Weekend, November 14-16, 2008 - The Daily Cardinal by The Daily Cardinal

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Why is this giraffe’s hat pink? Color comics, duh. GRAPHICS G

University of Wisconsin-Madison

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Taylor Swift’s latest, Fearless, an impressive followup for the pop-country star ARTS l

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Weekend, November 14-16, 2008

Budget cuts force UW System to reduce hiring By Grace Urban THE DAILY CARDINAL

CHRISTOPHER GUESS/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO

The Wisconsin football team, which won the historic Paul Bunyan’s Axe from Minnesota in 2004, hopes to defend it once again Saturday, this time against a much-improved Gopher squad.

Can Wisconsin cut the Gophers down to size? By Scott Kellogg THE DAILY CARDINAL

Continuing the longeststanding rivalry in Division I college football, the Wisconsin football team will wrap up its conference schedule this weekend at home against Minnesota in the battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe. The Badgers hope to keep the Axe in Madison for a ﬁfth-straight year—they have not lost to the Golden Gophers since 2003. But for the ﬁrst time since that season, Minnesota (3-3 Big Ten, 7-3 overall) enters the game with a better record than Wisconsin (2-5 Big Ten, 5-5 overall). Following a 35-point win at Indiana last weekend in which it regained some Wisconsin-style toughness and swagger, the team

will try to somewhat salvage a disappointing season by capturing a victory. “I know we’re conﬁdent on defense, and offense, too,” sophomore safety Jay Valai said. “So we should be ready to go.” Senior linebacker Jonathan Casillas also has reason to believe his defense will play well based on recent performance. “We’ve made a lot of mistakes, but I think we’ve learned from them,” Casillas said. “I think you could see that during the Indiana game, and the Michigan State game, too.” But regardless of recent play, Wisconsin players will be ﬁred up to get the chance to play against the Gophers. “That’s what you play col-

lege football for when you go to Wisconsin. You got to play for the Axe,” Casillas said. Last season, Minnesota finished the season 1-10 overall and winless in the Big Ten. This season, the Gophers have experienced a respectable turnaround, and it starts at the quarterback position with sophomore Adam Weber. “[Minnesota’s] way better than last year, and that’s because of him,” Casillas said. Weber has morphed from a mistake-prone freshman into a smart game manager. Last season, he threw 24 touchdowns, but he was also intercepted 19 times. This season, Weber has thrown 11 football page 3

The current fiscal crisis has the UW System facing many potential spending cuts, including decreasing the amount of faculty it hires. UW System President Kevin Reilly sent a memo to all UW chancellors Oct. 28, which stated that beginning Nov. 1, new hires must be approved by the chancellor or a designee and hires “must be deemed those most essential to the university’s mission at this time.” There will be “resource restraints of various kinds,” said David Giroux, spokesperson for the UW System. Although it is too early to know specifically how many jobs will have to be cut, or whether enrollment will drop, there are going to be cuts in all areas, according to Lee Sensenbrenner, spokesperson for Gov. Jim Doyle. “Right now it’s too early to say the

nature of those cuts and how they’ll play out,” Sensenbrenner said. According to Mike Mikalsen, spokesperson for state Rep. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, the goal is to keep cuts as minimal as possible. “This opens the door to discussions about how the system can be more efficient,” Mikalsen said. According to Mikalsen, there are many unknowns at this point, but it is important to avoid raising tuition too much. “What we’re looking at is the tolerance level for tuition increases,” he said. This will most directly affect middle-class families, Mikalsen said, because “financial aid doesn’t go to middle-class students. Less and less of these students are able to finance higher education.” Giroux expects a higher need for financial aid because of the poor state of the economy. “Many more students will be hiring page 3

Economic growth on agenda for next legislative session By Nico Savidge THE DAILY CARDINAL

State Democrats hinted earlier this week an economic stimulus package for the state is in the works, but speciﬁc aspects of the plan are yet to be determined. State Sen. Mark Miller, D-Monona, co-chair of the Joint Committee on Finance, previously said a stimulus package made with Gov. Jim Doyle could be part of their legislative agenda. John Anderson, spokesperson for

Miller, stressed job creation, saying that it will be “the top priority for Senate Democrats.” He said it was too early to discuss any speciﬁcs of economic legislation. “The proposals are still in the [formative] stage and we’re waiting for the governor,” he said. Democrats now control both houses of the state Legislature, and Jim Bender, spokesperson for incoming Assembly stimulus page 3

Little strummer boy

New Student Activities Center to open in spring semester By Andrea Carlson THE DAILY CARDINAL

Many student organizations on campus, including the Associated Students of Madison, will move to a new home starting Jan. 6. The new Student Activities Center will reside on the third and fourth floors of the University Square building located at 333 East Campus Mall. The building will contain retail on the first and second floors, with University Health Services on the fifth through eighth floors and the Bursar’s Office on the ninth and 10th floors. The purpose of the new location is to bring together various student organizations on campus in a centralized meeting space. Included in the facility are cubby spaces and lockers for

each organization, conference rooms, a rooftop deck, study areas and a kitchen area. UHS presented the idea for the project in the mid-1990s, citing the need for a more central location on campus. Since then, UHS has been working with ASM to find a suitable location. “I think it’s a really great opportunity to show that ASM is really trying to work with student organizations, and it’s really great that we’ll be in such close proximity to [them],” said Lauren Vollrath, chair of the SAC Governing Board. Organizations to receive permanent office space in the building include Student Print, WSUM radio and ASM offices. The current ASM office is

located at Memorial Union, but according to Adam Sheka, chair of the ASM Shared Governance Committee, the office is disjointed and not cohesive for working with other organizations. “There’s a lot of opportunity for [ASM] to interact with other students, which is just going to be really beneficial,” Sheka said about the new space. According to the ASM website, students supported the decision to implement new office space through a referendum during previous ASM elections. “It’s an example of one of ASM’s victories that is really going to last a long time,” Vollrath said. ASM officials said the total cost for the University Square project came to $59 million.

CHARLIE BAKER/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Art Paul Schlosser performs with his guitar and kazoo at an open mic Thursday night in der Rathskeller at Memorial Union.

