Wednesday, February 10, 2010 - The Daily Cardinal

Page 1

Evolution and religion not exclusive, according to guest columnist David Baum OPINION l PAGE 4

University of Wisconsin-Madison

SECOND-HALF COLLAPSE DERAILS BADGERS Fighting Illini win puts Wisconsin Big Ten conference title in doubt after upset

Complete campus coverage since 1892

County Board members raise concerns about UW primate labs By Robert Taylor The Daily Cardinal

Members of the Dane County Board of Supervisors voiced their concern about UW-Madison experimentation on nonhuman primates in a letter sent to Chancellor Biddy Martin Feb. 5. In the letter, the supervisors challenged whether the All-Campus Animal Care and Use Committee could rule objectively. Supervisor John Hendrick, District 6, one of 20 board members who signed the letter, said the salaried selfinterests of AC-ACUC members call into question their ability to impartially tackle the difficult ethical questions posed by nonhuman primate research. “The question is, can people funded to do research make a disinterested decision about whether or not it is really right to do it?” Hendrick said. Although UW-Madison operates the primate labs, the county supervisors said they believe they have a role to

play in overseeing the research. “The county has a historical relationship to this issue because the county owns the [Vilas] Zoo. We are concerned about animal welfare in general,” Hendrick said. Much of the UW-Madison primate populations can be traced directly back to Vilas Zoo, according to Hendrick. Monkeys were transferred back and forth between Vilas Zoo and UW-Madison research labs at one time, he said. “That was the original basis of the county being involved in the primate issues,” Hendrick said. The Chancellor’s Office has yet to issue a formal response to the board’s letter, though Martin and UW-Madison have confronted similar criticism in the past. Last November, Martin defended both the ethics and motives behind primate research primates page 3

Hold me closer, ballroom dancer

l

SPORTS l PAGE 8

dailycardinal.com

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Take me to your majority leader

nelson cho/the daily cardinal

State Assembly Majority Leader Tom Nelson, D-Kaukauna, spoke at the Wisconsin Student Public Interest Research Group kickoff meeting Tuesday to promote student activism. Nelson spoke to more than 100 UW-Madison students who attended the event.

ASM picks new ALRC student advisor Associated Students of Madison Chair Tyler Junger announced the appointment of Austin Buerosse as the nonvoting student technical advisor to the Alcohol License Review Committee Tuesday. The position, formerly held by Mark Woulf, has been vacant since Woulf ’s appointment as a community voting member on the ALRC last fall. Mayor Dave Cieslewicz appointed Woulf to the newly created citizen seat as a compromise from a proposal by Ald. Bryon Eagon, District 8, to add a permanent student voting seat to the ALRC. According to an ASM statement, Buerosse received the unanimous support of the Legislative Affairs Committee, which conducted the screening process for the appointment.

Woulf also participated in the interview process. “What I was looking for was somebody that was able to step in [and] understand their role as a representative ... and have their own ideas as to what the future of alcohol policy in the city of Madison should be,” he said. Buerosse said he was inspired to apply for the position after writing for the city news desk at The Badger Herald. “I had been staying abreast of the entire saga with the tavern league and just the entire fight involved to get this position,” he said. “I guess I was sort of inspired by that to apply to see what I could do about that.” Buerosse said he wants to focus on getting clear student representation on the committee. “[That means] really being part

of a substantive dialogue between city council leaders and students about what’s really the best way to move forward with all these liquor licensing issues that really affect a lot of students,” he said. “What I was looking for was somebody that was able to step in [and] understand their role as a representative.” Mark Woulf citizen voting member Alcohol License Review Committee

Cieslewicz must approve Buerosse’s appointment before Buerosse can begin his duties on the ALRC. —Grace Urban

State health officials say H1N1 still a threat

eddy cevilla/the daily cardinal

Dancers participate in Madtown Ballroom’s weekly ballroom dancing classes at Memorial Union Tuesday night.

State health officials are preparing for another possible H1N1 virus outbreak, according to the state epidemiologist. “We don’t know for sure if there will be one … but our preparations will continue as if there will be,” state epidemiologist Tom Haupt said. Cases of H1N1 spiked in Wisconsin in early September and again in mid-October of last year. Since then, numbers of reported cases have steadily declined, according to a report released by the Wisconsin

Department of Public Health. “We really don’t know what to expect, but we’re going to prepare for the worst and hope for the best,” Haupt said. The report listed activity of influenza in Wisconsin as “sporadic.” Flu-like illnesses in Dane County have hovered around 2.5 percent since late November. University Health Services Executive Director Sarah Van Orman said the UW-Madison campus has seen very little H1N1 activity this semester. “We actually enhanced our

surveillance [of H1N1] in the first couple weeks of the semester, and we have had no positive cultures so far,” Van Orman said. According to Van Orman, UHS has vaccinated 9,000 people for H1N1, which likely limited virus activity. Many students also received the vaccine while they were home over winter break. Van Orman said vaccines are still available by appointment at UHS. “We still encourage people to get vaccinated. We may not be out of the woods,” she said. —Steven Rosenbaum

“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”


page two 2

l

TODAY: cloudy hi 25º / lo 9º

THURSDAY: cloudy hi 25º / lo 11º dailycardinal.com/page-two

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

An independent student newspaper, serving the University of Wisconsin-Madison community since 1892

Tragedy reminds us to live life to the fullest

Volume 119, Issue 84

2142 Vilas Communication Hall 821 University Avenue Madison, Wis., 53706-1497 (608) 262-8000 l fax (608) 262-8100

JILLIAN LEVY one in a jillian

News and Editorial edit@dailycardinal.com Editor in Chief Charles Brace Managing Editor Ryan Hebel Campus Editor Kelsey Gunderson Grace Urban City Editor State Editor Hannah Furfaro Enterprise Editor Hannah McClung Associate News Editor Ashley Davis Senior News Reporters Alison Dirr Ariel Shapiro Robert Taylor Anthony Cefali Opinion Editor Todd Stevens Arts Editors Katie Foran-McHale Jacqueline O’Reilly Sports Editors Scott Kellogg Nico Savidge Kevin Slane Page Two Editor Features Editor Madeline Anderson Ben Pierson Life and Style Editor Photo Editors Isabel Álvarez Danny Marchewka Graphics Editors Caitlin Kirihara Natasha Soglin Multimedia Editor Jenny Peek Copy Chiefs Anna Jeon Kyle Sparks Justin Stephani Jake VIctor Copy Editors Elisabeth Fletcher, Jaclyn Buffo, Libby Pappas, Lisa Robleski, Kathleen Brosnan, Caitlin Linehan, Maddie Yardley, Lauren Hodkiewicz, Margaret Raimann

