John Gasldns
NBA strike
not real loss
for sports
Sad, isn’t it?
Tuesday night was supposed to be
opening night for NBA basketball.
But no games were played. No
games will be played for a while
because of the players’ pending strike.
Wait a second - no, it isn’t sad.
I saw a Nike commercial recently
with Spike Lee, the notorious front
row celebrity heckler at New York
Bricks games, heckling at an eighth
grade girls game. He and Nike were
making a plea for the NBA to start.
Well, not me. I'm not pulling my
hairs out to see any NBA teams.
Frankly, there’s not a lot to be missed.
sure, we re missing me greatest
basketball talent on Earth performing.
Sure, we’re missing out on a chance to
see a different sport start while we’re
well into the monotony of football
season.
But what shouldn’t we be miss
ing? How about the refreshingly
chivalrous attitude of NBA players?
I mean, what’s more enjoyable
than Karl Malone throwing a hissy-fit
at a referee because another foul was
n’t called on the defender who dared
guard him?
What’s more fun than watching
Scottie Pippen sulking on the bench
like a troubled kindergartner sitting in
the corner for bad behavior because
he wasn’t the go-to guy in Phil
Jackson’s game plan?
And I really long for the day I get
to hear about another upstart misfit
choking the bejesus out of his coach,
who makes one-tenth of the player’s
salary.
Now, instead of watching the
players bitch on the court, we get to
watch them bitch off it. Over what?
The almighty dollar; what else?
Let’s not feel sympathetic for their
cause, either. They’re still the highest
paid athletes in major professional
sports. I’m sure they are itching to get
duck 10 worn, mese poor unemployed
souls are taking “business trips” to
places like Las Vegas to negotiate and
fight for their cause. Must be rough.
So, what should you do instead of
your regular NBA viewing? Watch a
little college basketball. I'd rather
watch Bobby Knight and Indiana
squeeze by Athletes in Action in an
exhibition game than watch da Bulls
kick the crap out of the Clippers any
night.
In college games you see players
who are busting their chops for their
team, not themselves. Plus, you actu
ally get to see coaching be an actual
contribution to the game. Sure, the
talent isn't better than the NBA, but
the excitement and fan appreciation
is.
The NBA players need an attitude
adiustment - badly. On or off the
court, they don't gain much respect
for the way they conduct themselves.
Hopefully, they're taking their time
off to think about that.
John Gaskins is a so ph omore
broadcasting major and a Daily
Nebraskan staff w riter.
Huskers expect
rebound vs. ISU
By Shannon Heffelfinger
Senior staff writer
It’s a fine line, really - the differ
ence between an undefeated season
for the Nebraska football team, the
four losses it
could have or
the two losses
it does.
Four of the
Cornhuskers’
five games in
October have
come down to
the fourth qu
arter - incl
uding three in
which the out
come was determined on the final
series - and each could have gone
either way.
And as they attempt to put a
tumultuous month that included the
two defeats, multiple injury prob
lems and even rumors of locker
room fights behind them, this
;>aiuiuay s game ai lowa ouue may
represent a turning point.
“We have three regular season
games left, and we’re looking for
ward to each of those games,” NU
Coach Frank Solich said. “My
demeanor is not to retreat, but it is to
move forward and attack, and that’s
the way our football team is. We are
going to move forward.”
NU (7-2 overall and 3-2 in the
Big 12 Conference) will test Solich’s
theory Saturday at 1 p.m. at Ames’
Jack Trice Stadium in what would
normally be an uneventful game
against the unranked Cyclones. 1SU
(2-6 and 0-5) remains winless in the
league after jumping to a decent start
with nonconference victories
against Iowa and Ball State.
But for the Huskers, who
dropped to No. 14 in The Associated
Press poll, a game with the Cyclones
represents an opportunity to dispel
thoughts of a disappointing season.
“We have a lot of guys who are
learning as we go along,” Husker
fullback Joel Makovicka said.
“Things will happen injury-wise
that we’ve had to fight through, but
we have to keep moving forward.
We're all competitors here, and we
take pride in this program.”
NU center Josh Heskew said the
team remains united despite rumors
of fighting among offensive and
defensive players.
“We have a good chemistry,”
Heskew said. “There is no doubt that
we have a great bunch of guys who
know that you can’t point fingers for
these things. You win as a team, and
you lose as a team.
“Our main key is unity, and we
can't have fights and have unity. On
the field, things will happen. But off
the field, things are just hunky dory.”
The Huskers are as healthy and
as stable as they have been since
September. For the first time in
weeks, Solich named starters in the
backfield before Thursday. Eric
Crouch, who also started against
T£xas, will start at quarterback and
sophomore Dan Alexander got the
nod at I-back.
Alexander, who has seen only
spot backup duty this season, earned
the No. 1 spot with impressive per
formances against Texas and
Kansas. The ISU defense he will
face allows ranks 10th in the league
in total defense (398 yards per
game).