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

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TODAY: snow hi 44º / lo 32º

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Weekend, November 14-16, 2008

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

Golden gun found, still can’t save David

Volume 118, Issue 54

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

News and Editorial edit@dailycardinal.com Editor in Chief Alex Morrell Managing Editor Jamie McMahon News Editor Amanda Hoffstrom Campus Editor Erin Banco City Editor Abby Sears State Editor Megan Orear Opinion Editors Jon Spike Mark Thompson Arts Editors Emma Condon Ryan Hebel Sports Editors Ben Breiner Crystal Crowns Features Editor Sarah Nance Food Editor Marly Schuman Science Editor Bill Andrews Photo Editors Kyle Bursaw Lorenzo Zemella Graphics Editors Meg Anderson Matt Riley Copy Chiefs Jillian Levy Gabe Ubatuba Jake Victor Copy Editors Amanda Jutrzonka Alex Kuskowski, Todd Stevens Aime Agather

Business and Advertising business@dailycardinal.com Business Manager Babu Gounder Assistant Business Manager Alex Kusters Advertising Manager Sheila Phillips Eric Harris, Dan Hawk Web Directors Account Executives Katie Brown Natalie Kemp, Tom Shield Accounts Receivable Manager Cole Wenzel Marketing Director Andrew Gilbertson Assistant Marketing Director Perris Aufmuth 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.

DAVID HOTTINGER it’s getting hottinger

woke up on the ﬂoor of a strange bathroom. I saw urinals; a men’s bathroom. Good. “Where am I?” I asked myself. “Why was I passed out in a bathroom?” I checked my pants; dry, buttoned, still on me. Good. This was weird, though. Pushing open one bathroom door and then a second, I found myself standing at the top of two ﬂights of stairs with a platformlike overhang to my left. It seemed I was in some sort of strange facility. I headed down the stairs. When I reached the bottom, there was a brown iron door in front of me, a hallway to my right, and double gray doors to my left. Still no hint of what this place was, and I had no recollection of how I had gotten here. Casually, I glanced to my right. A guy was running wildly toward me from the other end of the hall! He was wearing a yellow Hawaiian print T-shirt,

glasses and HOLY SHIT, HE’S GOT A GUN! I ducked back behind the wall of the stairway. Did he see me? I poked my head out to check. Bullets whizzed past my head. More were on their way, but I didn’t stick around to see where they’d go. He’d seen me. I raced back up the steps, thoughts flying through my head like the bullets pouring down the hall. Who was that guy and why was he shooting at me? What the hell sort of place was this? By the time I got to the top of the steps the shooter was at the bottom. He wasn’t yelling, wasn’t really even looking at me, just running after me with his gun out in front of him. Super creepy. I was about to go back into the bathroom to hide when out of the corner of my eye I spotted another gun lying on the floor of the platform to my right. No time to wonder why an AK-47 was lying out in the open like that now. I ran over and snatched it up. My pursuer was just reaching the second flight. Bullets! I need bullets. Luckily, there was a green box with 80 of them near the back of the platform. I loaded without a moment to spare. Just as

Luau-dude reached the top step and raised his gun to start clobbering me, I let him have it. I was surprised how many slugs he took. I used up just about all my ammo. He even was able to get a few rounds off before his gun fell from his hands and he dropped to the ﬂoor. I was pretty sure I’d been hit, but before I had time to think about it, a short, well-dressed Asian man with a bowler hat started bounding up the stairs, followed closely by a white dude in a suit that looked just like James Bond. They were both armed. What the hell is going on, and why is everybody trying to kill me? I slipped into the bathroom and slammed the door behind me. I heard shots ﬁred outside. I was scanning the bathroom, looking for something to take cover behind when I saw it lying near the urinals: a gun made of pure gold. This has to be special. Just as I picked it up, the two behind me burst through the door and started running around, shooting at each other, me and everything in between. DAMMIT, THIS GOLDEN GUN ONLY HAS THREE BULLETS IN

IT! Better make them count. The odd-looking Asian set up shop in the corner by the sink and started taking pot shots at me with a silenced PP7 while the James Bond guy continued to run around in circles and shoot at whatever was convenient. My health was fading, fast. I had just gotten the Asian in my sights when WHAT THE FUCK THE HAWAIIAN SHIRT GUY I JUST KILLED COMES IN AND STARTS SLAPPING ME! I started ﬁring randomly. Miss. Miss. My last bullet struck Bond in the elbow, sending him to the pavement. ONE SHOT, BITCHES! OH, OUCH! OW! I’M GETTING SHOT LEFT AND RIGHT! HAWAII GUY HAS BOND’S GUN AND—OH BLOOD! BLOOD POURING DOWN MY FACE, ALL OVER MY EYES! IT’S GETTING DARK... everything is fading to blahhhh... I woke up in a strange place. There was sand on the ﬂoor and guns all around. It looked like a boiler room of sorts... Can you help David out? E-mail dhottinger@wisc.edu if you know where he is.

Keeping campus coverage classy

1892

Since

Editorial Board Nate Carey Dave Heller Jillian Levy Jamie McMahon Alex Morrell Jon Spike Mark Thompson Hannah Young l

Board of Directors

For the record

Vince Filak Babu Gounder Nik Hawkins Dave Heller Janet Larson Chris Long Alex Morrell Sheila Phillips Benjamin Sayre Jenny Sereno Terry Shelton Jeff Smoller Jason Stein l

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

WEEKEND: snow hi 38º / lo 26º

The best-kept secret about the Dutch is: �� d.

�� You take Dutch language courses at UW-Madison by signing up for “German” 112, or 214. e. What’s the deal with secrets and the Dutch family? Literature in Translation 326 (taught in English).

��

Want to get involved? —report —create graphics

—take photos —copy edit

e-mail edit@dailycardinal.com

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Weekend, November 14-16, 2008

football from page 1 touchdowns but has been picked off only ﬁve times. Weber is now one of the better quarterbacks in the conference. His 65.1 completion percentage is first in the Big Ten, and his 2,256 yards rank second. Fortunately for the Badgers, Weber’s primary target, junior Eric Decker, will not play Saturday, according to head coach Tim Brewster. Decker’s absence could be devastating for the Gophers. The receiver is first in the Big Ten and sixth in the country with 74 receptions. Decker has also accumulated 892 receiving yards and six touchdowns this season, both second in the conference. But regardless of who plays, Casillas said he knows Minnesota will be ready to compete Saturday, and it could be a tight game regardless of each team’s prior performances this season. “Whenever you play Minnesota you have to throw away the records,” he said. “They’re going to come out swinging no matter how good or bad they’re doing throughout the year.” If the game is close, homeﬁeld advantage may tip the scales, as Wisconsin has shown recent dominance at home over the Gophers. The Badgers have not lost to Minnesota in Wisconsin since 1994. Since then, Wisconsin is 6-0 in the rivalry game at home and has beaten Minnesota by an average of 22.5 points.

