Simon banned for record 25 games

SPORTS
W E D N E S D A Y, M A R C H 1 4 , 2 0 0 7 | P A G E B 3
SPORTS
Simon banned for record 25 games
SCORES
baseball
TODAY, IN SPORTS | New York Islanders forward
Chris Simon lost his cool on the ice and paid
the price for it. But was the price high enough?
(3-1, 15-4)
March 10 Finals:
No. 19 Emory 1, CNU 0
March 11 Finals:
CNU 7, Castleton St. 1
CNU 7, Castleton St. 5
BY JASON COMO
JASON.COMO.0 4 @ CN U.EDU
Rankings
1. CNU
3-1
15-4
2. N.C. Wesleyan 4-2
15-8
3. Ferrum
4-2
9-8
4. Methodist
3-3
11-5
5. Averett
2-2
21-5
6. Shenandoah 1-3
6-4
7. Greensboro
1-5
11-10
Upcoming games:
3/17-18: CNU at Greensboro
softball
(3-1, 15-3)
March 9 Finals:
CNU 3, Allegheny 0
York 5, CNU 4
March 10 Finals:
CNU 6, Salisbury 3
CNU 4, King’s 3
Rankings:
1. Greensboro
4-0
2. N.C. Wesleyan 2-0
3. CNU
3-1
4. Methodist
1-1
5. Averett
0-0
6. Peace
0-2
7. Ferrum
0-2
8. Shenandoah 0-4
Upcoming games:
3/18: CNU at Bridgewater
3/20: CNU at Lynchburg
Todd Bertuzzi’s 2004 sucker
pu nch t hat broke Steve
Moore’s neck only landed Bertuzzi a 13-game suspension
from the league.
No doubt that punch was
one of t he most vicious
instances in all of sports; the
sight of Moore’s body sliding
down the ice, unconscious
and completely helpless, is
something that remains in
your mind forever.
Bertuzzi couldn’t have been
more sickened about what he
did, and he couldn’t have been
more sincere in his apology.
I do believe he was
truly sorry for what
happened. That one moment
doesn’t define Bertuzzi as a
man and shouldn’t define him
as a hockey player.
However, none of this takes
away from what he did.
The same goes for Chris
Simon.
Si mon h a s a lways b e en
known as a tough guy. He
plays a role on his team where
he is an enforcer: a player who
polices the game and makes
su re hi s tea m mates don’t
receive cheap shots.
This is the way hockey is
played.
There are finesse guys, and
there are the enforcers who
protect them.
Wayne Gretzkey, on several
occasions, has attributed his
success and his durability to
the enforcers whom he played
with. And that’s fine.
However, Simon diverted
f r om t he t r ad it ion a l a nd
acceptable enforcer role in
two ways.
First, he was the one who
was hit by New York Rangers
Center Ryan Hollweg. He was
not coming to the aid of one of
his teammates.
Si mon r e c eive d a go o d ,
hard, clean check against the
glass that dropped him to the
ice and left him visibly dazed.
Second, he took a cheap shot
at Hollweg. Plain and simple.
Policing the game is fine,
but in hockey there are unspoken rules on how to go about
enforcing.
If you have a problem with
someone, you take it up with
t hem f ac e t o f ac e, eit her
with a retaliatory check that
is legal, or with a good old
fashioned fight on the ice.
Simon did neither of these.
Instead he got up, looked
around for a second, made
up his mind, and deliberately
slammed his stick into Hollweg’s face.
Some have said that Simon
was ai mi ng for Hol lweg ’s
chest and for whatever reason
his stick rose up.
Doesn’t make a difference.
Simon came out and said
the day after that he watched
the tape and noticed how “out
of it” he was. He didn’t use it
as an excuse, but he made it
sound like we should understand why he did it.
Doesn’t make a difference.
It doesn’t even make a difference if his track record was
perfect on and off the ice.
The bottom line is that he
took a cheap shot that could
have killed Hollweg if he had
landed it in the correct place.
There is no place for that in
hockey, in sports, or in life,
and Simon will learn soon
enough.
He will sit out for a minimum of 25 games, meaning
he will miss the remainder
of the regular season and the
entirety of the playoffs, and
even the beginning of the
2007-2008 season depending
on how the Islanders fare in
the postseason.
