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Show 10 THE DAILY UTAH CHRONICLE 24, 2000 TUESDAY, OCTOBER Clemens9 Outburst continued from page 9 Was Embarrassing mental lapses have permeated Utah's play the entire seasoncausing what should be substandard-but-sufficieperformances to yield ugly results for the most part. nt Consequently, when senior quarterback Darnell Arceneaux said, "We had it we just let it slip away" following the loss to the Rams, his comment without a context to frame it in really could have been applicable to any of the team's five losses. Certainly, strategic miscues and personnel issues play a part in the team's dismal record. Ii took the coaching staff 2 12 games to realize that Adam Tate was a more suitable replacement for Anderson than was D'Shaun Crockett. And the revolving door leading to the quarterback position between Arceneaux and T.D. Croshaw certainly hasn't helped. was throwing the bat to the bat boy. DANNIELLE BENEVENTO then explanation changed: "To be honest with you, I didn't know if it was the bat. or the Chronicle Sports Columnist ball," said Clemens. Clemens' The Yankee pitcher needs to make up his mind about what happened and expound on the truth rather than make excuses. In addition to portraying himself as a ridiculous spectacle of rage, he also showed the public that he very well may be a liar too. The rivalry between Clemens and Piazza started back in July when Clemens hit Piazza square in the head with a fastball. The rivalry then proceeded into a battle of words between the two. "I don't want to say he intentionally hit me in the head, but I think he intentionally threw at my head," Piaz- -' za said after that first incident. "There is no place for that in base- seems that Roger Clemens has outgrown a standard pitching targetthe catcher's mitt. e The Cy Young Award winner has moved on to bigger and greater things moving targets. Targets that he can actually cause physical harm to are becoming his choice thing to aim at. Sunday night, Clemens addi.d to an already tense player rivalry with Mets catcher Mike Piazza. He picked up part of the bat that Piazza shattered, and proceeded to throw it at Piazza as he ran to first base, barely missing the New York Met by about two feet. Piazza then walked towards the mound and the benches cleared. I'll be honest I am just like everybody else in thinking its exciting when the benches clear and words are exchanged. In Sunday night's case though, it proved to be too bizarre, and the only explanation for Clemens' actions is that Clemens lost his cool and could not control himIt five-tim- Clemens then retorted to Piazza's comments with something that seems to roll off his tongue, an excuse. He claimed that the pitch got away from him. "I have no respect or appreciation for his comments," said Piazza. "Roger Clemens is a great pitcher, but I don't have respect for him at all Sure, Clemens isn't the first pitcher to peg a batter with a pitch, but the malicious way he has extended this situation is a disgrace to himself and baseball. The loss of composure that Clemens exhibited in the World Scries, in a situation where the entire world is watching, is an embarrassment and should serve as a wake-u- p call to the Yankee pitcher. Piazza isn't the only batter that Clemens has taken aim at recently. Seattle claims that Clemens deliberately threw at Alex Rodriguez in game. four of the AL Championship I Mlhtd see BENEVENTO, page er team's system or they were physically outmatched on the field. Rather, every time the Utes have lost a football game, it is because they first lost the head games that the players must play. Which side will better stick to the game plan? Execute the system properly? Have the necessary mental acuity to dig deep when things are tight and the game is on the line? Ultimately, the Utes may realize that beating opponents mentally will precipitate beating them physicallythey just have yet to do anything about it. And that is why, with just four games left to go and any realistic shot at the MWC title and a bowl bid all but obsolete, McBride is still saying things like, "We didn't get it done, they did. That's the bottom line and the end of the story." wM?wf W: 'M" ! now." "It's possible he was kind of in another world out there," said Mets pitcher Al Leitcr. "I can relate to that. Maybe just he's in a world that's a little different than the rest of the worlds." Sure, the World Series is a breeding ground for emotion, but it says something about you when you can't control that emotion. At the risk of sounding cliched or saying something that has been said a million times over, Sunday night was an exhibition of rage that set a poor example for children who want to emulate a great talent like Clemens. Clemens' first explanation to the umpire after his tirade was that he P mm ball." self. But in the end, the Utes haven't lost a single game this year because they didn't match up well with anoth- fcfer m ' -- Iff ' - H a: 11 7T 7, .TVfi. 3a JHC,. in Coma visit acm of towering own designed to get you lost! 5 p.m. - Mid. Sat. 12 noon - Mid. Draper 12300 S 100 W Orem 1452 So. Geneva Road Farminglton 826 South 200 West Free ages 6 and under $4 ages7-1- 1 $7 12 I M-- F Call 886-07- or www.funmaze.com 39 Hot even Steve Smith's acrobatics can help the Utes make up for a lack of mental focus this year. continued from page 9 sophomore David Fleisch led the way, registering three impressive performances.. He won 200 IM, took third place in the 400 IM and swam e to a finish in the 200 fifth-plac- Sale Dates: LONDON PARIS AMSTERDA f ,ires ate f J 1 lin nwlwtvk ()(pjitu;cs Pnnnnil i.j,m Iron h iv : jlwt M m il $269 $359 $349 1024-102- 8 ROME FRANKFURT MADRID to jv.nl.ibiMy. Tkls are'Nwi Hotimilible ,ir.d exclusive of ;i, WL1- ?001. No dopuluies liom Doe L'th tNough Shop extended Dc $375 $275 $365 Uxessucf'0:ijt,s which rjnge tioni $J0 $H5. Tkts must be booked jnd p.nJ for ticm Cct xJ vjW iSC.ITC, a iYTC ea'd. Sane ago and othet testiirtions nxiy appY 24th. Must hours-Tues-F- ri: 10-- 8 4 f(rr.: if2-- backstroke. Teammate Stephen Linge was second in the 100 fly and third in the 200 IM. The Utes best diving exhibition came from Sterling Richards, who was second in both the one- - and three-metevents With its first meet of the season out of the way, Utah will now pred conpare for its first ference competition. The team's first MWC dual meet of the season takes place on Friday, Oct. 27 when the Utes travel to Provo to face the er head-to-hea- 24th-i8ih- . BYU Cougars. As BYU is one of the top teams in the conference, this matchup should provide Litzinger a valuable measure in discerning where the Utes stand in their quest to e finimprove upon their ishes at last year's MWC Championships, fifth-plac- ERIC WALDEN |