CAN argues against war in Afghanistan at campus teach-in

$1.9 million renovation planned for Capitol dome The Wisconsin Building Commission approved a request by the Department of Administration for roughly $1.9 million to repair the dome in the state Capitol Wednesday. In their request, the DOA said moisture in the dome’s interstitial space is causing rust to form on the steel trusses supporting the dome, which could be dangerous for the building’s structure. “Structural failure of any one truss connection or the tension ring would have catastrophic results,” the request reads. According to a 2008 study of the dome’s moisture, high humidity in the dome also contributes to the corrosion of the trusses. The project includes installing a dehumidification system in dome’s interstitial space and sealant at the base of the exterior dome, as well as inspection for any additional damage caused by leakage from the roof of the dome. A 2003 inspection ﬁrst found evidence of moisture, and in 2004 inspectors found rust on the dome. The request was made by the DOA after the Dome Moisture Study was completed in September. The study indicated several factors contributing to the damage, including the fact that the

news

By Beth Pickhard THE DAILY CARDINAL

KYLE BURSAW/THE DAILY CARDINAL

The dome of the state Capitol is facing problems with leakage and structural damage, prompting a renovation plan. Capitol is now air-conditioned, causing differences in moisture levels inside and outside the dome during summer months. According to the request, an

additional appeal will be made for ongoing monitoring of the dehumidification system over five years. —Justin Eells

County Executive Falk launches new coalition to take on alcohol misuse Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk announced the creation of a new coalition to combat county-wide alcohol issues at the CUNA Mutual Group in Madison Thursday. “For the ﬁrst time, citizens are coming together to say enough is enough with all the pain caused by alcohol abuse.” Kathleen Falk county executive Dane County

After months of research conducted by county staff, Falk decided to create the coalition to ﬁght the cultural acceptance of alcohol misuse throughout Dane County. The citizen-driven group, which will have its ﬁrst meeting in December, will work to focus on issues such as binge drinking and

stimulus from page 1 Minority Leader state Rep. Jeff Fitzgerald, R-Horicon, said Assembly Republicans would “be strong supporters of initiatives that … help our economy grow.” However, he said the stimulus package could “have an uphill battle” given the state budget deﬁcit, which is projected at $5 billion, and any tax increases would spur Republican resistance. “Going to the taxpayers and [having] them send more money to Madison is the wrong answer,” Bender said. “You have much more money going out than you have

may urge change in governmental policies and culture. “For the ﬁrst time, citizens are coming together to say enough is enough with all the pain caused by alcohol abuse,” Falk said in a statement. “This group brings together the best and brightest minds in our community to help bring about the change we need.” Steve Goldberg, executive director of the CUNA Mutual Foundation, also presented Falk with a check for $15,000 to use for Project Hugs, a program aimed at helping middle school students and parents deal with alcohol problems. In September, Falk announced she would dedicate $60,000 in her 2009 budget to launch the program in two middle schools in the county. She plans to introduce a package of proposals next month that she will work toward getting state lawmakers to adopt in their new session next year. coming in, and the people that are sending the money in can’t be asked to send more.” “Going to the taxpayers and [having] them send more money to Madison is the wrong answer.” Jim Bender spokesperson state Rep. Jeff Fitzgerald

Anderson would not get into speciﬁcs on how Democrats would pay for the package because of how

The UW-Madison chapter of the Campus Antiwar Network held a teach-in on campus Thursday as part of a national day of action against the occupation of Afghanistan. According to a release from CAN leaders, the organization decided to host the event to discuss the principle of the United States ﬁghting terrorism in Afghanistan, the 2001 invasion’s effect on the women of Afghanistan, and antiArab racism. By the end of the meeting, the organization concluded that the United States does not belong in Afghanistan and should withdraw immediately. Phil Gasper, a member of the International Socialist Review editorial board, shared his beliefs concerning the invasion of Afghanistan. He said the invasion covered up large imperial plans in the U.S. government. “[The invasion] was to reassert U.S. power,” he said. “The attack on Afghanistan was designed to show that we’re going to respond with massive force if we’re attacked.” Bobby Gryzynger, a CAN activist, said he thought the United States is spending massive amounts of money without achieving results.

“Instead of being built up, Afghanistan is being torn down,” he said. “Most of [the money] is going to make sure that the public government retains its power. For every dollar spent, only 5 cents goes to humanitarian aide.” Gryzynger said the United States must withdraw all its troops and contractors immediately and offer full economic reparations for the people of Iraq. He called for strong pressure from students and citizens in asserting their beliefs about withdrawal from Afghanistan. Ben Ratliffe, a CAN organizer and UW-Madison graduate, mentioned the strong antiwar action on campuses during the Vietnam War. “There were meeting halls ﬁlled with 3,000 students who stayed until 8:00 in the morning debating things out,” he said. “It was like 4 million students going on strike at the same time, shutting down [about] 400 universities.” Gryzynger said he is looking forward to seeing the change Presidentelect Obama implements once he enters ofﬁce. “The election of Barack Obama does represent a change, not in Washington, but in the people … Let’s show Obama that we will not accept these wars,” he said.

