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Contents
February 2012
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FEAT URES 23 BASKET BALL SIUE is Riding the Nationally Televised Wave by Joe Pott
26 F OOT BALL Winslow’s Road to the Pro Football Hall of Fame by Dave Greene
32 BASEBALL Catching Up with A Former Cardinal Duo by Rob Rains
36 WREST LING UNO Wrestling Team Finds a Home at Maryville by Brittney French
DEPA RT MEN T S 10 SCOT T ’S SHOT S 16 BEING F R ANK Catching Up with Mizzou’s Sinatra of Scoring
18 OLD / NEW SCHOOL 20 TAILGAT ING with JoeSportsFan.com
22 HEALT H & F IT NESS with Alana M. Faucett
40 HIGH SCHOOL SPOT LIGHT Former Basketball Greats Give Back to Their Sport by Jim Powers
42 ASK D R. R ICK photo courtesy of the rockland boulders
with Dr. Rick Lehman
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photo courtesy of yale
44 SCOT T R OVAK’S CLOSING S H O T
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46 T HE KILCOYNE OPINION Kroenke is on the Clock
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LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER Getting old stinks. The older you get, the more you forget. The older you get, the more you want to go back. The older you get, the more people you know who get sick or die or both. One of my very first sports heroes, Gary Carter, is currently very sick with multiple brain tumors and an extremely aggressive form of cancer. Carter was diagnosed in May 2011, and his daughter recently revealed that there additional tumors on her father’s brain. It appears as though Carter doesn’t have much time left. Honestly, I cannot truly comprehend him being sick, because in my mind, Gary Carter could do anything. Carter was everything I wanted to be as a catcher. Defensively, he was recognized three different times in his career with a Gold Glove, and offensively, he was one of the top performing catchers in the game’s history along with the likes of Yogi Berra, Johnny Bench and Ivan Rodriguez. I loved everything about Gary Carter the player. I loved the way he always seemed to be perfectly positioned. I loved how he always made a big, wide target with his glove. He hustled, he was aggressive and he had that batting stance! Oh, how often I would stand as a youngster with a bat in my hand, posing as Gary Carter with an open stance and my back elbow held up high. I loved his nickname, “The Kid.” I read that some veterans gave him the nickname in his first Spring Training because he was trying so hard to win every race and beat every player in everything. That’s who Gary Carter the player was, and that was pretty much how he played his whole career. In what might be the only game I ever celebrated another team’s victory over the Cardinals, The Kid hit a walk-off home run in the 10th inning off Neil Allen in his first game with the Mets. I loved Carter and despised Neil Allen, so it worked for me. Not many players make the All-Star Game in Major League Baseball, but even fewer have ever made it at two positions. Gary Carter was one of those players; he first appeared in the midsummer classic as an outfielder before returning to the game as a catcher five seasons later. He would appear in a total of 11 All-Star Games before it was all said and done, including all of the games from 1979 through 1988, and he was named the game’s MVP twice. In 2003, Carter was (finally) elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame. It was his sixth year on the ballot, and I can honestly say he is the only non-Cardinal I ever really cared about whether or not they made it into the Hall. Carter hasn’t played since 1992, but I still think about the impact he had on me in my “playing days.” Every now and again, when I have a bat in my hand, I still emulate that batting stance in his honor. Yes, getting old really stinks. Enjoy! David Greene
Publisher Grand Slam Sports, LLC Executive Management David Greene James Oelklaus Katy Pavelonis Creative Director Jennifer Burkemper Graphic Designer Megan Ruff Director of Photography Scott Rovak
*All photos by Scott Rovak unless otherwise noted.
Associate Editor Audrey Hanes Contributing Writers Josh Bacott Frank Cusumano Alana M. Faucett Brittney French Martin Kilcoyne Joe Pott Jim Powers Rob Rains Jay Randolph Jay Randolph Jr. Matt Sebek Marketing Specialists Andy Baer Michael Calvin Doug Lehman Joel Mersmann Dave Rapp Web Masters Jennifer Burkemper Candice Walton
8045 Big Bend Boulevard, Suite 200 St. Louis, MO 63119 Tel. 314.962.0590 Fax. 314.962.7576 www.kfns.com
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For a mail subscription of St. Louis Sports Magazine, contact ctaff@kfns.com
Scott’s Shots
S
hooting St. Louis Blues hockey this year has been a blast. I always enjoy shooting hockey; it’s one of the more fast-paced and challenging sports to photograph. But, when the home team is playing so well, it makes it even more fun to shoot. Not only has the team been winning, they have been doing it by playing a complete game. They score, they make saves, and even more impressive lately, they play a very physical game. When photographing hockey, it’s easier to keep an eye on the goalie and make big save pictures or celebration photos, but it’s a lot tougher to get the big checks and the mid ice hits. You have to be more aware of the surrounding players, not just the puck carrier. There’s nothing worse than watching the action through the lens, but if you’re too relaxed when that big open ice check happens, you miss it. Thanks for reading, Scott Rovak, Director of Photography, St. Louis Sports Magazine
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GALLERY: Were You There?
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Grand Slam Sports/InsideSTL AFC/NFC Championship Party (pg. 12) Grand Slam Sports teamed up with InsideSTL for the 2012 AFC/NFC Championship Party at Lumiere, presented by Miller/Coors, 360 Vodka and ITD. The Girls Next Door of the Year candidates were on hand and the event featured a live performance by Joshua. photos courtesy of egan o’keefe
Grand Slam Sports/Charter Communications High School Sports Caravan (pg. 13) The Grand Slam Sports/ Charter Communications High School Sports Caravan rolled into Marquette High School as Marquette played Mehlville. The Caravan airs on 590 The Fan KFNS and SportsRadio 1380 each Friday night, beginning at 6 p.m. and then each station brings you one of the top area high school football, basketball or baseball games. photos by kfns staff
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DEALER SPOTLIGHT
SAPAUGH GM COUNTRY
If
you are a sports fan in the St. Louis area, you have undoubtedly seen television advertisements for Sapaugh GM Country featuring owners Larry Sapaugh and Tiffany SapaughCharleville.
photos courtesy of sapaugh gm country
Sapaugh GM Country is a family-owned automotive dealership located just south of St. Louis on I-55 and has been providing quality sales and service since 1984.
Larry Sapaugh with daughter Tiffany Sapaugh-Charleville Joe Clemens serves as the dealership’s General Manager and has been with Sapaugh for more than 25 years, starting as a service technician in 1985. Clemens has supervised the building of the Chevrolet store, the Used Car Center, the Body Shop, the purchase of a Truck Center and the development of the Internet Department as well as the Service Business Development and Training Centers and has recently supervised the expansion and improvement of the Chevrolet building. Clemens is not the only Sapaugh employee to have spent many years working for the Sapaugh family. A glance at the company’s website: www.sapaugh.com shows several other employees who have been with the company for at least a decade. When describing the sales experience at Sapaugh GM Country, Clemens says: “The sales experience at Sapaugh is simple – fast, easy and friendly. Keeping things simple and direct with customers is the best policy. With the expansion
and upgrading of the Main Facility, we have an enclosed delivery center for the convenience of our customers and it also enables the sales force to review all features of the vehicle with the new owners in comfort.” Sapaugh has over 1,000 cars in stock and features Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac, and GMC. “The hot sellers currently are the Chevrolet Cruze and the Buick LaCrosse,” said Clemens. “There are front runners in every line that General Motors produces. There is something for everyone that is affordable plus will provide the customer the luxury and reliability that everyone deserves.” Clemens points to the warranty offered by General Motors as one of the reasons the cars at Sapaugh provide such a great customer value. Each 2012 car comes with a 5-year 100,000-mile powertrain warranty. Combined with GM’s roadside assistance, Clemens believes it to be “the best available.” Working with a family such as the Sapaugh’s has many benefits according to Clemens. “We are a big facility featuring selection, convenience and technology but with a down home feel – a friendly and inviting experience,” he said. “Our customers are our family and we go the extra mile for all of them.” Sapaugh GM Country is only a fifteen minute drive from South County but Clemens says, “You will find that it is worth that fifteen minutes once you experience what we have to offer. The new facility is based solely on our customers’ needs, desires and comfort. We even have golf carts so customers can tour the facility and look at vehicles.”
