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2C SPORTS/dJe Ctarlotte #o8t Thursday, May 12, 2005 You’ve got questions? The colunuiist answers Continued from page 1C hai'sher steircdd policy? Answer Yeah, ri^t, and it was just a coincidence that marginally talented Pamela Anderson’s acting career finally took oflf after she had, uh, enhancement done to a certain part of her upper body In the fii’st five weeks of this season, home runs are down 8.8 percent in baseball. Through this past Sunday, 908 homers had been hit this season. So isn’t it obvious? I believe more players are off* steroids because of the new testing and penalty policies in place. And with more and more players getting busted, thus creating more fear among players who initially thought they could get away with using steroids, expect the homers to continue to decline. Question: Who was the real NBA coach of the year? Answer: With all due respect to Phoenix coach Mike D’Antoni, for me, it’s not even close; it’s Eddie Jordan of the Washington ^^ards. OK, it’s a little close. Scott Sidles of the Chicago Bulls did a heck of a job, too. But when you consid^ just how bad that Washington fi'an- chise has been for the past few decades, what Jordan did is just short of a miracle. Yes, "S^^ards forward and Providence High graduate Antawn Jamison was an All- Star waiting to happen, but for Jordan to lift this mori bund fi*anchise to 45 victories, in just his second season, he should have won the award Question: Dwayne Wade, the Miami Heat star, recently was named one of People magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful People. Thoughts? Answer: Take this for what it’s worth, considering I per sonally woiildn’t qualify as Denzel Horton: What the heck was People thinking?!!!!!!! E-mail Post sports colmnist C. Jemal Horton at seejemal- write@aolrom. LeBron’s talented, but Wade and Anthony are winning Continued from page 1C have been emboldened by the coaching of Geoi^e Kai*l the second half of this sea son, Anthony led his team into the playoff's last year, too, while playing with a bunch of average to below- average players, just hke LeBron. This isn’t just about this season. Wade and Anthony simply have been more successful - better - than LeBron at this point of their careers. Somehow, though, LeBron beat out both of them for rookie of the year last sea son. That, as you might imagine, is something that always will bother me, no matter how many MVP awards LeBron goes on to win in his career. What kind of message are we sending when the guy being touted as the new sav ior of the league can’t get his team into the playoffs but we still keep looking past his high-achieving peers to heap praise upon him? Are people that preoccu pied with not looking as stu pid as those people in the 1984 NBA Dr^, when Sam Bowie and Hakeem Olqjuwon were drafted ahead of the great Michael Jordan? Are people that worried that we mi^t one day have the media reflect on the 2003 NBA Draft class and say “Boy, I can’t believe they kept ignoring LeBron James for all those awards and giv ing them to Wade and Anthony’? Let’s just worry about the here and now, folks. And right now, Wade and Anthony have done a much better job. It’s not as if Wade and Anthony ai'e bums who are fortunate to just be playing in the same league as LeBron. Wade has averaged 20.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.8 assists over his career. Anthony has aver aged 20.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists. Both players’ statistics com pare favorably with LeBron’s 24.1 points, 6.4 reboimds and 6.6 assists - especially since Anthony plays in the tougher Western Conference. And, well, again, there’s the fact that Wade and Anthony led their teams into the playoff’s. Think about the great ^^nt Chamberlain-Bill Russell rivalries of the 1950s and 1960s. The late Chamberlain still is consid CIAA fans: Charlotte hotels too high Kerry By Herbert L. White lierh.wluteCd thecharlotiepos! x'om CIAA basketball fans don’t like the kind of hospitafity Charlotte hotels aie chaig- ing for next year’s tourna ment. Some complain the cost of going to a bigger city with a new aiena is much higher than previous venues. Also, Charlotte hotels that offered rooms at discoimt rates have filled them set- aside blocks and are now chai*ging more tlian usual, according to an article appearing on BlackAmericaWeb.com. Dori Bennett, a CIAA bas ketball fan fium Greensbore, told the website: “It’s ridicu lous to find these kinds of problems in a laigei* dty” Bennett