Brittney Griner is Not a Man!

 by Suzanne Sweeney

Rumors started swirling a couple years ago with the emergence of new talent at Baylor University.  Maybe the word “emergence” is too delicate of a word when the presence of Brittney Griner demands to be noticed.  Standing at 6’8”, Brittney towers over her opponents, forcing them to not only double up on her, but at times triple up.  Even that can prove futile with a wingspan of 88” that is 7’ 4 inches.  To help put that into perspective, Carmelo Anthony’s wingspan is 7ft, and Kobe Bryant’s wingspan is said to be 6’ 11”.  Starting to get the idea?  Yeah, she’s a big girl.  Her shoe size is a men’s size 18.  This, of course has caused rumors and jokes to swirl.  “Is Brittney Griner a man?”  It is just too hard to imagine a woman being that tall without being labeled a freak of nature.  Fortunately for Brittney, she has the talent to back it up.  So with, ahm, distinct features such as hers, why do I say Brittney Griner is not a man?  I say this because no matter how talented Brittney may be, she will never have the earning potential of a man in the NBA.

Women’s college basketball may not draw the crowd that men’s college basketball can bring in.  With Men’s College basketball coming to its whirlwind end in March, many names stood out this season.  Jonny Flinn (Syracuse Orange,) Kemba Walker (UConn,) Scoop Jardine (Syracuse Orange,) and JaJuan Johnson (Perdue) all have the ability to bring in the crowds.  Syracuse, for example is home of “The Dome,” and has had attendance exceed 34,000 when playing against Villanova University.  No doubt, these gentlemen, Jonny Flinn especially, are on their way to the NBA.  With players like Carmelo Anthony (Melo) earning over 15 million dollars last year, and the average NBA player earning over 5 million dollars, the talent of the Men’s NCAA have a promising future. (1)

So how exactly does the salary of a WNBA player compare to that of a NBA players salary?  Well, as I stated, the average NBA player earns over 5 millions dollars, and that’s before the endorsements.  Compare that to the WNBA where the top earner makes a $101,000 a year in comparison.

Brittney Griner may compare to the boys when in comes to height, wingspan, and dunking abilities, but it seems she will never be able to run with the big boys when it comes to salary.

Which Team is the Favorite in Pittsburgh?

By Melissa Cunningham

  

            I decided that I wanted to have a little fun with my fourth blog of my rival series. A lot of sports rivalries are centered over a prize. In most instances that prize is a championship. In other rivalries bragging rights and respect are at stake. But for this entry I am looking at a matchup that has much more at stake: the love of the city of Pittsburgh. In this fantasy contest I am creating a rivalry between Pittsburgh’s main professional sports teams. While in previous blogs I talked about the teams true rivals, in this blog they face off with the adoration and pride of a city at stake.

            While I talked of the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates not having a true rival currently their past keeps them in this argument. Having stars, such as Roberto Clemente and Willie Stargell, they have kept a city entranced with its past success. In 1960 Bill Mazeroski hit a walk-off homerun in the World Series to defeat the dreaded Yankees. This event is still remembered and honored 51 years after it happened. The current Pirates may lack the glitz and winning attitude to have a rival, but their past keeps them loved in the city. A night at PNC Ballpark is the most affordable by far in comparison with the Steelers and Penguins. Baseball as a sport is the most family-friendly of the major sports. So a lot of children in Western Pennsylvania grew up with memories of watching Pirates games; so nostalgia may help the Pirates in this showdown.

            The Pittsburgh Penguins have just locked up a playoff spot for another strait year. Despite missing Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin for a giant chunk of the season, they have managed to stay competitive and keep winning. They won the Stanley Cup Championship in 2009 and were runners-up the year before that. They are one of the more marketable teams in hockey with its great young superstars. The Pens also have a cult-like following in Pittsburgh especially in the college age demographic who take advantage of the Penguins’ student rush ticket offer.

            All of that makes the Penguins sound unbeatable. However hockey is one of the least popular of the major sports. Hockey gets very little coverage on major sports outlets, such as ESPN. A lot of people know very little about the rules of hockey and some find it confusing to watch. So while the Pens enjoy great success and Pittsburghers will always cheer for their hometown team, the overall percentage of true Pens followers in the city is a lot lower than the next team I will mention.

            The Pittsburgh Steelers have won 6 Super Bowls. They are one of the true football powerhouses. They combine the current wow factor of the Penguins and have the historical greatness of the Pirates. They had the great stars of the past such as Terry Bradshaw and Mean Joe Greene. They also have great stars of today like Troy Polamalu and James Harrison. They recently won a Super Bowl, the same year the Pens won their Stanley Cup. The Steelers are one of the most popular teams in the most popular professional sport in the country.

