The News Argus, April 2003
w.s.s.u.
WSSU guard selected for Cl A A game
WSSU guard Lori Shelby has been selected to participate in the 2003
CIAA/NYCAC Senior Basketball Challenge. Shelby, a leading scorer on
the 2003 Rams basketball team and first team All-CIAA selection, was
selected due to her notable performance throughout her senior season.
The game is scheduled to take place April 26 at C.W. Post College in
Brookville, Long Island, N.Y.
The Thin Line
Should sports figures make public
comments about world issues?
By George K. Croom Jr.
ARGUS SPORTS EDITOR
Since the war between the United
States and Iraq began, many in the
sports world have taken it upon
themselves to bridge the gap that
divides the two.
Coaches, players, owners, journal
ists and reporters have all jumped at
the chance to
add their opin- O DI PI IO PI
ions on the
most public of stages.
It all began when the first reporter
or journalist popped a tape recorder,
microphone or notepad in an ath
lete's face and asked for his or her
comments on the war.
The responsibility lies primarily on
the outlets through which the infor
mation is being transferred. If the
medium is not provided for the
sports world to comment, then all
comments and opinions will remain
private.
The sporting community should
not make international issues a staple
of conversation. Sports is sports, war
is war, and international issues, simi
lar to the prior, are international
issues.
There is nothing that links the two.
The only binding ties are the war's
ability to stop sports or to take away
from the coverage of sports.
Certain media outlets have been
charged with the responsibility of
covering both. Yet, in some of their
attempts to complete both objectives,
they have managed to run them
through a collision course.
Even the specialty channels, such as
ESPN, have come dangerously close
to taking sports past the boundaries
that have been set.
The bridge needs to be broken
down. Let the sports reporters pro
vide sports, and the news reporters
provide the news. There is enough
confusion to be passed around. The
last thing that is needed is the
world's most beloved sports figures
opinion on the situation.
Since Sept. 11, arguments have been
made by many in the sporting com
munity that sports is a sanctuary
where people can find refuge from
the depressions of war.
If sports begin to allow war to
drive to the forefront of its agenda,
then the refuge is accepting the very
enemy from which it should provide
escape.
Dales-Schuman stars in new role
ESPN uses Washington Mystics player and
ex-Oklahoma Sooner for tournament coverage
By Mel Greenberg
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
(KRT) — At the NCAA tournament
a year ago, Stacey Dales-Schuman
was a star on the court.
This year, she is a rookie sensation
on TV, getting attention for her part
in ESPN's television coverage of the
tournament.
Dales-Schuman, a two-time all-
American senior guard, helped lead
Oklahoma to the NCAA women's
basketball tournament title game last
year before the Sooners lost to
unbeaten Connecticut, 82-70.
This year, she's behind a desk as a
studio analyst, working with Indiana
Fever coach Nell Fortner of the
WNBA and host Rece Davis.
"It's a pretty neat thing," Dales-
Schuman said during a recent break
in the regional semifinals and finals.
"I think you get some interesting
perspectives for the audience because
you have a current coach and a cur
rent player," said Dales-Schuman,
who plays for the WNBA Washington
Mystics. "I know I'm learning a few
things from Nell as a coach.
"I have such a passion for basket
ball, and this has helped me and my
game," said Dales-Schuman, 23, a
native of Brockville, Ontario, who
played for the 2000 Canadian
Olympic team. "Everyone has been
helpful, and everyone involved is
very professional in the way they go
about their work. It's just a great
opportunity and learning experi
ence."
It has been a challenging job for a
TV novice, especially because this is
the first year that ESPN and ESPN2
have combined to air all 63 games in
the tournament.
In the first two rounds, the studio
team had to act as ringmasters, tak
ing viewers in and out of games
across the country.
Dales-Schuman has worked hard
on her preparation.
"When I'm not working out in the
“I have such a passion
for basketball, and this
has helped me and my
game. Everyone has been
helpful, and everyone
involved is very profes
sional in the way they go
about their work. It’s just
a great opportunity and
learning experience.”
— Stacey Dales-Schuman
gym. I've spent all my time on the
computer, because 1 want to do the
best job possible, and I'm not doing
anyone a service if I haven't done my
homework and come to the set pre
pared," she said.
"I also want to get my viewpoints
across and share what I feel. But I
don't want to be controversial just for
its own sake.