Business and Advertising business@dailycardinal.com Business Manager Cole Wenzel Advertising Manager Katie Brown Accounts Receivable Manager Michael Cronin Billing Manager Mindy Cummings Senior Account Executive Ana Devcic Account Executives Mara Greenwald Kristen Lindsay, D.J. Nogalski, Sarah Schupanitz Graphic Designer Mara Greenwald Web Director Eric Harris Marketing Director Mia Beeson Archivist Erin Schmidtke The Daily Cardinal is published weekdays and distributed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and its surrounding community with a circulation of 10,000. The Daily Cardinal is a nonprofit organization run by its staff members and elected editors. It receives no funds from the university. Operating revenue is generated from advertising and subscription sales. Capital Newspapers, Inc. is the Cardinal’s printer. The Daily Cardinal is printed on recycled paper. The Cardinal is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press and the Wisconsin Newspaper Association. All copy, photographs and graphics appearing in The Daily Cardinal are the sole property of the Cardinal and may not be reproduced without written permission of the editor in chief. The Daily Cardinal accepts advertising representing a wide range of views. This acceptance does not imply agreement with the views expressed. The Cardinal reserves the right to reject advertisements judged offensive based on imagery, wording or both. Complaints: News and editorial complaints should be presented to the editor in chief. Business and advertising complaints should be presented to the business manager. Letters Policy: Letters must be typewritten, double-spaced and no longer than 200 words, including contact information. Letters may be sent to letters@dailycardinal.com.

Editorial Board Charles Brace Anthony Cefali Kathy Dittrich Ryan Hebel Nico Savidge Jamie Stark Todd Stevens Justin Stephani l

l

l

l

L

ast week when my roommate told me that her friend Neha Suri was going to die from bacterial meningitis I was overcome with sadness and shock. I decided I wanted to write a column about trying to deal with grief or trying to understand how something like this could happen. For the last week I thought about what I would say and whether it would even be OK to write a column about someone I knew through social circles, class and the Cardinal but never actually befriended. Now sitting here, trying to put my thoughts to paper, I find myself unable to write anything. At Neha’s memorial service I found myself wondering, “What would Neha think of all of this?” There was no way to know what Neha would have wanted, because no 22-year-old ever sits down with their friends to have a conversation about what their wishes are for when they die. And I am most certainly not suggesting that every 20-

something sit down with their roommates and start a conversation about burial wishes, as there is absolutely no reason to think about or dwell on anything that stressful and sad. It’s just so hard to even think about a life getting cut that short. Neha’s life was filled with promise and potential that will tragically never be realized. I can’t even imagine not being able to finish all of the future plans I have dreamt up for myself... there are just so many things that I have yet to do and need to do before I die. Neha had an incredibly close circle of friends, lovingly named her Bassett Family. My roommate Elise is a member of that family and told me over the weekend that after Neha fell ill and passed away they assembled a group Bucket List they intend to accomplish before the end of the semester. And it struck me as a great idea. I think everyone probably has some kind of mental list of things they want to accomplish in their life, whether it be something extreme like skydiving or bungee jumping or something more grounded like getting married or starting a family. My own Bucket List is extremely long and full of random desires: live in London for a few years,

take a wine tour in Napa Valley, hold a koala, date a celebrity (preferably one of the Justins)... lots of things. Neha’s death has served as a sad but needed reminder that I need to start living every single day like it could be the last one I have. As cliche as it sounds, it makes me very uncomfortable thinking that I could die tomorrow and all I’ve done today is sit on my couch, skip all my classes because of a post-Super Bowl hangover and write this column. I’m obviously not going to run a marathon every day or go parasailing, but I’m going to start making a concerted effort to spend all of my time doing things that I love with the people whom I love. I already talk on the phone with my father almost every day (I’m pretty much obsessed with him), but I go weeks without speaking to some of my very best friends and my older sister. I know that most of the people in my life are very busy, but I’m going to set aside some time every day to talk to the people I can’t see as much as I’d like to. Obviously I still have to go to work and class (although considering I’m 0 for 3 on classes attended today, that might be hard to accomplish), I

will spend less time stressing, crying and fighting and more time laughing and loving my life that I am so truly blessed to have. I’m not sure what items are on the Bassett Family’s Bucket List, but I hope they accomplish every single thing they set out to do. I think it’s a wonderful, inspiring idea. Neha’s friends loved her completely, and her illness and death have made that very apparent. Their lives will undoubtably change forever, but hopefully they will grow and become stronger individuals. As difficult as it is to try to overcome grief, I know that their love for one another will be enough to get them through the semester and the rest of their lives, wherever they may end up. I admire their incredible strength and dedication to one another. I’m not entirely sure why I wanted to write a column about Neha so badly; I think it’s the only way I know how to thank her for reminding me how lucky I am. To have my friends and family. To have love. To have life. Would you like to share your Bucket List with Jillian or make a suggestion for her own list? E-mail her at jlevy2@wisc.edu.

the daily cardinal makes fun of you Erica Nelson Year: 2010 Hometown: Plymouth, MN Favorite TV Shows: arrested development, the office, flight of the conchords, parks and recreation, law & order: svu, the daily show, best week ever, the news. Favorite Books: HARRY POTTER, john sandford and grisham, poisonwood bible, east of eden, colors insulting to nature, anything sedaris. Favorite Movies: across the universe, drop dead gorgeous, pulp fiction, juno.

l

Board of Directors Vince Filak Cole Wenzel Joan Herzing Jason Stein Jeff Smoller Janet Larson Chris Long Charles Brace Katie Brown Benjamin Sayre Jenny Sereno Terry Shelton Melissa Anderson l

l

l

l

l

l

© 2010, The Daily Cardinal Media Corporation ISSN 0011-5398

Favorite Music: andrew bird, john mayer, guster, the strokes, brandi carlile, bon iver, ray lamontagne, the beatles, brother ali, amos lee, dj danger mouse, the new pornographers, rilo kiley, chicago, ingrid michaelson, When Erica’s boyfriend told her he was looking to save mirah, the blow, dirty projectors, thao with the get down stay down, neko case, and of course redefined. money on their prom limo, this isn’t what she envisioned. Stupid Fact About Your Hometown: In 2008, Money magazine rated Plymouth as the best place to live in America. To be honest, though, only seven cities in the U.S. applied for the title that year, and three of them were cities from New Jersey. In other words, Plymouth had no real competition for the title. Most Embarrassing Item: With a picture like that, you’ve given us no choice but to make a bunch of embarrassing puns. I guess we’ll need to decide between paper and plastic with this one! Am I right? Something tells me that guy shopped at Costco instead of Whole Foods! Hopefully they allow returns! I hope that guy remembers to use a “condom”-int on that pickup! See what I did there? Looks like somebody got “checked out!” I think that might have been an impulse buy! He must’ve had a coupon for that! Well, I think you get the idea. Missed Opportunities: If only we knew where your interests for synchronized swimming and old lady names first originated. All we can say is tune in next week when we make fun of Wisconsin’s oldest student, 89-year-old Gladys and her sexy sorority sister, Myra.

