St. Louis Sports Magazine January 2012

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INTRODUCING FOUR OF THE FASTEST HANDS IN ST. LOUIS.

Š2011 Charter Communications. Service not available in all areas. Other restrictions may apply.

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Contents

January 2012

26

FEAT URES 26 HOCKEY Arnott Takes Fitness to A New Level By: Andy Strickland

32 F IT NESS 2012 Fitness Goals By: Brittney French

38 2012 Pr ed ictions

DEPA RT MEN T S 10 SCOT T ’S SHOT S 16 BEING F RANK Hitchcock is Ready for Battle

18 OLD/ NEW SCHOOL 20 TAILGAT ING with JoeSportsFan.com

22 HEALT H & F IT NESS with Dale Huff

40 HIGH SCHOOL SPOT LIGHT

32

Coaches vs. Cancer Returns to St. Louis

by Jim Powers

42 ASK DR. RICK with Dr. Rick Lehman

44 SCOT T ROVAK’S CLOSING S H O T 46 T HE KILCOYNE OPINION Take the Money and Run, but Don’t Play the Victim

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j a n u a r y 2012

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LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER Hello 2012!

It’s hard to believe that this year will be the sixth calendar year we are publishing St. Louis Sports Magazine after starting with the fist issue in April 2007. If my math is correct, this is issue No. 58, and we have followed many highs and lows in local sports in that time.

While we have not changed too much as far as the content is concerned, we do have one major change for 2012: St. Louis Sports Magazine welcomes Martin Kilcoyne as our back-page columnist for this year. JC Corcoran wrote great columns for us for the first 57 issues, and we will miss his knowledge and whit. Martin will look to translate “The Kilcoyne Opinion” to print, and we hope you will enjoy it.

So, what are the expectations, sports-wise, for this year? I always say that expectations are what make for good (or bad) sports talk. We expected good things from the Rams in 2011 and got what we got, so naturally, we were angry sports fans. Our expectations weren’t as high for the Cardinals, but we got a World Championship, so we were extremely happy sports fans.

But what about 2012? Where do we set our expectations? Later in this issue on page 38, you will read what some of our Grand Slam Sports personalities are expecting for this year, and we also included a flashback to similar questions in 2011 so you could see how they prognosticated.

I think expectations will be high for the Cardinals, the Blues, SLU and both Mizzou and Illinois basketball.

I think expectations will be middle-of-the-road for Mizzou football.

I think expectations will be low for the Rams and for Illinois football.

Maybe I am wrong. I often am; just ask my wife.

But that is what makes following sports so much darn fun. We feel invested in it and we spend time figuring out our expectations and whether or not a team or player met those expectations, exceeded them or failed to meet them.

Regardless, we hope you will enjoy following the highs and lows of the local sports stories of 2012 in St. Louis Sports Magazine.

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 Brittney French Dale Huff Martin Kilcoyne Jim Powers Jay Randolph Jay Randolph Jr. Matt Sebek Andy Strickland 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 For a mail subscription of St. Louis Sports Magazine, contact ctaff@kfns.com 8

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Scott’s Shots

W

hat a season, what a ride. With all of the chaos that comes from covering the playoffs, I had one constant question in the back of my mind since Game 1 of the NLDS. If we were to win the whole thing, would I be able to get the team together for another celebration photo like I took in 2006? Back then, after the team defeated the Mets to clinch the NL crown, I was shooting celebration photos when suddenly, I heard a bunch of guys yelling in the back break room where only the players where allowed. I looked into the room, and a group of players and coaches were celebrating and trying to avoid all of the media that had filled the clubhouse. When I turned away, Jim Edmonds yelled to me to get back in there and take a few shots. I took about five shots, then Jimmy said, “Four more victories and we are doing it again.” Well, they beat Detroit, and after reminding Jimmy of what he previously said, we got the team together and took the picture. The entire group even had to wait a few minutes as David Eckstein wrapped up an interview. But, back to this year; I had put a bug in the ears of Waino, Carp, Yadi, Skip, Albert and Tony, reminding them that after each series win, we should try to repeat the photo. After the celebrating started to die down, I started grabbing those guys and had the staff start clearing out the clubhouse. Skip had showered, didn’t think we could pull it off and started to leave. I had to have Carp persuade him to stay and change out of his street clothes. We got everyone together - this time including coaches and trainers - and took about 16 photos. Mission accomplished.

Thanks for reading, Scott Rovak, Director of Photography, St. Louis Sports Magazine 10

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j a n u a r y 2012

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GALLERY: Were You There?

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Grand Slam Sports Ultimate Christmas 2011 (pg. 12) Grand Slam Sports hosted its annual free Christmas Party at Helen Fitzgeralds and celebrated the holidays with listeners, readers, staff and friends. This year’s event raised over $5,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Missouri. photos courtesy of egan o’keefe

Missouri Athletic Club Jack Buck Sports Awards (pg. 12 bottom) Grand Slam Sports once again teamed up with the Missouri Athletic Club’s Jack Buck Sports Awards. This year’s honorees included Lance Berkman, David Freese, Keith Tkachuk and Dan Rolfes, who received the Grand Slam Sports High School Coach of the Year Award.

Rams Tailgate (pg. 13 top) 590 The Fan KFNS, SportsRadio 1380 and St. Louis Sports Magazine team up with Coors Light prior to each Rams home game at the corner of Broadway and Cole in downtown St. Louis.

St. Louis Blues Season Ticket Holder Party (pg. 13 bottom) The St. Louis Blues and their season ticket holders gathered at Dave & Buster’s.

Season ticket holders had the opportunity to challenge Blues players in games and take photos. photos by kfns staff

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Hitchcock is

Ready for Battle

By Frank Cusumano

I

think when we look back in history on the memorable moves made by sports franchises, two particular moments will stand out: John Mozeliak trading Colby Rasmus and Doug Armstrong hiring Ken Hitchcock.

Hitchcock is the most accomplished coach the franchise has ever hired. Scotty Bowman wasn’t a Hall-of-Famer when he came, and Joel Quenneville was merely an assistant when he arrived.

Hitchcock has all the hardware, as in Gold Medals and Stanley Cups. He also has the ability to communicate as well or better than any coach we have ever had in our town.

“I am not fascinated about being a head coach,” he said. “I am more intrigued about being a part of a team. When you’re out and you are not a part of a team, and that’s what you have done for most of your adult life, it’s not a good feeling. It’s not a good thing when you are not a part of something. For us, everything is about being part of a team.”

The Blues seemed to be headed for another playoff-less season, but Armstrong knew he had to do something. He knew that with the team having a new owner soon, if his team didn’t make the playoffs again, he could be out of a job. So, instead of going down with the unproven Davis Payne, Armstrong called his old friend. Armstrong saw firsthand the magic that Hitchcock worked in Dallas.

