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Show StatesmanSports Friday, Sept. 4, 2009 Page 9 Cross country Cross-country team ready for home meet By Connor Jones sports senior writer Back-to-back to back-to-back WAC champions look to keep their domination running in the 2009 men’s cross-country season, while the defending WAC champion women’s team looks to match the men’s success. The Aggies bring back 10 runners from the women’s side and 13 members of the men’s squad of last year’s championship campaign. Along with the athletes comes veteran 28-year head coach Gregg Gensel, who has coached Utah State track and field and cross country teams to winning over 20 conference championships and has won Coach of the Year accolades over 24 times. Less decorated but only for lack of recognition is assistant coach Steven Todd Reeder who has stood alongside Gensel for the past 27 years. Among the returning runners for the women are two seniors, three juniors, four sophomores and two freshmen. The men have two seniors, five juniors and six sophomores looking for another ring. The Aggie men will be competing against athletes from the University of Utah Ski Team and Weber State while the women will be facing U of U and Weber. “Hopefully we will start off where we left off last season and just run really well,” Gensel said. USU’s men’s and women’s cross country teams will begin defending their 2008 WAC champion status this Saturday at the American West Heritage Center at 9 a.m. – c.h.j@aggiemail.usu.edu Utah State’s women’s cross country runners take off at the American West Heritage Center last year. The women’s team is a good bet to repeat as WAC champions this year, as is the men’s side. FILE PHOTO NFL commissioner Goodell clears Vick to play ball ahead of schedule NFL COMMISSIONER ROGER GOODELL approved former pro bowl quarterback Michael Vick to play for the Philadelphia Eagles sooner than he had previously said, saying Vick is making “real progress” since being released from prison for his role in running an illegal dogfighting ring. The Eagles have been using Vick in their own version of the ‘Wildcat’ package while third-year pro Kevin Kolb remains the backup to Donovan McNabb. AP PHOTO NEW YORK (AP) – Michael Vick got the green light for full reinstatement in the NFL on Thursday when commissioner Roger Goodell said the disgraced quarterback could play later this month instead of waiting until October. Vick, recently signed by the Philadelphia Eagles, will now be able to play in the Sept. 27 game at home against the Kansas City Chiefs. It would be his first regular-season game since he was sent to prison for his role in operating a dogfighting ring. The former Atlanta Falcons star was released from federal custody July 20 after serving 18 months of a 23-month sentence. Originally, Goodell said he would consider Vick for reinstatement no later than the sixth week of the season — Oct. 18. “I think he’s making real progress,” Goodell said at a news conference. “I think he has a better feel for the challenges ahead of him. “He understands he has very little margin for error, that people are watching him.” Goodell met with Vick earlier Thursday at the Eagles’ hotel near Newark International Airport. Philadelphia played the Jets in an exhibition game at the Meadowlands at night. “He met with Michael this morning and I think he came out of it feeling very confident that Michael’s doing the right things and is on the right track,” Eagles president Joe Banner said before the game. “I think Michael wants to play as soon as he can. On the other hand, I think he thinks this was fair.” A three-time Pro Bowl pick during six seasons with the Falcons, Vick was a surprise signing by the Eagles on Aug. 13. He received a one-year deal for $1.6 million with a team option for a second year at $5.2 million. Vick started practicing with the Eagles on Aug. 15, but did not travel with the team to its second preseason game a week later in Indianapolis because he could not play. He played six snaps in Philadelphia’s home game against Jacksonville last week, lining up at quarterback and receiver. He completed all four of his pass attempts, but the Eagles’ offense scored just three points in the possessions he played. “We thought that if Michael did the right things, somewhere — probably one to three weeks — would be the likely outcome. So this is certainly in the range we expected,” Banner said. “We appreciate the commissioner’s thoughtfulness and I think this is a good outcome and we look forward to having him.” Coach Andy Reid was also present at Goodell’s meeting with Vick. “He definitely provided me with useful feedback,” Goodell said. “He’s very open about the challenges, you know, from his own personal