1507 McNutt Street, Herculaneum, MO 63048 // 636-931-0055 // www.sapaugh.com 14
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Revisit the American Dream
Over 1,000 cars & trucks in stock! Spend Less. Get More.
LEAVE HAPPY.
I-55 in Herculaneum
(636) 931-0055
www.sapaugh.com
Catching Up with Mizzou’s Sinatra of Scoring By Frank Cusumano
If
you were to ask the average Mizzou basketball fan about who the school’s all-time leading scorer is, you are apt to get a variety of responses. The popular ones would be names like John Brown, Willie Smith, Steve Stipanovich, Jon Sundvold, Anthony Peeler, Doug Smith and Melvin Booker. They would all be wrong. The correct answer is Derrick Chievous, who scored 400 more points than Smith, who comes in second. Chievous was to points what Joe Namath was to dating; he was prolific. He once had a 29-point half against Virginia Tech. He averaged 24 points per game one year. His career scoring average was 19.9, and his career total was 2,580. All of those numbers are Missouri records. Sinatra could sing. Brando could act. Chievous could score. The time, location and opposition didn’t matter; Chievous was going to get his points. It all started in New York City when Chievous was in seventh grade and was hit in the eye with a flying elbow during a basketball game. He had to wear a Band-Aid for the next game, where he went on to score 45 points. Two things that never left him after that were his ability to score and that he wore a Band-Aid when he played. The BandAid became his trademark. People all over the country who had no interest in Mizzou basketball knew about the guy who wore the Band-Aid and scored the points. But, it’s not like his game was all about the Band-Aid shtick. He wasn’t a gimmick. He was a lethal, sleek, small forward who hit mid-range jumpers, attacked the rim and ran the floor like a thoroughbred. His skills were honed on the playgrounds of New York City. Chievous became a total student of the game by watching future NBA greats like Chris Mullen and Mark Jackson. “My thing was visual,” he said. “I could watch them play, and then I would try and emulate what they did. Sometimes, it would work right away. I was just a visual guy. I was prepared before every game. I would know how guys were going to defend me.” Chievous became Mizzou’s first recruit from Queens, N.Y. High School All-Americans from Queens usually don’t end up in Columbia, Mo. However, Norm Stewart heard of Chievous’ interest in journalism, so assistant coach Rich Daly did what he does best – he closed the deal. Chievous later called Daly the world’s greatest recruiter. “Coach Daly is a great guy and very persistent,” he said. “When coaches came to the projects to try and recruit me, guys would sometime not allow them to pass through unless they paid a tithe. So, he’s on the street yelling up to me to get permission to come through. I look out the window and give the heads up.” Chievous and Stewart clashed in Columbia at times, but Chievous has since become Stewart’s biggest fan. “Coach Stewart is an incredible human being,” said Chievous. “Many times as a young guy, you don’t see what a coach tries to do. He was a great teacher.You don’t see it until you get out of school. A lot of times, I see everything I was taught by Coach Stewart. Never be late. If somebody calls you, you call them right back.You work your hardest at all times.You work hard at your craft. You fight your best.” Five Things That Come To Mind: 1. The ending of Mike Martz’s career is just wrong. Go hire the retreads and the unproven coordinators and forget the man who went to the playoffs four times and is 56-36 in his career. 2. Taylor Manuel is the most interesting girls basketball player I have seen since Jackie Stiles. Make sure you check out Incarnate Word’s Charles Barkley-esque star. 3. I would rather listen to Ken Hitchcock talk than watch a movie. 4. Is there anybody more sensitive than a St. Louis Blues fan? 5. When I went to high school, we had three different teams practicing in the same gym. Westminster doesn’t have that problem. They have three gyms. 16
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After Mizzou, Chievous began a 13year professional basketball career. He was the 16th pick in the first round by the Houston Rockets in the 1988 draft, where he averaged close to double figures his rookie year. Although he was out of the league after two seasons, Chievous went on to play in Argentina, Greece, Spain and Israel. He has no regrets. “When I was given the opportunity, I proved I could do it,” he said. “When I wasn’t given a chance, I just did the best I could. I kept grinding. I kept trying to figure it out. It was one of the greatest jobs in the world. I would have played for free.” Chievous is now 44 years old. He usually goes to two Missouri games a year. He is a busy man. There’s his wife, Tammy, who is an Associate Director of Academics at Mizzou. His oldest daughter, Jazmine, is in graduate school at Missouri. Brianna, the second oldest, goes to DePaul. His oldest son, Quinton, is freshman basketball player at Tennessee, and he has three young children at home ranging from ages 3 to 7. “That’s the most important thing – being a father,” said Chievous. “As a player, I didn’t get to spend as much time with my older kids. I want to take them to functions (and) watch them perform.” For the last seven years, he has worked at Woodhaven, an organization designed to help adults with disabilities. Chievous, a man who is incredibly skilled and athletic, spends 45 hours a week with adults who were never blessed with his rare talents. “For years, they were hidden in facilities,” said Chievous. “It’s amazing. We provide them with opportunities; it’s a beautiful thing.” A lot like Derrick Chievous was in a Missouri Tiger uniform. v Frank Cusumano is a sportscaster for KSDK and can be heard weekdays (10am-1pm) on 590 The Fan KFNS
Final Thought:
It’s nice to know that right in the middle of a bad economy, at the same time that college tuitions are soaring through the roof, college football coaching salaries are sky-rocketing, too. New head football coaches at major college programs will be paid an average of nearly 35 percent more next season than what their predecessors made in 2011. The average salary will jump from $1.1 million to $1.5 million. Basically, schools are cutting scholarships so they can pay these ridiculous salaries. Give me a break. I’d like everyone to remember a quote from Jim Fassel: “Coaches aren’t geniuses. We’re really nothing more than physical education majors.” Stop the madness.
Camp Westminster June 4 - 29, 2012 Sharpen your shooting skills alongside basketball coach Steve Stipanovich! E xpe r i e n ce e x c it in g c a mps t h is summer ! • • • • •
Danc e Soccer Tenn is Vol l e y ball Per fo r min g A r ts - an d mo re!
Westminster Christian Academy www.wcastl.org | 314.997.2900 800 Maryville Centre Drive, Town & Country, MO 63017
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Old School vs. New School Jay Randolph
Q& A
Jay Randolph Jr.
Have your expectations changed for the Blues under Ken Hitchcock? Sr.: I continue to believe they are a playoff team. Now, I think they have a realistic shot at winning the cup. Jr.: Absolutely! They just might actually have a chance. Make one bold prediction for the PGA Tour in 2012. Sr.: Tiger Woods will win a major. Jr.: Webb Simpson will win a Major Championship. What is your favorite card game? Sr.: Gin rummy. Jr.: Oh! Love me some cards, but I go spades from my college days; I miss me some spades! If you could have dinner with one athlete in history, who would you choose? Sr.: Bobby Jones. I met him once - golf’s best! Jr.: Layup! Michael Jordan. What is your favorite color and why? Sr.: Green - the color of grass and money. Jr.: Red. Why? I have no clue. Are you running out of questions? What were your thoughts on Beyonce and Jay-Z naming their baby Blue Ivy? Sr.: I have no thoughts about it! Jr.: It’s better than “Poison Ivy.” Name your favorite Mizzou football and basketball players of all-time Sr.: Football: Kellen Winslow; Basketball: Jon Sunvold Jr.: Football: James Wilder; Basketball: Doug Smith Will you root for the LA Angels of Anaheim? Sr.: My rooting days are over - except for the Cardinals and the Blues. Jr.: No, I am from the Lou! Let’s Go Cards! How should the BCS tweak its system, or should they? Sr.: Add two games and make it a true playoff competition. Jr.: I am not exactly sure, but they’ve got to do something! Please!