said. After the hotels fill half of theii’ rooms with CIAA reservations, she maintained, they shut the other half down to reserva tions at the group rates. “It’s like we got a black slap,” Bemiett said, “for choosing Charlotte.” CIAA Commissioner Leon Kerry told the website he and his staff* are willing to try and work out the prob lems if people will call him. “These are just growing pains,” Keny said. ‘We love our fans, and we negotiated our bid package for the tour nament with the fans in mind. There are some hotels in our package that are ofifer- ing rates cheapei’ than what was ofifeied in Raleigh. We have no contrel over the costs at hotels that are not in oui' bid package.” CIAA leaders say they moved the tournament to Chai'lotte, to be played Feb. 27-March 4. 2006, because its facilities would offer the tournament greater opportu nity for growth, and the city will provide the CIAA with $1 million for scholarships each year. While scholarships may be attractive, Bennett told BlackAmericaWeb, “If they are giving that money to CIAA, they are making it up by jacking up the hotel rates.” Bennett said she usually reserves a block of 25 rooms for a Circle of Friends, which sponsors a fund-raiser dur ing the toimiament to raise money for scholarships. According to Bennett, one Charlotte hotel initially quoted rates of $109 for rooms during the CIAA, then they took another look at the dates and changed the rates to $169. Of the 37 hotels listed on the 2006 CIAA tournament Web site, only eight had ixxDms available during the tournament that could be accessedby BlackAmericaWeb, The web site found rates ranging from $209 at the Hilton Chaiiotte to $63 at the Comfort Inn. Three hotels had single/double rooms available at $159 a ni^t. The lowest priced rooms — $42 a night at the Coimtry Hearth Inn — were not avail able through Web access. Ronald Gantt, a former president of the N.C. Central Alumni Association, said this past yeai* in Raleigh his total hotel bill was $339. “If I go to Charlotte, the best rates I’ve found would have my hotel bill at $612.92 for four nights,” Gantt told tiie website, “and tiiat does n’t include the other costs, such as a ticket pack^e for the games and meals.” Mike Butts, executive director of \^it Charlotte, said he learned of potential concerns about the accom modations about three weeks ago. “There was some miscom- mimication,” Butts told BlackAmericaWeb. “Some fans thoi^it that the rates for the conference headquar ters hotels would extend to other facilities, but that is not tile case. “Charlotte is excited about hosting the CIAA basketball tournament. I am sure that once the fans come here and enjoy our arena, fine restau rants, museimis and other attractions, they wiH want to return.” Fans, however, said if it is to grow, the CIAA must also address their concerns. “I know that Chaiiotte is a large metropolitan area. It’s a pro sports dty and costs may be higher,” Gantt said. “But conference officials have to look out for the fans who have suppoited them year in and year out.” .® BEST BUY 1 iOKCiiiiiucmcn ^2SS/noiith 36 month lea.se $2,369 due ai lease signing (after Bonus Offer) for qualified lessees. No security deposit required (Tax. title, license, dealer fees extra.) 8218 E. INDEPENDENCE BLVD. 800^1-4879 KuiiTTMiJ 704-556-7400 www.carolinacadillac.com www.apcadiilac.com ♦Example based on survey. F^ch dealer sets its own price. Your payment may vary. Payments are for a specially equipped 2005 2.8L CTS with an MSRP of $32,085 a capitalized cost (including any applica ble cap cost reduction) of $32,085 a capitalized cost (including any applicable cap cost reduction) of S25.5(fe. a residual value of $ 17,326.36 monthly payments total $ 10.764. Option to purchase at lease end for an amount to be determined at lea.se signing. GMAC must approve lease. Take delivery by 5/31/2005. Mileage charge of $ JO per mile over 36,000 miles. Lessee pays for maintenance, repair, and excess wear. If lease terminates early, lessee is liable for all unpaid monthly payments. Payments may be higher in some stales. Not available with other offers. Not available in NY. Consumer Guide® is a registed trademark of Publications International. Ltd. ered by many to be the great est basketball player ever. But virtually each time the two went head-to-head in a big game, Russell’s team came out on the winning side. Now, in full disclosure, Russell’s Boston Celtics teams were much more tal ented overall than CTiamberlain’s squad. But if you ask most old-school NBA general managers whom they’d prefer