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Show Friday, April 10, 2009 StatesmanSOOrtS Page 9 Blue&White Today's Sports Debate Paul Kelley is a junior majoring in print journalism. He can be reached at p.d.k@aggiemail. usu.edu. Matt Sonnenherg is a junior majoring in print journalism. Comments can be sent to him at matt.sonn@aggi~ email.usu.edu. Comments can also be posted on The Statesman Web site: utahstatesman.com Ben 1. National Championship game thoughts I had no real favoritism either way in this game. On one hand, I wanted Michigan State to win because my gut feeling told me to pick them as champions three weeks ago when I was filling out my bracket. On the other hand, I have really enjoyed watching Tyler Hansbrough the last couple years and figured a championship would be the perfect way for him to cap off a pretty stellar career. Mostly I just wanted to see a good game, and I was horribly disappointed. UNC fans would not have been out of their place if they had wanted to start the "winning team, losing team" chant with about 30 minutes to play ... that's how bad it was. If it wasn't for Michigan State playing like a bunch of scared schoolboys in the first half, this might have been a great National Championship game. We can't place all the blame on Michigan State, though. I don't know that any other team in the country would have done any better. Maybe UCONN would have made it a 10-point game instead of a 17-point game. But, in all honesty, UNC played this tournament with a passion that other teams would have had a hard time matching. They are by far the best team in the country, it's just a shame they had to be so good that there was no chance of a competitive National Championship game. L $550^ Privat^Bpiffioms^'Fuiiy Furnished * Close to USU & Bus SW^WSWlaundromat '.^j^^t\fi^* V Sch o1 Year Rent 235 ° *Priceinclud«U«imeS,Cab.eTV and Wireless internet. Every referral also earns you money off your rent DO $ °-$2650* email: yot mm OFFICE: 454 N 400 E forestgatemanagers@live.com (435) 752" 1516 &JVLLS RiD€ VOIJR 2. Who will win the Masters? I'm going to go off track with my prediction and just say that no matter who wins this weekend's Masters tournament, it will be the feel-good story of the year for the golf world. If somebody other than Tiger wins it, I have zero doubt that most major newspapers will find something inspiring to shamelessly talk about for hours on end to paint the picture of that golfer having overcome so much to achieve their dream of winning a major tournament. Chances are they would have just caught a hot streak. If Tiger wins it, then he will have made a courageous and triumphant rebound from that knee injury. When we talk about the Masters, what we are really talking about is Tiger Woods. Honestly, would anyone even care about it if Tiger weren't playing? It was nice to actually hear news about the event not related to Tiger. Seventythree-year-old Gary Player will play in his last Masters, and that's pretty cool. That said, I don't think Tiger will win it this year. He played good at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, but I still don't think he is fully back to true form. I hope I am wrong because I love it when Tiger wins, everyone loves it when Tiger wins. I think he will finish in the top five, but not first. 3. Thoughts on spring football Robert Turbin is all that is man. That would be the best way to sum up USU spring football right now. We all saw what he was capable of a year ago-as-a fresh—»- - • man and it looks like it was anything but a fluke. In case you need a quick refresher on Turbin, go search his name on Youlbbe. You'll learn all you need to know really quickly. The sophomore runningback appears to stand out just a little bit extra from even the rest of the standout players that are currently on this Aggie team. Quarterback Diondre Borel might be as good of a scrambler as there is in the entire NCAA and the Aggies' defense is looking fast, mean and hungry. I think the darkest days are behind us, especially with the core of players currently in place. At this time the last couple of years there was so much hype about whether this would be the year that Brent Guy turned it around and started winning. This year there seems to be a different kind of hype. People don't seem to be wondering if we are going to win this year. They are hyped and already expect us to win. Everyone seems like they are ready for us to open the season with a big win at Utah, and then cruise past BYU a couple week later. I like it. I really like this kind of hype, it feels great. I think if there was a year to do all that this is the one. We return 21 starters from last year's team that was a few coaching decisions away from a 6-6 season. 4. Rant In light of this past weekend's scare of Stew Morrill interviewing for another head coaching position, I feel it necessary to remind people just how lucky Aggie fans are to have Morrill at USU. If it were about the money or a job in a bigger conference, USU would probably be going into year seven or eight of the postMorrill era. Keeping the Aggies above being just a mediocre program for the last 11 years has been Morrill. For USU there are no greener pastures for coaches. Maybe Morrill felt the need to remind everyone that he doesn't have to be here if he doesn't want to be, even though I think it s pretty obvious he wants to be here. How's about giving him a little more credit than criticism for being the winningest coach in school history. I find it interesting that there were so many voices for the athletic fee increase. However, at the same time there are not many people trying to get involved in athletics. Right now there are applications available to be on the student government athletics committee, a committee that had a major role in the planning and promoting of the athletic fee, and many USU athletic events. There are many passionate sports fan at this school - don't they want to be a part of shaping the image of their schools athletic program? www.gtNRiSeeyeLeRy.Ne-v Happy Graduation! Free Apple Care $30oftaniTouch With the purchase of a new MacBook USU The position of Editor in Chief of The Utah Statesman for Fall Semester '09 is n o w being reviewed. If you have a n interest in applying, please check with the adviser, TSC 105-A, before the deadlne of Thursday, April 16, 4 p.m. UtahStateUniversity BOOK STORE |