Since it is the last days of October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I felt this would be a good time to get in a rant before it would be outdated.

As many of my readers know, I am a bartender at my hometown’s local firehouse. Talks of the day among the bar-goers can vary from what the wives are making for dinner, how much they paid for their last tank of gas or Obama’s latest policies.

I was talking to a fellow sports fan this past week (not an Eagles fan) and he said, “Well, you should be happy because your team is playing the Raiders this week.” I automatically lashed right back at him and made a cliche remark about the movie “Any Given Sunday.” If any of you haven’t seen the movie, the title is pretty self-explanatory in the world of sports; anything can happen to any team on any given day.

Case and point: The New England Patriots on the road to perfection finishing 16-0 in the 2008 regular season and losing in the Super Bowl, the game that matters, to the underdog New York Giants.

As I was watching the game, I kept in mind to stay logged into my Facebook account, constantly hitting the “refresh” button to read the updated statuses. It’s easy for me to tell those fans that took this week lightly or those that don’t truly know the game and know that records, very bluntly, mean crap.

Yes, don’t get me wrong, I look at records and statistics, but they don’t predict how a quarterback, a wide receiver or a kicker (not mentioning any names), are going to perform in their next outing. And again, not to point any fingers, but if David Akers, the Eagles place kicker, would have been five for five, the game would have ended 15 – 13, not 13 – 9 in the Oakland Raiders favor.

But, hey, McNabb could have thrown for a touchdown or Westbrook could have ran for a touchdown instead of Akers being in the position to “win” the game.

I feel that many teams, but the Eagles in particular, go into a game, look at their record and take the contest lightly. When this type of thing happens to well-disciplined teams, they adjust their playing style to their type of game and don’t play into the hands of their contenders. The Eagles can never rebound. They had four quarters to rebound, but instead they played into the hands of the Raiders and I felt like they were paying more attention to those dressed in Halloween costumes in the stands.

The Eagles, prior to this game, were second in the league in points scored per game with 31.8. We finished this game with nine points against the team whose average total points per game is 9.8? Wow. There is absolutely no reason for this outcome, and I would have loved to heard what head coach Andy Reid had to say, or scream, to the team in the locker room.

The Eagles were an entirely different team from McNabb’s healthy return. McNabb is the quarterback, the leader or captain of the field during every offensive play. If I were Reid, I would have snatched McNabb out of the position. He had 60 minutes to redeem himself and Kevin Kolb would have been a fresh set of legs to run from the Raider’s deadly weapon of the game, Richard Seymour.

It is sad that I had more fun watching the New York Giants and New Orleans Saints’ highlights; at least the National Football Conference East has one good team in it. I am even scared looking at the Eagles upcoming schedule; we have two games each left with the teams in our division, and now after this game, we can never rule out the possibility of the Washington Redskins getting two “W’s” in their win column against us.

So, for all you sports fans, why don’t you sit down and watch “Any Given Sunday.” It can really teach you a thing or two about what can happen to the best OR worst teams. And, for all you negative, post-game “tweeters,” stop grinding my gears. Re-think your posts because it’s more embarrassing when you don’t know sports than being an Eagles fan after this week’s game.

Even though I go to college in a Philadelphia suburb, it doesn’t mean that all of my gripes need to be about the “hometown” teams. This week’s gripe is much different and it’s about a “respected” player that has been around the National Football League for 18 years.

Harry Kalas has been out of the sports world and the Phillies sports world, for roughly five and a half months now. I never had the opportunity to have a conversation with him, but I was privileged enough to meet him at “Cabrini Night at the Phillies” my junior year of college.

When I received my press pass, entered the elevator and made my way up to the presidential suite to write an article for the Loquitur, the elevator stopped and in walked Harry Kalas himself and I, still being the shy reporter, did not initiate a “hello,” but I was luckily introduced by my escort.

Never will I forget his handshake and the way his voice came to life as he said, “Nice to meet you, Kasey.”

I know this may not seem like a very momentous event to many, but growing up, watching the Phils and hearing only his voice, it was major to a small-town girl.

So, it may not come as a surprise that I was taken aback like most when his death hit the sports world hard.