Jay Randolph Sr. hosts the Randolph Report Wednesday, 6pm-7pm on 590 The Fan KFNS Jay Randolph Jr. can be heard on The One To Three Show and Fairways and Greens on 590 The Fan KFNS
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k l a t e t a g l tai Where Are They Now:
The Rejected Stories It’s that time of the year again – when the St. Louis Sports Magazine staff heads to the untouched corners of the local sports world and uncovers names and stories that are long-forgotten by readers. But, perhaps the most unique aspect of the annual “Where are they now?” edition is the exclusive pitch meeting that comes prior to publication, where each writer unveils their list of potentially intriguing subjects. The Tailgate crew came armed this year with an extensively researched list of stories that would be certain to land the edition on the desks of Pulitzer Prize Board Members. They were all turned down. So, we decided to pull back the curtain and give readers a glimpse of the “Where are they now?” stories that remained on the sidelines in 2012. > Left in the Dugout: Tony LaRussa’s Tinted Shades > The Last Soldiers: The story of Davis Payne’s Hair Patch > The Rise and Inevitable Fall of the Albert Pujols Statue > Where Are They Now: The 2011 Rams Draft Class > Hooked on Phonics: The Book Colby Rasmus couldn’t put down > Baseball or Civil War Re-enactor? Following Brian Tallet > Bob Ramsey?
FAN BY JOESPORTS
BREAKING NEWZ: >> Berkman adhering to strict “Prince Fielder Diet” for move to first base >> Cardinals reveal that promotional Caravan is actually Al Hrabosky’s 2004 Ford Explorer >> Mizzou fans confused by abnormally low number next to their team’s name >> Man known as “Die Hard Cards Fan” changes name to “Die Hard Cards Fan: With a Vengeance” >> NHL requires Blues prospective owner Tom Stillman to get “Bleed Blue” tattoo before finalizing purchase >> Mulletted St. Louisans claiming their hairstyle is now a tribute to Jeff Fisher
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Thoughts From a Message Board: Jeff fisher
The Brutally Honest Winter Warm-up Board The annual Winter Warm-up provides fans and media a chance to reconnect with the organization after a few cold months of hibernation. For a $40 entrance fee, fans definitely get their money’s worth. Given the number of events planned over the course of three days, we don’t envy the Cardinals brass in charge of the weekend operations. Everything is on a schedule, from main stage presentations to player autographs and photo sessions. But, things change. Thus, organizers have to adapt. They have to please. Announcements must be made,and what better way to remain agile than a giant whiteboard?
with The Rams made a move last month that was met the in team a as nse respo nsus as close to a positive conse hire. Fisher Jeff the liked s internet age can achieve. Local named He has experience, he has a track record, he isn’t to rock how know Linehan or Spagnuolo and, man, does he
a mustache. s But when we say “close to a consensus” that mean usual, there are holdouts. Although it took us longer than s they we rooted them out and enjoyed each of the angle introduced: g for We had some viewing the move as the Rams settlin mediocrity... up “Jeff Fisher is a has been whose name always pops cy in the with the Has-Been Club every time there is a vacan going NFL (Gruden, Billick, Cowher, Dungy). The Rams are ity.” secur job offer, their took nowhere, that’s why he tations Others accurately categorized their limited expec of a beaten fan base…
“This hire will make an immediate impact on the Rams year.” organization. I fully expect us to win three games next old We had the lone wolf begging for a return to the lzer” ardBa “How name n regime (may have had the scree we’re not sure)...
“He’ll lose a ton of games.. That’s just it. You know hired who was the most sought after coach before they to get Spagnuolo.....? SPAGNUOLO! Every team is salivating d’ve that guy on their coaching staff right now. They shoul kept him.” able And, as no Rams thread can do without, the inevit a for g lookin mention of that one city on the West Coast team... the “I totally understand why Fisher wants to sign with deep.” Rams. He’s a USC alum, his ties to Los Angeles run Not even the hiring of a highly sought-after coach that in Rams fans once saw manning the opposite sideline er. togeth et intern the Super Bowl was enough to bring the ay. somed Someday, we’ll find a local sports topic that does…
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HEALTH AND FITNESS
The Benefits of Sports Massage By Alana M. Faucett, BS, LMT, NCBTM
A
Mickey Wender, the Head Swimming Coach of the University of Washington, was
quoted
in
Therapeutic
Massage
in Athletics about his experience with sports massage: “The impact on the team (of adding the services of a massage therapist at practices) was immediate and far reaching. Every athlete who took advantage of the services experienced immediate positive results. Our number one female swimmer was severely limited in training due to a debilitating shoulder injury, and another top point-getter was reduced to kicking photo courtesy of nutriformance
thletes constantly push the competitive bar higher; they want to be better, faster and more powerful in their endurance, performance and recovery. One of the greatest fears that competitive athletes have is fatigue in convergence with injury and recovery. They then experience dramatic downfalls. They could fall behind in their training, lose self-confidence and even lose the ability to compete. Therefore, injury prevention and shortening recovery time are some of the most cherished and important steps in an athlete’s regimen.
because of cartilage damage in her chest. Both athletes finished the season as two of the most successful Husky swimmers in history.” This example of fatigue and injury can be looked at as a disease process that was counteracted with sports massage. The physical manifestation of stress-related injuries is caused when the inner sanctity is disturbed by frequent stressors, inadequate removal of waste from tissue and distortion of the harmony of the body.
Adding to the formula of nutrition, a combination of rest, stretching and exercise would be the therapy and treatment of sports massage. Sports massage is able to aid the young professional athlete’s body in each category of pre-event, event and post-event maintenance and rehabilitation, which promotes the athlete’s performance and endurance, reduces chance of injury and allows for faster rehabilitation, recovery and healing. Understanding the body’s ability to self heal, which aids in its recovery both structurally and systemically, is an important aspect of sports massage. Sports massage can provide the following: • Improved lymphatic flow and removal of waste (edema) • Softening and loosening of fascia or connective tissue structures • Support and assistance in metabolic recovery, allowing greater training intensity • Delaying and reducing the risk of muscle soreness • Decrease of muscle cramps • Increasing ROM • Enhanced system and local circulation • Scar release and recovery • Kinesthetic feedback that helps create a positive state of mind; muscles are relaxed, which provides aid in ease of movement • Reduction of pain adhesions, allowing enhanced collagen remodeling • Relief of myofasical trigger points and neuromuscular tender points •L engthening of muscles in the prevention of soft tissue limitations, improper body alignments and overcompensation • Returning the body back to optimum state 22
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Sports massage therapists are able to rehabilitate the body after injury occurs, but most importantly, they’re able to prevent injury. Isolating the “massageonly” component of treatment concept can be misleading, but including the factors of the other psychological and physical manipulations, including other techniques in SM therapy – such as proprioceptive
neuromuscular
facilitation/active
stretching, myofascial release, lymphatic drainage,
neuromuscular
reprogram-
ming and homecare – creates successful rehabilitation and a shorter recovery in athletic careers. For more information regarding the sports massage services of NutriFormance & Athletic Republic - St. Louis, please contact daleh@nutriformance.com. v
photos courtesy of siue athletics
SIUE is Riding the Nationally Televised Wave By Joe Pott
J
an. 21, 2012, is a date that will long be remembered in the saga of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Athletics. It was on that Saturday night that nationally ranked Murray State brought its 19-0 record to Edwardsville. With the Racers came the first-ever national broadcast of a basketball game from SIUE and the second-largest crowd ever to see a basketball game at SIUE’s Vadalabene Center. ESPNU televised the game as part of the Ohio Valley Conference’s television package, and the SIUE community responded by packing 4,157 fans into the building. “This brought us to our future about three years in advance,” said SIUE Director of Athletics Dr. Brad Hewitt. “I really thought it would be three years or so down the road before we got our first nationally televised game. The
magnitude of exposure for our chancellor and our institution is so great.” SIUE Head Coach Lennox Forrester admitted he was pleasantly surprised by the turnout. “I thought maybe it would be 50-50 our fans and (Murray State) fans,” he said following the game. “The majority of the crowd was our fans. I thought that was incredible for us as a team and for our players to experience.” Forrester said it was special for SIUE’s Kevin Stineman and Mark Yelovich, who are both playing their fourth seasons in a Cougar uniform. Stineman is a senior, while Yelovich is a redshirt junior. “You think about Yelovich and Stineman, two guys who started this program – coming in as freshmen in our first year at Division I – to have the opportunity to experience that was great,” he said. Hewitt echoed Forrester’s sentiments. “This was a great thing for our student athletes who have sacrificed so much,” said Hewitt. “Some have sacrificed the chance to play in the postseason to be a part of what we’re doing here.