Hairy potter

DANNY MARCHEWKA/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Ira Slatter (left) helps a student on a potter’s wheel as part of his minicourse, “Intro to Wheel Pottery,” held in Memorial Union Thursday evening.

young the idea is. “We’re still ﬂeshing out the different ideas and reviewing the different options for the state of Wisconsin,” he said. Doyle introduced a number of economic reforms with the cooperation of Assembly Republicans in the spring despite disagreements from many Democrats in the Legislature. The measures passed in the Assembly, which was then controlled by Republicans, but faced opposition from the Democrat-controlled Senate. Lee Sensenbrenner, spokesperson for Doyle, also did not want to discuss speciﬁc parts of economic policy prematurely.

hiring from page 1 eligible next fall because of family circumstances,” he said. Additionally, Giroux anticipates an increase in enrollment in certain areas, such as workingage adults who have been laid off and college seniors who decide to stick around for graduate school and attempt to “wait out the recession.” Mikalsen said he hopes budget cuts will affect the students as little as possible. “Rep. Nass is not in support of balancing the budget on the backs of students,” Mikalsen said.

opinion Afﬁrmative action ﬁghts racial obstacles 4

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Weekend, November 14-16, 2008

By Sajia Hall THE DAILY CARDINAL

Mike Clutterbuck entirely missed the point in his Nov. 7 editorial, “Affirmative action open to debate with Obama.” Affirmative action attempts to counter the inherent disadvantages minorities face in our society, whether it is access to education, health care or employment. Clutterbuck argued that President-elect Barack Obama, an extraordinary individual who also happens to be black, succeeded through “[dedication] and hard work alone.” Therefore, he concludes, affirmative action is unnecessary because racial and ethnic disparities, ranging from the achievement gap to incarceration rates, are caused by “bad grades and no work ethic.” On average, blacks are six times more likely to go to prison, have median salaries 35 percent lower than whites, and are twice as likely to be unemployed. If there’s no social cause, if we truly live in a “post-racial” world, then blacks must simply be born 50 percent lazier, 35 percent less dedicated to their jobs and with six times the criminal tendencies of whites. Either that or there are other forces at work. America is enamored with the idea that someone can come from any background, whether it be the inner-city ghetto or a comfortable suburb, and with per-

sistence and dedication, achieve their dreams—even if that dream is to be president. Obama’s election is a historic moment, not just for blacks but for the United States as a whole. It shows that we have progressed tremendously in the past 50 years; after all, only 50 years ago, segregation was legal and open discrimination was the norm. However, Obama’s story is not the story of a black man succeeding solely through hard work and dedication. Certainly there was plenty of that, but Obama also had tremendous advantages the average person, much less the average black person, does not. His grandmother, who raised him from the age of 10, was the vice president of the Bank of Hawaii. Today, bank vice presidents make $100,000 or more per year compared to the median household income, which is a little over $50,000. In 1970, those numbers were undoubtedly lower, but Obama’s grandparents were nevertheless comfortably situated in the upper middle class. Obama attended an exclusive prep school in Hawaii and then went on to attend Occidental College and Columbia University, both expensive private schools. Later, he attended Harvard Law School, a school with tuition of over $40,000 a year—which, coincidentally, is more than the average black family makes in

that time period. Yes, he had scholarships. Yes, he had loans. No one is arguing that Obama is not immensely talented. He is a gifted lawyer, an eloquent statesman and soon will be the most powerful person in the world. He also didn’t face many of the obstacles students from poor and disadvantaged backgrounds have to overcome. Obama did not grow up in the inner city or attend a “failing” school—schools which are disproportionately located in highpoverty areas with large numbers of minorities. His parents were highly educated, a privilege enjoyed by only 15 percent of black children. He was not one of the 25 percent of blacks living below the poverty line. Those are the very students who affirmative action is designed to help. Of course, Obama says affirmative action shouldn’t be needed. We all, regardless of race or ethnicity, hope to live in a world where people are solely judged on their dedication and merit. However, we do not yet live in that world. Afﬁrmative action exists in recognition of the fact that there are obstacles racial and ethnic minorities face which are independent of class or income level. Income level alone cannot explain the employment gap between blacks and whites, which persists regardless of educational attainment. Nor can

it explain the income gap, where blacks, even those with undergraduate and advanced degrees, still make less than their white counterparts. All of these facts are compiled by the U.S. government and Census, and are readily available to anyone who cares to look. Nevertheless, the anti-affirmative action argument is as common as it is persistent. It is easier to believe that minorities are too lazy or stupid to succeed than to admit

that racism still exists—not just in isolated pockets, but as a systematic, institutionalized force. I believe in America. I believe that one day, Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream will come true, and people will no longer be judged by their color, race or gender. As Obama would say, “Yes we can!” Sajia Hall is a senior majoring in communication arts and history. Please send responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: CONDOR threatens to destroy all mankind I just got finished reading your Nov. 13 article “Solving the Internet Gridlock” and the story makes me very concerned. While it may seem like technology will advance computer processing power and allow for scientific advancement, I believe there are significant ethical implications that have been missed. Have you seen “The Terminator?” I quote, “To decide who has precedence, UW programmers have developed a program called CONDOR that serves to allocate tasks.” Are you kidding me? This is Skynet all over again. Sarah

Connor warned us that trusting our fate to a machine would cause the end of the world. Her son, John Connor, had to learn the hard way that once we allowed a sophisticated computer program like CONDOR into the interconnected Internet it was already too late. How many sequels, prequels and crappy TV series is it going to take for people to listen? You can’t trust computers. Don’t even get me started on “The Matrix.” —Andrew Carpenter UW Junior majoring in psychology and communication crts

comics

What’s up [with that] Doc? Mel Blanc, who played the voice of Bugs Bunny, was allergic to carrots.

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Weekend, November 14-16, 2008

Muzukashiidesu

Today’s Sudoku

Anthro-apology

By Eric Wigdahl wigdahl@wisc.edu

Angel Hair Pasta

By Todd Stevens ststevens@wisc.edu

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. The Daily Code

crack it

a b c d e f g h i

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

Sid and Phil

By Alex Lewein lewein@wisc.edu

The Graph Giraffe

By Yosef Lerner ilerner@wisc.edu

“Ixqau yj, ixqau yj, Ikwqhuu. Zkij ted’j jubb jxuc jxqj oek adem cu.” lyrics written by Robert Hunter “I wanna be that dirtyfinger and his six bitches”

Yesterday’s Code:

