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NOVEMBER 2000
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Nov. 30: In the annual
match-up of the two most over-hyped basketball conferences in
the country, it was the ACC nipping the Big Ten in the,
you guessed it, "ACC/Big Ten Challenge." The
game of the event saw the Duke Blue Devils hold off Illinois,
78-77.
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Nov. 30: If you were thinking
about signing up for Showtime to get a glimpse of the new
Queer As Folk series, don't bother. The series
takes what was a fun, wonderful British series and
hyper-Americanizes it, leaving bland characters that you just
want to punch, bad loud music, a script that just shouldn't have
been made, and performances that will put you to sleep.
And, in stereotypical fashion, there is the "gay guys don't
know sports" reference in which the lead guy refers to the
boxer "Oscar de la Renta." Of course, it is a
lesbian who chimes in, "you mean, 'da la Hoya'?"
His response: "whatever."
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Nov. 29: The Milwaukee
Bucks rallied from a 22-point fourth quarter deficit on
Tuesday night to beat the Miami Heat. Lindsay Hunter
poured in five 3-pointers in the final quarter, and Sam
Cassell hit a 3 with 0.9 seconds remaining, to give the
Bucks the win, 102-101, at Miami.
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Nov. 29: A day after being
fired as the Seattle Supersonics' head coach, Paul Westphal
told The News Tribune of Tacoma, Washington, that he was fired
because he couldn't get Vin Baker to play well. No, Paul,
you couldn't coach your team to a winning record. Call it
what you will, but we call it a failed attempt.
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Nov 28: The season is
pretty much over for the Carolina Panthers, so they've
decided to start playing on Monday Night. After starting
4-7, the Panthers are nearly eliminated from the
playoffs. They'd have to win the rest of their games and
hope for a few other things to happen for them to make
it. But, just like last year when they started 3-6, they
played a well-executed game against a team in the playoff hunt
and came away with a big win against the Green Bay Packers,
31-14. Undrafted rookie Brad Hoover, from West
Carolina, had 117 yards rushing and one touchdown.
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Nov. 28: It was a tough day
to be a coach named Paul. On Monday morning, USC fired
head football coach Paul Hackett after a dismal 5-7
record and last place in the Pac-10. Later on in the
afternoon, the Seattle Supersonics fired coach Paul Westphal
after a disappointing 6-9 start to the season. Westphal
had also had run-ins with
Sonics Gary Payton and Vin Baker that simply made his firing
that much easier.
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Nov. 27: A couple of
double-doubles helped the Vancouver Grizzlies to a rare road
win Sunday as they beat the Boston Celtics, 98-87. Shareef
Abdur-Rahim scored 27 points and had 21 rebounds, while Mike
Bibby scored 13 points with 12 assists. The
Grizzlies are now 5-8.
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Nov. 27: There are five
voters in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, and seven pollsters
in the AP Poll, who did not vote for Oklahoma as the #1
team in the nation. They should be ashamed. There is
only one team who has beaten every team they played.
ONE. Included in that are two wins against other Top 10
teams. Yet, these 12 pollsters voted for teams who have
lost games. We could understand if it was a MAC team, but
a Big XII team? That East Coast bias just keeps coming
through.
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Nov. 26: There had been
talk that the Arizona men's basketball team might go unbeaten.
The Wildcats are still a terrific team, but they're no longer
unbeaten thanks to a terrific effort by Purdue. Brett Buscher blocked Lamont Frazier's
shot in the final seconds and the Boilermakers went on to a
72-69 win.
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Nov. 26: Remember when the Skins
Game was a unique event in golf? Not any more. Now nobody
cares. If a golf match doesn't have Tiger it doesn't
count.
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Nov. 25: Sometimes, you
have to be playing for only pride to be brilliant. After
scoring a touchdown with under 50 seconds left in the game
against #8 Nebraska on Friday, Colorado coach Gary Barnett
decided to go for the game-winning two-point conversion,
instead of the a game-tying PAT. Craig Och threw a pass
to Javon Green in the end zone and the Buffaloes had upset the
Cornhuskers, 32-31 . . .
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Nov. 25: . . . until the
bonehead coaching move of the year. Instead of kicking the
ensuing kickoff deep, with :44 seconds left, Colorado coach Gary
Barnett decided to do a little pooch kick. This was
despite Nebraska's inability to get any kickoff past the 25 yard
line all day long. Nebraska then marched 30 yards and
kicked the game-winning field goal, preserving their two-loss
season, 34-32.