The atmosphere was as good as any postseason tournament.” Hewitt was proud of the response by the SIUE student body, some of whom settled for standing-room only tickets after the student vouchers ran out. “I had no reservations regarding the staff and our sponsors that have bought into this process the whole way,” he said. “I wasn’t sure they would, but our students not only embraced it, they demanded more.” Hewitt said the response following the event has been just as positive. “Everyone was so impressed, not only with our (athletics) staff, but the entire University,” he said. “It all went so smoothly. I have had so many compliments on how good the venue looked. Everyone wanted to compliment us on how the night went and the job we did.” In the end, the box score showed a Murray State win, keeping the Racers as the lone unbeaten team in college basketball. But, if you ask just about anyone in St. Louis, they’ll tell you it might as well have been a win for SIUE Athletics and the entire university. “We still have to see what it has really done for the institution,” said Hewitt. “We’ll start seeing the numbers in admissions and website hits. We’ll be riding this high for the coming weeks.”v
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2012 Grand slam
6a-10a
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and www.sportsradio1380.com f e b r u a r y 2012
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Winslowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s to Road the Pro Football Hall of Fame by dave greene
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I stand here today at the doorstep of one of the most exclusive clubs ever, but before entering, I am forced to reflect on the road which has led me here. It is a road that was paved with sacrifice of trailblazers who suffer the same and humiliation of a less tolerable society than the one which I confronted. It is a road traveled not alone, but with the love and support of many. These were the words of Kellen Winslow on July 29, 1995 as he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame along with Jim Finks, Henry Jordan, Steve Largent and Lee Roy Selmon.
Winslow, who grew up in East St. Louis, Ill., played nine seasons for the San Diego Chargers after being drafted 13th overall in the 1979 NFL Draft. He would go on to be a major part of Don Coryell’s “Air Coryell” offense, catching 541 passes for 6,741 yards and 45 touchdowns in his career. Winslow’s most famous performance came during a legendary AFC Divisional Playoff game versus the Miami Dolphins on Jan. 2, 1982. Despite suffering from dehydration, a gash in his lip, severe cramps and a pinched nerve, Winslow recorded an NFL playoff record 13 receptions for 166 yards and a touchdown and blocked Miami’s potential game-winning field goal. “I hear about that game every day of my life,” Winslow recently told the Pro Football Hall of Fame. “If I leave my home, somebody is going to bring it up, and that is a good thing. The good thing about it is very few people remember who won the game, but they remember the challenge, the battle, the characters involved in it. It wasn’t the outcome, but the event itself.” A picture of an exhausted Winslow being helped off the field by two teammates after the game is an enduring image in NFL lore and has
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been replayed constantly ever since. “I’ve never felt so close to death before,” said Winslow after the game. “That’s what Muhammad Ali said in Manila, and that’s how I felt out there at the end.” Following the game, Coryell said: “I have coached for 31 or 32 years, and this is tremendous. There has never been a game like this. It was probably the most exciting game in pro football history.” Bryant Gumbel, who anchored the broadcast for NBC, said at the time: “If you didn’t like this game, then you don’t like football.” Winslow’s love for the game of football was not something that he developed at a young age. As a matter of fact, he only played one year of high school football at East St. Louis Senior High School. “Two years before, I went to State in chess,” said Winslow. “It was all thanks to my head football coach, Cornelius Perry, who was also my gym teacher my sophomore and junior year. He convinced me to come out and give football a try. He said he saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself, and for whatever reason, I believed him and trusted him. ... I’m glad that I did.” Perry, who presented Winslow for
enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, said as part of his speech: “During the spring of 1974 at East St. Louis Senior High School, a tall, lanky chess player was the quarterback on my flag football unit. All the other positions were too tough for him. After observing this guy throw the football almost the length of the field with a certain degree of accuracy and hearing this quarterback direct his personnel in order to achieve a winning outcome, I said: ‘This is the type of guy we need on our organized football squad.’ So, Coach Lewis (Defensive Coordinator James Lewis) and I went to work.” Winslow would go on to become a first-team All-Southwest Conference player as a tight end and then would spend his collegiate years in Columbia at The University of Missouri playing for Al Onofrio and Warren Powers. Winslow remembers it being a big deal when he chose to play at Mizzou. “It was huge,” he said. “It was the dark ages before ESPN and really before cable was big, but it was a big
deal to my family and to my high school that I chose to play at the University of Missouri.” Despite his lack of experience, Winslow caught the eye of Missouri coach Al Onofrio, who once said, “You could see he was a great athlete and he’d develop. He had a great attitude which is why he became great.” Winslow was one of the first tight ends to run deeper routes due to his unique combination of size and speed. As a freshman, he only played in three games and caught one pass. The next year, new coach Warren Powers installed an expanded passing offense that helped Winslow and the Tigers flourish. That year, Mizzou upset Notre Dame and Nebraska, two teams that were rated among the nation’s top five teams, while Winslow’s number of catches improved to 16. In his junior year, he won the first of back-to-back All-Conference selections. As a senior, he added Consensus All-America honors to his list of accomplishments. Winslow’s No. 83 jersey was retired in Columbia, and he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2002. “We beat USC, we beat Alabama in
Alabama, we beat Notre Dame in South Bend, we beat Nebraska in Lincoln, we beat Arizona State on the road, we beat Ohio State in Columbus the four years I was at the University of Missouri,” said Winslow when looking back on his time at Mizzou. “That’s how sweet it was and how good it was.” On draft day in 1979, the San Diego Chargers made a trade with the Cleveland Browns to acquire the 13th pick of the draft to take the 6-5, 250-pound Winslow. Winslow would go on to play in five pro bowls, and when he was done playing in 1987, his 541 receptions would be the second most by a Chargers player in history. The Chargers would finish first in their division in Winslow’s first three seasons and would go on to finish at .500 or better in six of Winslow’s nine seasons. In 1980, Winslow’s second season with the Chargers, he would lead the NFL with 89 receptions for 1,290 yards and nine touchdowns, and he followed that season with 88 receptions for 1,075 yards and 10 touchdowns. Later on, several seasons full of injuries would slow Winslow down and would eventually shorten his career, but he still
left the game with an average of 12.5 yards per reception and 45 touchdowns. Winslow is often credited with changing the way the tight end position is played in the NFL, but he believes that the team he played for had a lot more to do with it than he did. “I can’t take credit for changing the position,” he said in a recent interview.“I was very fortunate to be in the situation in San Diego where Don Coryell was the head football coach and Joe Gibbs was the offensive coordinator and they said, ‘We have to find a way to get this kid on the field, so let’s go with two tight ends.’ There were players who were better athletes before me who played the position, I just happened to play for the San Diego Chargers at that point in time. It was a mesh. “You’re only as good as the players around you. I happened to be in a very good organization with great coaches and great teammates. I would not have been able to accomplish the things I did and there wouldn’t be any talk about Kellen Winslow changing the position if Dan Fouts wasn’t the quarterback, and if Charlie Joyner wasn’t out there at Wide Receiver, (and) if Wes Chandler and
Kellen Winslow is joined by his family as they unveil his Hall of Fame plaque that will be on display at East St. Louis Senior High School
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“One day, this could be you. I stand here before you today because of people in my life: coaches, teachers, parents.” Kellen Winslow is joined by family members as they tour his wall of fame on the day he was honored at East St. Louis Senior High School
John Jefferson weren’t drawing coverage away. That is what really created it. I was a tight end in that situation at that time that changed the game as we know it.” Recently, Winslow was back at his alma mater in East St. Louis to be honored by The Pro Football Hall of Fame as a Hometown Hall of Famer, a program sponsored by Allstate. “The Hall of Fame partnered with Allstate to recognize members of the hall in their hometowns,” explained Winslow. “They have honored the likes of Roger Staubach, Joe Namath and Walter Payton, so to throw the name Kellen Winslow in with that list, I am honored and humbled by this.” Winslow added that his stature as a Pro Football Hall of Famer helps his legacy last a little longer. “It is nice to be remembered,” he said. “It has been awhile since I played at East St. Louis Senior High School and the University of Missouri, but, thankfully, I was inducted in to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1995, which kind of gives your career legs for a few more years.” These days, Winslow, now a grandfather, is the Director of Athletics at Central State University, a historically black college located in Wilberforce, 30