            The drawbacks of the Steelers are their notoriety. Before he was traded off the team Santonio Holmes had been arrested for marijuana possession. Ben Roethlisberger has now had two different women come forth with sexual allegations and James Harrison has been held under a microscope for his vicious hits that have caused concussions. However, these events did not truly deter too many people from being die-hard Steeler fans in the city.

            So the title of Pittsburgh’s team is now at stake. I have my own personal opinion, but the beauty of this fantasy rivalry is that answer may lie in the eyes of the beholder. So I am interested in the input of the readers of this blog. So I put the question to you. Who is the winner of this fantasy rivalry? Which team will claim the prize as the favorite in the city of Pittsburgh?

Pictures:
Pirates:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pittsburgh_Pirates.

Steelers:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pittsburgh_Penguins

Penguins:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pittsburgh_steelers

Butler Falls Once Again By: Cassie Gilkey

                At the end of the day on Monday, no matter how far Butler came throughout the season, and in the tournament, it just was not enough to beat the UConn Huskies and capture the title. It was a good run for the Butler Bulldogs to say the least, but not winning the title in the Championship game is something that has happened to Butler twice now in two years. So will they be back for a third year in a row in 2012 for another shot at the title, or will they not even make it into the tournament?

                In 2010 the Bulldogs lost to Duke in the championship game of the NCAA Tournament by only 2 points. They were the darling of last year’s tournament, but after losing their star forward Gordon Hayward to the NBA it seemed that the great season they had in 2010 would not be repeated in 2011, says The Washington Post. The trip to the final game was not an easy one for the Bulldogs to get there they had to beat number one seed Pittsburgh, number 2 seed Florida, and number 4 seed Wisconsin, and to everyone’s surprise the Bulldogs not only made it into the tournament, but beat the top ranked teams to make there was back to the final game to have another shot at the National Title.

                Monday night in Houston Texas it seemed as if neither team had really come prepared to play basketball. Both UConn and Butler had too many turnovers, with the Huskies only making two of their first nine shots and the bulldogs making only one of nine. At the end of the game it was UConn who came out on top, using their defense and determination they overcame a double digit deficit with numerous three point shots. The Bulldogs made only 12 of the 64 shots they attempted says The Washington Post, and fell 53-41 to the UConn Huskies. The final stats for the game were nothing compared to what had gotten the Bulldogs into the final game. Butler shot just 18.8 percent from the field, making only 3 of 31 from two point range, and 9 of 33 from three point range. With these kinds of stats a Division One NCAA team would be lucky to win any game, let alone a National Title. So what happened? Was it just not meant to be once again, or does the team look back and accept the fact that they did not play to their full potential in a time in which was all too important to play at their best. I am sure as a coach Brad Stevens will look back on the 2010-2011 Bulldogs season and smile, but it will always be in the back of his head that they once again had a chance to come out on top, but failed to do so. So onto next season right? With dedication and hard work I am certain the Bulldogs will have a chance to make a run for it and come back into the NCAA Tournament with a chance to win it all.

Major League......Enhanced

      Eric Cogovan

      When many people picture the game of baseball they imagine the players, the field, and maybe the food you buy at the games. Not many people think about steroids when they imagine baseball, but as of recently steroid use in baseball is becoming a commonly known affiliation with the ever popular sport. Now that this issue is becoming more vocalized it has to make us think how badly this can effect the young children who look up to these professional athletes who are involved in this steroid use.

       Professional baseball players using steroids first came into the lime light in the summer of 2003 when the USADA first traced a liquid steroid to prevalent members of the professional baseball organization. This steroid was traced back to a member of the BALCO labs. After this steroid was traced to this lab it came to be found that Barry Bonds a popular baseball player was one of the labs biggest clients. This lab is a major lab which is in the development of steroids.

       After this news was reported it began a spiral of more media attention that focused on a number of other players being investigated about there possible steroid use. In 2004 steroid testing began under the MLB's new bargaining agreement. After this several athletes have been linked to the BALCO lab and steroid use. Over the years many members of the major leagues have been found to be using steroids and have since apologized. Although many athletes have apologized for their steroid use and have since quit there usage a number of players have still been accused to this day and still deny their use, but a number of athletes are still failing drug tests and continue their use of steroids.

       Baseball has been often also criticized for their way to penalize these members of baseball who are caught using steroids. Stiffer penalties are needed in order to end the use of steroids in such a popular sport. Not only are the players and families being harmed by their steroid use it also is effecting fans and children who look up to these professional athletes.