For the record Corrections or clarifications? Call The Daily Cardinal office at 608-262-8000 or send an e-mail to edit@dailycardinal.com.

Saving Grace: You know we could never make fun of a member of Redefined and mean it! Or someone who expresses her love for Harry Potter IN ALL CAPS. YELLING.

Want your Facebook profile to be made fun of? Join the group “The Daily Cardinal Makes Fun of You.”


dailycardinal.com/news

Payday loan compromise could increase limitations on lenders The maximum lending amount for payday loans could be curbed under a new proposal unveiled Tuesday by state Assembly Democrats. The Responsible Lending Act would limit payday loans to $600 or 35 percent of an individual’s biweekly income, whichever is lower. Lenders would also be prohibited from making loans to individuals who are currently repaying a separate payday loan. According to state Rep. Donna Seidel, D-Wausau, the new amendment is the product of

a compromise among lawmakers who worked for the past several months on consolidating competing reform proposals. “[The goal of the bill is] meaningful regulatory reform with comprehensive consumer protections as well as being the Assembly proposal most likely to become signed into law and … immediately benefit the citizens of Wisconsin,” she said. The compromise comes just days after Assembly Speaker Mike Sheridan, D-Janesville, acknowledged

he dated a payday lender lobbyist. Last week, Sheridan’s spokesperson, Rebekah Sweeney, said Sheridan’s personal relationships will not affect his support for payday loan regulations. In a statement, Sheridan said he is pleased with the amended legislation and plans to bring the bill to the floor as soon as possible. The Assembly Committee on Financial Institutions will meet Wednesday to take up the revised version of the payday loan legislation. —Hannah Furfaro

Pharmacy school raises $22M in 6-year campaign By Ashley Davis The Daily Cardinal

The UW-Madison School of Pharmacy recently announced it raised more than $22 million with its People and Programs Campaign, first launched in 2004. In its sixth and final year, the campaign surpassed the school’s goal of $18 million and generated 9,861 pledges and gifts. The large number of individual donations is indicative of the commitment to support the faculty, staff and students in the School of Pharmacy, said Diane Stojanovich, director of communication at the school. The campaign’s funds have helped establish 34 student scholarship funds, 10 graduate student support funds and nine research-

related funds, among others. “Our donors and their most generous gifts have laid the groundwork for a very bright future,” Jeanette Roberts, dean of the School of Pharmacy, said in a statement. The campaign was created in hopes of reducing student debt and broadening access for students who could not otherwise afford college, recruiting and retaining exceptional faculty and advancing cutting-edge research. “This campaign is unique because it’s focused on building a base of permanent support,” Stojanovich said. “It was looked at as supporting the human infrastructure of the school.” The campaign had the largest fundraising goal in the school’s history. Although the campaign ended Dec.

31, 2009, there are ongoing initiatives from the UW Foundation on behalf of the School of Pharmacy. The Great People Matching Scholarship Fund, a new Pharmacy Alumni Association campaign, has generated $140,000 and established three full-tuition “dean’s scholarships.” Faculty-focused funds like the George Urdang Chair in the History of Pharmacy and the Pharmacy Forward Fund both provide resources to better recruit, retain and develop staff members. The Pharmacy Global Health Fund is one of many that seeks to advance the school’s global health initiatives. “The promise for the future has never been greater, thanks in large part to the success of the People and Programs Campaign,” Roberts said.

Madison man nearly falls victim to Nigerian e-mail scam A 65-year-old Madison man was nearly the victim of a Nigerian e-mail scam, according to a Madison Police Department report. The man contacted MPD last week after receiving eight e-mails from “Mr. Berkie Moussa,” a man

primates from page 1 being conducted at UW-Madison in a letter in response to criticism. “The general consensus in the scientific community is that research with nonhuman primates, when properly conducted, is consistent with scientific and ethical norms,” Martin said. “The research aims of the university are clear—understanding the causes and developing treatments to the most devastating human medical conditions.” In December, the U.S. Department of Agriculture cited sanitation, ventilation and enclosure concerns within UW-Madison animal facilities in a 10-page, detailed report that has intensified criticism of the research. The USDA cleared UW-Madison as compliant with all animal welfare standards in January. “I don’t want to prejudge the ethics issue, but I think the question is whether the research is being properly conducted.” Hendrick said. “That cannot be answered until there is a more public and independent process to address that question.” A public debate on the ethics of animal research is scheduled for March 15 at Memorial Union between Rick Bogle, co-director of the Alliance for Animals, and UW-Madison researcher Paul Kaufman.

he does not know. The e-mails asked for personal information, promising 40 percent of a supposed $20.5 million inheritance. “This transaction is 100 percent risky free. Thanks, Mr. Berie Moussa Bank of Africa

Ouagadougou,” the e-mail read. The false e-mail was sent from the address mrberkid1@sisy.com. MPD is encouraging citizens who believe they have been victims of “cyber crimes” to contact the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov/default.aspx.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

l

news

PUT

YOUR LOVE IN PRINT Send 40 words or fewer about your lucky Valentine’s Day crush. We’ll print it for free in our weekend issue. Submissions are due today to ads@dailycardinal.com.