As the next few games passed, I knew I had to get used to watching the games on Comcast SportsNet, while listening to “Wheels,” “Sarge” and “T-Mac.” As home runs were being hit out of the park, these commentators could never get the catchphrase, “That ball is outta here,” quite correct, but I knew I had to deal.

Change is hard to overcome, but as the Phils’ record was inching higher in the wins column, I couldn’t help to call these three guys, “my” new sportscasters.

Tom “T-Mac” McCarthy, the head honcho of the booth, was with the Phils as their radio play-by-play voice, their pre-game and post-game radio host.

He was then brought on to be a play-by-play announcer for their television broadcasts. I am not going to lie, I do enjoy the banter he has back and forth with his co-announcers and he does know his baseball sports history (Even though he probably has much of the information on statistic sheets in front of him).

I give him much credit to get in that seat where Kalas sat and pick up the season where he left off. Though one thing killed me, and I know it wasn’t just me it rubbed the wrong way.

Last week, as the Phils were up on the Houston Astros 10-3 in the top of the ninth inning and ready to clinch the National League East championship, I couldn’t even enjoy it. Ok, so it may have been Tom McCarty’s spelling first division championship game calling, but the keyword is DIVISION.

I felt like I was watching one of two things: I was watching either a high school baseball game being called by a high school student or a World Series championship game being called as the champagne bottles were popping.

As each out was made, I heard the ringing of his headset come out of my television speakers. As the third out was called, it was as if Brad Lidge got the memo from “T-Mac” that they were being nominated for outstanding duo in an acting sequence.

It was actually a little embarrassing to watch; Charlie Manuel putting in Lidge for the last out after his record-breaking, 11 blown saves on the season.

It is amazing that they won this championship for Kalas, but there are bigger eggs to fry and that is playoffs.

Just because you brought it home last season does not mean it is in the bag this season. And judging by their last games of the season, they better get their heads to where they belong because it looks to me that they think it may be a cake walk.

In my opinion, their record should have read more wins and the Atlanta Braves SHOULDN’T have been that close on their heels.

So, before the championship shirts and hats are printed and the bottles of the “good stuff” are brought into the locker room, I think the Phils should remember that winning the National League East championship isn’t what gets them their rings.

Harry the “K” wouldn’t want them to stop here and he sure as heck doesn’t want “T-Mac” to butcher any more games. Phils, bring all of your fans what we really want because if you don’t, it will really grind OUR gears.

As I was debating on what issue irked me the most this week, my mind wandered to browsing the Internet. As I accessed my Facebook account, I saw that I had one event invitation. Because of this invitation, I chose my topic: Michael Vick’s first regular season game with the Philadelphia Eagles.

My invitation read “Philadelphia: protest against the Eagles and the NFL Sunday 9/27/2009 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 pm at Lincoln Financial Field.” Because I wanted to see what the “host” had to say on this topic, I read on.

“Please join us for a peaceful, non-sponsored protest against the Eagles and the NFL. This will be the first regular season game in which Vick will be eligible to play. Please bring posters and a tough skin. We are trying to help animals in our region get rescued, fostered and adopted and we want our voices to be heard that we are angered by the actions of the NFL and the Eagles. If you cannot join us, please boycott and write letters of protest to the Eagles and their sponsors.”

Many, many parts of this invite got me angered. No. 1: Join us for a “peaceful” protest? Are you serious? Is there ever a peaceful protest when there are two sides to every story?

There are many “fans” on national television that burned every piece of Eagles memorabilia now that Vick was brought to the team for one year. If you want my honest opinion, you probably weren’t as die-hard a fan as you say you were.

Since I am a very opinionated and passionate person about sports, I had to write my response on the famous Facebook wall.

My post was…actually I don’t remember my response because it was deleted off of the wall. I guess my comment got to the ‘host’ because I talked down very negatively about the “get together.”

Talk about freedom of speech.

This ‘event’ was just a reason to get the Facebook world stirring and to bring attention to one’s profile.

Isn’t there enough drama inside this social network? Why bring more into it with a subject that many people do not fully educate themselves on. Most of the people who hate the Eagles and Vick only listened to what they wanted to hear from the beginning.