Today’s Crossword Puzzle

Evil Bird Answer key available at www.dailycardinal.com DOUBLESPEAK ACROSS

1 Surrender, as property 5 “Rabbit food” 10 What horses with sulkies do 14 They may go to blazes 15 Gladiators’ grounds 16 Cad 17 Type of split 19 Seep 20 3.75 feet, once 21 Marco Polo’s original heading 22 Part of a drum kit 24 Gastropod with earlike tentacles 26 Military takeover 27 First name in the “Beverly Hills, 90210” cast 28 Competitions 32 Trim a tress 34 Klink’s clink 36 Apt name for a British restroom attendant? 37 Went a-courting 39 Z lead-in 40 Recite rhetoric 42 A hostel environment 43 Fall guys? 46 Nephew of Cain 47 Floating cobweb 49 Appealed earnestly

51 Radio role for Freeman Gosden 52 Afﬁrm openly 55 Dance with high kicks 58 Rowan Atkinson character 59 Weasel’s cousin? 60 2002 Olympics state 61 Squeal of delight 64 Freeze for the camera 65 Prepared to testify 66 Twofold 67 Young oyster 68 Pavarotti or Domingo 69 Noted Renaissance patron DOWN

1 Alfresco eateries 2 Alienation, of a sort 3 Erosions of soil 4 Winter hours in NYC 5 Trips with a gnu look 6 Begin a revolt 7 Not right 8 Tiny symbol of industriousness 9 A 500 site 10 ___ l’oeil (visual deception) 11 Tooth part 12 Greek liqueur 13 Swarm 18 Wine vintage 23 Income’s opposite 25 Bad thing to abandon

26 “The ___ Purple” (1985 ﬁlm) 28 Feed a party 29 Defamatory 30 Baum canine 31 Doesn’t sit still for mistreatment 32 Deep drink 33 Banned activity 35 They follow “Roll ‘em!” 38 You can expect some from a prima donna 41 Atoll component 44 Mingling with 45 Hose nozzle, e.g. 48 Scented bag 50 Kind of division 52 Portuguese explorer Cabral 53 Begin’s peace partner 54 Clothes go in and out of it regularly 55 Latte needs 56 Superimposed on 57 Spaceexploring gp. 58 Blessing 62 “You ___ it to yourself” 63 Poetic homage

By Caitlin Kirihara kirihara@wisc.edu

arts 6

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Weekend, November 14-16, 2008

Swift’s immature lyrics outshone by pop skills By Jillian Levy

Although she seems to care more about boys than anything It’s hard to believe that blonde else, to write Swift off as just and beautiful Taylor Swift could another manufactured pop prinhave enough boy drama to write cess with the rest of the Disney another full-length album about channel ﬂoozies (see Miley Cyrus her luckless love life, but some- and Ashley Tisdale) is unwarranthow she pulls off another half- ed. Her lyrics are often genuinely country, half-pop touching and CD REVIEW success in her never feel fake or second release, overly precious. Fearless. Inspirational Swift rose to and uplifting, popularity in “Change” became 2006 following one of several the release of theme songs for her eponymous Beijing 2008–– Fearless debut and hasn’t the music video Taylor Swift fallen off the features clips of charts since. Try various medal as you might to hate her, Swift’s winners from the U.S. And what honest lyrics and catchy melo- would a country album be without dies are enjoyable and impos- some form of tribute to the great sible to get out of your head. U.S. of A., tractors or whiskey? Fearless hits almost every “The Best Day” is a meantopic of teenage life, from fall- ingful ballad written to Swift’s ing in love freshman year of high family in which the young singschool to a girl’s perspective on er recalls her favorite memories with her mother, father and why nice guys finish last. Highlights from the album younger brother. Simple, sweet include “Love Story,” which and heartfelt, “The Best Day” is has already risen to 16 on the sure to resonate with fans. Although Fearless will easily Billboard Hot 100 chart, “The Way I Loved You,” “Fearless” crank out numerous hits, the album suffers a low point in and “The Best Day.” Eighteen-year-old Swift, who “Fifteen,” Swift’s recollection of pens all of her own lyrics, gives falling in love for the first time Shakespeare a run for his money at, you guessed it, age 15. The with her version of Romeo and song’s message is sweet, but it’s Juliet in “Love Story.” Well, a little hard to take seriously the maybe not. But the song still pulls sage advice of someone who is on any romantic’s heartstrings and still in her teens. Despite Swift’s failed attempt is well deserving of its No. 14 spot at showing great maturity, the on the Billboard Hot 100. The ever boy-crazy Swift album on the whole is great and devotes half of the album’s tracks completely deserving of all the to pining over the guys who hype it received from the country are just friends (“You Belong music world. Even if thoughts of With Me”), dumping the ones cowboy boots and Garth Brooks who take too long to fall for her trigger your gag reflexes, you still (“White Horse”), and calling out might find Fearless enjoyable to the ones she just can’t get out for its simplicity, solid melodies and touching lyrics. of her mind (“Hey Stephen”). THE DAILY CARDINAL

PHOTO COURTESY DEATHWISH INC.

Guitarist Brian Izzi and drummer Steve Justian of Trap Them may not have outdone themselves on Seizures in Barren Praise, but they once again exceeded the abilities of most of their peers.

Trap Them bring the pain By Mario Puig

Their second full-length and third release overall, Seizures in It has been over a decade since Barren Praise, was unleashed upon Converge and Pig Destroyer established the metal masses on Nov. 11. themselves as the kings of hardcore/ Although the record is still brutal metal music. Although their music has enough to kick the ass of any suffered none from age and it’s highly listener who figures Disturbed is unlikely either will be dethroned any- heavy stuff, it fails to match the time soon, fans of aggressive music had impressiveness of the band’s first been patiently waittwo releases, espeCD REVIEW ing for the new wave cially the Séance of sounds to emerge. Prime EP. That new wave According was defined by to Deathwish more than a few I n c o r p o r a t e d ’s bands: Baroness, website, Seizures in Genghis Tron, A Barren Praise is a Scanner Darkly, continuation of the Seizures In Cursed, Unpersons, same lyrical concept Barren Praise etc. One band that that existed in Trap Trap Them may have shown Them’s first two the most impressive releases. “Barren blend of vision, aggression and heavi- Praise” is a fictional ghost-town ness of them all is Trap Them. where decay and tragedy has apparInitially known as Trap Them and ently run amok, and Trap Them’s Kill Them, perhaps the coolest band narrates its tale. The album opener, “Fucking name ever, Trap Them originate from New Hampshire. Since then, they Viva,” sounds like a weird comhave become globally recognized by bination of “We Will Rock You” the extreme music underground. Due and Pig Destroyer’s “Terrifyer.” As to the incorporation of many styles of feedback creeps from the album’s heavy and experimental music, Trap starting point, a sludgy guitar arrangement pairs with a slow, Them aren’t easily defined. They’re something you need to heavy drumbeat while vocalist hear for yourself, but if you take Ryan McKenney lets loose his the over-saturated guitar tones of familiar scream through a haze Entombed, traditional hardcore/crust of snarling low-end distortion. punk vocals along with the feed- The noise and tempo eventually back and polyrhythmic drumming of pick up, returning to the band’s Converge, you might get the picture. trademark sound. THE DAILY CARDINAL