to have on their team, the majority of them would say RusseU. The bottom fine? After all these years, winning is all that matters. And while Wade and Anthony haven’t won any championships to this point, they are playing winning basketball right now, playoflfbasketball. Hey, I like LeBron. He’s the most mesmerizing, the most dominant and, without a doubt, the most acclaimed player of the sophomore class. Heck, it probably wouldn’t be unwise to vote him Most Likely to Become a Hall of Famer. But before we hand LeBron another honor, let’s make sure he clearly out does his competition first. E-mail Post sports columnist C. Jemal Horton at seejemal- write@aol.com. BAND-AID BRAND ADMESIVF BANDA 0 EE presents: Journey to \t%Uness ALLERGY CONTROL By Dr. Mary Harris Sniff. Cough. Sneeze. Wipe. If you liave allergies and live in a city like I do wliere tire average pollen count on a sprii^ day is 1200 or above, I bet you're doing all of the above...a lot! W'e've all seen spring time pollen cover outdoor objects with a pea green dust. Wiiile that type of pollen may not cause an allergic reaction, it docs show how pervasive most pollen spores are, wtielher we can ^ tiiem or not. Even if you're not a regular aller gy sufterer, a higli pollen count can make life miserable for a sliorl period or for the whole .season. Tire pollen count measures howmuch dust from common allergais is in a cubic foot of air. Conlaminanls like dandelion, rag weed, grass and sycamore spores, among many otiiers, fill the air we breathe and produce symptoms that include itchy eyes and liiroaL sneezing, wheezing, coughing, burning, runny eyes and nose, sinusitis, pounding headaches and, in extreme cases, even rashes and hives. If yai suffer- from allergies dui-ing the spring, summer or fall you need all iiie relief you can get. And .surprisingly, you can get relief vsithout drugs. Simple lifestyle changes can make a big difference in your comfort level and are absolutely free. Try these suggestions: During pollen sea.son. stay mdoors unless you MTOT go out. Your hermit-like behavior will protect you than environmen tal allergems, particularly during the hours of 10 .AM to 4 PM-. If you must drive, keep car windows rolled up. WTien outside keep hair lucked under a hat or scarf. .As soon as you return home, diange and launder clothes immediately then shower and shampoo. Pollen clings to hair and fiber. Pollen- tilled hair and clothing will keep you sneezmg for liours and will also conciliate bedding so you get a continuous dose of alleigais while you sleep. Scnib up! During spring and summer remove and store heavy draperies and area rugs. They attract and hold dust. Shut pollen out. Keep windows and doors closed as much a.s pos.sible. Move your bed away from windows and use the air conditioner for circulation. Investing in an air purifier is also a good idea. If your mild allergy ssmptoms don't subside once you've taken these simple steps, or if your symptoms are too far-gone to benefit fhxn lifestyle changes only, you may need to take more aggressive action. Consider medical testing to isolate the specific allergens that affect you. Testing can be a lengthy and tedious process, but one well worth the investment of time ainsidering the years of relief tliat will follow, .After testing, your doctor may prescribe a shot of epi- neptnine to help offset severe allagic attacks. This medicine comes in a pocket-sized container tliat looks like a pen and provides imme diate relief •Allergy shots are also an option. Like vaccines, tiiey introduce small amounts of allergens into the body so a gradual immunity can be formed. The thought of frequent injecticns is unsettling, but this therapy offers a level of relief not found else where. Since allergies have no cure, if s usetiil to employ medicines whose effectiveness is guaranteed. These medical options may be appropriate tor seascaial allergies as well as allergies to food, chem icals or insect bites. If you opt to seek relief on your own, use over the count er medicines with caution. ■Allergies have staying power, so if s important to explore the riglit combination of lifestyle changes, medical options and do- it-yourself remedies that will work for you. Ulialever your choice, don't suffer! .Allergies can be caitrolled. Alw ays visit w-wTs.joumey1oweiliiess.com for more important news alxiut your health.
The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
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May 12, 2005, edition 1
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