I am not going to lie. When this took place and Vick went to trial, I couldn’t stomach the sight of his face. I thought of all of those helpless dogs and these trashy people betting on them for fun.

But, just like any other person found guilty, he served his time and I believe learned his lesson. It takes a lot of guts to get in front of the public eye, admit that you were wrong and hope that fans and all of the television viewers will believe you.

Just think about it. How many celebrities and athletes are taking part in illegal things that we DON’T know about.

Vick, if not for being caught, would most likely still be doing this and we would still be in the dark about it. I’d bet his poster would still be hanging on many children’s walls and fans would be wearing his jersey. Hey Phillies fans, Brett Myers was taken to court for allegedly beating his wife.

Fans, better yet women, you better burn your season tickets and cut up your jerseys.

For God’s sake, there is cock fighting on the streets of Hazleton that is 15 minutes from my house!

We need to look in the mirror at ourselves. We ALL have made mistakes and not just little ones. When you make a mistake, what do you do?

You apologize and hope all is forgiven and learn from your mistake. Vick made a mistake, apologized and is now hoping for our forgiveness.

If you were ever a fan of the Eagles you should understand that they are doing the right thing and giving him a second chance at doing something he is amazingly talented at.

I just can’t wait until he gets more than two passes in a game and the ‘haters’ can’t help but cheer him on. I know I have been and will while he is an Eagle.

So, for all you ‘perfect’ people out there, take a glance in the mirror, realize you have an eraser on your pencil and stop grinding my gears.

Being from a small town with no football team and enrolling in a Division III college with no football team, plain and simple, sucks.

I always envied the nearby high schools that on every Friday night would bundle up in the “letter” jackets, drive their decorated cars to football games and take part in a live sporting event that has its own unique feel.

Weatherly High School, which is in the “boonies” of the Poconos, didn’t have field hockey, lacrosse, volleyball (until my junior year), or track, so I have no interest in watching that here at Cabrini.

Believe me, I had school spirit in my day, but we were a basketball town and that is how it will always be. But to make up for the lack of football, I would say my town, better yet, my borough, turned to Penn State football.

If you were to poll the Weatherly natives, I would bet at least one member of their family attended Penn State University or one of their branch schools. Nittany Lion football is, I would say, practically a holiday to these people, and yes, it was for me too.

I could remember when they were in the Rose Bowl against the Oregon Ducks in 1995 and my father calling from the firehouse to make sure “I saw that play,” and my mother and I tensing our muscles as the time wound down from the clock naming PSU the champions.

Today,

As I was serving drinks at the local “hosie” in Weatherly this past Sunday, I was all smiles when the score read 17-7 in favor of my Philadelphia Eagles. After a shaky first quarter, things started to look up for the Eagles, as they seemed to get their helmets on straight. After young Desean Jackson ran a punt return into the Carolina end zone for 85 yards, my first “Wahoo” escaped my mouth of the season.

If things couldn’t be going more my way, nearly one minute later, Brent Celek received a nine yard touchdown pass and with an extra point completion, the score escalated to 24-7. But what happened next got me into a fit of rage, which sent me into a rant on the bar-goers.

As Celek caught the pass over the goal line, a whistle was blown and a ruling of unsportsmanlike conduct was called on Desean Jackson for excessive celebration.

The man, just minutes before, ran for 85 yards and now another seven points was added to their score, how couldn’t an athlete be ecstatic?

What was even more annoying, since I missed this particular touchdown, was that a replay was not shown. It’s as if he committed a crime, no pun intended to Michael Vick.

My goodness, fans go to sporting events to see entertainment and that is what these athletes can provide for us. It takes a lot of talent to be in their position, so I would, once in a while, like to see if they have a trick up their jersey in dancing, acting or the humor to get down on one knee and propose to a cheerleader like Chad Johnson.

Well, because of him and a few other “entertainers,” rules were put into place by the National Football League owners in 2006 due to some “out of hand” celebrations that date back to one of the most memorable acts of Joe Horn and the famous cell phone.