“Dan is a tremendous talent, and
he is starting to come into his own,”
Makovicka said. “I have extreme
confidence in him. I think we’ve
only seen flashes of what he can do.”
The Huskers will receive a bit
more of a challenge defensively. ISU
running back Darren Davis ranks
21st in the nation with 106 yards per
game and quarterback Todd
Bandhauer averages 228 yards of
total offense per game.
“Davis is better than his brother
(former ISU running back Troy
Davis),” NU linebacker Jay Foreman
said. “He’s more shifty - he can
make you miss. And he’s tough
inside, just like his brother.
“It's going to be a tough game.
Iowa State probably thinks we’re
vulnerable at this point, so we really
have to step up and play well. I’m a
senior, and I still owe this team and
this university four great games. We
aren’t going to go down the tank, and
we aren’t going to give up.”
—I _» _ i» I IF il I
Mike Warren/DN
JOSH HESKEW and the Nebraska offense look to bounce back from their
second loss as they face the Cyclones of Iowa State on Saturday at Ames,
Iowa.
Football Starters
Nebraska starters ““Iffiisr
Offense Defense
Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt.
QB 7 Eric Crouch 6-0 200 LR 57 ChadKeisay 6-3 250
IB 38 Dan Alexander 6-0 250 NT 99 Jason Wiltz 6-4 310
FB 45 Joel Makovicka 5-11 240 DT 91 Loran Kaiser 6-5 280
WB 5 Shevin Wiggins 5-11 200 RR 84 Mike Rucker 6-6 260
SE 6 Kenny Cheatham 6-4 210 SIB 37 Tony Ortiz 6-0 215
TE 88 Sheldon Jackson 6-4 245 MLB 44 Jay Foreman 6-1 240
LT 69 Adam Julch 6-5 315 WLB 27 Eric Johnson 6-1 205
LG 63 James Sherman 6-2 295 J.CB 16 Erwin Swiney 6-0 185
C 59 JoshHeskew 6-3 290 FS 19 Clint Finley 5-11 200
RG 55 RusHochstein 6-3 280 ROV 21 Mike Brown 5-10 205
RT 65 Jason Schwab 6-1 300 RCB 22 Ralph Brown 5-9 180
PK 35 Kris Brown 5-10 205 P 23 Bill Lafleur 5-11 200
Iowa SL starters
Offense Defense
Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt.
SE 1 Michael Brantley 6-0 196 RE 15 Reggie Hayward 6-5 240
LT 72 Bill Marsau 6-6 296 DT 52 James Reed 6-1 265
LG 71 Eugene Bernal _ 6-3 293 NG 98 Nigel Tharpe 6-4 275
C 70 Ben Beaudet 6-4 306 END 99 Kevin DeRonde 6-5 240
RG 57 Josh Rank 6-4 276 OLB 34 Jim Morse 6-1 228
RT 75 Marcel Howard 6-6 324 MILB 48 Dave Brcka 6-2 243
FL 25 Kevin Wilson 5-10 187 ILB 38 Jesse Beckom 6-0 210
QB 16 Todd Bandhauer 6-3 232 FS 9 Adam Runk 6-2 191
TB 28 Dairen Davis 5-8 190 CB 14 Dawan Anderson 5-8 168
FB 33 Jerome Heavens 5-9 219 SS 7 Dustin Avey 6-3 200
TE 89 Damian Gibson 6-4 263 CB 20 BreonAnsiey 5-6 172
JonFrank/DN :
__J
NU faces rough road in Big 12 tourney
Matt Miller/DN
SENIOR BECKY HOGAN waits to send a ball toward the goal during warm-ups before a game earlier this
season. The Huskers play their first game of the Big Tournament on Friday in San Antonio.
By Jay Saunders
Staff writer
The Nebraska soccer team is no stranger to
being one of the top seeds at the Big 12 tournament.
In the first two seasons of conference play, the
Comhuskers have claimed either the No. 1 or No. 2
seed, reaching the finals both times.
This weekend, the No. 17 Huskers are headed
back to San Aiitonio for this year’s Big 12 tourna
ment at the No. 2 spot.
The difference this year is No. 12 Baylor
claimed the No. 1 seed ahead of both Nebraska and
Texas A&M. ,
“That’s certainly different,” NU Coach John
Walker said. “That just shows how much the con
ference has improved.”
The Huskers (14-3-1 overall and 9-1 in the Big
12) ended up with the second seed after a 1 -0 loss to
Baylor (15-3-1 and 9-0-1) this past weekend.
In that game, NU outshot the Bears 15-6 but
couldn't score on Baylor goalkeeper Megan Jones.
Sophomore Karina LeBlanc said the team is
looking forward to getting back on the field after the
loss.
Please see SOCCER on 11