdays at the same time. Both classes are led by a Buddhist monk. If you’d rather not drive, the recently opened Sykes Chapel has a 30 minute meditation session every Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. The woman who teaches it is a UT student and a certified yoga instructor. While she may not possess the overwhelming serenity of a Buddhist monk, it’s a decent, short class. While I don’t understand the reasons behind it, meditation works for me. The ten minutes I take to sit, breathe and just calm down, are worth more than the three text messages and two emails that I could send out in that same amount of time. Besides, I think most, if not all, college students could use a little more breathing time. Alysia Sawchyn can be reached at asawchyn@spartans.ut.edu.
THE MINARET | FEBRUARY 3 2011
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16 FEBRUARY 3 2011 | THE MINARET
Sports
Strong Defensive Play Could Lead the Pack to a Win Green Bay seeks first Super Bowl title since Brett Favre era
By JOE BEAUDOIN Sports Writer
The wait is nearly over, and it is finally time for the best sports day of the year, Super Bowl Sunday. The Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers will face off in what is sure to be a memorable game. The Packers have been hot entering play, winning three consecutive road playoff games. They have played so well in the last three games that they remind me of the 2007 New York Giants, the team which that defeated the then-undefeated Patriots. Sorry to all the New England fans for bringing back those memories. They beat three teams that many believed had a valid shot at winning the Super Bowl, including the Atlanta Falcons in the Divisional round. Green Bay dominated Atlanta, winning by 21 points. They handed the Falcons just their second home loss of the season. The defense is a major reason for their playoff success. They have forced eight turnovers and confused many of the NFL’s most elite players. They have shown that they can stop any offensive weapon. Whether it was Michael Vick, Matt Forte or Roddy White, the Packers were able to take them out of the game and make them a non-factor. Their most impressive feat may have been how they held Michael Turner to a meager 39 yards in their playoff matchup. Their secondary, led by Charles
Woodson and Tramon Williams, should be able to limit Hines Ward and Mike Wallace. Wallace had a breakout season, averaging 21 yards per reception, but has only four receptions so far in the playoffs. The Packers will also be able to stop Ben Roethlisberger. The linebacking core as well as defensive linemen are smart enough not to fall for Roethlisberger’s pump fakes and dancing in the backfield. The Steelers have allowed 52 sacks this season, including eight during the playoffs. Clay Matthews and B.J. Raji should have no problem causing havoc in the backfield. The Packers should also be able to stop the Steelers’ rushing attack. They have only allowed six rushing touchdowns this season, which is the second least in the league. Rashard Mendenhall had a great regular season but is only averaging 3.6 yards per carry in the playoffs. Pittsburgh will struggle to stop Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers is perhaps having a career-defining season, and has finally made Packers’ fans forget about Brett Farve. Rodgers has thrown for 3922 yards this season with 28 touchdowns. With weapons such as Greg Jennings, James Jones and Donald Driver, Rodgers has been able to spread the ball across the field. In their last game, seven different receivers had at least one reception. In the Steelers’ previous game, they allowed the New York Jets to score 19 unanswered points in the second half. They also allowed Mark Sanchez to throw for 233 yards and two touchdowns. If Sanchez was
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Both Woodson and Williams will have their hands full on Sunday while guarding Hines Ward and Mike Wallace. The two CBs have not struggled to shut down top WRs all season, however.
able to pick apart the Steelers secondary, imagine what Rodgers is capable of doing. The only flaw that the Packers offense had during the season was their run game. That was until the playoffs, when James Starks emerged as their leading rusher. In the three playoff games, Starks has 263 yards, which is the most for any player. Starks has helped the team change from their one dimensional style, and the
Steelers now have to worry about stopping both the run and the pass. The Steelers are a great team, but I do not believe they have the ability to beat the Packers on Sunday. Green Bay will come out to play, and if they do not let the distractions get to them, they will be the champions of Super Bowl XLV. Joe Beaudoin can be reached at jbeaudoin@spartans.ut.edu.
