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4C SPORTS/tK^c Charlotte Thursday, June 1, 2006 PHOTO/CURTIS WILSON GRAY MATTER; Former West Charlotte High standout Justin Gray met reporters after a workout Tuesday at Charlotte Bobcats Arena. Gray was among the first collegians brought to Charlotte by the Bobcats to work out in advance of this month’s NBA draft. The Bobcats, who pick third, will likely bring in players such as Connecticut’s Rudy Gay, Duke’s J.J. Redick and Gonzaga’s Adam Morrison. SOCCER Look out for secret signals during World Cup tourney By Simon Haydon WE ASSOCIATED PRESS LONDON - If the play gets boring at the World Cup, watch out for the secret sig nals between the match offi cials nmning the game. Although radio communica tions between the referee and his three assistants have been tested in top European competition this season, they will not be featured in Germany, although it appears inevitable they will soon play a part in elite soc- cer. However, electronic devices are not the only way for match officials to communi cate. Over the years referees have developed discreet ways of passing or receiving mes sages, often involving the assistants helping out the man in the middle when he or she may not have seen an incident. A player tumbles to the gi*oxmd in the penalty area and the referee, his view of the play blocked by a crowd of players, looks quickly at the hnesman. If he raises his flag to his chest briefly, then it’s a penalty If the linesman places his hand on his breast pocket _ where yellow and red cards are kept - then he’s recommending a yellow or red card. The players have most probably not realized the assistant has given the deci sion and so do not chaige at the linesman in fury leaving the referee to take the flak, as is his duty Next example: The ball hits the crossbar, then bounces down. Did it cross the hne? The assistant referee is best placed to see and the sight of him running back toward the NCAA SHIFTS LEAGUES halfway hne for a restart tells the referee it’s a goal. If he stays where he is, then the ball has not crossed the hne. For years referees have nm what they call a diagonal sys tem to keep up with play ensuring they are always looking across toward the linesman, with the non play in between. Now, however, as the game has sped up, refer ees are under instiiictions never to be more than 15 yards (meters) fiom play Sometimes, howev^, that’s impossible and the linesman has to help out while the ref eree catches up. For those few moments - and whenever he is doser to play than the ref eree - the assistant has much more power than the specta tor realizes. At the elite level, the refer ee, unless he is absolutely convinced to the contrary will accept the dedsion of the hnesman faithfully At the World Cup, the offidals are a team, almost all from the same country and a group that often offidates together in their national league, so they know and trust each other. The latest trend in referee- ii^ is for the lO-minute clam- pdown. Soccer games inevitably have flashpoints when the referee needs to be at his most alert and firm. For the first 10 minutes of a match, especially if it’s a grudge game, the referee whl be tough on everything, blow ing his whistle for every mis demeanor. As the game pro gresses and players settle down, the referee will also start allowing play to flow and speed up, ignoring some challenges. But when tension suddenly erupts, the 10- minute dampdown retums. Look out in Germany for the referee holding his arm rigidly by his side with his fist clenched as he alerts his linesmen that they need to be on the same wavelength. A few minutes later, as calm is gradually restored, the ref eree will make a similar sig nal with a rigid arm, only the fist is replaced with an open hand and the offidals can relax a little. While several other meth ods of commxmications exist between a referee and his hnesmen, the most important remains eye contact. Every referee’, in his prematch instructions to his co-work- ers, will stress how crudal it is for them to be looking at each other. Ever wondered why it’s not very often a referee points one way for a throw-in and the linesman points the other? Watch the hand of the linesman without the flag in it- If it’s raised slightly it’s a signal for the referee to give the throw-in that way But the assistant will also be looking at the referee’s left or right hand and will always opt for a majority decision rather than be seen to dis agree with his boss. It’s also very rare that a ref eree does not see his lines man wavir^ the flag. But if he doesn’t, the final weapon in the assistant’s armory is a button on the end of his flag which, when pressed, sets off a loud buzzer on a strap con cealed under the referee’s sleeve. That’s a surefire way of attracting the referee’s attention. Associcaed Press Writer Simon Haydon is a licensed referee in England and has been officiating games for five years. CIAA wary of region realignment Continued from page 1C director of championships and staff liaison to the regional task force, got these viewpoints and plenty more at a breakfast meeting at the Radisson Hotel in Research Triar^le Park last Thesday The meeting was a precursor to the annual CIAA coaches award luncheon. An overflow and skeptic crowd listened as Cessna - well meaning but misguided - tried to explain the rationale behind the CIAA getting bused out of the South. Her main argument was, despite moving to the north, teams could still keep their in-state rivalries. And the designated in-region states will be Tennessee, Geoigia and South Carolina, so travel costs will be reduced. The problem with that synopsis is North Carolina will no longer be part of the CIAA’s region, so those in-state rivalries won’t mean anything to the selection committee. And new in-region states mean new regional opponents. Remember, the reason the conference is being moved in the first place is because teams are “skurred” of‘em. ‘It’s hard to get 18 in-region games as it is,” Shaw coach Jacques Curtis said. “UNC- Pembroke is 35 minutes from