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Ohio. He was named to the post in August 2008. “It is amazing how things go full circle,” said Winslow. “My great-aunt got her degree from this school in 1929. For me to be on the same campus she received her degree from is amazing. I have a love for reading and for academics, and it really came from her. It’s good to be here; I enjoy doing it. I have some challenges with our programs that we are working on, but I enjoy the interaction with the student athletes on a daily basis.” Winslow enjoys following his son, Kellen Winslow II, who is a Tight End for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and he still keeps a close eye on his Missouri Tigers, who are headed to the SEC next season. “It is without a doubt the best conference in America,” said Winslow. “You’re looking at first round draft picks up and down the rosters. It’s just a tough conference to be in, but if you want to be National Champions and you want to be the best, that is where you have to go.” As part of Allstate’s Hometown Hall of Fame tour, Winslow was given the opportunity to address the entire student body at East St. Louis Senior High School, along with hundreds of his family and friends. Winslow’s brother,
– kevin winslow
David, introduced him and had this to say about his brother: “Despite the Godgiven talent, there was never a half-hearted effort on his part. There was a drive to be the best at whatever he set his sights on.” Winslow’s message to the student body was one of hope. He encouraged them to believe in themselves, and he expressed how thankful he was for his former high school and for all the people along the way who helped him become a Pro Football Hall of Famer. “One day, this could be you,” he said. “I stand here before you today because of people in my life: coaches, teachers, parents. I am so proud to be from East St. Louis, and I am so thankful for this day.” v
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Catching J
John Stuper and Dave LaPoint were Cardinals rookies in 1982. They were wideeyed newcomers to the major leagues, looking forward to what they hoped would be long and successful careers ahead of them. They became spoiled that year, a fact that each of them still readily admits to this day. Winning the World Series in your first year in the major leagues can do that to a player. “None of us knew anything different,” said LaPoint. “It was the way all of us rookies thought you played baseball. Every day was another day of playing for Whitey Herzog and learning how to play the game the right way, listening to him and doing things right.” Twenty-five-year-old Stuper started two games in the series that year against the Brewers, winning a key Game 6 to keep the Cardinals’ hopes alive for a decisive Game 7. LaPoint started once and appeared once in relief. “This is fun, let’s do this every year,” Stuper says of the pair’s attitude at the time. What neither pitcher knew then, 32
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of course, was that their careers wouldn’t exactly work out the way they envisioned. Stuper hurt his arm, perhaps from coming back through the multiple rain delays in that Game 6, and was traded to the Reds at the end of the 1984 season. He was out of the majors before the 1986 season began, but he still won 32 games in his brief career.
LaPoint, a left-hander who was three years younger than Stuper, hung around longer, but he, too, was traded away from the Cardinals in the deal that brought Jack Clark to town before the 1985 season. He bounced around to multiple teams, including another stint with the Cardinals, before his playing career ended after the 1991 season. He ended his career with 80 wins.
Up
with a former
Cardinal Duo By Rob Rains
Neither ever made it back to the World Series. In those days, when they shared the 10-minute drive from the apartment complex where they both lived to Busch Stadium, Stuper and LaPoint didn’t talk much about their futures, their dreams or what they thought they would do when their careers ended. Rookies don’t think that way. They are more concerned about the pressing matters of the day. For Stuper at least, his biggest worry was the road construction on the highway, which included rusty water dripping onto his new Mazda RX-7 as they drove to the ballpark. “It kept getting his car dirty,” LaPoint remembers of their drive down Highway 40. “Eventually, he decided to go 15 minutes out of the way down Highway 70 so that dripping, dirty water would not get his car dirty.” Of the two, Stuper had always been the more intense and more dedicated student of the game. He had been drafted by the Pirates out of Butler County Community College in his native Pennsylvania before being
traded to the Cardinals a year later in a minor league deal. LaPoint, who was drafted out of high school in Glens Falls, N.Y., was one of the players who came to the Cardinals a year later in the trade with Milwaukee that sent Ted Simmons and several others to the Brewers. They became roommates in 1981 while playing Triple-A baseball in Springfield, Ill. That is usually a time when players talk about their hopes and dreams, and at that moment, their dreams consisted of finding a way to move 100 miles south to St. Louis. LaPoint was the first to get the call to join the Cardinals. “He was a long-distance runner and was into conditioning,” LaPoint said of Stuper. “He didn’t smoke or drink. He thought about the game constantly. I was the complete opposite. “One day, we were sitting at the table and he looked at me and said, ‘It’s not right. You do what you do and I do what I do, and you’re going to the big leagues.’ I said, ‘Well, why don’t you try it?’ I broke open a 12 pack of beer, and we each had a couple. His next game out, he pitched a gem, but he still said
he wasn’t going to do that all the time.” Stuper followed LaPoint to the majors a few months later, making his debut on June 1, 1982, two weeks after Herzog moved LaPoint into the starting rotation. The two combined to start 39 of the team’s final 112 games of the regular season. When they weren’t pitching, they were learning. “One of the things I said at Bob Forsch’s memorial service was that he was one of the guys, along with Bruce Sutter, Jim Kaat and Doug Bair, who taught me how to be a big leaguer,” said Stuper. “You could just watch them and how they went about their business. It was a big story about how Ozzie (Smith) took Willie (McGee) in. There was a lot of mentoring going on.” “Luckily, we were smart enough to listen,” added LaPoint. That is why, 30 years later, both Stuper and LaPoint are still making a living in baseball. They are now the ones doing the mentoring. Stuper is beginning his 20th year as the head baseball coach at Yale f e b r u a r y 2012
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photo courtesy of Yale Sports Publicity
john stuper
University. Before Stuper’s career ended, he was already preparing for a transition to coaching. When he was still in the minor leagues, he returned home each winter and helped out at his alma mater, Butler County Community College. Twenty days after he was released by the Expos in 1986, he was named the school’s baseball coach. Stuper went back to school himself, earned a master’s degree in English and began teaching that subject. He also became an administrator at Butler, all the while still coaching baseball. “Coaching was always something I wanted to do,” said Stuper. “I learned a lot from Whitey, especially about preparation. I watched how he worked. He was always ahead of things. I try to do that now – prepare a guy so he knows the game situation. “At Butler, I became the administrator
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at one of the branch campuses in Cranberry Township outside of Pittsburgh. The school considered that my main job more than as the baseball coach. I worked all day as an administrator and then had practice.” It was at an annual clinic at the school that Stuper got into a casual conversation with the softball coach at Yale. That unplanned meeting soon led to Stuper being offered the job of coaching baseball at Yale. “There are a lot of challenges, but I still get to work with the best kids in the country,” said Stuper. One of the toughest challenges Stuper has faced during the last two decades at the school came in 2003, when two of his players were killed in a car accident. Somehow, he says, he and the team managed to move on from that tragedy. Much more enjoyable have been the times such as when then-President George W. Bush, a former Yale baseball player himself, stopped by to watch practice. Stuper, now 55, has also had the joy and excitement of watching some of his former players become major leaguers themselves, such as current Arizona pitcher Craig Breslow and Boston catcher Ryan Lavarnway. Stuper has a dream, however, that someday in the future, one of his former
players will reach a higher occupation and become the President of the United States. He wants to be able to pick up the phone and call the White House and know that the President will take his call because he is one of his former players. Stuper has even identified a former player who he thinks is the most likely to someday get to that position – Ron DeSantis, an outfielder who was the captain of the Yale team in 2001. DeSantis graduated from Harvard Law School, earned a bronze star in Iraq and has been a federal prosecutor. Stuper expects that DeSantis will soon seek his first political office as a U.S. Senator from Florida. “He’s the guy,” said Stuper. “I told him I would carry Missouri for him.” These days, LaPoint is also teaching young players about the game. Like Stuper, he had a brief stint as a pitching coach in the Cardinals’ minor-league system, but for the last 10 years, he has been working in independent league baseball. This year will be his second season as the manager of the Rockland (N.Y.) Boulders of the Can-Am League. The only job LaPoint, 52, has had since his career ended that was outside of baseball was when he briefly owned a bar, appropriately named Pitchers, in his hometown. His post-career path,