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No updates for
Nov. 24 - we figured we'd be nice on the holiday.
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Nov. 23: With their
pre-season All-American center sitting at home, the Arizona
Wildcats won the Maui Invitational after finishing second
in their last two appearances here. In the finals, the
#1 Wildcats held off #8 Illinois, 79-76.
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Nov. 23: The Montreal
Canadiens are just terrible - and they're hoping a
housecleaning will help. With jus 12 points, they are
three and four points behind the expansion Wild and Blue Jackets
in the standings respectively. Earlier this week, Coach Alain Vigneault was replaced by
Michel Therrien, and general manager Rejean Houle was replaced by Andre Savard.
Theirrien lost his coaching debut, 4-1 at home, to the Panthers.
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Nov. 22: Baseball
commissioner Bud Selig opened his eyes, and finally
opened his mouth, on Tuesday. Before a Senate Judiciary
subcommittee, he promised sweeping economic changes in the
League. "It is my job to restore hope and faith," Selig
said. While we'll wait and see, the talk at least is
refreshing.
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Nov. 22: THIS is why we are
so down on coach Steve Lavin. Yes, his talented
UCLA teams will get him some big wins against big teams - but
then this will happen. In the Bruins' hoops home opener on
Tuesday, the #17-ranked team lost to Cal State - Northridge,
78-74. "It's back to the drawing board for us," said Lavin
after the game. It's about time the A.D. did the same
thing.
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Nov. 21: Two men just might
have saved their jobs on Monday Night - at least for another
week. With the Redskins' win over the Rams, starting
quarterback Jeff George probably won the starting
position next week, despite a healthy Brad Johnson, completing
70% of his passes for 269 yards and 3 touchdowns at St.
Louis. And, with the 33-20 comeback win, coach Norv
Turner quelled the brewing rampage in the Washington media
for his head. Until they lose another game, of course.
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Nov. 21: This is why the BCS
standings suck. The #1 team in the nation is,
deservedly, the only undefeated team - Oklahoma. #2 is now
Florida State, who lost to Miami. Miami is #3. But,
Miami lost to Washington. Washington is #4. It
SHOULD be the other way around: Oklahoma then Washington
then Miami then Florida State. Why isn't it like
that? Because, while Washington was beating top teams like
Colorado, Oregon and Oregon State by seven points, FSU and Miami
were beating weaklings like North Carolina, Louisville, and
McNeese State by 100. But, this is the BCS - with
computers running the show, God forbid there should be some
logic behind it.
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Nov. 20: Tiger Woods was at
it again in Bangkok, winning his 10th tournament of the year
in the Johnnie Walker Golf Classic. He won by three
strokes over second place Geoff Ogilvy. Tiger wrapped up
the tournament with his third straight round of 65 on Sunday.
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Nov. 20: Larry Smith
was fired as the Missouri head football coach after a 3-8
season. His calling card will be a 33-46-1 record over the
last seven seasons at Missouri.
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Nov. 19: In "The Big
Game", the Golden Bears are the Trees' bitch. And
the Stanford Cardinal held the line again in Saturday's
installment. In overtime, fullback Casey Moore caught a
25-yard touchdown pass on a play that the Cardinal have been
saving all season for a situation like this, beating Cal
36-30. Stanford has won 12 of the last 14 meetings
between the two teams.
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Nov. 19: Arizona Wildcat
preseason All American center Loren Woods has been
suspended for six games for violating undisclosed NCAA
rules. The 7-foot-1 center is a key component of the #1
team's chances to run the table - something that has been
whispered about in the press.
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Nov. 18: Coach K hit a
milestone faster than almost any other coach in history.
The Duke basketball coach won his 500th game on Friday night
in just 660 games, faster than every other coach who's done it
except four. The University honored coach Mike Krzyzewski
by naming the court in Cameron Indoor Stadium (Duke's
basketball center) "Coach K Court".
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Nov. 18: It's been a rough
ride in Seattle for Paul Westphal. His Super Sonics
have been embroiled in intra-team bickering and fighting for
much of the offseason and season, and it has translated into a
disappointing 3-6 start. Now, Westphal has offered to step
down as head coach. No word yet whether his offer has been
accepted.
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Nov. 17: Twin brothers
scored on Thursday night and the crowds erupted. First,
it was Jason Gallimore returning a fumble for a
touchdown for his Colorado State Rams. Then, it was
brother Justin returning an interception 63 yards for a
second score as the Rams toppled the Cowboys of Wyoming,
37-13. With the win, the Rams take the Mountain West
Conference title and a berth in the Liberty Bowl. It was
the first time in Colorado State history that twin brothers
scored in the same game. We doubt that very much.