“Gutterbomb Heaven on the Grid” shows its ugly face as bloodcurdling writhes and scrapes of static begin to boil, waiting for McKenney’s harsh vocals to arrive alongside a sporadic drum arrangement. While the lyrics explain Barren Praise’s abandonment, a ghastly bundle of feedback begins to swirl throughout the soundscape, creating a truly creepy atmosphere. As the sonic monstrosity becomes almost suffocatingly crushing, what might be the album’s best track, “Class Warmth,” prepares its entry. As a drum blast of mind-bending polyrhythms bursts through, a wild yet technical guitar arrangement tears into the air, bringing an aura of discordance reminiscent of the band’s ﬁrst album, Sleepwell Deconstructor. Seizures is more plodding and sludgy than is typical of Trap Them, and this track is a welcome blast from the not-so-distant past (the band debuted in 2007). Seizures in Barren Praise lacks the sheer ferocity of Sleepwell Deconstructor and the punk sensibility of Séance Prime. This seems to be because the band attempted to take a slower, more atmospheric approach with this album’s sound. It’s by no means a failure, but these guys specialize in unabashed carnage, and it’s what they should stick with in the future. Their ﬁrst two masterpieces are only a year old, so they’ve got plenty of time to get back on track.

This weekend’s music in Madison Glass Ghosts, The Cemetery Improvement Society and others

Pasiﬂora, Noris, Apparently Nothing, Windsor Drive and others

Where: The Annex, 18 and up When: Friday, Nov. 14 at 9 p.m. Cost: $7 at the door

Where: The Loft, all ages When: Saturday, Nov. 15. Doors open at 6 p.m. Cost: $7 at the door

These artists revolve around the sound of creepy, vaguely gothy electonic/industrial music. Expect an unnerving experience of futuristic cyber-darkness. Make sure to bring your eyeliner.

Pasiﬂora are well-dressed fellows who play poppy math-rock, sounding like a higherpitched Minus the Bear. The other bands fall along a similar vein. Note that the Loft has a new location (149 Waubesa Street).

Also featured: Protman, IPA Ghost, the Gentleman Loser

Also featured: As Above So Below, Agnes the Mother

PHOTO COURTESY BIG MACHINE

Taylor Swift’s melodic and vocal prowess will keep you entertained, even if she’s perpetually obsessed with high school drama.

sports

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Weekend, November 14-16, 2008

Icers ready for trip to the DECC By Ben Breiner THE DAILY CARDINAL

Few associate running track with playing hockey. Shoes are traded for skates and track, hopefully, involves little or no contact. Wisconsin men’s hockey coach Mike Eaves, however, hopes to take some lessons from running the 400meter dash in his younger days and apply them to his team as it enters a series with Minnesota-Duluth. He hopes the team can improve in carrying energy from the ﬁrst period into the second. “You come out of the blocks, you want to get to a great start. That’s what we’ve always talked about,” Eaves said. “Going down the back stretch, you want to stride it out and keep the rhythm. And then coming home you open it up and ﬁnish strong.” Last weekend against Michigan Tech the Badgers scored three first period goals and took home two wins. In Duluth, the Badgers will face a team which ranks third in the WCHA in goals allowed with 2.60 per game. That defense starts with junior netminder Alex Stalock, who was drafted by the NHL’s San Jose Sharks.

“He plays the puck pretty well, he’s got a really good shot for a goalie, he’s actually got a bomb for a shot with a regular stick too,” junior Blake Geoffrion said. “I know he can play the puck well. We’ve been aware of that and we should try to keep the puck away from him as much as possible and be aware of that for sure.” Stalock tends to leave the crease to play the puck more than most goaltenders, and can put pressure on defensemen by sending breakout passes up ice. The defensemen for Wisconsin have been warned to change some of their tactics in anticipation of Stalock’s mobility. “If he’s coming out to play it, maybe that farthest defenseman away from the boards can’t change right away because the goalie himself might be able to just throw it up to the boards,” sophomore defenseman Ryan McDonagh said. “They could have a breakaway if we were changing on him.” The Duluth offense, however, lacks scoring punch, as they do not have a single player among the top30 point scorers in the conference. Senior center MacGregor Sharp and

sophomore winger Justin Fontaine share the team lead with 11 points and ﬁve goals each. Another quirk of Duluth’s arena, the DECC, is that it is the smallest rink in the conference. Geoffrion felt that the team would get used to the change quickly and noted that Wisconsin’s first win this season came on a smaller rink in North Dakota. The Badgers this season have been led offensively by their defensemen, Geoffrion and their power play. McDonagh, junior defenseman Jamie McBain and sophomore defenseman Brendan Smith are the top three scorers on the team. The Badger power play is converting more than 25 percent of the time and owes much of its success to a simple plan and the execution by players like Geoffrion, Smith and McBain. The Wisconsin man advantage has found its groove with defensemen ﬁring long slapshots from the points, and forwards like Geoffrion screening goaltenders and tipping shots in front of the net. “It’s a real simple play, but teams are starting to pressure now and they’re leaving guys open, and just the guy

LORENZO ZEMELLA/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Junior forward Blake Geoffrion leads the WCHA in power-play goals and has been Wisconsin’s most consistent forward this season. that’s gonna be open is the guy in front of the net,” Geoffrion, who leads the WCHA with four power-play goals, said. “Guys have been getting their shots through. They seem to be going off of me, so it’s getting kind of lucky but it’s good for us.”

The teams split their last two series and played to a 0-0 tie the last time they met in Duluth. The puck drops at 7 p.m. both Friday and Saturday. The games will not be televised but can be viewed online for a fee.