experiences.” Reid’s two sons have been jailed on drug charges. “He told me how Michael’s doing and how he’s incorporating into the team and the judgments he’s making,” Goodell said. Former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy, who has served as a mentor to Vick at Goodell’s behest, also helped the commissioner with his decision. The Eagles plan to use Vick in their version of the wildcat offense, and Reid has stated that Kevin Kolb remains the backup to Donovan McNabb. Vick’s familiarity with the West Coast offense has expedited his learning process with Philadelphia. He’s said he’s content doing whatever he can to help the team win and wants to learn from McNabb how to become a better quarterback. While McNabb is an excellent scrambler, he prefers being a pocket passer. Vick always has been far more inclined to take off and run than stay in the pocket and find an open receiver. His career completion percentage is only 53.8 percent, and he has more career 100-yard rushing games (8) than 250-yard passing games. Vick has 71 career touchdown passes, but 52 interceptions. Animal-rights activists in Philadelphia have opted not to protest the player, but to use Vick’s signing to spotlight their work. Goodell predicts labor unrest, uncapped 2010 NFL season NEW YORK (AP) – NFL commissioner Roger Goodell foresees an uncapped 2010 season as the league and the players’ union negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement. Goodell said Thursday owners are preparing for no salary cap next season, citing the lack of progress in talks with the NFLPA. Last year, owners opted out of the CBA that was reached in 2006. That agreement included no salary cap in its final year, which both sides believed would spark serious negotiations toward a new contract. “Because of the timing, we recognize there’s a strong reality there will be an uncapped year, and the owners have planned for it,” Goodell said. Goodell met with union chief DeMaurice Smith on Tuesday over lunch, but no negotiations took place. “I told De, ‘Let’s start negotiating,’” Goodell said, “and that’s our intent.” But there is no timetable for beginning significant talks, and the union says the onus is on the owners to present an offer. According to league figures, the players have received about 75 percent of revenues since 2006, while the other 25 percent has gone to costs, plus another 6 percent over that which owners have absorbed because of rising costs. The union disputes those numbers. “The CBA explicitly restricts player costs to just under 60 percent,” NFLPA spokesman George Atallah told The Associated Press. “That is fixed. They’d have to provide relevant information to support that wild claim, because we certainly don’t have it.” Goodell insisted the union knows everything about the teams’ finances. “The union has incredible information with respect to the teams. They have audit rights,” Goodell said. “I think that’s a distraction from the real issues. We don’t want to get into rhetoric. I told that directly to De on Tuesday.” Citing a recent survey by Forbes magazine showing 19 franchises are worth at least $1 billion, Atallah said: “Average team profits last year increased by 31 percent and labor costs by only 4 percent. Historical reports by Forbes also reveal that team values have increased exponentially. The Patriots, for example, increased in value from $172 million in 1994 to $1.4 billion today. That’s 713 percent in the past 15 years. Doesn’t seem like a broken model to me. “Just tell us directly the specifics of why this CBA is not working,” he added. “We can’t be forced to negotiate a proposal that doesn’t yet exist.” Goodell also noted several early-season games are not sold out and could be blacked out locally, although he said “our worst-case projec- Perfect Partner. Let us help plan your big day. Your Best Choice for Wedding Invitations & paper goods 630 West 200 North 753-8875 tion is at least 80 percent of our games will be shown in local markets and are sold out.” The commissioner also said the video boards in the new Cowboys Stadium won’t present a significant problem for punters. After Titans punter A.J. Trapasso hit the video board at the $1.3 billion facility in Arlington, Texas, on Aug. 21, the league altered its playing rules. The boards hang at 90 feet, which is 5 feet higher than NFL guidelines. When asked how concerned he was about punters consistently hitting the bottom of the video screens, Goodell responded: “One kick in a preseason game? What’s become clear... is that up to 85 feet (is a maximum), and that’s our guideline,” he said. “Above that is not supported by our research.” But he recognized the need for a rule for such situations, and how game officials should handle them. |