Friday, March 1, 1996
Page 7
SPOKI S OPINION
Beau Finley
Love of game
disappears;
money rules
Regardless of how close sports
are to one’s heart, it has become
uncontested that big-time athletics
is a business.
One need only to glance at the
escalating salaries of professional
athletes to behold first-hand the lu
crativeness of the ability to catch a
ball.
I tell you, vast readership, it is
not a rare occasion that brings me
into contact with one of the many
who feel outrage over the exorbi
tant salaries now commanded by
even mediocre athletes under the
prostitution of free agency.
And believe me, 1 feel your pain.
I’m sensitive that way. I too feel a
taint, a blight, a malaise, a mayon
naise,adark cloud—ifyouwill—
has befallen the purity and inno
cence of sports.
That’s why it’s so refreshing
when the trend is reversed and the
spirituality of sports is not forfeited
for a nice set of wheels.
I say this in reference to Nilesh
Paddle, the current world Parcheesi
champion.
For those of you unfamiliar with
Paddle, he started playing Parcheesi
at the age of nine months and won
his first national championship at
12.
But despite Faddie s natural tal
ent, the game and winning never
came easy to him.
Paddle has had to overcome both
lactose intolerance and a weak blad
der to achieve his dice-rolling great
ness. He isalsoadevout follower of
an offshoot of Buddhism—known
as Theisian Strain—that disallows
winning or any display of superior
ity.
This, of course, presents quite a
dilemma to an athlete as successful
as Paddle.
Yet Paddle in his infinite wis
dom has been able toovercome this
dilemma without giving up his reli
gion or his Parcheesi domination.
Now after each victory, Paddle,
by the dictates of Theisianism, “pun
ishes” himsel f for breaking the rules
of his faith by slapping his own face
78 times with a fresh halibut.
Paddle states that it appeases his
god and surprisingly, also moistur
izes his skin.
But beyond his spiritual devo
tions, Paddle has distinguished him
sel f from other athletes by his re
fusal to accept any money for his
Parcheesi victories.
Paddle says that it would be ri
diculous to accept money for some
thing he loves to do. This is why he
is so willing to dress as a giant
woodchuck for no compensation.
It is clear — Paddle is the es
sence of a champion. And he also
smells like fish.
But it all just demonstrates that
he is a true sportsman in an age of
sports businessmen.
Finley Is a third-year law student
and a Dally Nebraskan sports colnmnlst
NU braces for battle in Salina
By Mike Kluck
Senior Reporter
It may have been a little premature,
but Nebraska junior Tina McClain
wanted something sweet Thursday
night.
And since she’ll have to wait until
Monday to have a possible shot at a
Big Eight Tournament Championship,
she settled for a hot fudge sundae.
But the forward on the Nebraska
women’s basketball team knows win
ning the first Big Eight championship
for 1 Oth-year coach Angela Beck won’t
be as simple as ordering nuts for a
sundae.
First up for the Huskers will be
Missouri Saturday at noon at the Bi
centennial Center in Salina, Kan. Ne
braska, 18-8 overall and 8-6 in the Big
Eight, has beaten the Tigers 12 con
secutive times, including both times
this season.
But McClain said win No. 13
wouldn’t be easy. The Tigers (15-11
and 6-8) feature Big Eight scoring
leader Erika Martin, a senior who who
averages 19.4 points a game.
“We can’t let her get hot or on a
roll,” McClain said. “She is a danger
ous player and is obviously the focus
of her team. We need to shut her down.”
McClain said the Huskers did a
good job of shutting Martin down in a
92-72 victory over the Tigers on Feb.
18 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.
In the first game, the Huskers made 37
of 48 free throws, season-high marks
in both free throws made and attempted.
Besides being in a do-or-die situa
tion, McClain said she thought Martin
“This is a matter of personal pride and honor for
myself to take the tournament. ”
PYRA AARDEN
Nebraska center
might have another reason for wanting
to beat Nebraska.
“I’m sure she’ll be fired up to beat
us because she has never beaten us in
her career,” McClain said.
But Nebraska senior center Pyra
Aarden said the Huskers could not
have drawn a better pick than the Ti
gers. Aarden, who is second in the
conference in field goal percentage
shooting 58.9 percent, said she was
excited for the tournament.
Because the tournament is so wide
open, both McClain and Aarden said
they weren’t looking past the Tigers in
the first round. They also said they
knew a win against Missouri would
probably secure a birth into the NC AA
Tournament.
“This is a matter of personal pride
and honor for myself to take the tour
nament,” Aarden said. “We know
there’s risk involved, but that makes
us more determined.”
NU needs
victory to
avoid cellar
By Trevor Parks
Senior Reporter
In two completely different ways,
Nebraska and Kansas State see the
importance of Sunday’s regular-sea
son-ending basketball game.
The Cornhuskers are hoping to end
a nine-game losing streak, while the
Wildcats are in the hunt for the school’s
first NCAA Tournament berth since
1993.
Nebraska, 15-13 overall and 3-10
in the league, will play host to Kansas
State (16-9 and 7-6) at 1:05 p.m. at the
Bob Devaney Sports Center in the last
regular-season game in Big Eight his
tory.