Badgers to face Long Beach State over weekend By Matt Fox THE DAILY CARDINAL

ISABEL ALVAREZ/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Senior forward Marcus Landry led UW in scoring in two preseason games.

This weekend the Wisconsin men’s basketball will begin a new season with another chance to build on its success under head coach Bo Ryan. The season kicks off Sunday when the Badgers host the Long Beach State 49ers. The Badgers have won all seven home openers under Ryan and 10 consecutive home openers overall. The Badgers have won those games by an average of 27.7 points. Expectations are high once again for Wisconsin, the defending Big Ten Conference Champions. The Badgers are ranked 21st in the preseason USA Today Poll, and 25th in the AP Top 25. In addition, Wisconsin was picked to ﬁnish third in the conference in a preseason poll conducted by Big Ten coaches and media. Long Beach State plays in the Big West Conference. The 49ers boast eight NCAA tournament appearances and 15 former All-Americans, but struggled mightily last year, ﬁnishing with a 6-25 record, including an eightgame losing streak to end the season.

However, Long Beach State will have higher expectations for this season, as a vote by the league’s media and coaches picked the 49ers to finish eighth and fifth, respectively. Leading the 49er attack is returning senior guard Donovan Morris. Morris was named a CollegeHoops.net Preseason Mid-Major All-American, averaging a team-best 21.2 points and 5.2 rebounds for Long Beach State last year. Morris was a firstteam All-Big West member last season after scoring nearly 34 percent of the Long Beach State’s total points. He also finished second on the team with 72 assists. Long Beach State head coach Dan Monson enters his second season with the 49ers. The Badgers are quite familiar with Monson, who coached for eight seasons at Minnesota, producing five winning seasons, before his move to Long Beach State. Prior to Minnesota, Monson also led the 1998-’99 Gonzaga team to a 28-7 record, a WCC championship and a NCAA Elite 8 appearance. The Badgers are coming off exhibition victories against Augustana and UW-Whitewater.

Senior forward Marcus Landry averaged 15.5 points and five rebounds in those two contests. Sophomore guard Jason Bohannon looked strong in his first two games as an official starter, averaging 11 points and 4.5 rebounds. And sophomore forward Keaton Nankivil showed vast improvement in his game from last year, with seven rebounds apiece in both of Wisconsin’s games. Despite winning both exhibitions by margins of more than 15 points, the Badgers still showed plenty of room for improvement. In Tuesday’s matchup against UWWhitewater, the Badgers committed 12 turnovers and 19 team fouls, accounting for 29 of UWWhitewater’s 47 total points. Landry says it will be crucial for the Badgers to ﬁx their mistakes from game to game. “We need to get better as a team,” Landry said. “That’s what we try to do here. We just want to keep improving.” Sunday’s season opener will begin at 3 p.m. and will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network.

After week off, women’s hockey goes west to face off against resurgent Sioux

soccer from page 8

By Brandon Storlie

Horwath said. “I would have liked to [save another one] obviously, but it’s just one of those things where you play and hope that it goes well.” It’s a rough way to end a season, coming so close to upsetting a top-10 team after holding them scoreless for the entire game, but head coach Jeff Rohrman was pleased with the way his team played. “I feel good about how we battled and competed, not only in this game but all season long,” he said. “The guys have shown a lot of resilience and perseverance, and have played pretty good soccer this year.” The Badgers will wait this weekend to see their fate. Wisconsin ranks 36th in the latest RPI rankings, which were released by the NCAA Monday. Depending on the other conference tournaments around the nation, the Badgers’ season could still have some life.

THE DAILY CARDINAL

After an off week that saw four Badgers bring home gold medals, it is back to the ice this weekend for the Wisconsin women’s hockey team. Although the rest of the team enjoyed a weekend off, senior goaltender Jessie Vetter earned U.S. Player of the Game honors in the Four Nations Cup championship game last Sunday. Vetter made 30 saves as she and KNIGHT teammates Hilary Knight, Erika Lawler and Meghan Duggan helped Team USA to a 3-2 win over Canada and its ﬁrst Four Nations Cup title since 2003. Knight led the U.S. squad with ﬁve points in the tournament. “Vetter absolutely stood on her

head in every game that she played in,” junior forward Meghan Duggan said. “She played amazing.” The players returning from Lake Placid will have to make the quick adjustment back to WCHA play as the Badgers travel to North Dakota this weekend to face the Fighting Sioux. “It’s a different game,” Duggan said. “It’s tough to come back, but you have to work with what you have to work with and just jump back into the swing of things as fast as you can.” The Sioux will look to present a challenge for Wisconsin. Though North Dakota has yet to beat the Badgers in the history of its program, the Sioux are off to a fast start this season. After going 4-26-6 in his ﬁrst year in Grand Forks, UND coach Brian Idalski and his team are 7-2-1 overall and 4-1-1 in the WCHA, good enough for third place in the

standings. “North Dakota’s not the same team they’ve been in the past,” UW head coach Mark Johnson said. “They’re off to a good start, [and] they’ve got a bunch of conﬁdence. It’ll be a really good test when [we] come out Saturday.” North Dakota has made repeated efforts to slow the Badgers down in past years, primarily by trapping the puck in the neutral zone and corners. “A lot of our opportunities are going to be created on just rolling out of the corners and a lot of cycling,” Duggan said. “When we go there, we’ll just throw at them what we have.” After having last weekend off, Johnson stressed that his team will have to come into the North Dakota series ready to play. “The one thing about an off weekend is that it takes you out of your routine,” Johnson said. “[We] try to

improve as a group, and we’ll ﬁnd out where we are at Saturday.” After North Dakota’s recent success, the Badgers know they cannot afford to take any team lightly. “We can’t take any games off,” Vetter said. “In our conference, every team is strong. Every night, you have to play your best. If you don’t, you could easily lose that game.” That said, the team knows all it has to do is stick to the game plan. “If we just play DUGGAN our game – the Wisconsin game, I’m sure we’ll be ﬁne,” senior defender Alycia Matthews said. Faceoff between the Badgers and Sioux is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Ralph Engelstad Arena.

sports 8

dailycardinal.com/sports

Weekend, November 14-16, 2008

Hand out Major League Baseball awards while they still matter

DANNY MARCHEWKA/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Senior goalkeeper Alex Horwath dives in vain for a shootout goal against Michigan in the opening round of the Big Ten Tournament Thursday.

