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Show Wednesday, July 25,2007 Page 6 Sports The Signpost Big Sky commish spits out big-time faux pas Sports Briefs Macs back from hospital, recovering Weber State University footballcoachRonMcBride was released from LDS Hospital last Wednesday after suffering a minor heart complication. McBride went into the hospital July 16, after complaining of feeling dizzy and weak while playing a round of golf in Park City. The golf outing was part of the Big Sky Conference football kickoff meetings. At the hospital, an angiogram discovered a blocked artery and McBride had a stent placed in the artery to relieve the blockage. WSU officials told McBride to rest for several days before coming back to his coaching duties. The Wildcats are scheduled to begin fall practices August 3. WSU men's golf part of newly formed America Sky Conference The Weber State University Men's Golf Team will be one of eight teams to join the newly created America Sky Conference. WSU's Men's Golf Team was previously without a conference. The Big Sky Conference, while having a women's golf division, did not have a men's golf division. Effective September 1, 2007, the America Sky will be an active Division I NCAA conference. The development of the league provides conference action along with a conference championship. It will also provide greater exposure for the schools involved and their athletes. Along with the Wildcats, the other schools to participate in the widespanning conference are Binghampton University, the University of Hartford, Idaho State University, the University of Texas-Pan American, the University of Northern Colorado, Utah Vally State College and Sacramento State University. WSU volleyball team honored for academics The Weber State University Volleyball Team has been honored as one of 55 NCAA Division I teams to receive the Game Plan/American Volleyball Coaches Association Team Academic Award for the 2006-2007 season. The award honors teams that display excellence in the classroom by maintaining at least a 3.30 cumulative GPA. WSU posted a 3.38 GPA. The award is also presented to high school teams throughout the United States who exemplify excellence in academics. A total of 163 high school and college teams were honored with the award. WSU was one of three schools from the Big Sky Conference to earn the award. Brigham Young University was the only other school from Utah to earn the award. The 2007-2008 volleyball season begins August 25 when the Wildcats host the University of Wyoming. Conference's stance on criticism of officials going way too far Standing Out PHOtO HV TRICIAGERRARD | 11 It SIGNPOST Weber State University Head Coach Randy Rahe shouts instructions to his team during a game last season. In his second year as WSU's coach, the Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year is looking to get off to an early start in generating a repeat performance. By Jon McBride sports editor I The Signpost The Weber State University Men's Basketball Team will get off to an early start in the upcoming 2007-2008 season, two months earlier than last season. The Wildcats will travel north of the border to participate in the Battle of the Border men's basketball tournament Sept. 13. The University of Calgary will host the five-team tournament. "It's a great opportunity for our kids to get a jump start on things," said WSU Head Coach Randy Rahe. "We get to go up there and play four games in three days. The best thing about it is that we get a jump start practicing with our kids." Under NCAA guidelines, the Wildcats are allowed 10 days of practice before the day of their first game. WSU's first exhibition game last season wasn't until Nov. 1. 'Anytime you can get started a little early," Rahe said, "work on some things, I think it has a chance to help us. It will also be good for our guys to be able to go up there and get to know each other, start developing the chemistry, get away from everything, hang out as a team, do a lot of team things. I think in that regard it's going to help us get the chemistry developed a little earlier." It's that same chemistry that proved to be so important to the Wildcats last season as they made their improbable run from last place in 2006 to first place in 2007. Many of the players said the reason for such a drastic change was the chemistry the team possessed. They credited Rahe as being a major part of instilling that togetherness. • "I hope we have the same chemistry [as last season]," Rahe said. "I'll be a little surprised if we don't. We've got enough veterans back, and the new kids that we're adding are all wonderful kids, really high-character guys, good people. I'm really hoping that we take off where it The Signpost Big Sky Conference Commissioner Doug Fullerton didn't exactly get off on the right foot with the media at last week's Big Sky Football Kickoff. Fullerton asked the media not to ask coaches to comment about the officiating in games and to refuse to publish and/or broadcast any negative comments that the coaches might make. Did he just try to tell journalists what they should or shouldn't write and/ or talk about? Speaking of bad calls, Fullerton should not have made that one. It's the media's job to ask those types of questions, to find out what the coaches are thinking and feeling, then to inform the public. What if coaches couldn't comment negatively about a team's play or the playing conditions? Commenting on the officiating of a game is just as much a part of the story and fans want to know about it. Fullerton's heart seems to be in the right place. He just doesn't want to have to suspend coaches for their comments, such as he did last season when Weber State University's Ron McBride was suspended for what were deemed as negative comments about an official. McBride stated that there was a blown call. He was suspended for WSU's next game. The Big Sky has a zerotolerance policy when it comes to criticism of officials. The ironic thing was that in the same news conference when Fullerton made this plea to the media for ignorance, he also admitted that the Big Sky's officials were prone to make mistakes. Everyone makes them, right? Well Mr. Fullerton, according to that statement, I'm still waiting for your announcement that you'll be suspending yourself. He criticized a referee didn't he? Actually, he criticized all of the referees. Heaven forbid. If Fullerton can admit that his officials make mistakes, why can't a coach point out one such specific mistake - a mistake that could potentially change the entire outcome of a game or season? McBride's comment last season, for which he was suspended, was in no way demeanPHOTO BY MATT CLASS I THE SIGNPOST ing or hateful. It was his opinion Weber State University players rest during a timeout in last season's Big Sky Conference Championship on a call that cost his team an Game. The Wildcats will look to compete for another championship this coming season and will start important home game. He said things off with a tournament Sept. 1 -3. he thought the ref blew the call. Everyone blows a call once in a ^Anytime you can get started a little early, work on some while right? This is a pretty blatant free things, I think it has a chance to help us. It will also be speech issue here. Looking at good for our guys to be able to go up there and get to the history of sports, and history in general, problems get know each other, start developing the chemistry, get away fixed and issues get resolved when open communication is from everything, hang out as a team, do a lot of team fostered, not when communicathings." tion gets censured, banned or, as Fullerton would like things, - Randy Rahe, ignored. Ignorance can never be WSU basketball coach the answer. was last year." Foster communication Big award in his senior season. Dan LDS mission this season. Eric The Wildcats lose a statistical Henry also played out his eligi- Turner started a few games as Sky. Let the coaches talk. and emotional leader in David bility last year and will not re- point guard last season but has Patten, who earned the Big Sky turn. Jake Orchard red-shirted You cafi comment on this story at Conference Player of the Year last season and will serve an See Basketball page 7 wsusignpost.com. Cats to start up early Rahe, Wildcats looking to start up where they left off By Jon McBride sports editor | |