LaPoint. “You either put up numbers or we go get somebody else. You can teach and not have to be on the lookout for the ramifications of somebody telling you ‘you should be working with the firstround draft pick instead of a guy who signed as a non-drafted free agent.’ “That’s the way I like to coach. I’m kind of an old-school guy. My theory on baseball is that if you have a uniform on, I can help you.” The list of people LaPoint has helped over the years even includes Hugo Chavez, the president of Venezuela. “I was playing winter ball there in 2001 and we had played an exhibition game on a military base,” said LaPoint. “His aides came on the bus and literally pulled me off to give him a pitching lesson. He went out and pitched three innings. He was a little lefthander.” LaPoint is one of his many former players who wish Herzog had spent a few more years managing in the majors, where he could have given coaching jobs to some of those players. Landing one of those jobs might have helped lead to his ultimate career goal of becoming a broadcaster, too. “I think I could have at least been one of those panel guys on the talk shows,” said LaPoint. “My personality
was kind of cut out for that. I always told everybody that I had a face for radio. “It’s hard to say why those things don’t happen. I do know that in media circles, you don’t get a lot of guys recommending you for jobs because you basically will be taking their jobs. Pretty soon, you are out of sight and then out of mind.” LaPoint doesn’t spend much time lamenting about his unfulfilled goals. He is happy with where he is at this point in his life, and he can’t think of anything else he would rather do. “I’m a lifer,” he said. “I hope I am still coaching and in baseball when I am 70. That’s how much I love the game.” In addition to their memories, there is one other bond that links Stuper and LaPoint to the 1982 Cardinals, a reminder of that glorious season 30 years ago. “Without John Stuper, I would not have a World Series ring,” said LaPoint. v Rob Rains is the co-host of The Sports Zone from 1–3 p.m. Monday through Friday on SportsRadio 1380
dave lapoint
photos courtesy of the rockland boulders
however, was not exactly what he had expected. “I thought I would be in baseball at this point in my life because I just loved baseball and still do,” said LaPoint, who now lives near Tampa, Fla. “I don’t love it any less today than when I was 5 and I first started playing.” Always armed with a quick wit and a sharp sense of humor, LaPoint envisioned himself as a broadcaster for either a Major League team or at the network level when he was done playing. For one reason or another, it just never happened. “I found out it’s harder to become an announcer than to become a pitcher in the major leagues,” said LaPoint. Instead, LaPoint has made a career of working in independent baseball, including spending a decade working in the Atlantic League in a variety of duties, including general manager, with the Long Island Ducks. He also spent a season managing the Bridgeport Bluefish. One of the realities that LaPoint appreciates about that level of baseball is that it leaves him the free time to do what he loves to do, which is teach the game. “This is true baseball in the sense that there is no politics involved,” said
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wrestling team University of Nebraska Omaha
Finds a Home at
maryville by Brittney French
photo courtesy of maryville university athletics
Almondo Conner
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jeff miller
matt baker
mike denney
M
att Baker was on the way to his hotel last March after helping the University of NebraskaOmaha’s wrestling team win its third consecutive NCAA Division II National Championship when he received an urgent text message from his assistant coach. He remembers wondering what was going on before quickly going to meet his squad in the hotel lobby. There, he learned that UNO had just terminated its wrestling and football programs. Upon hearing the news, Baker didn’t know what to think. Neither did his teammates. Everyone just stood there in shock; there was no prior word that the university had plans to remove the two sports from its athletics program. “All I could think was ‘Oh yeah right,’ because me and the other guys would joke how the team would be around forever,” said Baker. “When we left the tournament in Kearney and got back to Omaha the next day, it was kind of like a swift-kick blow. We were met with closed doors outside of the university field house, the locks in our locker room
had been changed and we were told not to fight it.” Within 48 hours of the UNO Mavericks claiming their sixth wrestling title in eight years, the university’s athletic director said the programs were cut as part of the school’s move to the Division 1 Summit League. The athletic director also said the 62-yearold wrestling program, as well as the football team, which had been around for a century, were losing money, despite the fact that ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” subsequently disputed this in a report. The next day, Jeff Miller, Maryville University’s vice president for enrollment, visited UNO and informed the wrestling team that the school was interested in adding the program to its athletic department in the fall of 2012. From that day on, UNO’s head wrestling coach Mike Denny knew fate had stepped in and that his team would defy the odds. “It all happened so fast,” said Denney. “ I was so busy after we found out that our program was being cut. I
had over 100 messages from people who wanted my players and me. I was too busy to respond to any, but the fact that I picked up Miller’s call was a true miracle from God.” After Miller left UNO, Denney rallied his team together and told them that he had the opportunity to take his entire program to Maryville, which meant anyone on the roster, including the coaches, could move to St. Louis and wrestle for the school. Over the next few weeks, Denney begin packing his bags and sold his home of 37 years in Omaha, Neb. He moved to Chesterfield, Mo. and officially became the wrestling coach for Maryville on June 1, 2011. In addition to his belongings, Denney brought eight wrestlers and three assistant coaches from UNO with him to the small, private institution. “I got so many emails from numerous coaches at different schools to come wrestle for them after UNO’s program was taken away,” said Baker. “I never even contacted one back. I initially went to Omaha for coach Denney, and
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“We want our guys to have something to aspire to,” said Denney. “They had all that stuff in the old UNO wrestling room, which I put into storage. I want them to have something to work toward. They, too, can begin a new legacy if they dream.” mike denney
I was going to go where he went. When I was looking at different schools, I visited UNO for (its) wrestling program. I emailed coach Denney to let him know that I would be visiting the campus, and I basically recruited him. I told him I was going to be on the UNO campus for a day and that I wanted to learn more about the program. We got in touch, and he spent the whole day with me while I was there. He did a great job recruiting me during my visit, which is one of his great strengths. “Aside from his tradition and achievements, he has a great emphasis on character and team building, and I felt like I was able to connect with him on and off the mat.” Denney coached at UNO for 32 seasons. He has a career duel record of 314-111-5 (.730) and claimed national titles in 1991, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010 and 2011. During his tenure at UNO, his standout career also produced 33 individual champions and 181 AllAmericans. In college, Denney was a four-year starter in both football and wrestling at
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Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, S.D. He was inducted into the Dakota Wesleyan Athletic Hall of Fame in 1988 and the NCAA Division II Hall of Fame in 1999. More recently, Denney was voted 2011 InterMat Coach of the Year, an award that recognizes the top college wrestling coach across all NCAA divisions and is determined by a vote by InterMat writers and executives. He was also named the NCAA Division II Wrestling Coach of the Year in 1981, 1991 and 2009. Like Baker, St. Louis native Marshon Eddings also chose to wrestle at Maryville because of Denney’s reputation and legacy. “I heard coach Denney was an excellent coach, which made me want to join his team,” said Eddings. “Before I came to Maryville, I heard that he was a great guy who cared a lot about the guys who wrestled for him. Aside from his success, I also heard he was humble and just an all-around good man. I liked that. If Denney were still at UNO, I’d go and wrestle for him there,
too. I want to follow in his footsteps.” When the former Mavericks arrived at Maryville in the fall, the team began building a new home at the university. The school converted a conference room in its library into a wrestling room and added a small locker room for the team until the program can be housed in the athletic building. The mats the team uses to practice are also familiar. They came from UNO. Denney was able to win bids for five of the seven mats that UNO auctioned off on eBay. “It really hurts knowing I had to get my equipment back from eBay,” said Denny. “I had 32 years invested into UNO, and I felt betrayed, especially by the way they treated us after the program was canceled. They only gave us a few days to get our stuff out of our old practice space. If we didn’t get it out in time, they were going to just pitch it, so I was there day and night moving things into storage.” “Moving the entire program from UNO to Maryville has been seamless,” he said. “The university has welcomed
matt baker
terrell mckinney