Hitchcock got the Stars to the conference finals, won the Stanley Cup and lost the Stanley Cup in a span of three years.

“I had known him well from Dallas and had worked world championships with him,” said Armstrong. “We had enough young players who needed a veteran coach who could get them to the next level. I thought he could clean up bad habits. I called him. I wanted to find out where his mindset was. It went quickly; we got to the nuts and bolts right away. I wanted to see if he had the energy to pull through. I wanted to find out how closely he was following the league. He was the perfect fit for us. We talked for a couple of hours. We hung up. I called him back later. I made the decision; I went to ownership and I went to John Davidson. We got the whole thing done in about seven hours. We are signed together for the next 18 months.”

And so the man who hadn’t coached in 21 months and who was about to turn 60 was back behind the bench. He had to put his favorite hobby, Civil War reenactments, on hold for the time being. Yes, the coach of the Blues is a Civil War buff; he reads, he attends the roundtable discussion and he is fascinated by battle.

“The night before battle, soldiers would sew their names in the back of their jackets, knowing that they weren’t going to make it to the next day,” said Armstrong. “They would still go out and fight for their generals. For me, that is the fascinating part. The leadership and followship of battle just fascinates me. I am intrigued just why people follow direction. The Civil War is as black and white as you can get.”

Getting people to follow has been one of Hitchcock’s strengths so far. T.J. Oshie is playing the best hockey of his career, but the coach’s best work was in Dallas. He had some interesting personalities to blend, including our town’s greatest player ever, Brett Hull. Hull was coming off a tumultuous ending in St. Louis, but Hitchcock and Hull eventually hit it off, and to this day, are still close.

“For Hullie and me, our common ground was music and golf,” said Hitchcock.“I learned more from

Five Things That Come To Mind: 1. If Tony La Russa can get $90 a signature and sign 1,200 things in Chicago like he did last month, it’s safe to say that his dogs will eat well for the next year.

2. My only question about Marcus Denmon is: Will this Mizzou guard go down as the best since Melvin Booker or the best since Jon Sunvold?

3. Give me a 2-14 NFL team any day of the week over no team at all.

I wonder what it’s like living in Memphis on a Sunday afternoon in the fall.

4. If God is paying attention to college basketball, he won’t allow the Syracuse basketball program to win a national title in this scandalous year.

5. The words free agency and stressful, especially when talking about a $200 million dollar deal, should never be used in the same sentence.

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him from listening to him than I did from any player I have ever coached. He had a feel for what was going on more so than any hockey player I had ever coached. He could read things and knew what was going to happen, especially on the offensive side of the game, before it actually happened. He taught me on how to deal with good players than anything.

“I learned a lot from him. Neither one of us would talk about it when he played for me, but we talk about it now. The more and more I coach, the more and more I respect the way he thought about hockey. He was way ahead of his time.”

It’s about time for the Blues to get to a Stanley Cup. Hitchcock knows that other elite teams in the Western Conference can play at 75 percent efficiency and still win, but the Blues can’t; they aren’t that talented yet.

Maybe if they get Andy McDonald healthy and Chris Stewart untracked, they will be as gifted.

Other teams have made it to the Stanley Cup with not the best talent in the league.

“I felt early on we had the makings of a good team,” said Hitchcock. “There were a lot of things in place before I got here.”

Imagine if Hitchcock pulled it off; it would rank right there with the Cardinals’ run. The Blues likely won’t have to overcome the deficit the Cardinals did, but then again, the Cardinals normally win. The Blues haven’t played in the Stanley Cup Finals since 1970. The Cardinals have been to six World Series in that time span.

Hitchcock would be remembered like Dick Vermeil.

In fact, Hitchcock was recently asked the following question: “Ten years from now, if you are being honored at the Scottrade Center and a little boy is in the stands with his dad and the little boy asks his father, ‘Who is that guy with the white hair?’ What would you want the father to tell his son?”

“That was the coach of the St. Louis Blues when they won the Stanley Cup,” responded Hitchcock. v Frank Cusumano is a sportscaster for KSDK and can be heard weekdays (10am-1pm) on 590 The Fan KFNS

Stress is worrying about making a house or car payment. The Pujols family needed an agent to watch their words better; of course, maybe Dan Lozano was busy paying clients with prostitutes.

Final Thought: Ryan Braun has got to be the biggest idiot in sports. It’s one thing before they were testing and before anybody really cared to try some stuff – that is wrong – but you weren’t taking a giant risk. Now, with all of these embarrassing situations dominating the headlines and ruining careers, how could he even think about trying something? How dumb can you be?

Did Braun think that he would be the one who would beat the system? Did he read the papers about Manny Ramerez? To test positive for steroids in baseball right after the steroid era ended is like bringing in a giant cheat sheet for a final exam so the teacher can see it when she passes out the test. His reputation was that he was a really good player, but now he’s just another steroid cheat.

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Old School vs. New School Jay Randolph

Q& A

Jay Randolph Jr.

What are your New Year’s Resolutions?

Sr: Work harder to improve my mobility.

Jr: To play a minimum of 20 rounds of golf in 2012!

Which local team will have the most success in 2012?

Sr: The Cardinals. They will be back in the playoffs. Look for the Blues to give us some thrills as well.

Jr: I would love to say Blues, but still need to see it in post-season. CARDINALS! Love the Matheny hire.

Who is one person you would like to get to know better in 2012?

Sr: Stan Kroenke.

Jr: Frank Haith.

Advice to Stan Kroenke: Sr: Let’s hope you’ll communicate with the fans. This is the ‘Show-Me’ state.

Jr: Please get solid advice from a real football man...lose John Shaw as a security blanket.

Make one prediction for 2012: Sr: Tiger Woods will win a major.

Jr: Tiger will win the Masters.

What kind of year do you expect for President Obama in 2012?

Sr: His approval rating will rise.

Jr: Tough - the election will be the whole focus, unfortunately.

What is something you hope to hear in 2012?

Sr: That Adam Wainwright has a 20-win season.

Jr: Did you see that gas is down to $2.50?

Advice to Mike Matheny: Sr: You have a wonderful support group...use them.

Jr: Go with your gut, manage like you played and enjoy what you’re doing.

What is your favorite hot drink?

Sr: Coffee. Hot and black with no sweetener.

Jr: Venti nonfat three shot salted caramel mocha from Starbucks.