us and won’t Bonds’ pursuit of Aaron’s 755 homers is far from sure thing f^ckntini loH frr»m nano IP -i-ii .iin r-* i Continued from page 1C a good shot. It’s stiU a long way away We’re still in May Anything can happen between now and then.” He’s playing on a suigicaUy repaired right knee and has bone chips floating in his left elbow. Then there are the two investigations into his alleged steroid use. ‘T don’t know why people think he’s not going to get Aaron,” HaU of Famer Reggie Jackson said. "He needs 40 home runs, so sometime in 2007, he’s goir^ to go by Henry ‘T don’t know if George Mitchell will chop him with the investigation, but if he doesn’t test positive, or they don’t get something on him, it’s just a matter of time. ” Bonds took the first step in that direction Sunday when he hit his 715th homer to move past Babe Ruth and into second place on the career chart. He did it with a 445-foot, two-run shot to center off Byung-Hyun Kim in the fomih inning of a 6-3 loss to the Colorado Rockies. Now, only Aaron stands ahead of him. “Is it going to happen? I don’t know. I can’t predict that,” Bonds said. “I can’t predict what’s going to happen in the future. I can’t.” His five-year, $90 million ctaitract with the Giants expires after the season and Bonds has n’t yet said if he will quit after 21 years in the majors or try to keep playing, perhaps as a des ignated hitter in the American League. “I want to see him do it if he can play” said Detroit manager Jim Lejiand, who managed Bonds for seven years with the Pittsburgh Pirates before the slugger left as a fi:ee agent to join San Frandsco for the 1993 season. “I know him well enoi^h that I don’t think you’ll ever see Barry play if he thinks he’s going to embarrass himself. He won’t stay on just to do it- rd be shocked. He’d be too proud of a guy for that.” How long it goes with only Aaron, Bonds and Ruth in the 700 home run club is another ques tion. Albert Pujols of St. Louis and Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees have real istic chances to join them if they can keep up their prodigious paces. If anyone needed a reminder who’s left for Bonds, it came when the Giants unfurled two banners fiom the light towers on either side of the main scoreboard in center field; one of Bonds on the left and the other of Aaron’s 755. ‘YVe’ie glad it’s over,” Giants manager Felipe Alou said. "We need a lot of home runs now. People don’t have to count them anymore, but we need a few to win some baUgames.” Bonds, who turns 42 on July 24, played five games between his 714th homer May 20 at Oakland and 715. He went nine games with out a homer after hittii^ 713 on May 7 at Philadelphia. “I don’t think I was over-trying. I just thou^t there was too much at me, trying to get away” he said. “In the last week or so, everythir^ died down so it felt a lot better. Somebody else is going to come along and theyll go through all this media and stuff like that - it’s just over- whekoing. It really drains you.” Bonds generated even more attention because of the steroid allegations. He has long denied ever knowingly taking steroids, thoi^ the new book "Game of Shadows” reveals his alleged longtime doping regimen the authors say began after the 1998 season when Bonds saw the attention Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa generated in thefr race for the single-sea son home nm record. Bonds broke McGwire’s mark of 70 by hitting 73 in 2001. “I’m just wondering how much longer he can do it,” Atlanta pitcher John Smoltz said. ‘He’s the greatest - in my era - home run hitter I have ever seen.” Bonds was limited to 14 games in 2005 fol lowing three op^ations on his troublesome ri^t knee, and Alou believes the seven-time NL MVP is stiU finding his groove at the plate because of a shortage of at-bats during spring training. While Bonds hinted recently Aaron’s mark might be out of reach, he soimded more upbeat Simday saying "If you keep playir^ long enough, anything’s possible.” Another of his former managers was eag^ to cor^atulate the slugger. ‘Nobody has a number to get to Barry, that’s No. 1,” said Cubs manager Dusty Baker, Bcoids’ skipper for 10 seasons with the Giants. “I caUed a couple of people and told them to deliver a message for me. That’s quite an accomplishment, a tremendous accomplish ment.” AP Sports reporters Larry Lage in Detroit and Rick Gano in Chicago contributed to this story. Protect yotir satings from the ups and downs of inflation with the new Series I Bond from the U.S. Treasury And I Bonds are available at most financial institutions. Oil 1-800-4US BOND for more 13th Annual Frank Blue Open Golf Benefit Benefiting Clafln University, Orangeburg, SC Tradition Golf Club • Charlotte, NC 7:30 am. Shotgun Start Tournament Cost is $70.00 per golfer!!! Captain’s Choice Format fjay us, Mt. Ohve is 45 minutes away and won’t play us. Tfeams won’t play us. We’ve worked hard over the years to finally get our core of in-region games, and now you’re asking Tos to start all over. “What good does it do to play Barton College or Mfii^ate when the games don’t mean any thing?” The R-word was never said outright at the meeting, but it was implied enough to get the message across. ‘Is the NCAA trying to stop the CIAA fiom being competitive?” asked Peggy Green, senior women administrator at Fayetteville State. “There is - for want of a better phrase - a hid den agenda towards the CIAA. The two confer ences that are going to have to go through the most changes are the two HBCUs. (The SIAC is the other.) We are going away fiom what the NCAA stands for, which is to represent all con ferences, and we’re not being represented well, especially in basketball.” „ . Give Cessna her due. Despite being ‘just the messenger,” she stood there and took her whuppir^.,,^e may never come back, but she took it aU the same. Your source for championship sports coverage tKIje Cljarlotte ^os!t
The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
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June 1, 2006, edition 1
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