According to ESPN.com, at the NFL owner’s meeting in 2006, a vote of 29-3 was cast which gave officials power to penalize a team 15 yards on the ensuing kickoff for excessive celebrations anywhere on the field. “Moves”

The Philadelphia Phillies have actually won a championship since I have been alive. I don’t think it has actually hit me yet and most likely won’t hit me until the next World Series will be broadcast on national television.

With that being said, there is no better feeling for a sports fan than to go to their ballpark, sit in the stands and take it all in.

Lately, though, two games in two weeks have irked me to no end.

I was 21 once. I know how it is to sit in the parking lot, friends surrounding you with a beer your hand at 4 p.m. when the game starts at 7 p.m.

But what I don’t understand is how the majority of those people can walk in through those gates plastered, not even able to watch the game straight. Let me give you an example.

My friends and I were outside in the parking lot, tailgating, enjoying each other, reminiscing.

Next to us were guys and girls shotgunning beers, timing each other on their watches and trying to fit in as many beers before they were going to walk in at 6:45 p.m.

It wasn’t like I was paying attention to this group of people the entire time, but when the parking lots get crammed, the spaces seem inches away from one another.

I was watching one girl in particular who looked no older than 20 years old and she drank five beers in a matter of an hour. And I know it was five beers because she would yell, “Time for another one!” After five times of hearing her drunken shriek, I was ready to get into the ballpark.

Now, since I don’t get to as many Phillies games as I would like in a season, I put away money for an amazing seat. For this particular game, I was in the “diamond club.”

As I sat down with my Hatfield hot dog my camera ready out to take some great shots, guess who came stumbling down the steps to the row

directly in front of me?

Yes, the same rambunctious group from the parking lot. When I pay nice money for a great seat, fork out $5.25 for a hot dog and $12 for parking, I would expect a rewarding, relaxing time.

No, I did not get this. The ENTIRE game was slobbering chants that no one took part in, constant beer runs and trips to the bathroom since “the seal had been broken.”

Not only did I have the drunken pep squad in front of me, but it was like I had Tom McCarthy and “Wheels” commenting on each pitch thrown.

Baseball is said to be “America’s favorite past time.”

To me, it is beginning to look like America’s biggest money racket and drunk fest.

There is simply no way to enjoy a game and I know if it is happening to me and I am at the ballpark two, maybe three times a season, then it has to be happening to other fans that intend to cheer on their team.

I even thought, what would have happened if it was a family and children in my seats?

Their ears would have been covered due to the constant “f-bombs” flying out of the drunks’ mouths. But what even makes it more uncomfortable is that if I would have said something, I probably would have been the brunt of their joke and felt as if I had to leave myself.

I understand that many of you reading this may take part in these antics all of the time, but seriously, the point of a sporting event is to serve as entertainment to the fan.

This isn’t the place to drink your face off and think it is funny to be a mess inside the gates.

There are bars for that and quite honestly, we are in a recession here. Save your money and stop grinding my gears.

Megan Pellegrino

“My first response was tears,” Mike Griffin, a professor of Theology at Holy Cross College in South Bend, In., said when President Brother Richard Gilman agreed to take part in the Iraqi Student Project.

“I was so pleased. This is what our mission calls for us to do,” Griffin said.

Griffin teaches a Global Issues class, which two students from the project are enrolled in, one of them being Omar Rasheed, who entered the project after finishing high school in 2003 when the U.S. invaded his homeland.

Rasheed said, “I always dreamt to get an education in a vast country and I was searching for any opportunity to continue my education since I couldn’t get back to Baghdad. So I turned to the Iraqi Student Project that I found out about through my cousin.”

The Iraqi Student Project was created in 2007 due to the deterioration of Iraq’s educational systems and is a grass-roots effort to help young people who have studied in Iraq acquire the education they need to participate in rebuilding their country, according to the Iraqi Student Project’s Web site.

A team of individuals volunteered their time to travel to different parts of the world and realized what most Americans didn’t in the United States; the need for education was vital and it was vanishing to something that is barely existent today.

One of the travelers who is now the U.S. Executive Director of the Iraqi Student Project, Jane Pitz, explained the beginning process is coming back home.