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

FAN

BY JOESPORTS

Even Google has changed its tune about “Albert Pujols”

Google Suggest is one of the Internet’s prized jewels. To recap, as you type words or phrases into Google, it attempts to auto-complete your thought. Sure, it’s annoying at times, but the underlying intelligence to provide the suggestions are based on trends of what other people are typing into Google.

Thus, Google Suggest acts as a digital barometer for top searches within the online community. Specifically, starting a search with an athlete’s name and the word “is” provides endless entertainment.

We’ve long been fascinated with Google Suggest, so let’s revisit a screen cap of what it had to say about Albert Pujols back in 2009.

Sure, it’s a little ironic that the public desired additional information about Albert Pujols’ monotheistic faith and his status as a god, but the point remains: Albert Pujols had about as wholesome of a public image as it gets.

While Pujols is still regarded as one of the best hitter of his generation (and beyond), his social stigma has changed a bit over the past four weeks. Yeah, just a bit. As such, Google Suggest has evolved with these changes in public perception.

2011

2009

A jerk? On steroids? Fat? Still the best player in baseball? Check, check, check and check.

In 2009, Albert Pujols was coming off one of the most productive years of his career. He took home National League MVP honors and Silver Slugger hardware. Additionally, his public reputation was exemplary.

We’re not sure where the “is gay” comes from, but hey, at least the public is still interested in his Christianity.

Athlete Tweet of the Month Steven Jackson is a must-follow on Twitter for any Rams fan. Heck, he’s a must-follow for any human on Twitter because he teaches you to stay positive in the face of adversity. The Rams haven’t had a winning season since #39 entered the league, but he still manages to tweet regular nuggets of encouragement.

But, given the tweet below, we’re afraid that Steven Jackson has had enough.

That reads like a suicide note. We can’t help but notice he also capitalized “Success” and referred to it as “her,” like he was naming a boat or hurricane.

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The 2011 St. Louis Sports Magazine H i nds i ght A wards

A

s many reputable publications

on their way back and should have a

prediction: “The Cardinals won’t win the

do around the New Year, ours

strong 2011. With Bradford and a young

World Series.” He had pretty solid odds

dedicated the January 2011

core of talent, they may spend the next

going into the last month of the season,

couple of years atop the NFC West.”

but we all know how that ended.

edition to the task of predicting the happenings in St. Louis sports over the next 12 months.

Of course, no one has any idea on how to effectively predict the future in sports, and if we did, just trust we’d be writing this while sitting on a yacht funded by our latest trip to the MGM Grand. At least predictions can always be counted on to provide entertaining material to read after all is said and done.

So, as we enter 2012, JoeSportsFan’s Tailgate has taken the stage to present the prestigious “Hindsight Awards,” honoring both the most accurate and disastrous predictions by the St. Louis Sports Magazine staff:

The Colby Rasmus Memorial Three Strikes Award When asked to name three strong candidates for 2011 SportsMan of the Year, Jay Randolph Sr.’s logical choices were submarined by a combination of injury (Adam Wainwright), treason (Albert Pujols) and Josh McDaniels (Sam Bradford).

The Scott Linehan Memorial “Fluke Season Hype” Award After the surprising 7-9 season in 2010, Jay Randolph Jr. was sold on Steve Spagnuolo’s bunch: “The Rams are

Don’t feel bad, Jay, we all got duped.

The Al Hrabosky Memorial “Unintentionally Entertaining” Award While citing a fictional Tony La Russa

The Joe Strauss Memorial “Positive Thinking is Bad” Award As much as Cardinals fans enjoyed seeing the King’s fortune telling skills

New Year’s resolution, those kooks at

take a hit, the opposite was true when

JoeSportsFan claimed Tony would like

Doug Vaughn answered the same

to “replace champagne with merlot for

question with some positive thinking.

the clubhouse celebration after we win

We had to wait until last month to see

the World Series.” Yep, we were wrong

it blow up, but when the ink was dry,

on the merlot part, but totally knew

Vaughn’s prediction that Albert Pujols

they’d win the series.

would not leave the Cardinals in 2011

The Garth Butcher Memorial “Who’s Wearing the C?” Award Evaluating the 2011 season of the Blues, Andy Strickland nailed both predictions regarding former and current captains: “How the Blues perform in the first month of 2011 will

took a wrong turn.

If only Albert would have waited a few weeks to sign and let Doug off the hook. Selfish jerk.

The JD Drew Memorial “Let Us Pack Your Bags” Award The One to Three Show’s Sara Bruce

play a significant role in whether or

was an impressive 2-2 when predicting

not captain Eric Brewer finishes the

what players would go away in 2011.

year in a Blues uniform ... Look for the

When she predicted the departure of

organization to turn to David Backes as

Rams wide receiver Donnie Avery and

the next captain of this team.”

Blues Forward Brad Boyes it may have

Check. And check.

The Zip Rzeppa Memorial “Negativity is Bad” Award When asked to name one thing

been a savvy reading of the tea leaves or simply misreading the question as “who do you want to go away in 2011.”

Either way, we aren’t complaining.

that will definitely not happen in 2011, Kevin Slaten got aggressive with his

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HEALTH AND FITNESS

photos courtesy of Wisconsin Athletic Communications

Montee Ball: From Wentzville to Heisman Candidacy and Rose Bowls By Dale Huff, BS, CSCS

I

magine a junior season of 1,759 rushing yards, 2,014 total yards from scrimmage and 38 touchdowns with an average of 6.4 yards per carry, not to mention several appearances in Sports Illustrated and The Sporting News, a nomination for the Heisman and the Doak Walker, and first team All-American honors by the American Football Coaches Association, Football Writers Association of America, CBSSports.com, ESPN.com and Yahoo!Sports.

Montee Ball’s season will go down as one of the greatest ever for a running back and, as of press time, he is one touchdown shy of the all-time record held by Barry Sanders. He didn’t even play in the 4th quarter in six of those games, and he still has the Rose Bowl to make some memories.

What is great about Ball is that he is still a good person, works hard in school, appreciates all of those who have helped him down this incredible path and knows what it is going to take to get to the next big stage, the NFL. Aside from a pure athletic gift, what is the recipe that got Ball from Wentzille to being a Heisman candidate? It all started with a solid foundation of family. His parents helped him stay focused and looked for opportunities to give him slight advantages over his competitors.

One way they did this was to enroll Ball in Athletic Republic – St. Louis Sports Performance Conditioning from his sophomore through his senior years. His father, Montee Sr., was looking for a way to improve his son’s lateral quickness.

When he tested our program, he was sold on Athletic Performance’s protocols and knowledge. We worked with him on sports nutrition to increase lean body mass and performance; speed and agility training using patented high speed treadmill intervals and plyometric routines; strength training and power development. His game was already great, but he took it up a level with Athletic Republic. He became faster in first-step quickness and top-end speed, and he became more explosive breaking through the line and eluding defenders in the backfield.