3


opinion Darwin’s legacy independent of beliefs 4

l

dailycardinal.com/opinion

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Day 3 of a week-long look at science education in America By David Baum GUEST COLUMN

With all the discussion of Charles Darwin’s bicentennial over the last year, we kept hearing about the conflict between evolution and religion. It sometimes seems that the entire question of whether religion is reasonable turns on whether evolution happened, and the entire question of whether to accept that evolution happened depends on whether one wants to reject the existence of God. In these polarized discussions, it is worth asking why, if he believed evolution happened, wasn’t Darwin an atheist? When he first embarked upon understanding the origin of species, “that mystery of mysteries,” as he called it, Darwin was still a mainstream Anglican Christian. And, while he eventually adopted an agnostic stance, there is no evidence that this was a result of his scientific work. Indeed he was explicit in stating that he saw no way in which the truth of evolution would have any relevance to the question of the existence of God. When asked to advise a correspondent, Mrs. Mary Boole, who was struggling with her religious beliefs, Darwin replied: “But I cannot see how the belief that all organic beings, including

man, have been genetically derived from some simple being, instead of having been separately created bears on your difficulties.” Given all the suggestions that Darwinism is incompatible, with religion, it is a shame more people do not understand the underlying motivations that led Darwin to develop his theories. In seeking a natural explanation for biological diversity, Darwin was no more seeking to disprove God than was Isaac Newton when he proposed his laws of motion. Given that Darwin and Newton had basically the same mission, it is somewhat mysterious that Darwinian evolution, but not Newtonian physics is seen as being at odds with religion. Newton and the other participants in the scientific revolution sought natural, law-like explanations for phenomena. Prior to Newton there were no unified explanations for motions of different objects. All one could conclude was that each moving object, whether a planet or cannonball, was doing so through the intervention of God. Newtonian physics was not intended to replace God but merely to provide a medium through which God acts: the laws of motion. By positing descent from common ancestry and proposing a natu-

ral mechanism of change over time, Darwin offered for biology what the physical scientists had already largely achieved. And Darwin was fully aware of the parallels, as is clear in his 1844 essay: “For my own part I could no more admit the former proposition [that different Rhinoceros species were separately created] than I could admit that the planets move in their courses, and that a stone falls to the ground, not through the intervention of the secondary and appointed law of gravity, but from the direct volition of the Creator.” Why is evolutionary biology but not physics painted with the brush of anti-religion? In each case one can either hold that God created natural laws to do much of the work of running the universe, or alternatively

that the natural laws just “are.” While there may be other good reasons why Darwin might have chosen the latter, atheistic path, the impetus could not come from the science of evolutionary biology per se. Darwin’s scientific discoveries did not lead directly to atheism any more than did Newton’s. The perception of a mismatch between evolution and religion is actually not a conflict between evolution and religion, but between evolution and one way of interpreting a few passages of ancient Hebrew. Equally the lack of perceived conflict between Newtonian physics is not because it is any more compatible with beliefs in the existence of a deity, but due to the Bible’s lack of any discussion of the physics of motion.

In this week of celebration of the 201st birthday of Charles Darwin, let’s not forget that evolutionary biology is just one small corner of the scientific edifice and that, while endlessly fascinating and challenging, it should bear no special place in the broader debate over science and religion. David Baum is a professor of botany, chair of the botany department and director of the J.F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution. We welcome all feedback. Please send all responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

Professor Baum talks more about evolution, outreach and education on The Soapbox. Read it at: www.dailycardinal.com/opinion

New framework needed for a more productive evolution, creation debate BEN TURPIN opinion columnist

T

he evolution-versus-creation-in-school debate has been raging for years. Some say religion should not be taught in schools. Some say students should not be exposed to material that conflicts with the religious beliefs their parents are attempting to instill in them. Still others say that both should be taught so that students are exposed to both sides of the argument and can make a decision for themselves. The debate could be boiled down to creation and the Big Bang Theory, since evolution only addresses what has happened after the appearance of life on earth. But the real debate should be more general: religion versus science. One interesting facet of this argument is the wide variance of views among those who support creation being taught in schools.

On one end of the spectrum are fundamentalist groups like the Young Earth creationists, who believe every word in the Bible was meant to be taken literally. This group is vehemently opposed to any scientific discipline making claims that could be in opposition to their beliefs in any way. This policy has made enemies of virtually every scientific discipline for them. On the other end are those who follow intelligent design. Proponents of this idea value science much more and often attempt to use it to prove creationism. But critics say that more often than not, these attempts make too much of an effort to stretch their theories to fit the scientific observations, or vice versa, and they do not meet the standards of the scientific process. As UW Professor Elliott Sober wrote, “It is easy enough to construct a version of intelligent design that accommo-

dates a set of observations already known, but it also is easy to construct a version of intelligent design that conflicts with what we have already observed. Neither undertaking results in substantive science, nor is there any point in constructing a version of intelligent design that is so minimalistic that it fails to say much of anything about what we observe.” It is also impossible to disprove intelligent design because in almost any context, its followers can simply fall back on the assertion that “God did it.” So creation cannot be tested empirically. It is not a theory. It is an unverifiable belief. Since science is all about putting ideas to the test, the concept of creation has no place in the scientific world. So in the end, this debate is somewhat ridiculous. Scientific theories like evolution and the

NATASHA SOGLIN/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Big Bang belong in science classrooms. Components of systems of religious beliefs like creation do not. All students should be exposed to at least a basic overview of the principles of science. If some parents want to indoctrinate their children with a predisposition toward any scientific theory, they have the right to do it. They also have the option of sending their children to private schools that may teach a curriculum more to their liking. This is not to say that there is no place for creation in schools. It can, and should, be taught in the context of a religious studies class. In fact, all religions should be taught in that context. Fostering a better understanding of the different world views that exist should be a goal of any school. But subjects need to be taught in the appropriate framework. Religion and science do not

need to be opponents of one another any more than math and English do. They are simply different elements of the well-rounded learning experience that should be offered in schools. People from the religious camp need to accept that religion should not be on the same playing field with any scientific theory. It would be like a baseball team trying to beat a football team at football. People from the other side need to accept that both science and religion have a place in schools. Both sides need to acknowledge that this debate is just one more unnecessary source of animosity in a world that is already overflowing with it and learn to accept the views of others, even if they don’t agree with them. Ben Turpin is a junior majoring in psychology. We welcome all feedback. Please send responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com.


