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action: It’s a farce
Andrew Strnad
With an abundance of farewell
columns this week, I thought I might
as well bid my own goodbyes.
No, I won’t be leaving Nebraska
to pursue an entry-level job in broad
casting, I’m here to say farewell to the
National Basketball Association.
With just two months left until the
season ends, basketball fans are wit
nessing the league’s final farewell.
I’m not talking about the distinct
possibility that this might be Michael
Jordan’s last season, I’m talking
about the disappearance of the NBA
as we know it. '
As we witnessed with Major
League Baseball in 1994, the NBA is
about to enter a period of labor strife.
The current labor contract is up
after this season, and the players and
owners are miles apart on everything.
The league regrets everything it
gave the players union last time
around, which included guaranteed
three-year contracts for rookies.
That quagmire has led to the
recent $125 million dollar deals for
three-year players like Kevin Garnett.
The players, well they’re not even
happy with their own union and will
certainly threaten to decertify if their
demands aren’t met.
In all likelihood the season that
lasts forever won’t even begin come
next November.
NBA owners are expected to lock
out the players before camp begins
later this summer. And even if that is
avoided, fans can expect the players
to walk out.
A strike would cripple a league
that is already upon the brink of dis
aster.
Even if the season starts on time,
owners are faced with a myriad of
problems.
Attendance has fallen 15 to 20
percent in some cities, and the once
king of the merchandise block has
seen its empire crumble over the past
Most importantly, the lack of
superstars is ultimately going to hurt
the NBA in the near future.
Just who will replace Michael
Jordan?
Nobody.
The NBA makes no bones about it
when it says it is a league of super
three seasons.
The Charlotte
Hornets, once known
as an NBA hotbed,
averaged 6,000 no
shows to its home
arena this season.
That means one in
four seats was empty.
Even as the NBA
enters its “second sea
son” with the play
offs, fans have
already begun to tune
out. Seven of the 16
teams that are in the
playoffs failed to sell
out their opening
a
When marijuana
isn’t considered an
illegal substance in
your league s drug
policy, you know you
have a problem.”
Andrew Strnad
Baseball fan
stars.
There is no
fan team
loyalty in
this
game.
People
love the
'Chicago
Bulls
because
they have
Jordan.
Just
wait and
see how
many Bulls
fans are
games.
The NBA is the ultimate corpo
rate event. I’ve sworn that I will never
go to another NBA game as long as I
live.
It’s not because of my general dis
gust of the unwatchable game of pro
fessional basketball, it’s the inability
to buy a ticket.
According to the NBA, the aver
age ticket price is $34. Owners are
pricing fans right out of the arena.
The cheapest seat ait the Bradley
Center in Milwaukee, which is the
third “cheapest” place to see an NBA
game, is $12.
Although part of the problem lies in
the fact that When I go to a game, I get
to see die hapless Milwaukee Bucks.
Nonetheless, there isn’t an arena
in the league where you can see the
ball from row X in the upper deck.
Plus, the quality of die game just
isn’t what it used to be. There are only
so many fans who consider Marty
Conlon a professional basketball
player, but thanks to expansion, he’s
still in the league.
going to be around when Jordan
retires, again.
In addition, the NBA has a serious
image problem.
When marijuana isn’t considered
an illegal substance in your league’s
drug policy, you know you have a
problem..
Last year, The New York Times
took a poll of NBA players which
revealed that more than 50 percent of .
the players smoke marijuana on a reg
ular basis.
The NBA all-thug team of Latrell
Sprewell, Dennis Rodman, Jayson
Williams, Allen Iverson and Nick
Van Exel has quite the record, and
that’s just the first team.
So if you’re a fan, enjoy the nev
erending playoffs while they last,
because when they do finally end in
the middle of June, that’s it.
Strnad is a senior broadcasting
and political science major and the
Daily Nebraskan baseball beat
writer.
i
UCLA hit with
3-year probation
OVERLAND PARK, Kan.
(AP) - The UCLA basketball pro
gram was put on a three-year pro
bation Thursday by the NCAA for
violating recruiting regulations
and giving improper benefits to
athletes.
Former coach Jim Harrick was
cited for unethical conduct for
lying to school officials during an
investigation. He was fired just
before die 1996 season began and
now is coaching Rhode Island.