Junior Guard Leads the Huskies to a Surprising Season Kemba Walker dominates the collegiate basketball ranks
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UConn’s leading scorer Kemba Walker. By MICHAEL PAONESSA Sports Writer
To get to the national spotlight in sports comes easy to some, but others have to learn from experience and hard work to achieve greatness. The Connecticut Huskies starting point guard Kemba Walker has grabbed the NCAA by its horns and continues to surface as one of the most recognizable college basketball players in the country. Decorated with athleticism, speed, character and leadership, Walker has guided
the No. 7 Huskies to an impressive and shocking 2010-2011 basketball season. The Huskies were picked tenth in the Big East conference pre-season poll and left out of Sports Illustrated top-70 preseason college basketball teams issue. The 6 foot 1, 172 pound junior guard from Bronx, N.Y. has not only shined and dazzled to Connecticut fans, but Walker has entered the national spotlight and has become a candidate for national player of the year. His coming out party was set for the Maui Invitational, an annual premier earlyseason tournament where he dropped 31 points against Wichita State, 30 points on then No. 2 Michigan State and 29 points against then No. 9 Kentucky in the championship game. Walker took home tournament MVP honors while also earning the highestscoring tallies in tournament history. With Walker’s performance it not only put him in the national spotlight, it catapulted the Huskies into the top-25 poll, all the way to No.7 in the country. A Maui hangover? Apprently not. Walker dropped 30 points in the following game against New Hampshire to propel him into immediate potential national player of the year conversations. He did not stop there. Walker hit a game-winning overtime foul line jumper at Texas in early January to give the Huskies a one-point lead with 5.1 seconds left in the game. Nine days later, Walker again stepped up to the plate when he hit a game-winning shot against Big East rival Villanova. Just
like that, two game-winning shots against two top-25 teams. Walker currently averages 24.2 PPG, 4.3 APG and 5.3 RPG, trailing only BYU’s point guard Jimmer Fredette in the PPG category. He also has 40 three-point field goals made, surpassing his 2009-2010 mark with still nine regular season games remaining. With so much attention coming his way, media coverage and praise for Walker was not so evident in past seasons. Walker played on the Huskies final four team his freshman year alongside current NBA players A.J. Price and Hasheem Thabeet. With playing time at a low point, that gave Walker the experience to play behind great athletes and learn the ropes to follow his peers. Averaging 8.9 PPG and only 13 threepointers made, Walker was a solid off-thebench player, but not the go-to guy for the Huskies. Entering his sophomore year, things slowly started to change. Playing alongside three talented starting seniors, Walker again was not the man to be counted on for big shots and high praise. Walker finished the season averaging 14.6 PPG, 5.1 APG, with 38 three-pointers made. With age comes wisdom, and experience matters. Seven freshmen entered the 20102011 Husky squad, which put Walker in an unfamiliar spot. He needed to become a leader. The summer of 2010 was a lifechanging experience for Walker. He was chosen to be on the USA FIBA
World Championship practice team, giving him the opportunity to practice against NBA point guards including Derek Rose, Russell Westbrook and Rajon Rondo. Watching Walker this season has been noticeably different. Walker’s confidence in shooting the ball and his leadership has stood out enormously. He is not scared to pull up for a jump shot or a three-pointer unlike past seasons where he would resort to driving to the lane, sometimes off balance and carelessly. He is a very vocal player now, guiding and giving support to the young Husky team. Watching games, I see him go to his teammates when they are down and lift up their heads and give them the attitude of, “I got you. If you get down, we get down.” In a sense, he is playing like an NBA point guard, with poise, confidence and a killer attitude. UConn has produced 24 NBA payers in their basketball history, including standouts like Richard Hamilton, Ray Allen, Caron Butler and Ben Gordon. In a past interview with Bounce magazine, Walker talked about UConn’s rich history and future self-goals. “When you first walk into our gym at our school, there’s a big wall and they have a bunch of pictures on the wall of guys like Ben Gordon, Caron Butler, Rip [Hamilton], Rudy Gay, Ray Allen. All of those guys are on the wall. I always say to myself, ‘I’m going to be on that wall one day.’” Statistics are accurate as of Monday, Jan. 31. Michael Paonessa can be reached at mpaonessa@spartans.ut.edu.