arts

dailycardinal.com/arts

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

l

5

Hot Chip cool down By Jacob Brand

ship into the harbor while surrounded by a convulted laser One Life Stand, the latest light show. album by British ElectropopThe lyrics tend to be quite ers Hot Chip reveals the same positive and seem to be more upbeat band as before, only with a message the band wants to less goofiness than on previous convey than a story they want releases. Their to tell. By the CD REVIEW electronica fourth track, sounds more they’ve started akin to ato get back their ha this time giddy synths, but around than to they also mix in Stars or Crystal some ’80s roboto movement to Castles, which the rhythms. is a refreshing One Life Stand In general, change of pace. Hot Chip the album seems The album more sincere and starts off somewhat ponderously with striving than previous albums, organs and drums that bring which is evidenced by lyrics to mind images of hallowed such as “Happiness is what we all want,” “I only want to be halls and dark churches. From there the album your one life stand,” “It’s a wild begins a steady build toward love that I have for my brotha brighter sound, but contin- ers” and “Now that we’re older ues to be calm and methodi- / there’s more we must do” to cal, rather than frantic and list a few. poppy. The album does seem Breaking somewhat away to have an underlying sad- from the rest of the album, the ness to it, which is accentuated track “Slush” starts out with by darker beats and austere a hearty course of “hum-a-nastring instruments. This gives hum-a-na” and abandons any the album a more polished feel techno beat in favor of an acousbut puts it in danger of sound- tic guitar, piano, and cello. ing like soundtrack music. Overall, the album seems This is especially evident on to be a much more grown-up “I Feel Better,” which gives and mellow work with lyrics the distinct impression that that seem closer to their hearts it should be playing as Jack than the happy-go-lucky songs Sparrow rides his sinking sci-fi of previous albums. THE DAILY CARDINAL

PHOTO COURTESY SIRE RECORDS

With melodramatic lyrics and a more commercialized feel on Screamworks, one can only hope HIM’s next release will be a welcomed return to their earlier, authentic style of music.

HIM sell out on latest By Ryan Kirsch

higher notes on Screamworks than past albums, notably their platinum After nearly two decades on the record Razorblade Romance. On sucmusic scene, Finnish quintet HIM cessive listens, the poppy atmosphere still knows how to churn out some his new vocal style creates becomes catchy tunes. Oddly, the “hearta- enjoyable and simply makes prior gram” symbol that vocalist Ville albums that much darker. Unlike the Valo trademarked album title suggests, CD REVIEW has become more the screaming is well-known than kept to a minimum the band’s music. over the course of Not surprisingly, the song list. one may attribute Another aspect the heartagram’s that seems jarring notoriety to the upon first diving commercial success into the album is Screamworks: professional skatthe large amount Love in Theory er and “Jackass” of synth. Whether and Practice Bam Margera has one prefers to clasHIM sify that particular enjoyed, since Valo gifted trademark rights to his long- “tone” as “new wave” or a straight time friend. throwback to ’80s glam, the synth Screamworks: Love in Theory and exists and must be dealt with. Practice, the band’s seventh studio Thankfully, it takes a backseat to album, certainly tries to capture the overall song construction and such success by toning down their becomes less of a shock after mulnormally brooding, dark digressions tiple spins of the album. The biggest criticism of HIM into a more approachable formula. From a fan’s perspective, such a move from many different consumer angles may be analogous to the fabled “sell- centers on their melodramatic and out,” and in many senses that may frankly emo lyrical content. Having be accurate. Valo’s characteristically labeled themselves as love metal, deep vocal style, the result of impres- which also appeared as the title of sive chain-smoking at shows (and their fourth album, Screamworks one can assume most of the rest of delivers on their formulaic approach his waking hours), takes a back seat to song themes. Really, do not make a on the album. He hits consistently foray into the genre if the thought of THE DAILY CARDINAL

listening to nearly 50 minutes of lovethemed songs sounds more boring than watching an obelisk’s shadow. The album does not really stray into the dangerous area of catatonic monotony (thankfully) by switching up the pace every now and then. Some early favorites emerge after minimal listening to the album a few times. “Disarm Me (With Your Loneliness)” serves as the obligatory ballad on the album, which is not surprising from a band that cites heavy influence from Bon Jovi. “Love, The Hardest Way” and “In the Arms Of The Rain” are victims of the aforementioned synth, but manage to limit the dominance of that sound past the songs’ intro sections. Perhaps the two best tracks on the album are “Ode To Solitude” and “Like St. Valentine,” which prove to keep feet tapping. HIM’s willingness to cow-tow to commercial pressure by changing their edgy sound into a more commercialized, processed product detracts from Screamworks, but leaves a hopeful void for the band’s next release. As if there was any doubt, one can be sure that Bam digs this album, and after a few listens, appreciating the overall product seems inevitable. When compared with the rest of their discography, however, the new direction drives Screamworks somewhere into the middle of the road.

PHOTO COURTESY ASTRALWERKS RECORDS

U.K. band Hot Chip have developed a more mellow and more mature sound on their latest release, One Life Stand.

Revisiting the works of two late and great literary giants ALEX KUSKOWSKI the big bookowski

N

ot to be narcissistic, but I like to think of my every other Wednesday column with you Madisonians as “my” day. It’s where I relay my opinions to you about the great ideals of literature, and you, my silently captive audience, swallow it whole. Well, all three of you who make it through the first paragraph anyway. Of course, nobody likes to have bad things happen on “their” day. Note the many television shows devoted to bridezillas. This is why I was all the more devastated when two literary GIANTS up

and died on the date of my last column. I was totally eclipsed! It was horrible. I really should’ve cried, torn my dress and refused to go on. To make matters even worse, I couldn’t escape them. Novels about tortured youths and marginalized people seemed to climb the best-seller lists overnight. Phonies appeared left and right carrying their books, as if they’d read “Nine Stories” before last week. It was only then that I realized: In order to do proper justice to their memories, I’d have to give up my self-pity, go on with the ceremony and devote a column in their memories, or at least to their books that I liked best. If the authors I’m talking about aren’t immediately clear, it’s probably best to head back to middle school, because if you didn’t read

J.D. Salinger or Howard Zinn in the eighth grade, I doubt you passed it.

Phonies appeared left and right carrying their books, as if they’d read “Nine Stories” before last week.

In order to better educate those of you who somehow managed to get into a university without reading either of them, I turned back to my dead idols, perusing the final collection of their works. Obviously, I began with Salinger. Let’s face it; he’s the writer everyone aspires to be. His

college declaration of writing the “Great American Novel” actually came true. For all you non-English majors that’s like winning the lottery, getting into the Baseball Hall of Fame and winning a Grammy all rolled into one. Like everyone else, I worked on reliving the teen angst that typified “The Catcher in the Rye,” but it just wasn’t enough for me. So if you, like me, want a smattering of Salinger in addition to Holden’s manifesto to ease your emotional pain, check out “Franny and Zooey,” or pick a short story of his with the great title “A Perfect Day for Bananafish.” It’ll be worth the reread. Zinn was somewhat harder to typify. From his credo on “Artists in a Time of War” to “A People’s History of the United States” (Zinn’s most famous work) to even “Disobedience and Democracy,”

Zinn thrived on riling people up. For me, much of the time Zinn’s writings flatter the same emotional disconnect that Holden held so dear.