“I was speaking with one of the founders of the program, Gabe Huck, and we both asked each other what does the U.S. do best? They have wonderful higher education systems. Why don’t we see if some schools can give tuition waivers?”

Pitz then called many people even though it was not an immediate yes, higher education employees were acknowledging that it was an important thing to consider.

The colleges and universities that did accept Iraqi students, now 13 in the United States, were very positive and simply found ways to offer the scholarships to the students, one of those colleges being Holy Cross College.

“If you look at mission statements of schools, there is something written in them that includes a global perspective and outlook and they commit through mission statements at schools to educate minds and hearts. If they commit themselves to educating a refugee from Iraq, they are, of course, including that in their statement. What better means to educate other students and faculty about who these people are,” Pitz said.

“It was an interesting challenge. South Bend is not a huge city, but many people came forward willing to help. As long as you are not in a remote, rural area, which Cabrini College is not, you will find many people willing.”

Griffin was nervous, though whether the people from the community would resent that Holy Cross College was bringing in an Iraqi or Muslim student. “I feared that people would be angry that we were giving scholarships and I did not encounter any of that including instances of prejudice.”

Huck and the other founder Theresa Kubasak then arrived at his home and interviewed him and found Omar eligible for the project. According to one of the mission statements on the Iraqi Student Project Web site, its staff, Board of Directors and with the help of many volunteers and donors, the project will work impartially to identify, screen and recommend students from Iraq for tuition waivers based on their academic records, English language ability, economic need and overall likelihood of success.

“Before I enrolled in this program, my life in Syria was empty; I had an empty life,” Rasheed said. “When I came over here, my life started to be busy with learning English and going to writing workshops along with classes at the college.”

Not only is Omar getting acquainted with the rigorous schedule of U.S. schooling, but he is also making an impact on the fellow students in his class.

Griffin said, “I was very excited to see how these students would enrich the other students of the class. I have seen students wanting to learn more from Omar.”

Griffin explains that Omar’s papers, projects and speeches on the Middle East, globalization and workers shed new light on what Americans didn’t know about what is taking place overseas.

Other than meeting people in the classroom, there is a support group in South Bend, where the students can enlighten the hosts, as well as opening themselves up to American culture.

Leslie Eid, the support group coordinator for the South Bend support group and office manager for the Iraqi Student Project, took in Omar for roughly three weeks, as well as two other students, before their host families were ready for the new transition. When Pitz contacted Eid and her husband Mansour in 2007 for their help with the project, they were since referred to “the people who open their house.”

“Omar has a unique personality with the ability to look at any experience that’s right in front of him and put that in the context of both his past and how he’s changed,” Eid said.

Eid spoke about the winter gathering that took place over the holidays at the Holy Cross Parish Center with 15 students in attendance.

Here, many cultural traditions were shared, such as Middle Eastern drum playing with dancing, Middle Eastern tea and the Yule log, which took place in two parts. Everyone placed a leaf or a twig into the log, which was placed into the fire, to symbolize the letting go of pasts from 2008, and in return lit “Candles of Hope” for 2009. Eid said, “This was a hope for peace and lighting up our world with our own hopes and wishes.”

Omar is very open to the future.

In four years he will get his certification and business administration degree. He wishes to go on to graduate school and will return home to either become a professor at a university or work in a company in their investment department.

Even though Omar is pursuing his dreams, not many refugees are that lucky.

“The educational system in Iraq is not totally gone, but decimated to the degree that many elementary and high school kids aren’t getting education,” Pitz said.

The problem arose when one or two working parents were threatened, had to flee and as refugees did not have the right to work. “Any savings have gone down to zip and that’s why, in fact, their children are in the project,” Pitz said.

Many colleges and universities may want to extend a hand to these young people, but there is an economic downturn that may stand in the way. Many schools in the U.S. are tuition-ran and indecisive to give a tuition waiver.

“Schools that are more dependent on tuition to run their schools are hesitant to give a free tuition waiver to one student. With those figures and a budget, the institution may need as many paying students as possible for the upcoming year. So, this year it is a little harder if schools don’t have at their disposal scholarships that need to be given away and particularly ones directed at international students,” Pitz said.