us with open arms since we got here, and it’s important for us to do well and show our gratitude.” On the walls of the wrestling room, which is now called the Dojo, is the program’s wall of fame. It features plaques for achievements such as letterman awards, academic AllAmerican or qualifying for the national tournament. For now, they’re all blank. “We want our guys to have something to aspire to,” said Denney. “They had all that stuff in the old UNO wrestling room, which I put into storage. I want them to have something to work toward. They, too, can begin a new legacy if they dream.” For its inaugural season, Maryville’s wrestling program features an 18-man roster, half of whom are freshman, and three assistant coaches, including James Reynolds, Mario Morgan and Aaron Denson. Morgan and Denson both won national titles at UNO in 2001. The Saints entered the 2011-12 season ranked No. 15 in NCAA Division II wrestling, with the help of Baker and
fellow UNO All-American Terrell McKinney. In the NCAA Division II preseason rankings, McKinney ranked fourth in the 125-pound weight class, while Baker placed fourth in the 197-pound weight class. In addition to McKinney and Baker, the other six wrestlers who transferred from UNO to Maryville include Joey Morehouse (157 lbs.), Brett Rosedale (165 lbs.), Marvio Tischhauser (174 lb.s), Matt Spain (197 lbs./HWT), Zack “Skinny” Wilcox (HWT) and Morgan Denson (HWT). This season is also one of Denney’s largest and best freshman classes in his 32 years of coaching. Among the nine freshmen are Tyrell Galloway (133/141 lbs.), Matthew Allibone (141/149 lbs.), John “Keenan” Hagerty (141/149 lbs.), Almondo Conner (149 lbs.), Christian Loges (157/165 lbs.), Nick Burghardt (165/174 lbs.), Dimitri Willis (174 lbs.), Ryan Beltz (184 lbs.) and Marshon Eddings (197 lbs./HWT), as well as transfer Brandon Oshiro (125 lbs.).
“We are truly unique,” said Denney. “It’s a miracle that I was able to take these guys with me because it isn’t every day that someone gets to create a college wrestling program from scratch. If we dream, I know this team will be able to have the same legacy here as we did at UNO. I am just thrilled that we had this chance.” Currently, the Saints are ranked No. 17 in NCAA Division II, and the team will compete in Regional and National Tournaments at the end of the month. Maryville is finishing the provisional year of its reclassification to NCAA Division II athletics. Adding the wrestling program was the final step before the school moves to full active Division II membership. v
f e b r u a r y 2012
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HIGH SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT
Former Basketball Greats Give Back to Their Sport
photos courtesy of stltoday.com
By Jim Powers
Steve Stipanovich pictured with his high school coach Rich Grawer.
M
any successful high school athletes dream of playing on a professional level, but some of those former athletes have instead chosen a path that gives back to the community by becoming coaches and mentors to the high school athletes of today. Justin Tatum played high school basketball at CBC was a part of the team that won a state championship back in 1997. That team also featured Larry Hughes, another player who went on to play with Tatum at Saint Louis University. After graduating from SLU and taking his talents to Europe to play professional ball in the Netherlands, Tatum joined Bob McCormack’s staff at CBC as an assistant coach and worked with the post players. After spending a year as an assistant, Tatum decided that he wanted to make more of a difference as a coach and mentor. He was named head coach at Soldan High School in North City and has made a huge difference in both the classroom and on the court. Tatum has brought the Soldan program back to the top of the Public High League and has taken the Tigers to back-to-back State Final Fours. His team is poised to make another run to Mizzou Arena in March. Still, perhaps the most important
thing that Tatum has brought to the Tigers is his work ethic in the classroom. He is molding fine young men in addition to great players. Tatum is also giving back to the entire Soldan community, as well. He was named the school’s Athletic Director at the beginning of the school year, and he is also coaching the girls basketball team this winter. When it comes to former high school greats in the St. Louis area, Steve Stipanovich’s name will be mentioned every time. The former DeSmet standout played on teams that won back-to-back state championships and held a 60-game winning streak at one point during his high school days. “Stipo,” as he was called by many, moved on to Mizzou and played for the great Norm Stewart. After an NBA career that took him to Indianapolis to play for the Pacers, Stipanovich worked in many areas of business; for a time, he worked in real estate, and he also owned a coal mine. Stipanovich then made a decision to try something he never has done – he decided he wanted to give back to his sport by coaching his daughter at Westminster Christian Academy. He took over a program that had frequently been talked about in conversations about good girls basketball programs in the area, but when Stipanovich took over last year, he had no way of knowing that his team would take on his persona as a player; the team was tough, hard-nosed and played in-your-face defense. The Lady Wildcats advanced to the state quarterfinals last year and are high in the Class 4 rankings this season. Stipanovich is following in the footsteps of his mentors, both Stewart and his high school coach, Rich Grawer. He has instilled an offense that likes to run and gives the kids a chance to play the game, and he gets his point across in a calm fashion that his players respond to. Another former high school player who is giving back is actually doing it at her alma mater. Erin Pauk was a star back in the early 2000s at Lutheran St. Charles. She was an all-state performer for the Cougars and scored more than 2,000 points in her high school career. Pauk then took her talents to Southern Illinois, where she continued to be an outstanding player, running the point for the Salukis and excelling in school. After graduating from Carbondale, her path brought her back to her alma mater when her former coach took the reins of the boys program three years ago. Full-court man-to-man pressure is evident in every Lady Cougar game. That is Pauk’s style; she plays with in-your-face pressure and opportunities to create turnovers. She is very animated on the sidelines and truly loves the game. Her players show their love for the game by playing it the right way. The St. Louis area has many more former high school players who are in the coaching ranks and who are giving back to the community. That is rarely seen in big cities, but that seems to be an exception in the St. Louis area. Perhaps it’s a testament to the way these players were coached; they enjoy giving back and making a difference. Justin Tatum
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f e b r u a r y 2012
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ASK DR. RICK
U.S. Center for Sports Medicine 333 South Kirkwood Road Saint Louis, Missouri 63122 PH: 314.909.1666 x FX: 314.909.6513
Pharmaceutical Compounding Pharmaceutical compounding has grown in popularity and is basically the mixing of drugs by a pharmacist to fit the unique needs of a patient. There are many drugs on the market, but these drugs are general and are not specific to each athlete. In pharmaceutical compounding, compounds can be made topically or orally to change the form of the medication and functionally, eliminating nonessential ingredients and ingredients that may cause an allergic reaction or side effects that can be problematic. Pharmacists are able to identify the active ingredients in medication and remove or fractionate the compound allowing just the raw ingredients eliminating portions of the medication that could potentially cause side effects. A simple example would be a topical anti-inflammatory. Many people who take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have GI side effects such as stomach pain, gas and even bloody diarrhea. If this anti-inflammatory is placed in a topical medication and it is massaged into a problematic area such as a knee or shoulder, then it bypasses the GI tract and the side effects which are commonly seen are totally eliminated. Pharmaceutical compounding also allows the physician to add medications which normally would not be included in one topical or oral form to completely eradicate the athleteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s problem. One could add a pain component and an anti-inflammatory component, or anti-inflammatory component and a GI component, to stop the side effects of a certain type of medication. Also, athletes requiring allergen-free medication, which are medications that have no gluten or colored dyes, can be compounded, as well as changing the distribution and concentration of the medication. Compounding pharmacies are regulated by the Pharmacy Compounding Accreditation Board, and this highlyregulated discipline ensures the safety of each and every athlete. Specifically, athletes who may be drug tested for certain types of medications will be able to use very small doses which are safe, will not be bloodborne, will not have side effects and will be totally legal in the athletic arena. The compounding also allows the physician to alter the medications and to improve on each prescription so that the medications are more effective and the side effects are minimized. This form of treatment is covered by health insurance and should only be done by a reputable pharmacy with appropriate accreditation. The U.S. Center for Sports Medicine uses Trilogy and has done so for many years with excellent results. It is important that each physician and physicianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office is comfortable with the pharmacy that they have trust and experience in using. This form of medication and treatment will continue to grow and become more patient-specific as experience is gained.