Whether you agree with their life philosophies or not, both authors gave readers something to be upset about.

Whether you agree with their life philosophies or not, both authors gave readers something to be upset about. And that, in and of itself, makes them worth a second look. Do you think you could write the next “Great American Novel?” Tell Alex at kuskowski@wisc.edu.


comics 6

l

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Coffee Regular

Today’s Sudoku

Evil Bird

A little bit paranoid. King Henry VIII slept with a gigantic axe. dailycardinal.com/comics

By Caitlin Kirihara kirihara@wisc.edu

© Puzzles by Pappocom

Ludicrous Linguistics

By Celia Donnelly donnelly.celia@gmail.com

Sid and Phil Classic

By Alex Lewein alex@sidandphil.com

Solution, tips and computer program available at www.sudoku.com.

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9.

Today’s Crossword Puzzle

Crustaches

First in Twenty

By Patrick Remington premington@wisc.edu

By Angel Lee alee23@wisc.edu

Answer key available at www.dailycardinal.com

Ho, Ho, Ho ACROSS 1 “Whatever” follower 5 ___ hammer (Viking symbol) 10 All-encompassing 14 A Cosby kid 15 “Blood Simple” star M. ___ Walsh 16 “Hairspray” mom 17 Alarming sight at sea 19 Within shouting distance 20 “Grumpy” film characters 21 Some early paintings 23 1950s automotive embarrassment 24 African danger 26 Hall-of-Fame pitcher Warren 28 Tell the world about 29 “The Hundred Secret Senses” writer Tan 32 When doubled, plussize attire 33 “Beau ___” 37 Children’s classic 42 Part of a social studies test 43 Glittering valuable 44 Second-person pronoun 45 Male sheep 47 Took a daring plunge

50 Principal railroad routes 54 Madmen, south of the border 58 Hoosier State 59 Worldly septet member 60 Rub out, mob-style 61 Deep-sea creature 64 1985 film “My Life as ___” 65 Virgil’s tongue 66 Wrist-elbow joiner 67 Assists, in volleyball 68 Plant blight 69 Where man met woman DOWN 1 City in northwest Missouri, informally 2 “___ in my hands ...” 3 Does a ranch hand’s job 4 “The Speckled Band” sleuth 5 Fork-tailed sea bird 6 “Managed care” org. 7 Online gasp 8 Volleyball star Gabrielle 9 Geological layers 10 Like many cabinets 11 Turn ___ ear to 12 Guard dog’s warning 13 Cheap and showy

18 Anguished cry 22 Churchill’s trademark gesture 24 Hired muscle 25 Get close and cozy 27 Rosemary Clooney’s “Botch-___” 29 Years since birth 30 ___ Butterworth’s (syrup brand) 31 “And what do you want?” 34 Hardly forward 35 Laotzu’s “way” 36 Aussie trotter 38 Annual report data 39 White-striped antelope 40 Doesn’t fold 41 “Today I ___ man” 46 Schmooze 48 Added value 49 Engine force 50 Golden-touch king 51 Battery electrode 52 Vilified villager 53 Aquatic nymph 55 Had the know-how 56 Express one’s view 57 Roomy car 59 Menace in Sicily 62 Absorbed, as an expense 63 Takeaway game with matches

Washington and the Bear

By Derek Sandberg kalarooka@gmail.com


sports

dailycardinal.com/sports

analysis from page 8 attempts in the second half and converting only five. While each make revved up the crowd and the defensive effort, each miss seemed to take more and more wind out of the crowd and slow Wisconsin’s momentum. Meanwhile on the other half of the court, McCamey began to

stepan from page 8 ple, just what a moment it was? DS: Absolutely. It was a great atmosphere all night long. And it was cool to be outdoors, kind of brought you back to your kid time. The whole entire experience was awesome. DC: You get to sit in [Athletic Director] Barry Alvarez’s chair for a day, how often do you do an outdoor game? “Any time you can be thrown in the same sentence with a guy like Joe Pavelski you’ve got to be completely honored.” Derek Stepan sophomore forward UW Men’s Hockey

DS: I think if you’re going to do it once a year, just do that. Because you still want to have that special feeling of being able to go play outdoors. I kind of like having that once-and-a-while type mentality, but once a year wouldn’t be bad, maybe every other year. So something like that, keeps that special feeling of playing in an outdoor game. DC: After your strong freshman year, head coach Mike Eaves compared you to former UW allAmerican and current San Jose

stars from page 8 partaking in this debate. Discussing wins and losses to definitively label athletes is unfair enough to quarterbacks, but it gets even more absurd when the deliberations revolve around other sports, involving players with an even smaller impact on game outcomes. How many times have we heard how great Derek Jeter is because he’s a winner? Jeter is a remarkable player—a player who can hit for average and power, a superb situational hitter and a steady shortstop. But fans and analysts tend to harp on Jeter’s five World Series victories. Jeter is a great piece to build a winning team with, but it’s because of his ability, not because he’s a winner. You know who else has five World Series? Luis Sojo. Winning a championship is a nice feather in a player’s cap for debate, but individually, it should not add too much to an evaluation. Perhaps the best example of this problem is Kobe Bryant. Bryant has consistently been one of the best, if not the best NBA player in the last 10 years. Early in the decade Kobe won three championships with Shaq by his side. Once the Lakers traded Shaq to Miami, the Lakers completely fell off the table, either bowing out early in the playoffs or missing them completely. Kobe was scrutinized for being too selfish. Then, all of a sudden when the Lakers acquired Pau Gasol, Los Angeles returned to the Finals and won it all the next season. Was Bryant considerably

catch fire. Three 3-pointers right before halftime, each one further and further away from the basket, proved crucial for the Fighting Illini, keeping the game close at the break. McCamey carried that momentum into the second half to overwhelm Wisconsin’s defense and secure the Illinois win. The Badgers missed a great

chance to further tighten the Big Ten race. Perhaps if Tisdale, who finished the first half 6-of-7 from the field, comes up short on those jumpers the Badgers roar out to a 20-point lead and seal the contest early. But Wisconsin could not overcome Tisdale’s early efficiency and McCamey’s barrage, and as a result now faces an uphill climb to the top of the conference.

