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Show "Daily Utah Chronicle 6- - Tuesday, January 13, 2004 Clemens is back? Can't say I'm surprised I .Whose idea was it to introduce the concept of retirement into our society? While the idea does have charitable intentions, it generally fails to produce the intended outcome perpetual relaxation. Instead, it sems to produce a perpetual restlessness in the venerated men and women whose acceptance of retirement is often at best. People spend their whole lives bjiilding a career, based on a routine, striving toward success, and as soon as they hit a certain age, it all stops. The change that this sudden stoppage creates is often too much to bear all at once, so retirees often develop mundane hobbies to pass the time, or in the world of sports, stave off retirement for as long as possible by treating it like a short vacation. Yes, the world of sports carries countless examples of those who reject retirement, and it is often the most prominent athletes who are the most reluctant to leave their trade behind. Recently, Roger Clemens came out o retirement and signed a contract with the Houston Astros at age 41. What could have prompted him to return to the held and retract the commitment he made to his famhalf-hearte- d one-ye- ar ily? He says it was the allure of pitching in front of his hometown faithful alongside his best friend, Andy But I'm not so sure that's the only reason. Last year, nearly every time Clemens stepped on the mound, he was in the national spotlight. After three unsuccessful tries, he finally won his 300th game. ' For each of these four starts, he flew 40 of his family and friends from Detroit to Boston to New York where he finally accomplished his goal amid much fanfare. Unfortunately for the struggling airline industry, he got his 4,000th strikeout in the same game, so he didn't have to fly his familial fan club to three more cities in search of that milestone. Then, for his last start in Yankee Stadium, he dragged his ailing mother out to the mound, oxygen tank and all, to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. Now Clemens had the whole country by the heart or the balls on his way to a triumphant and highly celebrated retirement. Still there was Clemens' last regular season start in Fenway, where he pitched for 13 years and received a d standing ovation as he walked off the mound after seven stellar innings. Also, there was his last playoff start in Fenway, which was the most controversial game of the ALCS, and Pet-titt- much-deserve- yet another standing ovation with a flash bulb frenzy. real Finally there was his quasi-fo- r last start in the World Series, and once again he received the athlete's royal treatment of loud clapping, e. I 1 V t screaming, standing, picture-taking whistling, crying, hugging, and emotional When he held a press conference to announce his retirement, every prominent sports writer in the country was there to witness the official retirement of one of the greatest pitchers of all time, and once again he was showered with unending praise. All that attention must have been intoxicating. It was a season long retirement ceremony, culminating in a sea of praise that captured the hearts of an entire country. Why not do it again? Well, if he learned anything from the Michael Jordan saga, he would have stayed retired the first time. Jordan's first retirement was bigger news than war. The best player ever, retiring at the peak of his game, to play baseball?! Nobody could understand why. When he finally gave up the ridiculous charade and came back to his game, the country rejoiced, and watched eagerly as he wore number 45, then 23, and led the Bulls to three g, 7 t high-rivin- butt-slappin- g. Matthew Ouellette Chronicle Sports Columnist g brawl produced a between the members of the most heated rivalry in sports, and consequently no standing ovation for Clemens. But there was an inordinate amount of coverage and praise for him nonetheless. This game merely set the stage for the best baseball game of the year, which once again pitted Clemens against Pedro Martinez, this time in Game 7 of the ALCS. The game was certainly going to be his last against his old teammates, but it also had the potential to be his last one period, and this initiated an unprecedented level of hype. In seemingly unpoetic fashion, bench-clearin- Clemens left after three-plu- s innings of work as the Red Sox pummeled his fastball for four runs. As he walked off the mound in Yankee Stadium, allegedly for the last time, he received Clarett settlement comim COLUMBUS, Ohio Sus- pended Ohio State tailback Maurice Clarett's lawyer said he's willing to resume settlement discussions in the star player's misdemeanor case. "I think there's a willingness to resolve it, to bring it to an end so he can get it behind him," Percy Squire said Saturday. Clarett is accused of filing a campus police report that exaggerated the value of items stolen from a dealership car he borrowed in April. He has pleaded innocent to the falsification charge, which carries a penalty ranging from probation to six months in jail and up to a $1,000 fine. interest of Mr. Clarett. "The city has got to be willing to offer something that is palatable. But there is no definitive agreement at this Squire said he plans to resume discussions Monday with the city's lead prosecutor, Stephen Mcintosh, but wouldn't say whether a specific offer has been made by either side. Squire said, if prosecutors offer a deal, he will recommend that Clarett accept a reduced charge and plead guilty to a minor misdemeanor, which does not appear on a criminal record, requires no jail time and has a maximum point." Mcintosh told The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer for a story Saturday that Squire's "willingness to resolve the case" has led to several discussions in recent weeks. "We are, I believe, close to working something out," Mcintosh said. Squire told The Plain Dealer that Clarett