2C
000
SPORTS/®:^^ Cibarlottt ^ost
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Since it’s July, time to ask
a few Panthers questions
Sifford earns lifetime honor
Continued from page 1C
The basic building blocks
are in place: Steve Smith is
the best receiver in the
game and the defense is
good when engaged. The
problem is whether last
year’s stumbles were an
aberration or a sign of long
term slippage.
Is a new offense finally
going to get into the zone?
New offensive coordinator
Jeff Davison has installed a
zone-blocking scheme with
the intent of maximizing the
talents of DeAngelo
Williams and DeShaun
Foster. They are slashers
and burners, not power
backs in the Stephen Davis
mold.
If Davidson’s plan works,
there actually might be a
long-distance threat or two
aside from Smith.
Quarterback derby: Head
coach John Fox insists
there’s no open competition
between Jake Delhomme
and David Carr for the top
spot. Right.
Remember 2002 when
Rodney Peete was the
entrenched starter and
Delhomme was brought in
as insurance? It took one
half of the season opener to
make a switch, and the
Panthers went to the Super
Bowl. Carr is at least
Delhomme’s equal and his
tory does have a habit of
repeating itself.
Safety first: Strong safety
Mike Minter says this is his
final season, and he’ll likely
spend it playing instead of
mentoring. Nate Salley is
relatively untested at free
safety, but showed well in
coaching sessions.
How much better is
Peppers?
He’s actually primed to be
better in his sixth profes
sional season. The only
thing that may dampen his
effectiveness is an uncertain
situation at the opposite
defensive end. If Rucker’s
fully recovered, Carolina’s
set. Otherwise, Peppers will
see plenty of double-team
ing.
Which rookie will have the
most impact? Judging from
spring ball, it’ll be second-
round pick Dwayne Jarrett
of use, a younger version of
Johnson who will compete
for a starting receiver job
opposite Smith. But don't
discount first-rounder Jon
Beason, who is one Dan
Morgan bell-ringer away
from moving up to starting
middle linebacker.
Tiy picking All-Star reserves
Continued from page 1C
commendable total especially considering
how little he gets to hit.
Yup, Bonds should bat in the middle of the
National League order. Maybe right after
Cincinnati’s Ken Griffey Jr., another aging
star enjoying an excellent year.
Playing in his glistening home ballpark on
the San Francisco waterfront. Bonds would
own the spotlight July 10. Should make for
an intriguing night.
Other choices are much tougher. The
American League is loaded with outstanding
center fielders: Ichiro Suzuki, Torii Hunter,
Grady Sizemore.
The NL is stacked at shortstop. Jose Reyes,
Edgar Renteria or Hanley Ramirez? Don’t
forget J J. Hardy and Jimmy Rollins.
“I’ve been playing around with it, but why
waste your time before you know who the
fans selected?” NL manager Tony La Russa
of the St. Louis Cardinals said.
Due to subpar seasons, a few perennial All-
Stars might be missing, including Mariano
Rivera and Andruw Jones. In their place
should be rising young stars such as Prince
Fielder and Curtis Granderson.
But space is limited.
There are 32 spots on each roster, and 12
go to pitchers. Every team must be repre
sented, which means finding an All-Star on
the Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals is
required.
The league that wins will get home-field
advantage in the World Series again.
'Tve got a big job to do, and I don’t have a
lot of time. I’m looking forward to the game
and the festivities, but I’m not looking for
ward to the next couple days. It’s going to be
hectic,” AL manager Jim Leyland of the
Detroit Tigers said this week.
"1 don't think it is going to be that difficult,
but someone is going to get screwed. You
can write that down right now. Someone
that deserves to be there is going to get left
off, but that’s not because of Jim Leyland
and Tony La Russa, that's because of the
system. I've got seven or eight picks, and
once 1 make sure that every team has some
one, I might be down to one or two.”
Without regard to fan balloting, here are
our picks for the 78th All-Star game at AT&T
Park.
Starting with the AL:
First base - Red Sox slugger David Ortiz
gets the start here because there’s no desig
nated hitter in the NL park. Boston's regular
first baseman, Kevin Youkilis, makes it as a
backup. Reigning MVP Justin Momeau is in,
as long as he’s recovered from a bruised
lung. And the huge surprise is Tampa Bay’s
Carlos Pena, sent to minor league camp late
in spring training. Take a look at his num
bers since he’s been playing every day _
they’re unbelievable. An injury keeps Texas'
Mark Teixeira off the team.