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Nov. 17: You know you're bad
when your head coach announces a guy who's 1-9 in his last 10 games as your starter. But, that's where the 0-10 San
Diego Chargers have found themselves. Ryan Leaf will
lead the future 0-11 Chargers on Sunday as they head to
Denver. In his 15 career games, Leaf has thrown four
touchdowns and 23 interceptions. Yikes.
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Nov. 16: The country's
newest professional sports league just scored with the
nation's most popular man in politics. From the
wrestling ring to the governor's mansion, and now to the
broadcast booth, Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura will be
announcing games for the XFL this season - a huge coup
for the fledgling league.
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Nov. 16: For only the second
time in the tournament's 28 year history, the defending champ
lost in the first round. Lindsay Davenport fell to
Russian teen-ager Elena Dementieva on Wednesday at the Chase
Championships, 3-6, 7-6 (9-7), 6-4. "It was not the
best way to end a year," said Davenport after the match.
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Nov. 15: After being traded
to the Seattle Supersonics in the offseason, Patrick Ewing
had something to prove to his former New York Knicks.
Adding ten points and nine rebounds, he did just that on
Tuesday night as his Sonics blew out the Knicks, 96-75, as
Ewing moved into 13th place on the all-time scoring list.
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Nov. 15: The bust of the
first round of the NFL draft has to be Plaxico Burress.
The Pittsburgh wide receiver was relegated to a back-up role on
Tuesday after catching only four balls in the last four
games. He has a meager 273 yards and no touchdowns on the
season. He will be replaced in the lineup by fellow
Michigan State alum Courtney Hawkins.
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Nov. 14: It had been five
years since the Harlem Globetrotters last lost a game.
It took the fifth-ranked team in the nation to end that
streak. The Michigan State Spartans topped the
'Trotters, 72-68, to end Harlem's 1,270 game win streak.
It was the first time the Globetrotters had lost to a college
team in almost 40 years.
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Nov. 14: You know you're bad
when you're benched for Scott Mitchell. On Monday, the
Cincinnati Bengals pulled the plug on sophomore quarterback Akili
Smith after 10 games in which Smith has posted a 50.1
quarterback rating - worst in the NFL. This comes just a
year and a half after being selected second in the 1999 NFL
Draft.
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Nov. 13: Golf has a new
million dollar man. With Tiger Woods and Lee Westwood
breathing down his neck, Mike Weir capped off his
second PGA Tour victory on Saturday, winning the American
Express Championship with a 3-under 69 in his final
round. He takes home the $1 million prize for winning
the tournament.
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Nov. 13: As if Marty
McSorley's slashing and suspension from last season wasn't
enough, Phoenix left wing Brad May was suspended by the
NHL for slashing Columbus' Steve Heinze. Said, May,
"it wasn't as bad as I think that it looks. There was no
intent to do anything other than disrupt his
momentum." Call us crazy, but swinging your stick at
another player's face is always as bad as it looks.
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Nov. 12: The Big 12 had two
awesome football games Saturday. Top-ranked Oklahoma looked
dead in the water before 87,000 wild Texas A&M fans at
College Station. But two fourth-quarter touchdowns lifted the
Sooners, 35-31, and kept them unbeaten. Later, Nebraska saw
its national title hopes go down in a rain/sleet/snow storm at
Kansas State. The Wildcats also scored late in the fourth and
held on over the Huskers, 29-28.
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Nov. 12: Another boxing
yawner, this time Lennox Lewis keeping his heavyweight title
with a unanimous decision over David Tua in Las Vegas. The crowd
booed as Lewis won a lopsided, tactical fight. The real losers
were anybody who paid to watch this thing on pay-per-view.
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Nov. 11: College basketball
has its first two-win team. The Kansas Jayhawks
won the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic at Madison Square Garden
Friday night, beating the hometown St. John's Red Storm,
82-74. Drew Gooden led the 'Hawks with 22 points and
nine rebounds.
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Nov. 11: College basketball
also has its first two-loss team. The Kentucky Wildcats
fought back from a seven-point deficit in the final five minutes
of their consolation game against the UCLA Bruins, but it wasn't
enough. Steve Lavin's high-scoring team outlasted the
'Cats in overtime, 97-92. It's the first time Kentucky is
0-2 in 25 years.
