Change Needed in Softball Program

By Ryan Killian

At a school where seven straight conference titles gets the women's swimming head coach dismissed, it's a wonder Connie Clark is still coaching the softball team.

Clark has won three regular-season conference titles in her 11 years here, but her squad is 3-7 in the Big 12. They've won only two games in their last nine, and one of them was a 2-0 victory over Texas State.

Wednesday night they lost in shut-out fashion to the Bobcats.

Her biggest career triumph was the recruiting of eventual three-time Player of the Year Cat Osterman. But even with Osterman, who threw an NCAA-record 19 no-hitters, in the circle, the Longhorns never even played for the national title.

The three regular-season titles were won in 2002, 2003 and 2006. In 2005, the Longhorns won the conference tournament title.

But what about 2004, when Osterman was pitching for Team USA? That year the team was 5-13 in conference and less than .500 over the course of the season.

Clark didn't win championships; Osterman won championships. And the Big 12 isn't exactly a tough conference. It's competitive, sure, but only one conference team has won the national title since 1988. That was Oklahoma in 2000.

Clark has shown she can win with talent, but she can lose with talent too. That's what she's done this year.

Starting pitcher Meagan Denny was named the Texas Girls Coaches Association 2004 Athlete of the Year. In addition to being quite a mouthful, that's a major honor as players from every women's sport in the state are eligible. She won multiple Player of the Year awards while leading Crowley High School to consecutive state championships, but this year she's been credited with 11 of Texas' 14 losses.

Desiree Williams has been injured for much of this year, and she's only played eight games, but Arizona's Gatorade Softball Player of the Year has never lived up to her potential. Her raw talent peeked through last year when she hit 12 homers and batted .333, but that wasn't enough to put Texas over the top, even with Osterman.

In the 2006 College World Series, Texas won their first game before the offense sputtered, and they lost the next two without scoring a run.

Talent isn't the problem at Texas. Recruiting isn't bad either, as the uprooting of Williams from the softball-loving state of Arizona shows.

The pairing of Osterman and Williams was supposed to produce a national title, but all it's netted was a deep World Series run in 2005 and an appearance in 2006.

While Texas came home early last year, Arizona went home with the title, their seventh since 1991. Clark's been given talent to win with, and she hasn't produced.

It's time to give that talent the winning coach they need.

Samsung 500

Stone Cold Steve Austin just gave the order: "Gentlemen start your engines."
I'd imagine they will, cuz Stone Cold said so.
All this means we're on our way to a green flag at Texas Motor Speedway for the Samsung 500.

Troy Aikman was in here earlier to help present the special helmet that Tony Raines will wear in today's race. It's decorated in a special military theme and was already sold at auction for over seven grand.
NFL Hall of Famer Roger Staubach also participated in the ceremony. The pair of former stars own Raines' team, and they got David Arrigo to design the "Military Tribute" helmet.

I almost ran smack dab into some guy named Dale Earnhardt Jr. a few minutes ago. He got out of my way though.

2:12 ** I'm up in the press box again, but this time I brought my laptop with me.

We're in the 49th lap. During the first lap, a wreck knocked J.J. Yeley and David Ragan outof the race. Ricky Rudd and Casey Mears were also involved. The wreck started as Ragan and Yeley came out of turn 4. Ragan moved up the track and right into Yeley.
Ragan later apologized and took responsibility for the wreck which had Yeley steaming.
"The No. 6 car wrecked me," he said. "He wrecked himself too, I guess, but just stupidity. We hadn't even completed a lap ... Going for the checkered is one thing, but coming down to complete the first lap. It is totally uncalled for, rookie or not a rookie."

Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson have been running strong, and both are currently in the pits in lap 98. Earnhardt Jr. is leading.


2:32 ** We're back under caution, debris in turn 2, they say. That's got some incredulous murmurings among the media here. They're saying that Gordon' lead had gotten too big, so they brought out the caution to even things up a little. It doesn't seem like any of the drivers are complaining over the radio though. According to the Fox broadcast, Gordon's only remark was on how good his car is.
He's never won here. There's never been a repeat winner here.
It's still early, but it could be his turn.
If he wins (or Jimmie Johnson) it will be the fifth straight victory for Hendrick Motorsports.

The top four cars are Chevy's right now. Fifth is a Kurt Busch's Dodge. Sixth, Matt Kenseth's Chevy.

2:42 ** Dale Earnhardt passes Johnson to take second, and the crowd goes wild. We're in lap 131, and there' a lot of seperation between Earnhardt Jr. and Gordon as well as between Johnson and Earnhardt Jr.
Johnson's looking vulnerable from this vantage point.

2:54 ** I just noticed that Ragan is back out on the track, but the real story is the fight for first place (funny how that works.)
Earnhardt Jr. just passed Gordon. As he reeled him in, his fans seemed to multiply and you could tell they tasted the lead.
He has it now. We'll see what he can do with it.

