THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS AND WE AREN'T JUST TALKING ABOUT 49ER COACHES
Sometimes writing a sports column is fast and fun. This week it’s more like trying to crack the Russian missile codes and the Cold War is over. Nevertheless, the numbers are up and we ask that you pick up your abacus and follow along the winding road of LBSU athletics.
The first topic is the men’s side of Big West basketball. Last Thursday, the 49er faithful saluted their own seniors, who beat UCI. Saturday, the 49er team saluted the Northridge seniors with a dismal 21-point loss that kicked our homeboys back into second place with two contests left.
Tonight (Thursday), the Niners are at cellar dweller Cal Poly and Saturday, LB visits their chippy nemesis, UC Santa Barbara. Now here is where the new math kicks in. If CSUN loses at Pacific and with UC Riverside already a loser to UC Irvine, the Beach boys would earn the top seed in the Big West tourney and a minimum of an NIT bid. Win the BWC tourney, then the big dance and big payday from the NCAA.
The beach hoop ladies also will make the party, but will have to play up to four games, starting Wednesday afternoon, March 11, while the lads get to chill in the hotel until Friday night March 13 and (likely) have to play only two games. Got it? This will be on the mid-term.
The rest of the Beach sports scene is scattered about the land. Baseball, 2-5, still staggered by miscues and missed opportunities, is off to the University of South Carolina’s new $25 million, 6,400 chair-backed ball park back east. Tennis winners of five in a row are off to Irvine today (Thursday) to face their traditional title threat, UCI. The Beach net set was sweating the visit from nationally ranked St. Mary’s, but beat them soundly 5-2 on Saturday. So now the frowns are all about the Anteaters’ sometimes sneaky seedings and the upcoming student fee referendum. A sport like tennis needs that infusion of new bucks and both issues featuring lots of drama and more of that “new math.”
That would also apply to #6 ranked men’s volleyball, which is in the midst of a four-match homestand, (3-2 losers to USC Wednesday) with MPSF power Pepperdine coming in Friday night. Top eight MPSF teams make the post-season. Last add, all the less than major sports also face upward spiraling costs for travel, tuition, room, board and books. Student voting is on-line next week.
Finally, Kim Sowder’s sweethearts of swat softball team unloaded on their guests at their weekend tourney, winning all five games and scoring 32 runs and yielding a mere seven. This weekend they have five more games, all at Mayfair, starting Friday and concluding with third-ranked UCLA Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
Misty Dust
It has been far too long to dust without a Misty May-Treanor mention, so here we go. Our MM now has her eyes on a house in Michigan, where her husband Matt is catching up with the Detroit Tigers. Matt is a journeyman in that trade, 900 minor league games before he came up to the bigs to stay in June of 2004. Matt who turned 33 this week, is the son and grandson of firefighters and romanced Misty during rehab.
Misty, 31 this year, is still thinking family matters, especially since her Beach gold medal partner Keri Walsh is pregnant. MM is on the new Gatorade G commercial, did that “ESPN the Weekend” at Walt Disney World, appeared on the “Ellen DeGeneres Show” and the “Wizards of Waverly Place” and received a “Happy Thanksgiving” text message from Tiger Woods. Film at 11.--DR. DAN
The first topic is the men’s side of Big West basketball. Last Thursday, the 49er faithful saluted their own seniors, who beat UCI. Saturday, the 49er team saluted the Northridge seniors with a dismal 21-point loss that kicked our homeboys back into second place with two contests left.
Tonight (Thursday), the Niners are at cellar dweller Cal Poly and Saturday, LB visits their chippy nemesis, UC Santa Barbara. Now here is where the new math kicks in. If CSUN loses at Pacific and with UC Riverside already a loser to UC Irvine, the Beach boys would earn the top seed in the Big West tourney and a minimum of an NIT bid. Win the BWC tourney, then the big dance and big payday from the NCAA.
The beach hoop ladies also will make the party, but will have to play up to four games, starting Wednesday afternoon, March 11, while the lads get to chill in the hotel until Friday night March 13 and (likely) have to play only two games. Got it? This will be on the mid-term.
The rest of the Beach sports scene is scattered about the land. Baseball, 2-5, still staggered by miscues and missed opportunities, is off to the University of South Carolina’s new $25 million, 6,400 chair-backed ball park back east. Tennis winners of five in a row are off to Irvine today (Thursday) to face their traditional title threat, UCI. The Beach net set was sweating the visit from nationally ranked St. Mary’s, but beat them soundly 5-2 on Saturday. So now the frowns are all about the Anteaters’ sometimes sneaky seedings and the upcoming student fee referendum. A sport like tennis needs that infusion of new bucks and both issues featuring lots of drama and more of that “new math.”
That would also apply to #6 ranked men’s volleyball, which is in the midst of a four-match homestand, (3-2 losers to USC Wednesday) with MPSF power Pepperdine coming in Friday night. Top eight MPSF teams make the post-season. Last add, all the less than major sports also face upward spiraling costs for travel, tuition, room, board and books. Student voting is on-line next week.
Finally, Kim Sowder’s sweethearts of swat softball team unloaded on their guests at their weekend tourney, winning all five games and scoring 32 runs and yielding a mere seven. This weekend they have five more games, all at Mayfair, starting Friday and concluding with third-ranked UCLA Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
Misty Dust
It has been far too long to dust without a Misty May-Treanor mention, so here we go. Our MM now has her eyes on a house in Michigan, where her husband Matt is catching up with the Detroit Tigers. Matt is a journeyman in that trade, 900 minor league games before he came up to the bigs to stay in June of 2004. Matt who turned 33 this week, is the son and grandson of firefighters and romanced Misty during rehab.
Misty, 31 this year, is still thinking family matters, especially since her Beach gold medal partner Keri Walsh is pregnant. MM is on the new Gatorade G commercial, did that “ESPN the Weekend” at Walt Disney World, appeared on the “Ellen DeGeneres Show” and the “Wizards of Waverly Place” and received a “Happy Thanksgiving” text message from Tiger Woods. Film at 11.--DR. DAN
Labels: l
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home