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Nov. 10: Jason Kidd just
keeps improving at the professional level. On Thursday
night he boasted a triple double against the Atlanta Hawks to
bring his Phoenix Suns' win streak to five games and keep the
Atlanta Hawks winless for the season, 88-79. Kidd had 19
points, 12 assists and 13 rebounds.
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Nov. 10: On a Thursday night
matchup, the Virginia Cavaliers were blanked for the
first time in 16 years, as they fell to the Georgia Tech
Yellowjackets, 35-0. Virginia is now 5-4 and, with two
games left, has its 14 year streak of seven wins or more in
jeopardy.
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Nov. 9: In last season's
Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Philadelphia Flyers swept the
Pittsburgh Penguins on Pittsburgh's home ice. Wednesday
was payback time. A hat trick by Alexei Kovalev
proved too much for the Flyers as Pittsburgh won, 5-2, and
kept its lead in the competitive Atlantic Division. Just
four points presently separates first place Pittsburgh from
last place Philadelphia.
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Nov. 9: Straight men just
don't get style sometimes. Defending heavyweight champ Lennox
Lewis is complaining about challenger David Tua's
hairdo. Lewis' camp issued complaints to Nevada boxing
officials about Tua's hair that spikes out about five inches
from his head. Tua trainer Ronnie Shields said,
"David is not cutting his hair for anyone. His hair is
natural."
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Nov. 8: Patrick Ewing made
an incredible gesture on Tuesday as he reached out from coast
to coast to fellow Georgetown alum Alonzo Mourning.
Ewing publicly offered Mourning one of his kidneys if he
needed it and they were a match. Mourning is suffering
from kidney disease and will be sitting out the NBA season
while it is being treated. Whether Mourning needs it or
not, the gesture could mean more awareness about kidney
transplants. Way to go Patrick.
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Nov. 8: The defending NBA
Champions didn't look like Champs on Tuesday, as they lost to
the Houston Rockets, 84-74, to sink the Los Angeles Lakers
to 3-2 on the season. And, as if the loss wasn't enough,
that 74 point total was tied for the lowest scoring output by
the Lakers since they moved to Los Angeles.
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Nov. 7: Antonio Freeman
made one of the most amazing (in a bizarre way) game-winning touchdown catch we've ever seen
Monday night. The situation: Green Bay 20, Minnesota 20,
overtime. Pouring rain at Lambeau Field. Pack ball, 3rd and 4
at the Viking 43. Brett Favre sees Freeman being
single-covered by Cris Dishman. He throws it long. Dishman
misses the interception and bats the ball about the 15. The
ball starts falling to the ground where it bounces off
of Freeman's helmet, rolls off his upper back and is about an
inch from the turf when he catches it. Not being touched,
Freeman gets up and runs into the end zone. Pack wins, 26-20.
Amazing.
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Nov. 7: The Bowl Championship
Series sucks. How else to explain the fact that Florida
State is ranked ahead of Miami, despite both having the same
record and despite MIAMI HAVING BEATEN FSU? How absurd is
that? It's one reason that college football remains ultimately
frustrating. Until they have a true playoff system we'll be left
to computers, polls and prejudices.
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Nov. 4-5-6: We were out of
town, so feel free to pick your own.
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11/3/00: Baseball has lost
one of its great players as first baseman Will Clark
retired on Thursday. Clark most recently played for the
St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Central-Championship run, but
started his career in San Francisco; he also made stops in
Texas and Baltimore. "In every player's career,
sooner or later, you're going to have to make a decision to
move on," Clark said. He leaves with a .303 batting
average for his 15 years in the League.
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11/3/00: The Milwaukee
Bucks gave up 70 points in the first half as the Houston
Rockets cruised to an easy win, 115-93 on Thursday. The
loss sends the Bucks to an 0-2 start on the season.
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11/2/00: He's taken
three teams to the playoffs, and essentially patented the
slicked-back hair look. He's Pat Riley and, after
spending five months just one win away, his Miami Heat got him
career win number 1,000 on Wednesday night, beating the
Orlando Magic, 105-79. This year Riley will try to take
his third team to the NBA Finals after revamping the Heat in
the off season and losing star Alonzo Mourning to kidney
problems.
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11/2/00: His team was ranked
pre-season #3 in the country - and it was all downhill from
there. Expected to challenge for the national title,
Alabama has posted a 3-5 record on the season and needs to win
out just to qualify for the Aloha Bowl. On Wednesday,
coach Mike DuBose took the blame as he announced that
this will be his last season at the helm of the Crimson Tide.
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11/1/00: No tops &
bottoms appeared today due to server problems.
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