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Show SAME OLD DeSHAWN?Stevenson determined to break through for Jazzthis year. C6 The Salt Lake Tribune Inside Women's World Cup C2 NBA C6 NHL C7 Scoreboard C8 THURSDAY OcrosEr 9, 2003 WWW.SLTRIB.COM “We probably bothfeel like we're the best in the conference. There’s kind ofa sense ofurgency,just like there always is.” K.C. BILLS BYU linebacker, on tonight's game against Colorado State neuen) Cougs defuse Key game Cubsfans tortured by history By Patrick KINAHAN Colorado State, who was picked to win, who wonit last year, whojust came offa MWCrace at stake, but BYU The Salt Lake Tribune trying to deflect anyhintof PROVO — Don’t even dare to make tonight’s game against Colorado State «.at® as burglars. The Ramsstole the conference championship away from BYU, TODAY, 8 p.m., ESPN2 pressure for CSU game any bigger than it is, because Brigham Young’s football team won't bite. big win [against Fresno State]}.” Crowton’s psychology portrays CSU Radio: KSL-AM (1160) which wonit in 2001. “Two years ago we won it, and we beat them pretty good,” Crowton said. “If we can get back to where we were, we’re going to be hard to beat.” The problem is BYU has not looked like the Cougars of 2001 in two years. In a season of humbling defeats, BYU got slaughtered 37-10 in Fort Collins last At 2-1 in the conference (3-3 overall), t’s only a game, right? Nine guys in funny socks chasing a ball around the yard. Nothing to make even the slightest dent in the course of human civilization, same as my golf swing and every single episode of “Will & Grace.” Right? So then why is watching the Chi- the Cougars must win to avoid falling kind of a sense of urgency, just like out of championship contention. With an 0-1 conference record, CSU is in the there always is.” Somewhere in a film room, Gary same situation. In a real sense, this is a Mountain West elimination game, even if some would prefer not to think of it that way. “We probably both feel like we're the Crowton is smiling. Bills’ statement is music to the BYU coach'sears. Psychology 101 taught Crowton not a point, because all conference games best in the conference,” said BYU freshman linebacker K.C. Bills. “There’s carry equal weight. The only noticeable difference is the to intensify a pressure situation. He has Rams are the defending champions and were picked as a the preseason favorites. “Whenever you say ‘you have to’ or ‘It's a make or break situation,’ it puts undue pressure on your team,” Crowton said. “I always try to avoid doing that, because they’re going to feel that pressure from everybody else anyway. “Our team knows we're playing year. But the Cougars are coming off their closest imitation of Crowton’sfirst sea- See BYU, C7 cago Cubs try to reach the World Series like perpetually waitingforthe | dealer to check what's under his Boston 5, New YORK 2 ace? Shoot, I'm not even at the ball- BoSox, starter knuckle down park, and still I'm watching the Cubs play the Florida Marlins in the National League Championship Series from an obstructed-view seat — right behind my hands. The only comfort I can take is that now,years after joining the le- gion of Cub fans and adopting as a kid in Chicago their tortured history | as my own, Iscarcelyhaveanyhair left to lose, although I'm little afraid to learn what's next on God’s list of things that fall out when you | worry too much. | If you know anything atall about the Chicago Cubs, at any rate, you know thatit is never safe to relax with them. | By RonaLp BLuM | The Associated Press Rude rival: Knuckleballer Wakefield retires 14 straight to beat the hated Yankees in Game1 ofthe ALCS NEW YORK They haven't played in a World Series since 1945, haven't won one since 1908 — that’s the Jazz times four, if you’re scoring at home — David Ortiz, Todd Walker and | Manny Ramirez left them marveling at their power. For all the “Star Wars” imagery and talk of good versus evil, Game1 of the AL championship series was decided by Wake and have executed in the meantime some of baseball's most excruciating collapses. in mylifetime alone, they gave away a 9%-game lead to the Mets in the final month of the 1969 season, field’s darting knuckler and Bos- blew leads in three straight games against the Giants in the 1989 N.L. Championship Series and were ton’s overpowering bats. “Our offense came through. It's swept by the Braves in the ‘98 divisional playoff series. In between, they suffered the most painful defeat of the group, blowing a two-game lead over the Championship Series — losing the deciding Game 5 after first baseman Leon Durham committed the Bill Buckner error a full dozen years before Buckner (a former Cub, by the Wakefield need tickets so much as we need defibrillators. Down