Shark Joe Pavelski. Going into that offseason what was the one thing you wanted to get better at for this year? DS: I had to get stronger and I had to really start working with [strength and conditioning coach] Jim Snider, and me and Jim Snider, we’ve done a heck of a job so far, but I’ve got a long ways to go. But that was the one thing this summer that I really needed to improve on and I felt very good about my summer. Last summer I got a lot stronger but I need to continue to get stronger. DC: You had the Pavelski comparison, people talked about it for a little bit. Do you see it as apt? DS: Any time you can be thrown in the same sentence with a guy like Joe Pavelski you’ve got to be completely honored, just try to do the best you can to fill his shoes, and they’re a very big pair of shoes to fill. So I’m just trying to do my best, to do what I can, to be as much as I can like Joe. DC: Which was the better, more exciting moment: getting drafted or winning the World Juniors the way you did? DS: Oh that’s a really tough question ... getting drafted is a really special feeling and it’s one of those things where you still got to continue to work to get where you want to get, but it’s a good step. And then to win

that World Junior tournament with the group of guys that I won it with. We had a blast the whole seven games, the whole tournament, and to win it in OT against Canada. I can’t really push towards one right now, I’d have to say that I’m going to have to go with the World Junior one just because it was so recent and the getting drafted part, that’s just kind of a stepping stone ... I’d say that the World Junior Championship might win it. It’s close though, very close. DC: When people think of hockey players, superstitions are something that comes to mind. What are your superstitions? DS: Oh I have a lot of them ... [There is] a certain golf ball that I stick-handle with before a game. I jump rope maybe, pregame routines, taping twigs, doing it a certain way every game, under gear. I’ve got a lot of them, I’ve got a ton, a list. I eat a bowl of cereal, I eat Cocoa Pebbles before the game, all that stuff. DC: Any one of the guys poke fun at you for it? DS: Yeah, Jake [Gardiner], my roommate, gives me a pretty hard time about it. Jordy [Murray] doesn’t really. Matt Thurber’s my other roommate, he’ll give me a hard time about it. A couple guys in the locker room will, but there’s a lot of guys that have superstitions on the team.

worse during the championship drought? Bryant was a great player with Shaq, a great player when L.A. was losing, and he’s still a great player after the Lakers’ 2009 championship. Great athletes whose teams succeed obviously contribute greatly to the winning, but they’re also in very fortunate situations with other great players around them. Achievement in sports is because

of an all-around effort from dozens of players and coaches. Winning squads do not win because of a player, they win because of their teams. This may seem obvious, but for whatever reason points like these are never considered in sports arguments revolving around individuals. Does the media put too much importance on stars? E-mail Scott at kellogg2@wisc.edu.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

l

7

Men’s Hockey

Thurber suspended, future in doubt after alleged violation Sophomore forward Matt Thurber has been suspended from the men’s hockey team for unspecified alleged violations of the UW Department of Athletics’ StudentAthlete Discipline Policy, the department announced Tuesday. Thurber did not take part in team practice Tuesday afternoon and will not be a part of any games or practices until the suspension is lifted. When asked about Thurber’s absence from practice, head coach Mike Eaves said, “he’s got off-ice issues going on,” but did not elaborate beyond that.

The Athletic Department did not specify a time for his return, saying Thurber will be suspended, “pending the availability of further information relating to his case.” Thurber has played in nine THURBER games this season, often sharing playing time on the Badgers’ fourth line. —Nico Savidge

LORENZO ZEMELLA/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Jason Bohannon had 15 points against Illinois, but admitted the Illini “got away from us” in the game’s last few minutes, sealing the loss.

recap from page 8 McCamey lost the ball when it looked like he dribbled the ball off of Taylor’s foot. He hesitated on the play, waiting for a kick call while Taylor picked up the ball down on the Badgers’ end and nailed a 3 from the far corner of the court. The triple gave the Badgers a five-point lead. Soon after, Wisconsin hit the cold streak, which might have cost them a Big Ten regular season title. McCamey, who leads the Big Ten in assists, found junior Bill Cole near the baseline and snuck a clever pass to him. Cole finished the lay-up with Taylor fouling him on the way up. Following Cole’s made free throw, Illinois held a 47-45 lead. Wisconsin had its opportunities to pull the game back in its favor

10

in the second half, but the Badgers’ intermittent 3s and occasional midrange jumpers weren’t enough to faze the Illini. “At two-and-a-half minutes we had to start fouling, and they got away from us,” Bohannon said. “Even though we weren’t converting shots, we were still doing other things that were keeping us there, and we just have to find a way to make those shots.” The loss snaps Wisconsin’s 51game win streak over unranked teams at the Kohl Center and allows Illinois to jump over the Badgers in the Big Ten standings. “As much of a cluster [as] the Big Ten is, there is no reason to dwell on one loss,” Nankivil said. “We just have to go out and play and do everything we can to get back in a good position.”

QUESTIONS

MINUTES

TO DEFINE WHO WE ARE AS A NATION

2010 CENSUS: GET THE FORM. FILL IT OUT. BE COUNTED. IT’S IN OUR HANDS


sports 8

l

dailycardinal.com/sports

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Men’s Basketball

Badgers go cold late, suffer first home loss RECAP By Nick Schmitt THE DAILY CARDINAL

Down four with just over two minutes remaining before the Badgers would be hit with their first home loss of the season, sophomore guard Jordan Taylor split between two Illinois defenders and saw an open lane to the basket. The lay-up would cut the Fighting Illini’s lead to two, and just like Wisconsin has

done all season in the Kohl Center, they would ride the momentum to escape defeat. But Taylor missed. And in the second half missing was contagious for the Badgers on their way to a 63-56 loss to Illinois. Wisconsin only made eight shots in the second half with five of those coming from behind the arc and one after the game was out of reach. In the last 12 minutes of the game Illinois held the Badgers to only eight points

STEPHANIE MOEBIUS/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Jordan Taylor and the Badgers face a tougher fight for the Big Ten title after falling to Illinois in their first loss at the Kohl Center this season.