Then, there is the off chance
t h at N H L C o m m i s si o n e r
Gary Bettman will extend his
suspension, as he did Marty
McShorely’s in 2000.
John Riggins, of Redskins’
fame and current radio host,
believes Si mon shou ld be
banned for life from the NHL.
Even i n a societ y t h at
believes in second and third
chances, keep in mind this is
Simon’s sixth suspension, so
he’s obviously received more
than enough chances to play
the game the right way.
Maybe a lifetime ban is too
much, but Bettman should
seriously consider suspending Simon for the entirety of
the 2007-2008 season as well.
He needs to send a message to
the NHL and to the world of
sports that losing your cool is
not an excuse for any kind of
cheap shots.
It’s unfortunate that this is
the kind of thing that brings
attention to Hockey.
The sport has fallen from
prominence in recent years,
and there are plenty of positives in the sport.
W hat Simon did impacts
more than just the NHL, it
impacts the face of sports and
that is why this is a story, and
it is why he should receive an
even harsher punishment. ■
20-2
9-1
15-3
11-5
4-8
13-5
5-7
1-7
women’s tennis
(0-0, 9-0)
Spring Break Trip Finals:
CNU 9, W VA Wesleyan 0
CNU 9, Muskingum 0
CNU 9, Lynchburg 0
CNU 7, Tri-State 2
Rankings:
1. Shenandoah
2. Peace
3. CNU
4. Greensboro
5. Methodist
6. Ferrum
7. Averett
8. N.C. Wesleyan
1-0
1-0
0-0
0-0
0-0
0-0
0-0
0-2
4-0
2-4
9-0
2-0
7-2
1-1
0-0
1-3
Upcoming matches:
3/14: CNU at Goucher
3/17: CNU at Ferrum
3/18: CNU at Roanoke
men’s tennis
(0-0, 3-0)
March 2 Finals:
CNU 8, Piedmont 1
March 11 Finals:
CNU 9, Chowan 0
Rankings:
1. N.C. Wesleyan
2. CNU
3. Averett
4. Methodist
5. Ferrum
6. Greensboro
7. Shenandoah
1-0
0-0
0-0
0-0
0-0
0-0
0-1
2-1
3-0
1-3
1-3
1-6
0-4
1-5
Upcoming matches:
3/17: CNU vs. Dickinson
3/18: CNU at Johns Hopkins
women’s lacrosse
(3-0, 4-2)
March 4 Finals:
CNU 16, Sweet Briar 2
March 7 Finals:
No. 12 Mary Washington 16, CNU 8
March 11 Finals:
CNU 22, Shenandoah 4
Rankings:
1. CNU
2. Greensboro
3. Methodist
4. Averett
5. Shenandoah
6. N.C. Wesleyan
7. Ferrum
3-0
2-0
2-1
0-1
0-1
0-2
0-3
4-2
3-1
2-4
1-2
1-2
0-5
0-3
Upcoming games:
3/15: CNU vs. Randolph-Macon
3/17: CNU at Averett
3/18: CNU vs. Guilford
men’s lacrosse
(3-0, 4-2)
March 3 Finals:
CNU 15, Hood 3
March 10 Finals:
CNU 9, Fontbonne 8 (OT)
Upcoming games:
3/14: CNU vs. Medaille
3/17: CNU at Eastern
JESSE HUTCHESON /THE CAPTAIN’S LOG
Senior Greg Bolton jumps over a hurdle at a Track and Field meet earlier this season. Bolton took sixth place at the finals in the 55 meter hurdles.
Clark, Bolton make finals
SPORTS BRIEFS | Indoor track finishes season;
Women’s basketball eliminated in second
round of the NCAA tournament.
BY JASON COMO
JASON.COMO.0 4 @ CN U.EDU
Track & Field
Christopher Newport competed in the Virginia Tech
Last Chance Meet on Sunday,
Feb. 25.
The event was highlighted
by the men’s 4x400 meter relay
team who won their event
with a time of 3:19:01.
The Captains then sent several members to the NCAA
National Championships in
Terre Haute, Indiana, over
the weekend.
Sophomore Rachael Clark
was crowned National Champion in the shot put with a
throw of 14.23 meters.
Senior Greg Bolton qualified for the finals in the 55meter hurdles and finished
sixth with a time of 7.58 seconds.