In school, Ball excelled with the direction, love and support from his family. It was not a pressure cooker type of relationship with his parents; Ball wanted it, but his mother and father steered him in a way that offered support.

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“For the last three years (2006-2009) my son has attended Athletic Republic.

The speed training program includes the development of running mechanics, change of direction, quick feet skills and core weight training. Their acceleration training has improved his 40-yard dash, pro agility, foot quickness, and game speed. His explosion through the line of scrimmage this year is unbelievable, and we give the credit to him leading the state in rushing for the second consecutive year to the staff at Athletic Republic. I strongly recommend that anyone interested in developing faster and stronger athletes take a look into Athletic Republic in Frontenac; you will not be disappointed in the results.” – Montee Ball, Sr. By the time you read this, we will know if Ball breaks the all-time season mark for touchdowns. He deserves all of these accolades because he worked hard, stayed committed to his end goal and kept pushing himself to be a better student-athlete and person. Our sports world needs more athletes and families like Ball’s to show us that life is bigger than sports, to let our kids have some real role models and to give us someone to cheer for who really deserves our respect. v Dale Huff, CSCS is co-owner of Athletic RepublicSt. Louis and NutriFormance Sports Nutrition services. Dale can be reached at daleh@ nutriformance.com for additional information.

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2012 Grand slam

6a-10a

The ITD Morning After with Tim McKernan, Jim Hayes and Doug Vaughn

10a-1p

The Press Box with Frank Cusumano and Martin Kilcoyne

1p-3p

The One To Three Show with Jay Randolph Jr., Joe Pelusi and Sara Bruce

3p-6p

The King’s Court with Kevin Slaten

6p-10p

Specialty Shows/Local Play-by-Play

10p-12a

The Sports Edge with Jeff Vernetti

listen live 24/7 at www.kfns.com

sports line up

6a-9a

The EMak Show with Evan Makovsky

9a-11a

On The Line with the Z-Man

11a-1p

The Adam Spitz Show

1p-3p

The Sports Zone with Rob Rains and BJ Rains

3p-6p

Afternoon Mayhem with Brian McKenna, Jeff Gordon and Ron Godier

6p-8p

The Joe Roderick Show

8p-10p

The Charlie Tuna Show

and www.sportsradio1380.com j a n u a r y 2012

25

Arnott

Takes

fitness

to a

New Level

By Andy Strickland

j a n u a r y 2012

27

It

takes dedication to become an elite athlete.

While there are those born with special gifts, the majority make significant sacrifices to reach the pinnacle of the sport they play. Some go to an even greater extreme once they reach the pro level, as in the case of St. Louis Blues forward Jason Arnott.

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There’s no doubt that Arnott was made to be a hockey player. He enjoyed a great deal of success en route to developing into a first-round NHL draft pick in 1993.

At 37 years old, Arnott is now playing in his 18th NHL season. Over the course of his career, he scored 33 goals in his rookie season, he received multiple AllStar game selections, he scored more than 400 career goals and he played in more than 1,200 NHL games. He scored the game-winning goal in double overtime to win the Stanley Cup for the New Jersey Devils back in 2000, and he has piled up more than 900 points in his impressive career.

But, it’s how hard Arnott goes off the ice that has the Blues sniper earning a reputation as one of the top-conditioned athletes in the NHL. Over the years, guys like Rod Brind’Amour and Gary Roberts have earned legendary reputations for their strength and conditioning routine, and Arnott is taking the same approach.

“He’s been way ahead of the game for 10 years now,” said Blues Head Coach Ken Hitchcock.

Taking his training to another level started in the early 2000s, which was when he met renowned trainer Charles Poliquin. Hall-of-Famer Al MacInnis introduced Poliquin to Newport Sports, the agency that represents both MacInnis and Arnott.

“I went to see Charles, and it totally changed my whole way of playing and my perspective on nutrition,” said Arnott.

“The first thing he said to me was, ‘You’re skinny fat.’ I was like, ‘What?’ I was 240 pounds when I saw him for the first time.”

After one summer of working at Poliquin’s facility, Arnott dropped to 220 pounds and saw his body fat decrease from 18 percent all the way down to 7 percent in just one summer.

“I didn’t have one cheat day that summer,” said Arnott.

“He’s been way ahead of the game for 10 years now.”

- Ken Hitchcock -

For the past several years, Arnott has been able to consistently keep his weight and body fat down. He entered September’s training camp weighing 218 pounds with 8 percent body fat.

Much of this can be credited to the disciplined lifestyle he endures every summer and sticking to a program created by his current trainer, Ben Prentiss. A disciple of Poliquin, Prentiss lives on the East Coast and works with a number of NHL players, including Martin St. Louis, Matt Moulson and John Tavares.

“It’s the summertime when you’ve got to get in shape, lose the body fat and get strong for the season,” said Arnott.

Arnott and his family spend their summers in a cottage in Ontario, Canada, where he begins a strict high-protein, no-carbohydrate diet that he sticks to all summer long. He lives on eggs, turkey bacon, mixed berries, protein shakes and ostrich, elk or buffalo meat. “Wild game” is typically the leanest kind of meat and is low in fat and cholesterol.

“If it walks, swims or flies, you can eat it,” said Arnott.

In between his meals, which also

consist of chicken and plenty of vegetables, Arnott is a workout addict, which quickly caught the attention of his Blues’ teammates.

“Arnie is the perfect example for the rest of the players,” said Nelson Ayotte, the Blues’ strength and conditioning coach. “When he takes his shirt off, the kids look at him and say, ‘Are you kidding me?’ He’s cut, he’s lean, he’s watching what he eats and never ever skips a workout.”

Ayotte is also a disciple of Poliquin and was brought here following the recommendation of MacInnis. Several other former Blues players worked out with Ayotte at Poliquin’s Arizona facility, including Chris Pronger, Doug Weight and Keith Tkachuk.

On top of strength training, Ayotte also makes sure his players are using proper nutrition to allow their bodies to maintain the necessary strength throughout the season.

“As soon as the season starts, we ramp up the carbohydrates,” said Ayotte. “We try to stay with good carbs like gluten free, sweet potatoes and low-

index type of carbs. In the summer, a guy like Arnott eats zero carbs, but he’s one of the strictest that I’ve seen.”

As strict as Arnott keeps his diet in the summer, he does allow himself one cheat day per week during the season, but not until his body fat dips back below 10 percent. During the season, he’ll ramp up his carb intake as it’s critical to providing the energy he needs to make it through the NHL schedule.