3:48 ** Some of NASCAR's biggest stars just tangled, and it looks like Johnson was the biggest victim. After Tony Stewart and Juan Pablo Montoya made contact, Stewart was sent sideways through turn 4. Behind him, Johnson wasn't able to get out of the way.
Johnson is now in the garage, but Stewart and Montoya are still out there.
Earnhardt won the race out of the pits to retain the lead, earning him a loud cheer from his sizable contingent of fans.

3:55 ** Kurt Busch just passed Earnhardt Jr. at the start/finish line to take over first place, and we have a crash...
Lap 253 and were under caution. After Stewart spun, Kyle Busch hit Earnhardt Jr. hard from behind. Kyle is now in the garage and Earnhardt's good day looks pretty shot. He's working on the problem, but we'll have to see if he can get it togehter.
Kurt still has the lead. Mark Martin is in second, and it looks like Gordon — currently in fourth — is Hendrick's last hope of making it fine in a row.

4:25 ** We see again how quickly things change in NASCAR. Kurt Busch went from first to a lap down to last on the lead lap after brushing the wall in turn 4.
While brushing the wall didn't seem to hurt, Kurt went into the pits right afterward to change tires. Just as he got in, the yellow came out, and unlucky break that cost him a lap. Fortunately, he got the lucky dog pass as the leading car a lap down, so he picked up the lap. Now he's in 14th place with 39 laps to go.
Earnhardt Jr and Johnson are both back in the garage.

4:47 ** Kenseth is in first and in a dogfight with Jeff Burton. 3 laps left this time by, this should be close.

4:53 ** The race is over and Burton is our winner. Time to go to work.

Busch Series Race Underway

The O'Reilly 300 is in progress and after watching the first 2o-or-so laps from pit road, I've moved back into the media center. It's more warm and there's a lot more information at my fingertips.
Through 48 laps, three drivers are out or off the track (Kevin Lepage, Timothy Peters and Brad Keselowski). Kyle Busch is leading. Busch has led every Busch race this year that he's run in, but he has yet to win one.

** On lap 49, Denny Hamlin just passed Busch for the lead.
**On lap 50 he relinquished it for gas and tires, but at least he got some bonus points for leading a lap, I suppose.
** Matt Kenseth just lost control, possibly a broken track bar. Race is under caution in the 54th lap. We'll see if Kenseth can get back in the race.

Keselowski's day is over after a broken motor within the first five laps of the race. Keselowski, the driver of the No. 23 Oklahoma Centennial Chevrolet is a rookie on the Busch circuit and 3th in points. He has yet to post a Top 10 finish, and that streak will continue.
"It's pretty disappointing because I thought we were going to have something strong to race with," he said. "We'll have to go get 'em at Phoenix."
In Lap 70, we're back under caution after a wreck that gathered up several competitors. Steve Wallace, Jon Wood, Shane Huffman and Reed Sorenson were all involved and are off the track.

Final Update**

Kenseth recovered from his early misfortune in the biggest of ways by winning the O'Reilly 300 by 0.128 seconds over Denny Hamlin. The margin is closer than any previous Busch races at Texas Motor Speedway.
I disappeared from my updates because I decided to watch the race from the press box instead of the media center. It was a nice vantage point, and I think I'll take my laptop there for the whole thing tomorrow.

NASCAR Qualifying Washed Out

Fort Worth — The wind is howling. The thunder is rolling, and we're being told to stay away from the windows.
Outside the race cars you've seen hurtling around countless tracks across America are being loaded into their trailers for safety. Thousands of people who'd hoped to watch a day of practice and qualifying for Sunday's Cup race are being ushered away from the grandstand.
I'm at Texas Motor Speedway, hunkered down in the media center nestled inside the 1 1/2-mile track. Tornadoes and hailstorms are in the forecast.
A pair of flat-panel TVs to my left spread doom and despair. We can expect 60 MPH wind gusts, says the nice lady from her safe studio.
Despite the impending trouble, people in this flimsy structure seem ever more jovial. Maybe its our collective way of coping with worry, but I don't buy that. I think we all feel pretty safe, and we'll feel a little disappointed if this storm's not a real humdinger.

Edit: So the weather lady is back after a brief loss of signal. She has more good news. We can expect "tennis ball sized" hail and "life-threatening weather."
You know, the weather doesn't suck for us or the fans near as much as it does for drivers like Jeremy Mayfield.
Because of the cancellation of qualifying, Mayfield won't be competing in this year's Samsung 500. The field has been set according to owner points, the 2006 winner, a past champion exemption (but not in a true sense of the phrase) and number of qualifying attempts made this year + owner points.
All that adds up to leave Mayfield on the sidelines.
"Obviously, it stinks," he said. "Especially with the year we've had. ... We have a great car here, and it really stinks that we don't get to show it."
Mayfield says that despite the team's struggles, they've gotten better each time out. Here, at what he called his "favorite race track of all" he may have finally been competitive.
Now we'll never know, and he has no reason left to enjoy the track and the Dallas/Fort Worth area.
"The people are great," he said. There's a great Cabela's and Bass Pro Shops near the track. I Like Texas a lot. Unfortunately, I don't get to stay."