Women’s Basketball
In the opening round of the
NCAA Tournament, Christo-
pher Newport defeated Dickinson 52-49.
S en ior C a nd ac e B r ya nt
was the only player in double
figures. She finished with 10
points.
The next night against 8th
ranked Mary Washing ton,
Christopher Newport lost 7761.
The Eagles came out on fire
and the Lady Captains could
not slow them down.
Senior Shantel Burwell led
the team with 13 points and
senior Nikki Rowland and
junior Alicia Bessey each finished with 10 points.
The Lady Captains finish
the season with a 21-9 record.
Baseball
Christopher Newport
kicked off spring break with
a pair of 9 -5 victories over
Shenandoah March 3 and 4.
In game two the Captains
overcame a four run deficit to
pick up the win.
The next day Christopher
Newport defeated HampdenSydney for the third time this
year, this one was on the road
by a score of 14-5.
The Captains scored early
and often, including a five-run
fifth inning.
After a day off, Christopher
Newport continued their winning ways with an 8-3 victory
at rival Virginia Wesleyan.
The Captains traveled to
Georgia over the weekend for
games against Piedmont and
19th ranked Emory.
On Friday, they survived a
ninth inning rally for an 8-7
win over Piedmont.
T h e C a p t a i n s c o u l d n’ t
sweep their road trip as they
lost to Emory 1-0 on Saturday.
T he ga me was scoreless
until Emory scored a single
r u n i n t he eight h i n ni ng,
which turned out to be the
winning one.
Christopher Newport
bou nc e d back on Su nd ay,
swe epi n g a home double he ader a g a i n st C a st let on
State (Vermont). The Captains were dominant in the
first game, winning 7-1.
A f ter su r renderi ng f ive
runs in the top of the first
inning, the Captains didn’t
allow another the rest of the
game and used a seven-run
fourth inning to win 7-5.
Now 1 9 g a me s i nt o t he
season Christopher Newport
is 15 - 4 and 3 -1 in the USA
South.
Their next game is Saturday at Greensboro.
Softball
Christopher Newport split
a home doubleheader against
17th ranked Methodist on Feb.
27.
The Lady Captains won the
opener 4-3 behind junior Margarit Severin and sophomore
Mia Johnson who each had 2
RBIs.
T he Mona rchs won t he
second game 8-2.
The loss was the Lady Captains’ first of the year.
Christopher Newport then
participated in the Atlantic
vs. East Challenge held in
Virginia Beach last weekend
and won all four games.
T hey d e fe at e d O ne ont a
2 -1, M a r y Washi ng ton 4 -2
on Friday, Arcadia 8- 0 and
Emory & Henry 3-1.
T he Lady Captains then
returned home on Sunday the
fourth and swept a doubleheader against Polytechnic
University by scores of 6 -5
and 11-1.
The Lady Captains played
another home doubleheader
on Wednesday, but this time
they split against Virginia
Wesleyan.
Game one went to Christopher Newport by a score of 96, but they lost game two 11-10
in eight innings.
T h i s we ekend t he L ady
Captains played in another
tou r n a ment , t h i s t i me i n
Salisbury, Maryland.
They defeated Allegheny
3-0 in their first game but lost
to York (PA) in their second
game on Friday. Saturday
they defeated Salisbury 6 -3
and King’s 4-3.
C h r i s t o p h e r N e w p o r t ’s
record now stands at 15-3 (3-1
USA South).
Next, they travel to take on
Bridgewater on Sunday.
Men’s Lacrosse
Christopher Newport
SEE SPORTS BRIEFS, PAGE B4
PAGE B4 | THE CAPTAIN’S LOG
W E D N E S D A Y, M A R C H 1 4 , 2 0 0 7
SPORTS BRIEFS, FROM PAGE B3
FYI: My brother is an idiot
COLLEGE HOOPS | Columnists Ben and Daniel
Settle argue about conferences , who has the
bigger crush on Durant and March Madness.
BY BEN AND DANIEL SETTLE
B T S E T T L E @ G M A I L . C O M
DA N I ELSET T L E.0 4 @ CN U.ED
B en Jr.’s NCA A Tou r nament obser vat ions :
Since space is at a premium,
I won’t waste too much time
praising the NCAA tournament as one of the four things
that makes college basketball
watchable (the other three:
Kevin Durant, Greg Oden,
and Acie Law IV). Instead,
I’ll just say that, while I’m
college basketball’s biggest
critic, nothing beats the first
two days of the tournament.