Second base - With a recent surge,
Baltimore’s Brian Roberts earns the start at a
relatively light position. Behind him is
Toronto’s lone representative. Aaron Hill,
who is quietly having a solid season. Passing
on Detroit’s Placido Polanco was difficult. He
was leading the fan vote, though.
Shortstop - Carlos Guillen of the Tigers
beats out Yankees captain Derek Jeter for
the starting role. A couple of tough omis
sions here, including Orlando Cabrera of the
Los Angeles Angels.
Third base - Alex Rodriguez is in the mid
dle of a monster season that could earn him
even more money _ even if New York miss
es the playoffs. Boston’s Mike Lowell is the
backup.
Catcher - Jorge Posada has been strong
and steady throughout the Yankees’ woeful
You already know the score.
Now it’s time to get the story.
tKIje Cljarlotte ^osit
www.thecharlottepost.com
Continued from page 1C
golf...it’s a beautiful thing.”
Proceeds went to the American Cancer
Society and the Bill Dickey Scholarship
Fund. Among the luminaries who attended
were actors Bill Bellamy and Rosie Perez: rap
icon Luther Campbell and basketball hall of
famer Clyde Drexler.
• Chris Hamilton won the Elite Golf
Association tournament June 23-24 in
Greenville, S.C.
Hamilton shot a two-day total of 147 at
Carolina Springs Golf Club and Verdae
Greens Golf Club. Andy Wood was second at
151 and Mike Wallace was third at 153.
• Brandt Williams won the Upstate Birdies
Golf Association charity tournament June 16
at Southern Oaks Golf Club in Easley, S.C.
Williams’ round of 76 was one shot better
than John Neely’s 77 and Doug Earl’s 78.
Bobcats add firepower in guard
first half. He edges Cleveland switch-hitter
Victor Martinez.
Outfield - Detroit’s Magglio Ordonez starts
in left, Minnesota's Hunter in center and
Vladimir Guerrero of the Angels in right. The
reserves are Suzuki from Seattle, Sizemore
from Cleveland, Detroit’s Granderson and
Boston’s Manny Ramirez. Tigers DH Gary
Sheffield also gets a spot. It was hard to
leave out Alex Rios of the Blue Jays.
Starting pitchers - Dan Haren is the only
representative from Oakland, but he earns
the start in his first All-Star appearance
thanks to a 9-2 record and league-leading
1.91 ERA. Joining him on the staff are first-
timer Josh Beckett of Boston, Detroit’s Justin
Verlander, Cleveland’s C.C. Sabathia,
Minnesota ace Johan Santana, Los Angeles’
Kelvim Escobar and Kansas City’s Gil Meche.
Relievers - Angels closer Francisco
Rodriguez anchors the bullpen, along with
Seattle’s J.J. Putz, Boston’s Jonathan
Papelbon, Chicago’s Bobby Jenks and
Rangers setup man Akinori Otsuka.
Unfortunately, there’s just no room for two
deserving setup men: rookie left-hander
Hideki Okajima of the Red Sox and Los
Angeles stalwart Scot Shields.
And in the NL:
First base - Fielder is the first-half MVP.
The son of “Big Daddy” Cecil Fielder, the
Milwaukee slugger has a great chance to lead
his team to its first playoff berth in 25 years.
Reserve roles go to reigning MVP Ryan
Howard of the Phillies, St. Louis’ Albert
Pujols and Washington’s Dmitri Young - a
nice comeback story. Chicago’s Derrek Lee,
Colorado’s Todd Helton and San Diego’s
Adrian Gonzalez get squeezed out at a
power-packed position.
Second base - Philadelphia’s Chase Utley
has separated himself from everyone else at
this position and could have a lock on many
All-Star trips to come. He’s the clear choice
to start, with Florida’s Dan Uggla behind
him.
Shortstop - Renteria is quietly having a
superb season for Atlanta, and he outpaces
a competitive field. Hardy makes it from
Milwaukee, and New York’s Reyes earns a
spot as well. Shaky defense costs Hanley
Ramirez, while Rollins just misses.
Third base - Miguel Cabrera of the Marlins
easily wins the start, and New York’s David
Wright takes second string.
Catcher - Russell Martin is the heart and
soul of the Dodgers and a terrific young
player. Take your pick on a backup - San
Francisco’s Bengie Molina?