twowith two out in the ninth, SammySosa and his .150 postseason batting average at the plate with a runner on? And speaking of good Cubs fans, that’s how I got into this mess. Mylate grandfather took me on the bus to myfirst major-league game at Wrigley Field, where we saw the Cubs beat the Pirates. My aunt sent me newspaperclip- berg’s homer in the first night game at Wrigley — the last time I spoke with him before he died — and my artistic cousin once built a replica of Wrigley entirely out of cardboard and toothpicks. As a result, the four-word “life time goal” I listed in myhigh school yearbook was “See Cubs Win Series.” — [_ Only a game, myfoot. mecnesltrib.com , . COP befuddled New winning Game 5 on Monday Karey WriiEns/ The Aseanated Press Boston's David Ortiz blasted a twe-run homer against New York's Mike Mussina, leading the Red Sox to a 5-2 Game i victory over the Yankees. Game 2 is today at 6 p.m. in New York. night and flying back across the country, the Red Sox seemed bleary-eyed when theyarrived at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday But when it came time to play, theyhad the energyand emotion, Mark Prior Cubs 12, Marlins 3 @ Chicago belts four homers in a display of offense power as Mark Prior overwhelms Florida on the mound. CIO not New York, which had been off since winning its first-round se. ries at Minnesota on Sunday. Wakefield, who retired 14 straight batters starting in the second, said he was going on adrenaline. “T told all myfriends don’t call mebecause I’m going to be sleep ing in,” he said. Ever since December, when Boston president Larry Lucchino called the Yankees the “Evil Em pire,” the Red Sox haveplayed off imagery from “Star Wars,” painting themselves as white knights trying to knock off the 26-time World Series champions. Following their stunning comeback from a 24 deficit against the Athletics, Lucchino even predicted the Red Sox, who haven't won the Series since trading Babe Ruth to the Yankees in 1920 supposedly bringing on See RED SOX, C10 Prep BASEBALL Second chance Boys knowdiscipline, baseball at Wiest Ridge pings of the Cubs exploits after we'd moved away, my uncle phoned the night rain washed out Ryne Sand- Wakefield York’s batters, taking a five-run lead into the seventh before he got wild and three relievers from Boston’s beleaguered bullpen completed the three-hitter. “He had a good one,” Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter said. “Nobody knew where it was going.” All the chants and signs re minding Boston of its 85-yeartitle drought only seemed to spur on the Red Sox against their old rivals, who have dominated their Northeast neighbors for decades. After traveling from Boston to Oakland on Sunday night, then way)did it himself. Obviously, we Cubs fans don't even better that season than Mark Prior has been this year. unbelievable,” said Wednesday night after the Red Sox put aside fatigue and opened with a 5-2 victory. Ortiz started Boston off with a two-run homer in the fourth inning, and Walker and Ramirez added solo shots in the fifth offa shaky Mike Mussina. San Diego Padres in the 1984 N.L. but the Cubs eventually lost 9-8.0n a solic home run in the lth inning. That's why it still wasn't a complete comfort to watch the Oubs build an eight-run lead in the first three innings ofGame 2 on Wednesday night and win 12-3. The Cubs had led the first game of the series by four in the first and still lost, and any good Cub fan will remember they crushed the Padres 13-0 in the first game of that ‘G4 series before caving in — with an ace pitcherin Rick Sutcliffe who was Tim Wake- field left the New York Yankees cursing his knuckleball, while By Martin RENZHOFER The Salt Lake Tribune WEST JORDAN — Students at West Ridge Academy have heard it before “Tt usually comes from kids,” said Wayne Brock, campus supervisor and assistant baseball coach. “ “Why don’t you guys go back to dealing drugs” ” tween them and us is we got caught.” Reed knows that the majorityof students at Green River do not abuse drugs. And he knows that many boys at West Ridge, the accredited high school operated inside Utah See WEST RIDGE, C2 Preps inside West Ridge center fielder Blake Reed recalled a game against Green River High School “They said, ‘We don’t wantto lose to a bunch of troublemakers.” We're not trouble. makers,” said Reed. “The only difference be’ @ Longtime coach Art Hughes dies at 91. C3 @ Prep volieyball, tennis, soccer C3 @ Skyline, Hunter set to meet Friday Football notes, C4 @ Class 3-4 4-4 golf state tournaments C4 @ Bingham boys basketball coach out for season C8 ; Trex Necsox The SahLae The Baseball players Bryan Kraft, ieft, and Jeff Greene sing in their choir class at the West Ridge Academy in West Jordan. ? |