If he and his wife go out to eat, he says he’ll sometimes order two steaks or even three or four meals just to make sure he gets full. He cuts out “garbage” like French fries or any other food that could potentially harm the inside of his body. He and his wife like to eat sushi, but rice is not allowed during the offseason. He’ll either eat a large amount of fish or have his sushi rolls wrapped in cucumber, and according to Arnott, that makes for an insane sushi bill.

For as hard as he goes during the summer, Arnott is much more relaxed during the season when it comes to his diet.

“I like to drink beer during the

j a n u a r y 2012

29

season,” said Arnott, who won’t drink a single beer during the summer.

That doesn’t mean he doesn’t enjoy himself though, because wine or vodka mixed with soda water is acceptable in the summer months. During the season, on the very rare occasion, he’ll snack on a pizza or some fast food if there’s nothing else open late at night, which confirms that Arnott is human and shares at least one characteristic with the rest of us.

“I like to indulge on desserts, and I’ll get a little chubbier during the year,” said Arnott. “I’ll get above 10 percent body fat during the season, and it usually takes me about a month to shave it off after the season ends.”

While this may sound extreme to most

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people, it falls in line with the beliefs that many other elite athletes share.

“If you’re not in top shape, it’s hard to survive out there,” said MacInnis, who won the Norris Trophy as the league’s top defenseman at the tender age of 36.

“It’s a big commitment, but it rewards you in the return.”

MacInnis credits much of the success he enjoyed late in his career to his dedication to off-ice training.

“When you can add three or four years to your career, it’s a great investment,” said MacInnis. “If you want a long career, fitness is a huge part of that. Conditioning, looking after yourself – what you do in the weight room and away from the rink – it all reflects back to how long you want to play. You have to

treat your body as a shrine.”

When older players are often the most fit guys, too, it creates a trickledown effect throughout a team’s roster.

The NHL game has become too hard and too demanding to just rely on talent alone.

When Blues General Manager Doug Armstrong signed Arnott and fellow veteran Jamie Langenbrunner in the summer, part of the reasoning was for them to provide an example to the younger players trying to carve out careers for themselves. This is a responsibility Arnott is willing to accept as long as the players are truly committed to taking their career to the next level.

“As a young player, when the

summer comes, you want to go enjoy yourself,” he said. “Hang out with your buddies (and) eat late after bars – I went through all that stuff. It’s a dedication thing. The training is hard and it’s not easy, but we’re playing something not a lot of people get to do, and we’re the fortunate ones who get to do what we love. If someone can do something extra to stay longer, I don’t see why they wouldn’t.”

Arnott is represented by his brother, Wade, who is regarded as one of the top player agents in the game today.

Newport Sports represents about 140 players currently playing in the NHL. Wade says his brother is in the top 2 to 5 percent when it comes to training at the highest level.

“He’s very much at the forefront of training in hockey,” said Wade. “Jason has studied it to the point where he wants to be as knowledgeable as the guy training him.”

The way Arnott is playing this season, retirement is the last thing on his mind, but helping younger players elevate their game off the ice could be a direction he finds himself going in once his playing days are over. His passion for training is unmatched by most professional athletes. His desire to want to help younger players is sincere, but he won’t force it on them.

“The thing you want to get across to the young guys is that you want to play a long time and you want to make

good money while you’re playing,” said Arnott. “If you don’t stay in shape, someone will come along and take your job; it doesn’t matter how good you are.”

In just his first season with the Blues, Arnott sees the potential many of his teammates have, but they have to be willing to make the sacrifice.

“There’s a few young guys on this team that if they trained really hard, they could become elite players – with their talent, no question,” Arnott concluded. “I’m not saying they’re out of shape or anything, but there’s another level to go to.”

Arnott has reached that level through simple hard work. v Andy Strickland covers the St. Louis Blues and the NHL for Grand Slam Sports and truehockey.com

“If you want a long career, fitness is a huge part of that.

Conditioning, looking after yourself – what you do in the weight room and away from the rink – it all reflects back to how long you want to play. You have to treat your body as a shrine.”

- Al MacInnis -

j a n u a r y 2012

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By Brittney French

January

is a time to make New Year’s resolutions, and for many, weight loss will be a primary goal. Local fitness trainer Steve Park has created a list of simple workouts to try that will help you get in shape and achieve your fitness goals in 2012.

32

1. Stand with feet shoulder width apart at a cable machine. Place the cable at chest height while staying perpendicular to the machine.

2. Keeping arms straight, rotate torso to the opposite side of your body until the cable makes contact with shoulder.

Return to original position.

3. Slowly return to your start position, then switch to the opposite side

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(Great for pitchers or anyone who needs good grip strength.)

(Recommended for baseball and hockey players.)

Cable Twist

forearm curl 1. Sit on a bench holding a dumbell, then rest the top of your forearm on the top of your leg.

2. Curl the dumbbell toward your elbow.

3. Slowly return to your start position.

(Builds overall strength to help football and hockey players.)

barbell squat

plank

1. Stand with feet hip- or shoulder-width apart.

2. Place the barbell just above the shoulders on the trapezius muscles (not your neck).

3. Bend the knees and lower into a squat. Stop when your knees are at 90-degree angles, or before you lose the natural arch of your back.

4. Contract the glutes and legs while stabilizing your body with a strong torso.

5. Slowly stand back up without locking the knees and repeat for 1 to 3 sets of 10 to 16 repetitions.

6. Always keep your knees in line with the toes.

1. Lay prone on the floor (stomach facing the ground).

2. Push yourself onto your elbows and toes.

3. With your back flat, keep a straight line throughout your body; squeeze your abs and glutes to maintain this posture.

4. Hold for desired time of 30 seconds, or as long as you can.

Do 3 sets of 12 to 15 repetitions of each exercise listed above. If this leaves you wanting more, add an extra set of reps to each exercise

Remember: The key to reaching your fitness goals is to turn exercise into a safe, fun and challenging habit. It’s also important to consult your physician before starting any exercise program.

Meet your trainer Steve Park is a personal trainer with Dynamic Fitness Management who helps his clients meet their weight loss goals through individualized workout plans.

He earned his certification through the National Academy of Sports Medicine.

Check him out at Club Fitness — Lemay Ferry or stevepark9@gmail.com j a n u a r y 2012

33

photos courtesy of siue athletics

Hill and Caldwell are SIUE Standouts

By Joe Pott

T

he tendency with a new year is to look forward, and for the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Cougars, 2012 is an especially important year. The spring season represents the expected end of the transition process, and with summer comes the school’s official certification as a full Division I institution. The fall brings with it the beginning of SIUE’s first season as a fully certified NCAA Division I member, and as the Cougars continue their pivotal year, two studentathletes truly stand out.