THE MINARET | FEBRUARY 3 2011
17
Impending Trade Deadline Could Shake Up the League Roloson sent to Tampa; others could be on the move to bolster rosters
By DANIEL PINEYRO Sports Writer
At 3 p.m. on February 28th, 2011, the NHL trade deadline will pass and every team’s roster will be set in stone until the Stanley Cup is won sometime in early June. That makes the upcoming weeks extremely important for teams which are thinking about making some moves. By the time the trade deadline rolls around, most teams know, with relative certainty, where they will stand when the season ends. Sixteen teams will be battling through the toughest games of their lives for a chance at Stanley Cup glory, and fourteen teams will be watching those games from their living rooms. The moves made at the deadline can either propel a team deep into the playoffs, or it can ruin their future for years to come. Typically, teams that find themselves higher up in the standings will look to add proven veterans who can help support the core of the team. In exchange, they usually give up draft picks or young prospects. Conversely, teams situated towards the bottom of the league will be willing to give up roster players in order to stockpile draft picks which will hopefully turn into star players in the future. However, not all teams know if they will make the playoffs as the deadline approaches and these are the teams to watch. A trade made for the right player at the right time can propel a team from just short of a playoff spot to a deep run for the cup.
I’ve highlighted several teams that are probably going to play active roles, or already have been active, as deadline day approaches. For the Tampa Bay Lightning, hall of famer and new general manager Steve Yzerman has already shown his trading prowess by acquiring veteran goaltender Dwayne Roloson from the New York Islanders. Roloson, who was brought in to strengthen Tampa’s weak goaltending, has put up seven wins in ten starts, including three shutouts since his acquisition at the beginning of the month. With that hole plugged, and the Lightning sitting close to the league’s salary cap, don’t expect Yzerman to be too active throughout the next month. The Boston Bruins currently find themselves third in the Eastern conference and will be looking to bolster their weakening offense over the next few weeks. A concussion-plagued Marc Savard and recent lackluster performances by Nathan Horton and David Krejci has general manager Peter Chiarelli looking to acquire some offense to help with their postseason. Florida’s Stephen Weiss could be a great offensive acquisition for the Bruins. The league-leading Vancouver Canucks are stacked on offense, but recent injuries to their defense could have them looking for replacements. Of course, they find themselves right up against the salary cap, so almost any acquisition will have to see a roster player going the other way in order to complete the deal. This could change the chemistry of the
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Since coming over to the Lightning from the Islanders on Jan. 1, Roloson has provided Tampa with the stability in net that General Manager Steve Yzerman was looking for.
team and could possibly lead to problems later on in the season, so we will have to watch closely to see what general manager Mike Gillis has up his sleeve. The Ottawa Senators have had a terrible season despite making some solid moves last season and they should be selling some veteran players. There are widespread rumors that forward Mike Fischer and defensemen Chris Phillips and Sergei Gonchar are all for sale. With the Montreal Canadiens looking to add to their defense, look for these two teams to be partners. One team that simply won’t go away is the Pittsburgh Penguins. Despite recent
injuries to stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, the Pens have still managed a strong 6-3-1 record going into the All-Star break. If Crosby can return to form after his concussion, then the Penguins most likely won’t make any moves as they are a strong candidate to win the cup, as they have been in recent years. However, if the star center can’t find his game, we could see a move to off-set his injury. Statistics are accurate as of Monday, Jan. 31. Daniel Pineyro can be reached at daniel.pineyro@spartans.ut.edu.