Nothing. They’re the two
best d ays of sp or t s ever y
year and it only takes one
buzzer-beater to make
eit her d ay l a st forever
i n c ol le ge ho op s h i st or y.
OK, enough of that.
Here’s what I think to get
things started:
The ACC is vastly, embarrassingly over rated. T hat
includes UNC. You’ll undoubtedly disagree with me, which
is fine, because you’re wrong.
A l l fou r of t he 1 2 - seeds
will beat all four of the 5 seeds. This probably won’t
happ en, but I do li ke t he
match-ups.
The Big 12 is the best conferenc e i n t he cou nt r y. I
think the eventua l champ
comes from the Big 12, and I
have three of my Final Four
from the Big 12.
T he Bi g T en s c a r e s me
– mostly Ohio State and Wisconsin, but every year I have
a hunch that Michigan State
will make a run too.
Best player in the
country? Um, that’d be Kevin
Durant. He’d probably be one
of the top 25 players in the
NBA right now, too. He’s on
the VERY short list of players
who can carry their team for
an entire half. Who else is on
that list? Acie Law IV.
Games I hope we
get to see? Texas G eorgetown. Ohio St.
- T ex a s A & M . F lor id a Kansas. Texas - Texas A&M
(rematch!).
Daniel’s response to Ben:
Obviously, you value the
NBA skill set of a player more
t ha n t he enti ret y of each
team. The old adage is that a
team needs two potential pros
to win a national championship, which is worth noting.
But overall team excellence
wins games in college. Here is
my response and some original thoughts to get you riled
up:
T h e AC C g o t t h e r i g ht
number of teams in, but they
a l l seem seeded too high.
UNC is soft like Hansbrough’s
nose, so they won’t go too far.
And Boston College is vastly
underrated as a 7. Watch out
for them.
You’re an idiot. Long Beach
St. is a joke. Br uce Pea rl
might as well paint his chest
orange to coach that game.
Three Final Four teams?
See statement above. (But I
have two: Kansas and Texas)
T h e Bi g T e n i s mo s t ly
trash. Wisconsin is overrated,
Illinois and Purdue are undeserving, and unless Neitzel
catches fire, Michigan State is
harmless.
I too have a big crush on
Kevin Durant.
While a UT-A&M rematch
would be beautiful, it would
pale in comparison to TexasOhio State in the Final Four.
Oden vs. Durant would be
like Magic vs. Bird in the 1979
final. Winthrop wins two, as
does Boston College and an
underrated Duke
Ben’s retort to Daniel:
Boston College is a team
worth watching, you and I
ag ree on that. Their best
game beats nearly any team
in the country. I see them
playing Georgetown V ERY
close in the second round, but
Georgetown still wins.
Long Beach St. starts five
seniors, with two coming off
t he bench ! Seven seniors
get all their minutes! That’s
insane! Seven! They’re this
year’s George Mason! They
could win the entire thing!
Wisconsin isn’t overrated,
they’re just like the rest of the
Big 10 teams: slow, deliberate,
difficult to run on, and nearly
impossible to blow out. That’s
why the Big 10 scares me, the
potential to see a Wisconsin – Ohio St. final with the
final score something stupid
like 45-42 in overtime. Plus,
Neitzel WILL catch fire for
Michigan St., count on that.
Oden vs. Durant sure would
be fun, but Oden doesn’t take
over games- not on offense at
least. I’d rather see Law vs.
Durant “The Rematch” and
watch them trade three-pointers for 40 minutes and see who
cracks first.
And no, Winthrop, Boston
College, and a pathetically
over rated Du ke a nd t hei r
spastic point guard win one
g a me c ombi ne d ( B C over
Texas Tech).
Daniel’s final arguments:
B o s t o n C ol le g e ’s Ja r e d
Dudley and Tyrese Rice are
this year’s version of Xavier’s
David West and Lionel Chalmers (circa 2004) that lost to
Duke by three in the Elite
Eight.
You only like Long Beach
State because they actually
have players older than you.
You’ll never play pro ball. Get
over it. There is no George
Mason this year. Want to
know why a decade passes
between 11-seeds making the
Final Four? They have to get
VERY lucky.