Sophomore Jazmin Hill is coming off an outstanding freshman season and will be key in leading the Cougars into their first full season in the Ohio Valley Conference. The O’Fallon, Ill. native began her college career in fine fashion, leading the team in scoring with an average of 12.9 points a game.

She set the freshman record for threepointers, draining 74 in her first season.

Earlier this year, Hill connected for her 100th career three-pointer, and at press time, was eighth on the school’s list of career three-pointers.

“It’s a great honor,” said Hill of the achievement. “It’s a team accomplishment. I’m not a selfish player, but I came here to score. As long as I do my job, I know they’re going

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to keep getting me the ball. Coach (Amanda) Levens gives me good looks.

She puts me in good position to score.

It’s a total team effort, which includes the coaching staff.”

Hill played high school basketball at Althoff High School, in Belleville, Ill. and is proud of the fact she is continuing her playing career close to home.

“The same fans that watched me in high school are getting to see me at the Division I level,” she said.“We’re winning some games and letting people know we’re a D1 school. I think we’re changing some people’s opinion of SIUE.” Hill believes the Cougars are in good position to compete for an OVC regular season title this year and looks forward to the day SIUE is able to compete for a spot in the NCAA tournament.

“That’s going to be a dream becoming reality,” she said. “That’s always been the goal, and it’s right around the corner.”

Like Hill, sophomore baseball player Devin Caldwell is an example of a local player continuing his career close to home. Caldwell, who is from Cottage Hills, Ill., played high school baseball at Civic Memorial in Bethalto, Ill. Also like Hill, Caldwell enjoyed a seemingly easy transition from high school to college.The outfielder was named to the Louisville

Slugger Freshman All-American Team

by Collegiate Baseball News.

Caldwell led the Cougars in doubles (16), home runs (6), RBIs (53), total bases (98) and slugging percentage (.513). His 60 hits were the third-most by a freshman in school history and the third-most on the team.

“It was unexpected,” he said of the award. “It pushes me to work harder.

I want to do even better this year, so I have set a higher standard for myself.”

Caldwell also appreciates the fact that he is able to play close to home.

“It was probably the deciding factor in coming here,” he said. “When SIUE offered, I jumped. It gives family and friends a chance to see me play. It really is a perfect fit for me.”

SIUE enjoyed its first winning season since 2007, winning its final eight games and 10 of its last 12 to finish the year at 28-24. Included in that record was a 15-4 slate against Ohio Valley Conference opponents. Caldwell believes that success will continue.

“I think we’ll compete in conference this year,” he said. “Next year will come sooner than you think.”

If Hill and Caldwell are any indication, the future is bright for their respective teams, and 2012 could prove to be an exciting year for the Cougars. v

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FLAJanuar y 20 SHBAC 11

Is

su

K

j a n u a r y 2012

37

e

2011 was an exciting yet unpredictable year for St. Louis sports, so once again, the staffers at Grand Slam Sports have looked into their crystal balls to envision what 2012 holds for local teams. Here’s what our insiders are forecasting for the upcoming seasons:

What is one thing that will definitely happen in St. Louis sports in 2012?

Name one thing that will not happen in St. Louis sports this year:

Which local player or coach will most likely go away in 2012?

Over/ Under (1) – Blues rounds in playoffs

Which local sports team is most likely to win a championship in 2012?

Who will be the head coach of the Rams in 2012?

Cards will win their division

Cards won’t win the World Series

Steve Spagnuolo

Over

Wash U. women’s hoops

Jeff Fisher

jay randolph jr.

Mizzou gets to the Elite 8

Mike Matheny failing as Cards manager

Steve Spagnuolo

2

Cardinals

Jeff Fisher

rob rains

People will second guess the Rams pick in the first round of the draft

A league championship

Kyle Lohse

Over

None

Mike Martz

Jason Brown has the same chance of returning as a Ram as I do of dating Halle Barry

Blues 3 rounds

Cardinals

Mike Martz

Steve Spagnuolo

I’ve been “Hitched” Over

Fontbonne Bowling; I’m giving Iggy a mulligan for last season

Jeff Fisher

Blues win the Cup

Over

Blues

Josh Kroenke

Compiled by Brittney French

Kevin Slaten

frank cusumano

martin kilcoyne

brian mckenna

38

2012 Sports There won’t be any Stan Kroenke will not media members do any 1-on-1 inter- mourning the loss of views on any Sunday Albert Pujols after night TV shows in a game for a witty our town sound bite Billikens get a #10 seed in NCAA Tournament. Frank Slu-sumano faints with excitement

Mike Matheny batting the pitcher 8th

After they draft a guy, New Rams GM and new Dee Dee Pujols will coach will say,” We can’t not win St. Louis believe that player x was Woman of the Year available. We had him award first on the board.”

sara bruce

Adam Wainwright gets 20 wins

Rams won’t make the playoffs next year either

Steve Spagnuolo

Over 1 with Blues playoffs

BLUES!

Jeff Fisher

evan makovsky

The Cardinals will take back what’s rightfully theirs after 2 years loaning it out, the Penthouse in the NL Central

Albert Pujols hitting 3 home runs for the Cardinals in a World Series game

Steve Spagnuolo

Push - Hedge sorry make playoffs that’s 1

Cardinals by default again

John and Jim Harbaugh’s sister

adam spitz

No matter who’s in charge... the rams will screw up the draft

David Freese and 30 or more hrs in the same sentence

Wont Spags be gone by the time this runs?

Over!!!

None, but Blues if you held a gun to my head

Jon Gruden

tim mckernan

The Blues will win a playoff series for the first time since 2002

An Athletica reunion tour

Steve Spagnuolo

Over

Cardinals

Mike Martz

z-man

The Blues will make the playoffs!

Albert Pujols won’t run through a Jose Oquendo stop sign

Over

Missouri Tigers Basketball - although it will be their last Big 12 Championship

If Stan Kroenke would take my calls - Marty Schottenheimer

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Steve Spagnuolo

Forecast

Over/Under (4) Who do you — Number of think will be the games the Rams face of St. Louis will win next Sports in 2012? season?

Which St. Louis athlete would most likely be in a three-month-long marriage with Kim Kardashian?

Who do you think the Rams will select as their number one draft pick this year?

Justin Blackmon

What will be the biggest surprise in St. Louis sports this year?

Which team will advance the furthest in the NCAA? Mizzou, SLU or Illinois?

Over/Under (35) — Pujols home runs

What will be the next big scandal to rock St. Louis sports this year?