Georgia’s Green, A&M’s Miller Could Round Out Top Five [From Back, NFL Draft]
Tennessee Journalist/flickr.com
A.J. Green tallied 57 receptions and nine touchdowns in his junior year as a Bulldog.
to tell who, but look for Blaine Gabbert or Jake Locker to be off the board at the number three slot. Cam Newton is a stretch at the third. If not a QB, A.J. Green out of Georgia is another option. Lee Evans is aging and at the end of a very highly overpaid, front-loaded contract. A.J. Green will be an obvious choice at number four if the Bengals do not retain Chad Ochocinco or Terrell Owens, which seems unlikely at this point. Jordan Shipley is just not going to cut it as a number one receiver of a team. With a departure of two media lovers, Carson Palmer may have
his own spotlight again to prove himself, and the acquisition of Green would do wonders in changing Palmer’s recent trade demands. The Cardinals’ safe move would be to take Von Miller out of Texas A&M at number five. He is a great 3-4 linebacker. He accumulated 17.5 tackles for a loss and 10.5 sacks last season. In 2009, he had 17 sacks. Arizona currently runs a 3-4 scheme, and Joey Porter could be a great mentor for Miller. Other things to note about the draft are that the Patriots are currently the only team to have two draft picks in the first round (17 and 28).
The Cowboys have never selected an offensive lineman in the first round of the NFL Draft under Jerry Jones’ regime. They should look into this now or they will be looking to draft a new QB as Tony Romo walks or crawls towards retirement like Troy Aikman, just minus the Super Bowl rings. The Packers and Steelers will decide at the Super Bowl the order of the last two picks. The loser will get the 31st pick and the winner the final pick in the first round. The NFL draft will begin on April 28. Mike Marciano can be reached at mmarciano@spartans.ut.edu.
February 11th and 12th Reeves Theatre 7pm
$5.00 General Public $3.00 with any Student ID
The
Monologues
18 FEBRUARY 3 2011 | THE MINARET
SPORTS
Skaters Show Talent at the National Championships Comebacks for Czisny and Bradley result in gold
By MANDY ERFOURTH A+E Editor
Each event at the U.S. Figure Skating Nationals, in Greensboro, N.C., this year had their own stories. For the dance competition Meryl Davis and Charlie White won their third consecutive national championship. Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani earned the silver medal in their first year competing at the senior level. This team actually earned a slightly higher technical mark than Davis and White, 52.34, vs. 52.16. This is a major feat for a team just entering the senior level against reigning Olympic silver medalist. Madison Chock and Greg Zuerlein earned the bronze medal and will be joining Davis, White and the Shibutani siblings at the 2011 World Championships in March, in Tokyo. John Coughlin and Catlin Yankowskas entered the Pairs competition as the favorites to win, and they did just that. This is their first ever national title and they will be competing at the Worlds in March for the first time. Amanda Evora and Mark Ladwig, who train at the Ellenton Ice and Sports
Complex in Ellenton, Fla., earned silver medals for the second year in a row. They will be returning to Worlds hoping to place higher than their ninth place finish last year. The defending National Champions Caydee Denny and Jeremy Barrett, who also train in Ellenton, finished with bronze after a fall in the short and long programs. The most surprising of this event was first year team Mary Beth Marley and Rockne Brubaker who earned the pewter medal (fourth place). This was 15-yearold Marley’s first time competing in pairs. Brubaker, 24, use to skate with Keauna McLaughlin and won two national championships with her. Marley and Brubaker only teamed up five months ago. She was also competing in the junior single ladies event in Greensboro, where she placed fifth. She may give up her singles career in the near future to concentrate on her pairs’ career. In an interview with icenetwork.com Marley said, “I didn’t want to be that type of pairs team or singles skater that [just] does well in an event, that just misses the top of the podium. I want to excel at one event.” Ryan Bradley won the men’s National
