e-Zine January 2004

Inside Scoop™ by

Dance Cards – Hoops Action in the NCAA With the passing of the 2003 part of the to Louisiana Tech and North Carolina. In 2003-04 schedule, the first opportunity the middle of it all, coach has expired for the most part to enhance managed to break a leg when she profiles for NCAA women’s slipped on the ice outside the Bryce tournament at-large consideration. Jordan arena after a practice. That’s what non-conference competition Still, unless it collapses in the Big Ten, is all about, although there are Penn State is heading for a Top 16 seed numerous quality records out there at in the 64-team NCAA field. Other sure the moment that are meaningless shots who, by the way, are no surprises, because non-league opponents are are Connecticut, Tech, Texas, definitely not all equal. Duke, Tennessee, Minnesota, Purdue, Louisiana Tech, Stanford, Kansas State, The best way to lock a spot on the Big and Georgia. Dance floor will be through the 31 conference championships that lead to There is another crowd fighting to fill the automatic bids. That’s where the rest of the best seeds that includes emphasis shifts on the ’04 part of the Colorado, North Carolina, Oklahoma, schedule, although a few non-league Virginia Tech, LSU, Ohio State, and dandys lie ahead such as Duke- Rutgers, among others. Connecticut, Saturday, in Hartford, Most of all this will be decided in league Duke-Tennessee later this month, and battles in the Pac-10, Big East, Big 12, Tennessee-Connecticut in February. Big Ten, and SEC. Since the opening tip in November, few Some things you might have noticed so notions have changed involving the far is the rise to prominence of DePaul, super powers. Most losses have been which lost to Tennessee in overtime. The to each other. Vols also had an OT escape at Stanford Penn State made a big move to joining until falling to Texas in Knoxville. the club when the Nittany Lions beat Longhorns coach , along Texas, but then they faltered with losses with former Louisiana Tech coach Leon Page 2 January 2004

Hoop Action – NCAA and WNBA … Continued Barmore and Connecticut coach Geno Following the upset until right now, the Auriemma are among the very few to total has shifted to the Huskies, 93-27. experience victories in the Vols’ arena. Still, remember that Summitt’s group did Conradt has been right there with manage to win three straight NCAA titles Tennessee coach in terms in that span (1996-98). of all-time career wins. Of course, the Huskies have won three Miami is also a team of curiosity after of the last four and have a chance to beating Vanderbilt. Villanova, last year’s single-handedly snap a tie with Cinderella story, has continued to win Tennessee in terms of an NCAA record 10 straight at the end of the year – but home win streak that is now at 69. the Wildcats will be tested early in the But Duke will be somewhat of a barrier, Big East against Boston College, Miami, especially in seeking revenge for last Rutgers, and Virginia Tech, season’s loss in Durham, N.C. Temple coach took her It’s a matchup that will be noticed by Owls back to her collegiate roots in Phoenix, with the No. 1 pick in the facing Virginia in Charlottesville in the WNBA draft, and Washington, which has first round of the Cavaliers’ tournament No. 2. That’s because Connecticut’s and almost pulled a startling upset, Diana Taurasi and Duke’s Alana Beard losing 71-70, to her former coach are likely to be the top two choices. . Speaking of the WNBA, the league “It felt weird sitting there in the arena announced the official demise of the until the game started,” said Staley, who Cleveland Rockers with its talented took her alma mater to three Final Fours roster to be dispersed, Jan. 6. That will in the early 1990s. make the other 13 teams stronger as it Connecticut is now the all-time leader in did a year ago when Portland and Miami No. 1 rankings in the Associated Press were dispersed. poll with 93, surpassing Tennessee For outsiders, particularly those playing several weeks ago. Consider this: When in Europe, the January Rockers and April the Huskies met the Vols in that famous collegiate/general draft will make it more January game in 1995, the Tennessee difficult to secure a roster spot. [RS] ratio in No. 1 rankings to Connecticut was 63-0. Page 3 January 2004

Authority in Women’s Sports™ by Brian Straus

To Be or Not To Be – WUSA’s Future

Being an Authority, doesn’t to be much sentiment for taking the necessarily mean there is an answer. year off entirely. The league still We were supposed to know needs an annual sponsorship something soon after the Women’s commitment of $20 million in order to World Cup. Rumors circulated about return. Not a single agreement has an announcement in early November been announced, and the or one to coincide with the NCAA momentum created by the Women’s College Cup. Surely there would World Cup (which generated a $6 have been some news by the time million profit for FIFA and the U.S. the holidays rolled around – more Soccer Federation) has past. We are than three months after the told that several companies have dissolution of the WUSA. Instead, expressed interest, but their identities publicly there has been nothing remain a mystery. concerning the resurrection of What REAL SPORTS does know is women’s professional soccer but that the WUSA players are as silence, save the occasional bewildered as the rest of us. They proclamation by a league insider or receive occasional emails from their the attorney for the players attorneys containing the same association that the big news was information that is fed to the papers, just around the corner. but have nothing concrete on which All indications suggest that the to plan their lives. There is next to no committee headed by the talented communication. former Boston Breakers General Should the WUSA go ahead with Manager Joe Cummings is still at their plan to stage several work, negotiating with potential doubleheader “festivals” around the sponsors and trying to find a way to country next year (there is talk of keep the WUSA brand alive at least staging them in cities that did not through 2004 – there does not seem Page 4 January 2004

AMY LOVE – PUBLISHER’S NOTE: As the founder of REAL SPORTS To Be or Not To Be – magazine, I was supporting the WUSA’s Future … league’s efforts to find additional Continued corporate sponsorship by presenting white papers to a select group of have WUSA teams or scheduling corporate leaders regarding the them around the national team’s business justification for women’s Olympic preparation), the league will sports involvement, including in be forced to rely on American and particular, the benefits of the WUSA. Canadian players who opted to wait However, the timing of the league out this period of uncertainty. materials and business plans did not So, as to whether the WUSA will BE coincide with the presentation timing or NOT, is unknown. As an Authority, for the white papers. Thus, REAL you now know the facts – even if SPORTS is currently not involved with those facts are yet to yield any presenting business justification definitive answers. [RS] strategies to corporate entities.

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