Despite losing nine straight games,
Nebraska still can play for something.
Sunday’s game marks the final ap
pearance at the Devaney Center for
five seniors — Jason Glock, Tom
Wald, Terrance Badgett, Erick
Strickland and Jaron Boone—who all
will be honored before the game.
The nine-game losing skid is the
longest since 1963-64. A 10th straight
loss would tie the school record for the
longest losing streak in one season, set
in 1962-63.
A win over the Wildcats, coupled
with a Colorado loss to second-place
Iowa State on Saturday would make
Nebraska the seventh seed at the Big
Eight Tournament. If that scenario
occurs, the Huskers would play either
Iowa State or Oklahoma. If Nebraska
loses or if Colorado wins, the Huskers
will finish last in the conference and
UUM VVcllier/UIN
Nebraska center Venson Hamilton battles Oklahoma’s Dion Barnes (left) and Ernie Abercrombie
fora loose ball during the Huskers’ 80-76 loss last weekend. Nebraska will end its regular season
Sunday against Kansas State.
will play Kansas.
Husker coach Danny Nee said after
Wednesday night’s 78-64 loss at Colo
rado that his team was at rock bottom.
“When things are going bad,” Nee
said, “they are going really bad.”
Kansas State will be playing for
more than just pride in Lincoln. A win
would put the Wildcats in position for
an NCAA Tournament at-large bid.
The Wildcats had lost three of four
games before a 92-87 overtime win
over No. 23 Iowa State on Wednesday
night.
The win pulled Kansas State even
with Oklahoma for third place in the
conference. With a win over Nebraska
coupled with a Kansas win over the
Sooners, Kansas State would be the
third seed at the Big Eight Touma
See KSU on 8
Basketball Starters
G Tyronn Lue
G Jaron Boone
F Brick Strickland
F Bernard Gamer
tun
6-6
6-5
6-7
6$
Kansas St (16-9,7-6)
G Aaron Schwartzendruber 6-2
G Elliot Hatcher 6-0
G Ayome May 6-6
F Tyrone Davis 6-8
C Shawn Rhodes 6-10
mm
195
111
225
220
ill
175
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235
ill
Fr
Sr.
Sr
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Fr.
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Sr.
Fr.
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Devaney Center
Sunday, 1:05 p.m.
Nebraska (15-13,3-10) HL Wt Class PPG RPG
85
14.4
liil
10.8
8.4
6.9
16.4
7.3
138
4.7
31
2.8
m
6.4
54
2.4
2.9
3.8
8.4
3-3
Huskers open Big Eight play
By Trevor Parks
Senior Reporter
No matter what happens this
weekend, the young Nebraska base
ball team will learn from its experi
ence, Comhusker coach John Sand
ers said.
The 3-7 Huskers will begin Big
Eight play today at 3 pjn. against
No. 16 Oklahoma in Norman, Okla.
The Huskers will play the Sooners
in a three-game series.
Freshman pitcher Jarod
Bearinger will make his first colle
giate start today against the 5-4
Sooners. Steve Fish, Nebraska’s
ace, will pitch Saturday, and Seth
Williams, who never has started a
collegiate game, will pitch the final
game of the series Sunday.
Bearinger has made four appear
ances this season, recording a 9.00
carned-run average. Fish, who has
a 6.62 ERA, will be starting his
fourth game, the most of any Husker
pitcher. Williams has pitched only
two innings.
Sanders said his young team,
which starts three freshmen and
sophomore first baseman Todd
Scars in the infield, would gain
valuable experience starting Big
Eight play against the Sooners.
“You never can have enough
time to prepare,” Sanders said. “We
are putting them in a tough situation
with the Big Eight starting already.”
In the outfield, seniors Mel Mot
ley, Matt Meyer and Gene Jenkins
will start. The three seniors need to
take more of a leadership role, Sand
ers said.
Catcher Pete Jenkins, second
baseman Corey Miller, shortstop
Larry Hartzell and third baseman
Josh Dalton all will be playing in
their first Big Eight game.
After winning its first two games
of the season, Nebraska has
struggled, losing seven of its past
eight games. The Sooners have gone
on a similar streak. Oklahoma won
its first five games, but has lost four
straight. The Sooners’ pitchingstaff
is struggling with an ERA of 6.49.
Because of the Huskers’ tough
schedule, Sanders said he wasn’t
discouraged by his team’s record.
Nebraska has lost to No. 3 Texas
Tech and No. 9 Arizona State.
“We have got a bunch of guys
working hard right now, but they
just aren’t putting up the impres
sive numbers,” Sanders said. “I am
worried about who is getting better
and who is not.”
Lincoln gets
hockey team
inUSHL
From Staff Reports
A press conference has been sched
uled for 11:30 a.m. today to announce
the debut of the Lincoln Stars, the
newest member of the United States
Hockey League.
USHL Commissioner John “Gino”
Gaspirini will be on hand for the an
nouncement at the Nebraska State Fair
Park. The Stars will play at the Coli
seum on the fairgrounds.
The Nebraska State Board of Agri
culture and the owners of the Lincoln
Stars also will announce details about
the renovation of the Coliseum and
when the Stars will begin play. The
Omaha Lancers also compete in the
USHL.