title with a less than perfect performance. He told icenatwork.com in an interview, “It was probably the ugliest U.S. champion’s program ever, but I love it.” Bradley fell on both his attempted quad jumps. He managed to pull through the rest of the program earning high points to earn him the title. Photo courtesy of Carl Erfourth Bradley has competed at the U.S. The U.S. Figure Skating Nationals took place Nationals 11 times, but this is his first gold last weekend in Greensboro, N.C. medal. He almost quit in May after he Czisny won the gold back in 2009, received surgery because of a broken bone Mirai Nagasu won gold in 2008 and in his right foot. The silver medal went to Richard Rachael Flatt won her gold last year. No Dornbuch, the Junior Grand Prix Champion U.S. women has been able to defend her and the bronze went to the 2009 U.S. Junior title since Michelle Kwan. This year was no different. Defending Champion, Ross Miner. These three will champion Flatt was only able to earn compete at the Worlds in March. Jeremy Abbott, the two-time defending silver. She had a wonderful short program, but champion, had a disappointing skate when one of his triple jumps was down graded her long program had minor mistakes, that and he struggled on a combination jump. took her out of the running. Nagasu entered the free skate in first place, but was only Abbott finished fourth. The Ladies National Champion Allissa able win the bronze with minor mistakes in Czisny had a similar story to Bradley. her program. Czisny and Flatt will join the three men, She almost quit the sport last year after a disappointing tenth place at Nationals. two pairs teams and three dance teams at This year she ended up on top. The three the Worlds in March. Mandy Erfourth can be reached at top contenders in the ladies event were all former national champions. minaret.arts@gmail.com.
A Giant Collapse on Multiple Levels Writer reminisces about the Giants’ and his own downfall
By JOHN HILSENROTH Sports Writer
What happened to the New York Giants? They collapsed, much like I did in the weekly Minaret NFL Pick ‘Em. We both started out slow; the Giants were 1-2 in their first three games. But then we both got hot, and got out to a nice lead. After the 1-2 start, the Giants went on a five game winning streak and were 62 halfway through the season. They are known as a streaky team, and they lived up to their reputation this year. I guess they got cocky, because after winning five games in a row, the Giants embaarrassingly lost at home to the
AJ Guel Photography/flickr.com
Eli Manning led the NFL in incterceptions last season as the Giants fell short of the playoffs.
Talk of the Town Professional Sporting Events in the Region
Cowboys. They didn’t even show up for the game. Still, 6-3 was a solid record and they could save face, as their next game was against the rival Eagles. Even with five turnouvers, the Giants still had the lead in the fourth quarter. They lost 27-17, leaving diehard fans like me to imagine how good we would be if we didn’t turn the ball over so much. Eli Manning has taken five steps forward and four steps back since coming into the league in 2004. He still throws off his back foot at times, forces throws, doesn’t know when to take a sack but he does throw a hell of a deep ball. And to his defense, many of his league-leading 25 interceptions hit off a receiver’s hands or chest. To boot, he did lead the wild card Giants to a victory against the supposedly invincible Patriots in the Super Bowl three years ago. Regardless, after losing two straight games to fall to 6-4, the Giants then won three straight games to go 9-4 and play the Eagles again, this time at home, for the lead in the NFC East. No Giants’ fan wants to talk about that game. I firmly believe if the Giants would have won this game, that they absolutely should have, they could have quite possibly been playing in the Super Bowl instead of the team that should not have even made the playoffs. Think about it. The Giants were winning 31-10 halfway through the 4th quarter, after absolutely shutting down Michael Vick and the overhyped most explosive offense in the NFC.
A few missed tackles, blown coverages, pathetic play calling and inability to put a team away, led to a tie game and a Matt Dodge punt. I can’t tell you how much I miss Jeff Feagles. Punting is not hard, but Matt Dodge sure made it seem hard. Sure, the loss was not his fault, but he even said he tried to punt the ball out of bounds. Instead, he kicked it right into the middle of the field, where Desean Jackson bobbled it, and then ran through the special teams like they weren’t even out on the field, to somehow win the game, in regulation. That lost New York the NFC East right there. If they would have won, the Giants would have gone at least 11-5 and win the NFC East. Either way, the Giants would have won the NFC East, and the Saints and Eagles would be the wild card teams and the Packers would not have even made the playoffs. The NFC was terrible this year. The number one seed got embarrassed, the most explosive offense lost in the wild card round and for the first time ever, a team under .500 made the playoffs; and then beat the defending Super Bowl Champions in the first round. The Giants could have won the Super Bowl, or at least made some noise in the playoffs, but they couldn’t close out the Eagles, and I couldn’t close out Mike Paonessa to win the Minaret Pick ‘Em. John Hilsenroth can be reached at jhilsenroth@spartans.ut.edu.