Whatever a college or university decides, they need to keep in mind one thing.

“I would think education is universal and our power to engage us in a broader world,” Eid said. “The lack of education and the lack of ability to pursue education would be a poverty of spirit. Education, for them, is providing the ability to move forward and up and out of that situation.”

“We can’t afford to NOT have them here,” Pitz said.

This is by far one of the most ironic pieces I am going to write because last year at this time, I was teaching Nick to take over Jess Hagerty’s sports editor position and mine.

Well Nick, I finally disagree with your thoughts; it had to happen someday, right?

Sarah Palin, stay out of our sports? No. 1: Do not act like she comes from a third world country here. Alaska probably has advancements that you never, let alone your great state of New Jersey, has ever heard of. Shouldn’t you be a Devils fan anyway?

Talk about supporting the “hometown” team.

Believe it Nick, Sarah Palin is an icon now, whether people can “stomach” her mommy ways or not. Which brings me to point No. 2: Are you saying that there aren’t “soccer moms” that can be cheering in Flyer audience?

You say, “The down-home hockey mom may work in Moosejaw, but not here.”

Well, I guess if I want to be a mommy and a sports fan like I do, I better get out of the “City of Brotherly Love” before I am forced out by tenacious sport.

How ironic too, that Philly has this coined nickname when all I hear is complaints and booing when their team isn’t up to their standards.

Now, for No. 3 reason, which I find to be the most important: What do the Dixie Chicks, Bruce Springsteen and Oprah Winfrey have in common?

They all PREACH, and I mean PREACH on a stage in front of millions and put their beloved Obama on a pedestal.

It’s funny how they aren’t “shushed.” Oh, wait. Is that because they are Democrats and their auras are radiantly shining RED?

But now, Ed Snider wants to share his views, which he is allowed by the First Amendment and now he gets a bad “rap?” Screw that.

Talk about silencing the other side. He has as much of a right as anyone to stand-up to critics and do what he feels is right.

He has the “power,” so why not “abuse” it like every other “dem” in the limelight.

Kasey Minnick

Class of 2009

Bristol, Conn.: I believe this to be the best place on Earth. This place is home to ESPN headquarters where I will do everything in my power to get employed after I graduate.

Being the only female out of my immediate family, I grew up riding the coattails of my dad and uncles and watching any kind of sport possible on the “tube.” Before the age of 10, I could honestly sit down and name the entire starting line-up of the 1993-1994 Philadelphia Phillies team.

Ok, so I guess you could call me a tomboy, but it’s what I loved to do: research statistics, rehearse my play-by-play from my living room floor and stump anyone with sports trivia that wanted to have at it.

Entering Cabrini College as a photojournalism major (I wanted to write and photograph for sports magazines)I found this to silence me a bit. As I was relaxing while watching the Philadelphia 76ers, I looked at Dei Lynam on courtside and realized how much she truly knew the game and didn’t even need the cue cards in front of her to do what she did best. I wanted her job. I started researching many ESPN anchors, starting with Rachel Nichols, being my favorite, and found that many of the women had it hard getting into the sports reporting industry.

Ask yourselves this: How many times did you hear a man say he would turn off the television because a woman just didn’t know anything about sports? Oh, I have heard it my entire life, so how dream-crushing is that? This was even a bigger push to me. I was going to do this and people were going to see my true love for the game.

Would you believe my happiness when I received a call to my home from a secretary from ESPN in Connecticut? Yes, I screamed followed by tears. I was going to be phone interviewed for a possible internship for the summer. My job: I was to study up on all aspects of the sports world and be judged on my performance. I studied for days on end and felt like I knew more than ever before. To my disappointment though, I did not receive the internship and there was one strike against me as my confidence level was brought down a notch. Because of the small town I live in, many people knew of this opportunity that was given to me and I had to be the one to break the news to many of the Weatherlites that I wasn’t granted my dream.