would be willing to enter a guilty plea to a reduced charge such as a minor misdemeanor, which does not appear on a criminal record, penalty of $100. "This process is one that is really controlled by the prosecutor," Squire said. "There are certainly terms that we would recommend in the best Thomas won't coach Knicks requires no jail time and has a maximum penalty of $100. A message seeking com- ment for Mcintosh was left at his office Saturday night. Franklin County Municipal Judge Mark Froehlich has scheduled a hearing for Wednesday to decide whether statements Clarett made to NCAA investigators should be admissible as evidence in the case. Clarett was suspended for accepting improper benefits from a family friend and for lying about it to investigators. In a separate case, Clarett is suing the NFL for early entry into the draft. The Associated Press r more titles. Then he retired again, when it was the right thing to do, and Jordan seemed to have more integrity than a martyred saint We watched as he ran successful businesses, and raked in the dough as a ruthless executive. But when he made another comeback, we cringed, albeit with one eye open to see what the old timer had left in his tank, but the disappointment was there. it was When he finally so unceremonious that it didn't even make front page headlines in most newspapers. The best basketball player in history retired to little more than a whisper in the sports page. Clemens should have been taking notes. So what is it about retirement that players can't stand? What is the void they leave unfulfilled once they leave the playing surface? It could be the whisper of vanity calling the players back to the limelight, or it could be the competitive drive that steers many athletes back to the source of their it's just plain boredom that pushes these fallen stars back to the game. But regardless, it's a disturbing trend that has severely damaged the integrity of athletes and the word "retirement." mouellettechronicle. utah.edu NEW YORK Isiah Thomas all but ruled out taking over as coach of the New York Knicks this season, saying Monday it would be "impossible" for him to be both team president and head coach. "The responsibility that I have here, president of the Knicks, we're in a state where I think it would be impossible for me to do both jobs and do them well," Thomas said. "Again, we're trying to get healthy and we're trying to dig ourselves out of a big hole. I don't think I would do this organization justice if I did both jobs." Despite that statement, Thomas would not give assurances that Don Chaney will remain the coach for the rest of the season. New York entered Monday night's game against Dallas "I would never say that about anybody," Thomas said. "This is sports. Those types of broad statements are just not realistic in the sporting world we live in." Monday marked one week since Thomas pulled off a 3. 1tiliMCio3 ft SKIING continued from page 5 DAT Attend all required classes or make-usessions, complete all scheduled tests, and do your homework. If your score doesn't improve on test day from your Kaplan diagnostic or a prior official test score, you can choose to repeat our program for free or get a full refund of your tuition." It's that simple. p GRE: IC5t paws lr ',"."! " Classes are starting soon. Enroll today! MCAT: January 31 GMAT: February 12 January 31 OWlCt, "To be eligible for this Oder, you must be enrolled in Kaplan's full cUissroom, tutoring, or online courses. In addition, you must present a copy of your official score report and your course kaptest.com materials within 90 days. m Q finished fourth on the afternoon with a 1:43.27 time, while Weiser finished just behind him in sixth place. The Utah Invitational is the only meet that the Utes will host this season. As usual, the team will spend most of the rest of the season on the road. Getting the season started on comfortable ground was an obvious advantage for Utah, but Sweeney knows there's still plenty to work on, primarily getting the U's new skiers to concentrate on success as a team rather than as individuals. "The area that we really need to improve on is getting the new skiers to come in and feel confident that they blockbuster trade with Phoenix, sending four reserves, two draft picks and the rights to guard Milos Vujanic to the Suns for Stephon Marbury and Penny Hardaway. The Knicks played poorly in Marbury's first two games e before ending a a with streak losing victory Saturday over Milwaukee. Reporters saw Thomas working with Marbury and other players at the team's shootaround Monday morning, the first time Thomas was seen giving instruction to players. Thomas said he told Chaney of his tutoring plans beforehand. "It's about passing on knowledge, it's about helping the players," Thomas said. "I just some things I saw that I wanted to point out, just passing on stuff you want to give to people on your team." Hardaway made his first start for the Knicks on Monday night against Dallas, replacing Keith Van Horn (bruised kneecap). Van Horn is listed as The Associated Press four-gam- day-to-da- y. can ski as well as anyone on the circuit, and having them really understand the team scoring concept, where everybody needs to finish. And that if they do finish, most likely they're going to add some really significant points and it's going to be the difference between first and third or first and second," Sweeney said. As for the season opener, despite not coming away with a victory, Sweeney and his staff have no complaints. "There were tough conditions that everybody had to deal with. The softer conditions, the courses didn't hold up quite as well," Sweeney said. "But we did really well with it, and I don't think I have anything to be worried about." cbe!lamychronicle. utah. edu First in Pleasing Brides Hundreds of gowns in stock Backpacking, desert trekking, mountain climbing, river running, rescue and survival! Sound like fun? 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