@ The Rays officially announced the signings of Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez at a press conference on Tuesday. Ramirez will wear number 24 while Damon will sport number 22.
Orlando will face the Miami Heat in what should be another exciting game. Their last matchup, back in November, ended in a Magic victory. Gametime is set for Thursday, Feb. 3 at 8 p.m.
TAKE YOUR SHOT Super Bowl Sunday: With the Jets at Home, All is Quiet on the Media Front
Standings Mike P. (49-36) John (47-38) Daniel (46-39) Kyle (46-39) Mike M. (45-40) Miles (44-41)
Packers Miles Mike M.
vs.
Steelers Daniel Kyle Mike P. John
@ The Lightning will play a pinnacle game against their rival Washington Capitals as they fight for contention of first place in the division. The puck drops on Friday, Feb. 4 at 7:30 p.m.
THE MINARET | FEBRUARY 3 2011
SPORTS
Manny and Damon Spice Up Rays Offseason [From Back, Rays] How can numbers on a stat sheet make up for the pain that these players symbolize? It wasn’t all that long ago when the Tampa Bay Rays were the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. And it wasn’t all that long ago when they really stunk. Manny Ramirez loved playing against those Devil Rays. He would come into our dome, bash the ball, win big and send those horrible grey and green uniforms to 100 loss seasons. Ramirez has hit more home runs against Tampa Bay than all but one other
franchise, another division rival: the New York Yankees. April 29th, 2006, was just another day for most Tampa Bay residents. A respectable 27,000 people showed up to watch the Boston Red Sox take on the hometown Devil Rays. Ramirez hit a triple and a home run in the game, as Tampa Bay blew a one run lead in the ninth inning to lose 9-6. Boston finished the year with 86 wins and 76 losses while the Devil Rays finished with 61 wins and 101 losses. Another long ball for a superstar. Another losing year for a franchise in turmoil. It’s not just the losses: the one run
rakanb/flickr.com
Once a feared rival, Manny Ramirez is now a member of the Tampa Bay Rays. With his elite power at the plate and “Manny being Manny” mentality comes the possibility of antics.
defeats and the blowouts. It’s the brawls, both in 2000 and 2008. It’s the feeling of David and Goliath. Like Tampa Bay was the cute kid in grade school, but Boston was the bully with the hot girlfriend. The A.L. East is a tough place to play, but it’s even tougher when no one comes to your games. Tampa Bay has had to endure 9,000 person crowds for too long to just forgive. The only time the Trop sells out is when Boston or New York come to town, and it’s not because of the magnitude of the game, it’s because the 72-year-old retirees decide to make the long drive from Bradenton to see their Sox play. And in 2010 they cheered on Kevin Youkilis and David Ortiz. But in 2004, they were cheering on Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez. Have we forgotten so quickly? Have we forgotten that we were once swept by a combined score of 17-3 by these same players? And have we forgotten that they smiled while they stepped on our hearts? We pride ourselves on being a clean team, aside from Jose Conseco, but Manny Ramirez has been linked multiple times to steroids. We pride ourselves on hustle, but Manny Ramirez hasn’t done that since his Cleveland days in the early ‘90s. We pride ourselves on our hearts, not our wallets, but Johnny Damon once left Boston for New York for a few million dollars. We’ve sold our souls for some batting average points and a few victories. Tampa Bay Rays, congratulations. Welcome to the big leagues. Miles Parks can be reached at mparks@ spartans.ut.edu.