Outfield - Bonds starts in left, his first All-
Star appearance since 2004, with Griffey at
his old spot in center and Colorado’s Matt
Holliday in right. On the bench: Chicago’s
Alfonso Soriano, Houston’s Carlos Lee,
Cincinnati’s Adam Dunn and Phillies center
fielder Aaron Rowand. Brad Hawpe of the
Rockies is a harsh cut.
Starting pitchers - A toss-up for starting
honors between Los Angeles' Brad Penny
and San Diego’s Jake Peavy. Make it Penny
(10-1, 2.04 ERA) for the second consecutive
year. The rest of the staff includes Chris
Young of the Padres, Atlanta’s John Smoltz,
Arizona sinkerballer Brandon Webb, Brewers
ace Ben Sheets, Pittsburgh’s Ian Snell and the
Mets' John Maine. Philadelphia left-hander
Cole Hamels was oh-so-close.
Relievers - Brewers closer Francisco
Cordero leads the majors in saves. He teams
up in the bullpen with Trevor Hoffman of
the Padres, Takashi Saito of the Dodgers,
and Mets lefty Billy Wagner. It was difficult
to deny Arizona’s Jose Valverde.
AP Sportswriter Bill Konigsberg in New York
and AP freelance writer Dave Hogg inDetroit
contributed to this report.
Continued from page 1C
nificant that would make
our basketball team that
much better, then we would
do that."
The 6-foot-6 Richardson,
who grew up a Jordan fan
and wears his No. 23, pro
vides the Bobcats with
something they’ve never
had: a late-game threat.
The 26-year-old swingman
averaged more than 19
points a game in his six-year
career, including 23.2 points
a game in 2005-06.
Richardson is a good 3-point
shooter, but he also is an
exciting slasher who has
won the league’s dunk con
test twice.
"The last couple of years,
this team has put itself in
winning situations in the
fourth quarter,” said
Bobcats general manager
Rod Higgins, who spent
three seasons with
Richardson in Golden State.
“When we thought about
making this move, we want
ed to try to get a veteran guy
who could step up and
make big plays for us.”
Richardson was a Golden
State fan favorite, remem
bered for buying a full-page
ad in Bay Area newspapers
last year apologizing for the
Warriors missing the play
offs.
Richardson then averaged
19 points a game in this
year’s playoffs - when the
Warriors stunned top-seed
Dallas in the first round.
But Richardson has never
been an All-Star and aver
aged only 16 points a game
last season while missing 31
games with injuries. He’s
been criticized for his ball
handling and defense, and
is only a 69 percent free
throw shooter.
Still, if Charlotte re-signs
Wallace - who became an
unrestricted free agent
Sunday - Richardson and
Wallace would bring some
exciting possibilities.
“1 said it from day one, 1
fully expect him to be here,”
Jordan said of Wallace.
“Hopefully we can come to
some type of understand
ing.”
If Wallace returns, the
Bobcats would seem ready
to compete for a playoff
spot in the Eastern
Conference.
Richardson and Wallace
would join point guard
Raymond Felton and power
forward Emeka Okafor. The
Bobcats are hoping Adam
Morrison improves from his
rookie season, Sean May
comes back from a knee
injury, and first-round pick
Jared Dudley can contribute
right away.
"We have a young nucle
us,” Jordan said. “We felt
that if we could add a guy
with Jason Richardson’s tal
ent, it would give us a well-
rounded and balanced bas
ketball team.”
Onetime CIAA lightning
rod slows down a little bit
Continued from page 1C
could attend. Then last month, he gave
$10,000 to the Salvation Army Boys and
Girls Club and longtime friend, executive
director Charles Lyons. He promised Lyons
another $ 10,000 in a few months.
Hopkins said he is satisfied with where his
life is now.
“I’m my own boss, I don’t have to answer
to anyone,” he said. “It's all about helping
the kids, and now I can help as many as I
want.”
After leaving Shaw, Hopkins said if he was
n't back in coaching within .three years, he .
was through. Few believed him; OK just me,
but he meant it.
Now, he's totally out of the sports world.
He’s even hung up his Nikes for whom he
was a high school and college scout for
many years.
“I don’t miss any of it,” he said. “At Shaw,
there was too much red tape and too many
egos. Everybody had an agenda. Now,
there’s only one agenda and it’s mine.”