Let’s add Neitzel to that
D u r a nt / L aw l i st of g a me
changers. A nd remember
this name for the list: Keith
Simmons. He will lead Holy
Cross over Southern Illinois.
Winthrop is 28-4. Their only
losses were on the home floors
of UNC, Maryland, Wisconsin,
and Texas A&M. Plus they
lost in the first round last year
at the buzzer as a 15-seed.
They are primed to get to
next week. It’s funny how
Du ke ha s no resp ec t t hi s
year. A couple months ago,
which perennial NFL power
went into the playoffs with
no respect? Oh, that’s right,
eventual Super Bowl champs
Indianapolis. ■
DANIEL’S PICKS...
Upsets: Duke over Pitt, Holy
Cross over Southern Illinois,
ODU over Butler, Arkansas
over USC, Boston College over
Georgetown, Winthrop over
Notre Dame and Oregon
Final Four Florida, Kansas,
Texas, Ohio State
Championship Ohio State over
Kansas
BEN’S PICKS...
Upsets VCU over Duke,
Gonzaga over Indiana and
UCLA, Arkansas over USC, Long
Beach State over Tennessee
Final Four Florida, Kansas,
Texas, Texas A&M
Championship Game Texas
over Kansas
defeated Hood at home on
Satu rday, March 3rd, 15 - 3
for their second win of the
season.
We d n e s d ay ’s g a m e a t
Catholic was postponed due
to inclement weather, but the
Captains continued their winning streak at home on Saturday, defeating Fontbonne 9-8
in overtime.
With the wins, the Captains
are now 3-0. They return to
action today when they host
Medaille at 3:30 p.m.
Women’s Lacrosse
On Wed nesd ay, Feb. 2 8 ,
Christopher Newport embarrassed North Carolina Wesleyan 20-1.
In another lopsided victory,
the Lady Captains defeated
Sweet Briar 16-2 on Sunday,
March 4th.
Wednesday in St. Croix in
the Virgin Islands, Christopher Newport lost to 12th
ranked Mary Washington 168.
On t he road on Su nday,
the Lady Captains bounced
back with a 22-4 win against
Shenandoah.
Ch ri stopher New por t i s
now 4-2 overall and 3-0 in the
USA South.
T hey ret u r n to action
T hu rsday when t hey host
Randolph-Macon at 4 p.m.
Women’s Tennis
Ch ri stopher New por t i s
undefeated at 9-0 after several
dominant wins.
At home, they defeated St.
Mary’s on Wednesday, Feb.
28, 8-1 and defeated Piedmont
on Friday, March 2, 9-0.
On the road, they traveled
to Hilton Head, South Carolina, and defeated West Virginia Wesleyan, Muskingum,
and Lynchburg by scores of
9-0, and Tri-State by a score of
7-2.
They play again on the road
today against Goucher.
Men’s Tennis
In their first match-up of the
spring season, Christopher
Newport swept St. Mary’s 9-0
at home.
T hei r next t wo contests
went the same way, with the
Captains defeating Piedmont
8-1 on Friday, March 2, and
s we e pi n g C howa n 9 - 0 on
Sunday, March 11.
They next take on Dickinson at home on Saturday at 3
p.m. ■
What everyone at CNU should KNOW!
Our Quality Enhancement Plan is…
Enhancing
Critical Thinking
Through First-Year
Seminars
Why is Critical Thinking so important?
Research indicates that critical thinking - the set of skills enabling
you to analyze, evaluate, and make arguments - is the most
important component of a liberal arts education. Businesses also
cite this skill set as essential for employees in decision-making
roles.
To set the tone for the liberal learning curriculum, critical thinking
will be emphasized in the First-Year Seminars, a three credit
course required for all entering freshmen.
What are First-Year Seminars?
o Every first-year student will take one of over 50 theme-based
courses.
o Courses emphasize critical thinking and other foundational
disciplines of liberal learning.
o First-Year Seminars encourage student participation in the
broader CNU culture.
What is a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP)?
o It is a long-range plan developed by wide campus involvement.
o It enhances overall institutional quality and effectiveness by
focusing on issues CNU considers important to improving
student learning.
o It is a valued part of the philosophy of accreditation by the
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).
Enhancing Critical Thinking Through
First-Year Seminars
is
CNU’s QEP
http://associateprovost.cnu.edu/qep