19
FEBRUARY SPORTS SCHEDULE Friday, Feb. 3 Baseball vs. Georgia College & State at 3 p.m. Baseball vs. Georgia College & State at 6 p.m. Baseball vs. Georgia College & State at 6 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 4 Baseball vs. Georgia College & State at 6 p.m. JV Baseball at St. Petersburg College at 1 p.m. W. Basketball vs. Lynn at 2 p.m. M. Basketball vs. Lynn at 4 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 8 W. Tennis at Saint Leo at 3 p.m. W. Basketball vs. Eckerd at 5:30 p.m. M. Basketball vs. Eckerd at 4 p.m.
Former Rivals Now Teammates
Prediction: Steelers to Prevail Super Sunday
By TIM SHANAHAN Sports Writer
firebrandal/flickr.com
Potential future hall of famer and former Red Sox slugger Manny Ramirez, along with Johnny Damon, will once again be teammates in the A.L. East. This time, they’ll play for the Rays. By MILES PARKS Sports Writer
They were the rivals for so long. Sneered at by some, disliked by others, and hated by a select few, Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez have signed contracts to play baseball in Tampa Bay. The two outfielders have a long history in the American League East. Ramirez played in Boston from 2001 until he was traded midway through the 2008 season. And Damon patrolled center field for the Red Sox alongside him from 2002 through 2005. He then signed with the New York Yankees, where he played until the 2010 season. It cannot be argued that this signing is a small market masterpiece. Both players signed one year deals, Damon for a base salary of $5.25 million, while Ramirez (a future hall of famer) signed for a meager
$2 million. They bring veteran leadership and talent which isn’t comparable to anyone from the home clubhouse since Wade Boggs and Fred McGriff. The Tampa Bay Rays struggled at the plate in 2010. They batted a .247 average, while striking out 1,292 times. Damon, 37, is a proven contact hitter, averaging .287 for his career. He also steals bases and is a formidable defender for a player of his age. Ramirez is even more impressive, with a whopping 555 home runs, .313 batting average and 1,830 RBI for his career. These two players could very well make up for the loss of Carl Crawford and Carlos Pena statistically. They could even bring more people to the notoriously fan-starved Tropicana Field. But does that make this right? [See Rays, 19]
NFL Draft Projection Leaves No Clear Choice for First Pick By MIKE MARCIANO Sports Writer
With just under three months until the NFL Draft, there are many questions that still remain. What Carolina will do with the first overall pick, is among the top on most football fans minds. All of this of course depends on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement being reached. If it is not settled come April, there will still be the draft, but the draft will be altered. There will be no compensation picks, which many teams value because free agency would be moved until after the draft. With the firing of John Fox and the signing of Ron Rivera, Carolina should become more defensive-minded. Rivera has said that he will maintain Carolina’s previous 4-3 defense. Because of this, Nick Fairley could be very valuable in that scheme. Undersized at 298 pounds for a 3-4 nose guard, he would make a good fit in a 4-3. He showed his athletic ability in the BCS Championship, disrupting many pass
plays, recording three tackles for a loss, a sack and even a forced fumble. Carolina’s other options may be to trade down and select an offensive lineman and possibly another defensive lineman, such as Alabama’s Marcell Dareus, who could break up some double teams for DE Charles Johnson. Johnson lead the team last year with 11.5 sacks. With the second pick, Denver will surely draft Nick Fairley if he is still there. Already set with a running back and quarterback for the future in Knowshon Moreno and Tim Tebow, look for Denver to draft a defensive player. Da’Quan Bowers out of Clemson is a solid pick as well. Without Elvis Dumervil last season, Denver’s pass rush has been anemic, and Bowers should surely help. Buffalo in the third spot is an interesting pick. They are seemingly in need of every offensive skill position. Surprisingly, their offensive line was fairly formidable last season. CJ Spiller’s comparisons last draft to Reggie Bush are fairly accurate in the sense that he was not effective, racking up less than 500 yards from scrimmage and notching only one offensive touchdown. I expect them to take the first QB of the draft. Until the combine, it will be too early [See NFL Draft, 17]