Then, another instance happened to me this past weekend. I was bartending at my local firehouse and a man that I hardly talk to asked me what I was taking up in school. I told him of my aspirations to be a sports broadcaster and he would one day see this small town girl on ESPN. To my amazement, this man had the gall to tell me not to get my hopes up because it would be extremely hard to do such a thing. And once again, I had to hear: “I just don’t feel that women know as much as men do about the sports industry.” I looked at the man and said, “I will do it, you believe me,” and just walked away. I found this to be strike No. 2. Why would someone just so bluntly tell a 21 year old that their dreams are out of reach?

As I thought about what this man told me, my mind became pessimistic and I thought maybe I am not meant to be on television. Maybe all of this hard work would not pay off and I would be stuck in a career that has nothing to do with living in Connecticut and seeing my name on the bottom of the television screen. Does everyone really feel that a women’s place is to not be reporting sports because it’s a “manly” thing to do?

As I shook these thoughts out of my head and came to my senses, I knew there would not be a strike three that would go against me. I WILL do this, I WILL see my name flashing on the bottom of the television screen and I WILL do what I was put on this Earth to do. I will live in the best place on Earth and I WILL be doing what I have aspired to do all of my life.

No matter what anyone else thinks, especially that man from the bar, they will one day hear me say, “This is Kasey Minnick reporting from ESPN.”

cabrini athletic department

“This could be one of the best years in Cabrini golf history,” Tim Harner, a history and secondary major, said.

Harner, the golf team captain this season, has not always had his heart set on the game of golf. Ever since he was a child he was in love with baseball, until the age of 14. At this age, his father took the chance putting a golf club in his hand and he didn’t look back since.

“In high school, I was determined to do well, mainly because no one thought I could. Harner did just that as he took away the honor of “Unsung Hero” his freshman year and Most Valuable Player recognitions his sophomore, junior and senior years at Williams Valley High School in Pennsylvania. The most memorable moment that Harner had though was when he made it to the District Championships, the second person in his high school’s history to complete this feat.

Last season for Cabrini’s golf team, Harner said, “It was kind of an up and down year. We did not have much depth so it was hard for us to do as well as we would have liked.” The team finished 5th last year so it was exciting when they were projected to finish third in the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference Championships this season.

Harner believes they may even be underestimated being placed at this third position because no one knows they have gained two solid golfers freshman Mike Ryan and transfer sophomore from Iona University, Brian Walsh.

“Ryan is a very solid player that knows how to play the game. He hits the ball far and is an important piece to us having a great season. And on the other hand, Walsh could have one of the nicest and smoothest swings I have ever seen.”

So far this season, Cabrini has had only one match and earned second place out of six teams and this week brings even more competition, especially Neumann College, which was picked to take the PAC Championships.

Harner not only realized that this team is going to have their “off days, but he can as well. “Playing golf has taught me many things. One day you could be the greatest player and then the next you would be the worst. I would live and die by how I played that day. Now that I know that golf is not the only important thing in life, I live by this one quote: ‘Everything is perfect in the end and if it is not perfect now, then it is not the end.’”

This 2007-2008 National Collegiate Athletic Association basketball tournament marks the first time in history that each of the four No. 1 seeds made it to the prestigious Final Four. But, since the No. 1 seeds are projected to come out of their four brackets from the get-go, does that mean that no upsets took place along the way? I think not.

As the 64 teams entered the first round, No. 13 San Diego State beat the No. 4 University of Connecticut Huskies 70-69 with a jumper at 1.2 seconds left in regulation.

In just the second round of play, West Virginia University, the No. 7 seed took on the No. 2 seeded Duke Blue Devils, which barely inched by Belmont 71-70 in the first round. The Mountaineers pulled out the win 73-67 to advance to the Sweet 16 to take on No. 3 Xavier, which in the end would be the end of the road for West Virginia as Xavier took the “w.”

Lastly, the projected Cinderella team of the tournament, Davidson College, which was ranked No. 10, beat the No. 3 ranked University of Wisconsin Badgers 73-56 sending Davidson to the Elite Eight to for the right to play the No. 1 University of Kansas Jayhawks. Davidson nearly pulled off another great upset to “add the cherry on top” to the tournament, but falling 57-59.

The championship will take place on April 7 at 9 pm that will pin Memphis or UCLA against North Carolina or Kansas.