Blues advancing into 3rd round

Missouri

Under

Mizzou basketball coach Frank Haith due to his Miami shenanigans

Over

David Freese

Steven Jackson

Over

Mike Matheny

Bradley Beal

They will trade the pick

Mizzou’s start under Frank Haith

Missouri

Under

Rams headed west

Over

Adam Wainwright

David Freese

Justin Blackmon

The Rams will make the playoffs

Missouri

Under

Stan Kroenke and Bill Laurie will get back on speaking terms

Rams explode with 4 wins

Tie David Freese and Adam Wainwright

Justin Blackmon

The Billikens - they will go to the NCAA Tourney and win 2 games

Mizzou will go to the Elite 8

Kim English

Justin Blackmon

Kevin Slaten will heap praise on the Cardinals Manager.

How strange will that sound?

Marquette. Sorry, gotta stay true to my school.

TJ Oshie

TWG - The Wrong Guy

Fans will not miss Pujols

Over

Over

John Mozeliak

Dave Greene

David Freese

Missouri

Under

Under

Stan Kroenke says he just doesn’t have enough of money to build his own stadium and ask the people of St. Louis to build it for him.

The Pujols statue is kidnapped. Bill Dewitt refuses to agree to ransom price.

Frank Cusumano turns down a 5 yr/$500,000 deal from Grand

over this year Slam Sports. His wife,Monique, only calls it an “insult.” Frank accepts a job in Rome.

Over 4 on Rams wins

Adam Wainwright

Danario Alexander

Justin Blackmon

We will get a decent coach for our fighting Rammies

Mizzou makes a Final 4

Albert will have over 35 bombs

I marry David Freese

Sports Radio 1380 will rise up on the broad shoulders of the Z-Man and rule the earth. Adam Spitz will not struggle in his sophomore year, unlike Sam Bradford.

Missouri

Under

What was the last one?

David Freese, naturally

Cadillac Williams

Justin Blackmon

Over? Homer?

Ken Hitchcock

TJ Oshie or David Freese; take your pick

Anything but a WR; I’d say OL... that’s a position they can’t eff up, oh wait nevermind

Rick Majerius’ LDL?

Missouri

Under

Albert and Deidre Pujols sextape

Over

Adam Wainwright

Adron Chambers

Justin Blackmon

The Blues’ playoff run

Missouri

Under

Hot gay sex

Dan Dierdorf

They should take Justin Blackmon WR, OK ST.

101 ESPN says something negative about the Rams

Mizzou

Over

If Kroenke takes my calls,over (7)

T.J. Oshie

Over - but Diedre says they’d have accepted 31

Cries begin for a new stadium in Fenton

j a n u a r y 2012

39

HIGH SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT

Basketball for a Cause – Coaches vs. Cancer Returns to St. Louis

By Jim Powers

photos courtesy of www.dannyreise.zenfolio.com

himself, Stewart has been an advocate of the initiative and travels the country to speak to college coaches and ask them and their programs to support the fight against cancer. Many coaches support the fight against cancer in a multitude of ways; one of the biggest ways is the “Suits and Sneakers” day, when all coaches are asked to wear sneakers to help raise cancer awareness.

St. Louis’ version of Coaches vs. Cancer has helped raise money for cancer research and has given high school students and athletes an opportunity to help by planning and running the “Paint it Pink” games, where students do many fundraisers in the weeks before the game to raise money for the fight against cancer. The school that raises the most money during their game gets to play in the first game of the shootout. This year, MICDS raised enough money for the second year in a row to play in the opening game, with their girls team taking on the girls of Westminster; their head coach, Steve Stipanovich, happened to play for Coach Stewart at Missouri.

The rest of the line-up looks like this: 9:30 am MICDS (Mo.) vs. Westminster Christian Academy (Mo.) - Girls 11:00 am MICDS (Mo.) vs. Parkway South High School (Mo.)

H

12:30 pm Belleville East High School (Ill.) vs. Belleville West High School (Ill.)

igh school basketball is in full swing and teams are playing for conference titles and looking for that higher seed in the district tournament. While all that’s going on, some teams and schools will be playing and raising money for something more important.

The third annual Coaches vs. Cancer Shootout returns to Chaifetz Arena on the campus of St. Louis University on Jan. 26 for eight games that will spotlight some of the best teams in the St. Louis Metro area, as well as a few teams from around the Midwest.

Coaches vs. Cancer is a nationwide collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches. The initiative leverages the personal experiences, community leadership and professional excellence of basketball coaches nationwide to increase cancer awareness and promote healthy living through year-round awareness efforts, fundraising activities and advocacy programs. Coaches vs. Cancer provides critical mission outreach while raising funds to support the Society’s lifesaving cancer research, education, advocacy and community service efforts.

Former University of Missouri Head Coach Norm Stewart is one of the driving forces behind Coaches vs. Cancer. Being a cancer survivor

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2:15 pm Alton Marquette High School (Ill.) vs. Glenbard East High School (Ill.) 3:45 pm Webster Groves High School (Mo.) vs McCluer High School (Mo.) 5:30 pm St. Joseph’s Academy (Mo.) vs. Bolingbrook High School (Ill.) - Girls 7:00 pm Vianney High School (Mo.) vs. Cardinal Ritter High School (Mo.) 8:30 pm Soldan High School (Mo.) vs. Riverside Academy (La.) Coaches from around the area all agree that this event is something that their players will enjoy.

“Our school and program are very excited about the opportunity to play in the Shootout, which is a first class event for a great cause,” said Vianney Head Coach Kevin Walsh.

Coach Stipanovich was just as happy to participate.

“It is great to represent the Westminster community and girls basketball in this great event in January,” he said.

The bonus is for the fans. They will get to see many players who will be taking their talents to the next level in the future. On the girls side, Bollingbrook, Ill. heads to town with all of their starters heading to D-1 schools, while St. Joe’s has the Stock twins, Maddie and Morgan, heading to play at Mizzou next year. In boys action, Cardinal Ritter and Notre Dame recruit Cameron Biedscheid leads a star-studded slate, with many players getting looks.

Tickets are on sale at all Ticketmaster outlets, by calling the Chaifetz Arena ticket office at 314.977.5000 or online at thechaifetzarena.com while more information can be found at coachesvscancerstlouis.org.

j a n u a r y 2012

41

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

Chodromalacia Patella Chondromalacia patella, also known as patellofemoral pain syndrome, is technically a softening of the articular cartilage under the kneecap. It is the most common cause of knee pain. It is also known as anterior knee pain. Chondromalacia in general is a pathological term that means there is damage of the joint surface or cartilage. Chondromalacia patella (CP) is a general term for patella or kneecap pain. It is most commonly seen in young females, but can be seen in both men and women of all ages.