ASK THE DOCTOR Dr. Rick, frequently after a hard workout, when I sit for a period of time and get up, I get dizzy. This dizziness only lasts for a few seconds and occurs primarily after either a long or a difficult workout. Can you please help me with a solution to this problem, Dr. Rick? Thank you. - Eleanor S., University City, Mo. Dear Eleanor: I very much appreciate your question. It sounds like you have orthostatic hypotension directly related to a lack of fluid replacement. In this column, we have often talked about fluid balance and fluid replacement, but if you are getting dizzy after an aggressive workout, I am concerned that you are not getting adequate fluid replacement. Once you do get the fluid replacement, your dizziness resolves, but occurs directly after a hard workout when you have fluid imbalance. My suggestion would be to start replacing your fluids two to three hours prior to your workout and during and at the culmination of your workout to see if your dizziness does not resolve. If it does not resolve, you need to see your internist to make sure there are no cardiovascular problems. Thank you, Eleanor, this is a very good question.
Do you have a question for Dr. Rick? Please email it to rlehman@kfns.com. 42
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Dr. Rick, I very much enjoy your column and have a quick question. I was told by a friend that leptin is the cause for obesity and that low leptin levels lead to significant hunger. Can I control my obesity and hunger by taking over-the-counter leptin? - Moe B., Ladue, Mo. Dear Mo: This is a great question. Leptin is a protein hormone that does play a role in regulating energy intake and energy expenditure. It is one of the most important hormones that is derived from fat. The absence of leptin leads to uncontrolled food intake, resulting in obesity. There have been a number of studies that have shown that fasting or diets that are very low in calories tend to decrease leptin levels. After eating a large meal, leptin levels rise, which reduces hunger, preventing an overload of that consuming leptin will control body weight in humans. This is a very interesting topic that will be well-researched in the future and should be carefully watched. This is a great question, Mo, thank you very much. Monthly Medical Tip: When exercising in cold weather, try to stay in a cool environment prior to going outside. It is unhealthy to be in a warm environment then proceed outside to a very cold environment and start exercising.
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Scott Rovakâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
Closing Shot Bill DeWitt Jr. and Bill DeWitt lll present the President and the First Lady with personalized Cardinals jerseys and bats at the White House.
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The Kilcoyne Opinion
T
Kroenke is on the Clock here’s a street in St. Louis
works out. Well, it hasn’t. Scott Linehan went 11-25. Steve Spagnuolo went 10-38.
that probably doesn’t show
Enter Jeff Fisher, a respected NFL vet with a resume that just reeks of stability. What I
up on MapQuest or Rand
like best, other than his ‘stache, is that Fisher is a grownup. He has been a coach before.
McNally. That street is called
He won’t show up at Rams Park trying to prove to everybody that he’s the right choice.
Rams Way. It’s the actual address for the
He probably won’t care if Jim Hanifan shows up in the workout facility. He probably
local football team – One Rams Way.
won’t care what hallways employees walk down. Fisher has played and coached in the
So, although we know where to find the
league for almost 30 years, and he’s comfortable in his own skin. His players tend to
team’s headquarters, I think the search
really like him, but if they screw up, he’s not afraid to crack some skulls. Fisher believes
for the “Rams’ Way” continues.
in accountability.
In Pittsburgh, fans say that when the
The Rams appear to be moving in the right direction. Now, if we could just calm down
Steelers do something, they know exactly
the fears about the franchise moving altogether. Enter Stan Kroenke. The Rams’ owner
what that means. Other franchises like
recently stepped to the mic in St.Louis for the first time since he purchased the team in
the Packers and Giants also have a
the summer of 2010. Silent Stan broke his silence. He didn’t say a whole lot, but it was
distinct brand both on and off the field.
enough. When pressed on the future of the Rams in St.Louis, Kroenke basically said to
Even in Oakland, the Raiders have
wait and see.
their own unique way of doing things.
A couple of days later, the Rams announced they’d be making annual visits to London.
Okay, bad example. But the Rams, in
It was a chance to take the Rams’ brand to the next level, we were told. Fans didn’t buy it.
good times and bad, have never been
It felt more like a chance to take a test drive overseas. The truth is, it’s a big payday for
clearly defined.
the Rams. Small market teams are always looking for new revenue streams. So, if losing
During the recent coaching search, former NFL executive and current NFL Network
insider
Michael
Lombardi
one home game a year helps to stabilize the franchise, then cheerio. The Rams won just six of their 24 games at The Ed over the past three seasons, so who would’ve guessed there would be outrage over having one less home game?
kept telling us the Rams needed to stop
Here’s a thought: Wait a week. Let Jeff Fisher catch his breath before spooking the
believing in the “magic wand theory.”
fan base. The Rams won the Fisher sweepstakes, yet it ended up being the third biggest
Lombardi’s warning was that hiring a
story of the week, just behind the Kroenke comments and the yearly trips to the UK.
big-name coach doesn’t fix everything.
The Rams have always been good at providing plenty of entertainment. Even during
There needed to be direction from the
some losing stretches, there was no shortage of storylines, if not on the field, then off.
ownership and on down. Dick Vermeil
Lawrence Phillips decided to park his Hummer on the neighbor’s lawn. Tony Banks
seemed to echo those thoughts, saying
brought his dog to training camp and Dick Vermeil wasn’t amused. Felony’s arrival was
“they need to stop hiring and firing
akin to a football misdemeanor. An ill Mike Martz tried to call plays from his home in
coaches.”
Wildwood, but the phone got intercepted in the coaches’ booth – not unlike a Chris
Ah, stability – a missing ingredient at
Chandler pass.
Rams Park. The Rams’ history suggests
You don’t need me to provide unique Rams history. Stan Kroenke can do that. He’s
they hire a coach, give him lots of power,
been along for the ride from day one – putting some “jack” into this market as part-
step out of the way and just hope it all
owner and then majority owner for nearly two decades. Now, he has the chance to rewrite future history. Fans are skeptical. The Rams leaving St. Louis is almost a foregone conclusion in the minds of many, and we all know the city won’t be able to open the vault. So, here’s “The Kilcoyne Opinion.” Stan Kroenke should take the lead in getting something done with the city of St. Louis. Don’t leave it to the people. Be bold. Get involved. You’re the businessman, so cut a deal. This is your chance to put your
Martin Kilcoyne is the Sports Director at Fox 2 KTVI and also co-hosts The Press Box from 10a-1p Mon-Fri on 590 The Fan KFNS.
fingerprints on the future of the Rams. For those who say, “Stan doesn’t care, he just wants to cash the biggest check,” prove ‘em wrong. You live in Malibu, but you went to Mizzou. Remove the London fog hanging over the franchise. Or, is that some L.A. smog? Adding Jeff Fisher was a good first step, but there’s more work to be done. There always is. Fisher has the skill set to lead the Rams out of the wilderness, but hopefully not out of town. v
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