       Another aspect of players who are using steroids is the effect it has on the players who are not using steroids to improve how they play. These athletes are at an unfair advantage. The players who are using steroids are performing better then them but in an illegal and unfair way. Players who do not use steroids are often benched or even fired from the team because their abilities are lacking in comparison to players who are using performance enhancing drugs. There is an unfair competition between players because some choose to use illegal drugs to get better while others choose to stay clean and work off of their natural abilities.

Overall steroid use in Major League Baseball is harmful to a number of people. It is harmful to the players who choose to use them, players who choose not too, fans, and the families of those players who use steroids. Especially when steroid use becomes deadly. Ken Caminiti died due to his steroid use and now his family has to suffer the consequences because of his actions. Steroid use needs to be taken more seriously to ensure a fair played game and also a safe played game at that.

http://www.steroidsinbaseball.org/

http://www.articlespan.com/article/6641/why-steroids-are-bad-for-major-league-baseball

The Inexact Science of Picking First

By Casey Reese

            With the NFL Draft quickly approaching, sports fans will assuredly hear whether or not Player X or Player Y merit being the first overall pick. After all, the first overall pick will undoubtedly change the fortune of your franchise for the better or worse as a result of the financial commitments you must make, as the pick commands a very generous contract (Sam Bradford, the 2010 first overall selection, received a contract worth a potential $86 million dollars over the course of 6 years, which is not bad for a guy who’s never played professional football).

Unfortunately, this player immediately becomes a lightning rod for criticism if he does not pan out, and receives all of the praise if the franchise turns around. Indeed, in recent times, Sam Bradford was commended for the turnaround of the St. Louis Rams in his first season, in which he set the rookie record for completions in a season, and became only the third quarterback in league history to start all 16 games and throw for 3,000 yards in his first season.

The case of JaMarcus Russell is a sad reminder of what happens if the number one pick does not go as planned. After being lauded as a top prospect, who could throw the ball great distance and lead the team, he was selected first overall by the Oakland Raiders in 2007. It only went downhill from there. Going 7-18 as a starter, he put together the lowest quarterback rating for a starting NFL quarterback (50.0) in the ten previous years, throwing for 18 touchdowns and 23 interceptions in 3 years before ultimately being cut. Not only was he cut, he failed to make a roster after multiple tryouts with other teams before being arrested in a sting operation for possession of codeine. Russell is now largely considered to be the definitive NFL “bust,” or player who does not pan out after a high selection.

The 1-15 Carolina Panthers possess the first overall pick in 2011, the unenviable position to select first. How they select could ultimately decide the future of their franchise, but does not guarantee a successful player. Here’s a comparison of the last ten first overall selections:

2010 Sam Bradford St. Louis Rams – Bradford, in his first NFL season, set many rookie records in addition to being widely regarded as a franchise quarterback after only one season. Early returns show him to be well worth the investment, and already is considered one of the best first overall selections. (Further Reading)

2009 Matthew Stafford Detroit Lions – Stafford showed great promise in the games he played as a rookie, despite only playing 10 games and throwing for 13 touchdowns to 20 interceptions.  In a career already rife with injuries, he has played 13 games in two seasons, showing much improvement in his second season, in which he compiled 6 touchdowns to 1 interception in three starts in addition to 535 yards passing. The jury is out on this pick thus far. (Further Reading)

2008 Jake Long Miami Dolphins – Jake Long, considered the safe pick by the new regime in Miami, is one of the few non-quarterbacks taken first overall. Proving to be an anchor on the left side of the line, Long has been selected to 3 Pro-Bowls in addition to two All-Pro (one 1^st team and one 2^nd team) in his 3 seasons. A bona fide left tackle, he has paved the way for Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams for this rebuilding team, and has been honored as one of the best first overall picks in recent times. (Further Reading)

2007 JaMarcus Russell Oakland Raiders – As previously mentioned, a bust. Currently out of the league after only playing 3 seasons with team, Russell has not panned out and his high contract was not worth the money. The consensus is that he will not live up to the standards of the first overall pick if he ever makes it back to the NFL. The type of player to avoid if picking first, with character and work ethic issues that limited his success. (Further Reading)

2006 Mario Williams Houston Texans – The Texans surprised everyone by choosing Mario Williams over Vince Young and Reggie Bush. The gamble has paid off, however, as Williams has quickly become one of the most feared passrushers in the NFL, amassing nearly 50 sacks in his short career. Bush, the second overall pick and one of the most celebrated collegiate players of all time, has not panned out as expected, while Young, the offensive rookie of the year in 2006, has played his way out of Tennessee, where he is expected to be traded or released once a collective bargaining agreement is in place. (Further Reading)