The symptoms include vague knee pain in the area of the kneecap, difficulty with stairs, the knee giving way, popping or grinding under the kneecap and pain with prolonged sitting – especially if the knee is in one position for a period of time.

CP is normally caused by malalignment or a pulling of the kneecap to the outside. It can be caused by overuse like running or biking, and sometimes there is no obvious reason or etiology. It can be seen in flat-footed people, people who are knock-kneed and people who have an abnormal shape to their kneecap. It is more common in females.

Treatment consists of ice, strengthening and antiinflammatories. Common medicines would include things like Ibuprofen or Naprosyn. Physical Therapy is the hallmark of treatment. As the leg gets stronger and the vastus medialis pulls the kneecap to the center of the knee, the patients’ pain should get better. Exercises are the main treatment for CP. Other forms of treatment include Hyaluronic acid injections, cortisone injections and PRP injections. Taping and bracing and muscle electrical stimulation can also be helpful. Stretching and strengthening of the quadriceps and gluteus (knee and hip) muscles are very helpful, too, as is iliotibial band stretching.

This is a common problem and it should be treated early in its course to ensure a safe return to sports.

ASK THE DOCTOR I have popping in my neck; it is loud and very bothersome, but it does not hurt. Should I be concerned, Dr. Rick? – Jenna S., Town and Country, Mo.

Dear Dr. Rick, I have numbness in the outside of my thigh. I have had it for five months and it is weird. What do you think causes this? – Larry B., Belleville, Ill.

Jenna, popping is very common, and unless you are having pain, have numbness in your arms or experience weakness, I would not be concerned. If it persists or becomes painful, you should see a doctor, but this is quite common and usually not a problem.

Larry, this is usually from compression of a nerve in your outside pelvic area called the Lateral Femoral Cutaneous nerve. That is a big name, but it is due to compression of that nerve. It can be treated with medication and sometimes an injection. It rarely can be caused by a pinched nerve in your back. After five months, you need to see your doctor to see if it is something serious.

Do you have a question for Dr. Rick?

Please email it to rlehman@kfns.com.

Monthly Medical Tip: Limit simple sugars, bump up your protein and cut your carbs.

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listen live Visit www.kfns.com to hear what’s happening now on 590 kfns or SportsRadio 1380.

mobile listen anywhere using your free mobile app. visit your iphone, blackberry or android app store to download today.

social media check out 590 kfns and sportsradio 1380 on facebook and twitter for exclusive contests, updates, station event info and more!

Scott Rovak’s

Closing Shot St. Louis Blues center David Backes is checked into the boards by a Columbus Blue Jackets player Dec. 18, 2011 at the Scottrade Center.

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The Kilcoyne Opinion

TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN, BUT DON’T PLAY THE VICTIM

D

ennis Miller used to be funny.

Really,

he

was,

but that was before 9/11 happened and he turned

into a warm-up act for Bill O’Reilly.

At his smarmy best, Miller would

So it does trigger a stronger response when the athlete chooses to leave. Cardinals fans, I’m sorry to be the one to say it, but you’re Lyle Lovett. You had Julia Roberts, and now she’s gone.

Why are my cultural references grounded in 1995 and, more importantly, what happened with Pujols? How could this end so poorly? At least Lyle Lovett could rationalize that it may have been an imbalanced relationship all along.

spout off caustic rants that would end

For 11 years, Cardinal fans adored Pujols. With every home run and every award, the

with, “Of course, that’s just my opinion. I

bond was made stronger. He could run through a Jose Oquendo stop sign at third base

could be wrong.”

and fans would shrug it off and say, “That’s Albert being aggressive.” If Pujols was rude

That’s the great thing about opinions – they don’t have to be popular. This

to the media, well, the sentiment was that the press needed to just leave him alone. He talked about Jesus. In return, fans treated Albert as if he was God.

brings us to Albert Pujols and his now

It was hard to imagine the Cardinals without Pujols, and vice versa, all of which makes

infamous “walk-off” moment. There

the aftermath of Albert’s decision even more stunning. There wasn’t a televised special

have been a few opinions on the topic,

with Jim Gray tossing softballs to Albert, but the reaction was similar to when LeBron

as you may have heard.

bolted from Cleveland. The same fans who had saluted baseball’s top player for more

A ballplayer leaving for more money

than a decade were quick to salute him with the middle finger on the way out of town.

isn’t a shocker, but the reaction to Pujols’

There were some precincts who checked in with anger towards Bill Dewitt Jr., the

exit was swift and harsh. People weren’t

Cardinals’ owner, and I’m not just referring to Bryan Burwell. Their argument was

this torqued when Southwestern Bell

that you simply don’t let a franchise icon ever reach free agency. A solid premise. The

packed up and left. You could argue that

Cardinals have never gone public about it, but it’s been told to me over the past several

this move affected more people, at least

years that there were attempts to lock up the future Hall of Famer, but Team Pujols set the

emotionally.

bar so high (as in A-Rod money) that the discussion never gained any traction.

Other local legends have left St. Louis

Tony La Russa believes Pujols’ exit resulted from a perfect storm. La Russa says

and finished their careers in different

Major League Baseball’s big market teams will always be in a position to swoop in with

cities, but this didn’t feel the same.

massive deals to steal superstars from teams with tighter budgets. Combine that with, in

Perhaps because it wasn’t. Kurt Warner

La Russa’s view, the Cardinals being a little slow in beefing up their offer to Pujols, and

was shown the door by the Rams. Ditto

his decision to grab the big payday was made even easier.

for Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt. Chris

Harder to swallow is the notion “it’s not about the money.” Of course it is. If the Angels

Pronger and Jim Edmonds were both

showed Pujols the love but not the money, he’d still be here. La Russa agrees that “it’s not

traded. The Golden Brett wanted to

about the money” is a poor way to phrase it. We can all agree that turning down $254

stay, but the Blues fumbled the deal by

million would be pure lunacy. Playing the role of victim on the way out is pure comedy.

refusing to include a no-trade clause.

How strange is our baseball universe these days? Tony La Russa, the controversial and quirky manager, decides to retire and many fans were distraught. There were tears of sadness. But when Pujols decided to leave, those same fans were ready to help him pack. La Russa more popular than Pujols? Raise your hand if you saw that coming.

I don’t blame Albert Pujols. Take the money. Have a great life. Enjoy Southern California. I don’t think you’re evil. You certainly could have been nicer, but you’re not

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.

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kfns.com

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grand slam sports

evil. Pujols was an amazing player and a great Cardinal. He did great things in St. Louis, both on the field and off. That will never change, even if his legacy has. The comparisons to Stan Musial were never fair, but we’ll never make that mistake again.

Of course that’s just “The Kilcoyne Opinion.” I could be wrong.

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