The Pittsburgh Steelers will win their seventh Super Bowl this upcoming Sunday. Ben Roethlisberger will win his third championship. Pittsburgh’s defense will generate a goliath turnover to seal the deal late in the game. The Steelers finished the season with a 12-4 record. This earned them the second seed in the AFC. Pittsburgh came in first in the AFC North Division, ahead of their archrival Baltimore Ravens. These two teams were fundamentally identical in between the hash marks. Head-to-head, the Steelers and the Ravens split their two meetings during the regular season. Come playoff time, the Steelers defeated the Ravens by a score of 31-24. Next came the Jets in the AFC Championship Game. Pittsburgh went on to thump them 24-19. Sunday will be the most imposing obstacle yet, the Green Bay Packers. The Packers have managed to defeat the top three NFC seeds on the road to get to the Super Bowl. The Packers have an explosive and swift defense, headed by linebacker Clay Matthews. They will attempt to get after Roethlisberger from all angles, including around the corners with Charles Woodson. However, quarterback Aaron Rodgers has yet to participate in a Super Bowl. He lacks Roethlisberger’s poise and late game experience. Big Ben’s post-season record is 102. He is undefeated in the Super Bowl. I do not believe much will change on Feb. 6 against the Packers. If victorious, Roethlisberger will already be one of five quarterbacks in history to have three rings. Rashard Mendenhall has the potential to have a superior performance. He has indeed broken out with 1,273 yards and 13 touchdowns during the regular season. Hines Ward is a true Steeler. Thirteen years in the league and eight seasons of 950 or more yards receiving later, he is still famished. Ward is the prime example for what proper diet, workout regime, pure talent and overall preparation will get you in the league. Coach Mike Tomlin is a naturally gifted coach. He is only 38-years-old and has compiled a career playoff record of 5-1. He has the correct attitude and approach for games. The bottom-line is that he knows how to win. The most prominent part of the
Pittsburgh Steelers’ team and organization is their defense. They were nothing short of dominant this season. Pittsburgh ranked first in the league in total yards per game (207.5 yards), rushing defense (52.5 yards), sacks (48) and fewest points allowed (232). Safety Troy Polamalu will continue to be a focal component on the defense. He compiled seven interceptions in fourteen regular season games en route to being named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year. The Steelers’ strongest asset on defense has to be their linebacking core. It is made up of leader and 2008 Defensive Player of the Year James Harrison as well as James Farrior, LaMarr Woodley and Lawrence Timmons. Polamalu and the Steelers linebackers will be too much for the Packers offensive line. The run game will be non-existent for Green Bay. Therefore Rodgers will be forced to pass more than what is desirable. This is not a recipe for success against the Steelers’ engulfing defense. Experience will be a somewhat telling factor in this game. I do believe the team that makes the most plays and the least mistakes wins the ballgame. Nonetheless, the Packers have already gotten caught up in the hype. Green Bay had some distractions earlier this week with a team photoshoot. Players on injured reserved voiced their displeasure at the possibility of being left out of the team’s Super Bowl photo. Controversies like these need to be kept private and not brought to the media’s attention. Unlike the Packers, the entire Steelers team has experience with the Super Bowl. Eighteen players have two or more rings. These players are able to lessen the anxiety during the week. They have been in this situation before and understand how to manage their time for non-football activities. The Packers have two players, Woodson and DT Ryan Pickett, with Super Bowl experience. Both of these players were on the losing end. With another championship under the belt, black and yellow will perhaps be considered a dynasty. They will become more reminiscent of the 1970’s Steel Curtain Steelers’ squad, which won four championships. Roethlisberger is equipped to lead this group of warriors and celebrate in Texas. Tim Shanahan can be reached at tshanahan@spartans.ut.edu.
Vironevaeh/flickr.com
Polamalu was recently named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year for 2010-2011.