UW slips up in soggy shootout By Nick Schmitt THE DAILY CARDINAL

The Wisconsin men’s soccer team played No. 10 Michigan to a 0-0 tie in the opening round of the Big Ten Tournament Thursday afternoon before falling 4-3 in penalty kicks. The Badgers were looking for their first Big Ten tournament win since 2003 when they defeated Ohio State 2-0. The team’s season is now on hiatus until the NCAA announces the field of 48 teams for the tournament over the weekend. The sloppy, rainy field at the McClimon Soccer Complex played as an equalizer for both teams. Wisconsin had only had a few chances on goal throughout the game, unlike the first meeting between the teams when the Badgers tallied 22 shots. Wisconsin saw its best opportunity to score in the ninth minute when senior forward Victor Diaz crossed a ball into the six-yard box but junior forward Eric Conklin volleyed the ball right to Michigan’s junior goalkeeper Patrick Sperry. It was one of two saves for Sperry in the game; he also stopped two of the Badgers’ penalty kicks. The Badgers’ defense was continuously under attack during regulation, allowing 21 shots to Michigan, including a header off the post by junior forward Perica Marosevic and

six during the two overtime periods. Anchored by senior defenders Andy Miller and Zack Lambo, the defense was able to shut out Michigan, the Big Ten’s highest scoring team with 2.11 goals per game, for 110 minutes. Unless Wisconsin manages one of the 48 bids for the NCAA tournament, Miller and Lambo have played their last game as Badgers. “I feel like I came in as a freshman last week,” Miller said. “I guess the times come, it’s hard, I’ve put a lot of work in it my whole life. For a lot of us we’ll never play in a situation like this again. It’s definitely a tough one and hard to get over.” Wisconsin had Miller, Lambo, Conklin, junior midfielder Pablo Delgado, and junior forward Scott Lorenz take the penalty shots. Miller, Conklin and Delgado were able to make theirs, but Lambo’s and Lorenz’s shots were saved by Sperry. It was the first shootout loss for the Badgers in the Big Ten tournament since 1996, when they fell 5-3 to Michigan State. Although the season may have been on the line, junior goalkeeper Alex Horwath said he felt no pressure. “[There’s] really not any pressure on me. If I save it I’m a hero, if I don’t I’m not expected to,” soccer page 7

Jon and Mark Opinion Editors

Gabe, Jill and Jake Copy Chiefs

Kyle and Lorenzo Photo Editors

Jamie and Al Leaders Supreme

OUT ON A LIMB Mario and Scott Game Day Editors

s it still baseball season? Didn’t the World Series end two weeks ago? Why then, one must ask, are Major League Baseball’s regular season awards just now being announced? The sport is over, done, ﬁnished, and yet it keeps trying to climb back into the news. The Cy Young awards were announced in the last two days and the league MVPs will not be awarded until next Monday. Never mind that player movement has already started, but the choice to release these awards this late lowers their importance and value in the public eye and is ultimately detrimental to Major League Baseball. First of all, the awards are for the regular season. The ballots are not cast during or after the playoffs because that would open up voters to the influences of postseason play. Is it that hard to count the votes and present awards during the first round of the playoffs? Probably not. The timing of the announcement removes much of the meaning since many sports fans have moved on to other sports. Between football and the start of basketball, there is not much space to discuss the winners. Baseball Tonight is no longer

tion in being slighted. These stories pushed those series to a more mythic and entertaining level. The narrative of a talented athlete turning his seething anger into on-ﬁeld excellence and domination is something people want to watch. Instead, baseball avoids this whole idea of awards generating excitement. They allow “leading Cy Young candidate” to fill in for the more meaningful term “Cy Young winner.” We could remember the entertaining tales of the MVP leading his team to the World Series (Barry Bonds in 2003) and the ineffective performances of players deemed the league’s best (Alex Rodriguez in 2007) could be dissected and enjoyed more by fans. The irony of a team with the top pitcher and hitter in their league losing in the first round of the playoffs (2006 Twins and 2002 A’s please take a bow) just loses some of its bite when you don’t know the award winners until November. If they were given out in the first week of the playoffs, the baseball awards could add compelling subplots to the already rich story that is a baseball season. Now they serve as a bland afterthought, thrown in at the end of the narrative because they are simply expected more than really needed. Want the Heisman trophy to come out after the national title game and the NFL MVP to be announced in February? Tell Ben at breiner@wisc.edu.

Ben and Crystal Sports Editors

BEN BREINER all about the benjamins

a daily primetime ﬁxture. The fans are being robbed of one of the best aspects of regular-season awards: arguing about who deserved the honor. Were Geovany Soto’s 23 home runs really more impressive than Edinson Volquez’s 17 wins and 206 strikeouts? Do Brandon Webb’s 22 wins merit the Cy Young which Tim Lincecum received? Instead the discussion is nearly muted because, well, the season is over. The worst part of this plan is that MLB could give itself a tremendous boost in interest entering the postseason, but instead wastes that opportunity. Coming after a calamitous fall in playoff television ratings, it is ridiculous that baseball’s management is not doing more to raise interest. The best examples of award intrigue can be found in several important NBA seasons. Entering a 1995 playoff series against Hakeem Olajuwon and the Houston Rockets, the San Antonio Spurs David Robinson was awarded the league MVP, an honor Olajuwon felt he deserved. All Olajuwon did after that was dismantle, humiliate and basically annihilate Robinson, on the way to a second consecutive NBA title. Similarly, Michael Jordan twice faced opponents in the ﬁnals who had won MVPs he felt he deserved. He took that, used it as motivation and was a dominant force, triumphing both times. Now, it’s not just that players like Olajuwon and Jordan were great, or that they found motiva-

Minnesota at Wisconsin

MINN

No. 25 South Carolina at No. 4 Florida

FLA

No. 3 Texas at Kansas

TEX

Boston College at No. 19 Florida State

FSU

Baltimore at NY Giants

NYG

Denver at Atlanta

ATL

DEN

ATL

DEN

ATL

Chicago at Green Bay

CHI

5-2 41-29

6-1 43-27

6-1 46-24

6-1 42-28

7-0 46-24

6-1 43-27

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