ebruary 5,2007
North Carolina Wesleyan College, Rocky Mount, North Carolina 27804
SPORTS
ANDOM thoughts on Peyton Manning’s Legacy, Other
ife-and-Death Matters in tlie World of Professional Sports
.o..nr ;f>ibert
By Trevor Seibert
Decree Sports Editor
The NFL playoffs are almost over
-d the rest of the sports world is doing
usi fine, but there are plenty of things
• at are burning in my mind. First
off I want to begin by crowning the
Speak Your Mind winner for playoff
picks this season between Anthony
eGregorio and me. In the NFC, I
only got two out of the six picks right.
Those two being the NFC East picks I
made, the Giants and Eagles. Anthony
did well and picked four of six but his
Super Bowl prediction, the Panthers,
missed out on the playoffs (my pick,
the Giants, lost in the first round).
In the AFC, the results were
similar with Anthony making the better
picks. He actually picked the Colts and
Patriots to be playing in the AFC cham
pionship game before the season so
kudos to him (his winner, the Patriots,
was his Super Bowl winner pick). My
pick to win it all, the Colts, are still
playing so I’m feeling good about that
pick as of now.
Finally, I can look at people and
say that Peyton Manning is going to
be the greatest quarterback of all time.
Did anyone else notice that Manning
single handedly led his team back from
an 18-point deficit to win that game?
Manning showed the world and more
importantly, himself, that he can win
the big game against the Patriots. This
was not a matter of a Patriots let-down,
but more a case of Coach Tony Dungy
and the Colts offensive staff deciding
that Manning was the one entity that
m teat the Pats. They put the ball
in Manning’s hands and Manning did
what Manning does best; tear up op
posing defenses. He was able to throw
the ball for 330 yards, a touchdown and
one interception.
The game was not decided by his
performance in numbers, but his ability
to lead his team down the field in just
under a minute to score a touchdown
and take the lead. That ability proved
again why Manning should be consid
ered one of the greats in the league and
definitely better than Tom Brady on the
all-time greats list.
This brings me to another subject.
Why is the Super Bowl the main factor
for most people in a player’s career? Of
course, it is the main goal of every player
to win at least one, but it should not hurt
a player’s legacy if he is never on a team
good enough to win the “big game,”
Some might argue that the Colts
were always a very good team, but not
quite good enough is what they were.
Trent Dilfer has won a Super Bowl;
would you place him above Maiming on
the all-time greats list? How about names
Uke; Terry Bradshaw, Bart Starr, Troy
Aikman? Case in point, at the end of his
career, Peyton Manning will be, if not the
best, one of the top three quarterbacks of
aU time and Tom Brady will not.
What else am I thinking about
in the sports world? How about the
five-year, $250 million contract that
soccer’s David Beckham has signed
with the Los Angeles Galaxy? This
guy is getting older every second and
no longer has the stamina needed for
soccer; therefore, one stellar free kick
a game is not worth $250 million, but
hey, it’s worth a gamble in a league that
is doing worse than the NHL.
Onto the NHL, a league that is
in desperate need of help. First off, the
young stars—Eric Staal, Alexander
Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, et al—are
doing great. These young guys are
helping propel a league that is in
financial ruin and is in need of a future.
Their competition, the NBA, is
Profile: April Wilson ‘Plays
With Heart’ for Bishops
By Jade Johnson
Decree Staff Writer
Two-sport athletes are rare in
college athletics. And only the singular
athlete can excel at two sports, but
that’s the case with April Wilson who
has been dominating in basketball and
volleyball at North Carolina Wes
leyan College. And she’s been a strong
student as well, landing on this year’s
NCWC President’s List.
April Wilson
Currently, the senior is in the
Midst of basketball season. A 5 ’ 11 ”
forward from Staunton, Va, Wilson has
started every game so far this season
3nd leads her team in both scoring and
rebounding. With 126 points and 81
rebounds in the first 13 games, it’s easy
to see why her teammates admire her
® and off the court.
Even though she sometimes
doubts her ability to guard stronger
flourishing and dying at the same time.
The brawl with Carmelo Anthony was
ridiculous but also generated way too
much media attention. There was a
cheap shot in a hockey game not to
many days after the NBA brawl, yet no
media attention was given the incident,
except by ESPN’s Michael Wilbon
who aired the shot on PTI (Pardon the
Interruption) not too long ago.