In addition to the probation,
UCLA was ordered to reduce offi
cial visits by recruits by six for the
1998-99 and the 1999-2000 acade
mic years.
The violations took place from
1993-95.
The NCAA said members of
the UCLA coaching staff gave
entertainment and other benefits to
the coach of a club team in Los
Angeles whose players included
potential recruits for the university.
The coach also was given com
plimentary tickets to UCLA games
and a 1995 championship ring, the
NCAA said.
Athletes were given tickets to
Los Angeles Lakers’ games and
were allowed to receive excessive
telephone calls at the athletic
office.
Improper transportation and
free meals were provided to the
parents of athletes or to the athletes
themselves, the NCAA said.
UCLA began an investigation
of possible violations in October
1996 and reported the findings to
the PAC-10 conference.
UCLA, the NCAA enforce
ment staff and Harrick agreed to a
summary-disposition process in
which all parties agreed the viola
tions occurred.
Additional penalties were not
imposed even though UCLA was
placed on probation in May 1997
for three years for violations in the
softball program. The NCAA said
violations in the basketball pro
gram occurred before the softball
violations.
In considering the penalty, the .
NCAA Committee On Infractions
said it took into consideration
UCLA limiting the club coach’s
tickets, revisions in the record
keeping process for telephone calls
and requirements that coaches and
Others in the program attend edu
cational programs on NCAA rules.
The NCAA also noted that a
private letter of reprimand was
issued by the PAC-10 to the NCAA
and that the conference conducted
a compliance review with empha
sis on extra benefits during the
1997-98 school year.
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Cook Pavilion site
of Nike Challenge
By James Nicas
StaffReporter
College students from across the
region will be able to test their physi
cal fitness abilities and get free stuff
Saturday.
The first regional Nike Swoosh
Training and Fitness Challenge will
be at Cook Pavilion Saturday.
Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. with
the competition beginning at 11 a.m.
Four events will be included in
the physical challenge. There will be
a 6-mile relay run, a speed and agility
obstacle course, fitness assessment
activities and the rock - a vertical
treadwall that moves as you go up.
“This event creates real positive
and social interaction involving phys
ical fitness,” said Vicki Highstreet,
Campus Recreation Center assistant
director for instructional program
ming. “These events promote physi
cal fitness, and students can get
involved in activities and competition
in a fun way.”
Each team will consist of two
men and two women. Every partici
pant will take part in each event, and
points will be awarded based on each
athlete’s ability.
“There is a wide variety of skills
where teamwork is involved,” said
.. Andy Link, campus rec interim coor
dinator for fitness.
Free Nike gear will be given out
to the participating teams. Individual
event winners will receive added
prizes for their victories.
More importantly, the winning
team will receive an all-expense paid
trip to the national tournament on
May 22 and 23.
At the Hollywood, Calif., event,
the 10 regional winners will battle to
determine a national champion.
“Teams have the ability to be rec
ognized at the university as well as
being recognized nationally with the
other nine regional winners,” Link
said. “That will be quite an accom
plishment for die winning team.”
Along with student activities,
Highstreet said, the fitness challenge
is a new way campus rec can enhance
its image across the country. Teams
from Creighton, Nebraska-Omaha
and St. Cloud State also will be com
peting in Saturday’s competition.
This event also may stay at the
University of Nebraska-Lincoln in
upcoming years. Another event that
UNL campus rec holds every year is
the Nike Regional Flag Football
Championships.
“Every time UNL is offered a
national event, it is an excellent way
to promote our students and universi
ty,” Highstreet said. “Only a positive
can come out of it.”
The first 50 teams to register get
in free. All teams registered after the
first 50 will require a $25 entry fee.
There are still openings available for
students to participate for free. To
enter a team, go to the campus rec
office or call Andy Link at (402) 472
9480.
City Union Buyback Hours: April 27-30 8:30am-5:30pin
May 18:30am-5pm, May 4-7 8:30ain-5:30pm, May 8 8:30am-5pm
East Campus Union Buyback Hours: April 30-May 1 & May 4-8 9am-4:30pm
Come on down! Wf\
*Based on University Bookstore's University of Nebraska-Lincoin • ^
need and availability. Nebraska Union & East Union m jj m
Phone: 472-7300 Hours: M-F 8:30am-5:30pm
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