ANALYSIS

McCamey’s strong second half helps Illini upset frustrated Badgers By Scott Kellogg THE DAILY CARDINAL

The Badgers entered the contest with home-court advantage and a higher ranking than the Fighting Illini, but with junior guard Demetri McCamey playing well, the Fighting Illini knew they had a chance if they received offensive production from their frontcourt against the much smaller Badgers. That’s JARMUSZ exactly what the underdogs did to earn a major victory for their team this season. When preparing for Illinois’ offense, McCamey is the obvious threat as the team’s leading scorer and most recent Big Ten Player of the Week. But a more fascinating element heading into

last night’s game was the size differential between Wisconsin and the Fighting Illini. Illinois started junior center Mike Tisdale standing at 7'1", along with junior forwards Mike Davis and Bill Cole, each 6'9". The Badgers, playing without injured forward Jon Leuer, have been starting a three-guard lineup, with 6'6" junior forward Tim Jarmusz. Wisconsin could not have started the game better, storming out to an 8-0 lead. After a jumper by Tisdale, a 3-pointer by sophomore guard Jordan Taylor handed Wisconsin an 11-2 lead. But Tisdale converted another jumper to stop the bleeding and steal some of the momentum the Badgers had mounted. Wisconsin’s offense slowed down, and Tisdale converted two more field goals after three Illinois free throws to cut the lead to seven just after the halfway point in the first half. At that point, Tisdale was the only Illini player to make a field goal, shooting 4-for-5 from the floor with the rest of Illinois 0-for-9. And it was not until a McCamey layup with 6:01 remaining in the first half that another Illini player scored from the field. On the other hand, Wisconsin’s

and only gave up one trip to the free throw line, where sophomore Rob Wilson came up empty. “The problem is when you’re not putting points on the board, it just doesn’t look good,” Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan said. “But you knew it had to happen sooner or later where we were going to go dry. We just picked a bad time to do it.” In the beginning of the first half the Badgers looked like the team that toppled over Michigan State and Michigan. They raced out to an 8-0 lead behind a lay-up by junior forward Keaton Nankivil and 3s by senior guard Jason Bohannon and junior guard Tim Jarmusz. Bohannon had a team-high 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting with six rebounds for Wisconsin. The Badgers completely shut out Illinois’ leading scorer junior guard Demetri McCamey to start the game, but were bombed by 7’1” junior center Mike Tisdale, whose mid-range jumper kept the Fighting Illini in striking distance. He knocked down 10 of Illinois’ first 13 points on his way to finishing with 19 on 8-of-11 shooting. McCamey finally came out of his shell at the end of the first half. He hit three consecutive 3s, which, if not for a buzzer-beater by senior guard Trevon Hughes, would have given Illinois the lead going into half. Those nine quick points by McCamey shifted the momentum to Illinois head coach Bruce Weber and his team. “[McCamey] did some big time things throughout the game; he’s really playing like we’ve wanted him to.” Weber said. It looked like the Badgers would regain control after a fluke play. recap page 7 offense became sporadic. After hitting their first three 3s of the game, the Badgers shot 3-of-8 from long distance and could not put any points up in the paint. Several times midway through the first half, UW players attacked the rim and came up with nothing. “We drove to the basket several times thought we were going to get to the free throw line,” Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan said. “I thought our guys got a little gun-shy when we didn’t get there.” The Badgers also came up empty on low-post attempts. Perhaps the most telling sign of that came in the second half when junior forward Keaton Nankivil gathered an entry pass to the low post while matched up one-on-one with Tisdale, and instead of looking to make a play for himself or one of his teammates with his superior position, Nankivil simply dribbled the ball back out to the perimeter before dumping the ball back to senior guard Trevon Hughes. “Maybe they fell in love with the 3,” Illinois head coach Bruce Weber said. Thus Wisconsin put all its offensive stock on 3-point shooting, launching 18 3-point analysis page 7

Men’s Hockey

DANNY MARCHEWKA/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO

Derek Stepan offered his thoughts on topics ranging from playing at Camp Randall Stadium to his pregame rituals in a recent interview.

Stepan reflects on World Juniors, outdoor hockey By Ben Breiner THE DAILY CARDINAL

In his second year as a Badger, sophomore center Derek Stepan has become one of the team’s top players. The Minnesota-native was second on the team in points last year and has become a fixture on this year’s top power-play unit, garnering six goals and 25 assists. He was on the ice for the Badgers’ game-tying and -winning goals Saturday night in the Camp Randall Hockey classic and over winter break played for a U.S. team that beat Canada for the World Junior Hockey Championship. After practice yesterday he talked to The Daily Cardinal about a few of those accomplishments and

his time as a Badger. The edited transcript follows: Daily Cardinal: What did it feel like being on the ice during those two goals and that whole stretch? Derek Stepan: Our power play kind of stepped up big when we needed them to. In the past we’ve been struggling so it was a good feeling for our power play and it was a good feeling for our team to get the ball rolling a little bit. And then to get the game-winning goal as well, it was a special feeling. DC: Was there a sense that you could sort of step back and sort of think, I’m in front of all these peostepan page 7

Media ignore importance of team by overhyping superstars SCOTT KELLOGG the cereal box

I

couldn’t believe what I heard after Super Bowl XLIV. After a season of reading and watching virtually every NFL analyst declare Peyton Manning the best quarterback in NFL history and a player performing at the height of his career, sports pundits were now debating whether, after one game, Drew Brees is now better than Manning. This particular argument is the latest one that represents a big problem in sports analysis. This is going to sound a little crazy at first, but bear with me: The media puts too much emphasis on winning when evaluating individual players. All season Manning was pronounced, by a fair margin, the best quarterback in the NFL. This season he threw for 4,500 yards and 35 touchdowns as he played with defenses in the palm of his hand, capping it off with his NFL-record

fourth AP NFL MVP award. Manning stayed hot in the postseason, and was turning in a solid Super Bowl effort until he threw the pick that spelled doom for his team. Granted, it was a big moment in a big game, but now because of it sports analysts are jumping ship and crowning Brees the best in the NFL. Manning’s interception was a poor throw and a costly mistake for himself and his team, but dethroning him as the league’s current best is totally unfair. Manning did not even play that poorly of a game (31-45, 333 yards, one touchdown, one interception), but because of the loss, apparently his legacy has been damaged. Sports is far too team-oriented to make rash judgments such as this. All four major sports are team games, with many players on each side of the ball (or puck) impacting the outcome. It is almost a certainty that if Hank Baskett does not mishandle the onside kick the Colts win the game, and then it can be guaranteed no one around sports is stars page 7


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.