It’s a shame that an incident like
this one has overshadowed one of the
better starts in NBA’s history. Gilbert
Arenas is playing unbelievable basketball
and is on his way to an MVP season.
Steve Nash is incredible, but let’s face it;
without Arenas the Washington Wizards
are a last-place team with no hope of
winning the big one.
Halfway through the season, my
favorites are the same one’s I picked at
the beginning of the season; the Dallas
Mavericks and the Orlando Magic.
The Magic have been up and down
thus far, but the Mavs are the hottest
team in the league, winning 18 of 19 in
a recent stretch, and have avoided the
injury bug that has taken names such
as Tracy McGrady, Yao Ming, Cliris
Paul, and Rashard Lewis out of action
so far this season.
Major League Baseball saw its
fair share of action as new Hall of
Fame inductees, Cal Ripkin Jr and
Tony Gwynn, were named. Ripken
Jr. was America’s last hope for a
unanimous selection, and all those that
didn’t put a check by his name on the
ballot should no longer be allowed to
vote. Ripken Jr should always be the
face of baseball for a league tamished
by the steroids era.
Of course, we all knew that Barry
Bonds would hit the spotlight somehow
during the winter, and his positive
testing for amphetamines proves once
again that this idiot should never be
allowed to play again. Nor should he
be inducted into the Hall of Fame. That
brings me to another thing I would like
to add. Why is Mark McGwire the first
person to be punished for the steroids-era
problem? The guy wasn’t taking illegal
substances during his time. It was
perfectiy legal and there were no laws
or punishments for it. Now, players like
Bonds are being celebrated and one of
the great sluggers of all time is being
left out. I do agree that Roger Maris
should be put into the Hall as well.
That’s all I have for this edition of
Random Thoughts. If there are any topics
or questions you would like answered,
please contact me, Trevor Seibert, Sports
Editor, atts284193@mail.ncwc.edu. I
will address the issues or concerns in the
next issue.
Thompson Seeks Consistency from
Young, Talented NCWC Hoops Team
players,” Wilson plays with a level of
intensity that inspires her teammates.
Freshman guard Nicole Williams
pointed out that “April plays with a lot
of heart and doesn’t back down from
any opponent.” Wilson attributes that
heart to motivation from her mother
But with only 4 wins in 13 games,
most would find it hard to motivate
themselves. “Not when you love the
game” Wilson said.
In her first season as a Bishop
(03-04’ season), Wilson netted 251
points, averaged 10.9, made 51 out
of 76 free throws and grabbed 143
rebounds, before tearing cartilage in
her knee which sidelined her for most
of the 04-05’ season. Coach John
Brackett knows that Wilson is a highly
valued commodity to this women’s
team. “A healthy April Wilson is great
for us,” Brackett said.
Bouncing back from her injury in
the 05-06 season, Wilson led her team
with 295 points, earning a Honorable
Mention in the conference as well as
setting a school record for most field
goals made in a single game (14).
It’s hard for Coach Brackett to
find a weakness in his talented star. But
there was no shortness of strengths.
“She has a great ability to score
inside,” he said. “She’s going to get
fouled, so it’s good that she can knock
in the free throws.”
Wilson says she now wants to
play a “more relaxed” role for her team
and “get teammates involved.” But
with 763 career points and a new cast
of teammates, will she reach the 1000
point mark?
We’ll have to watch and find out.
The NCWC men’s basketball
team completed the first half of the
conference schedule with
a record of 3-3, losing two
road games during the last
weekend in January, 81-72
to Averett, and 83-79 to
Ferrum. Last year’s team
was 4-2 after the first half of
conference play.
So far in 2007, the top
Bishops scorer has been
junior guard Lenny Hall, who
has averaged more than 20
points per game and gamered
USA South Conference
Player of the Week accolades.
Another standout performer
has been freshman Trey
Drake, who has helped to compensate
for the loss of injured guard Jarmel
Arrington, who scored almost 18 points
per game in 2006. Drake, a 5’ 8” point
guard from Emporia, Va., has scored
over 13 points per game, earning three
conference Rookie of the Week awards.
The Decree interviewed Head
Coach John Thompson, who evaluated
his team’s progress;
Q: You were 5-7 in the pre-sea
son. That would indicate that your team
faced a tough schedule. What’s your
philosophy in scheduling pre-season
games?