2005 Alex Smith San Francisco 49ers – The 49ers selected Alex Smith, a quarterback from Utah, as the first overall selection in the 2005 NFL draft, instead of Cal’s Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers led the Green Bay Packers to an NFL championship in the most recent NFL season over our own Steelers. Smith has had a far less effective career in San Francisco, playing 54 games out of a possible 96 in a career marred by inefficient play, turnover in the coaching staff, and injuries. While he remains with the team, the 49ers are expected to select a quarterback either this year or next, and he is not expected to ever live up to his first overall selection after taking a pay cut to remain with the team and not being able to hold down his starting position, most recently loosing it to Troy Smith, the Heisman trophy winner from Ohio who played for the Baltimore Ravens for a handful of seasons. (Further Reading)

2004 Eli Manning San Diego Chargers – The Chargers selected Manning first overall. Manning refused to play for San Diego. The Giants then traded for Manning, with the Chargers receiving the 4^th overall selection in the 2004 NFL Draft (Phillip Rivers), a first round selection the next year (Shawne Merriman), and a 3^rd round selection (Nate Kaeding). While Manning won a Super Bowl with the Giants, it is Rivers who is regarded as the better quarterback. Merriman had success immediately upon his arrival in the NFL, but has since faded out. Kaeding is one of the most consistent placekickers in the NFL. While the trade is regarded as relatively equal now, the third quarterback taken that year, Pittsburgh’s own Ben Roethlisberger, has won 2 Super Bowls and led the Steelers to another. Drew Brees, the player who Rivers replaced, won a Super Bowl with the New Orleans Saints. Manning has not lived up to the expectations despite his Super Bowl ring and Pro Bowl selection, largely due to comparisons with his brother, former 1^st overall pick Peyton. Manning is, however, a durable starter for the Giants and a quarterback for the team to be built around. Certainly a solid first overall pick, in a drama laden story that involved quarterbacks who won 4 combined Super Bowls from 2005-2010. (Further Reading)

2003 Carson Palmer Cincinnati Bengals – While considered a franchise quarterback early on in his career, Palmer’s luster has faded along with the talent of much of his team. Despite two AFC North titles under his belt, Palmer has proved inconsistent as a starter, with his team failing to put much talent around him. After several season in Cincinnati, Palmer has reiterated trade demands in recent months, with signs pointing to him not being with the team sooner rather than later. A quality pick nonetheless, with limited production at times and great talent others, who can certainly carve his place in NFL history with a fresh start.(Further Reading)

2002 David Carr Houston Texans – As the first player ever selected by the Texans, Carr won the inaugural game for the expansion team in 2002. It only went downhill from there. With a penchant for being sacked ludicrous amounts of times (76 in his rookie season) rather than being the game changer previous first overall picks had been, Carr was ultimately released by the Texans in 2007 after the team traded for Matt Schaub. Carr signed on with the Carolina Panthers, where he managed to once again not play up to expectations, albeit low ones. After two years backing up Eli Manning, Carr signed with the 49ers, where he played one game and amassed a passer rating of 23.6 in the only game he played, in relief of Alex Smith. His poor play lead the team to play Troy Smith over him in the next game, and his career is likely to be regulated to backup or third string quarterback for his remaining years. A pick that certainly would be regarded as a bust, although that may not be his fault entirely. (Further Reading)

2001 Michael Vick Atlanta Falcons – The San Diego Chargers possessed the first overall pick in this years draft, trading it to the Atlanta Falcons who selected Vick, a player most expected to revolutionize the quarterback position. Vick became the first quarterback to ever rush for over 1,000 yards in a single season, while making the Pro Bowl 3 times with the team. As you almost certainly already know, however, his career in Atlanta was derailed after he was sent to prison for his part in an illegal underground dog-fighting ring. After sitting out two seasons in jail and one season as a backup in Philadelphia, Vick returned as a starter, showing marked improvement and being selected to another Pro Bowl while leading the Eagles to the playoffs. One of the great redemption stories in NFL history, the 2011 comeback player of the year showed that sometimes, promise can be regained if you can confront your past and become the player you were expected to be. (Further Reading)

            With the success rate of the past 10 picks being around 7/10, with Vick now playing for the Eagles and Manning for the Giants, it can be seen that this pick is certainly risky business. With no guarantee with success, the Panthers are certainly in an unenviable position, which can either start the franchise on a new path towards success, or set the franchise back several years. Stay tuned to see who the team selects, for the scrutinizing eyes of the sports world will be affixed to this new player.

Sources:

www.nfl.com

Wikipedia

NFL List of all time #1 overall picks with Pro Bowl Comparison