Don’t be fooled. Hopkins has a big enough
ego of his own. But the CIAA hasn’t been the
AFFECTS ESTIAAATED ONE-TENTH OF AFRICAN AMERICANS
Sickle cell poses risks to athletes
, same since he left. ' • ' .
Oh well, there’s'.always Jacqri^s Curtis on
the women’s side. -
Revamped voting process
The football and volleyball seasons are
just around the comer. And soon both will
be releasing their preseason all-conference
teams. Hopefully, the CIAA office took good
notes at the spring meeting.
Volleyball officials asked that only return
ing players be selected to the preseason
team. And for good reason. Last year,
NCCU’s Kai Wright made the team despite
not being in the league the year before.
The sports information directors have
requested that they be allowed to vote on all
preseason and postseason teams so the
selections will be “devoid of politics,”
Elizabeth City State SID April Emory said.
Not to mention the embarrassment it
causes - like^haming a punter defensive
player o^thqyear. It^s,going to be a long time
before iJ^' coaches If&e that one down.
BONITTA BEST is'.spdrts editor at The
TriangleTribune in Durham.
ByAlanScher Zagier
IHE ASSOCIATED PRESS
COLUMBIA, Mo. - The
growing number of exer
cise-induced deaths among
athletes with sickle cell trait
can be curtailed with proper
treatment and greater
awareness among team
doctors and athletic train
ers, a national medical
group said in a report
released last week.
The National Athletic
Trainers’ Association report,
released at the group’s
annual meeting in Anaheim,
Calif., only suggests, not
recommends, that schools
screen players for the inher
ited blood disorder.
The symptoms of explo
sive muscle breakdown tied
to sickle cell trait are
“underrecognized and often
misunderstood” by team
medical workers who mis
take the injury for heat
exhaustion, muscle cramps
or heart problems, the
report found.
"Sickling collapse is a
medical emergency,” the
report states.
Nine athletes have died
under such circumstances
in the past seven years,
ranging in age from 12 to
19. The NATA study also
notes the deaths of 13 col
lege football players at
schools that did not test for
sickle cell trait or had “a
lapse in precautions."
Three of those deaths
occurred over the past three
summers. The group
includes former Missouri
reserve linebacker Aaron
O’Neal, who collapsed on
the field near the end of a
preseason workout in.,Jjiily
2005. 1:
"I have no doubt that I’m
very typical of a lot of sports
medicine professionals;”
said Scott Anderson, head
athletic trainer at .'the
University of Oklahoma and
a co-chairman of the NATA
task force that produced the
report.
"There’s knowledge of
sickle cell trait, but a great
lack of understanding of the
associated risks,” he said.
In Missouri, a countymed-
ical examiner listed O'Neal's
official cause of death as
viral meningitis. That deter
mination was challenged by
• several people, including
outside experts and the
chairman of the university’s
pathology department.
Individuals with sickle cell
trait have one normal gene
for hemoglobin, the protein
in red blood cells, and one
abnormal gene. Unlike nor
mal, rounded red blood
cells, the sickle-shaped cells
carry less oxygen and can
clog blood vessels that flow
to the heart and other mus
cles.
The trait is distinct from
sickle cell disease, a condi
tion that affects far fewer
people and in which two
abnormal genes are present.
Sixty-four percent of the
colleges that responded to a
2006 survey said they give
blood tests to athletes to
determine the presence of
sickle cell trait.
NCAA guidelines treat the
hereditary condition found
in an estimated 8 to 10 per
cent of the U.S'. black popu-
,!ation as; a “benign condi
tion” and ask members only
to consider voluntary test
ing.
The risks to athletes are
heightened during common
preseason performance
tests such as mile runs or
repetitive sprints, the study
found. Heat, dehydration
and high altitude can exac
erbate the risks.
The NATA recommends
an adjusted training regi
men for athletes with sickle
cell trait, including longer
rest periods and a more
gradual build up to intense
repetitiops. Such athletes
should be excluded from
performance tests that
could escalate the risk of
sickling collapse, the report
urges.
For Baltimore Ravens wide
receiver Devard Darling, the
issue is a personal one. His
twin brother DeVaughn, an
18-year-oId linebacker, col
lapsed and died during a
2001 offseason workout at
Florida State. Medical exam
iners said the disorder may
have contributed to the
death.
Darling worries that the
win-at-all-costs mind-set in
major college and pro foot
ball won’t necessarily make
room for such precautions.
“How does getting a water
break make you weak?” he
said.