A: We’re trying to prepare for
conference play. And we make sure to
schedule some pre-season tournaments,
which get us ready for post-season op
portunities. In a tournament, you need
to play one night, win to advance, and
then prepare for a different opponent in
24 hours. We schedule our pre-season
games with that in mind.
We also schedule for what I
consider co-curricuIar opportunities.
We played this year in St. Augustine,
Florida. During our visit, the team
took a tour of the old city, where
Ponce de Leon claimed to have found
the fountain of youth, years before
Jamestown was founded by the
English. When we went to New York
in the past, we visited Ground Zero. In
Philadelphia, we went to Independence
Hall and the Liberty Bell. We schedule
in such a way that players can have
an educational experience beyond the
court, an experience that has value.
Q: Describe, in a few words, the
type of game your team plays.
A; We’re definitely a running
team. We like to attack on both defense
and offense.
Q: Who are the chief contenders
in the conference this year?
Al Greensboro and Christopher
John Thompson
Newport are up there. But this season I’d
say there is real parity in the conference.
All teams are
contenders. Every
team is playing
close games and
I don’t think that
there’s a game in
our league where
you can assume one
team is going to
win. It’s as balanced
as it’s ever been.
Q; Who is
providing leader
ship for your team?
A: Lenny
Hall has really done
a great job. He’s
made as much progress in a 12-to-18
month span as any player I’ve ever had
here at Wesleyan. Stephen Mobley is
doing a good job in that regard as well.
Adam Coleman and other sophomores
have gotten to the point where they’re
comfortable assuming leadership roles.
We’ve grown as a team, especially in
the last month. Some of it is just the
natural maturation process.
Q; How have the newcomers
been performing so far?
A: Trey Drake has been Rookie
of the Week three times. He’s done
a real nice job for us. He’s learning
on the job. He’s a very talented kid
that is going through the normal ups
and downs that come with being a
freshman student and freshman player
He wants to get better.
We’re getting a lot of help from
a lot of different newcomers. Woods
Trey Drake
gives us a real boost when he comes
into the game at guard. Murray, Stokes
and others have provided help. We’ve
got a very talented group of fresh
men, but it takes time to adapt. Most
freshmen arrive, thinking they have a
concept of the college game. Then they
see the intensity of practice, the level of
competition, the travel, and it takes them
a while to figure out college ball. At least
now they have an idea of the college
game as compared to high school.
Q: How is this year’s team
different from last year’s?
A; I think that with maturation, the
players have come together as a team.
In that respect, we’re much father along
than we were at this juncture last year.
The big difference is that we really
believe that if we play the way we’re
capable of playing, and do so on a
consistent basis, then we can win every
time we step on the floor I think we had
the talent last year, but there was a littie
more uncertainty in the players’ minds.
Q; Sum up this team in a few words.
A: Still a work in progress.
Talented, not as consistent as we need to
be. But we’re growing and improving.
Consistency is the single key to our
season. The more consistency we can
establish in the remaining six conference
games, the better we’re going to be. We
know our capabilities. We just need to
perform on a day-in, day-out basis.
Bishops Baseball
Ranked #10 in Pre-
Season National Poll
The North Carolina Wesleyan
baseball team has been ranked #10
in the American Baseball Coaches
Association’s preseason poll.
Ranked 8th in 2006, the Bishops
made it to their 12th NCAA Division III
World Series after the team finished with
a 31-19 record and grabbed first-place
in the USA South Conference and South
Regional tournaments.
Head Coach Charlie Long said his
team will stress season-long consistency.
“If the group is able to bring a more con
sistent style of play day in and day out,”
he said, “2007 could be a good year for
NC Wesleyan baseball. The players and
coaches must stay focused and continue
to strive for above-average performance.
Consistent pitching and solid team
defense will be the key to success.”
Long returns seven position
starters and four starting pitchers,
including All-American and USA South
Pitcher of the Year Blake Rice. Other
returning players include first team
All-Conference performer Matt Smith,
second team selections Chris Pecora,
Nathan West, and Kyle Robertson,
and honorable mention selections Ted
Williams and Luke Williford. Rookie
Pitcher of the Year Ben Moore returns
for his sophomore season.
NCWC opens the 2007 season on
Friday, Febmary 9th at Bauer Field when
it hosts Eastern Mennonite at 2;30 p.m.
(Article courtesy of Sports Information)