"I want to talk about as many play
ers and teams as possible, because I
want to give everyone a chance to
hear themselves mentioned," she
added.
"There's not a lot of TV coverage of
women's basketball, and there are
great stories and players who are
unknown. There's so much parity out
there."
Apparently, network officials have
been pleased with Dales-Schuman's
work to date.
"I know she's turned heads around
here," said Josh Krulewitz, a spokes
man for the network. "It's one thing
to have a viewpoint. But in this busi
ness, timing and delivery are every
thing, and she's been great."
Dales-Schuman recently drew high
marks from her former college coach,
Sherri Coale.
"She's every bit as talented behind
this thing as she was playing for us,"
Coale said, motioning toward a
microphone recently during the
Mideast Regional in Norman, Okla.
Dales-Schuman knows a thing or
two about brain power.
She was an honors student at
Oklahoma as a communications
major.
Oklahoma had not been much of a
force in Division I before Dales-
Schuman arrived in Norman to help
Coale turn the Sooners into a national
power.
Since the 2002 Final Four, Dales-
Schuman has had quite a hectic
schedule.
"Think about it," she said in quick
breaths, listing all the activities. "We
get to the championship. Then a
week or so later, I got married [to fel
low Oklahoma student Chris
Schuman]. Then I got drafted [third
overall] by the Mystics. Suddenly, I
have to move from life on the Bible
Belt to a large Eastern city and one of
the cultural capitals of America.
"Then I got to help the Mystics turn
their program around until I finally
hit that rookie wall. But Coach
[Marianne] Stanley was great. She
rested me, and then I was ready to
get into the playoffs, where we won
the first round and then lost out to
New York in the Eastern champion
ship."
"I'm excited about this season and
what we can do," Dales-Schuman
said, adding that she did not know
where things stood regarding WNBA
negotiations with the players' union
for a new collective bargaining agree
ment.
That's a worry for another day.
Dales-Schuman was concentrating on
wrapping up the network's coverage
of the East and West finals, and then
went to Atlanta for the Final Four at
the Georgia Dome.
Jordan: This
season is his
last, or is it?
George K. Croom Jr.
ARGUS SPORTS EDITOR
Remember back to a time when you
were a child. Your mother would
always say, "Either stay in, or stay
out." The majority of your entourage
understood the concept but there hap
pened to be that one kid that could not
quite grasp, constantly stirring up trouble
with his comings and goings.
Enter Michael Jordan.
In his second reunion with the hard-
court, Jordan has managed to boost sales,
draw
Opinion
KRT photo
Jordan says that he will seek
his final retirement at the end
of 2002-’03 season.
crowds
(home and
away),
and
receive a
second
farewell
tour that
is fit for
not only a
king, but
also wor
thy of the
highest
immortals
sitting
atop
Mount
Olympus.
Since
being
drafted
third in
the 1984
NBA
draft,
Jordan has elevated the attentiveness and
enthusiasm of the viewing public toward
the NBA on his route to becoming one of
the greatest and most influential players
ever. But the question still remains that
has lingered throughout the 2002-'03 sea
son, "Is this truly his last go-around, or
will he be back?"
In January 1999, former News Argus
sports editor Rasheed Oluwa commented
on the coverage of the second Jordan
retirement stating, "It's a good thing that
the Second Coming of the Messiah didn't
take place in the month of January.
People would've been too busy watching
ESPN 2's daylong dedication of MJ high
lights to even care."
My take on this, now his third retire
ment, would not be as strong. Although it
can be said that Jordan has gained more
attention for the Washington Wizards
than most perpetually bad teams strug
gling to make the playoffs would.
Almost all of Jordan's preconceived
objectives for the Wizards and himself
have failed. Showing the world that at 39
and 40 he can still play, up for discussion.
Building the Wizards as a legitimate
Eastern Conference contender, failed.
Becoming a facilitator and teacher to the
franchises younger players, to be specific
Kwame Brown and as reflected in their
current relationship, total failure.
The only positively affected parties in
the latest return of "Air Jordan" are the
endless numbers of disciples who wor
ship every dribble which fall from his
hands.
There is a saying; "One is for the
money, two is for the show, three is to get
ready ..." Jordan said he has made his
peace with the game. Let's hope that the
unsettling urge of his disciples doesn't
require a fourth time to go.