Justice served but injustice can't be undone

By Ryan Killian

We presumed 'em guilty as we read horrifying accounts of what they'd allegedly done.

We shook our heads at the indecency of college athletes.

We called them rapists.

Wednesday, the three Duke lacrosse players accused of raping an exotic dancer had all charges against them dropped.

"Based on the significant inconsistencies between the evidence and the various accounts given by the accusing witness, we believe these three individuals are innocent," North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper said.

More than a year after they were thrust into the harshest of spotlights, David Evans, Reade Seligmann and Collin Finnerty can live in peace. Or can they?

When the media caught wind of this story and its intriguing elements - white attackers and a black victim, athletes ganging a 27-year-old mother, well-to-do Duke students forcing themselves on a working North Carolina Central University student - they pounced.

Headlines screamed. Talking heads opined. And millions of Americans passed judgement.

The media bears some responsibility for this unfortunate injustice, but will it do its part to reverse it? Doubtful.

While the rape story was featured prominently on espn.com when it broke, the story on the charges' dismissal languishes off to the side - right under "NFL Releases 07 Schedule."

The images of Evans, Seligmann and Finnerty have already been forever tarnished. They will always be associated with rape and even kidnapping. Making sure America hears of their innocence is only right.

If they're guilty of anything, it's exercising bad judgement - the same bad judgment that's being employed all the time on West Campus with no consequences. Attending a party where strippers have been hired as entertainment may not be conduct becoming of a college athlete (or any aspiring professional), but it certainly isn't tantamount to abuse, much less rape.

Wednesday's decision didn't result in a celebration or even true joy for the accused; it merely gave them their cue for a long-awaited sigh of relief. Relief with an asterisk.

Dismissal of these charges does not grant the accused peace of mind. Nor does it grant them a restored image or escape from the stigma of rape. It is merely an acknowledgement that those once presumed guilty have been deemed innocent. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Former Durham District Attorney Mike Nifong, who has since been charged with ethics violations that may result in his disbarment, and an overzealous media built this case up to the epic and tragic proportions that it has suddenly fallen from.

Now, Evans, Seligmann and Finnerty will pay the price.

"These cases are over and no more criminal proceedings will occur," Cooper said.

But whispers of "rapist" will continue forever.

Goestenkors Could be the Answer

By Ryan Killian

4/5/07

All hail Gail.

Sure, the new women's basketball coach, Gail Goestenkors, hasn't done anything for Texas yet, but she turned Duke from bottom feeders to a regular in the Final Four.

There's no reason why she can't do the same for Texas.

And she knows it.

As a 29-year-old candidate for the job at Duke, she had no head-coaching experience. What she did have was a plan. She carried a list of 20 high school players she wanted to recruit over the next three years and said she could get the Blue Devils into the Final Four in five years. The university had to do its part - give the team its 15 allowable scholarships, add full-time coaching staff positions and get the players out of vans and charter busses and into airplanes for road trips, for starters - but when it did, Goestenkors landed them in the Final Four.

It took her seven years, but who's counting?

Texas already boasts some of the best facilities and recruiting programs in the nation, so despite two straight seasons without an invite to the NCAA tournament, Coach G won't have to take the Longhorns from rags to riches as she did with Duke. This will be more of a progression from upper-middle class.

And now she has experience to boot. Not only has she led the Blue Devils to four Final Fours, and within 90 seconds of another, she's also coached - and lost - in two title games. And she coached the 2005 USA-Under 19 team to a gold medal in the world championships.

Replacing Jody Conradt and her 900 wins won't be easy, but Goestenkors already has one more Final Four than Conradt in 23 less years of coaching. She's even made inroads into the Texas high school scene, recruiting All-American Lindsey Harding from Cy-Fair High School in Houston. Harding was selected No. 1 overall in Wednesday's WNBA draft.

Despite that experience and the accolades that have come with it - she was named USA Basketball Coach of the Year in 2006 and Coach of the Year in the Atlantic Coast Conference in six of her 14 seasons there - it's the lack of a national title that weighs on her mind. In 2003, she told USA Today that she couldn't get through a stroll on the treadmill without envisioning herself in a close title game with the seconds winding down and trying to determine the team's final shot.

Now, instead of Duke blue, it'll be a burnt-orange clad player making that shot in her dreams. And with the bevy of talent already on the roster and waiting to be recruited, that moment could come soon.

Maybe in five years, but seven would be just fine.